Vegas, Family Style

When you work in education, there is a small window between summer school and the start of the regular school year that I get to run a muck with my boys. Both boys were born in September so it makes it all the better to take advantage of my time off and theirs to celebrate their birthdays early with a mini vacation.

When they were younger we would take these early birthday trips to San Diego. We would run the gamut of activities, from Legoland to the San Diego Zoo and Sea World f budget and time would allow. It was great and the memories I have of my babies toddling around Legoland mesmerized by all there was to see and do there between the rides and creations I will carry with me forever.

As they have gotten older, their taste for our mini vacation has changed. For the past few years we have gone to Las Vegas. There are many reasons for the change from coast to desert. The cost of going to San Diego alone is expensive now more than before. It helped that I would purchase our tickets in advance and through my discount at work. But there was still gas and food and all the little things they would want. They are older now and think the theme parks and zoo is for a younger crowd, not their older selves.

Right off the bat going to Las Vegas is much cheaper. Having a MGM Rewards card makes a huge difference as far as what I end up spending. Over the years I have earned comped days at certain hotels. The lower end hotel have more comped days available than the higher end hotels. For example, I have four comp days at Excalibur and Luxor, but only have a comp day or two at the Bellagio and Aria. When I go on an adult trip, I admit we tend to stay at the higher end hotels associated with the MLife (MGM Rewards) program.

My boys are all about the pool, arcades and gaming. They are not picky when it comes to the type of room and how pretty and fancy it looks. Whether we stay at the Excalibur our the Luxor they know that there are two arcades and Hyper X Arena for gaming. They love it there, and typically is the highlight of the trip despite everything else we do that I think is fun.

As it is a family style trip, my father and brother also join us on our Vegas trips. In recent years my partner comes along as well and even bring his family. Previous years have also brought us him and his son, as well as cousins, god daughter, aunt and even his grandpa. The more the merrier is our motto and we have learned to plan a trip that is enjoyable to both kids and adults involved.

The daytime revolves around the kids and what is entertaining for them. Its always a good idea to start the day out by the pool. This we do for a few reasons, the main one being that in August Las Vegas is already in the middle of their wildly intensive hot ass summer. After waking up and grabbing a quick bite to eat we all get ready and head down to the pool area for swimming and sunbathing. Crowds are another reason why we choose to head to the pool early. Unless you purchase a cabana or daybed the lounge chairs are first come first serve and can get scooped up fairly quickly if one waits too long. Going early allows us to select our seating while there are still plenty of options to choose from.

By the time the sun is in full death star mode we head back in to the cooling comfort of our hotel room and get ready for some exploring. I know there are some folks that will discourage the kids walking along the strip because of experiences that are not exactly kid friendly. To this I say "fuck that", why is anyone trying to hide the realities of the world, especially when certain parents make the conscious decision to take their children to Las Vegas in the fist place. The boys and I are born and raised in East Los Angeles, there is not much they have not seen. The only difference is that in Vegas it is more colorful. If you don want your children in the middle of pimps, homeless, grifters and sex workers then do not take them there just because you as the adult wants to stretch out and run wild and free the way you did before children were ever part of your life.

When the boys were much younger, I'm talking infant to toddler to five year old. I did not take them to Vegas with me, til the youngest was eight and the oldest was thirteen. By this time they were old enough to be out of the "mine, mine, mine!" and the "buy me this, buy me that." stage. There was no need to worry about them wandering off and getting lost. Another bonus was being out of the stroller phase of life and lugging that all over the place. There is nothing better than kids when they have had a long and full day because it will lead to a great nights sleep.

After fun at the pool we begin exploring outside the hotel. Everything on the strip that there is to do for free we do as much as possible. The gardens and water show in the Bellagio, the Atlantis show at Ceasars, volcano at the Mirage, the flamingos at the Flamingo. The boys enjoy going into and exploring the Coke and M&M stores. The two will pick out a few things either to take as souvenirs or to snack on in the room at night.

There are certain activities that I do pay for out there. Arcades are one of them. The Excalibur has one, and we walk across the bridge to New York, New York has the Big Apple Roller Coaster and Arcade and crossing the bridge in the other direction is their favorite; Hyper X Arena were gamers of all levels can play console and PC games. You can play by the hour, or by the day. There is even a Weekend Warrior option for all the die hards out there for $125. An hour costs $15, two hours is $25, four hours is $40 and an eight hour day pass is $50. I always get an eight hour pass for each of them. The timing can be broken up as you go along so they will have three full days to break up those eight hours and if there is any left over they can save it for the next trip out there. This gaming arena also has a lounge for adults waiting for their kids while they play. My dad steps up to the plate with this task each night. He grabs some room snack and a beverage or two and chills while the kids play. He is not a gambler at all and would rather not partake in all the walking we do in the casino while the boys are at the arena.

I am not a fan of letting the boys play for hours on end without taking any breaks which is why the eight hour passes are broken up over days. As a plan and habit, our days on vacation are filled with activity and not till a few hours before they call it quits for the night do they head into Hyper X. Once it is done for the night, its back to the room with a snack of some kind and a plan to watch movies with grandpa till they pass out from exhaustion.

A small tip that has helped out when out there is bringing our amazon fire stick. As you may well know, the channel selection in most rooms leaves a lot to be desired. Am htmi cable and fire stick can go a very long way. We also take a laptop and a Nintendo switch. The rule is no technology till the days end. The Nintendo switch will typically only get used during the drive or before bed in the room if at all. Tech options are great with the boys as an after thought, not a main focal point.

Well into the night is when Vegas comes alive for the 21+ crowd. After some in room pregaming we load up the backpack cooler and head out into the night. If you follow my tales you know about the backpack cooler. If you do not let me highly recommend getting one. My partner and I got ours from amazon, it is the SEEHONOR insulated cooler backpack leakproof soft cooler bag. We loved it so much, I got one of my own so now we bring two with us everywhere we go. Its great for holding our alcoholic beverages, waters, and on the go snacks. All of these being necessary when walking around in Vegas in the middle of summer. During the day we carry the two because it'll hold everything for the adults as well as the kids and at night we carry just one. If you are on a budget and would rather save the money for the frills and activities then investing in a Backpack cooler is definitely a great way to save and if you are a baller then keep on shinning.

At night the over 21+ crowd really comes to play ball. A majority of the things we do and see are focused on being adults. Gambling, lounges, Speakeasy's, and other fun things to do that cater to strictly adults. An example of that is Ellis Island. This small hotel and casinos plays it up big with what they have to offer. A brewpub named The Front Yard serving all kinds of yummy treat and has big screen for games night viewing, movie nights and themed occasions. The upper level is a cool converted tiki bar serving specialty drinks in a tropical decorated environment. The Ellis Island BBQ, making delicious slow cooked chicken and ribs. All serving an adult crowd only. While you cant take the kids it is still a spot worth checking out if you have a sitter or are on your own. Ghost Donkey at the Cosmo has the most tasty truffle nachos that will blow your mind. Their drinks are mezcal based which is an interesting twist and I am here for all of it. On top of all of that adulting there is also the gambling. We walk and then stagger as the night progresses from one casino to another trying our luck each step of the way. Needless to say there is never a shortage of where to go or what to do.

The days get divided into sections. Although the nights will conclude with Hyper X for the boys, our days are always different. Each day is a certain area, for example, day one will be mostly centered around the beginning of the strip. Everything from the Excalibur over to the Aria is about our walking range. Our second day starts at circus circus for the midway games, and circus shows that run every half hour or so. Once that all down we all make our way over to Downtown Las Vegas and the Fremont Street experience. The boys enjoy going to Container park and the pinball arcade. The lights show from above that happens each hour, the street performers are fun to watch and the live bands are definitely a highlight of Fremont street. You can easily lose track of time and be completely immersed by everything there is to see and do. Our last day full day is usually for places like Area 15, and places we have to drive out to. I"ll be taking the kids to a restaurant called "Amano Restaurant" an Italian eatery specializing in traditional menu options with a twist. Top Golf is also on out list of activities that my kids requested to do as well at the Twilight Zone mini golf located in the Ballys Hotel and Casino. There is always an abundance of ways to entertain yourself and the entire party with you.

By the end of the trip we are all exhausted and ready to return home. A trip so completely full of things to do and see is just the type of good time my boys look forward to. Our mornings on the last day are slow and lazy. whatever breakfast snacks are left we consume with either coffee or the kids will have chocomil, followed by showers and making sure everything gets thrown back in bags. As we leave two people will do one last sweep of the room and we head say goodbye till next time to the always fun Las Vegas.

For a few years now, I reserve our hotel stays to be from Sundays to Thursdays. The comp days usually fall during the week and there is much less traffic on the way back home on a Wednesday or Thursday than on Sundays. It could be that I'm older with no patience for bumper to bumper traffic or that that I finally got some sense that my youth did not provide. I love that when we leave at check out that the likelihood of getting back to Los Angeles at a reasonably early time is accurate each and every time. By the time we get back to reality there is still plenty of time to rest and recover the last few hours before the next day comes.

Yes its chaotic and busy for those days that we are out there. The important take away for me in it all is the time and memories we get to make together. The time I get to spend with my children is most precious because eventually they will be adults with lives of their own and responsibilities attached to them. This is when our lives will be the closest and most tied to one another. Another reason is the time and memories I get to have with my father and him with his grandchildren. Growing up my dad worked graveyard shifts and I did not spend much time with him because he was always working so hard to support his family. Now he is retired and living a much slower paced existence. Each time we take these trip, he is a prevalent figure in them. At the pool with us, walking the strip, playing at the arcade and taking part of all the activities. It is something he counts on as much as the rest of us do.

Trips away from the real world have contributed so much to my personal growth and healing because I have been able to learn something new after each one. I am learning to breathe in and see the moments away, not as running away but rather building on who I am wanting to be the older I get. In my youth, the real world could be crumbling around me and I would react by running. I would take off, somewhere, anywhere would my problems would not be. Not only would I return to the exact same dilemma, but it would have the same cycle of effect on me and my mental health. As I have not only grown older, but have learned to tools necessary to live a better path on a new journey now when I leave town it is no longer under the guise of running away from anything. When we pack up and go its because we are celebrating. Returning now is no longer a dread in regards to what was left on the back burner. I am in a much better place and in being in this better place in many ways I feel has made me a better parent and a more well balanced woman.

Until next time folks.