In the struggle for supremacy between me and Vegas, Vegas has won. I am defeated, exhausted, and more footsore than I've been in my life. It is now 1:25 PT, and I'm just getting back from a day that included a run to Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, and the old strip downtown.
One of the most fun things we did was a bus tour hosted by this guy, who, interestingly enough has written his autobiography. He gave me his card and told me we should swap books, but I haven't heard back from him yet.
Last night my friend Angela and I went to see the Thunder from Down Under show, (male strippers for those who, like me, had never heard of it) and got my picture taken with six guys who could have posed for any one of our covers. Unfortunately, it isn't digital, so I can't post it.
We've been to all the big casinos, or will have by the time our flight leaves tomorrow night.
Got a few romance novel ideas while I was here, along with about a million pictures, including this one of me with Elvis and Captain Jack Sparrow. One thing for sure, I can honestly say it's been an experience, but even though it's been 70's and sunny this whole time, I'm ready to go home--snow and all!
I was going to sing Viva Las Vegas to you, Cheryl, but the Viagra commercials have ruined that song for me forever!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a good time! Safe travels home! You will need a vacation to recover from your vacation.
No snow here, but the pansies are all hunched over and huddled together in their pots when I go out for my walk in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Las Vegas--you know why? Because I'm not a big night-life aficionado and glitter and fantasy have a way of looking tarnished and tattered in noon sunlight.
Still, 70 degrees and side trips to Boulder Dam sound nice. Did you like las Vegas in the daytime?
Color me green with envy, Cheryl! It looks like you had a great time. Safe travels home. After a few good nights sleep you'll be ready to go back.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed your vacation!
Robin :)
Looks like fun. We drove from Toronto to California years ago and stopped at Las Vegas on the way back. My favorite part was the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.
ReplyDeleteSo large, one human, one natural and both on a very grand scale.
It looks like you had a great time!
Omigod! Elvis impersonators . . . I don't know if my poor heart could take it. So glad you had a great vacation, and I'm tickled to hear that you, like me, come away from trips like that with tons of inspiration and new ideas.
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago our family did the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and Las Vegas adventure as part of our summer RV vacation. I had not been to LV in over 20 years and my hubby had never been there! Of course we were with the kids and are not party types anyway, but we exhausted ourselves just walking from casino to casino. It was stupendous! Not gamblers either - we are veerrryyy boring people! - but I have to say the glitz and glitter and beeping bells was fairly alluring! The dam and the boat trip down the Colorado was the best part though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Cheryl! Get some well earned rest. I see it now: One of your cats falls in love with a showgirl, or maybe the cat doubles as the sexiest Elvis impersonator EVER!
LOL! Viva Viagra, Marie!
ReplyDeleteI DO need a vacation to recover from my vacation, but I'm not going to get it. We leave tonight and fly into Indianapolis at 5:30 AM, then drive home, which will take at least 2-3 hours because we have to drop some of the gang off in Bloomington and Bedford along the way, and then try to sleep as much as I can before going back to work Saturday night!
Actually, the first thing I want to do is to take a good, hot shower in my nice soft well water when I get home! This Vegas stuff, along with the 16% humidity has me about to turn into a lizard!
Mary Margret
ReplyDeleteI think it did snow a little at home while I was gone, but nothing significant.
I'm not a big fan of glitter and night life, either, but I will say it's hard not to be overwhelmed with the Vegas strip at night. We drove back from downtown last night at about 1AM and without tons of traffic, it looks very cool.
Most of it doesn't even look tarnished in the daytime, but that's probably thanks more to the fabulous weather than anything. I can definitely recommend Vegas in the fall! The shopping malls at Planet Hollywood and Paris are indoors, but the way they have the ceilings painted, you feel like you're outside in the evening.
Driving across the desert to get to the Grand Canyon was pretty interesting, too. We stopped along the highway to get out and look at the incredible starry sky on the way home last night. Fabulous!!!
Robin,
ReplyDeleteNot sure I'll ever want to come back here. I think that for me, it was a once in a lifetime thing. Gambling doesn't appeal to me in the slightest--possibly because I've only LOST money here--but there are some amazing sights to see!
I'm hoping the ICU will be empty Saturday night, because maybe then I can stay home and get another night to sleep! Maybe I'll feel differently!
Michele,
ReplyDeleteThe Grand Canyon is awe-inspiring, and the air is so cool and clear there. It's peaceful, in spite of the tourists, and going back to Vegas after that was quite a shock!
We stopped at Hoover Dam going both ways, and at night, it's very cool. We stopped on the Lake Mead side on the way there, and on the dam side on the way home, and the atmosphere at night was surreal. They're building an interstate bridge beside the dam that makes the dam look small, and there are guys out there working in the dark. You could see the glow of the lights for miles away.
Then we drove into Vegas. I was driving, had no idea where we were going, and our GPS navigator seems to prefer to route you on interstates through a city, which I absolutely hate, especially at night! But I must say, the sight when you come up over the hill and see the lights of Vegas spread out across the desert in front of you is nothing short of amazing!
Christina,
ReplyDeleteThe Elvis impersonator did a good "Thank you very much" when I was getting my photo taken with him, but our Rod Stewart impersonator on the bus tour was fabulous! I got to sing a duet of Hot Legs with him. Fun stuff!
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteLOL! A feline Elvis! Not sure the world is quite ready for that...
Like I said, I'm not a gambler either, and last night when we all split up at Fremont Street at 9PM to meet up again at midnight for dinner, I was so exhausted from the dam and canyon trips, I wandered around like a zombie and then sat in an oriental fast food place in one of the casinos eating one piece of sushi--with chopsticks--every twenty minutes or so, just to kill time and have a place to sit where I didn't have to lose money!
I have also discovered that it IS possible to be asleep and still wake up to hit the spin button now and then, as long as you're on one of the slot machines with an nice, cushy armrest!
What a trip, Cheryl! Love the impersonators, esp. Rod...he got the look spot on. Glad you had fun, even if you're wiped. Vacations in big, crazy places have a way of doing that:-)
ReplyDeleteAs for feeling like a lizard, I can personally attest that it is ALWAYS like that in Nevada. I lived near Reno for two and a half years, and I went through moisturizer like crazy. It's kinda damp in Maryland lately, but I'll take that any day!!
Glad you're headed home, drive safe:-)
How fun, Cheryl! Thanks for the photos!
ReplyDeleteSafe journey home, Cheryl!
ReplyDeleteAnd I know what you mean about foot-sore. Those blocks on the strip between casinos are the longest I've ever walked! Rode the monorail last time I was there and it was totally worth the wait.
Did you go to the mall in the Venetian? Indoors on the second story with full blown canal?!?! I couldn't stay in that casino because I kept thinking about all that water over my head. YIKES!
My DH LOVES the roller coaster in NY NY, but it goes in and out of the building and UPSIDE DOWN! NO WAY! He has to ride it by himself.
Hoover Dam is fantastic. Did you go to the visitor's center? They used to have tours that took you inside and to the base of the dam, but I think they stopped those after 9/11 which is too bad. Standing at the bottom looking up up UP at all that concrete is an experience I'll never forget.
Hope you aren't busy for the next few nights at work.
AC
Aunt Cindy,
ReplyDeleteI'm sitting in the airport killing time before our flight leaves. Saw the fountains at the Bellagio tonight and rode up in the Eiffel Tower, which is as close to a rollercoaster as I care to get! We did Caesar's Palace today. I took a million pictures of expensive things that I will NEVER buy!
For my DH, I took a picture of his Armani suit and his Rolex watch. For myself, I took a picture of an autographed guitar that I will never own either!
I wish that woman over there would quit playing wheel of fortune on the slots. That little doodley doo sound is one I won't miss!
Kendra,
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I won't be the one driving! We turned in our rental and I will be driven home by one of my friends. Might make it home before noon if I'm lucky. My tempurpedic is calling me!!!!!
I should have brought my "midwinter" lotion to use, might have felt better if I had.
I actually have a better picture of Rod, from the side, especially, he's hard to tell from the original. Not a bad singer, either.
Glad you enjoyed them flchen1! I've got about a jillion more. Took a video of the fountains at the Bellagio tonight which turned out quite well, too. Don't know what I'm gonna do with all of them, but I've got 'em!
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