Dear Addie,
So where was I…
Ah, yes, so there I was in the Las Vegas airport coming to the realization that I probably really needed this reset in my life more than I knew. As I looked out at the swarms of people (feeling thankful it wasn’t swarms of grasshoppers...yet) all impatiently waiting for their bags and the slot machines (yes, even in the airport) ringing and flashing as passerby's feed the machines with the hope that their story would be told as winning the jackpot at the baggage carousel, I took a deep breath and proceeded to find my exit from this scene.
Feeling every ounce of nervous having to navigate such a chaotic city on my own (I usually have the master of all travel - daddy with me), I grabbed a cab. OK well that sounds like I was in Time Square fighting for a ride, feverishly waving someone down, when in actuality I was just standing in a well organized “taxi line” and told which number taxi to go to when it was my turn. Far from stressful, so this was good.
Now Addie, I could probably count on two hands the amount of times that I have been in a taxi, but sitting alone in here today, I started to laugh when I realized I myself am somewhat of an unpaid taxi driver. This thought got me thinking I may need to update my resume and perhaps add a credit card machine to the back of my headrest! After close to $30 for a 7 min ride, I arrived at the hotel and let me tell you, it was every bit of what I had imagined the magic of Vegas to be! The doorman held the door for me as if I was some celebrity and the floor of this lobby looked legit like broken diamonds! It was mesmerizing and you almost couldn’t take your eyes off of it! Feeling very much like a moth to a flame, I realized I should probably walk with my head up as I made my way to the check-in. Check-in was a breeze, but being crazy early (a solid 5 hours) I found myself headed to the lounge where I drank way too much coffee and tried to get caught up on emails and such while I waited for our room. This next part is actually kind of embarrassing.
After about an hour and a half, I received a text message from ”Rose the resident mischief maker” (yes that’s how she referenced herself) otherwise known as their automated messaging system that contacts you when your hotel room is ready, indicating I could make my way to room 5726 because my room was ready! Jackpot! Yes room 5726 I'm on my way, and I was really hoping to score a little nap before Katie had arrived, so I was super excited to be checking in way earlier than expected! Room’s ready early, doesn't seem embarrassing yet, does it?
Well here's the thing Ad - this ain't no Holiday Inn. Once ”I thought” I had found what tower my elevator was in (yes, there were multiple towers, this place was HUGE), I entered the elevator and quickly realized there was no 5th floor. Wrong elevator? Clearly! But so many people had gotten on with me that I just made my way to the back corner to wait. After riding along to drop off other guest that clearly had a clue, I made my way back down to the lobby to attempt a different elevator. Entered elevator #2 - dang it! Still no 5th floor - OK feeling every bit of a full-walk-of-shame-I-have-no-idea-where-my-room-is mode I made my way back to the front desk. I tried to put on my best - I'm a traveler, but just not in this hotel demeanor with my ”excuse me, but could you kindly tell me how to get to room 5726?” Without skipping a beat, in a full happy to help you with absolute anything concierge service way she said - “Why of course! Take the Chelsea tower elevator to the 57th floor.” Yep, Mark it, it was the 57th floor, not the 5th. Ugh. As a side note I am still seriously wondering what is up with all those missing floors?! So recognizing I may be having PTSD and now not being able to find my hotel room, this is starting off splendidly. Insert a heavy dose of sarcasm my dear.
OK Chelsea tower, old friend, let’s do this (again) to the 57th floor! I'm happy to report that I made it to my room on the third try (you know what they say - third times a charm right?) It was gorgeous of course and it even had a balcony which isn’t crazy common in Vegas! It was on this balcony that the evidence of the recent grasshopper apocalypse had in fact happened. There on our balcony, 57 floors up lie the carcass of one lonely fallen soldier.
Yes Ad, one. On the news it showed swarms and people in chaos! I bet the grasshoppers were probably saying “Hey this girl can't even find her room maybe we should take a break for a few days.” Whatever the reason, luck was on my side with grasshopper apocalypse.
I settled in and before too long, Katie had arrived, so I made my way downstairs to greet her. Addie, It’s amazing that you never know how much you’ve missed someone until you’re embracing in a lobby with a sparkly crushed diamond floor. Well you don’t really need the sparkly floor, but you get the point, it was crazy awesome to see her and we both looked at each other like, WOW, we actually pulled this trip off! Let’s do this!
With both of us having pulled off a travel extravaganza - a far cry from our minivan life and now free of parental duties it was time to toast our weekend adventure and maybe get a snack or two. I seriously felt like I had been awake at this point forever and it was like literally 11am Vegas time.
After our celebratory drink - or two ;) we decided to check out all the happenings in our hotel and it wasn’t too long before we found ourselves at the beacon of our hotel, the slot machines. Let me be more specific, the penny slot machines Addie. We are not gamblers so this excitement was right up our alley. For $20 you could sit there all day and even though your winnings were like 72 cents, your machine would light up and go crazy like you won a Mega Millions Jackpot! Just the type of mindless fun we needed.
Side Note: We would visit these “Crazy Money” penny slot machines a few more times this weekend and Miss Katie even won about $80 once, I kid you not! Her winnings then led to a moment when we were cashing out her big winnings and the guy next to us had to have a phone call made to cash out his winnings of $30,000! My mouth may have hit the floor! Wonder what penny slot machine he was on?! Just kidding Ad, he was probably on one of those Blackjack tables where people were actually getting neck massages WHILE playing! For the record no one offered us a neck massage around the penny slots. Hmmmmm.
With time slowly drifting away, we ate, drank, played our lucky pennies and explored until it was time for bed.
Truth, this is when I was reminded I was a mom or just feeling older than the average age here.
As we were walking back to the elevator I saw all these young ladies (surely keeping forever 21 in business) lined up in the longest line I’d seen since Space Mountain at Disney. All seemingly waiting to get into our hotel’s hottest night club to see none other than “DJ Mustard”? Or was it ketchup? Oh I can't remember, but I know it was a condiment name. I was intrigued and kinda wanted to ask them what went on inside, but we were tired and I’m not sure that I would’ve been able to keep an engaged look having a conversation explaining the reasoning standing in a line that long to see a condiment mixing music, so off to the 57th floor we went to retire for the night (or early morning at this point!).
The next day, after a much needed morning of sleeping in with no alarms, diapers to change, or dogs to let out, we got serious about planning our schedule, making reservations and making sure we had the lay of the land. We quickly discovered that maybe it’s been a minute since we’d been out and there was now a dress code for some restaurants called “smart casual” - ummmmm what?!
Neither of us knew what this was, so I guess I didn’t feel two bad or maybe we were just sharing the same rock we’ve been living under?! I seriously called daddy to see if anything I had thrown in my bag would work (he’s out and about more than I with traveling for work - far more in the now than I). Luckily for us we both had what we thought was an appropriate “smart casual” option, independently getting ready and we just happen to be wearing the exact same thing - twinsies!
Feeling confident in our outfits we left a little earlier for our planned evening show to take a gander around the iconic Bellagio!
After about 45 min of walking around we decided maybe heels were a horrible idea! We quickly retreated back to our hotel for some more sensible footwear - God bless flip flops. My feet were beyond grateful in this decision, but we were now wondering if our new “super casual, sensible” footwear was going to pass the restaurant dress code? It kind of felt like taking a book quiz, without having read the book! Bobby Flay please let us in!
With our detour back to the hotel not in the original plan we were high tailing it to our evening comedy show, but no worries it was a cool crisp 108 degrees outside. Holy heatwave Batman!
This is just an observation, but how the city was able to clean up grasshopper apocalypse and still can’t figure out how to rid the sidewalks of the impromptu health class questions that are surely asked from children of the families that make the strip a family destination as if it’s Disney World - I’ll never understand. Those cards are everywhere!
After our evening comedy show of seeing someone I will not mention by name was more like an uncomfortable nervous breakdown on stage, we were off to see what grade we were about to get on our “smart casual” test.
Lucky for us we passed, as did the table next to us with a man in a sweatshirt and another table with a woman basically in a bikini top. Clearly we were really over-thinking this and for the record best corn soup EVER! Thank you Bobby Flay!
With the next day filled with realizing our pool was an MTV spring break party, laughing, eating, shopping, Bellagio fountain light shows, more eating and more laughing our minds were far away from the chaotic schedules back home. Self-care mental break was well underway.
We ended our trip with a last minute decision to see a Cirque Du Soleil Beatles LOVE show. Side note: I’m pretty sure Katie wanted to kill me with my suggestion of “It’s not that far, let’s just walk!” again it was 108 outside baby, but she quickly forgave me and wanted to run to the complete opposite end of the strip to see the next showing after it was done - it was that good! And all the while at home Clara and Gabe were actually doing Aerial Acrobatics Yoga Camp and I am now thinking I might be very supportive if they chose to run away with the circus one day! It was seriously that great!
Having escaped the grasshopper invasion, eaten some of the best food and enjoyed some much needed time and laughter with one of my dearest mama friends that I literally miss so much it makes me tear up, I was ready to head back to my dream team. Mama Self-care
mental break trip was a success!
So that’s a wrap on mamas in Vegas Ad! A big thanks to daddy (and Katie's Mama, Judy) for holding down the fort - I know that took some rearranging and very creative planning with our busy schedules, but I was very appreciative!
Thanks for being such a good girl while I was gone.
Until next time Vegas!
Love,
Mom
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