Last weekend there was talk between some of us girls about Vegas vacations.  The last time we were all in Vegas was June of 2003 and it was an experience I’ll never forget.  My husband has never been and I keep telling him he has to experience it at least one time in his life.  I’ll never forget walking through the Mirage staring at all the lights and hearing all the sounds of slot machines.  I’m sure the people around me must of thought…”yeah first time in Vegas for sure.”  One night we walked out of a casino after a night of slot machine and beer drinking to find joggers on the street.  “Could it really be 7 a.m.???”  Vegas is a place you can stay up all night and not even realize it, so after that we lovingly renamed it Upside Down World.

I love to travel but the idea of going on a cruise makes me a little nervous.  I guess its the idea of being on a big ship with thousands of people out at sea with no way to escape.  At least if your on land you have a way to escape.  Even though I have my doubts about cruising I think its a great way to travel.  You pay for one vacation, all you can eat food and entertainment, and you get to see several different places at once.  I guess if were to ever go I would try Mediterranean cruises, or possibly Alaska and Hawaii. 

We are back from a relaxing and tranquil vacation without breaking our savings accounts.  The flight home last night was a little bumpy from all the Midwest storms we’ve had lately but our vacation was terrific.  I think I found the quietest place on earth on a lake in Minnesota.  Absolute quiet.  Except for the birds chirping and the sound of us catching various species of fish including large mouth bass, crappie, blue gill, and walleye.  It made me realize that there is almost no part of my everyday life that is this quiet.  There is always NOISE around me.  Noise that you tune out until you go to a place like a quiet lake in Minnesota only to realize just how noisy your life really is.   I’ve gotten used to that noise around me and I don’t think its a good thing. 

Lately I’ve been reading about so many Americans who have decided to stay home because they cannot afford to travel this year.  With the economy in its current state the cost for basic necessities comes before anything that’s simply not needed like travel.  So, I’ve been skimming the web and found some great travel deals.  Expedia.com is offering their biggest sale of the year with up to 30% off on hotels, cars, cruises, and even activities.  Travelocity has a 6 night Carribean package starting at only $652 which includes airfare and hotel. 

   North Padre Island rentals

The countdown continues and it is now only 1 week until we leave for our vacation.  Yesterday I pulled our luggage out of the depths of the garage only to notice its deteroirating condition.  I usually don’t spend a lot of money on nice luggage but now I’m deciding whether I should.  A few years ago my husband and I flew to Miami, FL and then drove down into The Keys.  We arrived at our hotel and pulled our luggage out of the trunk when my bag completely fell apart.  We had to duct tape the hell out it to get it home.  Now with the state of my current luggage I’m wondering if the same thing will happen.  So I’ve been looking at some nice Samsonite or Briggs and Riley luggage for future airline travel.  We all know our bags gets some brutal treatment by the luggage loaders at the airport.       

I am very excited that our vacation is only 2 weeks away!  We have reserved a cabin on the lake in Minnesota fishing for a week.  No phone or cable tv is actually a welcome relief for me since I feel like my life is utter chaos sometimes.  I’m quite a news junkie so honestly I need a break from the media feeding frenzy on the presidential election, high gas prices, mortgage lenders mistakes, and the food crisis.  Sometimes you just got to unwind with no disturbances, a good book, a cold beer, and a lakefront view.        

I guess everyone has a story to tell when they’ve been to Vegas.  Before my best friend got married myself and all her bridesmaids decided to do something special for her bachelorette party.  Where else can you go but Vegas, right?  One of the bridesmaids was flying in from Texas and we’d never met before.  She always wore platform shoes and had the best personality of anyone I’d ever met.  She was loud, funny, and charismatic.  We hit it off immediately.  One morning, when we just got in from the bars, we were all trying to sleep in our rooms when some kids a few doors down kept running in and out of their hotel room slamming their door repeatedly.  After 30 minutes the door slamming continued and I completely lost my cool.  My best friend says that rarely will you see me lose it, but when it happens she absolutely loves it.  I yelled at the children down the hall as loud as I possible could, “STOP SLAMMING THE DOOR!!!!”  Then all was quiet.  I saw the maids pop their heads out of the rooms they were cleaning like praire dogs sticking their heads out of their holes. 

The children quietly said, “You scared me.”       

“Good.”  I said.  “Now don’t ever slam that door again or I’ll scare you even more.”  Not even a squeak came out of those kids mouths nor any door slamming occurred the rest of our stay.   

As of today I have exaclty one month until my vacation with my husband and his family.  Last May I graduated with my Associates Degree in physical therapy assisting and began working in June.  Looking back I am so pleased with how far I’ve come but honestly I am also completely drained.  I think it will all be downhill from here but I hope I don’t need drug rehab for being a coffee addict.  There have been many mornings I wouldn’t have made it without my cup of joe.  Anyways, my professional life has gone so well that I am truly thankful for it everyday.  But now, I’m ready for a vacation. 

Midwest Living magazine has their new Best of the Midwest travel guide out with literally hundreds of excellent destinations throughout Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and finally…Wisconsin.  If your looking for a midwestern road trip this guide is a must read.  It highlights the best scenic drives, the best beaches (yes there are beaches in the midwest), the best towns to visit, and even the best FREE attractions.  Its organized by state with the editors pics on where to stay, where to eat, and what to do.  I have so many new places I want to see now including the beautiful upper pennisula in Michigan and an excellent Branson property called Chateau On The Lake.  The best freshwater fishing and the most scenic drive emerge along Minnesota’s North Shore.  Also making the list are South Dakota’s famous badlands, black hills, and Mount Rushmore.  Perhaps a cold one at the Firehouse Brewing Company in Rapid City would sit well after a long day.      

I could sit here and rant all day about how the price of a gallon of gas was only $1.46 a gallon when president Bush took office but, I won’t.  What’s the use anyways?  Instead I will dream about all the trips I plan to take since I will not allow the high gas prices to keep me home.  If you are a traveler then you know how important it is to escape your surroundings sometimes.  You just gotta get away and explore so you can escape the daily grind every once in awhile.  One of my biggest dreams is to visit all the National Parks in the U.S.  Okay you can add Hawaii, California, Maine, Vermont, and maybe even Branson Missouri even though I’m not a huge fan of country music.