Magic Canyon Moments

My sister Valerie and I at the beginning of the road trip.  We had spent every moment seeing every person we could before departure.  Little sleep, a windy drive through Aspen and its icy bridges and tunnels made for one nauseating start.  As hard as it was, neither of us cried, and the smell of beef jerky was warm on its own.

We stopped the night at a hotel in Utah that was dipped in chlorine with an attached gas station that sold Utah plate key chains with sayings like "80% human".  The next morning we had only one thing on our minds.. Vegas baby.  Little did we know then that we would escape death on that segment of the drive, look in a slain doe's eyes and have an hour of reincarnation in the canyons with a beautiful mix cd.

On Valerie:

Top, Target

Pants, Target

Jacket, Gifted

Shoes, Borrowed

On me:

Top, Thrifted

Jacket, Gifted

Pants, Lane Bryant

Shoes, Thrifted Keds

For as special as the trip there was, arriving in Vegas was just as prickly a reality check.  Luckily there were cabs for when our feet ceased numbness, a map of the monorail, free people watching and of course.. gin and juice in a Sunkist bottle. 

 In front of Bally's, exhausted and ready to start the night that we ended up striking from the books for our own reasons.  19 was the number, Journey was the soundtrack and when the fuck are we getting our fries?

On Valerie:

Top, Target

Pants, Target

Shoes, Borrowed

Earrings & Necklace, Target

Belt, Have a Heart

On me:

Top, Lane Bryant

Skirt, Self made

Garter, Lane Bryant

Shoes, Payless

Bag, Have a Heart

Brooch, Grandmas

The next day was spent with the entire clan inside Circus Circus.  I saw where my mom and dad were married, watched Brazilian acrobats and found that there was such a thing as an all-Domo claw machine.  At the buffet we decided to stay another day, then came Adventure Dome.  I had a Deathfatties Living Dangerously moment when I got on a ride called Disko.  It was terrifying and kind of uncomfortable to ride in.. but also exhililirating to test my fears and stumble out alive.  I will never think of "Heart of Glass" on two feet again.

That night we accidentally found the Las Vegas Ross..

Dressed in new Vegas clothes, clutching a scribbled-on map and cameras dangling from wrists we set out with one of our younger sisters to tackle proper sight-seeing in the daylight.  The starting point was Luxor, naturally.  We left a wake of cackles as we pressed on and each hotel was better and more tobacco stained than the last.

Luxor's outdoor poolscape and statues..

Sahara's gorgeous carpeting and chandeliers..

Paris' indoor cheese bazaar and fountains..

New York's cardboard cutout town, butchery window and massive arcade..

Excalibur's life-size Spongebob Squarepants, medieval bathrooms and reasonable flip-flop prices were some of our favorites.  

But nothing could touch Caesar's Palace.  From the hologram-topped slots to the best hamburger ever to the monumental Pegasus fountain of the gods and a cannabis leaf shaped ashtray -- we lingered for hours.  Every statue made us question.  Exquisite, isn't it?  But what part of this marble man am I supposed to be looking at here..

Dress, Ross

Cardigan, Thrifted and modified

Sandals, Ross (These are made by none other than Carlos Santana if you can believe that)

We arrived in California safe and hoarse.  Still squeaking out the words Vegas baby, the next chapter involves wholesome recreation for a change of pace.