Birthday Travel

My Costa Rica birthday cake!

Today is my birthday!

This year, I'm a little bummed because it's not in the cards for me to travel on my birthday. Usually, when I'm blowing out the candles on my cake, I'm doing it in a new travel destination. Next year, hopefully the stars will align for me to be traveling again on my big day, but for now, I'll be happy remembering some of my great birthday travels.

My first birthday trip was with my BFF, and not only was it my first birthday trip, it was my first trip to Vegas! (One of my mostest favoritist cities in the US.) It was supposed to be a trip with about 5 feisty women painting the town red, but all but one canceled. That's okay, it showed me who my true friends were, and the BFF and I had a complete blast! We played the slots. We ate the food. We lounged in the spa. We rode up the "inclinator" at the Luxor while tipsy (not recommended) and just generally had a blast. Thank you, BFF, for that awesome birthday!

I also remember spending a birthday atop the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Okay, it wasn't my actual birthday, it was a week prior. However, our guide as we climbed the bridge asked if anyone had a birthday soon. I was the only one who raised my hand, and all 20 people on our excursion sang to me atop the bridge, with the most beautiful backdrop below. It might not have been the actual birthday, but it was amazing none-the-less.

Another birthday I remember fondly was with my now-husband. We thought it would be nice to spend my birthday in Costa Rica - and it was REALLY nice. On my actual birthday, we were in Arenal, and woke up with a beautiful view of the volcano. We were surrounded by tropical paridise, and staying in something of a tropical log cabin. I woke up, he kissed my forehead and wished me a happy birthday before I even realized where I was. He gave me a birthday card that he'd brought with him from the States, and then we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast. At dinner that evening, he arranged for the staff to bring me a cake with "happy birthday" written on it. He got even more points because he didn't speak Spanish, and the staff didn't speak much English. Do you see why he's my NOW-husband?

I sure am blessed to have had some great travel birthdays!

A year?! It's been a year?

Wow, it's been a year since my last post on this blog. I guess now I've got to work at getting all my readers back - is anyone still there?

The blog has also been broken for a while. Thanks to Heather, of Goofy Girl fame, I think she fixed me up so that the background image shows again. Yay!

So . . .

What's new in the world of travel and Carmen? Well, I recently booked my 8th trip to VEGAS! We will be rockin' it out at the Bellagio this time, since we like the central Strip location. We'll be revisiting some favorites - the Paris breakfast buffet, Freemont Street, etc. We're also looking forward to seeing the brand-spankin' new City Center, getting some shopping done (window shopping only) and seeing why it is that nobody seems to like staying at the Aria. Everywhere we looked, it got bad reviews. What's up with that?

We will be taking a side trip to Zion National Park as well. We'll rent a car and make a day of it. The Internets tells us that it'll be a 2.5 hour drive - we'll see. But, it's supposed to be beautiful, and I can mark Utah off of my states-visited list.

Sorry for the long time between posts. I got busy with the book and all of my other endeavors, and just got lazy with this blog. I'll try to write more.

Featured Journals

I'm still working on some posts for Las Vegas and Death Valley, holding them until the new year so everyone can get back from vacation, etc.

I wrote my Igougo.com journals however, and they were featured on the IgoUgo blog. They sent me an email, saying they REALLY enjoyed them, and this is an excerpt from the blog post:

On to our expert, Carmen. She’s been to Vegas so many times that she didn’t even stay entirely in the city this time around; one morning, she jumped in a 4X4 for a Death Valley Adventure Day. The comedienne, it turns out, can make even the depths of Death Valley funny, titling one review, I Be Hebe at Ubehebe Crater. Back in town after the excursion, she chronicles Christmastime in Sin City (Plus Some Best Ofs). Both the December-centric reviews and the more general “Best Of” fare are fantastic, so don’t miss this journal if you’re thinking of playing in Vegas this year.

Merry Christmas!

Or Happy Holidays or whatever you celebrate. :)

We got back from Las Vegas just before the 3 1/2 feet (inches! I meant inches! For Vegas, it seemed like feet) of snow fell on the Strip. We did see some flurries while we were there, but I'm really glad we missed the airport closing and such.

Since we've been back, it's been a swirl of "stuff." We spent all morning on Monday in the ER, because Jim got a stomach flu Christmas present. I'm now washing my hands every 2 minutes trying not to get it myself.

However, it's still the holidays, and here is my holiday treat for you, while I work on getting the other Las Vegas stuff ready for viewing.

The first is a Bellagio Fountain treat, with the water dancing to a Christmas tune, and the second is a slideshow of Las Vegas Christmas images.

Hope Santa is good to all!

Thursday 13 v. 74: Good/Bad

Thirteen Good Things and Bad Things


1. The Good: I approved the proof for my new book. Two weeks until you can buy it!

2. The Bad: Right after I approved it, Jim pointed out a mistake. A stupid mistake. I read it 8 times, and didn't catch it, so maybe no one else will. Can't change it now. This is what I get for not spending $2000 to get it professionally edited.

3. The Good: We leave for Las Vegas on Friday

4. The Bad: There's a front coming through over the weekend, making it cold and rainy there. Even calling for snow next week. SNOW in VEGAS!

5. The Good: We have a free car rental, and we were going to drive to Death Valley to see the moving rocks on Racetrack Playa

6. The Bad: Said front is also causing rain in Death Valley. It seldom rains in Death Valley, but it's raining this weekend when we wanted to go. Rain = bad roads and no seeing the moving rocks (can't walk through the mud and leave our footprints.)

7. The Good: It's supposed to be nice in Valley of Fire State Park on Sunday, so we'll probably go there instead.

8. The Bad: I would rather go to Bryce Canyon, but said front will bring snow there. And rain to Zion National Park. Damn you weather!

9. The Good: I broke down and vacuumed the downstairs - it was awfully dirty!

10. The Bad: The upstairs still needs to be done. I'm making that Jim's job.

11. The Good: I have a job, when a lot of people don't.

12. The Bad: Right before, and right after a vacation, things always get more stupid and more idiotic. (Can you say re-org? Again?) PS: Never have an idea at work. They think they want you to have an idea, but they really don't.

13. The Good: Did I mention we're going to VEGAS? :) Always good to end on a good.



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VOTE FOR CARMEN

Okay, the big election is over. But if you're in withdrawl, you can still vote -- for me!

I've been nominated over at IGOUGO.com for an award for a travel photo in a the Shot of Urban category with my photo called Vegas View.

Please vote for me. :) Please? And tell your friends to vote for me. You all know how competitive I am, but I'd really love to have a travel photo win an award, so I can add it to my resume! Woot!


VOTE HERE

Suggestion Box

We booked our Vegas trip today, yay!

Let this be a lesson to you. If you see a good deal to someplace you want to go, book it, Danno! We moved our Vegas trip back one week because the flights and the deals that we saw 2 days ago changed. We'd been looking at those prices for several days. Why we didn't book, I'll never know. SOMEBODY has to think about things. ;) (Not me, I'm like - "let's go!"

This week, we're heading down to Charleston, SC for a scouting trip. We're scouting real estate (we should be able to get a steal these days) neighborhoods, etc.

If anyone has any suggestions for what to do as a tourist in Charleston, give me a shout in comments. We're thinking about a walking tour, but does anyone know a good place for breakfast? Good place for dinner? A secret "must-do?"

What happens in Vegas. . . .

Seems to be happening to everyone but me.

My mom just got back from her first trip to Las Vegas, which I planned for her by that way. My aunt and uncle are going in two weeks. Virginia is going soon, so she tells me. Waah! I'm jealous.

My mom got her first taste of the breakfast buffet at the Paris hotel, with their wonderful, tasty crepes. Virginia says she'll eat one and think of me fondly, but it's just not the same.

So, I think Jim and I are going ourselves in December. We've found some great prices for some fancy hotels (we're thinking of staying in the Signature at MGM Grand.) We're also trying to decide on a day-trip. Right now, I'm leaning toward Death Valley or Zion National Park. We'd really like to see Bryce Canyon, but it's a 4-hour drive one-way from Las Vegas. It might be too much.

I'm also trying to find some other things to see/do. I'm just about done with Cirque de Soliel shows, so we're considering a magic show. "The Lion King" is coming to Vegas in January, but that's too late for us, and I don't think "Phantom of the Opera" is manly enough for Jim to agree to go. :) "Spamalot" doesn't seem to be playing anymore, because I can't find it.

So the power of suggestion got to me, and I've succumbed to peer pressure. We haven't booked yet, but it's looking like a real possibility!

Everyone have a great weekend. I'll be sleeping in, since I am covering for the News Editor at work and he keeps a schedule that has me up with the birds.

Bellagio Gardens

Despite the fact that everything costs more in Vegas, there are a few remnants of free. You can watch the Bellagio fountains without paying (for anything but the trip itself.) You can watch the Mirage volcano and TI's pirate show for free. You can see the lion exhibit at MGM grand for free.

One of the prettiest freebies has got to be the gardens at the Bellagio. Many people never make it past the Dale Chihuly glass flower ceiling in the lobby, (and rightly so), but if they just pass through the lobby, they'll get a nice surprise. The Bellagio gardens change with the season. I've seen them at Halloween (Harvest), Chinese New Year, with the U.S. monuments theme and now with the spring theme.

This year it was ladybugs and snails made of flowers, and an enclosed butterfly garden. I've put together a photo slide show for you to enjoy (plus a couple of glass flower statues).

Freemont Street: Trip Report

You might not realize that there is an entirely different part of Vegas than the Strip.

Welcome to Freemont Street - part of the old, downtown part of Vegas. Here, the casinos are smaller and smokier, but offer you a lot more bang for your buck. The slots are much more loose, offering you a bigger win on that 20 cents play (if you're playing the penny slots.) This year's penny slot favorite award goes to the Elvis penny slot. If you bet the max of 60 lines (that's 1 cent per line), you can play up to three spins. If you win on the first spin, you're bumped to the second, if you win the second, you're bumped to the third. If you get the bonus, well, you're just lucky enough to not only win the money, but you get to hear ol' Elvis sing (guess which song makes the applause-o-meter above you register the highest.) Or, you could get to put pictures of Elvis (hopefully the cute, skinny ones) in an album, or guess which album will hit platinum status. It's a cool, interactive game. I really brought the BF over to the penny slot dark side!

And if you're looking for single-deck blackjack? Forget it if you're on the Strip, but on Freemont, it's not hard to find. Combine that with a $5 minimum bet (the minimums go up during busy times, like Sat. night) and you've got yourself a blackjack hootenanny. We had a dealer at Binions, Terry, who taught me more about how to play blackjack than any book ever did. If the dealer is showing a "2", chances are that he's going to win. That's his best card. If the dealer is showing a 3, 4 or 5 in single deck blackjack "There's a 10 coming and you don't want it. Make the dealer beat you." Always assume that the dealer has a 10 card under whatever he's showing. Always hit on a 16 ("Have you ever seen a dealer stand on 16?") and double down on a hand of 11. It was awesome. I had to borrow money from the BF, because at another table I'd previously lost the last of my gambling money, but here, with Terry's help, I won back enough to pay BF back and leave with a little extra.

And after you spend a whole day gambling away your shirt, around dusk you can take a moment and look up to enjoy the Freemont Street Experience - a show that takes place on the canopy above you that's filled with millions of tiny light bulbs. It's amazing how they make the images look so "movie like" with those lights - plus it's put to music.

Here's the full video of one performance. It's about 6 minutes long, my arm got tired holding the camera, but it's pretty cool video, if I do say so myself.

Red Rock Cayon Trip Report

So far this week, we've been to Vegas, the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam.

Today, we're heading to Red Rock Canyon.

I think I've mentioned that I can only take Vegas in small doses. Since we didn't know what time we'd get back from the Grand Canyon, we kept our rental car for two days. Since we had the car for two days, we decided that on the second day we'd drive 25 minutes or so to Red Rock Canyon.

I dare say that I preferred Red Rock. No, it's not as "natural wonder-y" as the Grand Canyon, but it's a bit more up-close-and-personal, which I really enjoyed. It was a lot cheaper - only $5 per car per day gets you spectacular rock formations and a 13-mile, one-way loop to drive.

Learn from us - make sure to get some water or some beverage from the Visitors Center BEFORE you head out hiking. Although, I think we enjoyed just driving the entire loop without stopping the first time.

Take a look at the newsletter you're handed when you pay your entrance fee and pick the stops where you'd like to have your photo ops and hiking boots.

I highly recommend that you stop at the first area - the Calico Hills. These are the most red rocks, and you can climb on them (with your feet, or with climbing equipment.) But really, you couldn't go wrong with any of the stops - you can't spit without hitting a good photo op.

Here's video from part of the loop drive.




And here are some photos from our Red Rock day.

Walk the Sky at Grand Canyon West:Trip Report

I can only take about three days in Las Vegas before I start to go crazy. There's only so much neon and flashing lights and dinging before you want to scream. So if a Vegas trip is more than 3 days, I always recommend a day trip.

I had taken a day trip to the Grand Canyon five years ago. Friend Irish and I had booked a bus tour to the South rim. It took us 5 hours to get there (at the time, due to security precautions, we couldn't go over the Hoover Dam) and we had a mere 2 hours there before turning around and going home.

This year, the BF and I rented a car (it was a Seinfeld episode, we reserved a car, yet the car wasn't there. Hertz sucks) and drove to Grand Canyon West. We crossed the Hoover Dam (that post will come soon) and drove for 2.5 hours - through Joshua Tree Forest - to get there.

The newest attraction at the Grand Canyon is the Skywalk. Opened in 2007, it's a glass bridge that extends out over the canyon, allowing you to look down into the canyon. It's a bit of a freaky experience, and one that'll cost you. There's a $20 fee to park. There's a $29.95 fee to the Hualapai nation to enter their land. Then, if you want to actually go on the Skywalk, there's a $29.95 fee for that. Is it worth it? I think so, but it takes a while to get used to the price.

No cameras are allowed on the Skywalk - or anything that could fall over the side. They give you a locker to store your stuff (so you do have a key around your wrist, not sure I get how that won't fall over, but whatever.)They then give you little paper booties so as not to scratch the glass, but I joked that we were doing their dusting for them. :) They have photographers on the bridge - take as many photos with them as you like - but you'll pay a premium for your photo when you get done.

The Skywalk is located at Eagle Point - where the rocks form a shape that looks like an eagle in flight. Another lookout point - and probably the most stunning - is Guano point. Yes, folks, it's named after bat doo. That's because some moron (or genius?)constructed this tower that sent people across the canyon into a cave to collect bat guano to sell.

At Guano point, the land juts out into the mouth of the Canyon, so you get as close to a 360 degree view of the Canyon as you can get. (Below is my - very windy - 360 degree video. I was standing on a rock, and rotating VERY CAREFULLY to get you the best video. Putting my life in danger - that's how committed I am to you folks.)



And below are some photos of Skywalk, one of my favorite photos of me and the BF on the Grand Canyon and some general shots of the Canyon. Why is it that the photos never capture the grandeur?

Vegas Trip Report

I'm Ba-ack!

The weather in Vegas was sunny and dry, unlike here in Virginia, where I think the May flowers will be very happy with the April showers.

This being my fifth trip to Las Vegas, I feel uniquely qualified to offer my own best of Vegas list.

1. Best Hotel: Mandalay Bay. More on this in a later post, but the hotel is beautiful, the rooms are great, the pool is super fun - it's awesome.

2. Best Cirque Show: Mystere. I say this because it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and it's lots of fun. I've got to say, I was a little disappointed in "O" (the water show at the Bellagio, named after the French word for water). The tickets were ridiculously priced, and while entertaining, I was left wanting.

3. Best Steak: It's still Prime in the Bellagio, but the steak we had at BOA Steakhouse in Ceasar's Palace was quite yummy. BOA had their own version of A-1 sauce called J-1. It was really good.

4. Best Place to Gamble: Freemont Street. Again, I'll dedicate a whole post to this, but Freemont Street has the best minimums, the most helpful dealers and of course, the light show.

5. Best Breakfast: Many of you already know this, but Le Buffet in Paris Hotel is to die for. I had my raspberry-filled crepe with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar, with some sliced almonds. I'm drooling as I write this.

6. Best Free Show: Bellagio Fountains. Video below. Please ignore the loudmouths beside me that wouldn't shut up. I wanted to pop them. :)



And now, for the photos: Highlights of Vegas

Where Do You Want to Go?

Well, I want to go to Las Vegas! At least this week, anyway.

After Las Vegas, who knows? One of the destinations I've been starting to look at is Dubai - can you believe that the city has built up like that in only 35 years? I want to see the tallest building (they build about a floor every 3 days). I want to ski indoors in the desert. I want to shop for gold for cheap.

I've even downloaded the podcast to teach me to speak Arabic (basic phrases anyway, not that I'd need it in Dubai, but I think it's polite.)

I also want to go back to Europe, which means that somebody, somewhere is going to have to do something about this crappy economy. The Euro is way too expensive. But in the end, I may have to suck it up and go anyway.

I wouldn't mind trying to get to the Galapagos, either. Pretty expensive, though.

I'd take Tahiti or Fiji, too.

So this week, while I'm on a vacation from the blog, tell me where YOU'D like to travel!

Vegas Tips

I think I've mentioned it about a googillian times (as Ben Stiller said), but next week, I'm going to Las Vegas. This will be my 5th trip to Sin City, and I've managed to accumulate some helpful information that I'd like to share with you.

1. Bring comfy shoes: You're at New York, NY. You want to walk to Paris, Hotel. It's right there! A half hour later, it's still right there! The scale of everything in Vegas is a trick. There will be lots of walking.

2. Go in the spring or in the fall: During the summer, it's scorching hot. You may get better deals, because everyone else has decided that melting their shoes on the asphalt isn't what they want to do. The weather in the spring and fall is terrific.

3. Make reservations: If there's a restaurant you want to try, or a spa treatment you want to get, call and make a reservation. Up to a month in advance for restaurants, and most spas do their calendar a week or two out.

4. If you want to play table games, head to Freemont Street: Downtown Las Vegas is the home of the $3 blackjack table, whereas it'll cost you at least $15 per hand on the Strip. On Freemont Street, you can play longer for less money, and the slots are a bit more loose. Plus, there's the free light show after dusk.

5. Speaking of free, you'll find several attractions that are: Watch the fountains at Bellagio, watch the volcano explode at the Mirage, watch the Sirens show at Treasure Island, and just mosey through the theme hotels.

6. Take a day trip: After about 3 days, the clinking and dinging and smoke starts to get to you. This year, we'll go to the Grand Canyon and Red Rock Canyon.

7. Bring lots of ones. You'll do more tipping than anything else. And bring your cash with you. While getting cash out of the ATMS in the casinos, you'll feel like you're "winning", but really, you're losing, because of the ridiculous ATM fees.

I really need a vacation. Four days left. :)

You Asked

Wow, I didn't know you guys had so many questions! So the Q&A continues today, mostly because I'm in pre-vacation mode, and can't get my brain to work. Why is it that the week before you go on vacation, things at your job always go bonkers?


Q: What do I do with Pooh Bear when I go on vacation?
A: Well, that depends. If I go somewhere without the BF, he'll watch Pooh. (They have an "understanding") If the BF and I go together, I have a pet sitter that comes in to feed him. The pet sitter leaves me notes each day that tell me if Pooh behaved. :)


Q: Do I get jet lag when I go to a destination?
A: Again, depends on the destination. I don't sleep on airplanes, so I arrive already tired. If I'm traveling in the US, I can usually adapt with a minor nap. In Europe, I'm ready for sleep at 6 p.m., and then the next day I'm fine. When I went to Ireland, I left the US at 5 p.m., got to Ireland at 6 a.m. their time, and by around 5 p.m. Ireland time, I was so tired I was speaking gibberish. Took a nap at 6 p.m., woke up at 8 p.m. for dinner, went to sleep again at 11 p.m., and then I was off and running for the rest of the trip. I'm a big fan of naps.


Q: How do I find my fun activities?
A: I am a Type A person, so I like to have my ducks in a row before I go. Part of the fun of a trip for me is the research beforehand. I'm a big Barnes and Noble groupie, and I like to sit down with a hot chocolate and just read the guidebooks. I look things up on the Internet, too. I find it helps to have a spreadsheet (told you I was type A) of what I'm doing each day. (It's not so structured as to be time-specific.) I found this really useful in both Paris and Italy, where the churches and museums that I wanted to see were only open on certain days at certain times.)


Q: So where am I off to now?
We leave next week to go to Las Vegas (and crossing my fingers that there are no more grounded flights.) After that, who knows? :)

Mandalay Bay Hotel

The first question I get asked anytime I tell someone that I'm going to Las Vegas is "Where are you staying?"

Which hotel you use in Vegas is almost like what brand of jeans you wear. It doesn't REALLY matter, but it SAYS something about who you are.

I find myself uniquely qualified to comment about Vegas hotel rooms, because I've stayed in a lot of Vegas hotel rooms. I've stayed in the Paris Hotel and Casino, the Luxor, New York New York, the now-defunct Aladdin, the Bellagio, the Venetian, and Mandalay Bay.

Of these that I've stayed in so far, Mandalay Bay has stayed atop of my favorites list. Why? First, it's location. Yes, I know, it's at the end of the Strip and it's not in the middle of the action. That's why I like it. You get the Strip feel without the Strip noise and crowds. It's also well-connected - there's the tram that takes you (for free)to either the Luxor or Excaliber, and it's also connected to the Luxor by a new walkway (filled with SHOPPING!).

Another reason that I like Madalay Bay is the pool area. The most fun pool is the wave pool, where the waves can be adjusted in height depending on the whim of those that run the show (and for surfing competitions.) Although, I did learn this week that when the waves get higher, they can flood the beach area around the pool. (Yes, there's sand and everything.) Mandalay also features a lazy river, which has a current of about 1 mph. You can sit in an innertube with a drink in your hand and just float your way through your day. (Though there is a waterfall at one end that you may want to maneuver around.) There's also a regular-ol'-joe pool.

I also really enjoy the casino area. I prefer the newer hotels with the well-ventilated casinos, because I hate the 1-900 voice I get after being in all that smoke. In addition, Mandalay Bay caters to me, the penny-slot whale. (A whale is someone who drops a load of cash on gambling in the casinos.) I don't drop big dollars, I drop big pennies. I just like these slots because I can play for a long time on a little bit and the games are just really fun.

On my previous stay at Mandalay Bay, we were upgraded to a Strip view room, we got the best service, and we really felt like we were important guests.

Here's the tip of the day for Vegas hotels. Sign up for their loyalty points. And some good advice I got this week - if you're going as a couple, sign up on the SAME ACCOUNT, rather than each of you getting an account. You'll accrue more points that way. Also, when you sign up for the rewards, you're often given a present. Whether it's a match play coupon, or a mug, it's FREE.

Vegas Itenerary

As promised, here's some info on what we'll be doing in Vegas (because I'm sure you can't wait to find out. Ha.)

Since it's the BF's first trip to Sin City, we'll spend most of our first day there (we arrive at 10 a.m., so we'll have the whole day) cruising the Strip. Each hotel is like it's own mini-attraction, so we'll start at Mandalay Bay, and move our way up. One of my favorite things to see in Vegas is the indoor garden at the Bellagio, which changes themes with the season/holiday. I also hope that I can talk the BF into a gondola ride at the Venetian (the river is on the SECOND FLOOR!) Hopefully, he'll also be up for a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris, because IMHO, that's one of the best vantage points for the Bellagio fountains (though you can't hear the music from up there.)

I'm pretty excited about our plans to go to Mix Lounge, atop Mandalay Bay's TheHotel. It's supposedly one of the best views of the Strip. I'll let you know. The cover is $20 on weeknights, and I'm sure the drinks are about $12 each, so it'll be a pricey view.

Vegas is also one of the best places to find great food. Each time I go, I eat at least one "splurge" dinner at a steakhouse. Emeril's Delmonico is great, the Prime in the Bellagio is great. Now, I'll get to form an opinion of the BOA Steakhouse - voted one of the best steaks in Veags in 2007. It's in Ceasar's Palace.

Speaking of food, Vegas is famous for the buffet. The best breakfast buffet in all of Vegas is in the Paris Hotel. It's called Le Village, and it runs about $20 a person. It's not cheap, but it's gooooooood. Everything on the buffet is tasty, but the crepes - made in front of you and with your choice of filling - make it the best. It'll save you money on lunch, too, because you'll be stuffed.

We'll also be spending some time at the Mandalay Bay pool. I HEART the pool. It's a wave pool, and it's surrounded by "beach" sand. They also have a lazy river, where you can sit on an innertube and just let the current take you along. I'm thinking we may bring our own, uninflated innertubes, because they rent them for $20. Vegas loves to nickle and dime you.

As mentioned a few days ago, one whole day will be taken up with our side trip to the Grand Canyon.

Then, of course we're going to see a show. I've always wanted to see "O", a Cirque de Soliel show with a water theme (the French word for water is "eau", thus the name.) I've seen another Cirque show, "Mystere", which was awesome. Tickets were not cheap to this little diddy - $137. There is a half-price ticket booth in Vegas that sells same-day show tix, but I didn't want to chance it. I wanted to see this specific show.

Of course, we'll be doing some gambling. I am a fan of the penny slots. Why? I can play longer and with less money, and the slots are often fun with games and bonus points and noises. :) Plus, I love me some blackjack. The minimums are WAY too high for me on the Strip ($20 per hand is the cheapest I've seen.) This is what makes downtown Freemont Street a great $11 taxi ride away. There are $3 and $5 tables there, which means I can play $50 at blackjack, and usually hang in for a couple of hours. The BF wants to learn to play craps, so we've been studying YouTube videos and tutorials. We'll probably play that at Freemont as well, because there, the dealers and casino staff are a bit more willing to "help" you learn, and things are a bit "looser".

I've also made the BF promise to take me dancing. (What is it with men? They'll dance with you to woo you, they get you, and they never want to go dancing again!) We'll hit the clubs Friday night. Maybe we'll see Paris Hilton. I'll let you know. Previous experience has made my favorite club "Light" in the Bellagio. "Pure" at Ceasars is pretty hard to get into (Plus a $50 cover.) "Tao" in the Venetian is way too young a crowd. We'll also get drinks at the "Ghost Bar" in the Palms, off-Strip. (Another good Vegas view, btw.)

There will be no sleeping. We can sleep when we're dead. :)

What Happens in Vegas . . . I Tell to You

First, if you like my article, Digg it over there on the right.

So I promised yesterday that I'd tell you about the great deal I got to Vegas, and how I got it. (And no, it wasn't FREE like some people, so I guess my deal could be better. ha!)

The BF and I are going at the end of April (slightly after spring break, because mid-April was more expensive.) We will be there 5 nights, and will be staying at Mandalay Bay (which suprised me that it was lower than a lot of the other properties, but I'll take it.) The grand total, per person is $717. That averages out to $300 for airfare from the East Coast (the small Richmond airport, no less) and around $89 a night for hotel. I didn't get deals like that when I was flying out of Baltimore, a Southwest hub.

People ask me all the time how I find the deals I find. The answer? I look. A lot. Here's my strategy. First, I look at Expedia and Orbitz and the like. They're low, but they're not going to be the lowest most times (but I keep it written down, because sometimes they surprise me.) I use this to find out what airlines fly the route I'm looking for.

Next, I head to the airline sites. I'm partial to United, because I've got lots of miles on them, but I always look at all the flights. You're going to find your best airline deals on the airline Web sites. (Calling the 800 number will just add to the price.) Especially to Vegas, WATCH THE FLIGHT TIMES, because your best deals are often red-eye flights. I hate red-eye flights, so I'll pay a bit more to get a decent flight time.

Then I head directly to the hotel Web sites. In Vegas, often the hotels themselves will have pretty good combo deals, some including a gaming match-play card, discount show tix, spa coupons, dinner coupons, etc. And they work with the airlines, so full packages can be found, but usually out of the bigger cities. I see which airlines are participating, then . . .

I head to the airline vacation sites (like unitedvacations.com instead of united.com.) That's where I found my deal this time, on unitedvacations.com. My deal also included tax, tags and freight as I like to say. So that was the end deal that included departure taxes and such. I'm so proud of our deal. :) Honestly, the pet sitter might actually cost me more than the trip.

You may be wondering if I use travel agents? I use them for trips to destinations that are harder to access. I used an agent to get me to Australia and a group trip, also to Hawaii. But generally, I've found that I can do similar things, given enough time.

Tomorrow, I'll share some of our itenerary.

Day Trip from Vegas

My next trip will be to fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada at the end of April with the BF. He's never been to Las Vegas, and this will be my 5th trip there, so there will be a lot of beginner Vegas activities - fine by me.

Another thing we'll be doing while we're there is driving ourselves to Grand Canyon West and walking on the Skywalk.

I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about the whole endeavor. The Skywalk is a glass walkway that allows you to see down into the Canyon. I'm not sure why standing on the edge and risking getting blown off (it was windy at the South Rim when I went 5 years ago) is less scary than walking on a glass walkway with the Canyon spanning underneath, but I think it's like car sickness. You get car sick because either your eyes see movement that your body doesn't feel, or your body feels movement that your eyes don't see. My eyes will tell my brain I should be falling.

The one thing I haven't done is drive over Hoover Dam, which we will be doing this time. When I went to the Grand Canyon, we went on a bus tour and pretty soon after 9/11, so nothing bigger than a car could cross the terrorist-target Hoover Dam and we had to take the long way. There's an overlook stop where I'm looking forward to getting some serious photos.

Here's our secret. We'll be going to the Grand Canyon on a Thursday. By doing this, we're hoping to avoid some of the traffic - both car and foot traffic. We're going to rent a Hummer H3 (We're in Vegas, live a little) for about $200 for two days (we're going to drive to nearby Red Rock Canyon on Friday). Include the outrageously high gas we'll have to buy, the $20 parking fee at the Canyon, the entrance fee to the Canyon and the $30 ticket to the Skywalk, and this is likely to be the most expensive adventure on our trip. But it's new for the BF and slightly new for me, and it's the Grand Canyon - I can testify that it's well worth the price.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about the great (and I mean great) deal that we got to Las Vegas, where we're staying, and what we're doing in Vegas itself.

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