Nevada...we didn't mean to ignore you (state #21)

We decided to hit the road on Chad's birthday and head to Las Vegas!

That sounds more exciting than reality.

If you don't have a family member with a birthday in December/early January, let me give you the real scenario:

Their birthday was never celebrated at school, so that is a built-in let down (summer birthdays can also relate to this one).

Their birthday feels like a bit of an afterthought; we have the 2-3 days AFTER Christmas to figure something out if we didn't put forethought into it.

Their spouse tries every year to make it not suck, but there are years that they fail.

This year I failed.

So...I asked for a redo.

January 3, 2025 took the place of December 28, 2024.

Dinner reservations were made for the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris Hotel. Strolling through the Paris Hotel is pretty magical. The main floor has cobblestone paths that wind through the resort, with storefronts designed to resemble Parisian cafés, boutiques, and bakeries. The ceiling is painted to look like the sky, and the lighting changes to mimic daytime vs. nighttime. We enjoyed having a date night, having someone else cook us a fancy meal and getting dessert. Creme brûlée for Chad (an all time favorite for him...why I picked this restaurant actually) and a Hazelnut Espresso Martini for Ann. Yum!

After dinner, we took a taxi over to another hotel where we took in a Vegas show, "Rouge". Then we taxied back to our parking garage and called it a night in order to let the doggo out.

While we are in town, we are also going to see another NHL game: the Minnesota Wild play the Vegas Golden Knights.

We hope to do a little more sight seeing; we have both been under the weather over our time here, so hopefully we can sneak in a little more fun while we are here!

Happy birthday to Chad!

Other rules to remember if you have a loved one with a Christmas birthday:

Do not wrap birthday gifts in Christmas paper.

Do not do the "combo gift" and say something is for Christmas AND their birthday.

A birthday cake or treat is still appreciated.

Just think about how you like your birthday celebrated. Duh.

And if you fail, ask for a redo and do better next year!