It was great!!

Here I sit, Monday morning, wondering where the week of vacation went...just as I knew I would be, as we sat on the runway getting ready for take off a week ago! Why is it that work drags and fun flies?

Vacation was wonderful!! I really didn’t expect to enjoy Vegas as much as I did! I was excited to spend the week with the people that I love most in the world, but I expected to be bored and unimpressed with sin city. Boy was I wrong!! I have never seen so much extravagance in my life!! Everywhere I looked, there were more beautiful, or bizarre (as the case may be) things to see! It was absolutely amazing!

We had a whirlwind, marathon week of sightseeing that I believe is unparalleled in our vacation experience thus far! To relate each day of activity, would be to create a blog so long that no one would read it, so…here is a brief rundown…

Day one (Sunday) –
Vacation started off with the flight to Vegas and…of course…turbulence. Not too bad though…until the landing. We happened to be seated next to a local restaurant owner from Wichita, who is a ‘Vegas Veteran’. He filled us in on tons of ‘must see, and must do’ things! I think that we actually did see and do most of them too! As we came into the airport, he pointed out many attractions from the window and my excitement began to mount! We got off the plane, picked up our rental car, and checked into the hotel. Then we began the Vegas Odyssey in earnest! We walked, and walked and walked some more! The highlight of our first night was the Bellagio Fountains! They were absolutely gorgeous! We saw lights, and neon wonders, and freaks galore! It was fantastic!!

Day two (Monday) –
We began Monday with pictures of everyone (in every combination) under the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign, then breakfast at McDonalds. After that, on to the Stratosphere! The Stratosphere is a very tall structure (112 stories I think), with an observation deck on top from which you can see for miles in every direction! It was very beautiful!! On the very tip top of this building, some genius (NOT), built three of the scariest thrill rides that I have ever lacked the courage to ride!
1 – Big Shot…a frightening version of the Detonator…shooting the riders straight into the air with a million (perhaps exaggerated a bit) G’s, then dropping them back to earth!
2 – Extreme – This might be the most frightening ride that I have ever seen! Riders are loaded into roller coaster cars, then shot straight out over the edge of the building on a very thin ramp…which then drops…as the riders hang suspended…facing the ground…112 stories below…then it backs them up and shoots them out again…this time dropping them a bit farther.
3 – Insanity – I almost threw up watching this one. Riders are loaded into 5 sets of cars (two riders to a set), then hoisted out over the city (again 112 stories up) and spun around as the cars they are in are tilted forward.

Candy and Shane rode all three…and survived! Marvin, Chas and I took pictures and prayed (only half joking here). After that…we purchased a yard of drink (non-alcoholic) in stratosphere containers a yard tall, then went to lunch at a great 50’s style diner, called Roxie’s. the food was super, and every 15 minutes, one of the staff grabbed a mike and sang to us!! More walking followed lunch, then on to the Venetian to pick up our Blue Man Group tickets! On the way, we took a stroll through the Mirage, to see the White tiger! It was beautiful! It seemed to know that it was being adored, and maintained a very regal pose the entire time! The Venetian was very cool! Gondola rides, upscale shops of every description, performers throughout the mall area…and of course…a humongous casino! Also located in the Venetian is Madame Tosaud’s (spelling…sorry Madame) Wax Museum, and that was our next stop! 99% of the likenesses inside were stunning in their detail! We had a great time posing with our favorites! Blue Man Group was AWESOME!!! The music was great! They rocked the house with percussion that went to the bone, combined with a hilarious and interactive show!!! After the show…on to Treasure Island for the 10:00 pirate show. This was probably the only disappointment of the trip…the actors, the script, the almost costumes, everything about it was poorly done. For reasons which shall remain in Vegas…we nicknamed this show T & A (it is actually TI). To top off an already bad performance…the show was stopped towards the last half, by a performer who proposed to his girlfriend on stage…it could have been a touching moment…but it wasn’t. The rest of the show was promptly cancelled (thank you Lord).

Day three (Tuesday) –
We slept in a bit, then left the hotel around 10:00 and headed for Hoover Dam. The dam itself was impressive, but I actually found the drive out more interesting! Being a Kansas Girl, I have never seen a place so barren as the desert. The red and black rock, the mountains, the canyons, cactus, and amazingly…flowers growing straight out of rock! It was awesome! Back to Vegas for lunch at Hard Rock Café (where my eyes saw Elvis’s guitar…but my brain apparently saw his umbrella). The rest of the day included The Excalibur, The Luxor, MGM Grand, New York New York, M&M World, Coca-Cola World, then back to the hotel for a swim and rest!

Day four (Wednesday) –
We started the day off with a trip to a place called The Drive. For a minimal fee, each of us chose two vehicles to drive on a performance, or test track! I chose a Corvette and a Solstice! Marvin chose a convertible truck and a Hummer, and Chas, Shane and Candy each drove a Corvette and a Hummer! We had a ball!! Afterwards…on to the Sahara, where Shane and Candy rode the fastest roller coaster that I have ever seen (the whole ride took less than 30 seconds). Lunch at NASCAR Café, then back to the hotel for some pool time! Around 4:30, we headed for the Bellagio for dinner (the biggest, best, and most expensive buffet that I have ever seen), and to pick up our tickets to Cirque de soliel “O”. The Bellagio defies description in its opulence! From the ornate ceiling and intricately detailed miniature villages in the lobby, to the theater…no expense was spared! The highlight of this day was “O”…there are no words to describe the performance that we saw!! It was absolutely amazing and may be the best show that I have ever seen!! Afterwards, we walked the mall area, where we passed Kelly Osbourne in the hallway! We forged ahead into the night towards the Paris Hotel and the Eiffel Tower (1/2 size of the real deal). It was amazing (from the ground). We took the elevator to the top, and I was promptly overcome by a panic that I have not experienced in a long time. I fought it for a bit…lost…and took the elevator back to the ground! Chas and Marvin and I headed back to the hotel shortly afterwards, (Shane and Candy stayed to check out the slots for a bit). On the way back, we passed the Belagio Fountains, and were treated to “All That Jazz” as the fountains swayed, exploded, and danced! Magnificent!

Day five (Thursday) –
We began Thursday with a visit to Circus Circus. It proved to be the most run down hotel that we had seen. Inside were a myriad of rides and attractions for young and old alike, but they had not been maintained very well. The air inside this place reeked of mold, and old. We went directly from there to the Wynn Hotel…it was like night and day! The elegance and opulence of the Bellagio can only be rivaled by the Wynn! It was beautiful!! We had a quick lunch at In & Out Burger, then back to the hotel for a swim and some rest for the sickly among us, (Chas, Shane, and Candy had all contracted sore throats and headaches the evening before). Around 5:00, we left for the Rio, to see the Masquerade parade in the sky! We stood amazed as floats carrying dancers emerged from a far wall. Suspended from the ceiling, they floated above the casino area as music blared from a million speakers all around us! We scrambled below to pick up bead necklaces that the dancers threw!! Very fun!! Dinner at a Mexican place called Bamboleo, then on to Freemont Street in Old Las Vegas for the Freemont Experience light show! This was very cool for a number of reasons…first, the hotels and casinos along Freemont are the original “old school” establishments that started the whole Vegas concept. The places where gangsters and movie stars partied, gambled, and were “seen” side by side! As we walked through…I pictured in my mind the costumes and attitudes of that long ago time…when elegance was in vogue, and flip flops had not yet been invented! Second, the entire two block strip has been covered with a huge ‘dome’ of light and sound equipment that is unbelievable! Every 15 minutes, all of the casino lights go out, and the canopy comes alive! We got back to the hotel around 11:00, and finally hit the bed sometime after midnight (after packing and preparing for departure at 4:00 a.m.).

Day six (Friday) –
The flight home was a tired, but contented one. Chas, Shane, and Candy were all three still under the weather, although Candy was feeling better. Marvin was nursing blistered feet and chapped ‘places’, and I was in need of sleep. It was an awesome week that ended all too quickly!!!

My summation of Vegas…awesome, fantastic, freaky, opulent, busy, bizarre, beautiful, sometimes garish, always amazing, and truly…the city that never sleeps!!!

Be Well!