Las Vegas, Nevada

Oh yes I did!  Hopped a plane for a quick weekend to Vegas . . . trust me a weekend is about all that I can take of Vegas.  So as I sat at DFW there was a storm approaching . . . all too well do I know what that means this time of year in Texas.  I tried to hop on an earlier flight but no luck since they were all oversold.  So I sat and waited . . . we boarded, we pushed back, and then I looked at the long line of planes waiting too . . . over 20!  So the pilot went to the other side of the airport were there only 15 waiting to depart.  All seemed to be going okay and then the pilot comes on and says, "at this time it is going to be longer than 15 minutes since DFW has shut down all departures."  Seriously, there is barely a cloud in the sky and no rain . . . you could feel the tension and hear the collective grumble from everyone.  So we sat and waited and finally took off!  The flight was a bit bumpy but not too bad.  I was so happy to finally have the window seat!  As we got close, I opened the window shade to enjoy the views . . .

Hoover Dam . . . been there, done that, cool seeing from the air!  The girl next to me was so excited.  Why you ask?  She asked if those were mountains in the distance.  Well, I guess that qualifies as a mountain.  I asked her why and she excitedly says, "I've never seen a mountain before!"  When we landed she called her mom to tell her about seeing the mountains!  So we arrived and headed for the strip . . . more specifically the Wynn/Encore.  Last summer when I was in Vegas and checking out all the casinos hotel lobby of some of the big hotels, this was the one that I thought WOW!  Never imagined staying here but well a good deal comes along and you book it!  So we walked to Caesar's Palace and found a place to have a drink and watch people . . .

. . . that's Cleopatra Punch . . . but all I could think was this place is a bit junky compared to the Wynn/Encore.  So back we went . . . I found a slot machine and gave it some of my hard earned money . . . and cashed out a 'winner' . . .

. . . and then spent my winnings on a drink . . .

. . . that is a Lychee Martini . . . at least it was good and for about 2 hours of entertainment it cost me $0!  The Wynn and Encore have there own separate casinos.  I preferred the Encore . . . was brighter, less crowded, and more my age group with the exception of a lot of college aged kids.  I think I managed to stay awake until midnight . . . hey, I like my sleep.  And had visions of my first ever Vegas buffet in the morning . . . yes, I have never been to a buffet while in Vegas and well the one at the Wynn was pretty spectacular.  The decor was so me . . .

. . . bright and colorful and Oh My Goodness . . . the food!  I had every intention of snapping a couple of photos but sort of got caught up in the moment especially at the dessert bar.  It was amazing in itself but there was so much food . . . so many choices and man was it all so good!  I would complain about the price (about $35 per person), but it was included with the room package so it was even better!  And just like that my short trip to Vegas came to an end . . . well the rental car drop off was long, the shuttle to the terminal was long, the line at security was super long and that's when I realized my TSA Pre-Check was the best thing I have done this year because it only took me two minutes to zip right through security and find the Centurion Lounge . . . now that's a whole other story!