Here's the story:
Thursday
Kevin, my brother-in-law, 2 of their friends, my friend Katie, and I go out to the Casinos on Freemont Street in old Down Town. You know, the place with the neon cowboy and cowgirl. But it also has a giant (over 5 football fields long) LED screen canopy that makes it seem like it's daytime, even at 1:00 in the morning. And let's not forget the topless ladies, cross dressing guys, and people in costumes (from Kiss and Elvis to Zack Galifianakis and the baby from Hangover).
Friday
We walked (and walked, and walked, and walked) the Strip. Who knew there would be so many stairs, by the way? We start out at the Venetian. We go to Caesar's Palace and the Mirage with everyone. Then Kevin and the others who have already seen what Vegas has to offer split off and go do some more gambling while Katie and I tackle Vegas on our own. We went just about everywhere to see as much as we could (including an outdoor establishment with a very cute server where we got a very refreshing beverage, and hanging out at the House of Blues) so that we could get an idea of what we wanted to go back to. We experienced a couple of Vegas buffets, and got ready for the big night.
We had a taxi drop us off at the Wynn hotel with 10 minutes to spare. When we get to the door, we ask the guy where the theater for the Garth Brooks concert is. He tells us that it's actually at the Encore right next door. (Now, if you've ever been to Vegas, then you know how sprawling these hotels are. They span quite a distance.) But he says that it's OK, because all we have to do is go left and there will be a sign and a door that will lead us to the Encore. Well, we speed walk left...and keep going, but there's no sign. So finally when we get to a door, the stupid curve of the hotel has brought us all the way around to the opposite end, putting us a good half mile from the entrance we needed. So what's a girl to do? That's right...we run...down the strip...at night...in our 3+ inch wedge shoes. OMG, you should have seen us. We only tripped twice (once each). For anyone who knows how clumsy and out of shape I am, you'll know what a feat that was. So we finally make it into the right hotel and have to subtly speed walk to the other end of it to get to the theater (right on time, mind you), only to have to walk to the end of a long winding line waiting to get in to the theater. But we made it, so that's all that matters, isn't it?
And the concert? Well...I'll blog about it later, for sure. But let me just say that it was pretty much the best, coolest, most amazing thing ever!
Saturday
We wake up and go back to our favorite Casino (New York New York) for breakfast. We hung out for a little while, then Kevin and I went on a date. And by date, I mean: walk all the way to Caesar's to go to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for lunch, decide after looking at the menu that the lunch menu didn't have anything that Kevin wanted to try, walk all the way back to New York New York, call everybody else, and have lunch together there. After lunch, we went to a crappy duelling pianos performance, put on our Rangers gear, and settled in at the Excalibur bar to watch the game. We were super excited, and super optimistic...until around the 6th inning. Then we couldn't take it anymore. So we had dinner at Peppermill (a Vegas-y breakfast/lunch/dinner/bar/diner place)...with the largest portions ever. Then the gang dropped Katie and me off at the Bellagio so that we could see the fountains at night. So cool! But then we had to walk all the way back to the hotel...again. Once we got back to the hotel, at only 11:30, we weren't quite ready to go to bed on our last night. So we stopped by Dick's Last Resort (located inside our hotel) and listened to a band finish their set and watched a couple of hootchies dance with each other (thus keeping us and everyone else from dancing). But then the band finished, the DJ took over, and the skanks left. So we got our groove on with some other people, including 2 couples from Canada...who told us that they were from Canada...over and over. But they were a lot of fun. We danced for a good 2 hours, and then called it quits.
Sunday
The next morning; between all of the walking, climbing stairs, running down the strip, and dancing, we woke up quite sore. But we powered through and headed back to New York, New York to have our gourmet desserts for breakfast. Then we said good-bye to Vegas and flew back home, exhausted but pretty satisfied with our trip.
A HUGE thank you is in order for my parents. They stayed with the kids while we were gone and chauffeured them to and from school, softball practice, a football game, school testing, movies, and church...plus shuttling us to and from the airport. I've said it before, but I'll say it again...they are the coolest!
