Vegas Baby!

The drive from the Grand Canyon to Vegas was a tough one. We were tired, dirty, hungry and cranky. Not a good combo. The rain and wind made it a really pain in the ass to drive (oh, yes, it rained) and it took FOREVER to get there. Not to mention that Ike lost his hat trying to take a picture of the setting sun out the window and we searched up and down the highway for an hour with cars zooming past us at 80 miles an hour looking for the damm thing. UGGHH. It was his Steeler's hat that I bought him last year. It was getting dark and even more dangerous to be out on the highway, so we called it a loss and got back on the road.



We made it 10 miles outside Hoover Dam and came to a dead stop. Really? 10 miles away? It was so pitch black, but we all had our cars turned off. Rumors were flying that a bus turned over, that there was a bad accident, etc. However, after almost an hour we started moving again and there was a check point ahead. We had to pullover and they asked to inspect the clam shell. We opened it and while the guy was looking at our goods, I asked him if they were inspecting because of the 4th holiday. He told me no, that someone ran the checkpoint about an hour ago so they are doing inspections. And that he told me is why the traffic was at a dead stop. They had to hunt down the guy before they could let anyone on or off the dam. I told the guy that I would kick that idiots ass if I ever saw him - who runs a friggin check point on the Hoover Dam, you know they are going to catch you - and then his assinine actions stopped traffic for an hour. Jackass! The security guy laughed. I think he knew I was serious.



So across the dam we go. It looked awesome I am sure, it was hard to see at night and headed toward Vegas.



We had reserved a hotel room earlier in the day at a hotel right off the strip. We had stayed in the same chain in San Antonio and loved it. It's Marley's favorite place. La Quinta, Momma she kept crying when it was 105 outside. She is such a baby. Anyhow, Ike wanted to take me down the strip first and then get some food before we made it to our hotel this being my first trip to Vegas and all. The drive on the strip was interesting. The whole Vegas thing was alluding me at that point. It was bright, I'll give you that. And flashy and gaudy and at that point, a little too much for me to take in. See we had not showered since the 5 minute shower in NM almost 4 days prior. We had also spent a lot of quality time in Walmart parking lots. I was hot, stinky and tired and just wanted a shower and a bed in that order. But I did want to see the strip to, so we finally made it to our hotel and checked in . The kid at the front desk was a moron. We had not eaten since lunch in Sedona at 10:30 (remember the time difference thing) and it was now after mid-night, we were hungry. Ike asked him where we could get something to eat without going back on the strip. He just looked at us and said nothing. Ike said, "food, where can we get food" and I swear to God, the kid just looked at us and said very slowly, "food?" Holy crap you idiot! Are you that dumb? I told Ike to forget it and we went up to our room. Our NON_SMOKING room, which was not however, non-smoking, it reeked. So back down to the desk I went. After some slow words and hand gestures, I got the kid to understand that the room, although not supposed to be a smoking room, was in fact a smoking room. Back up I go with a new room key. Oh, BTW, no elevator in this joint. The second room was not smelly, but holy mother of God it was HOT! Like desert at noon hot. Immediatly the dogs were panting, Ike was sweating and cursing. It was awesome! I leave Ike to get the air cranked while I grab stuff from the car and when I come back upstairs Ike has the manager in the room and Ike is PISSED OFF! OMG, I have not seen him that angry in years! Now if you know Ike, he doesn't do a whole lot of yelling and screaming, but that manager was getting the wrath of Ike. From what I understand Ike went back downstairs to ask if we could get a room that had the air already turned on. The dimwit at the desk was less than able to help so he called the manager. The manger, in his broken English, was a complete ass to Ike from the get go and it all went downhill from there. By the time I got back to the room it was getting ugly. I stepped in and tried to calmly (shocking I know, but I was very calm) explain our angst. We had no air, no elevator to carry up our stuff, no cable TV, then the manager says the dogs were too big (funny thing, I saw a huge rotty that smelled my butt in the lobby) and the list goes on and on. It was pretty bad. And the room was not cheap. The manager told me that it was the desert "its' hot". Yeah, no crap Dick Tracy, but if you know someone has a reservation to check into a room, wouldn't you think to turn on the AC? So the manager says to me, "but this is not the room you were assigned" Okay, true, but the room we were assigned to did not have the AC on either, but it was a smoking room and we requested a non smoking room" "It's not a smoking room", the mananger bellows. And this is how it went. It was pure poetry. We told him we were finding another hotel and did, in the same chain 3 minutes away with very nice staff and a cooled room to boot. We ordered in some pizza at 3 am (it is Vegas) and made it to bed (after a LONG hot shower) about 4:30 am.

The next day brought better things. We himmed and hawwed (sp?) about whether to drive to San Diego or stay in Vegas. It being the 4th, we knew getting a camp site would be almost impossible. They had given us a late check out at 3 pm as a curtesory since we didn't check in until 2 am so we figured the room was free for the 4th. It was and we decided to forgo southern CA for another night (or should I say a full night) in Vegas.

We had a late lunch at the buffet at the Mirage. WOW!!! is all I can say. Pre-peeled shrimp, prime rib, awesome sushi, pho, fresh rolls, fish, italian food, wonderful salads....and the desserts...it was awesome! We walked around the Mirage did a little gambling and when I say a little, I mean $5 each, got a free drink and headed to Treasure Island casino via the tram. We hung out in TI for a little and then headed back to the hotel. We had Petty crated in the hotel room, but I always get nervous leaving them for too long in a strange place.

We hung out in the hotel room the rest of the night and planned to get up early and head to Hoover Dam and then to CA to see the Sequois.

But we are on vacation and when the alarm went off at 5:30 I asked Ike if we wanted to get up, he said no so we slept until 7 when the dogs woke us up.