Trip Report - Paris June 26- June 30

Hey guys .. .here it is .. Its long ... so make sure you have time to read it all ..

Enjoy ..

Trip Report Thursday June 26 – Monday June 30

Background info first –

This was a long awaited trip. My sister had gotten engaged in Vegas about a year and a half ago. Since she is the queen of Vegas – what better place to get married in then Vegas!! They went on a bunch of scouting trips to find the best chapel, & dinner place for their budget. Finally after months and trips to Vegas they decided on Paris for their chapel and the Venetian – The Grand Lux Café for their dinner. So the plans were set in stone – Deposits were put down & now the rest of the family had to make arraignments for the trip. We all decided to stay @ Paris so we could all be in each other’s reach on the day of the wedding. We booked our rooms there & we flew southwest. We had about 5 cars caravan to Vegas. And the rest would fly in. So threw packing, planning, saving and waiting – The day arrives.. We must leave …

Thursday June 26, 2003

“Vegas baby!” -- This is repeated in my head a million times. My boyfriend and I were so excited to get there. We hadn’t been there since Oct 02 so we were itching to go back. So we wake up and we are so excited to leave. We have to wait for our ride to arrive so we can be taken to the airport. Our plane didn’t leave till 1:00pm so we had some time to waste before heading out to the airport. My boyfriend made some last minute errands to the bank & to the store while I sat @ home with my blood rushing. I was nervous for the flight. I had a real bad experience flying the time before with my nerves and I kept telling myself everything was going to be ok …. I knew my parents had already arrived in Vegas cause they had left a message on the recorder while I was in the shower. So I kept telling myself that the flight would be cool. Phone rings while I am watching TV and its my Salvador’s mom … She is on her way to get us … MY BLOOD IS RUSHING and I think I am going to get sick. Ahh I hate flying. We figure if we leave the house by 11:00 we should have more that enough time to get on the flight with no rushing or lines. Yeah right …………….

We get to the airport and its packed. People everywhere. We didn’t even think it would be that packed for a Thursday flying out of San Jose,Ca. So we finally get out boarding passes and go threw security which all takes about 45/50 minutes to get threw all of this. We sit and wait for our flight to be called for boarding and this lady starts talking to me about her bracelet ….I don’t ever remember hearing our flight being called or anything … Flight 1704 never registered in my head .. The next thing I know we are on the plane. I wasn’t worried at all at this point. We sit down and the plane is jumping with voices, laughter, and the stewardess dancing in the aisle. He (the stewardess) gets on the loud speaker and says, “ You have officially boarded the party plane”. The people in the plane erupt with screams, cheers, whistles, clapping. I look over to my boyfriend and tell him that I think I am cool now. I timed the flight and it only took us 56 minutes to get there. The flight was loud the whole way with people taking shots, singing, laughing, still laughing.. The stewardess still dancing … it was great. We had officially landed in Vegas …

We get off the plane and walk to the shuttle that takes to the luggage claim. And the whole time I am praying that they didn’t loose my luggage. (I had about 6 different dreams prior to leaving that they lost my luggage) … My luggage was fine. Now times for the Taxi line … we look @ the line and its packed with people. We ask the lady how long she has been waiting and she said she had been there for about 30 min. Just has she said that the heat kicked in & we decided that we would try the shuttles. We walk over to the shuttle & limo side. And the shuttle line is the same thing. We figure f- it we are going to take a limo. We end up getting a LVL to take us to Paris. Its hot, I mean hot .. We left 60 degree weather and arrived in Vegas @ 109. What a change for us.


We get to Paris and the check in line was out into the casino floor. Luckily we see that my grandma & aunt are in line and we make a smooth cut in line with them. We all end up on the 11th floor of Paris. We end up with room 1193. All of parents, my sisters, aunts, cousins, friends, and us are all within one room of each other while checking in. It was great.

After going up to freshen up we decided to walk the strip a little. It’s so hot that we change our minds and we go to the pool. Paris has a nice pool. Even though the pool was only 3 feet.. It was nice to cool off too. Of course after swimming we worked up an appetite so we decided to meet up with everyone to go eat. My uncle Blue recommended the food court in Caesar’s. It’s already about 8:45pm at this time. So a group of about 11 of us make the walk from Paris to Caesars and go to the food court. I had never eaten there before so I was up for it. You walk in and they hand you a little credit card type thing and you go to any place in there and get what you want. I had one of the best Bacon cheeseburgers there I had ever eaten in my life. (It could have been that or I was really hungry and the beer was kicking in) We walked and did all the forum shops. We left Caesar’s around 11pm by this time all the shops were closing and the rest of us were ready to party. We all went back and decided to go up and change ONCE again. We all meet up down stairs and we drank, gambled & danced the night away at a little lounge they have at Paris.

Friday June 27 **********************************************************

Waking up with a headache is the worst!! .. Glasses are a must in Vegas no matter what time it is. I never I mean never wear glasses in doors, its just something that I never do. But this morning I wore my glasses even during breakfast. We ended up eating at a buffet downstairs in Paris. It came out to $22.50 for 2 adults. (You do the math) … I am not a buffet eater at all. I don’t eat much in the mornings so buffets for me are always out of the questions. I had some bomb French toast, a nice big glass of Dr. Pepper and then a bowl of cereal and I was ready to take off my glasses and hit up the rest of the day.

Since most of the people that came for the wedding had never been there before they wanted to see everything. Since we already did all the tourist stuff the time before. We really didn’t care what we did. As long as Salvador had a Heineken in his hand and I had a Malibu and Pineapple in mine I didn’t care were we went. We all pilled 10 people in an 8-seater suburban. Crazy! Let me tell you ..

But we head out to Rio to check it out. It was dead. Looked like a ghost town compared to all the other casinos we had already been in. I think Rio is a dud and we decide to head over to Palms. I am a Real World Freak so going there was a treat for me since I have been seeing this Hotel on TV for months. We go in and I am so excited to see the things that I have been seeing on TV. Too bad no Real World run – in’s, but the man @ the craps table tells us that they had the Las Vegas Awards held there the night before. So he mentions that there are lots of celebrities still lurking around. We don’t see anyone so we decided to head back to the car. While walking out guess who I spot??? Michael Duncan from “ The Green Mile”. I am star struck. We say hi, take a picture with him and of course you know me, I touch his muscles & ask if I can get a hug. He agreed & I slipped my hands down and touched his BUTT! Oh yeah nice ass!! I tell him and he laughs … real nice guy. As we are getting in to the suburban we see “ FEZ” from that 70’s show getting into a green limo from Palms. It was a great afternoon that day.

After more sight seeing, shopping and more drinks we end up doing the M&M store, head to Excalibur, then the luxor, then Mandalay Bay. We have been wanting to go to Mandalay because the owner of Salvador’s company where he works had V.I.P at the Foundation room In Mandalay bay. He had put us on the list for 6 people total. The place didn’t open till after 6 so we figured we would go back to the room and chill out for a while since we had been gone since about 9 in the morning … When we get back to Pairs we see my sister’s and our cousin’s and they want to eat dinner. Its already 6 something by this time and we know that my sisters Meet & Greet starts @ 8:00 so we might as well get it over with. So we head to Aladdin and we stop at this place called The cheeseburger Oasis. I didn’t want to eat there since I had already eaten a burger the day before. But everyone was in favor so I had to be a good sport and join the fun. After a couple Mai Thai’s I was cool eating anywhere J we ate then headed back to get dressed for the night and the meet & greet. We meet downstairs Paris and the round bar near the entrance of the Casino. It was real nice & we had a good turn out. We left there about 11:00 and headed out to Studio 54 with the rest of the clan. When we were in line for studio 54 we learned that they were filming a new show called “ DANCE FEVER” .. The host was Carmen Electra, MC hammer, Eric Nies and other people. They were doing the first filming on Saturday (the day of the wedding) but they were filming promos for the show that night we were there. The line is out the door around the corner and we decide that we were just go to the Foundation Room @ Mandalay . We get there. The elevator takes up to the highest floor of the casino. We walk in and see the tightest bar/lounge we have ever seen. There is a balcony outside with people dancing. We go out side after ordering some drinks and see the best view ever. We are so high up in Mandalay that we the sign that reads “ MANDALAY BAY” is right next to us, We can see the whole strip … the view is awesome. Took bunch of pictures and we are out there enjoying the heat & the mist sprayers while drinking it up. Its about 2am and we are still ready to party. We head back to Studio 54 and the club is still jumping. We get in there and it’s packed like sardines. It’s crowded and takes about 20 min just to get a drink. We dance dance dance … drink, drink, drink … its 3am and the club is still jumping. Salvador wants to split up wit the rest of the people so we can head to Jaguars. So we leave everyone and head to Jaguars and that place is dead. There is hardly anyone in there. And only 2 girls on the main stage. We get a shared lap dance, which wasn’t too great, and we look at the stack off $1 bills we still have and ask each other if we should stay or go …… Hmmm .. Stay or go ….. Its 4:30 in the morning .. The wedding is the next day …. We go .. Head back to Paris ......Salvador hits the craps table I hit up the quarter machine. I lost about 50 bucks in less that 10 min … Salvador us up $250 ..We call is a night. We walk into our room and we are wasted!!! WE totally forgot my sister that is getting married is staying in out room for that night cause she didn’t want to sleep with her fiancé the night before the wedding. Its 5am we are still up eating chips, candy – Late night munchies ….5:30am I am still up watching TV, Head spinning … I look next to me .. Salvador is passed out still in his clothes, I try to wake him to change but there’s no budging him. I wash up … Try to lay down .. Head still spinning … Stomach cramping.. Too many M&M”s!!!! Look @ the clock one more time 5:45am


Saturday June 28 - **********************************************************

BUZZZ, BUZZZ – alarm blaring --- 7:00am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I repeat 7:00am … My sister is up and cheery talking, too much noise.. TV on .. Then the shower on. Salvador is snoring .. I am wide-awake @ 7:15 am .. I had about an hour and 15 min of sleep and Saturday is only beginning.. The day of the wedding …

After repeat trips to the bathroom with nothing happening I walk over to my parents room and see what’s happening over. My parents are wide-awake ordering room service and I am still drunk and groggy from the night before. My parents room is too loud for me to be in there, I walk to my cousin’s room and they are up ordering food, taking showering, getting things ready for the day… I walk over to the best man’s room & he is there.. Looking like death. He was still in the clothes from the night before. The last time we had seen him was @ studio 54 before we left to Jaguars. He was a mess, he said he was still up from the night before. My sister is walking down the hall while I am trying to sneak back into my room and she asked.. CAN YOU HELP me with some things… I was like NOOOOOOOO .. But of course I helped..

By the time I knew it I had to get ready. Take a shower; feel like shit, getting my hair done, putting on my bridesmaid dress… Salvador is still asleep. I finally wake him up and he is ready in no time. Time to head to the chapel. My parents, grandparents, cousin’s, friends, everyone is there. My sister is looks so beautiful. It starts to hit me,… She is getting married in less than an hour and I can’t believe the day is finally here. Everyone is starting to look teary but we all get threw the before pictures and we line up for the walk in. Everyone is seated waiting for the bridesmaid’s to go down and this is it, it’s my turn. I feel like crap but it’s the one of the best days of my life. Here come’s the ring bear and then the doors close………. They start playing “ At Last” By Etta Jones. You hear the sniffles and here comes my sister & my dad. She looks great. She looks so happy and so excited. Ruben is standing there looking right at her, never takes his eyes off of her. They look so happy. All the months planning and stressing and everything came together to the T! They say their vows and they announce them Husband and Wife and its wonderful … Chapel lasted about 20 minutes total. Time for pictures. …We took them @ Paris, Bellagio & Venetian … The dinner started @ 5:15 and it was arrange seating. Everything turned out great. The Grand Lux Café was so nice. Everything was great. The Cheesecake factory owns the Grand Lux Café so you can imagine the food and the quality. They started off by bringing appetizers. I think there were 6 different kinds. There were 10 tables total .. With 105 guest. Then they brought out the salads. You had a choice of Caesar salad or a garden salad. Then for the main dish. You could choose from grilled chicken with vegetables & mashed potatoes OR Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti Or Salmon and vegetables Or A 16 oz steak with mashed potatoes. Yummy .. I had the chicken Parmesan but it was so big I never even got to the middle of it. The wedding cake was beautiful. 3-tier cake with fresh flowers. # different layers. The top was chocolate and banana my sister’s favorite, then the middle was white with strawberries Rubens’ favorites and the bottom layer was white with some filling .. I can’t remember right now … The dinner ended about 9 o’clock and my sister had invited everyone back to her suite at Paris for the after party. I didn’t think I was going to be able to last that long… I had no sleep the night before and everyone was on a hype to hang out. We went back to the room and I changed into some slacks and into a nice going out shirt. We meet up in my sisters room and it was jumping ..everyone was there drinking and enjoying the time together… we had planned on going to Drai’s for the after hour club that started @ 2am .. but it was already 2am and no one had left .. we were still lounging in my sisters. We decide to go – it’s late and my sister and Ruben hadn’t been alone ONCE since the chapel. Everyone is going to Club Rio .. and we are headed for bed. We get to the elevator to go up .. and it goes down instead .. Casino floor … Oh why not stay up more and feel worse .. we are in VEGAS …. 4 am still down stairs gambling .. I loose loose loose .. Sal is up $100 again .. I say take is and leave … the elevators are packed and we are ready for bed …. Night night …don’t let the bed bugs bite …


Sunday June 29- **********************************************************

Wake up call is ringing its .. 9am and we have to pack our things cause we have to check out of the room. We decided before hand that we would stay with my sister, her HUSBAND J and the best man ( Ruben’s best friend) .. cause before we booked our flight everyone was staying only still Sunday .. but last min .. they changed their minds and decided to stay till Monday – So we got our flight to leave Monday morning …. We had to pack our bags and more our things to Jamie’s room. They were all getting ready to head for the Rio buffet. No buffets for me, I was just too tired to smell or eat food. Salvador is still sleeping while I am packing the bags. Since they had 3 room keys they bring one too they and us jam. We call and check out of our room and head to Jamie’s room to drop off our luggage …

We walk to Caesars for some shopping on the last day .. We end up and Nike-town once again and I buy some shoes. Over to Coach to see the new styles they have. Since I got a new Coach purse before we left, I wasn’t planning on getting anything from there. But with much surprise Sal buys me another on .. OH YEAH! Another Coach purse. I love Coach… Over to the fashion show mall – That place was a dud .. waste of a cab ride. Salvador wants Burger King of all things to eat in Vegas .. I wasn’t that hungry so I agreed. We walk over to Oshea’s and eat there. Back to Paris to find who ever is left there.. My parents left Sunday morning along with my grandparents and my aunts & uncles. There was still family and friends still there .. So we figured we will see they before they leave. Back to the room and everyone is there looking at the wedding pictures. We are dying with laughter and how funny they look … ( oh yeah .. Ruben got a heat blister the day we got there .. On his bottom lip… he said it was from the heat but we think its cause he was nervous .. so he still had the blister on the day of the wedding ) we could not stop laughing at his lip. So funny ..

The maid of honor (Amie) and her mom and a family friend of ours want to go walk the strip.. Its 113 degrees out side and I don’t want to walk anywhere.. They con me into it .. and we are off .. before we left I wasn’t feeling good. All the weekend parting was catching up to me and I felt like I was on the verge of really passing out. The heat didn’t help. So walking south of the strip from Paris towards MGM .. I start to fill faint. I tell Sal that I think I Am going to pass out. I really start feeling light headed.. Their punk asses think I am playing and are taking pic’s of my read face. We get into a small shop and get water and I start to feel better. I think I was seriously dehydrated. We walk to MGM and decided there is no way we are walking back in that heat. There was a wind that was blowing but it was hot too … I kept saying that I thought my face was going to get chapped .. And I was right. .. We took a really crazy Trolly back that dropped us off at Imperial Palace. That trolly ride was wild. And crazy. The driver kept saying he would hit the guy on the bike in front of us for $50 bucks .. everyone was saying … $60 you won’t .. and then other guys shouted .. I will get off & hit with a closed fist for $40 .. it was crazy .. We walked from Imperial to Paris and went to eat dinner. I can’t remember where but we did eat dinner. It was about 11pm already and our night was coming to a quick end. With no sleep the past couple of days .. it was hiting all of us. They asked us if we wanted to go to House of blues .. but with a quick No they didn’t’ ask again. We gambled a little and headed back to the room around 1am. Our flight was leaving las Vegas around 9:10 so we had to be up and ready for a flight home.

Monday June 30 – **********************************************************


6:45am the wake up call rings – we are up .. take a fast shower and off to the airport. The airport is busy with people coming in and we are ready to leave. We get threw security pretty fast and its barley 8am .. we have at least an hour before take off .. finally we board and it’s a real quiet flight home. We arrive in San Jose and the weather is still 63 degrees and we are happy to be home .
**********************************

I had so much fun on this trip. Even though there were a lot of people there with us .. it was great. I could not belive the amount of people that came and all the fun we had. My mom’s co – worker that came for the wedding won 1,500.00 @ Venetian and her sister won 1,700.00 also at the same place. My grandparents won 900 right before the dinner on the wedding day. The Venetian was paying out that day big time. Oh yeah Mario Lopez from Saved by the bell was also in the Venetian playing craps .. I barley got to see the tip of his head cause there was so much security around him. Also our friends met Nelly “ Its getting hot in herrr” … IN Gucci in Caesars on Sunday. There was so much going on and so many stories being told at once. It was great. My sisters wedding was so nice and everything turned out great. No one forgot anything and no one had to rush or buy anything. We had prepared for that day for months and it worked out so great. She was so happy with the turn out. I haven’t develepoed any pictures yet, but there are a bunch on the digital camera. We will develop them soon. So as soon as I get them I will post them here.

Thanks for reading my trip report & and thanks to all those that helped me plan this great trip

Landa



[ July 02, 2003, 12:43 PM: Message edited by: landa4071 ]

 

Dang Landa...

I thought we did it hard-core while in Vegas...but you seemed to have squeezed every last drop of experience out of your short time there. I guessing you've slept like a baby since you got back, huh?

Thanks for the write-up. We'll raise a glass to you in 3 weeks!

Mikey

 

I am still paying for it!!

When we got home I slept from 11 till 5pm .. then woke up .. ate some dinner .. took a shower and back to bed by 8pm - woke up the next morning around 10am.. I was still tired. I was in bed my 9pm last night .. and this morning I didn't want to wake up for work @ all ...

too bad I didn't win enough to come back

 

YOU ATE WHAT FOR BREAKFAST??!!

Extra points for getting a lapdance with your boyfriend...very nice.

Man, I'm tired just from reading about that trip!

T.

 

I loved the part about the Crazy Trolly ride.

The next big thing in Vegas: Odds on how many pedestrians a driver can hit between stops!

 

Yes...YES.... YES!!

Finally someone who does Vegas the way I do!! LOL!!

That is absolutely the best trip report I have ever read. Thanks sooOo much for sharing.

Funny note: I played "At last" at my wedding last November. The reason? We dated for 13 years. We were engaged for 5. Pretty scary, huh?

What sucked is that everyone just assumed that I was stringing her along. It never crossed their minds that I wanted to marry her the day I met her and told her I would wait as long as it took for her.

Man, you lucked out at the Palms. I stayed there last year and didn't see anyone famous. I had fun at the Ghostbar, though. Met a couple of CA models who thought they were "all that". I think it was buggin them that I wouldn't hit on them.

Nice to see some else who likes to dance and party. I appreciate all the trip reports about gambling and other schenanigans, but I'm a club guy. I go to Vegas for two things: Craps and dancing/partying. I'm going to be at Mandalay Bay in August. I'm hoping to get a glimpse of the Foundation Room. Sounds too cool for school.

Thanks agains for the wonderful report. you've got me drooling to get back there.

 

Wow Landa, what a trip! Great report, although I too am tired just reading it (Mikey, Terry, face it: we're old! )

I can't wait to see the pics!

 

Heck--even when I was young I couldn't stay up and party like that. Sounds like you had a GREAT time--I am amazed you managed to squeeze it all in, but glad you had such fun and that your sister's wedding went off without a hitch.

So--did you lose the laptop bet? Are you doing laundry or is he

[ July 03, 2003, 10:53 AM: Message edited by: HoyaHeel ]

 

Hoya - I never got online while I was there. Just so I wouldn't get online there I gave the laptop to my little sister to hold for me. But I still ended up washing .... MEN what do you expect j/k .. But he did take care of all the luggage coming back so that was cool.

 

Hi from another person from the Bay Area! Your trip sounded like so much fun. I have now decided to make a trip to the Foundation room on my trip at the end of this month.


Cosmic

 

Terry- french toast & dr. Pepper. Don't ask .. All I know is it made me feel way better ...

farkingidiot - I am still tired from the crazy weekend. we had a blast & i can't wait to go back. We want to plan an all girls trip.


We did so much and we are still talking about it.. Just yesterday our house was full with people and we were all hearing stories of late night drunkeness ... So funny ... I can't wait for the pictures ...

 

I have no clue how you crammed so much in your visit, plus be a part of your sister's wedding. I'm amazed!
Sounds like you have a wonderful family and many friends who were there to help you celebrate the special ocassion.
It is going to be hard to top that visit!!!

 

Landa,
Sorry, it took me awhile to catch up
Great report and beautiful pictures.!
Don't know how you got through the wedding day.lol.
By the way thanks for the info on that hotbar..I love it.

sunni

 

Hey chica.....
So glad to hear you made it safely! Props on lapdancing with your man and I think it's hilarious that you call male flight attendants stewardesses. Congrats to your sista

 

Me either -- Belive me .. We are still talking about it ...And yes I know its going to be VERY hard to top that trip.


PRINCE -- You were the only one that got it --

HE was a stewardess!!!!

 

Great report but I think i aged a couple of years reading it...

 

Going for 8 days and 7 nights in September, if it were 7 weeks I could'nt do all you did. I wish I could but I know I could'nt. Kudos to you.