Jenners3 Go West: Day Eight - St. George back to Vegas, baby! (Aug. 3, 2013)

The Marriott had an included continental breakfast which was served until 10:30. We barely made it down in time, and Michael, of course, was still sleeping. We ate and then brought a couple of armloads full back for Michael to munch on as we got ready to leave. We were out the door by 11:10. As we drove back in Nevada, we gained an hour. Utah was Mountain time, but Nevada is on Pacific time. So it practically took no time at all to get there! Magic!

I desperately needed a restroom break partway through the trip back so we finally happened across civilization and there was an AM/PM store (think 7-11) with a gas station. After my pit stop, I went to refill my bladder by getting a fountain drink. What to my wondering eyes did appear but the refill cups I have been searching for lo these last five years! Five (or so) years ago, 7-11 sold these very sturdy cups which could be washed in the dishwasher and used for much cheaper refills on soda. I tend to drink A LOT of fountain soda so refills save me money. The cups are great, but over the years after MUCH use and MANY washings, some have cracked and I've had to get rid of them. I was down to about four. Stop with your nasty cracks, other family members use them, too! I had been searching for some replacements for the ones that cracked and AM/PM had the exact same cup, except, of course, for their logo being on the side rather than 7-11. I was SO HAPPY!! I bought one and made Steve buy one. It absolutely made my day. Small things do. I thanked my bladder profusely for making me stop where we did.

I also noticed that this particular AM/PM had a geocache on the premises! Double score! It took awhile but we finally found it. So this was our Nevada find. Another state to log! Cool deal.

Our room the "Bella Suite" at the Venetian

We got to Vegas by 12:30 (with the time change) and parked in the Paris hotel self-park which we had determined was near the Half Price Tickets booth. After much debate, we had decided to go to Blue Man Group that night. It was the highlight of Michael's fifth grade NYC trip when he and Steve saw it on Broadway during his field trip with Temple Emanuel. That and the deli, of course.

Blue Man Theater in the Monte Carlo

Today was a super hot one! We had to wait in a relatively long line for the tickets, but finally got them for the 9:30 show. The 7:00 show was already sold out. We also bought vouchers for a restaurant in the Monte Carlo hotel where the show was. The voucher (for $3) got us half price meals at the Cafe at Monte Carlo. Since you have to actually go to the theater to pick up the tickets for the show (like we did for Penn and Teller) we thought maybe we should walk to the Monte Carlo to immediately pick up our tickets hoping to get good seats.

The Paris at night

Everything in Vegas looks close because everything in Vegas is HUGE. When things are that vast, they always seem close because, well, how could something that big be far away? It's some kind of optical illusion, I guess, because the Monte Carlo, which looked like it was about 2 blocks away was probably more like a mile and 1/2 away. We just kept walking and walking and walking and never seemed to get any closer. Was it a mirage? We were in the desert after all.

We finally made it and picked up the tickets. Row M. Very, very good seats! I'm excited. They had a Blue Man Group store that sold souvenirs next to the theater. I went in to browse. I mean, come on, it was a souvenir store, after all. I tried to get Michael to get himself something there. He wouldn't. We'd been gone for eight days and the boy had yet to get himself one thing. Is he for real? I don't get it. No t-shirts, sweatshirts, cool trinkets, Blue Man wear, hats, books (okay, well, I do understand THAT one) etc. etc. Nothing. Nada. It's his form of passive/aggression. When he's in a mood he just shuts down. So I figured maybe later, closer to show time he'd relent and let me buy him something. Am I for real?

The canals of the Venetian

It was a very long walk back to the car. From there we went to the Venetian which is where I'd made reservations for our final night. I was excited to see this hotel above all others since I am such a fan of Venice. When Steve and I visited there in 1994 we had such a wonderful time I was hoping that visiting the hotel would remind me of that magical city.

While Michael and Steve took it easy in the room (the Bella Suite!) I wanted to see the canals, so while they ate their Panda Express that they picked up on the way to the hotel, I wandered the streets and canals of "Venice." It was amazing! Beautiful! Breathtaking! Sumptious! I wandered the Grand Canal Shoppes area like I was touring St. Mark's Square. I took lots and lots of photos and watched the gondoliers ferrying tourists up and down the indoor canal.

I found the gift shop for the hotel and bought some souvenirs for family there along with a bottle of Moscato. After about an hour and a half of wandering and picture taking I went back to the room and shared the bottle with Steve.

St. Mark's Square - inside the hotel

Around seven we got ready to go back to the Monte Carlo for dinner and the show. We drove to the hotel (way too far to walk) and self parked the car(t). We got to the restaurant around 7:30 or 8. There was hardly anyone in the monstrous restaurant. Maybe that was a hint...but no, the food was fine. The service was a bit slow considering we were almost the only people there, but we were in no hurry.

As we were finishing up, I happened to pull out the tickets for the show. I looked closely at them. Closer. Pulled out my reading glasses. OH FOR GOD'S SAKE! The tickets were for the WRONG TIME AND THE WRONG DATE. Rather than being for tonight's show at 9:30, they were for TOMORROW'S show at 7:00 pm. Yes. The day we were leaving.

"I think we have a problem." Steve looked up. "What?" "The tickets are wrong." "What? What do you mean?" "He gave us tickets for tomorrow at 7." "WHAT?!?" Steve grabs the tickets, "OH MAN!" I said, "Go to the box office and get it fixed. I'll take care of the bill here." He and Michael head off in a flurry to try and fix the issue. Crap.

Getting out of the restaurant took almost as long as ordering and eating the meal. And with no one in there, I just couldn't figure out why. I FINALLY got the bill paid and ran across to the box office where Steve and Michael were still attempting to get the ticket issue resolved. I was worried that there were no more seats available. That would've been AWFUL. Well, we did get tickets. Row S. Six rows back from where we were. Oh well. Nothing we could do about it. I just can't understand how someone gets both the date AND time wrong!

Back to the souvenir shop where I picked up something for my nephew who was watching our pets for us. And I FINALLY convinced Michael to get a T-shirt there. It is solid black with a VERY SMALL logo of the Blue Man Group in the corner of the shirt. The shop also sold drum heads which had been used in the show. I thought they were cool. Michael did too, but just wouldn't let me get him one. The shopkeeper told us that typically you can get the Blue Man Group to autograph the drum head. I thought it would be an amazing souvenir. Finally as Steve and Michael lined up to get into the theater I told them I had to use the rest room and would meet up with them. And, of course, I went and bought a drum head for after the show.

A quick camera shot from the end of the show

The show was wonderful. I wholeheartedly endorse you seeing it if you get to a town where they perform. There are quite a few where you can catch them including Chicago, NYC, Las Vegas, and a few others. It was fun, funny, fast, fantastic, amazing, cool, artistic, awe-inspiring, and very, very colorful. I would suggest, though, that if you are epileptic you may want to pass. There are so many flashing lights that I can't believe they didn't have a warning outside the theater. They usually do for a show like this. They really should.

Michael said he thought it was even better than the one he saw in NYC. So that's high praise coming from him. RIGHT after the show ended we ran out so that we could get autographs and pictures with the Blue Men and their band. We were the first ones out in the lobby and the entire band was standing there. I borrowed a sharpie from the gift shop and had the entire band sign the drum head. Then we were told that the Blue Men were in the inner lobby taking pictures with people so we ran inside. Michael had his picture taken with each Blue Man and each one "signed" his drum head by smearing some of their blue paint onto it. Fingers or head prints. The shop had given us clear stickers for this because the paint doesn't dry so in order to keep the "signature" we had to cover them with clear stickers. All in all a great experience for all of us. Fun, fun, fun.