Leaving Las Vegas
I found myself singing the words to that Sheryl Crow song in my head as we made our way to the Las Vegas airport to board our red-eye flight home.
I’m Leaving Las Vegas
Lights so bright
Palm sweat, blackjack
On a Saturday night
Leaving Las Vegas
Leaving for good, for good
I’m leaving for good
I’m leaving for good
I have now been to Sin City two times and I think that is my limit. I guess I’m just not a Vegas kind of girl.
1. I like to gamble (more specifically play Blackjack) but I don’t like to lose. Actually, losing makes me sick to my stomach and the more I lose the more I want to throw myself into the Lion pit at the MGM hotel. Sadly, Lady Luck was not on our side this trip. We were up and down the whole time but in the end, we came home losers.
2. I have no problem with the fact that there are strip clubs galore in Vegas (well, actually I do) but don’t throw the skanky girls in my face when I’m least expecting it. We came back to our hotel after a long night of walking (see #3) and what do I see as we come through the doors of our hotel casino? Oh, just a few pole dancers on top of the Blackjack tables. I had no time to prepare myself. There they were in all their skanky, STD-filled glory.
I actually think the idea is brilliant from a business perspective. How is a heterosexual male supposed to make good betting decisions with butt cheeks and boobs all up in their face? As for me, I think I’ll pass on losing my life savings while having the pleasure of getting sweat on by dirty whores. No thank you.
Oh, sorry let me guess. They are paying their way through med-school. Whatever.
3. I don’t know about you but when I’m on vacation I try to avoid exercise at all times. I like to sit, lounge, lay, ride, but walking is not a verb that I like to incorporate in my vacation vocabulary. I felt like all we did on this trip was walk and walk and walk. Everything looks so close (note: it isn’t), so we made the mistake of saying, “Oh we’ll just walk instead of getting a cab.” I thought my feet were going to fall off at one point. I attempted to wear heels one night but thankfully I listened to the little voice in my head that said, “ARE YOU CRAZY?? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? TAKE THOSE DEATH SHOES OFF RIGHT NOW!!” and so I opted for a more comfortable option. Then of course the whole night I see all these girls wearing their gorgeous, sexy high heels and I’m feeling all sorts of shoe envy, while I’m schlepping around in my flip flops.
4. I could really do without the whole “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” mentality. Whoever came up with that slogan just needs to be taken out to the desert and shot. Ok, so maybe not shot, but at least permenantly take their pen, paper, computer, whatever away so they can’t invent anymore ridiculous slogans. I wish I could elaborate more, but let me just say that you really don’t know people until you go to Vegas with them.
5. Then there are the boobs. They are everywhere. And I’m not just talking about the slutty Blackjack pole dancers. I’m talking about the tourists. Or maybe they all live there. Maybe they put boob enhancing vitamins in the water or make breast implants mandatory. I have no idea, but everywhere you turn is a girl with a gigantic knockrs. Of course, most are fake, but does it really matter? When we first landed, I went off to find information about the shuttle to the hotel and the guy behind the counter kept looking past me while he was talking to me. I turn around to find out what he is staring at and right behind me is a pair of perky (fake) double Ds. No wonder he was so distracted. I would have been distracted too.
6. The guys in Vegas all think they are the guys from The Hangover. On our flight to Vegas, the guys behind me on the plane were all laughing and bragging about how they had lied to their wives and girlfriends about where they were going this weekend. Then they started singing T-Pain’s catchy little diddy, “I’m In Love with a Stripper”. I thought I was going to puke by the time I got off the plane. I had to physically restrain myself because my desire to turn around and smack the stupid, smug looks off their faces was so great I could hardly stand it. It wasn’t just on the plane. Noooo…these types of guys are everywhere.
So, you may be wondering if we had a good time at all. Yes, there were some highlights:
1. The U2 Concert–the reason we even went out there in the first place–was once again INCREDIBLE!! I loved every minute of it.
2. I loved the Bellagio fountains and of course I had to get this picture of my husband and his best friend doing the final scene from Ocean’s Eleven.
Move over Pitt and Clooney!!
3. The rides at the top of the Stratosphere. I’ve mentioned before that I’m a thrill-seeker so it won’t surprise you that this was my one “must-do” of the trip. Here’s a picture of Brad and me after the Big Shot.
4. And finally the absolute highlight of the trip—a surprise celebrity sighting!!!!
I’ll fill you in on the details about this encounter on the next post because this is already getting way too long and I need to go help my son with his book report.
Stay tuned….
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Florida Keys: Let’s Wrap This Up
This will be the last you hear of my Florida Keys trip. I promise.
So, it seems that you all are really good at figuring out drunken pictures that depict random scenes from Ryan Gosling movies. I really didn’t think it was that obvious. I mean the stoplight wasn’t even in the picture. You guys are GOOD!
Key West was a lot of fun, but we wanted to spend some time relaxing on the beach. We did this at a place McMommy recommended to me called Tranquility Bay in Marathon, Florida (about 45 min-an hour drive north of Key West).
It was so quiet and pretty there. It definitely lived up to its name and was a great break from the party scene in Key West.
And let me tell you, Marathon is definitely NOT the place to go for a party. That was ok. We still had a lot of fun…we just had to make our own fun.
Here is the view from our beach cottage…seriously, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Looking up from my lounge chair….
One night we decided to get dressed up and go out on the town….yeah, that is kind of laughable just typing it. We were probably over-dressed by about a zillion percent, because there was absolutely NO nightlife whatsoever to speak of in Marathon.
Again, life is what you make of it and we still had fun.
Here is one of all four of us. I loved the way the sky looked that evening. The sunsets there were stunning.
After a few days in Marathon, it was time to make our way back to Miami (where we spent our last night). We were sad to leave the Keys. They really are one of the prettiest places that I’ve been in the U.S. .
On our way back, we made sure to stop at Robbie’s (at McMommy’s recommendation) to feed the giant tarpon fish. What McMommy failed to mention was that my life would be in danger from the lunatic birds (pelicans and seagulls) that would surround and attack you for the bait that was meant for the tarpon.
This one was like the Godfather of the pelican gang.
It was a unique experience to say the least.
This was as close as Brad would get to the action.
However, he had no problem filming and laughing at me getting attacked by the various wildlife at Robbie’s. See for yourself:
Overall, we had a wonderful trip. I would definitely recommend spending some time in the Keys if you haven’t been (maybe not in August since it felt like the surface of the sun most days).
Our next destination is Vegas in October….to see U2. Can’t wait!!
Florida Keys Trip: Key West Part 2
One of the things that people told us not to miss in Key West was a sunset sail.
I’m so glad we listened. The views were beautiful…
In case you were wondering, which I’m sure you were. I did ask the boat captain if I could act out the kiss scene from Titanic and her answer was yes. I decided against embarrassing myself at this point in the night (not enough alcohol plus the boat was too small).
Later, I couldn’t resist another opportunity to act out a scene from my other favorite movie. Don’t worry we’ll get to that in a minute.
I included this one because I thought it was a cute one of my friend Tonya. We’ve been friends since 5th grade and she is one of my favorite people in the world. I thought this one was a cute one of her.
Later that night….this photo was taken. Before you say that I was just drunk and laying in the middle of the road, let me stop you. Yes, I was drunk and in the middle of the road, BUT I was drunk and in the road with purpose. The purpose was acting out a scene from one of my favorite movies.
Can you guess which scene it was?
(Hint: I was laying down about 2 seconds after this photo was taken.)
Florida Keys Trip: Key West Part 1
Ever since I got back from this trip I have been in a major funk. I don’t know if it is post-vacation blues, residual hangovers, pms or what, but I just can’t seem to pull my thoughts together enough to write a coherent post. Please forgive me if this is all over the place.
For my own sanity, I am going to break this vacay-recap into several parts.
Key West Highlights– Part 1:
Let me just first start this out by saying that our Key West hotel was AMAZING!! I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend it. It was called The Marquesa. The rooms and grounds were absolutely gorgeous. From the moment we checked in, we were treated like royalty. They poured us a complimentary glass of wine, filled our ice bucket, gave us a tour of the property and genuinely made us feel like we were at home. After a long day of traveling, this was just what the doctor ordered.
Our room…the doors opened up right to the pool
Wine…mmmm…starting the trip on a great note:
Since the hotel was located just a short walk away from Duvall Street (where everyone goes to party), we decided to head out for the evening and check out the scene.
We had a fun dinner at Salsa Loca first…
We spent the majority of our first evening at Sloppy Joe’s… such a fun place!
Since our rooms were located right by the main pool area, at night when we slept we could hear the sound of the waterfall. I slept really well that first night (it may have also had something to do with all the drinks we had that night, but I’m still thinking it was the waterfall).
The next day we discovered that they put out complimentary iced tea for the guests to enjoy. You really got the idea that the staff cared if you were enjoying the stay and they wanted to go out of their way to make it nice. I can’t say enough good things about this place.
Here are a few photos of the pool area:
Beautiful flowers everywhere…it was like the Garden of Eden..
Enjoying some ice tea by the pool…
I couldn’t visit Key West without a tour of the Ernest Hemingway house. I don’t think I’ve read any of his books, but I was really curious to see those weird six-toed cats.
One of the freaky cats up close….
This one was named Charlie Chaplin…
Up next…Sunset Cruise in Key West!!
Post-Anniversary Wrap-up
Thank you all for the anniversary wishes (and for joining me in bashing Jon Gosselin because that is the best present you could ever give me. He is such a slimeball!!).
We ended up going to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. While I love that place for the food I’m not a big fan of how they pack people in. Maybe it is just a Maryland CF thing but I always feel like our table is on top of the people next to us, and while they seemed like perfectly nice people, it didn’t make for a very romantic evening. But I guess I can’t complain since I chose to go to the Cheesecake Factory for my anniversary dinner. Who does that anyway?
The people next to us had the sweetest kids. The little boy (looked about 8 or 9) gave the waitress a hug before leaving the restaurant. A hug!?!?!?! My kids would never do something like that. Should I feel like a failure as a parent that my kids aren’t overly affectionate with the waitstaff or should I consider it a parenting win? I mean do I really want my 9 year old son hugging waitresses anyway. I can’t decide, but really it doesn’t matter because it would never, ever happen.
We went outside our comfort zone and tried a new dessert. We normally get the Factory Mud Pie, which is not actually Cheesecake, but just a giant slice of chocolate cake, ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate chips. I mean who goes to the Cheesecake Factory and doesn’t actually order a cheesecake? Us. It has been a staple in our Cheesecake Factory experience for many years, but it seemed like it was time for change. So we ordered this:
The Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake…..mmmmmmm.
If heaven could fit on a plate it would be this dessert. It was seriously DIVINE!
After dinner, we went to see The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.
I went into it knowing that it was going to be total fluff and there were a couple of really funny parts, but I have to say that I didn’t love the movie. I feel like I’m becoming really picky about romantic comedies lately. I guess I keep waiting for the next Serendipity or Only You or Sleepless/You’ve Got Mail and every single time I am left disappointed.
I found myself being annoyed with the way that Ryan’s character was treating Sandra’s character most of the movie. I know that was sort of the point, but it made for very little chemistry between them. Sandra was great at her role and Ryan is slowly growing on me, but I really didn’t care that much if they ended up together at the end or not. And to me that is not a good thing when you are talking about a romantic comedy. I think it is definitely worth the watch (for the Betty White parts and Oscar from the Office too), but I’d wait for it on dvd.
If you’ve noticed my absence lately in the comment department, it is because I am in full vacation planning mode. I tend to become a bit obsessive (huge understatement) when I plan a trip. My kids barely get fed and laundry piles up to the ceiling. Yet another one of the many traits my husband loves about me.
We FINALLY made a decision about where we wanted to go and I secured airfare yesterday.
The Florida Keys!!
We’ve never been to the Keys so it should be a new and exciting adventure. I’m a little nervous about the drive down on that narrow bridge but I guess it will be fine.
If you’ve ever been to the Keys, let me know of any can’t miss places to see, do, eat, stay, etc…
So Close
In case you were wondering,we did not see Prince Harry in New York this weekend.
Instead we:
-Ate a Reuben (fantastic, albeit very expensive sandwich) at the famous Katz’s Deli:
-Walked the Brooklyn Bridge:
-Tried PinkBerry for the first time (and didn’t like it):
-Enjoyed a fun and unique dinner at The Spice Market.
-Ate Chinese Dumplings in Chinatown, Cannoli in Little Italy and way too many other foods to mention on a fun walking tour.
The theme of the weekend was eating ,walking and more eating. (With a little wine thrown in for good measure.)
When I got home, I found out that we were about a block away from where Ryan Gosling was spotted in NYC this weekend (see exhibit A and B below):
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Less than two blocks apart and our paths didn’t cross!!! How can this be? Cruel joke, Universe. Cruel joke.
When Hell Freezes Over
Most of my regular readers are aware of the fact that I am a travel agent. I specialize in planning Disney vacations, cruises, and Caribbean all-inclusive packages.
These are my specialty areas, but I don’t mind planning a trip that might fall outside this list every once in awhile. I planned my friend’s trip to Costa Rica, a tour of Europe, an Alaskan vacation and a few other random places over the years.
There is one type of vacation that I refuse to plan, though. I figured this out after a phone call a few days ago.
Here is how the conversation went down:
Me: How may I help you?
Guy on the phone: Hi, I was hoping you could help me plan a trip to Vegas for my friend’s Bachelor Party.
Me: (stomach in knots, feeling like I want to puke) Um, well, I uh ….I’m more of family travel specialist. I mostly do trips like Walt Disney World. (awkward pause) Would you like me to give you the number of another agent who I know who is a Las Vegas specialist?
Guy on the phone: Ok, sure.
I went on to give him my friend Laurie’s phone number who is a travel agent and obviously not a prude like me.
Now that is how the conversation really went. However, this is what I really wanted to say to him:
Me: How may I help you?
Jackass on the phone: Hi, I was hoping you could help me plan a trip to Vegas for my friend’s Bachelor Party.
Me: Sure, I’d love to help you….WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER!!!!! Sorry, but I will not help you plan your friend’s f*cking Bachelor Party. I can’t even believe you have the audacity to even ask me that. Couldn’t you tell by the sound of my voice that I am anti-Bachelor party and especially anti-Vegas Bachelor Party? No, I do not want any part of your celebration of strippers, hookers, skanks and hos. Sorry. Not going to happen. Not today. Not ever.
I don’t care if the guy wanted to rent the out the entire Bellagio for the month of July and the commission would have been $100K, I would not under any circumstances help them with that request. I just can’t play a part in whatever shenanigans that may or may not go down. It might be a totally innocent trip (but really who are we kidding) but I just can’t take that chance.
So yeah, that whole “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” thing? Not on my watch!!
So, what are your feelings on the whole Bachelor Party tradition? If you are married, did your husband have one? Did it involve strippers? Did you have a Bachelorette party? Do you think that the “groom-to-be” is entitled to one last fling on his Bachelor Party? Am I a lunatic (wait don’t answer that I already know that I am) for not helping this guy and losing out on commission?
My Ideal Travel Companion
I’m sure when you look at the title of this post, most of you will assume that I mean Ryan Gosling or some other member of my laminated list.
And you would be wrong.
After recent developments, I have decided that I would like to go on my next vacation with Amy Winehouse.
Yes, you heard me right.
Before you send me off to rehab, hear me out. I’ve got some perfectly valid reasons for my choice. Or better yet, some photographic evidence that will prove my theory.
Reason #1: No need to feel self-conscious in my bathing suit anymore. On the beach, all eyes will be on Amy.
Reason #2: We probably won’t run out of drinks.
(I spy 10 glasses. How many glasses did you find?)
Reason #3: If we do run out of drinks, Amy has no problem begging for them.
(This picture would be much funnier if they showed the reactions of the other guests. I’d love to see their expressions. I wonder if they are even paying any attention to the crazy woman crawling around outside the restaurant. Or is this just the normal nightly spectacle?)
Reason #4: I might actually have a chance at winning a game of Scrabble.
Reason #5: Actually I don’t have a fifth reason. I was hoping you could help me.
What is it about the following picture that makes you want to vacation with Amy Winehouse? Leave your answers in the comments?
If you are reading this, Amy. The next time you go to St. Lucia, give me a ring. I’d love to be your traveling companion.
Works For Me Wednesday: Disney Deal!
I mentioned that I’m a Disney Vacation Planning Specialist in this post a few months ago. I don’t mention this fact very often because this is my personal blog and you know what they say about mixing business and pleasure.
However, when I saw the deal that Disney is offering for select dates in 2009, I knew that I had to post about it here. This is one of the best deals I’ve ever seen!
Here are the details:
Buy 4 Nights and Get 3 Nights Free!!
- When you purchase a four-night/four-day non-discounted Walt Disney Travel Co. Magic Your Way hotel and ticket package for stays most nights from Jan. 4 to April 4, 2009, and April 19 to June 27, 2009, you will receive three extra nights of hotel accommodations and three more days added to your theme park tickets for free.
- As a bonus, anyone traveling on this package from Jan. 4 to March 29, 2009, will also receive a free $200 Disney Gift Card to spend on merchandise, dining or other Disney fun.
An example: A family of four can get a 7-night stay at a Disney Value Resort and a 7-day Magic Your Way base ticket for each family member for as little as $1271. The package can be booked now through Dec. 20, 2008.
The number of packages allocated for this offer is limited. If you were ever thinking of taking a trip to Walt Disney World, this is the time to go!
If you would like to receive a no-obligation vacation quote, click here to get started planning your trip.
To see other Works For Me Wednesday posts, go to Rocks In My Dryer.
Disney Giveaway
**Please note: This giveaway is now closed to new entries.
I’m feeling extra generous today, so I am going to offer another giveaway. This one has two purposes.
1. I am a comment junkie and love to hear from my readers (Did you see the cute little sunflower I just added to try to encourage more comments?)
2. I like to talk about myself.
When I’m not giving my kids reasons they will need therapy and stalking Ryan Gosling online, I am a professional travel planner.
I have been doing this for over 2 years and I absolutely LOVE it.
While I have experience with planning honeymoons, all-inclusive getaways, cruises and more, I spend most of my time helping families with their vacation plans. My specialty and absolute first love is Walt Disney World.
(The photo below is of me receiving my diploma at the Disney College of Knowledge Graduation Ceremony in January of this past year. Can you tell how excited I am?!)
It is such a great job because planning vacations is almost as much fun as taking them. I can help my clients with choosing their hotel, activities, dining reservations and itinerary. It is like I am vicariously planning my own vacation and it doesn’t get much better than that!! Plus, I get to stay home with my kids which is an added bonus.
Most of my travel clients are local and I try to provide them with the absolute highest level of service. I’ll meet with them to give them tips and tricks to make sure that their vacation will be one they remember forever.
I guess that is why I’m still a little leery of marketing my business online to strangers (although many of you I now consider new friends). I’m not sure how this personalized service that I am used to giving would translate to the internet, but I guess I can figure that out as I go along.
This is my passion (behind my family, friends and Ryan Gosling, of course).
If you are in the market for a vacation or think you may be in the next couple of years, please consider bookmarking my website and utilizing my services. The best part is that it is totally FREE to work with a travel agent. I charge no fees because I am paid directly from the supplier (Disney, Apple, Carnival, etc…)
What on earth does all of this have to do with a giveaway? Well, I have decided to offer an amazing prize to you today.
A $50 Disney gift card
I use the word amazing because to me anything related to Disney is amazing, but I’m biased since they pay me. This really is a pretty cool card because you have your choice of so many places to use it–the Disney Store at the mall, the Disney theme parks, the Disney cruiseline and Disney Shopping online.
Here is what you need to do to enter to win:
1. Leave me a comment telling me your favorite ride or other attraction at Disney World or why you love the place as much as me (if you have never been to Disney World, just leave me a comment telling me your favorite Disney character).
2. For a second chance at winning, leave me a comment letting me know that you would like to be signed up for my travel newsletter. Please only ask to be signed up if you are interested in receiving occasional special offer emails. I send them out usually about once a month, but absolutely no more than once a week. ****Please leave me another comment letting me know so you will be entered a second time.
3. For those of you with a blog, you can earn another entry by posting about this contest on your blog. Just make sure you leave me another comment with a link to your post so I know that did this and you will be entered again.
This contest is open to anyone (non-bloggers too) and the last entry must be received no later than Monday, August 4th at 10pm EST. I will pick only one winner for the gift card.
Good luck!
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