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Viva, Las Vegas!

Contributed by: Erin Di Paolo on 11/11/2007

There is nothing like going on a girlfriend getaway. And there is nothing like Las Vegas. Combine the two and you get an out-of-this-world experience.

Last summer I traveled to Las Vegas to see my friend, Regan, get married at Graceland Chapel. Amy, another friend of mine, decided to meet me for a quick weekend escape. I traveled by air; Amy by car, but we both ended up in the same place, at approximately the same time. We both arrived in Sin City on a hot, muggy Friday afternoon in the summer. What could be better than that? After all, winter will be here soon enough. I relished the sweet feel of the heat and humidity on my skin.

After Amy picked me up at the airport, we began what would be an interesting adventure. Driving in Las Vegas is itself an adventure, so I found out. Every time I have visited the city, I have relied on my own two feet and shuttle transportation. But since Amy drove there, we had free transportation and took advantage of it. As it turned out, we would need it more than we realized.

I had credit card miles that I wanted to use for The Las Vegas Hilton. When I made the reservation, I was informed that it was right on the strip. I thought, far out! Even though Amy would still have her car, we would be able to walk almost everywhere!

Well, the hotel was on the strip, but it was the OLD strip; you know, the one that is a mile away from everything that's new and exciting; everything that we wanted to be close to!

Though we were both a bit disappointed (and it took us over an hour to find the hotel), free is free, so we sucked it up and thanked God we had a car at our disposal.

One of the main reasons that Amy decided to meet me in Vegas was because she longed to see her beloved Celine Dion in concert. Dion has been performing at Caesar's Palace since March of 2003. Her contract with the mega resort/casino was supposed to have ended soon, so time was indeed running out. Another reason Amy wanted to go was because she and I had talked of taking a vacation together for years, but it had never materialized. This was the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone and build lasting memories in the process.

After we checked into our hotel, we faced more challenges. Amy is handicapped and in a wheelchair. We were supposed to have been put close to an elevator to make life easier for her but, alas, the elevator was out of order! Needless to say, we ended up moving to a room that was close to an elevator that actually worked and everything ended well. We were determined, after all, that nothing was going to dampen our enthusiasm for the concert later that night.

Nothing, that is, except not being able to find the self-parking lot at Caesar's Palace. The nice lady on the phone seemed to have given perfect directions at the time, but somehow we managed to lose our way, a common theme during our whirlwind Vegas weekend. Before the night began, I envisioned us sitting down to eat at a wonderful Italian restaurant, sipping red wine, anticipating Celine. Instead, we were frantically darting in and out of traffic, working up a sweat, searching for parking. By the time we found the self-parking lot, a handicap space, and arrived inside the casino to pick up our tickets at will-call, we had very little time left for anything but a quick snack and some much-needed wine which we proceeded to drink throughout the concert. Aaah...what a redeeming moment.

As far as the concert was concerned, it was no concert; it was a show! I enjoy Celine Dion's music, but have never considered myself a fan. Now I am a fan! The lady sang and danced her heart out, with the help of Franco Dragone, director of the enormously successful Alegra, Quidam, "O" and Mystre shows by Cirque du Soleil, and many dancers. The show is an unbelievable combination of song, live performance and theatrical innovation. It was truly amazing. If you ever get the chance to see Celine Dion in concert in Vegas, do not miss it. They should offer a money-back guarantee. Really! As Amy said, "I try to explain the Celine show to people, but I just can't." You have to see it to believe it.

After the concert, we "walked" the strip. Actually, I walked and Amy sat in the comfort of her wheelchair, trying not to cringe every time I came close to running over someone's heels. I guess I didn't do too badly for my first time pushing a wheelchair down the strip in Vegas on a crowded, sweltering weekend in sin city. Not too bad, but I won't quit my day job, if you know what I mean. All the same, we enjoyed live music at the Paris Hotel, Amy had a drink that weighed about 5 pounds, served in an Eiffel Tower souvenir glass, and we arrived safely back at our hotel at 2:00 a.m., thoroughly exhausted.

Brunches are a dime a dozen in Vegas, so Sunday morning we had champagne brunch at our hotel's restaurant. We sat for a few hours, eating, talking, and drinking coffee and champagne. It was delightful to have time alone with a friend, tallking about important and not-so-important things.

For the rest of the day, we shopped, ate, drove in traffic, and did general sightseeing. After Regan's wedding was over, Amy and I spent time in front of the "Fountains of Bellagio," the resort's dancing fountains, choreographed to songs like "Your Song" by Elton John and "My Heart Will Go On" by Dion. The fountains are always a highlight for me. Afterwards, we had drinks at one of the Bellagio's many bars, complete with live piano music. It was divine.

This trip to Vegas was short, but it was sweet. Profound, really. I learned a lot about Amy and a lot about myself, but that is another story for another time. It was a spontaneous trip; one that I would not have usually gone on because I am a planner. But it is good to go outside of one's comfort zone now and then. And what better way to do that than in Vegas where everyone can be who they want to be and sometimes become who they never thought they could become.

And what happens there, stays there.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Erin Di Paolo

Denver , CO

Erin Di Paolo has posted 61 stories and 6 comments since joining on 3/18/2006. Erin Di Paolo 's average story rating is 4.81.
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