Trip Report: Cyn's Vegas trip with 80-yr-"G'old" Mom!
Sep 3rd, 2006, 06:48 PM
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Trip Report: Cyn's Vegas trip with 80-yr-"G'old" Mom!
Hey all!
Well, Mom and I had a great trip to Vegas! This was our itinerary:
Aug 29: BDL to LAS flying Southwest, direct flight, left at 3:00 pm, arrived 5:30pm. Stayed at the Bellagio. Dinner at Olives at 7:30.
Aug 30: Mini Hoover Dam tour. Bellagio's museum, Dinner at Trattoria Del Lupo at 5:30, Mamma Mia at 7:30, seats are in Section B, row J.
Aug 31: Liberace Museum, Shark Tank at Mandalay Bay, 5:30 dinner at Le Cirque, 7:30 show at "O", section 102 row H.
Sep 1: 10:00am direct flight back to BDL. Arrived at 6:00.
DAY 1
Our flight out was fine � arrived on time. Took a cab to the Bellagio ($20.00 � think we got took??? I do!) Check-in was fine � I tried for an upgrade, as we were celebrating Mom�s 80th Birthday, but to no avail. Our room was fine though! We got everything I had requested when booking our trip through Southwest Vacations � lake view, non-smoking, 2 beds. I must say that we saved about $900 over Travelocity and Expedia by using the Southwest Vacation site. (apples to apples!)
We had dinner at Olives in the Bellagio, which was very good � although the acoustics where we were seated (2 tables from the windows overlooking the lake) made conversation very difficult. We were pretty tired, and headed off to bed.
DAY 2
We were scheduled for a Hoover Dam Tour that left at 7:40, so we headed down to the Café Bellagio for breakfast at 6:45am. As we were being seated, I said to the hostess, �Is that who I think if is?�
She replied: �Yes, it is. I�ll seat you next to him�.
�Do you think I can take his picture?�
�Sure, why not?�
It was Paul Tuttle, the founder of East Coast Choppers. They have a television show on the Discovery Channel (?) where he fights like a madman with his 2 sons. It�s an amusing show, on occasion. At any rate, he was very gracious when I asked if I could take a picture, and when he left, he said goodbye to us! Fun!
Breakfast was good, but expensive. We met our Showtime bus in the tour pick up garage, and headed over to a terminal to change buses. After a short ride, (we got to see a mountain goat on the way! Alas, no big horn sheep!), we arrived at the dam. We paid the extra $12ppn for the guided tour, which I think my Mom enjoyed. (It was my third visit..)
It was unbelievably HOT in Vegas � 105+ every day. For an 80 year old woman, it was tough to be outside.
We got back to the hotel at around 1, and split a sandwich. From there we picked up our show tickets for the next night, and played a few slots. We then went to the Bellagio Fine Art museum � somewhat of a disappointment. They had an Ansel Adams exhibit (which I liked), but that was all they had. I don�t know what they did with their permanent collection � which was what I really wanted to see! Oh well. Up to the room so we could change, and down to the lobby at around 5:00 to catch a cab over to the Mandalay Bay.
We picked up our tickets for Mamma Mia, and then headed for dinner at Trattoria Del Lupo�s, which was fine. Headed to the theatre, and thoroughly enjoyed the show! Truly one of our highlights!
Day 3
I had deliberately not scheduled us for anything during this day, as I wasn�t sure how Mom would be feeling. As it turns out, it was a good thing. We had breakfast, and took a cab over to the Liberace Museum � this was another of the highlights � especially for Mom! We ended up on the guided tour, and it was really fun - he had quite a life! We found out that there was a free shuttle back to some of the hotels. We were heading to the aquarium over at Mandalay Bay, but unfortunately the shuttle didn�t go there. The driver suggested we get off at MGM Grand, walk over to the Excelsior and get the monorail over to the MB. Well, not a good plan. At 105d+, it was simply too much for Mom. I got her into the MGM, and she said she would be ok if we could just take a cab. We took a peek at the lions in the MGM, and then headed to the lobby to find the cab line. The cabdriver dropped us off at the convention center entrance of the MB, which is quite close to the shark aquarium. By this time, Mom is really starting to drag her feet.
We went through the aquarium, but I knew she had had it. We had quite a hike to get to the cab line at MB, and by the time we got there, she was ready for a nap. Got back to the Bellagio at around 2:00, and she hopped into bed. (I kept trying to get her to let me go get a wheelchair, but she wasn�t having it. Too bad � I think she would have been much better off!) While she snoozed, I did a little shopping, and played a little in the casino. (All told, we ended the trip being �up� about $20 from our gambling. Big spenders there! 
)
Well, the nap revived my Mom, as when we were getting ready for dinner and our show, she says: �We haven�t gone to any bars and had a nip before dinner like we�ve done on our other trips�. Gotta love her! Off we go to a bar for a drink,
and then we head to Le Cirque for dinner at 5:30. WOW!!! That dinner was spectacular! And the service was outstanding. Our waiter actually �pushed� us out the door so we wouldn�t be late for our show! Really a wonderful experience � for me, well worth the money!
We went to see �O� � it was very well done. I enjoyed Mystere more, but this was really beautiful, and Mom was quite impressed.
Day 4
Up at 5:30 (still on east coast time!), packed, and we were at the airport by 7:30 for our 10:00 flight. I learned my lesson on the flight out (this was the first I�ve flown Southwest): I requested a pre-board pass for my Mom, so we didn�t have to wait in one of those stupid lines. ( >
I can�t imagine who in the management of Southwest thinks that set up is a good idea. Jeez � just assign seats!) At any rate, our flight left about 40 minutes late, but still arrived in Hartford on time.
We had a really nice trip � and it was made sooo much better by the suggestions I received on this board. Thank you so much for all the great advice!!!!!
I�m in the process of uploading some pictures, and I�ll post the link when finished.
Cyn
Well, Mom and I had a great trip to Vegas! This was our itinerary:
Aug 29: BDL to LAS flying Southwest, direct flight, left at 3:00 pm, arrived 5:30pm. Stayed at the Bellagio. Dinner at Olives at 7:30.
Aug 30: Mini Hoover Dam tour. Bellagio's museum, Dinner at Trattoria Del Lupo at 5:30, Mamma Mia at 7:30, seats are in Section B, row J.
Aug 31: Liberace Museum, Shark Tank at Mandalay Bay, 5:30 dinner at Le Cirque, 7:30 show at "O", section 102 row H.
Sep 1: 10:00am direct flight back to BDL. Arrived at 6:00.
DAY 1
Our flight out was fine � arrived on time. Took a cab to the Bellagio ($20.00 � think we got took??? I do!) Check-in was fine � I tried for an upgrade, as we were celebrating Mom�s 80th Birthday, but to no avail. Our room was fine though! We got everything I had requested when booking our trip through Southwest Vacations � lake view, non-smoking, 2 beds. I must say that we saved about $900 over Travelocity and Expedia by using the Southwest Vacation site. (apples to apples!)
We had dinner at Olives in the Bellagio, which was very good � although the acoustics where we were seated (2 tables from the windows overlooking the lake) made conversation very difficult. We were pretty tired, and headed off to bed.
DAY 2
We were scheduled for a Hoover Dam Tour that left at 7:40, so we headed down to the Café Bellagio for breakfast at 6:45am. As we were being seated, I said to the hostess, �Is that who I think if is?�
She replied: �Yes, it is. I�ll seat you next to him�.
�Do you think I can take his picture?�
�Sure, why not?�
It was Paul Tuttle, the founder of East Coast Choppers. They have a television show on the Discovery Channel (?) where he fights like a madman with his 2 sons. It�s an amusing show, on occasion. At any rate, he was very gracious when I asked if I could take a picture, and when he left, he said goodbye to us! Fun!
Breakfast was good, but expensive. We met our Showtime bus in the tour pick up garage, and headed over to a terminal to change buses. After a short ride, (we got to see a mountain goat on the way! Alas, no big horn sheep!), we arrived at the dam. We paid the extra $12ppn for the guided tour, which I think my Mom enjoyed. (It was my third visit..)
It was unbelievably HOT in Vegas � 105+ every day. For an 80 year old woman, it was tough to be outside.
We got back to the hotel at around 1, and split a sandwich. From there we picked up our show tickets for the next night, and played a few slots. We then went to the Bellagio Fine Art museum � somewhat of a disappointment. They had an Ansel Adams exhibit (which I liked), but that was all they had. I don�t know what they did with their permanent collection � which was what I really wanted to see! Oh well. Up to the room so we could change, and down to the lobby at around 5:00 to catch a cab over to the Mandalay Bay.
We picked up our tickets for Mamma Mia, and then headed for dinner at Trattoria Del Lupo�s, which was fine. Headed to the theatre, and thoroughly enjoyed the show! Truly one of our highlights!
Day 3
I had deliberately not scheduled us for anything during this day, as I wasn�t sure how Mom would be feeling. As it turns out, it was a good thing. We had breakfast, and took a cab over to the Liberace Museum � this was another of the highlights � especially for Mom! We ended up on the guided tour, and it was really fun - he had quite a life! We found out that there was a free shuttle back to some of the hotels. We were heading to the aquarium over at Mandalay Bay, but unfortunately the shuttle didn�t go there. The driver suggested we get off at MGM Grand, walk over to the Excelsior and get the monorail over to the MB. Well, not a good plan. At 105d+, it was simply too much for Mom. I got her into the MGM, and she said she would be ok if we could just take a cab. We took a peek at the lions in the MGM, and then headed to the lobby to find the cab line. The cabdriver dropped us off at the convention center entrance of the MB, which is quite close to the shark aquarium. By this time, Mom is really starting to drag her feet.
We went through the aquarium, but I knew she had had it. We had quite a hike to get to the cab line at MB, and by the time we got there, she was ready for a nap. Got back to the Bellagio at around 2:00, and she hopped into bed. (I kept trying to get her to let me go get a wheelchair, but she wasn�t having it. Too bad � I think she would have been much better off!) While she snoozed, I did a little shopping, and played a little in the casino. (All told, we ended the trip being �up� about $20 from our gambling. Big spenders there! )Well, the nap revived my Mom, as when we were getting ready for dinner and our show, she says: �We haven�t gone to any bars and had a nip before dinner like we�ve done on our other trips�. Gotta love her! Off we go to a bar for a drink,
and then we head to Le Cirque for dinner at 5:30. WOW!!! That dinner was spectacular! And the service was outstanding. Our waiter actually �pushed� us out the door so we wouldn�t be late for our show! Really a wonderful experience � for me, well worth the money!We went to see �O� � it was very well done. I enjoyed Mystere more, but this was really beautiful, and Mom was quite impressed.
Day 4
Up at 5:30 (still on east coast time!), packed, and we were at the airport by 7:30 for our 10:00 flight. I learned my lesson on the flight out (this was the first I�ve flown Southwest): I requested a pre-board pass for my Mom, so we didn�t have to wait in one of those stupid lines. ( >
I can�t imagine who in the management of Southwest thinks that set up is a good idea. Jeez � just assign seats!) At any rate, our flight left about 40 minutes late, but still arrived in Hartford on time.We had a really nice trip � and it was made sooo much better by the suggestions I received on this board. Thank you so much for all the great advice!!!!!
I�m in the process of uploading some pictures, and I�ll post the link when finished.
Cyn
Sep 4th, 2006, 06:20 AM
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Thank you for posting, I remember you initially asking questions so it is great to find out how the trip went. Sounds like you had a fun time, and my mother also would have not done the wheel chair thing (she's 83) so I know what you are talking about All in all it sounded like you two enjoyed yourselves and that is what trips are all about.
All in all it sounded like you two enjoyed yourselves and that is what trips are all about.
Sep 4th, 2006, 03:25 PM
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Thanks for your kind words! Lori - you were so helpful when I was planning this!
I really thought she might go for the wheelchair, but not this time!
Here's the link to the photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...0&h=1&y=e2ibbc
We really did have a good time. I do think my favorite moment was her "complaining" that we hadn't been out for our "nip". Sure did make me smile!
Cyn
I really thought she might go for the wheelchair, but not this time!
Here's the link to the photos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...0&h=1&y=e2ibbc
We really did have a good time. I do think my favorite moment was her "complaining" that we hadn't been out for our "nip". Sure did make me smile!
Cyn
Sep 4th, 2006, 05:25 PM
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Lovely trip report cynstalker, and your mom sounds like a love! We had an older family member that always had a "nip" until we lost him at age 94.
BTW, I one time a few years ago fell while in Italy the day before I was to fly home. The KLM FA's insisted I needed a wheelchair when we arrived in SFO..I was so upset but my knee was really hurting. Well let me tell you, I think I will try to "fall" right before any long trip. Wow was getting through immigrations and customs a breeze when in a wheelchair, lol.
I hope you and your dear mother will be able to take some more trips together!! Thanks for sharing your fun time with us.
BTW, I one time a few years ago fell while in Italy the day before I was to fly home. The KLM FA's insisted I needed a wheelchair when we arrived in SFO..I was so upset but my knee was really hurting. Well let me tell you, I think I will try to "fall" right before any long trip. Wow was getting through immigrations and customs a breeze when in a wheelchair, lol.
I hope you and your dear mother will be able to take some more trips together!! Thanks for sharing your fun time with us.
Sep 4th, 2006, 06:39 PM
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cyn, too funny. I was just talking to my mom (who always stays at the Bellagio) about going to Vegas.
Me: Mom, I don't like Vegas that much; I just don't care for gambling.
Mom: Oh, honey, you've never really tried.
Glad you two had such a good trip! I'm off to see your photos.
Me: Mom, I don't like Vegas that much; I just don't care for gambling.
Mom: Oh, honey, you've never really tried.
Glad you two had such a good trip! I'm off to see your photos.
Sep 5th, 2006, 05:57 PM
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Trippinkpj: So, it could be 2 years before I'll be able to get her in the chair??? Hmm...
LoveItaly: Thanks for your kind words - I did actually get Mom in a chair ealier this year when she was flying back to Florida after a fall. And the truth is, I really thought she enjoyed the attention. Not to be this time though! Thanks for peeking at the pics - you're right, she is a lot of fun!
Hey Leely! Fancy meetin' you here! We're not much into the gambling - seems like giving money away that could be used on another trip! BUt there is a lot of other stuff to do/see - and I have to say I did enjoy the Liberace museum a lot!
Cyn
LoveItaly: Thanks for your kind words - I did actually get Mom in a chair ealier this year when she was flying back to Florida after a fall. And the truth is, I really thought she enjoyed the attention. Not to be this time though! Thanks for peeking at the pics - you're right, she is a lot of fun!
Hey Leely! Fancy meetin' you here! We're not much into the gambling - seems like giving money away that could be used on another trip! BUt there is a lot of other stuff to do/see - and I have to say I did enjoy the Liberace museum a lot!
Cyn
Sep 12th, 2006, 07:17 PM
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Cyn, you got some beautiful shots, especially the night photos. Also, I loved the close-up of the Bellagio glass ceiling, Hoover Dam, and the Liberace museum (something I've never done, and now I feel like I have been there.) You're a good photographer!
Sep 14th, 2006, 04:05 AM
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Thanks Maggi and Leely! I feel better now!
Maggi - I made Mom sit in a dark room to take those night shots - and she didn't even complain!
Leely - I know -but the lioness had such a sweet expression, I just had to take her picture. She also looked really well fed. Re: my backyard bear - we're on feeder # 3!
Cyn
Maggi - I made Mom sit in a dark room to take those night shots - and she didn't even complain!
Leely - I know -but the lioness had such a sweet expression, I just had to take her picture. She also looked really well fed. Re: my backyard bear - we're on feeder # 3!
Cyn
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