Monday, April 20, 2009

The Sights and Sounds of Las Vegas


Me at the Belagio


The Rio


The Motley Crew

Las Vegas is not a place that I really ever thought I would want to visit. My husband has suggested it as a place he and I might sneak away for a long weekend, but I always choose the beach if the option is available. So, when the National AAPC Conference was being held in Las Vegas, I thought it would be as good a time as any to check it out.

So, a few of my fellow Medical Coders and co-workers decided that we would travel together and check out "Sin City".

I am not quite sure how to describe the six of us that went except that we are certainly a motley crew. My roomie, Yvonne, and I are pretty similar in personality, so we decided to room together. (not that we had to, but trying to save some money and we enjoy hanging out, we thought it would be fun).
(Myself and "V" aka Yvonne)

Stephanie and Vicki, although different, are best friends, so they roomed also. Both are married, one pregnant. Stephanie was my boss when I first started working at Medical Edge. Also along was one single gal, Stacy, and one of our physicians.

When the plane landed, I looked at the terrain and immediately decided it was one of the ugliest places that I had ever seen. Honestly, a city stuck in the middle of the desert. I was skeptical already.

The shuttle ride to the Rio proved to to charm my eyes when we hit the strip. The casinos were colossal, flashy, and there were people everywhere.

We got to our hotel, and the excitement picked up. Walking into the casino/hotel, the sights and sounds immediately inundated my senses. Lights were flashing. Bells were ringing. Smoke permeated my nostrils. My skin tingled with the cool air of the inside after the desert heat.

We all checked in and decided we must eat. It was only 1:30 p.m. Vegas time, but for us, it was 3:30. For Yvonne, it was 4:30. Jet lag had already set in. Hamburgers and salads filled our empty tanks. Sadly, we were in bed by 10:00 p.m. (Vegas time) our first night there!

Well, if six people could be different in what we like to do, what we like to eat, and how we like to spend our time, we six certainly are. We compromised well and never had any conflict, but it was amusing when we all had to make a decision. We finally split into smaller groups for some activities, especially eating. Yvonne and I ate mostly Asian foods, where Stephanie and Vicki stuck with more American fare. Dr. M. and Stacy...well, I am not sure they even ate.

Time was spent gambling (Yvonne won over $400 on a $20 bet!), shopping, and eating. For three days we were in classes talking about anatomy, heart cathertizations, ethics and at night we watched Chippendales dance. What a contrast!

The sun was bright and warm, day after day, but our hotel was dark - 24 hours a day. It was outlandish to walk out of the elevator at 6:00 a.m., only to see the scene exactly the same as the night before...still gambling, still drinking, and still sitting there. Were they there early, or had they even left at all? I guessed they had been there all night by the shadows on their faces.

The sights and sounds of Las Vegas crowded my senses. I was busy, moving, going, eating, learning, laughing, seeing, hearing, playing, dozing, and trying to take it all in. Even this post has become jammed with too much...just like my five days there. The rest of the adventures I will show you in pictures.

Enjoy..........

Paris at day

Accosted by a monster!

YES! Brides wear white in Las Vegas!

Fountains at Belagio

Botanicals at Belagio

Tickets to Cirque de Soleil!


The casino by night...or was it by day? Who would ever know!


Yes, we really did go to work!

We got all of our CEU's! It's over!

Taste
The best meal of the day!


A fountain of Chocolate at the Venetian


Paris at night!


Treasure Island

New York New York



The Rio, poolside




3 comments:

Laura said...

Liz!

It looks like you had so much fun! The Belagio (sp?) looks like it alone would be worth the visit. Maybe one day...

YOu have a beautiful smile, lady.

Thanks for taking me along.

:)Laura

pam said...

WOW---I'm always torn...I've never really wanted to go there, but your pictures stir something. What a bizarre contrast...I'm not much of a desert person...but all the flowers and water works...hmmm. Maybe a quick couple of days and then move on. :) Glad you had fun!

Mary Ann said...

Glad you got to go. I have such happy memories of being there with Ron. Love, Mom