What's Up: An update for my friends and followers

Just a quick note to tell you all that I've been pretty busy planning two trips to Vegas this Spring, and probably will be at it for the next few weeks. The first trip is in March, during Spring Break, and the second one is in April for another LV4E board meet (we're calling it "Mega Meet II" - aren't we original?). Neither of these trips will be ordinary gambling excursions for me.

The March trip will be a shopping and show-filled extravaganza: five days, four nights in my favorite city, showing Hayley the lighter side of Vegas with three (possibly four) fantastic shows, great (but teen-friendly) food, and a ton of shopping and touristy things that all first-timers should do. We're also planning to ride the NY/NY roller coaster and see the Titanic Exhibit (her specific requests), head up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and check out a gondola ride at The Venetian. This trip is going to be a one-time thing, so I hope she gets to do everything she wants to on this trip. I'm not taking her back until she's 21.

As far as the April trip goes, I'm taking my bee-oo-tee-ful new Canon camera and all its accoutrements for a one-time photography trip while meeting with old (and new) LV4E friends - and hopefully trying out a new hotel and several new restaurants in the process. Okay, so gambling on the April trip will not be downplayed all that much, but my primary focus will be on photos and new experiences first and foremost. No shows in April, though; I'm not about to leave my precious camera with anyone, and I'm NOT leaving it in my room, even if it IS in a safe. Besides, there's so much to photograph in Vegas that I think I'll need it 24/7 (night shots are some of my favorite Vegas photos). My great friends at LV4E have been giving me advice and pointers on traveling with an expensive camera and equipment, so I hope to share some insight with all of you on that score, too.

So, I haven't had any really great new stuff to share with you over the holidays, but I'm keeping my eyes peeled just in case. Needless to say, I'll soon have two trip reports of my own to share, tons of photos and videos, as well as new reviews on several shows, restaurants and attractions (like the roller coaster and the gondola ride). I'll also have advice for traveling with photography equipment and entertaining teenagers in Vegas, and I'll be reviewing my experience with the Early Bird Checkin at Southwest Airlines, too. I must say I'm really looking forward to that Early Bird Checkin - I hate to worry about being somewhere 24 hours in advance to get my boarding pass.

Stay tuned!