So, here’s the deal.  We all love seeing our friends and family… and we love that we live in a place that they actually "enjoy" visiting… right?  Right! 

But… how many of you kind of, in a small way, dread the going back and forth to the strip… even though it’s for good reason? ME !!!!   This crabbiness comes over me that I wish I didn’t have.   I say to myself… "why do I not look forward to this?" … I mean I love my friends, and I’m so happy they are visiting! Seriously, let me start by saying I had a GREAT weekend.

It’s been a while since friends have stayed on the strip.  So this weekend was a wake up call.  I can’t believe HOW MANY people are walking on the strip at once.  And, how many cars, busses, and taxis are lined up and down the road.  It’s gridlocked.  However, being a traffic reporter has its advantages, I know many secret short cuts! But still it’s hard to avoid it all completely.

Anyway, my friends were staying at the Mirage.  My friend Stephanie came in on Thursday night (late) and then Friday my friend Cristina and her friend flew in at about 10:30 p.m. 

Friday we got ready and headed to McCarran Airport to pick up Cristina… it was packed.  They weren’t by the curb yet, so we had to park next to passenger pick up.  No big deal.  Finally we connected and headed out.  We drove to the Mirage, valeted, checked them in, and walked through the lobby, up the elevator, and down a long hallway to the room.  My friend Stephanie was hungry.  So we walked down the long hallway, down the elevator, crossed the crowds of people on the casino floor to the California Pizza kitchen.  We got a pizza to take up to the room.  Yup, sooooo back we went… through the casino, to the elevator, down the hallway to the room.  They were ready to go.  We ate real quick.  We went down the hallway, to the elevator, through the casino to the front exit.   Okay, let’s take a taxi to Caesars.  Did you know there are lines for taxis now? You wait in a line that wraps around in two or three deep. We waited about 20 minutes. Finally, it was our turn.  The traffic was so bad to get "next door" that it took about 15 minutes.   We made it to our destination finally.  We did it all over again… in order to get back!

DAY TWO: Our mission was to relax by the pool.   It’s a huge pool, so we made our way down the hall, to the elevator, through the hotel, to the tropical pool.  It was 10 a.m. – the pool was packed.  There was not only the main pool, but several other smaller pools.  Tons and tons of chairs… but NOT one SINGLE lounge chair was free! I kid you not! It was HOT and we walked around the massive pool complex for a half hour.  Finally I said… "let’s get lunch!" I was soooo thirsty from walking around in the heat.  I had a parfait and two HUGE glasses of water.   Okay… back on the hunt for a chair.  A nice pool boy helped us … he found us four chairs.  Finally.  But, I soon realized how close together all the chairs were in order to squeeze in as many as they could.  To go back and forth to the pool, you had to squeeze through the chairs and people.  You get the picture right? Okay, enough of the pool.

So I drive home after that.  Relax for a bit.  Then get ready to head back to the STRIP.  We had dinner plans inside Treasure Island.  I got ready, drove back, parked in self park, walked across the bridge, down the tall escalator, through a mass of people getting ready to go to a show… and finally find the restaurant I am going to.  It was a nice dinner.  Then, we decide to go to the Wynn, and sit on the patio.  We cross one pedestrian bridge to another, through the Wynn shops, and finally get our seats.  It was nice.  Now, time to walk back to Treasure Island…. pedestrian bridges, lobby, up the escalators, across the bridge, to the parking garage to find my car.  I drive home and fall asleep!!!

DAY THREE:  The next day my phone rang at 8:30 a.m. — I hear my friend Cristina say, "should we save you a lounge chair at the pool?" — I say "no," and proceed to sleep until 10 a.m.   I get up and I feel like a truck ran me over.  I was so exhausted from the running around, the heat, the sun, the driving…. I was so tired.  So I took a break then got ready again, to go to the Mirage and pick them up for dinner.  We went to a mexican restaurant in the Hard Rock.  While driving there… I was told… "I drive too slow." It’s like…. what??? All this driving back and forth and someone is going to actually call me out for driving slow???!!! ha ha! Anyway, I do drive slow, because I am careful.  I have seen way too many bodies on the road to drive fast in this town.  I pay attention.  So… we eat, I drive back on the strip to drop them off at the Mirage.  My husband and I drive back home in bumper to bumper traffic on the strip ( it’s Sunday night don’t forget).  I go to bed and get up for work in the morning… the show starts at 5 a.m. 

DAY FOUR: At 8:30 a.m. my friend Cristina calls me…. "what do you want to do today?" – I make some suggestions…  they decide they will check out, I will pick them up and take them back to my house.  Fine.   Sounds good to me.  We do that, then we hang out, stop somewhere to eat, and I drive them back to the Bellagio where they had Spa appointments.  I drive home.  They fly out at 9:30 p.m.

Are you tired yet?  I was.  I took a nap and woke up with a sore throat and headache.  I was sick in a matter of a one hour nap.  I think I was literally exhausted.  Not from what I did… but how I got there.  The back and forth through the masses was draining.  The amount of people simply in one hotel is unreal.  It was like Disney World.  Lines, masses, waits, searches…. ahhhh! 

Anyway, I really did enjoy my friends.  I just wish it was a little easier.  So here’s what I would do differently.

• Stay with them at the hotel the entire weekend (if there was room), pack a bag just like I was going on vacation. 
• Save up some extra money… it wasn’t a vacation for me… but it did affect my wallet too. Make sure I have the extra cash to spend and plan for it.
• Put it in my head: relax, have a good time, don’t let the crowds get to you!
• Bring my patience.

This is no offense to any of my friends that come see me… I love you all.  It’s just truly a funny story if you think about it.  I think us Las Vegans can all relate.  We don’t go to the strip often.  And if we do, it’s for work, a function, a nice dinner, or a show.  I love the Las Vegas Strip.  I just like it on my own terms.  Is that selfish? Maybe a little.

Good luck, have a great weekend.

Posted by Dayna Roselli

Categories: Travel