First Vacation Weekend in VEGAS!

This weekend about 30 of us flew out to Vegas to celebrate Mike and Laurie's bachelorette/bachelor party. It was great to see everyone and finally have a week off! The weather was 95 degrees and it actually rained two days. But we made do and hit the tables instead of hitting the pool. I left Vegas up and was able to pay for my hotel and spending money so all is good! I played mostly Craps, a little BlackJack and learned how to play Paigow Poker very early one morning. Beginner's luck I tell ya!

The first night we all flew in at random times. I flew in earlier and a larger group flew in later. To avoid the long cab lines the later group rented an SUV limo so they swung by the Monte Carlo to drop off their bags and to pick us up to head to the original strip. I've always wanted to check out where Vegas originated and it seemed similar to Reno, Nevada. We had a blast. They had a great light show in the street and we gambled at the Golden Nugget as well as had some tasty drinks.



The next day we tried to hit the pool but it was raining. So, we resorted to the tables once again! That night the whole group went to Ghost Bar at the Palms (my fave place) and then went to Hard Rock to do some gambling and go to the club Baby's. Another late night, but a fun one.







The final night just the girls went out for Laurie's bachelorette celebration. A 70's theme was set so we all brought outfits that were a bit crazy! I decided to go all out and get an obnoxious rainbow dress with matching yellow platforms that made me about 6 foot 3! It was definitely a funny night...and our group couldn't attract more attention!! Look at how ridiculous we look. And just my luck..while looking like a fool...I see someone I went to highschool with! Talk about embarrassing.




After 3 days and about 8 hours of sleep it was time to head back to Boston to meet up with Carolyn. My flight was close to 6 hours long but the sleep was needed. It took me two days to recoup, but at least we had some time off before we headed to Philly!

Weeks 13 & 14 - Trip out to Boston for the East coast tour (with a few unexpected pit stops along the way)!

I can hardly believe this trip out to Boston is my last long ride until I head home in November. We had 3 days to get out to Boston before we had to work which was great. When we got close to NY, we started seeing signs for Niagara Falls so we decided last minute to take a slight detour and stay the night there so we could check out the sites the following day. I've never been before so it was an unexpected surprise.

BUT FIRST...we were rolling right along the highway when we heard a pop and the truck gave a quick jolt. The first thing that came to mind is that we popped a tire (just like before) so we pulled over. Come to find out, the tire that we received in San Francisco when we got our first flat was the wrong grade of tire for our truck; Therefore, the tread fell off. The truck repair said they were very surprised we got as far as we did. Not only did we have to get the tire replaced, we decided to get all new tires so they wear together. What an ordeal! Luckily we had time to spare. The worst part is, the tread that flew off damaged the side of the truck breaking some of the fiberglass off above the wheel. Let me tell ya, I'm learning a lot about RV repair!

We finally made it to Niagara later that night. We got up and headed to the Falls and only intended on checking out the sites for an hour or so and then moving on. We had such a great time we ended up there all day. We hopped on the Maid In The Mist which took us directly in the center of the Falls by boat which was beautiful. Then we walked across the bridge, through customs, and over to Canada to have some lunch. I was suprised to see that over the border it is similiar to Wisconsin Dells - Very touristy with cheesy museums and rides. We ate at Hard Rock and then walked the streets and I went on the WWE Pile Driver Drop and Carolyn and I both rode a simulated roller coaster ride. It was nice to get out of the truck for a while. Here's a few shots I took







We left Niagara and still had 500 miles to go so we didn't get into Boston until late that night. We made the most of our ten days in Boston. Our days of work were pretty long but we had a few off for sightseeing. We were very "touristy" here. We took one of those duck tours to get the history of the city and figure out different places we wanted to spend more time. For those of you that haven't been there, driving in Bean-Town is insane! No one knows where there going, how to give directions, and for some reason feel the need to name each road with three different names, some of which Mapquest doesn't recognize. Needless to say, we were lost a majority of the time.

After our duck tour, Carolyn and I walked the Freedom Trail which also happens to be the similar route from the original Cheers (which the tv show was created from) and the replicate Cheers (a bar that mirrors what is seen on the tv show). I enjoyed my first baked beans meal and a beer at the original Cheers.




The following day we headed out to Cape Cod to check it out. We heard that driving was insane in the summer so we took a high-powered catamaran out to Provincetown. It was a very "colorful" island full of shops, restaurants, cottages and bars. The scene was a mix of families and turns out it's a popular summer spot for the gay community. For those of you in Chicago, it's kind of a Boystown meets Key West! I had a great time checking out the sights and we spent a few hours sipping cool cocktails at a bar on the water. Jason, our bartender, filled us in on the hotspots of the island. Here's a few pics...





After a few days of work we got in some more sightseeing. We checked out the nightlife at Landsdowne street and visited a few clubs and pubs. And during the day I took the train out to Harvard Square and ran through both Harvard and MIT campus over to the river. After running around the river (similar to running along the Chicago lakefront) I did some shopping in the city and checked out a free showing of MacBeth in the Boston Commons by the Commonwealth Shakespearean Theater. Unfortunately, this was the most scenic part of the week but since I was running I didn't have my camera! But here are a few shots of Boston from walking around.



After a few more days of work it was finally time to hit a game at Fenway! I've always wanted to catch a game there. The ambiance is similar to Wrigley but it's much smaller. We had seats out in the bleachers and I still crack up when I think of the crowd yelling "Hit a Ho-ma Nom-ahh! Before the game we went to a bar called Who's At Second and afterwards we went to Cask N' Flagon. Both are similar to the bars at Wrigley. Here's some of the sights...






Overall, Boston was busy but fun. We got in a lot of sightseeing and it really is a beautiful city. Besides getting turned around driving, I had a great time!