Thursday, July 16, 2009

VEGAS BABY!!!!

If you have seen my husband's blog, he has a list of things he'd like to do before he dies. One of them is "spend a wild weekend in Vegas with my wife."


CHECK!!


Six good friends, on a 12 hour road trip, about to have the time of our lives!


It had been in the works for a very, very long time. The excitement was unbearable!!

Chip and I thought we'd show up with "Go Sarah Go" shirts to get a rise out of everyone - not everyone has the same political views in this group - It was hilarious. I wish I had a picture of them all when we walked out of the house... especially Damon!

Here is our trip in pictures...



Potty stops were always play time too. And thanks to my awesome bladder... we had plenty of them!



My husband is SO talented!!





This sign is just plain funny.

We stayed at the beautiful Venetian Hotel.



The ceilings throughout the hotel were amazing!


Here is the view from our room!



exploring on the strip...




It was very strange finding out about Michael Jackson's death on the road trip via text message from Taylor. This memorial was set up and by the time we left Vegas, the flowers and tributes were overflowing.






One of the highlights for me was Madam Trousseau's Wax Museum. I really loved it!

I chilled with Cameron Diaz for a few...



I gave Tiger Woods some tips...



Evil Knievel let Chip try out his bike...


I thought he enjoyed his picture with Jessica Simpson a little too much...



He even had a talk with the Godfather!

Whoopie and I chatted it up for a bit too.



Rachel and Damon raced down the hall in our hotel one evening. You know.. one of those "it's 2am and we are too tired to be normal" moments.



Never thought I'd want to swim on a Vegas trip, but the pool was AWESOME! (It's the one you can see from our view from the room) It was really fun.
Friday night was simply the BEST!! It was the "main part" of our trip. We went to an awesome "fancy" sort of dinner - I had never been to that kind of restaurant, where they lay the napkin on your lap for you and and escort you to the restroom! So it was a great experience! After that, we saw "Phantom of the Opera"!! I couldn't have enjoyed it more. Actually, I'm lying. I could have enjoyed it a bit more if I didn't have to RUN TO THE BATHROOM in the middle of it!!! Did I mention I have an awesome bladder?



Michelle starting sipping the chocolate sauce that was to be poured over her dessert...



So I did too.


It was like happy sauce. :)



Chip got in trouble for taking this picture in the theater! That's Chip for ya - sacrifice anything for a picture! I believe if we won Publisher's Clearing or something... I would spend my money seeing shows like this. It is my absolute favorite thing to do. And it sure helps that my husband enjoys it just as much as I do, if not more! (Not sure if I'm allowed to share that about him!)



Believe it or not... there was no "wear black, white, and red" sort of plan. We all just DID!!


Gondola rides after the show. Loved it.


The next day, we headed to the Stratosphere! Have you SEEN those rides at the very top?!? I would have bet money that I couldn't be dragged on one.... but Chip is my husband, remember?

While walking through, Chip saw this huge slot machine. We couldn't go to Vegas and not do ONE, right? So, he put a buck in...



and won 12 bucks! It was hilarious. After we came home, our neighbors asked Hannah, "How much money did your mom and dad win in Vegas?" She was so proud and excited..."12 dollars!!" They just paused and said, "that's it? serious?"


Emmett had to make sure Chip was tall enough for the rides.


At the top of the Stratosphere - it was awesome!!



Emmett, Michelle, and Chip rode the Sling Shot. I couldn't have been paid to ride this one!


Before...


During...


and after.


But Chip couldn't have been paid to ride "Insanity"! Heights don't bother me a bit so I thought this was the best one for me.

However, I got a little overconfidant. I didn't realize the spinning would make me SO sick to my stomach - I was miserable for a couple of hours afterward!


I'm a good faker here... cause I really just wanted to barf.



In and Out was a MUST in Vegas since we don't have them here in Boise, but notice I have no food in front of me... I was too sick to eat!!!



So, after that subsided.. we went to race go-karts!!


I am still amazed at the unexpected thrill I got out of this. I found myself flooring it the whole time, and figuring out the best technique during the turns so I could pass everyone! I loved it!


Yep, that's me, on the first place block, baby!

Smoked my girls...


More exploring - I really love the Newyork, Newyork. It's one of my favorites! When you are inside, you feel like you are outside, on the streets of Newyork. It is casual and fun.


We are some lucky ladies... check out our men.


So, being in Vegas, we did some research and went to the BEST buffet there. It was the Bellagio and it didn't dissapoint!


We all did what we were there to do... completely stuff ourselves to the point of disgust.







The water show at the Bellagio is so impressive. I just love, love it.


Here we are, waiting for our car at some crazy time in the morning ... so exhausted, we couldn't even stand up straight!!


Chip and I got a second wind that night and went back out - we walked around till 3:00 or so - I really loved the Wynn. It had a different feeling than any other hotel - everything was red, even the chandaleirs, and there were so many awesome things to see inside!

Here we are, back in our hotel lobby.



We were sad to leave Vegas..... one more night would have been perfect.



So, nine hours into our drive home.... we stopped to make ONE last stop for gas. Can you believe the keys got locked in the car?! We tried and tried, but finally had to call for help! Hilarious. Now it is anyway!


Back at home... with memories to last a lifetime.
We laughed till we cried. We ate like we never have before. We did things we never thought we'd dare to do. We experienced Vegas in a fun, wonderful, and fantastic way.
.
Thanks Chip, for the vision you had of this amazing weekend!
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What next?
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A cruise? (that one is on MY list!)