Day 6:
The day started off early as we needed to get ready, check out and head to the airport to return Sparky and catch our flight back to Colorado. I ran down to get Pam her Starbucks and took one last look for Rigo. I was able to get Pam her java, but I am sorry to report that the elusive Rigo proved to hard to find. If you happen to run into Rigo, tell him that Vegas misses him and wants him to come back!
We checked out and loaded up Sparky. I was a little concerned that Sparky could make it all the way back to the car return from the Red Rock Casino. We said a little prayer and Pam patted Sparky on the butt and gave him a pep talk. We pulled out to get on the highway and at the exact same spot as the last two days Sparky started to sputter and chug as his engine almost died again! Pam's pep talked worked as little Sparky fought through the urge to throw in the towel. It is the strangest thing. He never came close to shutting down in any other place. Pam pointing out that some strange voodoo force field in that exact spot would scare little Sparky enough to kill off his engine!
We were able to drop Sparky off and get through Budget without any more issues. We agreed that we would stay away from using them on any other future trips to Vegas. They were a hassle to deal with. Their objective was to up sell you on anything you don't need to rent a car. If you say no, any and all customer service goes out the window! My money is better suited for companies that believe in good customer service.
We breezed through the lines and grabbed a quick bite before we stopped and said one last goodbye to our old friend Pat Sajak. He had been very good and lucrative to us. It was a bitter sweet goodbye as Pam teared up and my voice began to crack with promises of us to return another day to see our new found buddy!
It was determined that Pam won the come back player of the year award on this trip with her stellar blackjack play and mean pulling of the one arm bandits. Her BobBob has trained her well, and it is obvious that the training is working!
After three comped nights at some great places to stay, several comped meals, lots of comped drinks, no official Rigo sighting and bringing home more money than we came with, it was time to call our trip to Vegas over and head back to Colorado to see our precious girls that we had entrusted with my family!
Our flight was fast and uneventful as was the drive to my parents. Delaney was overjoyed with delight and instantly jumped into Pam's arms for a big mama bear hug! Plans had been made to go out to dinner at Romano's Italian Restaurant.
On the way to Romano's we got to see something you don't see everyday. The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile cruise past us on the street. AK was so excited she had to take a picture to share with her friends and deemed it Instagram worthy!
It was wonderful to see everyone again and hear all the great tales of what they did with the girls while we were gone. All though Pam and I love to go to Vegas, we really like to have the kids spend sometime with my family without us around. Since we don't live in Colorado, the girls miss out on a lot of great family time with the Desparrois' crew. It is our hope that the girls are building great memories and powerful family relationships that they will always look back and smile on!
Day 5:
The start to the day was much later than most. It could have been that our bodies quickly adjusted to the two hour Vegas time changes; or we were just plain tired out from the quest to find the Rigo, which is proving to be more of a myth like Sasquatch; or it could have been too many free comped drinks and a very late night of low-stakes degenerate gambling. Whatever the reason, we rolled out of bed needing water and ibuprofen to take on day 5 of Dumping our Kids and Doubling Down!
The original plan was to go to the pool and chill for a few hours and than head off to see Pam's best friend, Angie, at the South Point. Angie was going to be competing in the Mounted Cowboy Shooting event. With our extremely late start there would be no pool time, and the hurry-up offense needed to be put into full swing.
We hopped into Sparky and said a little prayer that the little car could summon up enough might to get us to our next destination. Sparky didn't disappoint as we reached South Point ready to see balloons meet their demise!
We met up with Angie and I got to listen to tales of how her and Pam were punk kids back in the day. They enjoyed their visit until Angie needed to get her horse prepared for the event. We had about an hour to kill before she competed so we decided to take on a little gambling. The blackjack tables just did not seem to be calling me. I told Pam that I was going to sit in the sports book and watch the Cubs.
While I was watching John Lester actually earn his huge contract for once, I noticed somebody calling my name. At first it was soft and than it got louder. I looked around and saw no one. I realized it was not a person, but rather a machine. It was another Wheel of Fortune slot. Pat Sajack called me over to personally play on his machine. I obliged and found myself tripling my buy -in with in a few spins! I was so excited I texted Pam to come see. She greeted me with a smile as I found out that she cashed in and won a few bucks herself!
It was time to go back and see Angie compete. She raced through the course with her trusty steed, Moxie, and shot down those balloons like Wyatt Earp shooting down Black Bart. One-by-one the balloons blew up and Angie found herself leading the event. When all was said and done she finished up in third place of of sixty other competitors. Amazing job, Angie!
After saying our goodbyes, we headed to the mall for AK's Chacos. I hate the mall, and I hate giving up my precious gambling time to be at the mall even more. Not to mention that we went to an outlet mall that was the size of Montana. Pam told me to suck it up and look for a Rigo at the many sports stores on sight. It's a well known fact that Rigos choose their garb from sports stores so Pam might be on to something. The mall was packed, and I had to weave in and out of people in my quest. We both came up shorthanded and left quickly!
We had not eaten hardly anything, which is not normal for us. Pam found a place called Amore Taste of Chicago. While there, we had the rack of ribs and an Italian beef. We split the food like Pam was splitting Aces against a ten and winning. The food was absolutely amazing as our ribs were licked clean, and there was no sign left of the Italian beef sandwich. Pam decided that it got the almost perfect score of a 4.9 out of five!
We headed back to Red Rock for some more gambling debauchery and fun. One the way back, at the same spot as the day earlier, Sparky decided to die on us again. Luckily he started right back up and we made it back. Why did it happen in exactly the same spot? Weird!
We showered and hit the floor! Pam was doing well in blackjack and I was just kind of surviving. I got bored and went to use the restroom when I heard my new friend Pat Sajack calling my name from the High Roller room. I looked inside, and sure enough, he was calling me back to the BobBob machine from the night before. I put my hundred down and sat down to play. I don't like to brag about my stellar slot skills, so I will let the picture do the talking for me. The crazy thing is, it only took three spins to win.
I walked back to the table and placed the ticket on Pam's lap. She almost fell out of her chair. Old BobBob had come through again for us! I went out to cash my ticket in and found that they moved me up a level in my play. I am now a Gold Club member which means that we gamble way too much and can now go to the front of the buffet lines without having to wait.
With our new found gold cards, we played some more blackjack and tried one more time with the BobBob slot machine. However, we had already drained that milk cow and it had nothing left to offer. It was time for bed. We were tired from all the winnings, gun shooting, good food and fun times. Even though there was not a Rigo to be found, we still enjoyed our day!
Day 4:
The day started out extra early as I was still on Texas time and have not quite adjusted to Vegas time. I quietly got up and went downstairs to write up the days report and to get Pam her daily fuel of Starbucks. When I returned Pam had already gotten up and showered. After I did the same, we headed down for another comped Buffet. The food was hot, quick and tasty. Of course everything always tastes better when it's free!
We had to check out of our room and get Pam to the Excalibur Spa. I had gotten her a day at the spa for our anniversary a couple of weeks ago. I figured that not only would it put me ahead as the better spouse, but it would also allow me to head to South Point Casino and put some hours in at the tables.
I played some blackjack and made some sports bets. My parlay got crushed for the day, but I did make a futures bet on the Broncos taking it all this year. Interesting enough I made the bet before Tom Brady's suspension was upheld. Needless to say, I got some good odds as they changed after the announcement.
After a break-even Blackjack session at the South Point I headed back to the Excalibur to pick up my new and improved wife. She texted me to let me know that she was not quite done having strangers rub her down and that it would be another thirty minutes. With nothing to do, I sat down and had a wild ride on the tables that fluctuated to almost losing everything...to almost doubling it...and finally, to breaking even by the time Pam finished up at the spa. I realized that I really need to gamble with my trusty partner, Pam, as she sets what we call a Stop Loss or a Stop Win.
Pam had not played all day and you could tel--as she was getting a twitch in her eye and her hands started to shake. She had not eaten anything since breakfast so we stopped by at one of our favorites called Chicago Brew Company. We always come here and get the pizza and wings. If you find yourself aimlessly walking down Fremont street and find yourself with a hunger in your belly, I suggest you stop into the Chicago Brewing Company to get your fill. Not only will you be pleasantly surprised, you will thank me later as Pam gave it a near perfect rating of 4.7 pepperonis eaten out of five!
Mainstreet Station was first on the list. It's a classy joint downtown that I have always liked to play at. I hit my win stop and cashed in. Pam was still trying to hit hers so I put some money in a Wheel of Fortune machine and had a couple big hits and turned my very low buy-in for a mighty profit! The Mainstreet has a restroom that has a chunk of the Berlin Wall that is behind the urinals. It's pretty neat to see and even cooler to take literally be able to piss on what Ronald Reagan deemed the "Evil Empire"!
The gambling gods had taken a break while we were downtown and the cards turned cold. After an extensive unsuccessful search for a Rigo, we decided that it was time to head out and check in to the Red Rock Hotel and Casino. Before we left we walked by a small casino we had never been in. Pam wanted to stop, and the next thing I knew we were stuffing our faces again with a fried Twinkie and three White Castle burgers. This is probably the worst thing you can put in you stomach, but we were sad that our search for the elusive Rigo had once again come up short. All we could do was console each other with fried goodness!
While driving out to Red Rocks are little rental car, Sparky decided that he wanted to stall right in front of the hotel. Luckily it started right back up and were able to make it to our destination. Just another reason on why we will not being using Budget again.
I got the guts to try the twenty dollar trick when checking in. The Vegas lore is that if you tip them at check-in and ask for an upgrade they will assign you to a suite. The lady just laughed at me and told me to keep my money. With my pride a little wounded from being turned down, and my feet sore searching for a Rigo I was ready to call it a night. Pam was not going to have any of that! She simply would not allow me to waste valuable gambling time by sitting around a hotel room. She demanded I take a shower and wash away feeling sorrow for myself. I still was not convinced and than Pam said something that made Vegas the place that it is today. She said "What would Jonathan do?" Without a doubt, Jonathan would gamble no matter how tired he was!
I showered and headed down to the tables to join my wife at what we do best! We stayed at the same table for several hours. The free comped drinks flowed as the money stacked in Pam's favor. The whole table stayed together, and we were having a great time! I stayed even but Pam tripled her initial buy-in. Since we were on a heater we decided to play what we call a BobBob. We named it after Pam's grandpa who never met a five dollar slot machine he didn't like. Pam found a Wheel of Fortune game that she says called her from the other side of the casino and put in money for our BobBob play. BobBob would be proud as we tripled that our money in just a few spins.
It was late, and once again, we were hungry. Pam had asked and received a free comp at The Cafe. It was great as Pam ordered us enough food to spend down the comp. The late night food hit the spot, and we were ready to get some rest for another fun day of taking down Vegas and the quest to find us the Rigo, who we thought would be in Vegas!
Day 2:
They day didn't start off as early as the other. My body needed rest and relaxation after the corn-holing tournament the night before. Who knew that throwing a bean bag at a wood frame could take a toll on an unconditioned 41 year old body?
The family went out for breakfast at Great Beginnings. Unfortunately I sustained a breakfast ending injury as a shot of lemon juice found its way directed at my left eyeball! After breakfast for some, and not all, we ventured to the mall where the girls to do some more school shopping. The trip was a success for little Delaney and not so much for AK who is in dire search of Chacos.
After breakfast we were off to my parents' community pool to take on the heat. Uncle Jeffy and his crew were already there waiting for us and Uncle Denny's family to show up. My parents live in a sophisticated area that has not seen the likes of the Desparrois' brothers and their wild mob of motley trained kids. They were not quite sure who to handle a pack of wild younglings playing keep away with a beach ball led by Uncle Denny. We splashed, yelled, screamed, fought, let other kids join in and mainly had good old-fashioned Desparrois brother rowdy fun as the sophisticated crowd soon found their pool taken over by outsiders. The fun didn't last long as clouds rolled in and all of a sudden the life guard decided to end the chaos because of lightning, or because he could not allow that much fun to take place in his pool.
For dinner we went over to Auntie Katie's house where Uncle Tom grilled us up some great burgers and hot dogs. Cousin Garrett was concerned that his cornhole partner's career threatening eye injury would effect the teams championship status. He was correct with his thinking as my aim was off and my throws fell short.
The kids wrestled and enjoyed being with each other. Cousin Garrett, being the oldest cousin is the automatic jungle gym standing well over six feet tall. AK and little Delaney had a blast hanging out and playing with all of their cousins. It was soon time to kiss the girls goodnight and goodbye. They spent the night at Auntie Katie's as Pam and I went back to my parents home to prepare for our trip to Vegas!
As we left, Cousin Teag told me that I was his best friend. Awwww, not a bad dude to have as your best friend!
Day 3:
The day started out extra early as Pam and I had to catch our 7:45 flight to Vegas. Since my parents live in Highlands Ranch and the city of Denver did the smart thing and built an airport out in Kansas, we had to get up earlier than most would consider legal. But then again, we are in Colorado and they do have a tendency to legalize things that most don't!
We were on a roll from the start as the airport check in and security were a breeze. Our flight was on time and we walked right up to our bag waiting for us. All things seemed to be going our way with lady luck until we got to Budget Car Rental. We waited in a not so long line for a long time only to be helped by the most unhelpful and unhappy lady behind the counter. She was not very polite and got rather upset when I wouldn't upgrade my car or pay for any additional insurance that I am already covered by. Our punishment for not giving in to her her rudeness was getting the smallest car on the lot, a Chevy Spark. It's equivalent size to the old Flood brothers go-cart that would terrorize Puma Park with back in the day!
Since the lady was rude and Pam didn't get added to the the driver list, I was going to have to do my best one eyed driving I could. Pam christened our vessel Sparky, and we were off--to take down Vegas! It was decided that we would stop at the Palace Station for a quick bite at their buffet. After all, our bodies and minds needed nourishment to take down Vegas. The buffet is about what you would expect for a six dollar buffet. With our bellies full, Pam started to get jittery and her hands began to shake. A sure sign that I needed to get her to the blackjack table stat.
We headed over to the Texas Station, as we drove Pam gave me the new title of the One-eyed Wonder. Probably because she was so impressed with my ability to drive with one eye. This trip had two goals in mind. To take down Vegas and to see if we could spot the elusive, but always clever, Rigo. Playing "Where's Rigo?" is much like playing "Where's Waldo?" Except Rigo's tend to wear Miami Heat jerseys and a New Mexico State hat. Plus Rigos have been know to grow well over six feet tall.
Texas Station proved to benefit our pockets as not only did Pam win at their tables, but she also scored as free Starbucks! Unfortunately though, there was no Rigo sighting at the Texas Station.
Our next victims were on Fremont Street in downtown. One-by-one we knocked down casino after casino making them wish they were not so inviting with their generous offers of free hotel nights and buffets. And then, out in the distance I saw my arch nemesis. The D Casino. This little gem of a place has taken more money and pride in the past then I care to think about.
Maybe I was just on my game, maybe the cards were falling right, or maybe it was the fact that only being able to see with one eye made me concentrate more on my cards and not the dealer-dancers that usually take my attention away. Whatever it was, Pam and I both did well enough at The D to make them sorry theyhad given us their free promotional players club card!
After beating down the downtown casinos and a few tasty adult beverages Pam realized that our buffet had wore off earlier and she was hankering for some ribs. So, off we were to Binion's to split a rack of baby backs. The helping was huge and left Pam and I full and satisfied. Pam gave Binions a perfect score of five completely cleaned off rib bones!
After dinner we headed over to the Plaza for their ten dollar poker tournament. It's cheap and fun, and there are a ton of locals who truly believe that they are playing in the World Series of Poker, all for just ten bucks! I pulled a Jonathan and busted out on the first hand that I played when m 3 -of-a-Kind ran into a straight! Geez!
Downtown proved to be both fun and lucrative but we needed to head off and check in for the night at the Green Valley Resort. As always, we refuse to pay for rooms and go where they are free. This trip it will be one night at GVR and then off to Red Rock. GVR is absolutely beautiful, and the casino is amazing as it tripled our buy in and comped us a free late night meal for our stellar play. After a long day of gambling, eating, having an adult beverage or two, we came a few steps closer to taking down Vegas, but unfortunately, there still has not been a Rigo sighting as of yet!
Day 1:
The day started out early as all days in Colorado do. I like to get up early and spend some time with my mom. Since I am in town and the go-to handy man, my mom decided that I would be spending sometime putting up a ceiling fan in the the extra bedroom.
We were off to Home Depot to pick up my next home improvement chore. The trip was quick, and my mom was able to make a fast decision on the fan. After a fast stop at Starbucks to get Pam and my mom a coffee, we came home.
With my trusty assistants Dad and little Delaney, I was able to get the fan up with relative ease. During breakfast it was decided that the women-folk would go shopping and leave my dad and I alone to decide our own plans. My dad had no ideas, so I decided that we would be going to a bar in Golden called Wrigley's Chicago Bar and Grill. My good buddy Holmes, aka Tony Jackson, suggested I give it a try. Since Holmes knows his way around beer, and by looking at him, food as well, I decided it would be a good choice!
Tony forgot to mention one little piece of information; It just so happens to be a biker bar. My dad didn't care--he had a Polish sausage and root beer on his mind, and he wasn't going to let a few wannabe Hell's Angels get in the way of him doing his two favorite things: eating and watching the Cubbies play!
After walking through a rough crowd and a few strange stares, we were able to get seated and order our meal. I opted for the Italian Beef and Chicago dog while my dad enjoyed the Polish sausage. On a scale of one to five bikers, we gave it a four and a half bikers with a cool bike babe on the back of the bike.
We headed back home to get ready for mass. After church we loaded up to head to Uncle Jeffy's and Aunt Susan's house. A great time was had by all as the kids ran and played and Uncle Jeffy introduced to a new game called Corn Hole.
We played the great game of Corn Hole the rest of the evening. It turns out that Pam is pretty decent at corn holing. AK was not bad at all. Uncle Denny was terrible as expected and couldn't hole his corn if the hole was three feet wide. Uncle Jeffy talked a big game only to get corn holed by Aunt Susan. Cousin Garrett picked his partner well as we took the Corn Hole championship. But the surprise corn holer was Uncle Tom. He came off the disabled list with his reconstructed hip to prove that he truly was from Nebraska with his amazing corn holing skills.
It was a great day of family and fun with more to come tomorrow!
Day 5:
The day purposefully started off late with Pam making yet another executive decision the night before to let the girls sleep in before we headed off to the Hoover Dam our way back to Phoenix. Originally we were going to go on the Hoover Dam tour. After realizing that taking two first time goers to Vegas and showing them the sights smooth wore our arses out, Pam declared that she didn't give a damn about the dam tour and walking over it would have to suffice!
We loaded up and packed the car yet again for another adventure. After a quick stop to grab some breakfast, it was apparent that Delano was representing a tired protest and a hard push to win the Grumpiest Kid of the T,rip award.
We hit the dam only to realize that it was a damn long walk down the Arizona side of the mountain and we would have to hike back up again in damn hot heat from hell. So here we were with one kid who's "Give-a-Damn" was broken, another kid who wanted to see the dam and two tired parents who had already seen the damn dam on a previous trip and were just ready to hit the damn road again!
Since Pam decided there would be no dam tour, she put me in charge as the tour guide since I had once saw an episode of the Hoover Dam on the History Chanel ten years prior. AK was eager to learn such misled information such as "lots of people died building the dam, most of them who died got stuck in the concrete, and that it took a damn long time to build the dam." With Delano still protesting, the history lesson over and the heat raising; I grabbed Delano and threw her on my back piggy back style so we could get the hell out of the heat and off the damn dam!
Pam decided that sweet Delano could not win the Grumpiest Kid of the Trip award so she decided to let her ride shotgun and eat sunflower seeds as we rode down the road. The trip to Phoenix was only four hours long, but seemed like a lifetime in the car. We finally made it to our destination with four tired, grumpy family members who were ready to be out of the car and somewhat away from each other.
We decided that we would stay at a Hilton resort for our last night. The decision proved to be a good one as the girls were excited about going to the water park at the resort. Pam and I were equally thrilled to float on the lazy river and drown ourselves in beers.
After several hours of floating we grabbed some pizza and called it a night. The damn Hover Dam, driving four hours and the lazy resort river had given this family all it could handle for one day.
Day 6:
It was determined that we needed to hit the road no later than 8:00 am Phoenix time. This meant that we would have to be up and ready by 7:00 in order to eat the free breakfast from Hilton. I had an email from Hilton earlier in the trip to find out that I have finally reached my highest achievement so far in life. I am now a Gold Member of Hilton!
Delano was still in rare form as nothing looked good and her pleasant demeanor was a breath of sunshine for us all. The whole family was nothing but excited to get back in the car for another long and treacherous drive!
Once again she got to sit in the front seat as we headed 10 and a half hours home! The journey was long and hard. It didn't help that all of the businesses in Van Horn were shut down because the electricity was out. The poor girls had to learn new meaning to the words, "Hold it!"
We finally rolled into Midland at 8:30 pm Texas time. The girls were happy to be home, but not as happy as their puppies were to see them!
The girls did love all the travel and the best quote from the trip award came from AK as she declared this years trip "The best vacation that we have taken yet!"
After traveling to seven cities, seeing the worlds largest hole in the earth, being high centered in a not-so-high river, witnessing breath taking views, hanging out with lumberjacks in Flagstaff, seeing Vegas through the eyes of newbies, losing my superhero status and regaining my superhero status, taking down Vegas by way of the buffet, getting to hang with Michael Jackson, meeting the cardboard version of Rick, not going on the damn dam tour, but getting to see the dam in the damn heat, eating endless burgers, tacos and pizza, several ice cream cones, drinking some well calculated beers, lots of smiles, laughs and even some funny smells coming from the back, Pam made the last executive decision and declared The Desparrois Family Trek Across the Southwest complete after driving 2461.2 miles in the car for a total of forty-one hours, four minutes and 7 seconds. Pam was pleased to get back a few days early to prepare for her big conference and for the much eager awaited arrival of our good friend Rita Reeder!
Day 4:
Another early rise to the day, not because we needed to get moving, but rather the fact that our hotel room was not cooling down which made sleep impossible. Being hot in Vegas in the summer is not a good thing. Being hot in the hotel at night and not being able to sleep is even worse. Pam made another executive decision that we would get a different room. In instances like this I have found that it pays to be super nice to the person you are dealing with rather than being a mean old grizzly bear like people often do. The lady on the phone was great and upgraded our room,then waived the resort fee as well. Resort fees in Vegas wear me smooth out! Why in the world should I have to pay a resort fee when you are giving me a comped room? But I digress, the resort fee was now a mute point since we were on a free roll Vegas style!
We decided that we would be changing the name of our smallest young ling from little Delaney to Delano in hopes of her becoming a big bright Vegas star some day!
The girls really wanted to go see Pawn Stars in hopes of meeting Chumlee. We spent some time at the store checking out all the cool items. Chum was not present so we had to settle for cardboard picture with Rick. It was fun to go into the store. It will amaze you how small it actually is. Pam asked when the stars would be in the store and learned that the stars take the whole month of July and August off. AK got a cool Pawn Stars shirt and little Delaney found a Chumlee notebook to buy. I personally found it odd that they would put a picture of Chum on a notebook for school, but then again I guess I am raising a kid who would buy it. So who am I to judge!?!
After Pawn Stars we drove downtown and showed the girls Fremont Street. We decided early on a Monday morning would be a safe time from the freak show. Needless to say it was not! After seeing the topless overaged hula dancer, AK and poor Delano got an education on what the female upper body looks like beyond the age of fifty after many years of hard living! Lets just say that neither girl will be living hard after that scene!
It was time to cruise over to Caesars to checkout the Aquarius show they have in The Shop at the Forum. The girls loved it and were happy we went. We then went back to the Luxor to go swimming in the pool. The girls were pleased with the choice of four pools and enjoyed the cool water from the dessert heat.
When in Vegas there are to big time musts for first-time travelers. One of them is to attend a show. Pam and I had gone back and forth on which show and what kind of show to take them to. Since we are frugal, we went for the cheap show. Pam's theory was that the girls had never been to a show, and they would not know the difference anyway. The show we picked was Super Stars on Stage. It was a variety act of a concert featuring the fake Rod Stewart, Whitney Houston and the star of the show, Michael Jackson.
The show made me think of my boy from back home Rob Pena, aka Rigo. We celebrated his 40th birthday this past year. While at his party Michael Jackson's Billy Jean song came on. My boy Rigo turned to me and told me that he "was a sucker for a great 80's pop song!' Rigo is right, many don't admit it, but most of us are.
The show was well worth the price of admission, even if the price was completely free thanks to a Summer Mummers gift card Pam won a few years ago! Speaking of Summer Mummers, we will be back Saturday night to see the show with Kelly and Jaime in hopes that the mean Summer Mummers worker has found a new place of employment! This way both of them can enjoy throwing popcorn without getting scolded.
The next big must we had to check off the girls Vegas list was to take them to the buffet. It was a chance to redeem my superhero status that I lost at the Grand Canyon. You might not be able to tell from my slender figure, but I know how to work my way around a buffet to get the maximum amount of nourishment in for the least amount of money. My goal is to walk out of the buffet with having the casino realize they took a loss on me!
While driving to Sunset Station, I told the girls the important rules to buffet winning. "Don't eat any breads. Stay away from the potatoes and rice! Watch all potential fillers and only concentrate on the good stuff!"
We had to wait awhile in line. The cash register started to smirk when she saw my small stature family. She knew the casino would be out on top with our family! The reason Vegas is so big and grand is because everything is rigged and only a few know the secret to breaking Vegas. Since Pam and I have been to Vegas a time or two, we hold the precious answers on how to win. The casino purposely charges everyone the same price. By doing this they figure that they can score a win on kids while they may break even or take a small loss on the adults. What the Sunset Station was not betting on was the fact that I had coached the girls on how to take them down.
We finally sat down, said the family prayer and broke the family huddle to feed our guts. Delano was smart and went for the turkey and corn. AK went for tacos while Pam and I each had salads to help everything else glide through. Round two brought some real food followed by round three and four. After and hour at the table it was time for desert. The girls ate as much as they could and I had and extra just for good measure. I knew victory was ours as each trip to the buffet brought grimaced looks from the manager!
We finally decided to call it and roll our bodies out of the casino. Delano announced that the buffet had been one of the best places she had ever eaten! Our stomachs were full but not as full as my pride as I had once again achieved superhero status in the eyes of my little girls and once small bride! We came back to the hotel and let our food induced coma do its thing.
Day 3:
Once again the morning came early to write the previous days trip report, eat breakfast and begin the short drive up to the Grand Canyon. The drive was beautiful just like every other one that we have taken thus far and in no time we found ourselves at the southern rim to what I would describe as one of God's greatest natural creations. Next to Pam, AK and little Delaney, of course!
The Grand Canyon has been the part of the trip I have been most excited for. I have always wanted to visit the worlds largest hole next to Aunt Edna's mouth! But, I do need to let all in on a little secret. Every super hero has their Kryptonite, and I am no different. Mine is called HEIGHTS. I don't just have a small fear of heights, I have a massive one. It's so bad that I can't handle it when I see other people are close to the edge. Now, I am fine if there is a protective rail, but I don't want to go anyone near an edge... nor do I want to see anyone else do it!
I told myself and prayed early on that I was going to have to suck it up and overcome my fear so not only could I enjoy the majestic views, but more importantly, my family. Pam even chimed in and had a chat with me about it. Let's just say that all prayers came unanswered, and Pam's conversation was for not--as total fear swept through my body as if someone was pumping ice cold water in my veins.
I could handle the parts were there was a railing. Heck, I could even go up to the railing and look out. It was the areas which there was no protection form a long drop of death that made me shake! I knew I was not going to go near the edge and that would be safe. The issue was my daredevil wife and off spring had other ideas. All three of them have zero fear and a huge sense of adventure. AK led the charge and went right up to one edge giggling with glee, and I lost it. I begged and pleaded with her as my knees shook and I felt like I was going to toss my cookies.
Poor AK was not going to have any of it. She wanted to see the canyon and she wanted the best views possible. I turned to my better half, who I knew would back me on safety being the first priority. My pleading fell on deaf ears. Pam is molded from the same clay as AK and she was not going to allow my irrational fear ruin this for them. It was obvious that I would be winning the Biggest Weenie of the the Trip Award!
I came to the quick decision that I was going to have to walk away from the family to let them and myself enjoy the Grand Canyon. I hiked further up the trail as they climbed up, down and all around the edges having the time of their life. I would stop and look out at a very safe distance to see the views. They caught up with my after a while, and we went back to the railing area to enjoy the canyon as a family.
I must say that it truly is one of the most amazing natural creations that I can know check off my bucket list. I also have a special shout out to Christine Morgan. She was AK's science teacher in 5th grade. AK rattled off all kinds of interesting facts about water erosion and how this must be how the Grand Canyon was formed with the Colorado River. When asked how she knew so much, she stated "Mrs. Morgan taught me!"
After having my intestines cleansed by the experience, we got a bite to eat and headed five more hours to our next adventure and big surprise for the girls. Pam and I had gone back and fourth on whether or not we should include Vegas in the trip when we were planning the adventure. It was not far from where we would be, and I knew I could score us some free rooms. At first we decided not to do it. Then the degenerate gambler in each of us took over, and the answer became a quick yes.
We have always mocked people who bring their kids to Vegas with snide comments and jokes. Now here we were--just like them! It was decided that we would not be gambling while the kids sat off to the side and watched. Nope, this trip to Vegas would be about showing the girls all the cool sites on the strip that they would love.
We kept this part of the trip a surprise and it took them a long time to figure it out, even with all the signs on the road from the hotels telling us how far away we were from Vegas. When they figured it out they were so excited. I could tell that they had not been switched at birth, and they belonged to both Pam and I. Delaney was the most enthused as she found out we would be staying at the pyramid hotel also known as the Luxor.
We walked down the strip and loved watching the girls eyes sparkle at the magic of the lights and sights. Little Delaney fell in love with the Paris while AK really liked "all of them"! My favorite part was going to the Bellagio and seeing the conservatory. This seasons theme with the flowers was Under the Sea. The girls were mesmerized at the pure beauty that had been created with flowers.
Hanging out on the strip and seeing all the sights had been a great deal of fun and something that Pam and I have not done in many years or trips to Vegas. It was great to go through all of the casinos and to see what was new. Plus seeing it through the girl's eyes was awesome. I'm not sure how many miles we logged between walking the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas Strip, but it was apparent that it was a great deal as my legs and body screamed for bed. As I layed in bed, I remembered to thank the good Lord for the opportunity to take the family on this trip. It has been one of the best ones yet!
Day 2:
The day started out early for Arizona time and not so early for Texas time. Our hotel was on a golf course that allowed access to anyone who was staying at the Embassy Suites. I grew up working at Denver Country Club in high school and college. I always loved early mornings on the course. I knew I wanted to get up early to take a trek across the course and watch the sun rise. The course did not disappoint and the sun rise was beautiful in the Arizona desert.
When I returned I started to write up the report from the day before. Pam awoke and came in the extra room. She had decided that she wanted to go for walk and asked me if I would like to join her. Without hesitation I agreed as it was our anniversary and anything my wonderful bride wants, she should get on our anniversary! Besides you can't win Spouse of the Year without doing the little things.
After the walk was got the girls up had breakfast and headed out to the Verde river near Sedona for our tubing trip. The drive up the mountains was absolutely breath taking. If you have not been through this part of Arizona, you need to put in on the list.
We were not on actual tubes. They were more like an individual raft for each person with a paddle for going down the river. Our guide told us that half of the river was closed off because the water was too shalow to float. But the excursion we had booked would take an hour, and we could do it as many times as we wanted.
Once we got in it was apparent that the river was not moving very fast and paddles were going to be a necessity. The scenery was nothing like I was expecting and something to behold. We live in the desert, but there is a big difference in the plain desert of Texas compared to natural beauty of Arizona.
It took the girls some getting use to the paddle, but they were able to manage pretty well. That is, of course, after AK had a battle with a spider that got into her raft. It was quite the site to see her thrashing around on her raft trying to use her paddle to kill the tiny little creature that was most likely not even a spider. AK was able to win the battle against what she deemed "a killer river spider" and continue her journey down the gentle stream.
Delaney did not fare as well as she got caught up in current that pushed her behind a fallen branch and made her get stuck. The current pushed the rest of us in the opposite direction down the river. Little Delaney started to panic. Pam being the super hero mom she is sprung into action to save her precious little girl, and secured a vote of confidence from her youngest in the quest for parent of the year award.
She tossed me her raft and fought the current up river to get to her little Delaney. Delaney was able persevere the mighty river and get her self free before Pam reached her. I breathed a sigh of relief, not because little Delaney had set herself free, but rather that Pam had not been the super hero she had planned. I still had an outside shot at Parent of the Year!
We continued down river and I soon realized that a diet would be in order once the vacation ended. Large robust people struggle on a low river. In other words, people of my size tend to get high center on the river rocks and sandy bottom often. Either pounds need to be slimmed off my bo-bunk-us, or the river needs to see a steady rainfall for a few weeks. Either way my paddle came in handy getting me on unstuck!
Once we reached our destination it was declared by Pam that we would fight the mighty river one more time. Partly because we had a good time, but mostly because Pam was going to get her money worth! We went back to the car for a few drinks and a snack before we went back out.
The trip went a great deal faster the next time down. The girls mastered the paddle, AK was able to keep the "killer river spiders" out of her raft, little Delaney stayed clear of fallen trees, and I was able to maneuverv around the rocks that attracted my butt like a magnet. We had a great time on the river and would highly recommend it to anyone!
We were all staring and still had an hour and a half drive to Flagstaff. We saw a Carl's Junior and stopped. We don't have these in our neck of the woods so we decided to stop and introduce the girls to Carl. He whipped us up some great grub and the girls mowed through their food like ravenous wild beasts.
Everyone was in a great mood as we headed off to Flagstaff. Pam took the wheel and lead the mighty charge north. The higher we got in altitude the lower and more welcome the cool air was. Pam saw a sign on the road for Montezuma's Castle. You might recall that we decided early on that we would make it a point to stop and see cool things along the road. Plus, Pam decided that it was important to pay Montezuma his respect so he did not come back on us and give us his revenge! The castle was a great site to see and worth the side trip.
While walking back on the trail I noticed a family stopped and looking at something. It turned out they spied a rattler. Personally I only like snakes that I don't see, but this was kind of a neat experience as a ranger came down and caught the snake and proceeded to tell us how they go about protecting them. It was cool to see and educational as well. Who knew we could actually teach the younglings and have fun at the same time?
We proceeded on towards our final destination for the day. Once we arrived in Flagstaff we noticed that we were right next to Northern Arizona University. Home of the Lumberjacks. We drove around one of the prettiest campuses I have ever been on. I was glad we drove through it, not only was it beautiful, it also spurred question s from the girls about college. I had to make sure I got a shirt. After all, who wouldn't want some Lumberjack garb?
We got checked into the Hampton Inn and continued to explore this mountain town. It was getting close to dinner so I found the nicest place possible to take my blushing bride of sixteen years, Del Taco! Now, I like me some Del Taco. We don't have one in Midland and what we do have for fast food Mexican is not that good and way over priced. We had 12 tacos and two churros for a grand total of $12. Take that Taco Villa, it was have cost me almost $30, if not more there.
After our Mexican fiesta for our bellies we took the girls for ice cream and to find a spot for fireworks. We didn't fare to well on the firework and found ourselves headed back to our temporary hotel for the night. The girls passed out from exhaustion and Pam and I soon followed suit in preparation of day three which would include the Grand Canyon, and the surprise we have planned for the trip that girls have no idea about!
