Viva Las Vegas!

Ah, so much to write about! We’ve had a busy week. We all made it to Vegas and back this week (we all = Mapgeek, Babygirl, myself, Grandma C, Grandpa C, and Markyjo and Niknik).

Air travel and Babygirl
Let’s start off talking about airplane travel and a baby. There’s just so much STUFF that you have to take along with a baby. We checked our 3 suitcases (2 small ones for Mapgeek and myself and 1 big one for Babygirl). We carried-on 2 backpacks, a car seat, a stroller, and a baby. We had it all packed perfectly to lug around. Mapgeek had a backpack (with a laptop, video camera, and digital camera) and we put the car seat in a bag with a shoulder strap. A little heavy, but manageable. I had the diaper backpack and the baby in the stroller. Then we had a couple jackets in the stroller’s underneath basket.

And then we get to the security checkpoint. We literally had to unpack Mapgeek’s backpack, the car seat, and the stuff in the stroller’s basket. Babygirl had to come out of the stroller, which was then sent through the scanner. The computer, cameras, and the jackets had to be put in bins to go through the scanner. The two backpacks had to go in bins to go through the scanner. And to top it off, we had to take off our shoes to go through the scanner. *sigh* It’s quite an ordeal. Then we got to pack it all back up to get to the plane.

Babygirl did excellent on the plane. We left around 6pm and I had a few bottles ready for her to suck on when we took off and landed, just in case she had problems with her ears. I never noticed any issues with her except being sleepy and being too wound up to go to sleep. The only negative in getting to Vegas was a brief layover in Dallas. Since we were flying about the time that Babygirl goes to bed, I was hoping she would sleep the entire flight. Unfortunately, the layover ensured a power nap between Atlanta and Dallas and then full-on go-mode baby.

When we got to Vegas, Grandpa C had a limousine waiting for us (yay Grandpa!) so we loaded all 7 of us and all our STUFF for the quick jaunt to the Flamingo Hotel.

Ok, now about Vegas…

Day 1
We got checked into the hotel pretty late. Luckily, we had the forethought to get adjoining rooms with Grandma and Grandpa C. Everyone went out gambling, and Mapgeek and I put Babygirl in her crib (got one at the hotel) and hung out next door. We ordered room service and watched TV. We were all exhausted, so it was a brief evening for us.

Day 2
Babygirl was up and going at 6:30am, so the three of us got ready for the day, which takes 2 hours. We met the family and headed downstairs to one of the restaurants for breakfast. The Flamingo was the first hotel that we were introduced and it was astounding at first look. It seemed like the casino wrapped around and every corner you took was another entrance into it. Which was pretty much the case. Near the main restaurant, there was an exit into the hotel’s courtyard, which had wildlife exhibits and gardens. There were penguins, flamingos, lots of ducks, turtles, and huge coi. A river-type thing ran through it all. Babygirl loves animals, especially the penguins. After breakfast, Mapgeek, Babygirl, and I spent a good bit of time outside at the Flamingo. The weather was gorgeous, but a little cold to take advantage of the four pools.

The three of us walked across the street to Caesar’s Palace. We quickly realized that the Flamingo was nothing compared to some of the other hotels. Caesar’s was unreal. Gaudy, excesses like you wouldn’t believe, and HUGE. We grabbed lunch at the Hyakumi Sushi Bar in the hotel. Probably the best sushi I’ve ever had. YUM! It’s interesting to me that the hotel developers spend an unbelievable amount of money to build this inside city and then try to make it look like outside. The Forum Shops in Caesar’s looked like a European city. You walk down cobblestone streets, with stores on either side and look up and it looks like a blue sky. At the end of one of the streets was a big Roman-looking fountain and an aquarium. Needless to say, we spent some time there so Babygirl could yell at the fish.

After Caesar’s, it was back to our room at the Flamingo for Babygirl’s naptime. Again, thankfully we had adjoining rooms because she won’t sleep if someone is in the same room. Grandma C volunteered to sit with the napping Babygirl so Mapgeek and I could try our luck at gambling. We got some quick lessons from Grandpa C and Markyjo, but lost anyways. Tried out the slot machines, digital blackjack, and digital poker. Not brave enough to expose our ignorance at any of the tables.

Dinner was with the entire family at a Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Canonita Restaurant, in the Venetian hotel. The Venetian is again, one of the hotels with excess. There’s a river running through the hotel and you can take gondola rides. Unbelievable. We ended up cutting dinner short because Babygirl was fussy. She doesn’t seem to like to sit in one place for long. As long as you move with her, she stays relatively happy. So, Mapgeek, Babygirl, and I headed back to the Flamingo to put her to bed.

After dinner, Grandma C sat with Babygirl for an hour so Mapgeek and I could try gambling again. Old pros by this time, we pretty much stuck with the nickel poker so we would lose our money slower and get a couple of free drinks and wind down.

Day 3
We were up again at 6:30am. This time, we were ready before everyone else, but still dealing with a baby that doesn’t want to be in a stroller or held. Knowing that she’d never sit through breakfast, Mapgeek and I decided to grab a quick bite and head to the Mirage Hotel to see the lions. Our quick bite ended up being $12 bagels in the Mirage at a deli. $3 apiece for bagels, and $3 apiece for cream cheese. Each of the cream cheeses that we bought was enough for 4 bagels. I wish the deli woman had said something, as it was obvious we didn’t need that much. Ah well, live and learn.

The lions weren’t out while we were there, so we continued to keep moving and headed back into the Forum, just in time for Babygirl to fall asleep in my arms. Back to the Flamingo for a nap. And as typically is Babygirl, she woke up when we got back and was raring to go again. We headed off to lunch at Margaritaville, which is in the Flamingo. The highlight of lunch was watching the volcano inside the restaurant erupt.

After lunch, we spent a few hours in our hotel room, letting Babygirl play. Mapgeek dozed off and I got bored after a while, so Babygirl and I headed back to the wildlife exhibits at the Flamingo. Mapgeek caught up with us and we headed over to the Bellagio Hotel to see the dancing fountains and the gardens in the hotel. Apparently, the Bellagio is the crown jewel of the hotels in Vegas. It was just as ostentatious as Caesar’s Palace, though without the Forum shops. We saw the Dale Chihuly flower sculpture in the lobby and the botanical gardens in the Conservatory. It was gorgeous! We then went outside in front of the fountain and caught one of the shows. Babygirl loved it!

Dinner was with Markyjo and Niknik at an Italian restaurant in the Paris Hotel. The Paris is where they stayed on their honeymoon. Again, another amazing hotel, though we didn’t spend as much time in this one. After dinner, Markyjo and Niknik watched Babygirl for an hour so Mapgeek and I could gamble again. We wandered aimlessly around looking for ways to lose our money. Stuck mostly with slots and poker.

Day 4
Grandpa C rented a car, so after breakfast at the Flamingo, the family loaded up and drove out to see the Hoover Dam. It was an amazing thing to see. It wasn’t as wide as I thought, but was definitely as deep. Lake Mead apparently serves Las Vegas’s potable water needs (and all its excess) and the dam supplies all the power for Vegas (and all THAT excess). As I continue to write this journal, I realize that everything in Vegas is huge and excessive. People must lose a lot more than the $30 that I donated. :)

We got back around lunch time and Mapgeek and I grabbed lunch at a deli counter in the Flamingo. Afterwards, we tried to entice Babygirl to nap, which she wouldn’t. So, we headed back to the wildlife exhibit at the Flamingo. Yelled at the penguins for a while before dinner. Dinner on this last night was the highlight of our culinary experience in Vegas (except for maybe the sushi). We ate at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant, Spago, in the Forum. And we got to see the aquarium one last time. After dinner, Grandma C sat with Babygirl so Mapgeek and I could “donate” another $30 to Vegas.

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig
The trip home was pretty uneventful. Luckily, it was a direct flight home and Babygirl slept for at least the first half. When we got home, she was excited to see her toys and was even excited to see her crib. And when I put her down that night, she immediately curled up and stuck her thumb in her mouth. As did I…