Day 1 -- Sunday
- Our plane left Detroit at 11:00am. Smooth flight except for the last half hour or so. BUMPY decent into Las Vegas thanks to the wind. I *heart* Xanax.
- Checked into the hotel (The Luxor). Nice view from our room.
- Wandered the Strip. For a very long time.
- We were hungry. Looked for food. For a very long time. Too many choices!!
- Found a Hawaiian themed burger restaurant -- I can't recall the name of it. Awesome food!
- Wandered the Strip. For a very long time.
- Found a slushie bar, Evening Call, where I could get a blue slushie adult beverage. It was called Coco Loco. Turned my tongue blue. It was yummy!!!
- Watched the fountains dance in front of the Bellagio (Por Ti Volare / Time To Say Goodbye). Spectacular!!
- Continued wandering the strip and gambling here & there.
- Tried to watch a night show of the fountains but they were canceled for high winds. Boo!
- Ice cream at Blizz!
- All three of us went to bed at 10:30pm Vegas time, talking about how old we are for going to bed so early in Vegas. It's 1:30am in Michigan. We're not that old!
Day 2 -- Monday
- I woke up just before 5am Vegas time. Quick math told me it was almost 8am Michigan time. Burning daylight!!! Got up and took my cell phone into the bathroom to play games until the girls woke up. It wasn't long.
- Kerry & I went to the food court in the hotel for breakfast (I needed some ibuprofen for my headache), while Erin got ready.
- Went to the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay.
- Time for a Coco Loco!
- Wandered leisurely down the Strip, heading toward Treasure Island.
- Dinner at Kahunaville inside Treasure Island.
- Cirque Du Soleil: Mystere! It was mind-blowing!! Cirque never fails to amaze.
- Made it to the Mirage just in time to watch the volcano erupt. Very cool!
- Made it to the Bellagio just in time to watch a night showing of the dancing fountains. This Kiss by Faith Hill. It was awesome, awesome, awesome!!!!
- Crossed over Las Vegas Blvd. to the Paris Hotel where we went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Took some awesome pictures of the Strip from 500 feet up at night. Breathtaking!!
- Wandered back to Luxor.
- Erin & I went to bed at 1:00am Vegas time (4am Michigan time!). I'm feeling younger already!
- Kerry is a machine. She came in around 2:15am Vegas time. Hey, don't stop when you're on a hot streak, right? I didn't hear a dang thing when she came in either.
Day 3 -- Tuesday
- Woke up at 6:15am Vegas time. Quick math told me it was 9:15am Michigan time. CRAP! I overslept!
- We opted for the all-day buffet ($32 for all you can eat at Luxor and Excalibur from open to close) so we went down for breakfast. YUM!!
- Went to MGM Grand Hotel to gamble and wander. We didn't do so well there.
- Went to Excalibur for lunch. I had three desserts.
- Went back to Luxor to lounge by the pool. I only stayed outside about 45 minutes reading my Kindle before I was sure I OD'ed on Vitamin D. So I went to the room, changed back into my clothes, and went shopping in the hotel mall(s).
- Time for a Coco Loco!
- Went to dinner at Bouchon Bistro inside the Venetian Hotel with my friend Sandra, whom I had never met in person before this. She is an online friend I've been in touch with since 2005. I actually purchased my boys' Halloween trick-or-treat bags from her Etsy business. Her husband is a sommelier at Bouchon.
- Dinner was fantabulous and I had so much fun meeting her and her husband & children (she has three of the cutest boys ever). I had hibiscus champagne, salad, bread, the-best-salmon-in-the-world, wine that complimented the salmon, and three desserts for us to try: brownies, apple crisp, and creme brulee.
- Met back up with Kerry & Erin, and gambled for a short while at Excalibur.
- Rode the roller coaster at New York New York (at, like, 11:30pm)
- Found an arcade at NYNY. They have Skeeball in Vegas. Who knew?!
- Erin and I went to bed around 12:30am Vegas time.
- Kerry came in around 2am. I didn't hear her this time either.
Day 4 -- Wednesday
- Woke up at 6:45am Vegas time. Quick math told me it was 9:45am Michigan time. CRAP! I did it again!
- Kerry was already up and showered by the time I woke up! I didn't even hear her get up!
- Kerry & I packed our stuff while Erin was on a phone call. Then we went down to the casino while Erin showered & packed.
- Went to the buffet for breakfast.
- More gambling.
- Shuttle to airport at 9:50am.
- Plane left Las Vegas at 12:05(ish) Vegas time.
Vegas Randomness
- As I mentioned in an earlier post, "next door" in Vegas means something entirely different than "next door" in my neighborhood. As a matter of fact, I believe my whole neighborhood would fit neatly into the lobby of the Luxor. "Next door" is easily a 10-15 minute walk. Longer if you stop to play slots.
- Kerry, Erin, and I traveled very well together (I hope they agree). I had a marvelous time with them (I hope they agree).
- Almost all the hotels have not only a casino in them, but also a food court plus several 'fine dining' restaurants, and a freakin' mall!
- Kerry is a machine. The girl functioned on four hours of sleep a night! She was in bed after Erin & me, and she was up before (or at the same time) as me. I didn't even hear her come in Monday night or Tuesday night. I plan to learn her secret on the next trip... she's my hero!
- Oxygen bars. I don't understand....
- Penny slots with a 50 cent minimum bet. I don't understand.... why don't they just call it what it is: a 50 cent slot machine?
- Guys (and girls) handing out fliers at nearly every intersection. Thankfully I was warned beforehand of those people, but I still don't think I was prepared for all the boob pictures I would encounter on Las Vegas Blvd.
- Crossing Las Vegas Blvd. is a process. You don't just cross the street. You go down the block, up an escalator (if it's working), across a really large bridge, into a building, out of the building, down another escalator (if it's working), around a corner and bam! You're across the street.
- I'm taking a pedometer next time.
