Vacations have a weirdness aspect to them I've found. The weirdness comes in due to what a vacation is supposed to do and doesn't. To me, vacations with children are trial periods. They are for many people a "lets see how much you can endure and still maintain sanity". These trips are usually at times enjoyable but can also test your mettle. Anyone who has driven several hundred miles, stayed in motels, searched out the sights, and and fed these mongrels three times a day knows what I'm talking about. When its all over, pulling into the driveway at home can feel like nirvana.

During our marriage, my wife and I always tried to slip in a mini vacation every year with just the two of us. At times it served as the recovery from the real vacation. These were enjoyable, but had a drawback for me. They were exhausting. For instance, one year we drove to Santa Fe, our favorite town in the world, then up to Colorado Springs to ride the cog railroad to Pike's Peak, then to Albuquerque, then home. In between we hit Indian locations, the Rio Grande Gorge at Taos and numerous other places. It almost turned into a race from one place to the other and at some you need reservations. We were dead tired reaching home.

We don't go to 'lay back and do nothing' places like a beach. We get bored. The mountains we drive through several times a year and love them, but stopping for several days is out. Overnight is fine. I had access to a mountain cabin for twenty years and we went there once until boredom drove us away.

Then we found the ideal place for a few days or a week get away - Vegas. I don't know why they call this place 'Sin City'. There is gambling, of course, but there is so much more.

We've been there about ten times and never paid for air fare. My wife flies so much she got free trips plus the 'companion'. We've paid three prices for rooms - $0, $18, and $54 because we always stay at Harrah's and they send us deals. We can usually find a way to get one free meal a day.

Harrah's is a neat place to stay for several reasons. Its one of the highest rated slot locations (that's for her), rated restaurants, and when you walk out the doors you are on the strip sidewalk which means no hiking to get there. The Mirage, Caesar's Palace across the street, Balleys, Paris, and Bellagio to the left and the Venetian and Treasure Island to the right. There's so much to do the only problem is what to do next. Its bigger than life, we forget all of the world, just the two of us in playland.

The bizarre thing about this vacation is that with all the glitter, all the walking, the shows, and visiting a hundred places, we are completely rested after returning home. Even with $100 (apiece) shows and doing what we want, its the least expensive trip we take except for my wife's beloved slots - that takes the cost up to average for us.

We never tire of this trip. While she feeds the slot, I go shopping, art shows, zoos and animal shows, always find places I've never been, and stare at an endless variety of beautiful women. The beer garden at the hotel with free daily and nightly music performances is also one of my favorites. The people are wonderful and helpful everywhere.

When we step on the plane to leave for this trip, the world's problems seem to dissolve. There is no talk of home, work, or worry for the next six or seven days. It just comes naturally. We are totally and completely free of such things and our eyes glitter as much as the signs in the city. We are going again this spring, seven days of nothing but our souls locked together in happiness, freedom, fun....

....lets see...should we go for Enton John...Heart...Celine Dion...maybe another Cirque de soleil?....