East of Eden and West of Winchester: Vegas! Vegas! Vegas!

Until this last weekend, Kenneth bugged me about going to Vegas almost non stop. I have to admit, Vegas did not really seem like my kind of scene. First, I don't like gambling because I am cheap and hate to lose money. Second, while I enjoy the occasional stiff Gin and Tonic, I am not a big drinker. Finally, the thought of seeing a hooker snorting cocaine at a black jack table on the strip terrified me. Let me be the first person to say: I WAS COMPLETELY WRONG! I LOVE LAS VEGAS!

First, I found out I might be addicted to video poker, (I won a whooping two dollars.) Second, I had two drinks the entire weekend and still managed to have a FABULOUS time. Third, I think I saw a pimp but I didn't see any hookers or cocaine.

Kenneth, Dan, Joanna, and I arrived at the Hard Rock at about one in the morning on Saturday. After a quick primp and change, the evening officially began with a round of shots and gambling. Now being the old lady that I truly am, I called it quits at four. Kenneth, however, did not return to our hotel until seven in the morning and only after I had to pick his sorry self up at the Venetian... NOT a happy camper on my part. I got a few more hours of shut eye and then hit the amazing gym at the Hard Rock. The locker rooms were bigger than my house and had free fruit, coffee, granola, and the most amazing heated towels that you could use while watching the plasma screen tv. At about noon the gang, now including Matt, assembled to get lunch. We hit Todd English's pub for lunch on the strip before walking and marveling at the lights, upscale shopping, and sheer size of the strip.

After a quick nap and shower, the gang headed to the fifty dollar a head buffet at the Bellagio. This was not your granny's buffet. It basically had everything but lobster on it, much to Joanna's dismay. My favorite was the salad bar (duh) and the mini (and I mean mini) cheesecakes for dessert. Seeing as we were all partied out from the night before, Kenneth, Matt, Chris, Becca, and I walked the strip until midnight. We visited the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, the Monte Carlo, and New York New York. At the Bellagio we saw the world's largest chocolate fountain as well as the most amazing Dale Chihuly sculpture. We also saw two of the water shows outside of the Bellagio. The first was set to "Fly Me to the Moon" and the second to "Singing in the Rain." I am pretty sure that the whole trip to Vegas was worth it just to see these shows. The fountains and water cannons were timed to the movement, tempo, and intensity of the song and the best part was that it's totally free to stand outside the casino and watch them! At Caesar's we marveled at all of the glitz and the infamous theme. Kenneth purchased a Hangover tshirt of baby Carlos... amazing! At Monte Carlo, Chris played his old chip and lost twenty bucks and we saw the most ripped dancer ever. She even gave me beads! At our last stop, New York New York, we ate a delicious late night snack of a Nathan's hot dog and rode the indoor/outdoor roller coaster. Only in Vegas does a casino have a kick ass roller coaster in its casino.

Sunday included another buffet, this one at the Aria, and more walking along the Strip. After lunch at the Aria we visited the Venetian and the Wynn. At the Venetian, Kenneth and I found an expensive art gallery that sold Walt Disney etchings. We spent our last hundred dollars on our first piece of art, an etching of Mickey Mouse that now hangs next to our fire place. Our last stop of the weekend was Gold and Silver Pawn, infamous for its role on the History Channel show Pawn Stars. We spent about thirty minutes in the store examining all the items and trying to catch a glimpse of Chumlee to no avail. At least we can say we went in!

So, I guess the moral of this story is that I am retarded and that I love Vegas. Clearly I prejudged Las Vegas and now I might just be addicted to Sin City. I could spend days checking out the themes and decorations at each of the casinos and the lights of the city are so pretty. The town might be built on sin but I think that its pretty awesome. Best part was that Vegas itself is actually pretty clean, no trash, no cigarette butts, just the occasional naked woman on a flyer. Can't wait to go back!