Sin City

So the time came for my last ‘hoorah’ of the summer. That ‘little’ brother of mine finally turned the big 2-1, so it was time for the Rogers’ to take the leap and head West. We have had long-standing plans of commemorating this monumental occasion with a trip to Sin City. I really don’t think any of us knew what to expect, considering our limited knowledge of Vegas consited of celeb sitings in US Weekly. True to form, there she was in all of her dessert glory. You had your shiny bulbs, palm trees, smoky casinos, old timers, buffets, elaborate swimming pools, round-the-clock beverage service, and many other Vegas notables.

The trip began with a wild Continental flight, complete with rowdy Jersey boys, overly-excited flight attendants, and a partridge in a pear tree. I arrived in Las Vegas, met up with my sister and her husband, spotted Vanilla Ice (yes, this really happened…), hopped in a cab and then hit the town. Oh Vegas, you haven’t changed a bit. Sure there were a few shiny, new hotels, but everything else seemed standard. Since it’s such a rare occasion that we all travel together, we enjoyed every minute of our long weekend. Although you won’t understand all of the Griswold moments, complete with your very own Clark (aka Steve-O), I thought I’d share a few of the highlights:

- Jersey Frat party on Continental Flight 268
- Making eye contact with Vanilla Ice, no less than 10 minutes upon arrival
- The Pina Coladas at NY,NY
- Feeling left out for not having a tattoo
- Finding out that Vegas queso is not the same as Texas queso
- Alfred the waiter
- Playing Catchphrase in my parent’s room:

Dad’s clue: “OK! Shot in the back of the head….”
1st Guess: “Lincoln?”
[shakes head no]
2nd Guess: “JFK?”
Dad: “No, his son…”
Answer: JFK Jr.

- Turning Dad’s clue into a week-long joke
- Taylor finding Mario and Luigi on the strip
- Winning $33 dollars on a slot machine, only to lose $45 later
- Jersey Boys
- “she’s a raaaaaaag doll”
- The 2008 Olympics
- reserving pool chairs two hours in advance
- 2 hour photo shoot at the Venetian, complete with a tripod
- Dad then losing the tripod, only to buy a non-refundable tripod, only to retrieve the original tripod
- Saturday spa day with the girls
- overheating in the steam room/saying that it felt like a "gas chamber"
- then overheating in the dry room
- having Tim the masseuse
- The Bellagio water show
- Wayne Brady Improv show
- “Nice Vans Spicoli”
- Big Red the Outback waiter
- the 8-month pregnant cocktail waitress
- riding the rollercoaster at NY,NY

Needless to say, the trip was a success. We all had a great time trying to win a few bucks and hopefully the birthday boy felt special. Until next time, Vegas will wait patiently with the likes of Midwest elderly couples, overeager 20-somethings, NASCAR fans and young families just looking for a good time.

First night out:



The Griswold's:



Jersey Boys:



"The Kids":



Last night:



Jim Halpert/Birthday boy: