"It's A Family Affaaa-air"

Okay. So Jason is supposed to be in Vegas for the World Series of Poker this summer. Which means he'll be away from home for a long time. And the blogger tournament is happening during that same time, so I've decided to go out there for a week to play in the tournament, see Jason, and enjoy Vegas. My friend and partner in crime Lydia will be accompanying me on the trip. She went with me, Jason, and Charlie to Vegas last year, so this will be her second trip. It will be my fourth or fifth. I wanted Lydia to be there to keep me company while Jason's working, because she kicks ass and is a lot of fun to be around (and she's single, guys!) Anyhoo, my dad and stepmother have been talking about going to Vegas for a long time now, and they've decided to go for their first time this summer. And it looks like they will be going at the same that time Lydia, Jason and I will be there! But wait... before you start assuming it will be a drag to have my dad out there, let me make it clear that my dad is one of my best friends. He's really cool and laughs a lot, and I think it will be neat to be a tour guide of sorts to Vegas newbies. Also, I know that he and Pat (my stepmom) will enjoy being with me and L and J, but they will also go off on their own adventures, too. Which means that the weekend of the blogger tournament will not be spoiled by family obligations. No way. The weekend of the blogger tournament is reserved for drinking and playing poker with my fabulous friends whom I have come to know and love at the Boathouse Bash, the Imperial Palace tournament, and vicariously through my husband's computer screen.

Back to my family...

I LOVE Las Vegas. And I love sharing tidbits of knowledge that can only be gained through experience with people who are unfamiliar with the place. Like good places to eat, which buffet is best for your buck, how to get around town, etc. So when my dad said he wanted to go, I told him I'd be his travel agent. I'd make out some iteneraries, help pick the right hotel for their needs, purchase airline tickets -- you name it, Travel Agent Rachel is at their service. So I had a lot of fun last week when I put together a manual (and a manual it is!) of Vegas vacationing. It's in a 1 inch three ring binder, with separate chapters devoted to hotels (I chose the six best that they could then pick from), food (with pictures, menus, and critic's reviews), entertainment (with the prices and shows listed for the week that they will be there), maps (of the strip, downtown, and how to drive to the Grand Canyon, as per Dad's request.) And I added some miscellaneous info, like how they should'nt be afraid of but should definitely ignore the illegal immigrant porn card snappers that stand en masse on the streets, and to take advantage of the 1/2 price show ticket booths. Needless to say, Dad and Pat were pleasantly surprised when out came the Vegas Manual. They were expecting some notes jotted on a piece of scrap paper, and suggested that I turn this manual into an actual book. The problem with that is that I catered it toward their personal tastes and needs, and the entertainment guide is current to the dates they'll be traveling, which means the manual will need constant revision if sold to other people.

So if anyone is interested in hiring a travel agent for a Vegas vacation, don't go through some stuffy overpriced company. Hire me instead! Rachel's Vegas Manual, specific to your tastes and budget, is only $12,999.43!!! And they're going fast - like hotcakes, even. So ACT NOW!!

Here are the six hotels I chose for my Dad and Pat (based on budget, location, and amenities):
Flamingo, Imperial Palace, Barbary Coast, Monte Carlo, Bally's, and New York New York. I wanted them to have a range of prices while staying within their price range. And I think that everyone should stay in center strip on their first trip out there. I also think they needn't go further north than TI ('cause it gets pretty creepy near the Stratosphere, I tell ya!) so I chose a couple that are further south than "center strip." And I also did that because I didn't know if they would really enjoy staying in a ridiculously over-themed place (NYNY) or if they were more concerned with cost (IP, Barbary Coast.) And they have chosen: Bally's.

Surprised me too! I thought for sure they would choose Flamingo. This is, of course, based on the information I gave them, and they've never seen the weird neon spiral in front of Bally's. but I think it's a prime location and I hear the rooms are fairly spacious, and that Bally's gets a bad rap because it can't compete with the other thematic monstrosities around it. I think Bally's is a good choice, also, because Lydia and I will be staying right next door at Barbary Coast (which I hear is Wil Wheaton's local of choice.) We didn't take the Excalibur blogger deal because savvy-shopper-Rachel got comparable rates, and it's in a great location, and there won't be so many snot nosed brats running 'twixt my feet while I'm there. (Excalibur is overrun with nasty ass kids.) I'm also glad Dad chose Bally's because the BC doesn't have a swimming pool -- I can walk next door and use the one at Bally's. And I'm quite glad, because I thought I would have to sweet-talk a blogger into letting me borrow his/her room key for access to the Excal pool, but with so many rugrats the pools would be full of poo nuggets and urine clouds. Eeewwwwwww.

So look for me, Jason, single-intelligent-and-attractive Lydia, my Dad, and Pat -- all tooling around Vegas this summer!