Vegas and Arizona

Once again I tagged along with my sister and brother-in-law and went to Vegas! Wooo-hoooo! I love Las Vegas! Well… not really… I’m not a gambler but I love the sunshine and the people I go with! It’s so great spending time together without the worry of work, home, animals, etc. I go there and soak in the sun until I can’t take it anymore. Yes, I do have a sun limit! I also enjoy the lights, sounds and great food. My visits to Vegas consist of staying the entire time within our hotel walls (the Mandalay Bay) only venturing out once or twice to visit another nearby hotel for dinner at a favorite restaurant. I don’t venture up and down the strip, go shopping or do any touristy things. All I ever want to do while I’m there is visit and relax … in other words, be as lazy as possible.

This time my sister and brother-in-law had a real treat in store for me. We stayed at the Four Seasons at the top of the Mandalay Bay. What a great experience! The hotel is gorgeous and the amenities are spectacular! We had our own pool, private elevators and were treated like royalty. At the pool they hand out frozen treats like watermelon and pineapple pops, Peppermint Patties and Snickers. The patio is coated with a rubber layer that keeps it cooler and soft. Your chairs are covered in slip-proof towels and if you’re standing in the pool and have your elbows or arms on the side, someone quickly comes over and puts a towel under them. They hand out sunscreen, aloe vera gel and lotion. The employees are friendly, learn your name and treat you like you’re the most important person there. I loved the entire experience! Thank you Cynthia and Craig!

 

Friends Cheryl and Tim joined us in Vegas too!

Can you imagine having that job?! YIKES!

My view from under the canopy over my "bed" at the pool

Chillaxin...

Taken from the glass elevator at the Delano

Taken from our room looking at another wing of our hotel

From our room looking at the Delano Hotel

After our week in Vegas, my sister and I flew further south to visit my dad and his wife, Carolin, in Arizona. We got off of the plane and immediately felt like we had stepped into an oven! It was only 103 degrees F when we arrived… that’s all. Vegas was hot but not THAT hot.

As long as it had an air conditioner, we didn't care what vehicle we rented!

I love my dad's yard...

He feeds the quail, doves and even the rabbits

Of course I packed my hiking gear – can’t leave home without it – but it was much too hot to go for a hike. I also packed my bent trekking pole that would no longer fully collapse (it just barely fit in my over-sized suitcase) because I just knew my dad or Carolin would be able to fix it. I knew as skilled as they are with building and repairing things, they would own a vice and could probably save my pole for me… and my money. Sure enough, Daddy-O was Mr. Fix It and my pole is like new again!

I'm a total cacti lover and can never take enough pictures of their unique beauty...

Picacho Peak
I climbed it last time I was here but it was too hot this year, darn it.
I heard it calling my name.... over and over again.  haha

Even the "tree branches" have thorns!

I definitely forgot where I was and what shoes I was wearing. Ouch.

We love you, Dad