A while back, Chris had hit me up. The same way that I had met them in Vegas a few years ago, they were planning another trip out in September. We aligned on dates and I agreed to cruise out and hang. Originally, they were going to stay at Resorts World. I found a different property that I was going to stay at, shared the details, and they then moved their reservation over there. All that was left was actually showing up.
It has been a hell of a year for me at work and I am under constant stress and pressure. I needed a break. The sciatica was 90% healed, but I was still not looking forward to a super long drive. I was going up a day early and leaving a bit later than them. I had everything in the car and got up early Thursday to start the drive. I stopped off in Kingman for lunch and to stretch out before finally completing the drive to the hotel in the early afternoon. I got checked in and started to prep for the rest of the day.
The hotel was actually a converted apartment complex. For a great price, I got a full one bedroom apartment with kitchen, laundry, eating space, living room, and balcony. This would be huge on the trip. I got my stuff dropped and sorted before heading out to do a little shopping. I hot a few places that I wanted to check out but had spent a lot of time in the car already. I looked up food and saw a place called Onduri at The Orleans hotel. I walked over and got an amazing dinner. I then walked back to the hotel, relaxed for a while, and then got some sleep.
I woke up the next morning and texted Chris. I expected to go pick them up. He said the flight had landed, they were checking in, and that all was good. I'd brought up supplies for everyone so we didn't need to shop much. I met the in the lobby and walked them to the rooms. We agreed that they'd settle things and we'd rally at my place. We headed out to grab lunch at a restaurant up the street. It was alright but not great. We had walked so we headed back over to the hotel to grab the car and check things out. We got out, did some shopping, and knocked out some runs that needed to occur. We spent some time at Area 15. Chris and David checked out Meow Wolf. Wayne and I had a couple of drinks at the bar before we all met up and played pool and video games for a bit.
At this point, we were hungry for dinner. We agreed to head to Onduri again. We met at my place and drove over to the casino. We got parked and had a killer meal. The sushi was great and the food was all very well prepared. We got back to the hotel and decided to call it a night. It was a long travel day for them and I was looking for some more sleep and rest. We aligned on the rally point and time and called it a day.
We rallied the next morning and got over to In-N-Out Burger. We consumed great burgers and people watched. We then made our way to the Strip. The first stop was the Pinball Hall of Fame. We went there last time and were happy to be back. We probably spent an hour and a half there checking out the games and playing them all. From there, we headed east. We stopped in for a cocktail at The Cabinet of Curiosities. Across the way was the Real Bodies exhibit and we ran through that. We then headed back over to the car and got a picture together. We had plans for the night and agreed to head back to the hotel and take a small break.
A few hours later, we linked up for the night's activities. First up was a trip east to Eastside Cannery Casino. We got in and grabbed a nice dinner at Carve Steakhouse. We then headed over to the event center where we took in Queensryche. I don't know that Chris and I have ever been to a proper concert together so this was cool. The night wrapped, we got back to the hotel, and parted ways.
Sunday was the last full day together. We linked up again and hopped in the car to Freemont Street. We were hungry and Google recommended Ameribrunch Cafe. Holy hell was that place good. The food was very fresh, great portions, and a cool vibe. When fully loaded up on food, we headed to Freemont, walked the length of it, and called it a day. We jumped back into the car and headed back to the hotel. We had time to kill so we all just hung out at my place. We threw The Mechanic on in the living room, Chris talked to Jeff from MC, and we just chilled. It was great to have a ton of space to spread out and hang.
We decided that the last night's dinner would be a buffet. Google recommended Garden Buffet at the South Point casino. Google in this case was wrong. We got in, got settled, and started through the lines. The prime rib was alright, but a lot of the food was dry, overcooked, or just not great. We had mediocre expectations and even those were crushed. We headed back over to the hotel. They had a very early flight and needed to get packed and ready. We said our goodbyes, commented on how great the trip was, and parted ways again.
By the time I woke up Monday, they were flying. I gathered my things and got moving on the drive back. I had received a notice from my water heater that there was a problem so I had that to address when I got back. After another short stop in Kingman on the way back for food, I completed the journey and the trip.
I appreciate that I got to see these guys again. Chris is a very influential person in my upbringing and shaping my personality. To be able to hang with him, David, and Wayne in Vegas, over 30 years after I met him and 2 years since our last hang as a group is nothing less than amazing. I am grateful for the memories and pictures and can't wait to book the 2026 trip.
