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Why keep what happened in Vegas a secret?

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Contributed by: Erin Di Paolo on 2/25/2008

Ok, I love Vegas and love writing about it. But just when I think a trip there with a girlfriend can't get any better...it does! One of my best friends, Melissa, and I went back to the secne of the crime -- our third trip to Vegas together in less than a year and a half -- only this time we went by ourselves. Our main purpose for taking the trip, we told others, was to see Toni Braxton in concert. In reality, we needed time away together. In one word, our trip was awesome!

This time we chose to stay at The Tropicana, one of Vegas' oldest hotels, at the recommendation of a co-worker of mine. The rooms were every bit as comfortable as the Luxor's and for less money. Since we booked on Expedia, we were given a free upgrade to a Garden Tower room which came with a breathtaking view of the strip. Customer beware: the one thing lacking was quality customer service, something I know a bit about as a Frontier Airlines employee. I expect a lot and was sadly disappointed. For this reason, I may never grace The Tropicana with my presence again, but everyone deserves a second chance so one never knows.

The temperature reached 72 degrees the day we arrived, about 20 degrees shy of what we would have liked, but we managed to sit out in the sun long enough to get some good color while we waited to check-in to our room.

A "steal" we discovered on this trip was "The Duece," a double-decker bus that provides non-stop service up and down the strip for $5 for a 24 hour pass. I will never wear out my feet again. We were feeling the pain on the first night, however, as we could not find a bus in sight and walked from The Bellagio all the way back to The Tropicana in heels and dresses while the temperature hovered around the mid-40s. Ouch! Melissa, who bought her first pair of high-heels ever, cursed womanhood and joked about coming back as a man in her next life. By the time we arrived back at the hotel, her feet were black from having shed her heels blocks before! Ever the trooper, I kept my heels on for the sake of fashion.

Some of our best moments from the trip were shared dinners (and multiple glasses of wine) at PF Changs and The Cheesecake Factory. We ate and drank to our hearts' content and, in the process, became closer friends. If someone had told me, years ago, that I would be able to bond with Melissa -- or anyone else -- in Vegas, I would have told them they were crazy. But truly, I have had some of the best moments with friends in Sin City. There is just something about it...

Another highlight of the trip was seeing Toni Braxton in concert; her show was short, as she was losing her voice, but she is a beautiful, gracious woman with a sultry, lusty voice. She made many men in the audience weak in the knees as she sat in numerous laps for photo ops! Toni was good, but Danny Gans, an impersonator, was better. He is not to be missed. I have seen a lot of shows in Vegas and his is one of the best. If you see anything there, see him! He is hysterical, vibrant, and oh, so talented. His show is at The Mirage.

Melissa and I talked, laughed, ate, drank, shopped, and soaked in more than one can imagine in a 48-hour period. We layed in the sun, soaked in the hot tub, got emotional at The Bellagio's dancing fountains. And we (I) could have sworn we saw Jimmy Buffet himself singing at Margaritaville.

But the moment that summed it all up was when we said goodbye at the airport. We hugged and, when we let go, she was crying. Usually I am the one who loses it, but I was much too tired. I knew, in that instant, why she was grieivng. And I shared that grief.

In that moment, she felt something neither of us had to verbalize: we were grieving the loss of precious time together, time we both desperately needed. As I walked away from her, I turned back one more time, tears welling up in my eyes, realizing once again what I have always known, but oftentimes forget. What sounds trite, but what is also profound: it is the little moments in life that make all the difference. And Melissa and I were forever bidding farewell to the memories we shared on that trip, until the next time.

Thank you, Melissa, for the memories. I love you. Until next time...

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Erin Di Paolo

Denver , CO

Erin Di Paolo has posted 66 blog entries and 1 comment since joining on 3/18/2006. Erin Di Paolo 's average blog rating is 4.45.

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