My sister Tamara enjoyed a milestone birthday in October that deserved a proper celebration so we packed our bags for an epic Las Vegas country-western extravaganza! Tam has always had an affinity for country music and cowboys. When her client gave her two VIP tickets to see George Strait in Las Vegas I was lucky enough to be asked to join her and our Vegas plan took shape. We would celebrate her belated birthday without husbands or kids, just the two of us, and see all of the glitz and gaudy we could. Travis Tritt was also performing that weekend, but upon our arrival at McCarren International, there were too many cowboys and cowgirls in the arrivals areas for the numbers to make sense. Then we saw it, the “National Finals Rodeo” sign. The rodeo was in town and our hopes to enjoy a little country flair just got the ultimate upgrade!
Hiking The Valley of Fire
Valley of Fire State Park | Overton, NV
The first morning of the weekend we went off-trail hiking in The Valley of Fire National Park with a private guide John, from Love Hikes. A 6:00am pick up on three hours sleep had us weary, but John (a city tour guide by day) kept the hour-long trip out to the valley entertaining and informative. By the time we arrived at the park entrance he was like an old friend!
We spent the next few hours hiking, scrambling and tracking a set of fresh mountain lion prints. John was incredible at pointing out native flora and shared his special trick that got a family of desert bighorn sheep to pay us some attention.
We made our way through the bright red Aztec sandstone outcrops from the Jurrasic period as the only there people for miles. The scale and terrain of the desert were inspiring and humbling. As our scrambling confidence grew we pushed ourselves to embrace John’s safe-but-challenging climbs. Once back on the official trail, we wound the trek down in a valley covered in 2,500-year-old petroglyphs carved into the rocks by the Basketmaker culture. We left dusty, energized, and appreciative of a world two Florida girls rarely get to explore.
Restaurants, Rhinestones, and Rodeos
The next three days were spent visiting every casino we could while taking in the Vegas lights. Penny Slots fans, our “big wins” amounted to less than the minimums at most of the tables but we were having so much fun we didn’t care!
Gordon Ramsay’s Burger | Planet Hollywood Las Vegas
In search of authentic Western gear, we spent hours on the floors of the rodeo conventions at the Venetian and The Convention Center over two days. Shopping for Christmas gifts, watching the junior rodeo, and getting high-end cowboy hats was serious work and we worked up Vegas-sized appetites.
A terrific Italian lunch was enjoyed at Buddy V’s Ristorante at the Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes to kick off our celebrity dining experiences. Tam’s belated birthday outing was a luxurious dinner at Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. Pre-concert gourmet burgers and libations were outstanding at Gordon Ramsay’s Burger at Planet Hollywood. The gluttony ended on Sunday at The Buffet at Bellagio, but we walked from Freemont Street to the Wynn to make up for it!
George Strait’s show was everything we had hoped for as longtime fans and we’re certain he has a magic anti-aging regimen. He sang our favorites and revived my enjoyment of classic country music from my college years.
We gambled small, laughed largely, and had the best time two sisters ever could! Happy, happy birthday to my baby girl and the best sister and friend anyone could as for. You are one of the most extraordinary women on this planet!
