After the kiddos flew out we still had a full 24 hours with Uncle Dan before he headed back to West Virginia. What to do with three adults in Las Vegas???…….
We didn’t realize until pretty late in the game that Uncle Dan flew out a day after the kids did so there wasn’t a lot of time to plan. So we three headed to the Vegas strip a bit before noon to walk and be “tourists” before Dan had to be at the airport for his red eye later that night. That gave us about 8 hours to wander. I say “tourists” in quote because Uncle Dan actually lived in Las Vegas for a bit about 15 years ago. And you know when you live in a tourist spot you usually never do the touristy things…
Michael drove the three of us, in the ginormous dually, to Planet Hollywood. I chose it because it’s centrally located to where we wanted to be so I thought it was just as good as any. But sat-nav Janet brought him to the front door of the hotel of which we were not staying. I jumped out and asked where we could park to shop and sightsee for the day. The valet wrote down a phone number for me and that’s where our 007 morning began.
Ooookaaaay…. I got back in the truck to questioning faces. I told Mike to drive, but slowly, as I dialed. I explained we were an oversized truck that needed to park.
Mystery phone man: Where are you?
Me: We just left Planet Hollywood main entrance parking. (As we’re creeping along, under the hotel, following the drive to the left, as originally instructed.)
Mystery phone man: What are you driving?
Me: Black Ram dually with Texas plates.
Mystery phone man: Ok, stop. I see you.
Me: What?
Mystery phone man: STOP! Right where you are. I see you.
Me: Mike, he says stop. Yes, right here. (in the middle of the drive) I don’t know. Hold on.
Mystery phone man: Go ahead and drive, veer right and take a right at the stop sign and wait for me at the gate.
I’m sitting on the edge of my seat looking through the front dash for the wizard behind the green curtain. Seriously! Then it hit me, Duh. We’re in Vegas. There are cameras EVERYWHERE!
So we followed his directions and he’s right behind us in a golf cart. He gets out and unlocks a padlock (pretty low tech way to open a gate with all the other James Bond equipment, if you ask me.) and lets us through. This is where oversized vehicles get to park. For free. Sweet! All we have to do its call him back when we’re leaving to let us back out.
We headed into the Magnificent Mile of shopping to get our bearings and that’s when I spotted Club Tattoo. I already have a few tiny tattoos. I’ve been wanting another one, a compass rose, for about 4-5 years now but couldn’t figure where I wanted to put it. And of course, I’m not going to get a tattoo if I can’t figure out where to put it. But just for giggles I went in and started talking to one of the artists, Ben, just to see what he thought about my plight. I knew exactly what I wanted. I’ve wanted it for a very long time, it’s not like I’ve been hemming and hawing as to whether or not I should get it. And I already have three tats that I absolutely do not regret at all, even after 20 years. It’s just a matter of placement. And then Ben suggested then inside bicep, a place I’d never considered.
Michael, Dan and I walked around a bit and then I decided that was it. I was sold. I went back and got a tattoo on a Sunday morning in Las Vegas, because, hey, why not?
Cool business card, eh?
After that the three of us hit the strip!
We got an adult beverage, because we could, and literally walked up and down the strip just checking it out. There is some fantastic people watching, even during the day!! We had lunch at Joe’s Seafood and kept on walkin’!
Party animals we’re not. But we had a good time. And got Dan to his plane on time!!!
Work Play Adventure 