Our sisters trip to Las Vegas started out with plenty of drama when Whitney and Mom almost missed the flight. The only reason the gate people at O'Hare held it is because I had Whitney on speaker, describing the gates she was running by, so they knew she was close. They had no qualms whatsoever about letting me know how annoyed they were with us. Mom wore slippery flats and couldn't run and by the time we all reached our seats, they were filled with other passengers who were not happy to go back to their original assignment. Eventually, we made it.
It's been a little while since I've been to Vegas but the moment we walked into the New York, New York, that casino smell hit me like a Mac truck. Reagan had been there all day and so she decided to do some exploring and then she saw the Magic Mike show. We went to the Shake Shack around the corner for a late-night snack and to get all the dirty details about the show. Ha! Pun. Whitney gave Reagan this hat which she wore the whole night.
That's exactly how people pronounce her name!
We all slept hard, and slept in the next day. It was so dreamy to take my time getting ready. To put on a cute outfit and do my hair and makeup. By the time we headed downstairs, it was lunchtime, so of course we had to hit the deli!
It's been a while since I've had a decent reuben and some matzo ball soup.
The black and white cookie was incredible! I ended up bringing one back for each of my girls because they were thick and soft and practically a meal in and of themselves!
After lunch we headed to one of my favorite places on the Strip- the Bellagio Conservatory. The installment did not disappoint! Check out this flower comprised of flowers!
The pumpkins were huuuge!
I wonder where they got those suckers...
I told Whitney they reminded me of how I felt the last days of my pregnancies.
Even the chandeliers looked amazing!
I stood in front of this one for a while trying to decide if I could replicate it somehow with enough imagination and trips to Hobby Lobby.
So pretty!
After taking in all that loveliness, we headed back to the New York, New York to meet up with Katrina. We found her in the lobby talking to a random stranger (shhhocker). We relaxed and caught up for a bit before heading out for dinner.
Even in the elevator, the excitement was palpable...
...and that excitement spilled right out onto the Strip.
Reagan was with me the very first time I experienced Vegas 19 years ago. I'm sure I'd have a very different opinion of Vegas had she not given me a heads up about some things. She made sure I was paying attention when we emerged drove out of the canyon and that dazzling land of lights was suddenly splayed out in front of us. Reagan told me the fun part of Vegas is how creative all the casinos are with their different themes. The most sage piece of advice she gave me was to not look down... because the porn handouts are all over the ground.
Here's a picture of Reagan from that trip outside the Paris.
Here's my pathetic attempt at a re-creation.
By now, the Strip was filled with showgirls and guys promoting their venues. Aside from drumming up business, they charge for photos with them so you have to watch out because they will try to rope you in. They lock on to someone like oh, I dunno, say Katrina...
...who loves to talk to people...
...and that's how they get you.
In the 30 seconds Katrina left our group to talk to this particular "GI Hoe", she found out he was married, his wife cheated on him, he used to work for the Thunder Down Under but they stopped paying for his schooling so he switched to GI Hoes because he is finishing up nursing school. Since his backstory was so similar to Reagan's, OF COURSE he had to take pictures with her!
This one is going to be July for the 2019 family calendar.
The nice guy told Reagan to look at him (presumably for another shot) and he landed one right on her lips.
Side note: the #MeToo movement has not yet reached the Vegas Strip.
In a weird way, it was kind of sweet.
The other guy really started demanding payment and no one but Mom had cash on them. She ante'd up so he would back off and then they insisted on photos with her as well.
By now there was a sizable line of women waiting get photos, so we were finally able to move on. We had so much fun just chatting and taking in the sights as we walked along the Strip.
The Venetian is definitely one of my favorite casinos on the Strip.
Katrina used to live in Vegas and knows her way around. Her one request for this trip was that we have dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe in the Venetian. My dad surprised us all by paying for it because he wanted all his girls to have a good time. Awe! Thanks Dad!!!
For the first time in my life, I had a beef wellington and it was divine!
We took a little walk to burn off our big dinner. The shops at the Venetian are amazing, but I get lost so quickly! Whitney took some amazing pictures over the canals.
Everyone's energy was flagging so we headed out. Had I not been so full, I would have tried some of the gelato because this display was AMAZING!!!
My mouth is watering just looking at these pictures.
We took a Lyft back to our hotel and pretty much crashed. Ha! I was going to try to record all of this in 1 post but after all these photos, I think I'll break this into 2.
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment