When my daughter said she was getting married in Las Vegas I panicked - I desperately wanted to see her married but being a 50+ singleton, I had nobody to go with! I did not want to go alone - life is for sharing after all, but what to do?

 

Thelma and Louise to the rescue!

 

In March I posted a "Help" notice T&L and very soon was corresponding with a lovely lady from Ipswich. We met up, liked each other and on the strength of lunch and a trip around Peterborough Cathedral, plus a few laughs and lots of coffee, we booked the flights - then the planning began...

We both agreed that Las Vegas was not our ideal choice of holiday destination (being Country girls) but both wanted to visit the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. The sights in Vegas were tempting and everyone kept telling us how great it was, but we were not convinced and thought it may be too 'glitzy' and noisy for us so we decided we would spend 5 days in Vegas and 6 days in San Francisco and finish the holiday 'chilling' for a few days back in Vegas before flying home.

Linda and I exchanged telephone calls and emails weekly and planned our holiday itinerary with precision and utmost care. We booked everything via the internet and telephone, carefully taking into account our ages, abilities, stress levels and comfort! We had initially intended to drive but then decided to fly between Las Vegas and San Francisco to save time and taking into account the heat factor - August in Death Valley? Do the AA go there?

Getting there:

Linda lives in Ipswich and I live in Grimsby so we looked at flights for timing and cost. US Airways from Manchester (11.30am) initially I was going to drive but the thought of the long drag home put me off. Train was the best alternative so I booked through First Transpennine www.tpexpress.co.uk - very cheap. Linda had a little more trouble arranging transport but we both arrived at Manchester Airport the evening before we were due to fly, took a taxi from the airport (£7) and had a very nice evening relaxing at the Premier Inn Manchester Airport (£29) – I had the meal deal which included buffet breakfast and 2 course evening meal and drink for £20 extra.
 

We flew with US Airways via Philadelphia and in retrospect we would never do this again, we would take a direct flight. The weather was atrocious in Philadelphia and we were grounded, sitting for hours on the plane waiting for the storm to pass – what’s more we had to watch several bags on the runway getting a thorough soaking – not good! We were not impressed.

When we arrived (eventually):
 

Las Vegas was beyond belief and a thorough shock to the system, it seemed every time we turned around there was something more fantastic to look at. The lights, the sky line, the walkways and the people – yes it was glitzy and noisy but it was exciting and it was HOT! Very hot outside and cold in the hotels which posed a problem – what to wear? TIP - Take a wrap.
 

The Tropicana had the best beds I have ever slept on. I swapped rooms to look out on the Strip. Priceless! The prices for a luxurious room with 2 Queen sized beds was just £19 per night. The Hotel was undergoing extensive alterations which did not interfere with our stay and the staff were friendly and helpful. I had my first experience of gambling on the last night we stayed there and won on the Roulette a whopping $60 – it was thrilling! Linda lost her bets immediately which cured her gambling yen, but I was hooked. The swimming pool area was fantastic but we did have to complain about the loud music – I couldn’t read my book! TIP – Take ear plugs!
 

My Daughter was staying at the Bellagio so I walked up the Strip alone early the next morning and found them. I did not feel vulnerable at all being alone. We all had breakfast together. Later at the pool Linda and I relaxed and tried to recover from the flight. It seemed strange to be looking out over the New York Skyline!
 

The next day I attended the wedding whilst Linda explored. They married at the Little Chapel Of Flowers and it was a wonderful, intimate wedding with just the in-laws and I. Then we went to the Bellagio for the buffet which was just superb – the sea food, Japanese, Asian, Steaks. Salads – everything you would want to eat – but they are crafty,  the air conditioning is so cold you rush to get out of there!

I absolutely loved Las Vegas – people are friendly and having fun. There are free shows to see all around you – check out website www.vegas.com/attractions/freeattractions.html.
The Bellagio Fountains, the Volcano at the Mirage, just exploring all the Hotels is very amusing and we met interesting and lovely people everywhere. All classes of people wonder around just taking in the marvellous views and that in itself is a pleasure. We tended to walk everywhere at night as the Strip gets too busy and jammed up but there are free monorails between hotels. Las Vegas is not a place for people who have difficulty in walking.
 

The Hoover Dam Trip and Grand Canyon was a great experience - absolutely stunning but beware fellow travellers – the South Rim is an extremely long and tedious trip and we had intended going on a Helecopter but when we got to the tour operator’s place in the morning they told us it was either the IMAX cinema and lunch which we had paid for, or the helicopter which meant we would be separated. Next time I would skip the IMAX and lunch – we had to eat the lunch in the cinema in the dark! It was rushed and disgusting – TIP -don’t bother! If you can afford it, go on the Helecopter and don’t drink too much fluid beforehand as they don’t have toilets on helicopters!

And so to San Francisco
 

Cold, very cold – in fact quite freezing at times. My wrap now doubled up as a scarf! That pesky mist permeates the place and for the first few days it was bleak. Fisherman’s Wharf of course is a tourist trap but you have to see it! The Sea lions down on Pier 39, The Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building was colourful with street shows and entertainment everywhere. People were eating all the time! Sunday morning walking around in San Francisco was my highlight. Eggs Florentine, freshly squeezed orange and all the ambience as you would expect away from the Wharf. Linda and I walked for miles until we discovered the Bart transport- $2 and you can go anywhere for 3 hours. We were liberated! One woman even gave us her season ticket which was due to expire in 3 days as she had her new one. This gave us access to the cable cars and we made full use of it. Lombard Street, the crookedest street in the world you have to see and China Town – the food, Japan Town – didn’t like the food, Haight Street – check out the Hippie Fashions. The Pacific Heights – wonderful architecture. Coit Tower – got to go up, the views are wonderful and St Peter and Paul’s Church in Filbert Street where Marilyn Monroe and Jo DiMaggio were photographed after their civil ceremony it is awesome.
 

We stayed in The Majestic in Sutter Street which was central. The prices were quite reasonable but Linda’s room was not good and she didn’t like the Hotel. It was too 'dingy' for her taste. My room was very nice – I did like it but it is one of the oldest Hotels in San Francisco.  It was a bit 'spooky' with an original lift that groaned and squeaked and had wierd paintings on the wall.  Sometimes the bar and restaurant were not open which was inconvenient when its freezing cold outside and all you want to do after a long day sightseeing is just relax with a Gin and Tonic and a nice meal.  This was disappointing as we had just had enough at the end of the day and wanted to relax.
 

For the last 3 days the sun came out and it was Summer! What a difference it made. We had a wonderful trip to the Nappa Valley wine tour – its extra for tasting but what the hell! If you are into wine you will enjoy this trip immensely. The included lunch was very good too and we had a nice pic-nic outside. We came back on a boat trip but the windows were so salted up and dirty we could hardly see anything – and the mist was coming in once again!
 

Alcatraz was well worth a visit – the audio tour is atmospheric and everyone said how much they had enjoyed it – recommended! Must do – visit the Golden Gate Park – it is a fabulous park and on Sundays has free concerts. The Japanese Tea Garden is beautiful. We visited this park twice as we loved it so much. The rose garden is a fragrant treat not to be missed. Beware, all the exhibitions are extra and expensive. We walked part of the Golden Gate Bridge and caught the bus over to Sausolito and walked all around there – TIP - give the fish and chips a miss!
 

Back to Vegas – Chilling time!
 

We flew back to Las Vegas and stayed at the Tahiti Village Resort which was just lovely. The swimming pool was beautiful and there is a lazy river pool with tires for hire so you can just drift along and have fun with everyone in the pool. The room was very nice as we had a bedroom and lounge with sofa bed. It had a refrigerator and microwave, kettle etc and was home from home. I would definitely stay there again. Its quite a way out of Vegas but they have free buses running regularly on to the Strip and back until about 1am. We visited Fremont Street on our last night and if I had to give one major travel tip about Las Vegas it would be to do this part of town early on in your trip as the prices can be up to a third cheaper for food and drinks! The buffets were marvellous and the whole place had more of the atmosphere of the old Las Vegas! It has the largest cinema screen on the enclosed canapé of the street. You have to see it to believe it. The Golden Nugget has the most amazing swimming pool with a shark tank and a chute running through the middle of it! This was just another unexpected surprise to amuse the unsuspecting visitor.
 

Linda and I are not into Shows or musicals but the Cirque De Soleil Beatles Love show was on and we treated ourselves. It was simply marvellous, the best show I have ever seen and we sang our hearts out all the way through. If you like the Beatles then you will love this show! We sobbed at the end – so many memories!
 

Home again

The trip home was not good – US Airways – Philadelphia, hold ups, we sat on that plane again in Philadelphia – engine trouble this time! They were unprofessional – never again! We were late and only just caught our trains which caused us to get stressed and we had left at least 3 hours lee-way, no-definitely not good.
 

To Summarise:

Good planning deserves rewards and it worked! We had a (almost) perfect holiday filled with adventure, fun and we even managed to get some sunbathing in! We walked for miles and explored every nook and cranny - it was exhausting but wonderful and the bonus was we both lost weight! Linda and I became very good friends and neither will ever forget the adventure we had together. I hope you have enjoyed reading it – I will definitely go back to Las Vegas I never thought I would say that – I have to do my Helicopter Tour and I want to see Yosemite next time.