I just got back from a trip to Las Vegas over President's Day weekend with my sisters, Stacey and Kelley. Wow, I loved that sunshine, palm trees, and flip flop weather! It was hard to come back to Spokane with temps in the single digits. Brr. Stacey, Kelley, and I made the trip to Vegas to reconnect with our father. We hadn't seen him in 16 years. The last two years he has been reaching out to us via phone calls and texting. As he turns 70 this year we felt that it was time to visit him and to try to move forward in our relationships with him. We had talked about doing this for the last year or so but this year we finally decided to make it happen. We had a great trip as sisters and our visit with our father went well. The cherry on top of this trip was that my best friend from college, Tiffany, lives in Las Vegas and we had a whole glorious day to hang out together. It was wonderful!!
At the airport waiting for our flight.
I loved seeing that red rock!
I don't know the last time that we have taken a sisters trip together. It's been a long time...if ever. (We missed Jordin but we were visiting our father and Jordin and Kirk have a different dad.) It was crazy to know what to pack since it was snowing and freezing cold in Spokane. We arrived at the airport wearing coats and boots and then had to change into flip flops and warm weather clothes once we got to Vegas.
Kelley arranged for our accommodations...we stayed at the Flamingo. It was super slick using Lyft to get from the airport to our hotel and all around Vegas. What did we ever do before Uber and Lyft? So great!
We had a fun time that night wandering the strip and checking out all of the new hotels and casinos. I definitely logged ALOT of steps on my fitbit this trip. We had a great dinner at Yard House...tacos and guacamole. Spokane is great in many ways but it lacks good Mexican food (and Chinese). We were out and about until 2 am that first night.
This was one of our stops late that night! I have been wanting to try Pink's Hot Dogs ever since Tyler and I were in LA and the line was SO LONG and Tyler refused to stop. Finally, I got to indulge. Kelley is a hot dog lover as well so we enjoyed our delicious dogs!! Now I need to try Gray's Papaya on the East Coast.
We also got a little collagen treatment:
We all agreed it that was awesome but no one wanted to pay the $300 price tag to use it at home.
We ate a very late night dessert at the Paris Hotel and Casino. So good!
It was fun to see all of the Food Network stars restaurants.
Around midnight Stacey and Kelley hit the black jack tables. I played a few slots won $25 and promptly cashed out for the night. I wandered over to watch the girls play. They both had a lucky streak that night. I watched them and received $80 from my sugar mama Kelley for hanging out and clearly being a lucky charm. Ha ha! We returned to our hotel room around 2 am. I was exhausted.
The Flamingo is showing its age a bit but our room was pretty glam in a Vegas-y way with its view of the strip and pink bathroom. My girls were impressed. :)
The next morning we had brunch at the Paris hotel. It was delicious. I had a strawberry creme brulee crepe and Kelley and I split a croque monsieur and pomme frites. FAB.
Then we were off to see our father who lives in Henderson. The weather was amazing! The best weather of the whole trip. We spent quite a lot of time out on his patio and we had a BBQ. We visited all day and into the night. He lives with his girlfriend of 25 years, Gayle, who was very instrumental in all of us reconnecting. We had a very nice day with both of them. We had a lot of time to talk and hear from him. It was good and somewhat healing. A door is definitely open now that hasn't been and that is good. I know that our grandparents were so happy in heaven that we were all spending time together!! We have always been super to close to them and we really felt them near that day.
We left that night with a better understanding of one another... so we will see what happens going forward. Some great progress was made and we are all looking forward to another trip in the future.
We headed back to our hotel and then back out on the strip again that night...
We don't have great pics from our adventuring around the strip. Only selfies. We had a ton of pictures taken by very helpful passerbys who volunteered their services. Unfortunately drunkards do not take the best pics!! I could do a whole post of blurry horrible photos taken by the inebriated. Ha ha. It got to the point where we would just say "Looks great! Thanks!" and then delete it!!
This night I followed Stacey and Kelley around at the casino for awhile but had no interest in gambling. I decided to lose my money another way...SHOPPING!! I did some fun shopping and got surprises for my family. I grabbed a late night snack and headed back to the room a little after midnight and enjoyed my treat and a good book. Now that is how I vacay!! I got a luxurious night's sleep and Stacey and Kelley came in after 4 am! Ha ha!
The next day was my very favorite! This was the day I met up with my college bff...Tiffany!! I was up bright and early and ready to spend the day with her!! It did not disappoint!! We have not gotten together in YEARS!! We had the greatest time!!
Did Vegas survive this love fest? BARELY!! It all began with lots of screaming and jumping up and down in the lobby of the Flamingo and it just escalated from there!! :)
We immediately located the nearest Mexican restaurant for mass quantities of chips, salsa, guac, queso, and tacos. We promptly planted our butts there for HOURS!! It was the best! The nonstop talking, laughing, crying, hysterical laughing, talking, crying therapy cycle took over. We were back in our groove immediately!!
We wandered the strip, shopped, and checked out interesting sites. We rode the big High Roller Ferris Wheel thing. Tiffany conquered her fear of heights and we proceeded to annoy the heck out of our fellow tram riders. :)
Dancing helps you overcome your fears!! Ha ha!!
Then it was off to the Ghiradelli ice cream shop for an enormous sundae for two (this pic does NOT do this sundae justice. It was enormous!!) and we settled in for another few hours of talking and cackling. You're welcome Las Vegas!!
We walked and talked for miles and hours. We saw all kinds of crazy and memorable sites. We created a few memorable sites ourselves. We had the very best day!! Later that night we met up with my sisters for dinner. Stacey had on her list of places to go a speak easy style place called Beauty and Essex in the Cosmopolitan (which turned out to be our favorite hotel/casino.)
You walk into what looks like an upscale pawn shop. (Is that an oxymoron?) You go through a secret door in the wall and enter the Pearl Lounge that has a custom chandelier made from thousands of draped pearls hanging from the ceiling and down the walls and has purple tufted banquettes.
Then you walk through the Mirror Bar where there is a DJ in a golden deejay booth. You then walk through a corridor made with a 40 foot long screened wall made of framed vintage lockets that leads you to three ornate dining rooms with very glamorous lighting. It was pretty swanky!
The food was all small plate/tapas style...and very expensive small plates at that... but it was good and the atmosphere was hip and cool. It was definitely a dining experience and the four of us had a great time!
Later that night more antics ensued!! Two suburban moms out on the town. You can take the girls out of college but you can't take the college out of the girls!! Might I say that all of our antics... which were legendary...now and then...were done 100% sober!! Ha ha!
We bid farewell to Stacey and Kelley and they got back to their Black Jack tables. Although they never did seemed to have the luck that they did when I sat there people watching and sipping free red bulls whilst they played. Just saying... ;)
Tiffany and I kept going with the talking and walking... so much to say!! Finally...with much reluctance...it was time to allow her to return to her family late that night. We hated to say goodbye. Now that our kids are older I think it will be much easier to plan time to get together. We have great plans and high hopes! Another trip with Tyler and the kids to visit their grandfather is likely and so another trip shouldn't be too far off. I headed back to the room after another late night... I didn't even hear Stacey and Kelley return but I heard it was around 2 am. I don't know how they did it?! I was utterly exhausted every night.
I love this girl so much...25 years since college hasn't changed a single thing!!
Yep, I have a couple of friends like this and they are absolute TREASURES!!
We had to be at the airport bright and early the next morning. We left sunny Vegas and returned to Spokane which was so cold and the temps were in the single digits. It definitely helped that the sun was shining when we landed and that Tyler was waiting for me in baggage claim!! I missed him so much even though it was only a few days. He whisked me off for a sushi lunch and then I was greeted at home by all of our kids...even Reilly...they were all out of school due to President's Day. It was great to leave town and it was great to come home!! A good trip all around.
