I don't have a clever title but I DO have 2,000 photos! WDW in Oct. update!

[aprilisis]

A. I forgot to say on my last post that I hope Isis feels better soon! Phoenix fell down the stairs at 8 months and sprained one of his back legs. If you think keeping a 13 year old dog is hard, try restricting an 8 month old puppy for 3 weeks. I had to crate him when I wasn't home so he didn't hurt himself worse Anyway, I hope Isis is feeling better soon. And if you get the stairs, make sure whereever you get them from will let you return them if she won't use them, then at least you can get your money back if she refuses, especially since they are expensive!

B. The hotel story: In September 2009 I went to Best Friends with both of my sisters. The closest airport is Las Vegas, which is still a 4 hour drive. When we landed we got our rental and drove straight to Kanab. However, the day before we were supposed to leave we decided to leave then and spend the night in Vegas, versus getting up at 4am so we could make our flight the next morning. My sister Lisa got us a cheap hotel online and made the reservation herself while I was packing. Turns out it was the Hooters hotel, not that I really cared since we planned on getting there, eating dinner and going to bed. It was horrible. The lobby is a mess, the check-in area is one tiny desk in the middle of the casino area, and the elevators were loud and scary. Then came the rooms. Since Lisa paid for them she got herself her own room and my other sister, Heather, and I shared one. The first thing I noticed when we walked in was that there were roaches all in the bathroom, and a can of bug spray on the back of the toilet. Then, I found a blood stain on my comforter. I called down to the desk and was told someone would come up to change out the comforter. This was after I argued with them for a while as they said it had been washed, it was only a stain so it didn't put me at any risk! They never showed with a new comforter, despite several calls to the desk. We went somewhere close by for dinner and then came back. The "free" internet they claimed online was $10 a night. Oh, and the rooms all had a "balcony", which was really just a sliding glass door with a 6" ledge that overlooked the pool. It was too tiny to stand on. And, last but not least, the sliding doors had no locks on them! Not even broken locks, the whole piece was removed on my room and Lisa's. They told us it was for security reasons. Thankfully we were on the 3rd or 4th floor, but I would be terrified being on the ground floor without being able to lock the door to the outside. When we checked out we complained and were given forms to fill out, which we never heard back about. Worst 12 hours in a "hotel" (and I use that term loosely) EVER!

O.M.G.....You have got me beat for bad hotel stories!!!! Roaches, blood, & no locks?!?!?! Ugh. I think I would have completely flipped out. That is repulsive that they think a blood-stained comforter is acceptable.
Poor Phoenix! An injured puppy has to be one of the saddest things on earth!

 

[aprilisis]

Joey Fatone was hosting The Price is Right. We didn't get to participate, but the show lasted 90 minutes & we sat front & center. It was fun to cheer on the people that did make it & we got to chat with a couple from upstate NY who were very nice. Joey Fatone was an awesome host, too!

We stopped in the room, then headed out to see the neon in "old" Vegas. It was really cool to see the lights, but the casinos were a little too dark. We stopped into a buffet- I should have spoken up, but I didn't because I was too tired. It was gross. The place was dark & they literally had 2 things I could eat...mashed potatoes & a taco shell with salsa, cheese & guac. After the crowd outside started to look a little sketchy, we went back to the hotel.

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[aprilisis]

We sat at one of the lounges at Caesar's & witnessed a "transaction" in progress that ended up getting interrupted by this girl's bodyguard....so gross. One of the guys involved in this actually tried to start a conversation with me after that, so my friend & I left. Double eew. That was the end of that night!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Well, I was going to comment on all of those gorgeous photos of Vegas, but now I can't get the grossness of seeing that "transaction" in progress in the lounge.

 

[racefanof88]

I am sorry that Isis hurt her leg. I know how hard it is to watch your fur baby hurting. Niko hurts his back at times and it is difficult to keep him from jumping on the furniture.

Your Vegas pictures are really nice!! The pictures of your food look good even though it wasn't.

I had to change my Disney dates again and they are May 5th - May 11th so we will just miss each other .

 

[aprilisis]

Well, I was going to comment on all of those gorgeous photos of Vegas, but now I can't get the grossness of seeing that "transaction" in progress in the lounge.

Thanks! Oh, man- that was a sight to see...and whenever one of those idiots said something to me....I'm thinking "really?? You know we're sitting here & it was totally obvious what you were up to". I'm so glad my friend just said, "Ready?" & we were out of there. Ugh. Gross!

I am sorry that Isis hurt her leg. I know how hard it is to watch your fur baby hurting. Niko hurts his back at times and it is difficult to keep him from jumping on the furniture.

Your Vegas pictures are really nice!! The pictures of your food look good even though it wasn't.

I had to change my Disney dates again and they are May 5th - May 11th so we will just miss each other .

Thanks!!! How do you keep Niko from moving around too much when he hurts his back?? Will he use stairs or a ramp? I'm trying to think of solutions for Isis. I wish she was more cooperative!
DANG! I arrive on May 11th at WDW. I will seriously miss you by hours.

 

[aprilisis]

The next morning, we were off to a place called the Springs Preserve which is home to some trails and science & nature exhibits. We were really interested in a special program to meet some raptors called "Wings over the Springs". I'll get the website of the organization that runs the program ASAP. We got to meet 2 falcons, the Craven from Game of Thrones, and a Eurasian Eagle Owl- which was the most impressive bird I have ever seen. It was HUGE & when I held her, she stared into my eyes- I had to look away because I was so intimidated!!!! It was such an awesome experience. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting Vegas in the winter months (as long as they aren't in Vegas *just* to party). I took a gazillion photos here, so I will just post the highlights.

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[aprilisis]

Next up- a surprisingly great lunch!

 

[aprilisis]

We went to the Springs Cafe for lunch. It was cafeteria style, so we weren't expecting anything fancy...boy, were we surprised!!! There was indoor & outdoor seating with a view of the preserve & "the strip" in the distance. You place your order, then find a seat & the servers will bring your order to you. I got a veggie burger with taboule & fries. My friend got a salad & some celery root soup. Both of us LOVED the food.

After lunch, we walked the gardens (with art made from recycled materials) and one of the trails.

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[aprilisis]

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[aprilisis]

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[aprilisis]

We went back to the room & ate at the food court before we went to see Viva Elvis. It is a Cirque du Soleil show & it was awesome. They had a voice track of Elvis singing all different songs, but they had a live band performing the music. They also had all of the dancers & acrobats performing. I wish I could have taken photos. After the show, I wasn't feeling well, so we went to sleep.

The next morning, we stopped at the food court for breakfast, then went to the Titanic exhibit. We took a bus (a 24 hour pass is $7- TOTALLY worth it!) to the Luxor & went right in to the exhibit. It was FANTASTIC! You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that survived the sinking. They also had a lot of displays about some of the passengers. I learned a lot. After the exhibit, we took the bus to some outlet mall- it was like we were transported back in time! They had so many stores that we hadn't see in years- Wilson's Leather, Osh Kosh B'Gosh, Dress Barn, Champion, and I'm sure there were more that I am forgetting. They did have a Disney outlet, but I didn't find anything there.
We left the outlet & went back to the hotel. We talked to the concierge to get a recommendation for dinner and they directed us to Zeffirino in the Venetian. Dinner was phenomenal there. You guys know I usually hate tofu...well, I got ravioli with tofu (instead of ricotta) in an asparagus sauce & it was hands down the best meal of the trip!

Some photos from the last day:

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[aprilisis]

That was it. I had to wake up at 4 the next morning because the shuttle to the airport was picking me up at 5:20am. My flight left at 8:20 am & I got home at 4:20pm. I forgot to mention that we stopped at Pink's the last day, too, because I was SO excited to be able to order a veggie dog!!! I got it topped with tomatoes, guac, & sour cream. It was awesome!
I'll be posting about the WDW plans for May soon. I'm so happy to have that trip to look forward to!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I will definitely stop at that place whenever I go to Vegas for an actual Vegas trip. The grounds look great, and I love seeing the different types of birds like that.

Your pictures make me want to give Vegas a shot as a vacation! It is amazingly beautiful there.

 

[aprilisis]

I will definitely stop at that place whenever I go to Vegas for an actual Vegas trip. The grounds look great, and I love seeing the different types of birds like that.

Your pictures make me want to give Vegas a shot as a vacation! It is amazingly beautiful there.

Thanks! It is a lot of fun if you can manage to avoid the drunken idiots at night- which we did, for the most part. The Springs Preserve was SO awesome. I have also heard that the new Mob Museum is great- oh! And we later got a tip that the Outlet mall NORTH of the strip is the one to shop at!

 

[racefanof88]

Thanks!!! How do you keep Niko from moving around too much when he hurts his back?? Will he use stairs or a ramp? I'm trying to think of solutions for Isis. I wish she was more cooperative!
DANG! I arrive on May 11th at WDW. I will seriously miss you by hours.

When he hurts his back we pretty much crate him for the majority of the day. We pick him up and put him in bed with us or in the chair. He doesn't really try to jump too much when his back is hurt because it causes him too much pain. We don't have stairs so that isn't an issue for us. I just know that it breaks my heart to see him in so much pain.

I am a total nut . We are actually not leaving until the 12th so we will still be there when you get in. I have had to change my dates up so much I will have to set my phone to remind me.......... Maybe we could set something up for us to go have a drink that evening!!



More awesome pix of your Vegas trip. You, Lisa and Amanda have me wanting to see Cirque now. I think I may look into tickets for me and Dallas; Dale can stay in the room if he doesn't want to go.

 

[aprilisis]

When he hurts his back we pretty much crate him for the majority of the day. We pick him up and put him in bed with us or in the chair. He doesn't really try to jump too much when his back is hurt because it causes him too much pain. We don't have stairs so that isn't an issue for us. I just know that it breaks my heart to see him in so much pain.

I am a total nut . We are actually not leaving until the 12th so we will still be there when you get in. I have had to change my dates up so much I will have to set my phone to remind me.......... Maybe we could set something up for us to go have a drink that evening!!

More awesome pix of your Vegas trip. You, Lisa and Amanda have me wanting to see Cirque now. I think I may look into tickets for me and Dallas; Dale can stay in the room if he doesn't want to go.

That's great that Niko doesn't try to jump up on anything. I should have gotten my crate back, but I had just lent it to my cousin because his boxer hurt his leg, too. You should see our living room- it's a mess!! The couch cushions are on the floor in front of the couch, there are dog beds & blankets everywhere. It looks like a textile or upholstery factory exploded. We have a bunch of bags & boxes all ove the stairs. It's totally chaotic!
Whoa! So you don't leave until the 12th?? That's great. I'd love to meet up if you are up for it! I'll PM you my cell # before you leave for your trip.
Thanks about the photos- there is so much to do & see in Vegas that it is sensory overload. The latest thing is that people dress in costumes & hang out along "the strip" for you to pay them to get a photo with them. We saw an inebriated Mickey Mouse and a terribly dirty Winnie the Pooh...but I didn't get photos. I want to see Cirque at WDW now, too. It's not in the cards this trip, but I bet I can swing it next year.

 

[407-W-DISNEY]

Hi April,
I typed up a reply on Friday....now I can't find it...maybe I never hit submit...sometimes I work I get distracted and poof....loose my replies..

anyway, great pics, sounds like you had a wonderful time....

 

[aprilisis]

Hi April,
I typed up a reply on Friday....now I can't find it...maybe I never hit submit...sometimes I work I get distracted and poof....loose my replies..

anyway, great pics, sounds like you had a wonderful time....

Thanks!!! It was a fun trip. I have to say, though...I still prefer WDW!

 

[natebenma]

WOW!!! Thanks for sharing all of the great pictures from Vegas. You really did do a lot in a short time.

Gorgeous pictures from the Top of the World. The sunset and the night pictures. Too bad your entree was uninspired.

Love the pictures from Old Vegas- sorry that the sleaze still seems to be around.

The Springs Preserve looks INCREDIBLE!!! The wild life, the amazing structures from recycled materials. Awesome.

Those were sure some talons on that owl! What was that beautiful white bird? I didn't recognize the type.

How funny that you got a more enjoyable lunch there than at the Top of the World.

The Titanic exhibit sounds really cool. My son Ben is a Titanic freak. The ship, not the movie, if you know what I mean. He even had a Titanic-themed birthday party a couple of years ago. We almost went to the Titanic Experience when we were in Orlando last summer- but I heard that it wasn't very good. And tickets were around $20, I think!

I look forward to hearing about your May trip.