Well, Bruce and I made it home safe and sound from Las Vegas. We had SUCH a great time! As much as we both have traveled in recent years, we’ve done only a couple of trips just for ourselves, so it was nice to go somewhere that had nothing to do with his job, or the kids, or family obligations, or writing. Just the two of us getting into trouble in a city we hadn’t explored together before.
Things started off very nicely when we upgraded to first class on the flight out. Hey, it’s not like we can afford to do it when the kids are with us. But for just two, it was only eighty bucks and the flight had been free, anyway, because we got bumped last year on the way back from CA.
Things continued to go our way that night when we arrived at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. We checked in very late (around midnight) and the place was sold out. So they (apologetically…lol!) had to upgrade us from a standard room into a one bedroom condo!
Oh. My. God.
I have stayed at 5 star hotels before, but this one just blew me away.
All of the above pictures are ones I found on the internet–because we didn’t take a single one ourselves…lol! But this is very representative of what our room looked like. The bathroom was bigger than my living room at home. It also had a small television built right into the mirror. (You can see it in the above pic.) I don’t know why, but it’s there, and it works. (We checked–then we never turned it on again.)
Not only did we get the upgrade, we also got put into a “corner” suite with two complete views of the strip, on the 35th floor. At night, the views were absolutely amazing.
The one huge problem with the Trump is its location. It does not have a casino (which was one reason I chose it–I don’t particularly care for casinos. I know, I know, and I went to Vegas!) But having been there before, I knew there were plenty of hotels with them and we could just go to one of those. The thing is, the Trump is NOT right on the strip. It’s a bit of a hike, along a really unsavory road full of broken glass and trash and no street lights!! During the day, it was fine because the hotel is right across the street from a gorgeous mall. We just walked into the entrance on one end, scooted through the mall, and came out on the strip. At night when the mall was closed, though, there was a real problem. So we ended up cabbing it a lot (not least of which because my back and leg decided to go out on me Monday night after a very long walk back up the entire strip from the Excalibur, where we’d gone to see comedian Louie Anderson–hilarious!)
Anyway, that notwithstanding, the rest of our stay was just wonderful. Fabulous service, great food, beautiful pool and the right weather to enjoy it. We saw another show one night, a “mesmerist” who was very good. Then, wanting to experience some of “old” Vegas, we moved out of the Trump to a hotel downtown. One of the classics–the Four Queens, where we also got upgraded to a suite. (Funny how they always say, “I’m so sorry, we’re sold out, I’m going to have to upgrade you to a suite” like you’re going to complain about it!) It was a far cry from the Trump, but was okay for one night.
The hotel is right on Feemont Street, part of the “Fremont Street Experience” which was a lot of fun. Definitely a different atmosphere than the strip–it’s a total party, reminded me a lot of Bourbon Street with walk-up bars, street performers, live music and a wild atmosphere well into the night. I was glad we didn’t stay there the whole time, but really enjoyed doing it for one night. They have this really neat, enormous canopy that covers about 5 blocks, and it’s full of computer monitors. They put on light shows overhead and everybody just stops and looks up. The night we were there, they did a tribute to Queen, one of my favorite bands. Tres cool!
While in that part of town, we went to a show called The Rat Pack is Back, at the Plaza. I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed this show! It was in a “supper club” type setting, so we had dinner there, then saw this incredible show with guys who sounded so much like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin, I just couldn’t get over it. Add a comedian doing Joey Bishop, who truly had me laughing so hard I started to cry, and it was a fantastic experience.
The one thing we didn’t do a lot of in Vegas was gamble. Actually, my sisters have taught me how to play Vegas Blackjack, and I’m pretty good at it, and it can be fun for a little while. But in the end, no matter what game you play, the house is going to win. The very best you’re going to do is exchange money back and forth for a little while, and if you quit while you’re a little ahead, you’ll have a few extra bucks in your pocket. But who quits when it’s going well? So the gambling thing has just never held a lot of appeal and really wasn’t a big draw for us. When we could have played at the super cheap Freemont Street Casinos on our last day, we instead went to the movies and saw Watchmen. (Had to kill a long while between hotel checkout & flight home, since we took a redeye.)
The flight home. That’s another whole story. Maybe I will get into it next week, when I can get myself to think calmly enough about it to type without littering Plotmonkeys with a lot of 4 letter words. I’ll just say, if you end up on a plane in front of two drunk women named Kim and Linda, TAKE A TRAIN!
That’s about it–at least all I can share. We were, after all in Vegas. 
Leslie Kelly used to say she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up, but then she discovered Nancy Drew books. Being a flashlight-under-the-covers-nose-in-book reader throughout her childhood, she couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather do as an adult than continue to lose herself in fictional stories. Her real life marriage of 20 years to the man of her dreams is a constant reinforcement that happily-ever-afters really can happen…and that they’re worth writing about. Living in Maryland, Leslie spends her non-writing time laughing a lot with the above-mentioned romance hero and their three daughters. Though an author of more than thirty sexy, contemporary comedies, she has recently branched out to write dark romantic suspense under the pseudonym Leslie Parrish.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Les, you looked forward to this for so long, I’m glad it was an amazing trip! Too bad about the flight home, but wow that hotel room at Trump! Thanks for sharing.
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Leslie, it sounds like you had an amazing time. Wow, the Trump hotel experience – it looks amazing. And um, “sorry” you had to deal with the inconvenience of being upgraded a few times LOL.
The first time I was in Vegas, one of the places we stayed was the 4 Queens. Not as nice as the Paris, but it sure gives you a feel for classic Vegas. It’s so different on the strip, which is constantly changing. I’m not a big gambler either, but it was fun to visit the hotels.
And Louie Anderson – haven’t seen much of him in years. Always liked his humor. Glad to see he’s still performing.
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Glad you had fun! I must go to the Trump Tower!
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Too bad about the flight home but other than that it sounds like you had fun!
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Awe, sounds like a wonderful time, Leslie! And weren’t you lucky! I need to go to a popular place because I’ve never been upgraded
The Trump condo looks gorgeous!
And that’s too bad about Kim and Linda- but an interesting story, I bet.
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I honestly wish hotels would inconvenience me and upgrade my room…however, I’ve never had such terrible luck apparently. Leslie, you experienced this twice in one trip? – it’s a good thing you didn’t gamble much cause obviously lady luck wasn’t on your side.
Now it’s time to get back to reality and not the skewed version Vegas presents on a daily basis… *sigh*
Happy Tuesday Everyone
<3 J
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Glad to hear you had fun in sin city and you are back home safe and sound. Have a great day.
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Leslie, so glad you’re home safe and had a great trip to Sin City. The Trump Hotel sounds incredible! A TV in the bathroom no less. Sorry about the trip home.
My mom and my daughter were flying back to Colorado from my Mom’s home in Georgia. This couple sat across the aisle from them and to make a long story short, this guy was diddling her under the blanket! She even put her feet on the ceiling and was giggling and making little rapturous noises. My mother, being my mother just sat there of course and didn’t say anything. I would have gotten up, tapped the guy on the shoulder and asked them if they could possibly wait until the plane landed so they could get a room.
Cher
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Leslie, Glad you & Bruce had a wonderful time. When married (in the 50s/60s), my then-hubby & I used to drive to Vegas 2X/year, &, with the buffets & one-drink minimum shows, had great food & lots of wonderful music (i.e., Louis Prima & Keeley Smith). We always stayed at a hotel on Fremont St. Lots of good memories.
2 years ago, I drove to Vegas with my daughter to see Linda Eder at UNLV. Stayed on the Strip, because of proximity to the University, was stunned at how many teens were drunkly running in front of cars, the traffic, the smoke in the hotel & hair in the room’s bathtub. It was terrible & don’t think I’ll ever go again. However, always have good memories of those earlier years.
Patricia
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My little fur baby, Spike went in this morning to have his teeth cleaned and they found a mass under his tongue. We won’t know for 3 to 5 business days if it’s cancer or not…
If you can, say a prayer for my little guy,
Cher
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Leslie, I am so glald you had a such a good time in “my town”. Did you see the spray paint artist at the Fremont Street experience? My nephew does that.
Wow! The trump was beautiful.
Cher, I will pray for Spike.
Have a great Tuesday everyone!
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Hey Les, it is good to have you back in the jungle…I am glad you had a great time while you were in Vegas…totally envy your room at the Trump…it is abso gorgeous…I remember driving down Fremont Street, and my friend told me about it’s history…it looked like what I expected, but then again, I saw it during the day time…sorry to hear about your back giving out though…that Strip is mighty long…The flight home didn’t sound like it was a picnic…now, I need to remember those two names just in case…Linda and Kim, right? I hope that you are able to rest up a bit from your time away before you have to start working or anything…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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I’m glad you had such a great time while you were in Vegas, Leslie. Too bad about the flight home, but at least you made it back safely.
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The room at the Trump – out of this world! Welcome back!!
Pat Cochran
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Welcome back Leslie. It sounds like you & Bruce had a lot of fun. The upgrades were a real plus, to bad there wasn’t one on the plane coming home. There is so much to do in Las Vegas besides gamble, people just really have no idea if they have never been there. My daughter is going soon with a good friend to celebrate the fact that they just turned 40! They have both been before but not together for a “girls weekend”. They will have a ball as they have been friends since grade school.
I hope you decide to entertain us with the Kim & Linda story!!!
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VIVA LAS VEGAS, VIVA LAS VEGAS! Thank you, thank you vera much.
I had to drop in to say that it was a phenomenal trip, an awesome hotel room and a terrific time. All courtesy of my amazing wife. No matter where we were I got to do one of my very favorite things – exploring a new place with Leslie and just being together. Of course just being together in that unbefrickinlievable
room made it that much better. While they were agonizing to listen to and they made everyone around them want to vote them off the plane without parachutes, even Kim and Linda couldn’t ruin it.
Patricia it’s funny you say that. I’ll always think of Vegas as the home of the Rat Pack. Supper clubs, tuxedos, a certain amount of class in spite of the lights and flash. At one point I commented to Leslie that I felt like I was in the middle of a frat party surrounded by teens and twenty-somethings dressed in the young guy uniform of today – ratty jeans, faded t-shirt and backwards ballcap and girls in six inch heels and dresses so short they were practically t-shirts. The King and the Chairman of the Board wouldn’t recognize the place.
Debbie, I did see the spraypaint artist. I remember being impressed that he not only had the correct respirator on but that he was wearing it properly. Hey, I’m a safety and health guy, I notice these things. Thanks for letting us have a great time in your town. It’s quite a place, even the cab drivers are entertaining.
Like Leslie, I won’t go into any detail about “what happened in Vegas” but I will tell you one thing that definitely stayed there…OUR GAMBLING BUDGET! Debbie, if you heard a hissing sound when you went outside, it was me sucking the luck out of whatever casino I happened to be in.
Thanks everybody!
Cher, positive energy is heading to you and Spike.
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Thank you Bruce for the positive vibes. I appreciate it.
Thank you Debbie for sending up a prayer for my little guy.
Cher
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I loved Vegas.
Really enjoyed the canopy on Fremont Street.
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Sounds like an awesome trip. I love Vegas!
Cher — sending postive prayers Spike’s way that he’s okay!
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Sounds like y’all have a wonderful time. My friends and I are going in a couple of years when we turn 40. We hope to have over $10K saved up for the trip. It will be my first trip to Vegas and my friends and I are going to stay for about 5 days and play. I can’t wait!
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So sorry about the flight, Leslie, but YAY! on the whole rest of the trip! What a blast it sounds like!
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Wish I had that kind of luck. Mine is usually, sorry we’re out of the king you resereved. would a double be ok? ick
glad you had a great time. I can’t wait to hear about the flight home. I am sure you didn’t say anything worse than I did crossing the continental divide in high winds the other day.
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Oh, Cher!
to you and Spike both! Good thoughts going your way!
Bruce, you cracked me up. I would have noticed the respirator, too!
Ev, gotta watch those moutains!