Las Vegas fun for all ages!

Now we should all know by now that I'm the only one in my family who got the Traveling Bug. My mom & siblings just aren't that much into it...or into it at all.

On the very rare occasion, my sister Jet will actually go somewhere. Believe me when I say rare - I've traveled more so far just this year than she has in the past 20 years!
So you get the picture...we are truly talking rare occasion. And the last time happened to be 2 years ago when she actually had interest and wanted to come to Las Vegas with us. 
The only catch was that the vehicle that she & Andrew had at the time wasn't particularly good or safe for road trips. 

While the original plan was for me, Dave, and the kids to go on this 1st annual Labor Day Weekend Las Vegas Trip, the kids and I had discussed the idea of them staying home (with the remaining household family) and giving their seats up for Jet, Andrew, and Chaplin.

This would after-all be Chaplin's first "vacation" ever! 

My kids were very giving and understanding so that their Aunt & Cousin who don't ever get to go anywhere can come and they realize that they themselves go everywhere. So although they wanted to come and be a part of the trip, they were ok with skipping this one. 

And off we went, it was a 3.5 hr road trip and this would be the longest that Chaplin has ever been in a car. We made our usual Barstow, CA Starbucks pit stop and then we in for the rest of the haul.

Chaplin who always hears about my and the kids travels was very excited about going to Las Vegas. It was adorable and I really wish that they would come join us on more trips!

We had stayed at the Venetian Resort and Casino, checked in, and started to paint the town.
It was an all new experience for Chaplin, and she was loving' it! 

We spent most of our days doing things together as a group of 5. Walking and touring the strip, going to the Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat and seeing the new baby dolphin, but sadly we found out that some of the dining establishments would not allow for a child under the age of 5yrs. Ugh rules/policies. I hate stupid rules/policies! 

So for some of the evenings we would split up and Dave and I would do our own thing for dinner, and we had also decided to go see a few shows - Cirque du Soleil's Viva Las Vegas, and the Neil Diamond concert. It was lovely. 

But the most fun was taking my sister, Andrew, and Chaplin to eat at some on the restaurants that did not have such strict rules. Watching them enjoy and indulge was definitely a highlight for me!

And then after our extended weekend, it was time to hit the road once again and head on home. As you might've imagined there was lots of traffic to deal with, making our 3.5hr drive over 5hrs long. Chaplin handled it like a little trooper, while I on the other hand started getting restless and going stir crazy. 

It's so weird how I can handle 12+ hours long drives, but the minute that traffic extends the length of even a shorter trip - I just can't deal with it! 
Guess that's a side effect of what Dave diagnosed me with having...
HDS - HYPER DISORDER SYNDROME!


-T