Before I begin this narrative of our Las Vegas vacation, it might be good to preface how this came about in the first place.We planned this adventure originally back in March to attend the PBR World Finals held every year in Vegas -- we agreed in early October to get "hitched" (what a perfect opportunity) while we there after living together for nearly 8 years. I must hand it to Jeffy, as he did most of the planning for the wedding portion of our trip, including the big, sparkly engagement ring he gave me prior to leaving. He was magnificent and he'll probably never know just how much I appreciate and love him for his efforts; he is truly my best friend; now he's my husband and best friend. One thing we both agree on though is how many experiences we had were "meant to be" and that our never-ending efforts to "pay it forward" with kindness, fairness and generosity to those around us, as you'll see later, truly came back to us on this trip.
We were asked several times about having a reception/dinner party afterwards and why wouldn't we just get married locally so everyone could be there. While such efforts are wholly appreciated, we wanted to experience this ourselves and weren't looking for a 'ta do." We've discussed arranging a night out with our close friends and family together sometime in early December for a mini-celebration where we truly enjoy spending time: the Charles Town Races & Slots' Skyline Terrace. We'll be sure to let everyone know once we hammer out the details.
We left for Vegas from Dulles Airport on Thursday, Nov 6th. When we made the booking back in March our flight was supposed to be a non-stop, however it got changed by United in September to have a lay-over in Los Angeles. First lesson learned: always upgrade to Economy Plus on United for trips over 3 hours if you can - you'll be glad you did with the extra leg room.
We had hoped to go to the Marriage License Bureau upon arrival in Vegas that night, but Alamo's car rental took a significant amount of time on an already extended trip. So, we ended up checking into our hotel, the Gold Coast. What's the Gold Coast like? Almost a "homey feel" to it, as it reminded us of Charles Town's casino. The major differences were the sports book area and the table games, neither of which Charles Town has (and voted against last year.) Horse racing was being projected on the big screen in the sports book when we arrived, so we didn't feel out of place at all. :-) Except we did notice a Korean band playing covers of 60's, 70's, and 80's music and there was a 70 lane bowling alley in the facility...more on that later in the trip...
After traveling all day, we wanted to EAT. And so we did at 10pm in the evening in one of the Gold Coast's 4 restaurants: Ping Pang Pong. (Do not attempt to say this restaurant's name 5 times fast when being sleep deprived - it will just throw you into cluster giggles.) The food and service in this place was, and we're not kidding, excellent. Ping Pang Pong bills itself as the best "Chinese" food in town and has been award that honor by the Powers That Be in Vegas, but really it's Korean from the foods included on the menu to the family-oriented service and seating. For the price, you get a TON of food and the service is impeccable. After appropriately stuffing ourselves, off to bed.
