48 hours of Vegas - Happy Anniversary

Robie had a conference this week in Las Vegas.  It definitely isn't on the top of our "places to go" list, but it was at the top of the "Robie's work is paying for a hotel and transportation" list.   There was one year where we both forgot our anniversary entirely.  My mom called to wish us a happy anniversary that year and I actually said, "Anniversary of what?"  I think that was the year that Robie was training for Ironman and working in Los Angeles, but still, we've tried to at least just remember ever since. 
And this one seemed like a big one - 15 years!!  We didn't leave until late Wednesday, so it was a late arrival - Robie had to get up to go to his convention - not me - I went ahead and leisurely slept in and lounged around.  It was weird/almost a little freaky being alone in a strange town, but that quickly faded.   Robie's coworkers were disgusted to hear that we didn't go our for an expensive dinner for our big 15th anniversary, but we just couldn't stomach a major expense for food, instead we opted for the Earl of Sandwich.  For the record they were some great sandwiches, and the tomato soup was REALLy good. I will be making tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons sometime soon!  We also made a stop by one of the "Sugar" stores.  They did, in fact, have so many things made out of sugar!

It's been a long time since we've walked the strip - it was just as seedy and dirty as I remember.  Some of those new resorts are really amazing and HUGE, though!  I can't believe there are seriously that many people in Vegas for all those rooms.  We coincidentally saw some fire show at the Mirage and the water show at the Bellagio.. good timing on our stroll I guess.  Our resort was off the strip at the Westin, and, as usual, they didn't disappoint.  It wasn't the nicest one we've stayed at, but they did send us up a nice anniversary cheese/fruit plate.. Aw, so nice!

Robie got me a pass to go to the conference the next day with him (as opposed to my wandering the suburbs shopping like I had done the week before).  He actually just needed to swing in and see a few people, so it was nice to see him in his work environment, but also to visit the booths for Tahiti, Fiji, Australia, etc. 

The show was for dive equipment makers, and dive shops, so all the different tropical locations had booths trying to sell their dive trip packages to the dive shops.  I don't know about the dive shops, but I was definitely sold on taking a trip to any of the tropical locations!

We made sure to hit Cafe Rio on the way out of town.  Seriously, when are they going to get one of these closer to us?

In an attempt to get to a gas station, we somehow ended up at Bass Pro Shops/Outdoor World.

 

Nothing says romance like stuffed, dead animals. 

 

It was seriously crazy in there.  I mean, I've always wondered where you can get a paddleboat.

Also super romantic - a gigantic trash can of soda for the drive home.  We were laughing so hard because it seriously barely fit under the dispenser - you had to angle it just right to even fill the thing!

Happy anniversary, Honey.  As Robie put in, "Can you believe we were married in the 90's?"  No, I can't!