June 9-14 - Eating, Dancing and Running in Vegas

I worked until 4:30 on Thursday Night and finally got out and ran for home. I was able to get home by 5:50 and then call for my siblings to find out everyone's location. Ana was in transit from work and we decided that we would meet at the airport since she did not have time to come from Queens to BK. I waited for the ever to meet up with Ian and Gigi so I waited until they were in transit and then I headed over to Bay Ridge with the car service to pick them up at the bus stop. Despite traffic and runaway construction going on I was able to locate them after 2 phone calls and then pick them up for the return trip right next to the highway. While riding I called up Ana to tell her to make her dinner order at Lenny's and then got dropped off at our place for a brief respite before I was going down the hill to pick up our pizza dinner along with Ana's eggplant parmesan. As soon I was back in the house I called the car service to get us a ride out to the airport. The red minivan was on its way and was there fairly quickly. We jumped into the car at 8:49pm and told the driver what time our flight was (10:15). He looked at us incredulously as we told him we needed to get there as soon as possible. He then proceeded to ride us onto the Gowanus headed for the Belt Pkwy as we jetted out towards the airport at downright amazing speeds. He just happened to get us to our gate in 32 minutes with 10 minutes to spare before they closed boarding for our flight. Ana showed up 5 minutes later and we were all ready to begin our travel as we checked what needed to be checked and carried on the carry-on's as we made our way upstairs to find out the flight was only slightly delayed (fog) and we also found out that some enterprising person at check-in had moved our seats apart and Ana was not sitting in the back while the rest of us were at the front. However once on the plane our Nintendo DS enabled us to chat from the front to the back until we tired of the chat and began playing video games. I played "Touched" for a while before taking a short nap and then waking up to watch some Jetblue television. The flight was uneventful despite the funky bunch sitting in front of us throwing off all kinds of garlicky odors both in the terminal and on the plane as well as our close proximity to the front bathroom (2nd row) which after a while appeared to be housing some heavy duty miasma that we could not wait to escape ASAP. We landed and proceeded to exit post haste but once outside in the terminal we had to wait for Ana to catch up from the 19th row. After giving a few people directions to the exit we finally rejoined as a group and headed for the baggage claim. The bags came out in short order and were undamaged despite the JFK warnings against large soft bags. My new High Sierra bag came through the trip pretty much unscathed and ready to make the trip by cab to the hotel. We waited on the line at number 4 for the next available car (for some reason our late arrival of 1:15am meant no cars in the terminal, a far cry from my last trip). Eventually our available car showed up and we piled in and headed for the Luxor. Conveniently located near the bottom of the strip not far from the airport we were there fairly quickly. After finding the check-in counter after wandering almost over to the Excalibur next door. We checked in and dropped off our bags in our nicely appointed room. The bag was set up for wheelchair access so was nice and roomy in both the room and the bathroom and we soon headed out and downstairs to walk the strip at night to find something to check out and something to eat. We ended up finding the food court right next to MGM near the Adidas store. I picked up a burger from Wendy's (out of fries) and my siblings settled on Taco Bell. We finished that off and then headed back down to the hotel to hang out and gamble some. The slot machines only worked if you spun once or twice and moved on. If you tried to stay with any machine and keep winning, it all went south. This was a theme that was pretty much repeated for the entire vacation. Eventually at 4:15am I couldn't stay up anymore and begged off to go to bed. Of course New York Time it was 7:15am so I was definitely entitled to go to sleep. The siblings followed and we wished the casino good night.

Friday morning we awoke too late for the buffet downstairs but I felt it would be wasted anyway since we had done our late night snacking so recently. Instead we walked up the street and headed over to the Denny's near MGM not far from the Walgreens. At first we thought it was too crowded but with too few late breakfast choices we decided to use our time wisely. I got us a place on the waiting list while they walked next door and bought their touristy shirts and gifts for when they headed back home. I told them exactly when to reappear and then called them on the cell with just 3 minutes to go. Of course they were able to get back in time and then we got our table in the smoking section. We knew that no one really smoked in the smoking section. In Vegas people can smoke anywhere so no one is going to smoke in the Denny's. We got our table pretty quickly but for some reason the kitchen staff got together to make sure everyone's order took longer than it should have. I have never had such a wait at a Denny's but I think the kitchen staff were doing some kind of over work protest. The food was still good but the wait kind of took away from the whole breakfasting mood. When we were finally done and paid for the bill we headed back to the hotel to decide on where to go and then we got ourselves together and then walked to the back of the MGM to catch the monorail. Despite briefly walking too far and having to walk back again we found it out back after walking away from the pool. A tourist lady had just given up on a machine that she couldn't get to print her ticket and so I just walked up punched in what I wanted and moved on. If the metrocard machines hadn't shown me how to get a card from a machine then I had learned nothing. We went upstairs to wait and I picked up a can of Monster energy drink before we got on the train. We took the train the 6 stops up the line to the Hilton and walked right in the back door of the place and found we were pretty close to where we wanted to go. We walked inside and got tickets for the rides. Of course once we were inside and in the museum part of the attraction we were walked up to by a borg who just stepped out of the employee door right behind us. Gigi was spooked but I just smiled as he walked by and wandered through the waiting crowd on lines for the rides. We got on the line for the Klingon Encounter and then got on the ride. Gigi got a little spooked when we were seemingly kidnapped and brought to another room when the lights went out but from then on the ride was funny and fun. We ended up in the back row which meant we had a great view of the visuals on the screens but it also meant that we got thrown around during the sudden turns and we had to hold on to the seats to make sure we didn't bang anything too hard. Once that was over it was around and back on line again to wait for the Borg Invasion 4D. This time we took pictures with Klingons while we waited and then it was onto the next ride. We avoided the invading Borg and then it was time to take our seats in the small auditorium (supposed to be a small ship on the run from the borg) We were then captured and scanned. The chair actually pulsed so hard it made us jump and laugh and we watched the 3D spectacle on the screen with our 3D glasses. Another ride down and enjoyed. We then headed out of the ride and picked up a case of Romulan Ale (for Dan) and waltzed into the business area to try and ship it only to find out that FedEx and UPS did not accept shipping of alcohol. We then headed outside to the taxi stand and rode back to our hotel where we could drop off the heavy box before heading out again. We headed back out for dinner and settled on Fatburger to each have a burger and fries. We had the good meal and then once back in the casino I stated I had to go back to the room to lay down Feeling the effects of the long day and Monster energy drink wearing off, I really needed to take a nap. I started off taking a short nap before dinner and ended up sleeping again and again. The girls went out and hung out in the casino winning some, losing some. I was just sleeping some. I ended up sleeping until after 1am and by then I decided to just stay in and sleep so I was able to wake up the next morning before it was too late.

Saturday we woke up and felt ready to tackle the buffet downstairs off of the casino floor. We headed down around 9:30am and found it after asking for directions and reading the signs. For just $10.50 each we were each able to head in and pick up the most interesting parts of the buffet. After a trip up the first time for eggs, bacon, sausage and french toast, I headed up again for yogurt, granola and fruit. We all enjoyed digging into the repast and then headed back upstairs. After hanging out the casino for a bit we decided on another road trip and walked back over through the MGM Grand to take the monorail once again. This time we headed all the way up to the last stop at the Sahara and after walking through the casino floor twice we discovered there was no shuttle to Freemont street but rather just Vegas mass transit. We ended up just taking a taxi and getting dropped off right around the corner before walking up the street, taking a few pictures and then hanging out in Mermaids and later the Golden Nugget. I spent far too much money in those small little spaces and we finally called the gambling quits after hitting off the pawn shop (oldest one in Vegas) and then heading up the street to the movie theater. We broke out the DS and killed some time before it was time to watch some previews and then the feature presentation. Mr and Mrs Smith was actually very fun and we all enjoyed. The movie kept our attention, kept us laughing and seeing how the action was going to ramp up next. We walked out feeling energized and ready for the next step on our day into night out. We took a few more pictures and then headed down the block to the street we had been dropped off initially in Freemont. We crossed the street and then went to the first cab in the line. He headed over to the highway and then jetted back towards the Strip. We held up a little to take in rubberneckers at a roadside accident and then get back to the hotel in no time. We arrived back in the room. washed up and then performed our costume changes and got ready to head out into club scene for Saturday night. We decided on Club Ra in our very own hotel so that we would have no trouble returning at the end of the night. We walked into the club, paid our admission and then started off at the bar for a drink. The drinks were 7.50 to start and we wandered over to the dancefloor as the DJ decided what vibe he was going to put into the night and Ana, Gigi, and myself were some of the first to brave the floor, (along with a black married couple). We were watched by the majority of the crowd for quite a few minutes and then finally after the DJ settled on a nice upbeat R&B groove with Usher, MJB and Donell Jones. 45 minutes into the eve we had plenty more people dancing with us on the floor and by 11:30 the place was jumping. Gigi did her best to keep her own dancing area cleared and Ian met some new friends from Staten Island all the way in Vegas and we even took pictures to commemorate the eve. I only had one moment of drama as one girl refused to move by quietly. I gave her space to move by but she kept forcing the point saying "Excuse You". I finally just picked her up and put her on the other side of myself and stated "now Excuse You". Of course a few minutes later I was approached by security who wanted to determine the storyline but after listening to who was more coherent (Of course me) He moved off and let us party in peace. We only left the dancefloor for a brief stint when the DJ went into "Sweet Home Alabama" but when the music returned to normal we came back after getting a drink. Finally around 2:15 I couldn't go any farther and we all headed out (except for Ian) and had some fun in the casino. Ian joined us about 30 minutes later and I stayed out until just after 3am until I bid the other good night and headed upstairs to go and rest. The others came upstairs not too long after and I was enlightened with their different stories of different games bet on and people met. The night ended with everyone happy and another day to spend together.

We decided for Sunday that we weren't going to hit up the buffet again as we were not too impressed with it yesterday morning. We decided not to rush to make the buffet and instead just took our time getting ourselves together and then headed out to have another b'fast at Denny's. There was much less of a crowd on Sunday rather than Friday but for some reason the staff of Denny's could not keep it together and our 10 min wait turned into 15 min and when we finally sat down and ordered our food despite the friendly waitstaff we still waited for 25 minutes for our food and then waited forever for the check and then I waited almost 4 minutes at the front checkout for them to take my money to pay for the food (no one at the door). I told them I had a good meal (they said wow you were the only one) and we finally were able to get out of there and get Ana back to the hotel so that she could get back downstairs and to the airport on time. We went downstairs to the same entrance we had been going in and out of on the North side but there were no taxis there. We thought we were on the taxi line until someone else stole the next taxi (the people in front of the line said they could take it). Gigi then went down the line and bogarted a taxi and asked if he could take our sister to the airport. After reaching that agreement we said our goodbyes to our sis and then watched her head out to her waiting flight. We headed back in switched clothes and then headed back in to chill a bit at the casino. We hung out a bit inside and wandered through the mall connecting our hotel to the next before stopping in at the Mandalay Bay hotel and checking the place out. We looked over the place for a bit and hit a few machines before heading back to our hotel and up to the room and deciding what we wanted for dinner. As we had not yet checked out In and Out Burger we decided to walk around the corner and head over to the fast food restaurant. After taking the long walk besides the road and then underneath the highway we took a slight detour up the wrong side of the highway and then quickly changed direction and came up the right side, crossed the three point intersection (crossing 3 streets instead of crossing one) and made our way into In and Out. The wait was not too long and the food was definitely good for the price and we finished it off quickly. We headed outside to walk back around the way we came but Ian suggested we walk the other way to avoid walking the way we came. We agreed at first but when we seemed to be walking away from the hotels and walking around the long way (towards the Rio and away from our hotel entirely). When the sidewalk suddenly changed to be just one foot wide we decided to ditch this way and head back the way we had come. We crossed the street to where the buildings (and bushes) were and quickly found out the reason no one else ever walked this way. The bugs caused us just to walk a little faster at first but when Ian tried to step on one giant roach and was almost attacked by another and we spotted giant fireflies walking on the ground like fast and fat caterpillars, we took off running. I also found it very funny and by the time we had reached the intersection my stomach hurt from laughing and running at the same time. We finally made it back to the intersection and crossed the street. The walk back to the hotel was kinda jumpy but uneventful except for one giant roach sighting, and we made it back quickly. We then hung out on the casino floor for a while before we decided to get to get one of those tall drinks we kept seeing. However when we headed to the attractions floor we found that the margarita bar was closed for the night. We headed back downstairs and wandered into one of the hallways that connected to the pool area. We looked out of the window and watched the giant fireflies flying into the light at the top of the Luxor pyramid. Just as all three of us leaned out the window to get a better look, something big and flying smacked into my arm once and again. We all screamed and took off running back into the hotel. Of course at the moment we were scared out of our wits there was no one else in the hallway. We laughed over that too and hung out some more in the casino before turning in for the evening. Plenty tired from all of the walking and running we had done for the day.

Monday we awoke and tried to decide what to do with our last open day. Since there was still a lot we had not done we decided to start our day within the hotel by returning to the attractions level and checking out the different restaurants since we were hitting them for the first time (while they were still open). After looking over the different places I polled Ian and Gigi for what they wanted to eat and I got a resounding "Pizza!" so we had... Little Caesar's. I had not had Little Caesar's in many years but we ordered our midsize pepperoni pizza and waited a bit for it to be prepared. After they called our number we began our meal but then had to take back the crazy bread for the correct order of cheesy bread. The pizza and the bread were very good and we were now sated enough to begin our long walk up the strip. We headed first through the Excalibur and then out and around New York New York (we had seen the guy with the free shirts-if you signed up for a credit card and the Coyote Ugly girls display far too much over the past few days) and took the escalator across the street to the MGM Grand. Once there we turned in the machine ticket at the change booth and then we exited and began our trek up the street. Once again past all the street vendors, storefronts and car rentals and restaurants. We picked up some water at the Walgreens and continued on up the street in the first really hot day of our trip. We made our way up the street past the Aladdin and on to the Paris. We saw a man passed out on the sidewalk with others around him rendering medical assistance. We knew the heat was vicious but the exhaustion could happen to anyone. Be Prepared. Anyway we continued on past Bally's over the street and past the Flamingo and then across the street to Caesar's. Gigi was feeling the long walk in her feets and called a time out once we were inside the casino and resting in the nice A/C cooled atmosphere. After a brief rest we headed into the mall shops past the casino and did some window shopping and looking at the giant saltwater fish tank near Niketown and the Cheesecake Factory before heading into Nike to look around. I didn't see anything too compelling this trip but Gigi picked up a pair of walking sneaks and we were now ready to walk on through the mall. We ended up heading over to other end of the mall and the SonyStyle store. We then headed outside and into the heat. We made our way past Treasure Island and the Mirage and on into the Fashion Center Mall. Once past all of the Apple Ipod signs (and commercials on giant screens) we were once again out of the heat and into some nice mall air. We headed up to the food court and stopped at the Haagen Dazs to pick up some nice fruity smoothie's. We took in the young homeless and the trashy tourists and then moved on across the street to the new Wynn hotel. We walked past the Ferrari dealership and on into the bright and airy casino floor. The place definitely showed off its newness and we like the fact the place wasn't ridiculously busy but was heavily booked and seemed to have plenty of high rollers. We did our short circuit of the machines and we enjoyed the decor and the space, which rivaled the Bellagio in size and looks. We took a few pictures, walked around, admired the inside and outside artwork. After a nice little circuit through the place we headed out and admired the gardens outside and took photos of the moving facade on the hotel sign. We then headed down the street as the sun finally was starting to go down and the heat was a little less intense. We walked past the Venetian and on past Harrah's before going upstairs and into Outback Steakhouse. We had a few margaritas at the bar before heading over to our table and dug into our meals. The steaks were excellent and we finished up our dinner while watching the first tentative eruptions of the volcano at the Mirage. After dinner we headed downstairs and watched the volcano show a little more close-up for the sidewalk outside. We then headed back up the street and made our way past all of the hotels and sights back towards our hotel. We paused briefly across from the dancing fountains of the Bellagio while listening to "Hey Big Spender". The walk continued and we were underway without too much of a rush to return to the south end of the strip and our familiar group of hotels. We headed into the Luxor and right up to the attractions level and picked up "voted best Margarita on the strip" at the bar. The margarita by the foot was pricey but it did in fact taste excellent. We headed downstairs to the casino carrying our tall drinks and played with the machines and at the Roulette for a bit before finally being overcome by fatigue and not even being able to finish our drinks. With a little left to go we headed upstairs and cleaned up before going to bed.

We had to rush out on Tuesday morning after staying in bed a bit too long but we had already packed so we just had to clean up a bit and put the accessories away and then we headed downstairs to check out at the front desk and then on to the taxis out front. We took the main entrance instead of the tower entrance we were used to and were welcomed by a nice line of taxis ready to take us to the airport and despite a slight pause as we packed in the case of blue ale we were all ready to ride and took the short trip across the strip and around the corner to the airport. We got dropped off out front and then headed in to the counter but had to be separated as Gigi was singled out for SS (because of my last name on her ticket) but was calm afterwards when she finished up far faster than we did. We then found our way over to the gate and after setting Ian to watch the luggage, we headed over to BK and picked up a nice breakfast so our stomachs were full before our flight. We piled into the plane when they called our rows and sat at the back of the plane and promptly fell asleep. It is amazing how close to actual time travel a good sleep is and the flight back to NY was so much faster because of that great power nap to start. After dealing with the clumsy lady next to Gigi spilling her drink and missing out on all but the last round of snacks and drinks we had a pretty good flight. I read a little, played games a little (finished off Warioware Touched) and watched some TV. Despite a short delay while in a landing holding pattern we were back on the ground and ready to head through the airport in short order. I checked with Pais to see if he was doing well in transit for our pick up and we all seemed to be heading to meet up in good time. The carousel took forever to put together all three of our bags (mine was actually sliced open on the bottom, probably by the TSA looking for something bad, hmmph, as if...) Once outside we found Pais arriving just then and piled in and headed for the highway. We regaled Pais with tales of our trip and got home fairly quickly. After a nice dinner of chinese food (none in Vegas) and driving over to Staten to drop off Ian and Gigi it was once again home to Bklyn. The extended weekend was finally over and the thoroughly enjoyable vacation was under wraps. Until we hang again. Stay cool but keep it hot.