We made it to Las Vegas, but not before stopping for lunch at a Burger King where I wrote a bad review on a napkin hoping someone would read it. Hoover Dam didn’t make a huge impression on me. It was a long wall of concrete. My head ached. The relentless sun seared us on the way to the gift shop. I begged Mom for a Gatorade and downed it without sharing. Later, I figured out I might have had heat exhaustion even though we were in the car most of the time. The desert will shrivel all moisture out of you without notice.
“Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” announced our destination. We were ready for a real shower in our hotel room. The lights were on even in the daytime as we drove down the strip to the Flamingo Hilton hotel, in all of it’s pink glory.
We unpack the car and follow Mom and Dad to the hotel lobby. The cool air provides relief and we’re giddy with excitement. Hotel stays were a rare treat for us and this one looked fancy, to us, anyway.
I’m expecting a quick stop at the desk, get the keys and room number, take the elevator, find the room, and sprawl out on one of the beds.
We have to wait in line. A long line. A line so long Dad asks Mom to take us to the waiting area in the lobby where other travelers wait with piles of suitcases and duffel bags. There is no place to sit.
I can’t laugh. I can’t cry. I can’t scream. I count suitcases. I listen to the slot machines in the distance still wondering why we’d take a family vacation to Sin City. Aren’t we supposed to stay away from sin? Here were, underage and right in the middle of it. If I die will I go straight to hell? I didn’t plan this trip, so hopefully not.
If we have another no vacancy situation…
Dad returns with the room key and we head to our room. Mom is the first to get in the shower. I decide to take a nap, still groggy from sleeping in the car. The curtains are pulled back so we can observe the view of a real city. I’m so tired I can’t even sleep.
It took us the rest of the day to settle in, eat a proper meal, go sight seeing and return for the night. Angie and I were on nude duty. We were tasked with covering Anthony’s eyes any time someone on the street flashed business cards with nude girls on the front. Of course, he dodged us every time so Mom intercepted him, yanking him close, pointing to some building or landmark as a distraction.
Uncle Danny and my youngest sister joined us the next day. She missed the adventure because they flew instead of road-tripping with us. Lucky.
We went shopping and traveled to ancient Greece at Caesar’s Palace. We watched a show, Legends in Concert, where Elvis, Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, the Blues Brothers, and Dolly Parton impersonators performed. Occasionally, we’d make sure casino security guards paid attention when we veered off the path and stepped onto the casino floor carpet. They were quick. We ate pizza at Circus Circus while we watched the trapeze show.
I didn’t know this would be my last family vacation before heading off to college. We drove each other crazy and almost renamed ourselves the Griswolds, but no one could top Clark, although we got close.
Mom flew back home with Uncle Danny, to get to work on time. I upgraded to the front seat, thank goodness, but I also had to fill in for Mom and make sure everyone was okay. There were less pit stops and there was no overnight stay. Dad was determined to get that twelve hour drive done in under twelve hours.
I saw the sign to Petrified Forest National Park as it grew smaller in the rearview mirror. My one little piece of summer, tucked away somewhere in my suitcase.
Nerds Beget Nerds 