MAMMA MIA! WE HAD SOME FUN!

Isn't it strange that while waiting impatiently for something big and exciting to happen, suddenly in warp speed, it happens, it's over, and only memories remain. Well, that's how it was with my trip to Las Vegas with my daughters. I waited, what seemed like forever, to blast off for three days packed with fun, entertainment, food, shopping, walking, and unbearable heat. Then, suddenly it's over and we were back in Oklahoma City. The mother/daughter getaway was over.

There were the big things about Las Vegas that we made plans for, i.e. our hotel room at Planet Hollywood, shopping at The Forum at Caesar's Palace, walking the Strip. However, it is the unexpected little things that create the fondest memories of our vacation to Las Vegas. What, you ask, are the "unexpected little things"?

Oh please, let me explain!

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. Need I say more? A fleet of new double-decker buses runs up and down Las Vegas Blvd. 24 hours a day. The Duece, as each comfortable, air-conditioned bus is called, provides a great way to see the sights along the Strip. A day pass costs $5 – a real bargain for Las Vegas. We rode the bus downtown and as lady luck would have it, we encountered some of the Strip's finest examples of humanity along the way.

One of the passengers on the bus was a self-appointed comedian. He had a joke for everything and everybody we saw on the Strip. He finally got off the bus and with a big, friendly wave from the curb, he disappeared into the crowd.

Shortly thereafter, we arrived at the downtown bus terminal and changed buses. At the next stop we picked up three loud, foul-mouthed, and belligerent people. One of the guys popped off at a handicapped guy who was struggling to get off the bus. A verbal argument ensued. The crippled guy kept on moving and fortunately, no one was hurt. At the next stop, the jerks got off the bus. It was embarrassing to me because two prim and proper English ladies were also on the bus and they were equally embarrassed. I facetiously commented that they represented America's finest.

One last experience that riding the bus provided was seeing all the brides and grooms in front of the hotels and wedding chapels on the Strip. At the Graceland Wedding Chapel, we saw the bride in her white wedding dress walk to a water faucet on the side of the chapel, bend over with her butt high in the air, turn on the water, and then drag the garden hose to the back of the wedding chapel. WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS SHE DOING? Dousing the groom? Washing the truck? It was just too much for me to even imagine!

In Las Vegas everything is so over the top. Even a simple ride on the bus can be entertaining. And for only 5 bucks, it's certainly worth every penny!