Our adventure started on Sunday, August 7th. Before the fun could begin we first had to take care of three girls (ages 7 - 10) and a golden lab. Thank goodness dogs are still easy. Valet service at the kennel was quick and easy, and we left thinking what a great start we were off to. Second stop: girl-scout camp. Camp is no longer the quick affair it once was when I was a kid. Back then, your parents could throw you and your sleeping bag out the car door while it was still rolling. They’d wave good-bye, you’d pick up your gear, and off you’d go. Nowadays, you’re subjected to multiple lines of bs, such as camper check-in, payment line, medical line, head lice check, etc. Finally, once all your paperwork is in order, you, the parents, have to hike your campers and their gear across the grounds and through the wilderness, find their cabin, meet their counselors, help them get settled, then hike back to the car. It’s an all day affair! We dropped the dog off at noon, and didn’t leave camp until 3:45. I must admit, though, once DH and I plopped our sweat-drenched bodies into the now empty, quiet, mini-van, a real thrill coursed through us, and off to the airport we go...
We had a 45 min drive from GS camp to the Milwaukee airport. We had a direct flight on Air Tran, scheduled to depart at 6pm. Earlier in the day I had checked in online and printed our boarding passes. We also had no baggage to check, so we figured we'd have plenty of time to make it. I was starving by 4:00, so I made my husband stop at taco bell. He suggested we go in and catch a quick bite, but I thought that would take too long and made him use drive-thru. This was not a good idea. Tacos, en route, are never easy to manage, I drizzled hot sauce and seasoned meat down the front of my white shirt, so by the time we arrived at the airport I was now both sweaty and taco-stained. The security line was one of the longest I’ve ever encountered at the Milwaukee airport and by the time we made it through it was after 5:00! We raced to our gate only to find the flight had been delayed by an hour. What a bummer. Our friends, Deb and B had arrived by now and the four of us decided to get a beer at Chili’s while we waited. The 6pm flight didn’t end up taking off until 7:30. We landed in Vegas about 11pm (9pm local time).
We split a cab to the Rio ($20) and checked in after a very short wait. Both DH and I and our friends had requested King, non-smoking rooms. We asked the checkling to put us on the same floor. She said they were completely full and could not get us on the same floor. So then we tried getting the same tower. No luck. They ended up in the Masquerade tower and we were in the Impanena tower. Because this was a four night comp (and we are very low rollers) we ended up on the 5th floor with a view of the air-conditioners. No problem though. Our room was comfortable, updated, and spacious. The bed was one of the best I’ve slept in. Now as for Deb and B. they had to switch rooms twice during their stay. She was not satisfied with either room either. I never saw her accommodations, but she said they were outdated, reeked of smoke, and were in desperate need of repair.
Nonetheless, we have arrived and all I can say is, VEGAS BABY! Our friends, Amy and Ed, were also in town celebrating their 2 year anniversary. We freshened up and caught the shuttle to Bally’s about 11:00 to meet up with them. Our first stop was Bills. We used our 2-for-1 Coors light draft coupons they gave us at check-in. Tony and B and Ed enjoyed some of Ed’s Cuban cigars at the bar, while me, Amy, and Deb chatted and caught up. One huge disappointment with Bill’s this year: their $1 Sauza margaritas are now $2 (and I’m not sure they use Sauza in them anymore either). After Bill’s we walked over to the Paris for some rapid roulette and Hangover slots. I actually won $14 at roulette, but was never lucky on Hangover slots the entire trip. By now it’s almost 1am and our free shuttle back to the Rio is leaving soon. Nobody was ready to go, so we decided we’d take a cab back and went back out to the strip. Our next stop was Harrah’s piano bar. I’ve been to three piano bars in Vegas over the years (NY NY, Paris, and Harrah’s). Have to tell you, I think Harrah’s was the most fun. They played some good sets and we stayed and enjoyed the entertainment for almost an hour until they closed the place down. Finally, we wandered over to Casino Royale for some $3 craps. I lost $40 bucks but managed to knock back a few frozen margaritas over there (only $1 at Casino Royale). By now it’s 3am and we are finally ready for bed. We cab it back to the Rio for $7, and hit the pillow, lights out at 3:30 am (which is 5:30 am Milwaukee time) and a 22 hour day for me!
We had a 45 min drive from GS camp to the Milwaukee airport. We had a direct flight on Air Tran, scheduled to depart at 6pm. Earlier in the day I had checked in online and printed our boarding passes. We also had no baggage to check, so we figured we'd have plenty of time to make it. I was starving by 4:00, so I made my husband stop at taco bell. He suggested we go in and catch a quick bite, but I thought that would take too long and made him use drive-thru. This was not a good idea. Tacos, en route, are never easy to manage, I drizzled hot sauce and seasoned meat down the front of my white shirt, so by the time we arrived at the airport I was now both sweaty and taco-stained. The security line was one of the longest I’ve ever encountered at the Milwaukee airport and by the time we made it through it was after 5:00! We raced to our gate only to find the flight had been delayed by an hour. What a bummer. Our friends, Deb and B had arrived by now and the four of us decided to get a beer at Chili’s while we waited. The 6pm flight didn’t end up taking off until 7:30. We landed in Vegas about 11pm (9pm local time).
We split a cab to the Rio ($20) and checked in after a very short wait. Both DH and I and our friends had requested King, non-smoking rooms. We asked the checkling to put us on the same floor. She said they were completely full and could not get us on the same floor. So then we tried getting the same tower. No luck. They ended up in the Masquerade tower and we were in the Impanena tower. Because this was a four night comp (and we are very low rollers) we ended up on the 5th floor with a view of the air-conditioners. No problem though. Our room was comfortable, updated, and spacious. The bed was one of the best I’ve slept in. Now as for Deb and B. they had to switch rooms twice during their stay. She was not satisfied with either room either. I never saw her accommodations, but she said they were outdated, reeked of smoke, and were in desperate need of repair.
Nonetheless, we have arrived and all I can say is, VEGAS BABY! Our friends, Amy and Ed, were also in town celebrating their 2 year anniversary. We freshened up and caught the shuttle to Bally’s about 11:00 to meet up with them. Our first stop was Bills. We used our 2-for-1 Coors light draft coupons they gave us at check-in. Tony and B and Ed enjoyed some of Ed’s Cuban cigars at the bar, while me, Amy, and Deb chatted and caught up. One huge disappointment with Bill’s this year: their $1 Sauza margaritas are now $2 (and I’m not sure they use Sauza in them anymore either). After Bill’s we walked over to the Paris for some rapid roulette and Hangover slots. I actually won $14 at roulette, but was never lucky on Hangover slots the entire trip. By now it’s almost 1am and our free shuttle back to the Rio is leaving soon. Nobody was ready to go, so we decided we’d take a cab back and went back out to the strip. Our next stop was Harrah’s piano bar. I’ve been to three piano bars in Vegas over the years (NY NY, Paris, and Harrah’s). Have to tell you, I think Harrah’s was the most fun. They played some good sets and we stayed and enjoyed the entertainment for almost an hour until they closed the place down. Finally, we wandered over to Casino Royale for some $3 craps. I lost $40 bucks but managed to knock back a few frozen margaritas over there (only $1 at Casino Royale). By now it’s 3am and we are finally ready for bed. We cab it back to the Rio for $7, and hit the pillow, lights out at 3:30 am (which is 5:30 am Milwaukee time) and a 22 hour day for me!
