I know you are all anxiously (humor me) awaiting more great news about my trip to Tennessee, but I must interrupt the scheduled posting to rant about my brief (and last) trip to Las Vegas, NV. Please keep in mind that I do not intend to belittle anyone's love for this crazy city. I understand that millions and millions of people flock to this absolutely chaotic excuse for a money sucking black hole of a tourist trap and they love every minute of it. It's just not my bag baby! I came to Las Vegas to meet some relatives that actually live here and also some that were visiting from Colorado. That part of my experience (I use that term loosely), was actually quite pleasant and enjoyable. After having a lovely dinner with family, we should have just driven straight home, no passing GO, no collecting $200! My nightmare with Las Vegas started almost immediately after leaving my cousin's house. We managed to get ourselves lost getting back to our hotel after being given very good directions and told we looked "perfectly capable" (keep in mind these particular relatives don't know us very well). We finally found our way to the hotel by keeping The Stratosphere Hotel in view at all times. Once we found "the strip", how hard could it be? Well, let me tell you, it can be quite the challenge getting where you need to be without getting run over or running someone over. Patience is not their strongest virtue in this city that never sleeps.
We were booked for 2 nights at Planet Hollywood through a "vacation package" offered by Westgate Resorts. "Vacation package" is slang for "get sucked into a 3 hour tour of a property that has not yet been built, in which you will be forced to make a huge financial decision within moments of hearing the offer and have absolutely no time to think about it or read the fine print first". Okay, now I think you know where I am going with this. Unfortunately, it was such a horrible experience that I have to gather all my thoughts carefully before I write them down for the world to read. I have to interview a few other folks that were involved, and possibly consult my lawyer to make sure I cannot be sued for slander after stating my opinion and writing about my own personal experiences. Just a little back history, I have actually attended several "timeshare presentations" and of course you all know I own a timeshare with Disney, so I am not new to the procedures involved. I went into this with an open mind, but I came out of it with what should be an attention getting story. To be continued.............
Come on Annie, You're killing me here! I'm anxiously awaiting the 'rest of the story' from the Tennessee hollar, and now I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to here about "Annie Ego's Vegas Vacation"! (...he says, with visions of Chevy Chase swirling around in his head) I'm not sure how much more suspense I can take! ;-) It's beginning to sound as if your trip was less enjoyable than the trip that Sheila and I had back in the summer of '04. We had reservations at one of the old 'land mark' casino hotels. But after waiting for over 3 hours to check into a tiny, outdated, unmaintained, unserviced room, and being told that they would "get to it in the morning", we decided that staying on the 'strip' was not 'our bag' either. We moved the next day to something like "America's Best Extended Stay" a few blocks off the strip, and actually enjoyed the rest of our time in Vegas; except for the morning that we walked out of our efficiency apartment and had to pass by a dead body in the front seat of a rental truck! No lie! True story. We only spent an evening or two in town. Most of the time we were exploring the surrounding countryside; Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, and just watching the wild donkeys in the desert. http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/ http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/ But, let's get back, to YOUR STORY!
Posted by: Fred | 28 February 2008 at 21:13
ok.. ok.. where did you go? Did you get lost in Vegas? Here we are on Hilton Head Island, just finished up a beautiful sunny day at the beach with a dip in the heated pool and relaxing in the huge jacuzzi nearby. Coral Sands is a very nice resort about 3 blocks from the beach. I'll check back later. Can't wait to hear the rest of the stories!
Posted by: Fred | 01 March 2008 at 17:39