Local Voices: Preparing for my First Trip to Vegas!

I’m preparing for a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate my husband’s upcoming 40^thbirthday.  It’s my first time heading there.  My husband has been a few times and the couple we’re traveling with could be called “seasoned pros,” but I have to admit that along with being extremely excited, I’m also a little nervous!

To begin with, I’m not a gambler.  I’ve played a few slots before and a friend taught me a little about Black Jack and Pai Gow, but that’s about the extent of it.  Quite honestly, my husband and I both would rather make more secure investments with the money we earn!  I can’t wait to see all of the famous casinos and the Vegas strip in general.  I’m wondering how many we can actually get to in the time that we have there.

Then, there’s the issue of what to wear.  I imagine women in Vegas to be very “over the top” in their fashion.  I’m a stay at home mom.  My wardrobe consists mainly of t-shirts and jeans.  I don’t have a lot of boutique clothing to whip out of my closet, and suddenly I feel like I need to buy more eyeliner and lipstick.  Is this normal?

Our main reason for going is to hear one of our favorite bands, Train, at the Mandalay Beach Resort.  I’m over the top excited about this because not only will I get to enjoy Patrick Monahan live once again, but they’re also headlining at a wine festival featuring 50 different wineries.  Could that concert get any better?  Outside venue, beach setting, wine, good friends, and my favorite songs… I don’t think so!

We’re planning to visit the pawn shop where they film “Pawn Stars.”  I don’t follow that show, but I can only imagine the things we might see there.  That’s another facet of this trip that both intrigues me and, quite frankly, scares me.  I’m a little nervous about having cards advertising all sorts of “x-rated” venues flicked at me left and right. I was discussing this with friends yesterday, and one said she couldn’t imagine taking kids there.  She said, “you can’t let ‘em look up, they can’t look down (because the cards are all over the ground), where do they look?”  I’m sure I’ll turn every shade of red more than once.

And finally, there’s the lack of sleep.  We’re going with friends that we dearly love; however, I know from hanging around them and other mutual friends here, that even though I’m younger… I can’t keep up with them!  They think nothing of being up until 3 a.m. on a given night.  They’re crazy!  I can’t function on so little sleep.  I’m afraid that I’m going to be the walking dead by the time we hit day two.  I don’t get good sleep at home even when I try to.  There’s no way I’m going to get good sleep in Vegas.

Alas…all worries aside…I can’t wait for our trip.  I’m sure things we see and do in Vegas’ll blow me away.   My daughter has urged me “not to act like the moms on ‘Dance Moms’' when we go.  They get a wee bit carried away at the ‘Chill’ bar enjoying their “shot skis”…hmmm…where is that place?  So… I’ll try not to embarrass her from afar.  I’ll refrain from coming home tattooed or remarried at an Elvis chapel or anything.  And I promise to blog about the trip.  I’m sure it’ll be a good one!