Vegas in a Nutshell

Tempted as I was to bring my computer along and post a new blog every few hours, I decided to allow myself a vacation without Internet access. Sure, I could check my GMail on my cell phone (in case an agent got back to me), but we were practically cut off from email, MySpace, ESPN.com, and our employers for the last four days. It was liberating…

Vegas trips can easily seem too short or run on too long; the sweet spot is leaving when you feel ready for your comfy bed at home but have already started making a list of the things you want to do next time you’re there… Fortunately, that’s exactly how it happened for us. We already have a list of five or six things for our next trip.

Sadly, we did not hit 100% of our Trip Goals for this year. Let’s run back through them again quickly…

1. Mamma Mia!
Yup, this one we managed. And as my forthcoming review should indicate, we were both shocked by how much we liked this show…

2.) Miss America Pageant
Slater proved a good host, and the show was very entertaining. The results surprised us—you should have been there to hear Miss Texas sing…

3.) Bellagio Water Show
Check. Saturday night, Shania Twain over the p.a. Love the water show.

4.) Walk away from a gaming table with more money than I arrived with
Technically, this happened a few times in the slot pits. Didn’t have such stellar luck with Craps, though…

5.) Take a dip in the Mandalay Bay pool
This isn’t our fault…but the pool was closed for the season, and under construction to boot…

6.) Visit the Wynn
Next time…

7.) Stroll Piazza San Marco inside the Venetian
And while I was there, I hung out at an Oxygen Bar – more on that later this week!

8.) Go to bed at a reasonable hour at least once...
After sitting at Logan for 5.5 hours before finally departing Saturday, we were hardly fit to stay out late on Saturday night… Hardly something to brag about!

Seven out of Eight is a pretty good finish, I’d have to say, and that doesn’t include other unexpected pleasures such as: Titanic Exhibit at the Tropicana, Shark Reef (Aquarium) at Mandalay Bay, basking in the sun at Margaritaville, gambling in eight different casinos…

We have a lot of fun stories to post over the next few days!

- Normal Guy (Jason Shaffner)