Vegas Trip with Nic and April - March 23 to 30, 2008

I usually keep a journal when I'm on vacation to keep track of what I did. Then when I get home I basically just copy it onto my blog. But I didn't do that during my last trip to Vegas. Probably because I never got enough sleep due to my 2 early-bird friends I went with so didn't feel up to it. It was good going with early-bird friends though as we did day trips that Ray and I never got around to doing since we always got up too late.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Anyways, Good Friday had long waits at the border - up to 4 hours. Then the Saturday had up to 2 hour waits. I was pretty sure Easter Sunday would be quieter as I thought that not as many people would go down that day. Luckily I was right and the wait at the border was only 15 minutes. Later on I found out that Bellis Fair was closed on Sunday! Lucky for us! The Bellingham Airport is really small, I didn't think it would be as small as it was. There was a small cafe in the airport and another small vending area inside the gate. Apparently the flight before ours was supposed to leave about 3 hours earlier but were delayed and we ended up leaving on time and before they did! They were compensated with free pop, water and I think some snacks. We had to board the plane outside. The flight was uneventful but the chairs were very uncomfortable as they didn't recline at all. My back and neck got sore. Also they didn't have the nice roomy mesh pockets that the magazines sit in in the chair in front of me. So I didn't have any room for my portable fan and had to leave it on my chair. Oh well, as I kept telling April - the price of the flight was right!

There was a long line-up at Dollar car rental. We ended up getting a Dodge Caliber which was an all-wheel drive car. After we checked into the resort we went and got groceries from Albertsons. Then we went back to the airport after midnight to pick up Nic. We waited at the baggage claim for a while wondering why there wasn't anyone else waiting. We asked a few security people if they knew anything about the Westjet flight. I went to the change lady at the slot machines to get more change for parking and was walking away when she asked what we were doing. So we told her we were waiting for a Westjet flight. She then told us that Westjet is in the international terminal in terminal 2 not in terminal 1 where we were. Good thing she helped us out or we would've been there a while longer. It was difficult driving to terminal 2 as the road signs weren't the greatest but we eventually got there. Luckily Nic's flight was late and she had to go through customs so hadn't been waiting that long. Nic knows I'm usually late anyways but she would've phoned eventually if we didn't show up.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Everyday we ate in our suite (usually outside on the balcony) before going out. Everyday when I woke up my neck and back were really sore so I couldn't fall back asleep. It was fromt bed and from driving as I'm not used to driving so much. The only bed that doesn't bother my back now is my new lumbar supported one.

We went to Walgrens as April wanted to get a larger memory card for her camera. They didn't have one that was compatible with her camera but the cashier told us about a new mall that had opened up where there was a new Best Buy. We went grocery shopping again as Nic finds it "relaxing" to cook. April and I don't find cooking relaxing nor do we enjoy doing it but since Nic was offering - Yee ha! April had just come down with a cold the week before so she wasn't feeling that great.

Nic and I went see Stomp Out Loud at Planet Hollywood. We made it by 7:55 with 5 minutes to spare. The show was really good. They did percussion with so many different things: brooms, garbage cans, newspaper, plastic bags, hands, fingers, and they also had drum kits on the walls where the musicians performed. It was quite impressive. The show was also quite comical too.

After the show ended we still had time to check out the Miracle Miles shops as the mall didn't close until 11pm - bonus! We saw the Rainstorm which was simulated rain falling from the sky. I got a 5 minute neck and shoulder massage which felt wonderful!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Coincidentally 2 of April's sister-in-laws and one of their husbands was in Vegas for some of the same days as us so April spent the day with them. A was also there with her friend from Montreal but I didn't see them. Since neither Nic nor April had been to Vegas before I told April which hotels I was planning to see that day so that she could go see the same ones. Nic and I went to the Venetian and had lunch there overlooking the gondolas. We then went to the Bellagio and spent some time wandering around the conservatory before going outside to watch the fountain show. The fountains weren't shooting as high as when we drove into the hotel grounds and Viva Las Vegas was playing. We then went back to the resort to rest for a bit. I think the heat and sun got to Nic as she got a bit of a burn when we were outside at the Venetian. After we rested and got out of the sun we ate leftovers at the resort and then we went back out and saw the Sirens pirate show at Treasure Island.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Nic was the first one up everyday and she always brewed Starbucks coffee and put a cup of it on the coffee table beside April who was still sound asleep. For some reason April never woke up to noise but she woke up quite quickly after getting a whiff of the coffee! Nic liked being in the kitchen cleaning and standing by the sink and April and I would be sitting on the bar stools on the other side at the nook. We had many leisurely breakfasts outside on the balcony yakking too. Nic and April got along really well and had a lot in common. I knew they would get along but it was uncanny how well they got along.

We went to Best Buy at the new mall and then went to See's Candies. We went to Circus Circus to the Dollar Rental Car so that we could add Nic and April as drivers. My neck and back were killing me as I wasn't used to driving so much. Thanks guys!

We went and checked out the Luxor hotel and went to the King Tut Museum and exhibit. I enjoyed seeing everything there. We went shopping in the hotel and wandered too far and unknowingly ended up in Mandalay Bay Hotel. We were running out of time so had to rush to get April and Nic to Caesar's Palace as they were going to see Elton John. I went back to the resort and ahhhh took a nap. Didn't get around to checking my email. I picked them up and then we went to Bellagio to see if we could see the fountain at night. I thought there might be a midnight show but unfortunately there wasn't. Oh well, at least the self park wasn't that far of a walk.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Nic and April went swimming quite a few of the mornings. Nic gave herself a pedicure. We left for the Valley of Fire in the early afternoon. There were lots of red rocks in different formations and it was an interesting place to visit. It was cool seeing petrified logs which were millions of years old. We spent some time at the visitor's center too.

On the way back we stopped in Overton to eat. Thanks Nic for bringing your book about Vegas for non-gamblers otherwise I wouldn't have known about this restaurant in Overton.

Everyday I brought 2 litres of water with me. I had my travel-sized Brita water filter holder and the resorts always have a jug so I just brought my own water bottles. My one litre thermos is is double-walled so the water stays cold. Nic and April didn't mind warm water so they just bought their extra water for the day.

Friday, March 28, 2008

I had been looking forward to going to Death Valley as I had wanted to go the last 2 times Ray and I were there but we never got up in time. I miscounted and thought that this was my 5th time to Vegas, but later realized it was my 6th time.

We headed out at 9am for Death Valley. We only saw a fraction of the park but were the best spots to see in a day trip. Nic and April did rock/paper/scissors to decide who would drive each time. They drove the longer distances and I did the driving around the strip. We went to Dante's View first which had an elevation of about 5000 feet and was quite windy. It was nice and not too hot there. We could see Badwater below with it's saltlands. Badwater was the lowest elevation in the western hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level. We went to Zabriskie Point which was my favourite place of the trip. I loved the rolling sand-dune looking rocks - it was soooo beautiful and scenic. Nic was always clowning around during photos taken of her.

Then we went to the Furnace Creek visitor's centre and spent a lot of time in there. We didn't go to Scotty's Castle in Death Valley but there was a display about it in the visitor's centre. I remember borax being quite prominent in the centre too.

Badwater was sooooo hot being 282 feet below sea level. It was so neat seeing the sea level sign on the rock wall above us. We only ventured a short distance on the saltlands and then turned back as it was so hot. I can't imagine how hot it is there in the summer time. It had rained recently as there were a few small areas with water that hadn't dried up yet. Devil's Golf Course was neat as it was full of jagged crystalized salt pillars. Artists Drive was quite scenic with so many different coloured rocks and changing landscapes. I thoroughly enjoyed the day seeing soooo many different landscapes and thinking that this was all under water years ago.

On the way back to Vegas we stopped at the Pahrump Casino to eat at their buffet. It was the only buffet we ate at during our trip.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Nic wanted to use up the leftover food we still had that wasn't used for dinner a few nights before. We had picked up some liquid egg whites and she made egg foo young with a mish mash of udon noodles, tofu, spinach and mushrooms. It was really good! I ate soooo much.

Nic had flattened her hair with the flattening iron. Her hair looks really good straight. So she tried flattening April's hair. Unfortunately she did it after April's hair was already dry and since April's hair is short she ended up looking very punk, like Tina Turner! I liked her new do but April wet her hair right away to get rid of her new look. Oh well.

I dropped Nic and April off at the outlet mall north of the strip and then went to Red Rock Canyon. After being to Sedona it wasn't that impressive but was still worth going to. I drove around the 13 mile loop of red rock formations and then afterwards drove another 5 miles to Bonnie Springs Ranch/Old Nevada. This was another place I found out about from Nic's book on Vegas for non-gamblers. Thanks again for bringing the book, Nic! I wandered around the ranch and Old Nevada. There was a petting zoo, riding stables and an old west town. I was too late for the hanging and shoot-out shows as they ended at 5pm but there still were a few guys decked out in western gear cleaning up garbage cans. There was a wedding party there all dressed up in western garb with cowboy hats. I walked through a fake mine shaft with uneven flooring. I had apple pie a la mode at a restaurant there and listened to a guy playing guitar. April called and they were done shopping so I picked them up and we went back to the resort to change into our dancing clothes for Studio 54. Since there were 3 of us we called ourselves Charlie's Angels with Nic being the sensible one. She was the one that would hurry us along to make sure we weren't coming back in the dark from our day trips. Nic used her camera timer and got a good shot of the 3 us posing as Angels. Studio 54 was fun. We bypassed the regular long line-up with our VIP passes for the front of the line tickets that we got online. We still had to wait in the VIP line-up but it only a small line-up. Studio 54 was quite big with a large dance floor on the lower level with pillars for a few scantily-clad male and female dancers. The public were allowed to put money on them. There was also a second level with a VIP area, a small dance floor, cage for a dancer and bar and stools area. The upper level overlooked the lower level and there was a better view of the scantil-clad women doing acrobats that were performing suspended from the ceiling and lowered down on hoops and then swings later on in the evening.

We all had a good time dancing for a few hours. April's feet were killing her as she was wearing new shoes that were really high. Both she and Nic soaked their feet after we got home.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

I'm not sure how April would've done it if Nic wasn't there but Nic managed to pack all of April's many purchases into her extra suitcase and carry-on bag. Way to go, Nic!

We went to the outlet mall at the south end of the strip. Nic wanted to go to the bookstore there. Turns out there wasn't a bookstore there but April ended up buying a few things. She couldn't buy too much as she didn't have any more luggage space. We ate lunch at the Panda fast food Chinese restaurant and then afterwards Nic spotted a bookstore on the way back to the strip so we stopped there. We then stopped at the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign to take some photos. That was Nic's new word of the trip: "Fabulous". April's was "absolutely". We went to the MGM so that Nic could get the "Fabulous Las Vegas" magnetic photo frame she saw the night before. We also went and saw the lions. They weren't due for about 15 minutes but I overheard one of the workers telling someone where they'd come out so we got a good spot and waited. One of the workers put 4 giant rawhide bones in the little pool in the exhibit and then we watched as one of the lions eventually saw them and pawed at them to get one.

I don't know how Nic did it but she managed to fit all our luggage into the car. She had done a practice run when we checked out and left our luggage in storage. We each had 2 pieces - one of which was empty when we arrived! Luckily one of the seats folded down in the car. Nic's flight was delayed a few hours but I knew she would be kept busy either with all the shopping in the airport, the slot machines or reading. The flight for April and I was on time. It sure was a no-frills airline and when we got back to Bellingham we had to wait for 3 other flights to unload and pick up their luggage first as there was only one luggage rack and it didn't rotate or move in any way!

In closing, we had a great trip - it was the first time Nic and I had actually gone on vacation together. Usually one of us is going to the other's place but we have never gone away anywhere together. I'm glad that April was there as there were a few times Nic and I needed a mediator! I'm glad I was able to do the last 4 things on my list of things to see: Valley of Fire, Death Valley, Studio 54 and Red Rock Canyon. Thanks you two, you are both awesome friends!