Las Vegas with the girls…Pre Trip Report - Updated 6/2 About This Page:

[WDWfan]

Las Vegas with the girls...

Who: Me 50, DM 77, DSis (Shelley) 48
When: June 10-18, 2006
Where: Las Vegas – 1 night Harrah’s, 1 week Hilton Grand Vacation Club at the Flamingo
Why: Long Story – See Below

My parents have been going to Las Vegas for their wedding anniversary every year for over 40 years. They have always stayed at the Flamingo. 12 years ago when they were there Hilton was building a time-share on the Flamingo property (Hilton owned the Flamingo at the time – they’ve since sold it). When they came home they offered to let my then husband and me go the next year and spend a week at the time-share. They even offered to stay with our kids (then 10 and 8). Who could refuse a free place to stay and babysitting to boot?

We went and loved it! We met 2 couples in Vegas who were friends of ours and we all had a great time. It became a yearly event! We would go in June around our Anniversary, which also happened to be one of the other guy’s birthdays. We would celebrate, eat at amazing restaurants, get in some pool time, catch a couple of shows and do a little gambling. It was something we all looked forward to.

Last year my husband left me and we’ve since divorced. It’s been a tough year and I could certainly use a vacation, but I didn’t see another trip to Vegas for this year. It’s not a place I’d want to go to alone and I haven’t found the perfect Vegas travel mate yet. My Mom and Dad always go together and my DSis is married with 4 kids ages 14-20. It’s hard for her to get away.

Last December when my DM, Shelley and I were together for our annual craft fair outing (a story for another day) Mom mentioned that Dad thought that she, Shell and I should go to Las Vegas together this year. DD81 has never liked Las Vegas as much as Mom, but always went because she loves it! He doesn’t like the long (to him) flight because his arthritis really bothers him when he sits too long and gambling isn’t his passion (Mom loves the slots!). Shell and I felt bad because it has been their tradition to be in Las Vegas for their anniversary for over 40 years, but Mom convinced us Dad didn’t want to go this year and if we didn’t go with her she wouldn’t get to go.

So the mother/daughter trip to Vegas was on!

Next – Trying to decide when to go and what to do…………

[iamgrumpy]

Great start! Can't wait for more!

[crystalloubear]

I love reading trip reports! More please

[lauren-roxy]

Great start!! Can't wait for more!!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Lesley [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/zwavin.gif[/img] More please [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[chezp]

How great that you're able to head back to Vegas - and a mother and daughter trip too. I can't wait to read more! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[WDWfan]

Las Vegas with the girls…Pre Trip Report Part 2

Trying to decide when to go………………………..

Ok – we’re going, but now we need to decide when. We decided on June because that is when Mom and I have always gone. It’s hot, but as they say it’s a dry heat! The crowds aren’t too bad. School is out. It’s after graduations are over (my DD is graduating from college and my DSis’s DD is graduating from 8th grade). So now to agree upon a date……

Mom and Dad have always gone over their wedding anniversary – June 25 (this year they will be married for 56 years). My DSis’s anniversary is June 21. So both of those dates are out. I chime in and say “well we can go on my anniversary (June 10) since I got divorced this year there’s no one to celebrate with anyway”. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif[/img]

We had to schedule around my DNiece’s graduation, her party, and a soccer tournament my DNephew is playing in. Shelley didn’t have all of her dates set yet, so we waited. Hilton has 3 time-shares in Vegas, but we really wanted to stay at the Grand Vacation Club at the Flamingo. It has the best location. Right in the center of the strip! Mom has some mobility problems so she rents one of those motorized carts to get around. She can walk, but not long distances and if you’ve been to Vegas you know that everything is a long walk. The other locations are much farther away and would make it harder for her to use her cart. Because of its location the Flamingo GVC is the most popular and fills up the fastest. I was really nervous that we wouldn’t be able to get rooms there if we waited too long.

My DSis (who I [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/love.gif[/img] by the way!) is not very flexible about her family’s events. She has 4 kids ages 14-20 and never misses anything. I’m amazed at how much she does (she’s a great mom!), but sometimes it is frustrating [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] when everyone else has to wait for her to make plans. Finally at the end of February Mom and I decided to go ahead and pick date and have Dad [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/phone.gif[/img] and book the time-share. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502now_prv.gif[/img] We guessed when the best time for my sister would be and hoped she could join us. We were able to get the location we wanted for June 11-18. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] Shelley couldn’t commit yet, but will let us know if she can come for all or part of the week once her schedule falls in place.

Next…….Airfare and Shelley’s Schedule

[Colexis Mom]

Great update! Glad you finally agreed on a date, and were able to get the timeshare you wanted [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[lauren-roxy]

Glad you were able to find a date!! Can't wait to read more!!

[WDWfan]

Airfare and Shelley's Schedule........

The Airfare hunt began and boy were they high this year [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]. We fly out of O’Hare and normally we can get fares of $199-$250. One time it was as low as $139 Round trip. I’ve never paid $300. I like to leave mid morning on the outbound grip so we get in around lunch time in Vegas and have most of the day (also I don’t like getting up too early! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/snore.gif[/img]) and mid afternoon coming home (again with the not too early thing – and once I’m in Las Vegas my perception of early changes drastically [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]). We usually fly American or United, but will take any flight if the fare is right.

When I first started searching fares were over $400 [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] (and this is “off season” for Las Vegas) unless we took red eye flights or flights that left at 6:00 am. Not my time of day [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/shameonyou.gif[/img]. I figured I could wait for a deal, but every time I checked, the fares were higher! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] I was beginning to panic. Mom was paying for the airfare, but still I wanted to keep the fares as low as possible – more money for shows, shopping and gambling don’t you know. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] I was even considering driving to Midway airport, which we’ve done once or twice, and taking Southwest, but they were expensive as well. I guess I’ve gotten spoiled by low airfares.

In the mean time in mid April my sister finally decided she could come with us [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img], but not for the whole week. Her kids had activities both weekends that she didn’t want to miss so she would come late on Sunday and leave Friday morning. So she joins me in the airfare search [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/help.gif[/img]. We’re less than 2 months away and no flights. I like things pretty well planned out (I know most passporters will understand this) and so I’m in panic mode now [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smashpc.gif[/img].

Finally Shelley finds airfare for Mom and I on USAir/America West for just under $300 each. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] The catch is we have to fly out on Saturday afternoon – 1 day early, darn! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] and fly back on Sunday morning (so much for no early flights out of Las Vegas). Her airfare is a little cheaper and she gets in about 11:00 Sunday night and leaves Friday morning. We snap it up! Air reservations are done! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

We find a good deal on a rent a car for the 8 days. I’ll be the primary driver and will chauffeur Mom around, be Shell’s taxi service to and from the airport, and do a couple of grocery store runs. One more thing off the “to do” list. I [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/love.gif[/img] it when a plan comes together!

Next Up: What to do and where to eat…………………………………..

[chezp]

I'm glad you finally got your flights - I'd have been climbing the walls at that stage as well, as I like to have everything booked well in advance too. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[lauren-roxy]

Glad you were able to find a decent fare!