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

[natebenma]

You walked over 30 miles!!!

I think it is ok if you post your Vegas trip report here. I have posted mini reports from trips to Mexico and Washington DC, within my TR and I have seen others do it, too.

 

[aprilisis]

Hi April,
Nice to see a post from you!
Sorry life has gotten in the way...don't worry, your fans are here!
Vegas will be awesome!

We are lucky, no snow here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah! I have a feeling Feb and March will be payback...

I didn't even think of posting the pics...I have a photobucket account (I think) let me check it out!

Stiil no snow...BEST.WINTER.EVER!!! Plans have changed for the year...I can start a new WDW PTR & post a Vegas mini-TR there!

Hi!
Hope all is well.
Forgot to mention...you logged some miles! That's awesome...
I had a pedometer, but it never really seemed to work right...I would love to invest in a really good one...its definitely a motivator!

I have been slacking lately as far as excercise. I have to finally get off of my behind & get really motivated now. I have a beach vacation coming up this summer & there is NO WAY in heck that I'm squeezing into a swimsuit as fat as I am right now!

You walked over 30 miles!!!

I think it is ok if you post your Vegas trip report here. I have posted mini reports from trips to Mexico and Washington DC, within my TR and I have seen others do it, too.

I am going to start a PTR soon & I think I will post the mini-TR for Vegas there.
I wish I saw your Mexico & DC TRs!!!

 

[aprilisis]

Sorry I have been away so much, but I have had 3 colds this winter despite the good weather we have had. I have a little news to report...my year of NO vacations is quickly becoming my year of a lot of vacations!! I'm going to Vegas from February 16-20. I figured there was no way I could afford to go to WDW with my new car payment- until I discovered that I can do a short stay at a moderate as long as I could find cheap air. Thanks to Southwest's cheap air & the expertise of my Disney travel agent (e-mail me for info), I'm going in May!!! I'll be staying at POR from May 11-15. THEN, due to unbelieveably low airfare, I was FINALLY able to book the beach vacation John has been asking me for since we met. We're staying in Islamorada from July 16-20. I am hoping we get to go to Dry Tortugas National Park, too. I'll start a PTR soon & post my Vegas photos there.

 

[natebenma]

Stiil no snow...BEST.WINTER.EVER!!!

I TOTALLY AGREE!!! Well, except for the Football Game Which Must Not Be Named (Part II)

Plans have changed for the year...I can start a new WDW PTR & post a Vegas mini-TR there!

I am going to start a PTR soon & I think I will post the mini-TR for Vegas there.
I wish I saw your Mexico & DC TRs!!!

That is so exciting!!! Can't wait to read your reports and see the amazing pictures.

2012 is the year of travel for me, too:

In early March, my husband and I are getting away for a few days to Puerto Rico to celebrate our 25th anniversary (last July). This is our first time away without the kids since they were born

In April, the four of us are going to Atlantis

In June I go on my son's 8th grade graduation trip to Disney

My DH pointed out that I am the only one in the family going on all 3 trips!

*********************************************

My mini TRs are in my "3rd Annual "Never" Going to Disney in the Summer Again" TR- I have a Table of Contents with links if you want to check it out. I accidentally "closed" the TR, so you can read but you can't actually comment there.

The DC post doesn't have any pictures, but the February 2011 Barcelo (Riviera Maya) TR posts have plenty of photos.

Sorry I have been away so much, but I have had 3 colds this winter despite the good weather we have had. I have a little news to report...my year of NO vacations is quickly becoming my year of a lot of vacations!! I'm going to Vegas from February 16-20. I figured there was no way I could afford to go to WDW with my new car payment- until I discovered that I can do a short stay at a moderate as long as I could find cheap air. Thanks to Southwest's cheap air & the expertise of my Disney travel agent (e-mail me for info), I'm going in May!!! I'll be staying at POR from May 11-15. THEN, due to unbelieveably low airfare, I was FINALLY able to book the beach vacation John has been asking me for since we met. We're staying in Islamorada from July 16-20. I am hoping we get to go to Dry Tortugas National Park, too. I'll start a PTR soon & post my Vegas photos there.

Sorry about the colds- what a pain!

But hooray for your trip planning!

I would love the info for your Disney travel agent. I have an email address I use for DIS purposes only: beachclubdee@yahoo.com

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Sorry I have been away so much, but I have had 3 colds this winter despite the good weather we have had. I have a little news to report...my year of NO vacations is quickly becoming my year of a lot of vacations!! I'm going to Vegas from February 16-20. I figured there was no way I could afford to go to WDW with my new car payment- until I discovered that I can do a short stay at a moderate as long as I could find cheap air. Thanks to Southwest's cheap air & the expertise of my Disney travel agent (e-mail me for info), I'm going in May!!! I'll be staying at POR from May 11-15. THEN, due to unbelieveably low airfare, I was FINALLY able to book the beach vacation John has been asking me for since we met. We're staying in Islamorada from July 16-20. I am hoping we get to go to Dry Tortugas National Park, too. I'll start a PTR soon & post my Vegas photos there.

Yay for several vacations! You will be in Vegas the last part of my WDW trip next week. I'm sure you are excited for that trip! And double yay for a WDW trip, and a beach trip for you and John! I will look for your PTR once you get back from Vegas.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Sorry I have been away so much, but I have had 3 colds this winter despite the good weather we have had. I have a little news to report...my year of NO vacations is quickly becoming my year of a lot of vacations!! I'm going to Vegas from February 16-20. I figured there was no way I could afford to go to WDW with my new car payment- until I discovered that I can do a short stay at a moderate as long as I could find cheap air. Thanks to Southwest's cheap air & the expertise of my Disney travel agent (e-mail me for info), I'm going in May!!! I'll be staying at POR from May 11-15. THEN, due to unbelieveably low airfare, I was FINALLY able to book the beach vacation John has been asking me for since we met. We're staying in Islamorada from July 16-20. I am hoping we get to go to Dry Tortugas National Park, too. I'll start a PTR soon & post my Vegas photos there.

I hate to hear that you've been sick.

I saw your ticker over on Kathy's report and I immediately started calculating the date to see if our trips would overlap. Unfortunately, they don't.

Please do post a trip report on your Vegas trip. I have never been and would love to hear all about it.

 

[aprilisis]

I TOTALLY AGREE!!! Well, except for the Football Game Which Must Not Be Named (Part II)

UGH. Don't remind me.

That is so exciting!!! Can't wait to read your reports and see the amazing pictures.

2012 is the year of travel for me, too:

In early March, my husband and I are getting away for a few days to Puerto Rico to celebrate our 25th anniversary (last July). This is our first time away without the kids since they were born

In April, the four of us are going to Atlantis

In June I go on my son's 8th grade graduation trip to Disney

My DH pointed out that I am the only one in the family going on all 3 trips!

How awesome!!! I can't wait to see your photos & read all of your reports!!! Puerto Rico & Atlantis are both places I want to go someday.

*********************************************

My mini TRs are in my "3rd Annual "Never" Going to Disney in the Summer Again" TR- I have a Table of Contents with links if you want to check it out. I accidentally "closed" the TR, so you can read but you can't actually comment there.

The DC post doesn't have any pictures, but the February 2011 Barcelo (Riviera Maya) TR posts have plenty of photos.


I'm DEFINITELY going to check that out!!!

Sorry about the colds- what a pain!

But hooray for your trip planning!

Thanks!!!

I would love the info for your Disney travel agent. I have an email address I use for DIS purposes only: beachclubdee@yahoo.com
I will definitely send you an e-mail. They are a free service & will get you great discounts AND book all of your dining for you!

Yay for several vacations! You will be in Vegas the last part of my WDW trip next week. I'm sure you are excited for that trip! And double yay for a WDW trip, and a beach trip for you and John! I will look for your PTR once you get back from Vegas.

I'm SO excited to see your WDW photos when you get back- and to hear all about Wild Africa Trek!!! That is seriously the best thing I have done at WDW.

I hate to hear that you've been sick.

I saw your ticker over on Kathy's report and I immediately started calculating the date to see if our trips would overlap. Unfortunately, they don't.

Please do post a trip report on your Vegas trip. I have never been and would love to hear all about it.

I'll post all of the Vegas details & I'm sure a ton of photos when I get home.
I wish our trips would overlap. We should plan a meet someday.
I seriously did really miss reading your report while I was away from the boards. I must have laughed 3 times out loud today- the last time was of the lady with the wedgie in the white shorts. All I could think was "thank goodness I wear long t-shirts while at WDW!!!"

 

[racefanof88]

OH I wish you were going to be at Disney when I'm there. I'm glad you are getting to have several vacations this year though, even if our paths won't cross. I can't wait to read your Vegas TR and Disney PTR because your pictures are always so awesome!!

 

[407-W-DISNEY]

Happy Valentine's Day April!
I hope you and John have a nice night....I actually made dinner for my husbabd tonight...boy will he be surprised!! LOL
Unfortunately, I'm not much of a cook....I wish I was

Your ticker says 2 days till VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[aprilisis]

OH I wish you were going to be at Disney when I'm there. I'm glad you are getting to have several vacations this year though, even if our paths won't cross. I can't wait to read your Vegas TR and Disney PTR because your pictures are always so awesome!!

Thanks!!! I'm uploading the Vegas photos as we speak. They have been uploading for 3 hours & so far they are only 20% uploaded.

Happy Valentine's Day April!
I hope you and John have a nice night....I actually made dinner for my husbabd tonight...boy will he be surprised!! LOL
Unfortunately, I'm not much of a cook....I wish I was

Your ticker says 2 days till VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I let John off of the hook for Valentine's Day. He brings me flowers about once a month, so I told him there was no need to do anything special. Besides that- SO much was going on that I didn't want to deal with it. I'm going to post about everything soon.

 

[natebenma]

Waiting (patiently) for your Vegas pictures.

 

[aprilisis]

I figured I would post my Vegas trip photos here & share my May plans for Disney, too.

The weekend before I left for Vegas, Isis hurt her leg jumping off of my bed. It was at 5:30 in the morning & she was in so much pain that she was shivering. She would try to stand, then fall. I sat down on the floor next to her to keep her still until I could call the vet. At 9:30am, I called the vet & she said to give Isis one of my mom's dog's (Gracie) painkillers. I gave Isis the pill & stayed beside her until the vet could visit at 12:30. By the time the vet got to my house, Isis was walking normally. The pain pill worked, but the vet was still concerned that we keep her from jumping, running, etc. because it could do damage to her leg. So I have had to barricade the stairs and sleep downstairs on a sofa with no cushions (so it is low enough for her to climb up on). If I didn't stay with her, she would try to climb over all of the stuff on the stairs & hurt herself. She always thinks she is missing something, so she wants to know what everyone is doing all of the time. It really stinks because the reality of her age has set in. She is going to be 13 on June 15. It's like all of a sudden she is an old lady. So that is why I have been all discombobulated lately.

I left for Vegas on Thursday, February 16. My flight left Providence at 7:20am- it was a 6 hour & 15 minute flight, but it seemed longer. The flight was packed, too. I would recommend anyone flying over 5 hours to use points to get you a business or first class seat. That flight was brutal in an uncomfortable seat, crammed in next to strangers. The scenery was nice, though:

By the time I got to Vegas, I was tired & a little crabby. To my surprise, my luggage came right out & the shuttle was waiting for me. I was the third stop for the shuttle. Caesar's Palace Lobby is pretty. I was not happy with the check-in process, though. I waited (I was only third in line) for at least 30 minutes to be helped. It had to be a fluke, though, because all of the other lines were moving along. I finally got checked in and went up to our room. We were in the oldest section of Caesar's- the tv was old & the picture was kind of fuzzy. The view was half obstructed by a wall. Ugh. Silly me for saving $200 by not booking lake view at the Bellagio. With all that said, the room really wasn't bad. It was spotless & the bathroom was pretty nice.

After about half an hour, my friend called me from the lobby, so I went down to meet her. I got her settled in to the room, then we went down to the bar in the lobby to get a snack to hold us over until dinner. I didn't take any photos, but she got a mixed green salad & I got a tomato, basil, & red onion stack with a balsamic reduction. It was awesome. I also downed about 8 glasses of water which totally made me feel better. Some shots of the lobby:

We decided to go over to the Forum Shops. (I don't know if you guys are at all familiar with Vegas, but every hotel has a casino & almost every hotel has a huge indoor themed mall. These places are enormous. I was excited to see they have a 3 floor H & M similar to the one in NYC.

After looking in the shops, we went back to the room to get ready for dinner. This is a good place to stop for now.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I LOVE the pictures! I have only been in Vegas for long enough to use their airport, and one overnight stay that was the worst experience of my life in a hotel (worse than any of the ones to/from Utah last October). But, despite the view, the room looks nice and the hotel pictures are amazing.

 

[mickeystoontown]

No wonder you've been worried and off the Dis! Poor Isis and poor you! It's hard when you realize your pets are getting older and can't do all they want to do any more. Our Bella was like that. She wanted to see what everybody was doing and do it along with them.

Wow! That's all I can think of to say about the pictures of Caesar's Palace It's absolutely beautiful! I can just imagine myself walking in, looking up and spinning around in circles like they do in movies. Yep, I'd be country come to town!

 

[aprilisis]

I LOVE the pictures! I have only been in Vegas for long enough to use their airport, and one overnight stay that was the worst experience of my life in a hotel (worse than any of the ones to/from Utah last October). But, despite the view, the room looks nice and the hotel pictures are amazing.

Thanks! OMG- please, please share your terrible hotel experience!!

No wonder you've been worried and off the Dis! Poor Isis and poor you! It's hard when you realize your pets are getting older and can't do all they want to do any more. Our Bella was like that. She wanted to see what everybody was doing and do it along with them.

Wow! That's all I can think of to say about the pictures of Caesar's Palace It's absolutely beautiful! I can just imagine myself walking in, looking up and spinning around in circles like they do in movies. Yep, I'd be country come to town!

Thank you! I have been stressed to say the least. I am SO worried about Isis. She seems to feel fine now, but trying to keep her from jumping & running is nearly impossible. She freaks out every day when John gets to my house. She has him trained- she barks at him until her gives her a treat every day when he gets to my house.
Caesar's is just the tip of the iceberg- wait until you see the rest of the hotels!! There is a new one called the Cosmopolitan that I really want to stay at next time I go to Vegas!

 

[407-W-DISNEY]

HI April,
That must not have been a fun flight

WOW, so that mall was IN the Hotel????????? and every hotel has a mall like that????? I just might have to plan a trip to Vegas...we don't really gamble so I always thought there would be nothing for me to do there....LOL, guess I was wrong!!

Oh, poor Isis...I'm so sorry....you must have been so scared when she hurt her leg....good thing you had that pain pill! Sick pets are so stressful...
How is she today? maybe get doggie stairs to help her get on and off your bed??

 

[natebenma]

Wow!!! Beautiful shopping area. I love the painted ceiling! So pretty.

Sorry to hear about Isis. How long are you supposed to keep her quiet and not jumping/climbing? Indefinitely?

 

[aprilisis]

We had dinner scheduled at "Top of the World" in the Stratosphere. I knew we needed to take a taxi there & back because North of the Wynn, the neighborhood is lousy- especially at night. It gets dangerous. Top of the World is in the Stratosphere Resort in a structure that looks like the Space Needle in Seattle. The restaurant rotates 360 degrees (slowly, of course) so you get great views while you eat. I ordered a salad, then the veggie entree. The salad was great, but the entree was meh. I have a pet peeve about chefs giving no effort to vegetarian dishes. This was a bunch of veggies on quinoa with balsamic. It sounds good, but the balsamic flavor worked against almost all of the veggies they used in the dish. I swear I would open my own restaurant if I could. Enough complaining...here are some photos:

During dinner, I noticed two cables hanging outside the windows...then a person going by the window in a quick downward direction! I guess they have an attraction that allows you to jump 855 feet off of a building. I like thrill rides, but watching these people was giving me anxiety. NO THANKS. We sat in the lounge for a half hour or so, then went back to Caesar's.

The next day, we got up early-ish to grab our tickets to the Price is Right. We stopped to have breakfast at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon. We ate at the Victorian Cafe. I had the breakfast skillet- potatoes, onions, peppers, cheese, and egg. I also had sourdough toast. It was great! I didn't take any photos & I was unable to finish it because the portions were huge!! After breakfast, we went over to grab our tickets for Viva Elvis (the following evening show) at the Aria resort. This is a new resort/casino/mall. It was really a pretty casino to walk through & you could tell how new everything was.

Some photos from the morning:

After this, We headed over to Price is Right! I'm going to stop here for now & go grab some lunch!

 

[aprilisis]

HI April,
That must not have been a fun flight

WOW, so that mall was IN the Hotel????????? and every hotel has a mall like that????? I just might have to plan a trip to Vegas...we don't really gamble so I always thought there would be nothing for me to do there....LOL, guess I was wrong!!

Oh, poor Isis...I'm so sorry....you must have been so scared when she hurt her leg....good thing you had that pain pill! Sick pets are so stressful...
How is she today? maybe get doggie stairs to help her get on and off your bed??

You SO have to go to Vegas!!! There is a ton of stuff to do besides gamble!
Thanks! I was totally freaking out when Isis hurt her leg. I was thinking she might need an operation. So far she seems good, but she is taking the pain pill. I love my vet- she came over, examined Isis, too cells & tested them from a growth she has, AND gave me pills for her- all for $22. I want to get stairs for Isis, but I think she is too much of a freak to use them- she gets weird about stuff like that. But I may just buy them & take the chance.

Wow!!! Beautiful shopping area. I love the painted ceiling! So pretty.

Sorry to hear about Isis. How long are you supposed to keep her quiet and not jumping/climbing? Indefinitely?

Thanks!! Wait until you see the photo of the ceiling in the Venetian! It may not be as good, though, because I took it with my phone.
I'm supposed to keep Isis quiet for 3 weeks (until the vet sees her again), but she has NOT been cooperative. She still wants to run like a puppy.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

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!