Topic Of The Week: Las Vegas High's and Low's

[Steve]

This week's Topic Of The Week question is:

What were your Las Vegas High's and what were your Las Vegas Low's. The answers can be about anything Las Vegas related.

Example:

My Las Vegas high was getting married to Eileen in Las Vegas just 2 days after we were married in New York and doing it live over the Internet.

My Las Vegas low was the discovery of a cancerous tumor in my kidney in 1998. My 9th year anniversary of being cancer free is June 20th. :)

Steve

[mrhonesty]

Steve,Didnt know about your Cancer,but congrats on being a long time survivor,My Mom has survived for 4 years and going strong at 84 years young.
My High in Vegas was seeing my best friend hit on a slot for $ 13,000<but my all time low was seeing that same friend pass away because of a drunk driver one year after hitting his jackpot..Together him and I hit Vegas 4 times a year for 20 years...Oh the stories I could tellhahaha Last word to all,when in Vegas party all ya want,drink till your almost sick,gamble your troubles away,but take a Cab or walk:o

[Pam_in_IL]

My high - coming out ahead on a trip with a friend. It seemed every machine I sat down to play wanted to pay me some money - I'd put $20 in and it would spit out $50 - $75. My friend got so frustrated that I kept hitting the "lucky" machines that I finally told her to pick a machine and I would just sit at the one next to her. I still did better than her. :p

My low - Going to Vegas with a large group of friends for a long weekend (could be both a high - since we'll probably never get to do it again - and a low for the following reason)- it's so difficult to coordinate 15 people to meet up when there are so many personalities and wants/needs in Vegas. I can't even count how many times we had to wait on others and console those who really got upset when plans didn't go as, well, planned. Finally, I took a step back and thought - this is a vacation - I'm not letting it bother me! It was still a great trip overall!

I'll see if I can top my high (hopefully) or low (hopefully not) next month when I take my next trip!

Steve - so sorry for your low - So glad that you're cancer free now!

Pam ;)

[Squeezeweasel]

My high - sitting silently with my husband in Picasso, looking at the fountains and the paintings, eating a perfect meal and being very much in love.

My low - two days later, Mandalay Bay's management called the hotel we'd moved on to in Lake Tahoe, asking me to call my mother. One of my oldest friends had killed himself the night before in the UK - that night was a day when we were having a wonderful nine hours driving the length of Nevada.

[1940GMC]

Our highs-----1) first time EVER in Vegas, just ogling at all the sights 2) staying at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay for the first time; 3) seeing Mystere, LOVE, and O---what wonderful shows--amazing.

Our lows----1) having to leave Vegas each and every time; 2) getting Legionnaire's Disease the first time we went to Vegas; 3) my husband losing his wallet while paying the cabbie as we were dropped off at Mandalay Bay; but another HIGH resulted from that episode.....we found out how helpful people can be--the helpful valet who ran the taxi line looking for the cab we were in. The wallet was found, stuck under the handle of our suitcase. What a surprise!!!!!

[imaplumr]

First trip to Vegas, was very green and spent last dollars about an hour before we left. Called to check on flight to find out it would be delayed 24hours. The airline (Independent Air...Now Defunct) put us up at the Hacienda and gave us some buffet coupons. (remember, I'm broke now) walking through the casino with my buddy, I saw a sign advertising Redd Foxx's XXX rated show. I said to my buddy, I wish I had some money left, I would love so see this. Some one taped me on the shoulder and handed us 2 tickets for the show. I turned around and it was Redd Foxx himself!!! I almost wet myself. What a great show.

Low.....

It was just last week. It was'nt Vegas but Reno. Arrived at O'hare to catch flight at 7:30 am. My wife called and my Aunt had fallen out of bed and had a heart attack. She was in declining health, but only 68 years old. By the time we got to Reno, she had died. Got back in time for Burial, but most of trip just could'nt do anything. Now next time, it will be different..........

[Coaltownannie]

Hi Steve:

Best high - arriving in Vegas of course, but even better than that is coming home with more money than you brought! Will be in Vegas from 8/19 to 8/23 Can't wait. Hope it's a "high"!

Worst low - going home. Sorry about the cancer, but glad you are cnacer free for so many years. We are going through it with hubby right now.

[noah6671]

Best highs - haVe been going to Vegas twice a year for the last 10 years and FINALLY hit a decent jackpot last April. Will be going again this September. We also try to see 2 or 3 shows - Best was Mystere, Tom Jones, Clint Holmes and O.

Worst low - When it's time to go home.....even we I didn't win anything.

[MHIROTSU]

With due respect for everyone on this board, one "high" that comes to mind is about 6-7 years ago (I hope I got the time right), we had a meet for many of the people on the AOL message boards. Many of them are contributors to this board. Every single one of those people would give a helping hand without question. Just an amazing group of people. People were arranging rooms for others, rides, etc.

Another high is when Suzy was learning how to play craps. She was at one end of the table throwing the dice and I was at the other, her point was an 8, so I yell, "if you roll a hard eight, I'll let you sleep with me, tonight." The people at the table thought that was real funny. Suzy let me have it that night - that was a low.

I think my only low was when I lost my cell phone in Las Vegas. This was about 10 years ago when cell phones were expensive. But, learning about Steve's cancer (I believe he disclosed it about 3-4 years ago) was a real low. As far as I'm concerned, if it happens to Steve it pertains to Las Vegas.

Mike

[hambone]

In the fall of 2003 my wife and I hit eleven W-2G's totaling over 23 grand. That just doesn't happen! Also, I hit 10 grand last fall and 8 grand this spring. Sure beats the alternative.

[mikeinct]

A few years ago on one of my solo trips,Bruce Springsteen was playing at mgn arena.I had read where it was one of the hottest tickets in a long time because he had never played there and it was only one show.I thought I would go over there just to see the crowd.By the time I got there the concert was just starting.There was a couple standing there and they ask if I was going in.I told them no, I didn't have any connections.The guy loks at his wife and says lets go in,and then he turns to me and gives me two tickets.After thanking him I gave the extra to the first person I saw,The tickets were even with the front of the stage,11 rows up on the right side.As for lows I really haven't had any real bad times yet.

[Dewey23]

The first time we went six years ago. My wife and I were just amazed at how big everthing was compaired to what we really expected. We had it pictured in our minds as the casinos downtown LV. The over size of each hotel and the beauty of it all. Also our third year was when Celine Dion preformed at Caesars Place.

The lows have always been the heat and walking to all the large hotels.

PS. Love the cab rides, they are an adventure all to themselves......

[vegasbabe]

Highs-Putting $20 in a $5 machine at mandalay bay, and cashing out $1,100--5 minutes later.
Meeting terrific new friends in Vegas: first Justin Tranz, then Steve and Eilene, and many other fantastic newsletter members.

Lows- not many, but I'll never forgive the Bellagio for double charging me for my 2 "O" tickets, when I had lost most of my money during that trip. It's hard to survive in Vegas for 2 days, on $20! The folks at Bellagio finally made things right, and I had $220 to carry me through the last 2 days of my trip.

[vegasbabe]

Highs--the excitement of my new future. The look of my new apartment, which was much nicer than the one I had in upstate NY. New friends, new job, new life.

Lows--recovering from the 3 day drive in a u haul, finding out it was much harder than I thought it would be to find a job, and the first summer of 117 degree temps., several weeks in a row. (I've gotten used to it since then)

[ianwaldecker]

I'd have to say my "Vegas High" was hitting 4 deuces on a Deuces Wild Machine, I don't gamble as much as most so this was great for me.

My "Vegas Low" had to be the afternoon it sprinkled all afternoon and evening. I/we (Joline and I):
-Got stuck in the Monorail, it couldn't make it up the very slight incline after leaving the Flamingo northward; so it just spun it's wheels until they started smoking. Finally they backed us back into the station and we had to get off.
-The GM Test Drive was shut down, the one thing I really wanted to try, and they closed it on my last day there for just a light rain.
-Joline wanted to ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower.....but of course they shut that down too.

PS: to anyone that hasn't been in Vegas when it's raining, it's a funny/frustrating sight. Anything that is done outside shuts down at the first raindrop.....and the people act like they've never seen rain and that it'll hurt them if they get wet. Joline and I were walking on the sidewalk (during a light sprinkle) and everyone else was standing under awnings and overhangs staring up at the sky, very strange.

[wa8ckt]

My high, without even thinking, was my first trip. Walking into a very new Caesars in the 60's with my wife. Warm night, in love, (in our twenties), blueish front, soooo impressed.

Low is leaving. Have to, thankfully say, have never had a major low in Vegas. I can't count the losses as that goes with the trips. Biggest win has been $4000 on a $1 VP machine.

Also glad Steve beat the important bet in our lives. Health!

[Lemiwf]

My high would definitely be a trip I planned for me and 3 of my best friends in January 2006. We had all been to Vegas, but not together. After checking into our rooms at the HGVC at the Flamingo at around 8:00 p.m., we wandered down to the Flamingo casino. We all kinda froze in place with anticipation when my friend Ross asked, "What should we do first?" We all just stared at each other with stupid grins on our faces....and I pointed at the first slot machine I saw (a fishing themed slot) and told everyone we were playing it. We each threw $10 in the machine....and within 10 minutes we cashed out $400!! We gambled, ate and drank off that first win until dinner the next night. Oh man, was I ever a hero for picking that machine!!

My low would be staying at the Fitzgerald downtown for 4 nights in the summer of approx. 1991 with my Dad. It was the first time we had gone to Vegas together. The electricians and custodians union was striking the hotel and the air conditioning did not work properly. We were on a prepaid package deal and could not change our hotel. When we went to bed each night, you would just lay on the top of the sheets and sweat. Alzheimer's disease took my Dad in August 2006, but our trip in 1991 was well before he showed any symptoms.

I love visiting Las Vegas!

[dscs007]

High - Hitting 5 royal flushesin about 2 hours at Circus- Circus ( about 1999 I think ).

Low - Spending 10 days in Vegas with a little over $450 to do us for the whloe time ( fall 2005 ).

David

[PinkFloydActuary]

High - the first two trips out there will always rank as the best - just learning my way around the strip and downtown, discovering places, falling in love with Vegas, hitting a Royal on the VP down at Binions.

Low - The third trip - the six of us who had gone those first couple of trips included a guy who's parents lived in Vegas. We stayed at his house one night to save on the Saturday hotel bill, and I think that made him feel he could call all the shots for the whole trip. Eventually, after a heated disagreement over where to eat lunch one day, he left with half of our stuff in his car and went home for a few days. That was the last time we ever spoke to him...a very strange ending to a 6 year friendship

[ctrom525]

High in Vegas for me is everytime I go. There is 4 of us girls who have gone every year for the past 8 years. Also winning my first jackpot in Vegas $1250.00. Everything about Vegas is a high!!!!!!!!:D

Low, This past April, went with my husband it was his first time and on our 3rd day there my father passed away back in Minnesota. I am going again in June with the girls so that will be a much better trip.

[dreamcatcheril]

high - teeing off at the dunes golf course at 6:30 AM .

Low- sitting pool side at caesars palace. It's warm, sunny , then in rolls a 3 day sand storm

[KenoMom]

Two highs:

1. One of the first trips to Las Vegas, when we still stayed exclusively downtown. This was before Freemont Street was shut down to traffic and we got to watch U2 make a video. I was in heaven!

2. The other high is more personal. 9 years ago I was Virginia's female winner of a national bowling competition (one male, one female from each state). The finals were held in Las Vegas and my dad and stepmom decided to take advantage of my freebies and join me there. We were wined, dined and in the presence of every great bowler that existed at the time. My father got to watch his daughter actually bowl with Walter Ray Williams, Wendy McPherson and Pete Webber...what a thrill for both of us as avid bowlers. I actually came in 6th place in the nation for the female bowler division and it's a memory I will always cherish - especially when my father passed away 3 months later.

The low:

I think that in spite of some of the last few years where winnings are harder to come by, it's been rare to have a bad moment that doesn't get forgotten in light of all the good that I experience with Vegas. So like many others, I'd have to say it's the leaving that's the worse.

[RamRob]

re Hacienda Redd Foxx's XXX rated show.Redd Foxx himself handed us 2 tickets for the show.

This is related to my Vegas high.My 1st stay was at the Hacienda where I chose to see the Redd Foxx show on my own instead of going to the Mirage with my friends to see Siegfreid & Roy( a decision I still haven't regretted ).After a fantastic show and many hours and comp drinks later I hit my 1st ever Royal and went to the bar for a celebratory nightcap where I met Slappy White playing VP who regaled me with show biz stories for the next few hours.
My low was not being able to snag a room at the Sands on my 2nd trip due to conventions and not booking ahead(since then I've always had my accomodations booked well in advance) A room was hard to come by anywhere but I finally managed to obtain an overpriced room at the Hilton.
Ramblin'Rob

[cindyinnj]

I'd have to say my first real LV high was the first time I went there and I did my first walk of the strip and visited every casino I could in one day. I was like a kid in a candy store....Alice in Wonderland....Dorothy in Oz....etc.,etc.etc.;) I still get giddy when I land in Vegas, much like the first time!:D

I really don't have a "low". Well, maybe my low is much like many people have stated....leaving Las Vegas to go home. :(

[Boston_Bill]

Vegas High= My first trip. Staying up all nigh and not caring. Winning 800+ on roulette on my first try.
Flying in at night seeing the Strip for the first time.

Low= four years ago. Staying at the Plaza barely enough money to make it to the airport.

[Irishsis]

Vegas High; '04 playing $1 WOF at Monte Carlo hitting $1000 spin f/b 3 7's and an hour or so later hitting $1000 again, ran over to Caesars and bought my Gucci bag

Vegas low; forgot year Superbowl, Raiders vs Bucs, at Flamingo playing 6hrs of bar VP just to keep our seats in front of the big screen and losing all of our money, Thank God I bet on Tampa we had just enough money to get home with.

[Haze]

We've had many highs over the years but the ultimate one was my winning $15,000. on .25 cent Double Pay VP.

Every time we have to leave is a low but the ultimate low was in 2000 when my husband passed out while playing VP the night we arrived. Turned out he had a mini stroke but fortunately no major after effects. Casino security were great and the paramedics arrived very fast and were terrific.

[sinkhole]

The best time was when I flew out to work the expo. I never worked not even one day and played with someone else's money. Each time I won a jackpot, I split it with the person whose money was given to me to play. His friend kept winning diamond jewelry from the video slot at the Rio. I ate at the best restaurants and went to Ghost bar when it was actually empty! From the top I could see a shooting star and we made fun of the cracked glass. I spent hours playing roulette and enjoyed my stay at the Rio. After splitting all the winnings, I got to go home with about $3,500.

I want to do it again!

[stevevarro]

There are several "high" memories that happened in Vegas. Including, but not limited to:
Spending our honeymoon there
Going back stage to meet Siegfried and Roy
Shaking hands with Jay Leno
Meeting Shelley Berman & visiting with him & his wife and their hotel suite.


The only low that I recall is the time I lost my cell phone on a flight to Vegas, and was without it for a week. We don't realize how dependent we are on them until we lose it. Frontier airlines found it and returned it to me when I got back home.

[54hoppin]

Highs: 1. First time to stay in Vegas, came from Needles, Cal. in the middle of the night. It was pitch black, but when we topped the last hill there it was. So beautiful in the middle of all the darkness.
2. 21 of us went to Vegas for my daughters 21st birthday.
3. Saw Wayne Newton at the Stardust in 2004
4. 2005 had comped suite at MGM for 3 days
5. This past Super Bowl 38 of my friends and family helped me celebrate my big "50" in Vegas. The best

Lows: 1. Seeing the purple windows being pulled out of the Stardust
2. This one may sound funny to you guys, but seeing Excalibur go down hill so much. I stayed there when it was just 2 months old and it was gorgeous. At the time it was the Biggest Hotel in the world. (MGM took honors away)
3. Losing money at Ballys. I hate that

[Kaiden]

High: Trip with my family in 1998. Children all grown and they all had a great time exploring Las Vegas together. I wish we could all do that again. This was the kind of togetherness that memories are made of.

Lo: One of my daughters and I were staying at Caesars and toward the end of our trip she dislocated her kneecap as we were preparing to go to bed.
First came Security, then the Paramedics. They gave her morphine as she was in a great deal of pain, and off to the hospital we went. After quite a wait in the emergency hallway, they finally moved her to a room and the Doctor there reset the knee and said no more walking. We were in the hospital all night and in the morning I called Caesars and they were gracious enough to send a driver to bring us back to the hotel. We spent our last day there in the room and when we arrived at the airport the driver went in to get a wheel chair for her and because it took so long to get someone to help we missed our flight. Needless to say I was a bit miffed at that. Our plane was still there but they sold our seats. An unfortunate ending to our usual wonderful trips!

[luvmesumvegas]

2 Highs - Getting married at Paris in 2001 and the time my wife hit $800 twice within two weeks. Once on a 5 spot keno (i know keno bad) and the second on .25 slot. We stayed at CC in the beginnig of january 2003 then when we returned home we received a comp in the mail so we went back two weeks later. That is $1600 without a having to claim anything. :D

many Lows - everytime I get on the 15 fwy heading back home. :(

[Treasurerat]

Will only mention shows

High: Elvis at the International for $22.50, with dinner.
Low: Tom Jones at Caesar's Maximus - he was in his prime, and he knew it. Show was 40 minutes and a total disaster. Amazing how they learn, don't they? Now he is at MGM Grand and from what I hear, puts on a great show. But, I will never forgive him, nor will I pay to see him,ever again.

Other notables:
High:

Diana Ross at Circus Maximus.
Bobby Gentry at the Frontier.
Debbie Reynolds at the Desert Inn
Dolly Parton at the Riviera

Low:

Wayne Newton at Stardust - disgusting how he spends so much time (30 minutes) kissing the females in the audience while supposedly singing Suspicious Minds. Good thing he has good backup.

[happyjack31]

The worst experience I have had was at the Hacienda Hotel located just past the Hoover Dam. When driving up from Phoenix we would always stop to eat and get gas in Kingman, but after driving by and seeing the great food offers advertised on their sign out front we decided we would try The Hacienda and see if their food was any good. The staff in that restaurant is the rudest I have ever encountered not only in Las Vegas but anywhere. From the hostess to the waitress to the cashier all had an attitude of wanting to be anywhere but where they were. Even the manager whom I asked to speak to gave me the old "I'm sorry" response but seemed to really be saying get lost. I wrote a letter to the Hotel Owner and received a response that the director of that department would get in touch with me, but alas that is the last I ever heard from them. I guarantee you I will never set foot in that place again, and recommend all your readers avoid it as well.

[cjm051]

High:
1. Two years ago hitting three, 3 of a kinds at 3 card poker table in the first hour I was in Vegas and then another just before leaving for the airport.Played on the casino's money the entire trip.
2. My family (wife, daughter and son) going to Vegas for son's 21st birthday in 2003.
3. The last few weeks leading up to a trip to Vegas.

Low: The trip to the airport after another great stay in Vegas.

[pateboo]

My biggest high, other than the first trip there of course, is a couple of years ago while waiting to see Tom Jones, I helped a group of Asian men that were taking turns playing one Wheel of Gold machine. They kept playing one coin at a time, and of course you don't get to play the big wheel at the top that way. They didn't speak English and I don't speak Japanese, so I did my best by pointing to explain how to get the wheel to work for them. As luck would have it, when the old man of the group was sitting there right after I explained it, the wheel option came up. This old man turned to me and had the hugest smile on his face. No communication problem there. My friend said to me that from now on when that man talks about his trip to Vegas he'll probably say how some nice American woman helped him.

Low, if you can really call it that, was the problem with my ticket for George Wallace when his show kept getting canceled. And that is really mild when you compare it to other peoples problems.

Steve, I hope you and Eileen have long, happy, and HEALTHY lives, and many more Vegas trips in your future.

[JMVegas5866]

:) Vegas highs!

1.) First trip ever to Vegas in 94'. I was 18 and went with my uncle and aunt and 2 cousins. Stayed at the Tropicana. It's a trip we look back at and laugh at because so many things funny happened.

2.) Vegas Trip 05': First card counting team established.

3.) Vegas Trip in 00' at the Venetian. VIP treatment with my uncle which includes Venetian suite, VIP lounging, comped food, and watching some crazy betting going on in the high rollers pit area.

4.) Vegas trip 06': Going to see Bally's Jubilee. Taking a photo with a Bally's Jubilee showgirl. I love Vegas showgirls. They are so cute! hehehe. :p


:( Vegas lows (There isn't many)

1.) Vegas trip 06': Getting sick from heat exhaustion on my last day of my trip.

2.) Vegas trip 06': High prices for breakfast at Mirage's Caribe Cafe. The food was good, however we coulda ate at the Venetian across the street and got a better deal on good breakfast. First time me and my friends were ever dissapointed in Vegas. $4.00 for a side of 4 strips of bacon and $10 for a belgium waffle *eek*.

[flamingofun]

Too many highs. First trip 1992 I left my group to explore icon Caesars Palace. Talking with Debbie Reynolds during her show 1992. Sigfried & Roy show 2002. Singing Viva Las Vegas with Big Elvis 2004. Barry Manilow show 2006. Few lows, it rained once on our last nite, weird. Wayne Newton had an ''off nite''. He talked, sang very little & ignore me (alone) at stage. Bummer since I've wanted to see him live in LV for decades. Viva, June 2007

[mbjts]

My high point in LV: celebrating my Mom's 60th birthday. Big surprise for her was her best friend from the east coast being there when we arrived. We also had great seats for Siegfried and Roy.:)

My low point: breaking up with my boyfriend after eight years! He decided to let me know that he did not want to be involved, even though I was there to help celebrate his birthday! :( It wasn't fun spending a whole day all alone at MGM waiting for my 11pm flight back home.:mad:

Must say, in retrospect, that the "low" eventually turned out to be a great change in my life! I never would have found the man I'll be spending the rest of my life with!:)

[hank987]

Vegas High: After my first trip, finding out my wife was pregnant with my one and only child. I like to think he was a Vegas baby.

Vegas Low: After 6 trips, I have still not come home with more than I left with...well unless you count the baby!

[Souette]

Highs:
1) 1st night ever in Vegas and won $1000 on a quarter machine.
2) My first "comped" offer including 3 free nights w/$100 in food credits.
3) Dancing on stage 3 feet away from Elton John while he sang Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting!
4) Staying at the Bellagio for the first time and thinking, "This is what it's like to be rich." Their beds are perfect!
5) The flight descending into the city.

Lows:
1) Don't like being sick or feeling bad on a Vegas trip. Wasted time trying to recover in a hotel bed.
2) Watching everyone around me win....while my money get sucked into a black hole.
3) Finding out that my husband was back home having a major heart attack. I wasn't informed until I got home....because he said he new how much I loved my trip and he didn't want to interrupt it. A week later after I got home he had 5 bypasses performed and several months of recovery.
4) The first few minutes of the flight home as the plane passes over the city.

[LUZZYK]

Ironically, our high/low happened on the same day/trip in LV: on 9/11. It was to be our last day in LV after 3 nights at MGM (1 pm flight back to DFW). Hubby got in shower - I turned on Today Show. Matt & Katie were dazed, talking about a plane hitting the WTC. I called for hubby to get out of the shower. Shortly, another plane hit and we knew we were in trouble. We sat on the edge of the bed in our robes glued to the TV - what was happening??? Then came the word that ALL flights were cancelled - how were we to get home?!? We had a 19 yr old son at home, alone. We needed to get HOME to our SON! Cell phone connections were few and far between - the "airwaves" being so jammed. After several hours we did finally reach him, but then the connection got dropped. We were panicked! Of course this was the LOW (very, very LOW), but the HIGH was seeing Vegas as we'd never seen it before, and never will again. The whole Strip was hushed, very few vehicles on the street, very few people out and about. By noontime, every hotel marquee had electronic/neon US Flags "flying" on them with verses like "God Bless America" and "Forever Shall She Wave." When we finally couldn't take anymore TV, we dressed and went down to see Al at what was then the Betty Boop Bar (now Zuri); people at the bar and machines were just sitting, not playing, and actually TALKING to other people. We tried to figure out how to get home. We heard people talking about pooling money and buying cars in LV just to make their way home. We came close to that, but didn't. Needless to say, we didn't leave LV until the following Saturday when the planes started flying again. Our 4-day trip turned into 8 days. Fortunately, we had been lucky with slots & VP and were going home with what we brought, so we did have money with us for those unexpected 4 more days. But we didn't do a whole lot of gambling the remainder of our trip. The HIGHEST HIGH of the trip was on Friday 9/14 (the National Day of Prayer) when we were out wandering the Strip and happened to come up to the front of Bellagio where hundreds and hundreds of people were standing holding hands making a huge ring from the front doors under the valet awning all around to the sidewalk in front of the fountains and back to the front doors. We got into the circle with tourists and Bellagio employees alike and took strangers hands in ours. President Bush's message and prayer were being broadcast over the speakers. Tears were flowing and prayers were going up and, when he was finished, the fountains started up with Lee Greenwood's "Proud To Be An American" (I've got chills right now, just writing this). I know you can't believe it, but you could have heard a pin drop right there between the Bellagio Fountains and Las Vegas Blvd. - traffic stopped dead in the street. All you could hear was the gigantic whoosh of the water and Greenwood singing. At the last chorus, everyone joined in. This was a HUGELY emotional moment in my life. Even though it was devastating, my husband and I had gotten to share those days together as none of our friends or family had. Had we been at home, we would have each been at our own jobs and come home at night to watch the day's events. But being in LV, we were together 24/7 throughout the first few days of this tragedy and our lives are bound by it. Getting home that next Sat. afternoon was with complete relief to take our son in our arms and relive the past 5 days with him and him with us. He had taken it upon himself to put out our US Flag - for that we were grateful and proud. I know this is an extremely long post, but it was a MAJOR, MAJOR thing for us (I know it is too for all Americans, but we felt out-of-the-ordinary being in LV on that fateful day). GOD BLESS AMERICA!

[bevierose]

I'm so happy for you that you are cancer free. Lots of stories to go around on that subject.
Haven't been lucky enough to get married again after my husband's passing, but still trying. Never give up.
:)

[bevierose]

So cute! Hey, nothing like children and conceived in Vegas, wow! I get happy when I think of Vegas no matter where I am in the world.
:)

[flamingofun]

WOW luzzyk/texas. Your account of 9/11 was beautiful/tearful. Thank you so much. What an experience on the Strip/Bellagio. I will think about this when we visit Bellagio fountains in 2 weeks. Viva

[judyqu]

LuzzyK -- Thank you so much for sharing your story. I will think of it each time I watch the Bellagio fountains.

[Tweeets]

Thank you Luzzy, that was an amazing description of yur "forced" to stay in Vegas. I have chills as I write. :)

[LoveLV]

My high was May 04' going to Las Vegas for my 10 year anniversary, renewing our vows. Then moving there from Florida in Nov 04'. :D

My Very Low was in Jan 05' when our sons doctor said that my son has a terminal disease. You can read about him, curebattensdisease.com :(


LoveLV

[stackfam]

For LUZZYK:

I have tears in my eyes after reading your 9/11 post. I could not IMAGINE being away from my (grown) children during the devastation on that day!

May I add a postscript on Las Vegas regarding 9/11?

My husband and I were staying at the NewYork NewYork on 9/11/2002 (yes, one year after the tragic attack). We were in our room and were looking out of the window just after a brief shower had occurred. We are awestruck as a double rainbow appeared over the horizon.

Imagine that...seeing a double rainbow (twin towers) from the NY/NY on the anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.

[VegasBride]

:) My most important high is getting married in Vegas on Valentine's Day in 2005. Then I would have to pick the year 2004 when I made more money gambling than I did all year at my regular job. That included hitting a double jackpot at Barbary Coast. A progressive at Bellagio, and a hugh jackpot at the Palace Station High Limit Room.

:( My lows would include being in Vegas bald because I had just finished going through my second round of chemo. All in all that is not a bad low because I am now seven years cancer free and after all, I was in Vegas. Nothing was going to stop me from going to Vegas.

[Y2J2006]

High: 2 actually.
My first visit to Vegas January 2006. I felt like a kid in a candy store, was in awe to see these massive structures in person while taking the cab to downtown. Pictures just do not do justice. And I was hooked by the 2nd day and fell in love with the place by the 4th/last day. Bugged my buddy that we had to go back and May we did.

Stayed at the Stardust for the first time/last time, in October 2006. Was sad to see it be imploded on tv.

Low: First time ever to see Toni Braxton back in October 2006. Was looking forward to it, have been a fan for years. Took a cab to the Flamingo, got to the showroom entrance "Cancelled" what a downer that was.

Never wanted to go to Vegas because I am not a gambler and thought you had to be one to like Vegas. Was lured by the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo. Going to attend it for my 3rd time come this January. My 6th trip in 2 years to Sin City