Gettin’ Carried Away

I’ve been to Las Vegas twice. In all honesty, if you wanted to avoid a mob of tourists, you wouldn’t have picked Vegas as your vacation spot in the first place. But if you really want to live it up in Sin City for a short time, I’ve got the scoop on the best time to go!

The first time I went to Vegas was in March 2006. Not a good time to go…

~* Carrie and friend (Sara) with Paris in the background! *~

March/April = Spring Break for college kids across the nation. Many kids like to plan trips to a warm climate/a party place. Although we got a fairly decent price for a hotel room, we stayed at the end of the strip and it took us over an hour to check in. Thankfully, the Tropicana has a quick check-out dropbox for your room keys (if you don’t acquire any extra charges, of course).

The second time I visited Sin City was in August 2008. Perfect time to go…

~* Carrie (center) and Chili’s Karaoke in Vegas!*~

July/August = hot summer days and fewer tourists. Don’t get me wrong. Vegas is still pretty crowded during the summer. However, the hotel rates drop as the temperature rises. Because the strip is so big, there will be a lot of travelers roaming around, even if each of the hotels on the strip was only half full. So if you’re planning a summer vaca, consider Las Vegas. You’ll thank me later when you’re sipping a cold drink, laying out beside the pool at the Mirage.

What happens in Vegas does NOT have to stay there… share your stories with me!

Have you ever driven down a road surrounded by forests? When you look down the road, the trees in the distance seem as if they were far away mountains. As I see the leaves on these “mountains” change from fresh greens to vibrant oranges and bright reds, I can’t help but reminisce about my trip to Denver, Colorado last October. I went to visit my good friend, Lindsey. We had been apart for about eight months, and I thought it was about time I saw one of my best friends.

Lindsey and I met while studying abroad in London, England (don’t worry - you’ll hear all about that in much later posts). We instantly became very close best friends and bonded as we traveled throughout the UK and Europe. So one day, long after we returned from our trip, while I was bored at home searching for cheap flights on the Internet… I found one!

Carrie and Lindsey in Dublin, Ireland (October 2006)

Lindsey and Carrie in Denver, CO (October 2007)

Southwest Airlines had a flight to Denver that only cost $79 each way. What a steal! If you missed it check out my post about affordable flights so that you too can travel on the cheap! Anyway, I called Lindsey and booked my trip all within 10 minutes of finding the deal.

I love the fall weather in Chicago, so I was really excited to experience it in Denver. The very first thing we did when I arrived was take the very scenic drive to her lovely abode. The monstrous mountains that seemed so distant from the airport became even bigger as we headed towards Lindsey’s house. Her beautiful home offered breathtaking views of the mountains, and I couldn’t help but stare out of the sliders in the kitchen every chance I got.

We then headed up into the mountains. I was not used to the altitude, so my ears popped as we weaved around and around on the winding roads that lead to the top of the mountain. We came across a quaint town called Evergreen. The center of the town featured a long, wooden boardwalk full of unique shops and yummy restaurants. Much of the clothing and jewelry inside the shops was one-of-a-kind, and I jumped at the chance to own a gorgeous silver ring and a black cowboy hat. The perfect end to this amazing day: seeing Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D at the movie theater.

My final day in Denver, Lindsey took me into the city, which is actually a lot smaller than I thought it would be. In 2007, the Colorado Rockies were in the World Series facing the Boston Red Sox. While the game was being played in Boston at this time, I felt so lucky to be amongst all the hype in Denver. Fans were walking around the city wearing black, purple and white to represent their Cinderella-story team. And I think I already mentioned that I am a huge baseball fan, so this was such a sight to see! Even one of the skyscrapers had the lights left on in several offices to form a mountain and the letters “CR” below to support the team. I also caught a glimpse of Coors Field!

Near the baseball diamond, there are tons of bars and restaurants. Lindsey and I spent some time in a few them dancing, singing Karaoke and just having a good time… like we used to in London. I also ran into a friend of mine from back home - how random! At the end of the night, we schlepped back home, completely exhausted.

The next morning, before I left for the airport, we carved pumpkins (it was October after all) and chatted more about all the fun we had in England together. Being with Lindsey again was a great feeling. And it just goes to show you that you can develop lifelong friendships with people from anywhere in this gigantic world.

The arrival of the new millennium signified a myriad of changes throughout the entire world.

• Finland elected its first female president, Tarja Halonen.

• The first resident crew entered the International Space Station.

• And I took what would be my first of many trips far, far away from home.

My father had recently moved to the West Coast, and I wanted to visit him. Traveling never really even crossed my mind. After all, I was only 15 years old. All I wanted to do was to see my dad. When I told my mother, she said, “Why not?” I was shocked that she would even consider letting me fly half way across the country by myself. Even though she is extremely protective of her babies, my mom has always given me the freedom to do as I pleased “as long as it didn’t hurt anybody.” So, the day I asked if I could go to Cali, my mom searched and searched for flights and finally booked me on American Airlines. Now, I could sit here for hours and talk about the four short days I spent with my father in Orange County and Los Angeles. However, I’d rather tell you what I learned from my very first solo trip.

Pack light

I was headed to California for only four days. Technically, it was three if you put the two “flying days” together. Anyway, my mom taught me that I only needed the essentials: toiletries, underwear (c’mon, we all need it) a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, some shirts, a sweatshirt and a dressy outfit… just in case. You always need to be prepared for changes in the weather. Yet, you don’t need to bring four pairs of jeans, three sweatshirts, five pairs of shoes, etc. Not only will you leave zero room in your suitcase for souvenirs, but you also have to keep in mind that sometimes it is you, and only you, that has to lug the suitcase around everywhere. With the airline policies constantly changing, you can only carry on (and check) a bag that holds a certain amount of weight. Also, with fuel prices rapidly rising, you don’t want to incur some bogus surcharge because you just had to pack your favorite sweater, your second favorite sweater and a third “I kind of think this is ugly, but I’m bringing it anyway” sweater.

Pack in advance

I am notorious for packing the morning of my trip. I find myself running around the house, desperately trying to get everything ready, finally finishing with about 30 second to spare. DO NOT DO THIS. If you are taking a small trip, pack a day or two ahead of time. If your journey is going to be long, especially if the destination is considerably far away, start your packing a week early. The best advice my mom ever gave me when it comes to packing is that you should make a checklist. Write down all the things you would like to take, down to the smallest detail. If you want to take cough drops and Q-tips, write it down! If you want to take your red pair of socks and your blue underwear, write it down! As you pack each item, check it off the list. And make sure you take the list with you so that you can double check each item when you pack to come home.

Check the rules and regulations

For the most part, every airline in the United States boasts the same rules when it comes to carrying on liquids. Most airlines will tell you that liquids can be carried on an aircraft in a “3.4-oz container or smaller and transported in a one-quart clear, plastic, zip-top bag. See American Airlines. Most of the airlines also allow one carry-on bag and one personal bag (aka a purse, a backpack, a laptop). There are size and weight regulations for both carry-on and checked luggage. And some airlines even charge you for extra baggage. For example, after May 1, 2008, jetBlue started charging for a second checked bag. Do some research before you book your flight.

Have the necessary credentials in hand

Whether you are showing your driver’s license, your state I.D. or your passport, keep these items in your hand as you approach the ticket agent, the security checkpoint people and the flight attendants. Sometimes, you do not have to show identification when you board the plane. Unless instructed to do otherwise, always have your I.D. out and ready to show airline personnel and airport security.

Breathe

Sure, there are a lot of preparations when it comes to taking a trip. But all the care and concern is worth it. Stranded in your hotel room during a sun shower? Not when you have packed your umbrella! Afraid to hit up the town when the weather suddenly drops 30 degrees? Not when you find that hoodie you packed! As long as you take your time, pack what’s necessary and do your homework, you can rest assured that you will thoroughly enjoy the rest of your trip. You might not want to come home!