Our next intended destination was Sequoia National Park. As we originally planned for our trip that spring, Cathy told me she was eager to see some of California's famously tall redwoods while we were there. in the state. I didn't think there were any further south than the San Francisco Bay Area...but lo and behold, I found Sequoia, only about 200 miles north of Los Angeles!
An hour later, we stopped arrived in the desert-like Palmdale after an hour to refuel and refresh. It was at that point when Cathy asked me how much further we had to go until we reached Sequoia. When I responded that it would be another couple of hours, she was shocked that it would take that long. I conceded that I could have communicated that earlier but figured it would be worth another night's stay in California for her to realize her dream. As it turns out, she didn't need to see the redwoods that badly and instead suggested that we head to our next major destination. Four hours later....
VEGAS BABY!!!
OK, so that isn't an actual picture we took, but rather a stock picture that you may recognize from here. On the way there, I called the hotel for the first part of our Vegas stay to see if there was room for us to arrive a day early and thankfully it was not a there was.
Our first Vegas destination was Bill’s Gambling Hall, a hotel-casino not known wowing first-timers with any particular glamour besides perhaps some subtle Victorian charm. Nonetheless, the property fit the needs of Cathy and me. She mostly rested her driving feet while I toured around the Strip and downtown. Ironically we realized at this point that our car, which was just purchased in early June, had already reached its 2500 mile tune-up point. So we spent one after having the car checked out at a local dealership. I was also happy to find a reasonably close comic book shop to further feed my weekly addiction.
Three days later, we moved all of a half-mile east off the Strip to the Tuscany Hotel and Casino, the site of our main reason to be in Vegas: The BBW Network Las Vegas Bash. While this is not an "official" advertisement **smile**, I must say that if you are a Person or Admirer of Size, the Vegas Bash is the Mother of All Size-Friendly Events in North America, if not the world. I highly recommend making plans to attend this excellent annual event. Having largely had our "fix" of the Strip, we treated the Tuscany as a “resort” and rarely left the property over the next ten days.
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Cathy and Me lounging poolside one night |
What can I say about Vegas? Almost too much! It’s my personal favorite as a party destination. In fact, I am endeavoring to be recognized as a Vegas Destination Specialist and share my knowledge with clients interested in coming to this desert oasis. One important thing to know is that the Las Vegas Strip is HUGE! It is four miles long with casinos that can take an hour or more to explore. It would certainly be a challenge for anyone to see all of the attractions in one trip. So I would imagine that particularly for a person of size, the sheer amount of options not to mention ground to cover may seem intimidating at first. But, never fear: there are ways to make the experience not only much more manageable but also a lot of fun!
1. Choose a smaller hotel. As mentioned before, Bill’s Gambling Hall is surely not the among the most flashy or upscale properties in Vegas. However, it is the smallest casino on the Strip and therefore is extremely easy to enter and exit. At the largest Strip casinos, it can take up to a half-hour to get from your room out to the sidewalk. Contrast that to Bill's where from the front desk, one is less than thirty steps from the coffee shop, the steakhouse, the bell desk, the side exit and the elevator. In addition, it has a prime location in the center of the Strip. One negative is the lack of an upgraded smoke filtration system, which can trap cigarette smoke at busier times. Fortunately, it is rather easy to leave all of that! All of that said, for more of a “wow” factor, there are other notable smaller casinos such as Bally’s, Flamingo and Tropicana to consider. Be aware that each hotel-casino has its own personality; you'll want to be certain that it fits your style as well as your needs. It may turn out that a larger Strip property has what you're looking for, after all.
2. Rent a car. If you are flying to Vegas, this will literally save you a lot of legwork. While all casinos offer “free” valet parking, the valets heartily appreciate tips upon securing and especially retrieving your vehicle. I usually give $2-5 upon return of my vehicle and the valets are content, sometimes offering to give directions as appreciation of the higher end amount. This would also give you the option of staying at casinos or other hotels off the Strip, many of which are easier to navigate around. (Note that those who plan to imbibe should choose a designated driver or otherwise avail themselves of a taxi or limo; Las Vegas police officers have zero tolerance when it comes to DUI.)
3. Rent a scooter. In lieu of a car, this can be a convenient way to travel from casino to casino. Don’t worry about any sort of stigma in making this choice as it has become an increasingly popular method of transportation. Even typical-sized people increasingly indulge in a scooter in order to get around the Strip faster. You may even revel in the ability to outpace your walking companions. To wit, Cathy enjoyed “racing” me down the hall back to our Tuscany room! In the past, we have dealt with a preferred scooter supplier via the Bash; however, mobility businesses should have options to accommodate super-sized customers. And yes, it would probably be a good idea to moderate your beverages to avoid being flagged by casino staff inside or police outside.
4. Stay downtown. For those who don’t know, despite all its glitz and glamour, the Strip is not downtown. In fact, about 90% of it isn’t even in the city proper. Downtown Las Vegas, specifically Fremont Street, is north of the Strip. The biggest difference you will find here is the close proximity of all the casinos. Most of the casinos in the area are located under the Fremont Street Experience, a canopy that features music-themed light shows nightly. Another side benefit is that you’ll get more overall value for your entertainment dollar, particularly with lower gaming minimums offering more favorable odds compared to the Strip. On the flipside, some drawbacks would include less effective smoke filtration systems in the casinos as well as fewer non-gaming entertainment options.
After fourteen days and and nights of relaxing and partying under the Vegas sun, we were finally on our way home...except we would still have another seven days on the road!
States visited:12.
