January 2018. It is a rainy and cold Tuesday night in The Netherlands where I live with my wife and 2 sons. I am fiddling with my cell, figuring out what our holiday destination will be this year. At least somewhere warm and sunny! Last 2 years we visited Portugal and Spain, rainy weather twice. I am done with the rain and wind. No more wind, it is sun I want. So we need to get closer to the sun, so more southwards. Towards the south of Spain. But all I could find was shitty and pricey. All together I do some research and am able to find some just above average.
I am also looking in to Greece, but that is way too expensive for now. Egypt and Turkey are a no-go in the current political climate. Lol, I think to myself, do you know where the weather is always nice? In Vegas. But speaking of pricey. Just for fun, I type: from: AMS to: LAS in Skyscanner. First week of May please! I see that flights are only €388. I check Expedia and see that I can also book via them and that I also have overnight stays for € 388. True, in a motel right nextdoor to Hooters, but who cares?
Now the trick is: how do I sell this to the rest of my family? My wife could not care less, as long as the sun shines. She leaves the decision to the children, so the next morning I pitch: Where do you want to go? Spain, Italy or Las Vegas? The oldest picks Italy, the youngest Spain. Beautiful. We’re going to Las Vegas. It is not democracy here! I book the tickets and we just go to Flipping Las Vegas. Just 4 more months. The suspense is killing me…
Only the anticipation is worth the € 388 each. The eldest son (10 years old) does a presentation about Vegas and the youngest (8 years) already made a list of stores that he HAS wants to see. The Coca Cola store at number 1! I get a lot of help from the the internet, but luckily I have been to Vegas plenty to know what is and isn’t fun to do.
I read a lot of articles on the internet about tips in Vegas for children. All English-language blogs strongly discourage it: Vegas is not for children and you are a degenerate parent if you take your children to this pool of perdition. On the one hand I think: CRAP! What have I done again? On the other hand, I think: My kids are Dutch kids, they’ve seen more naked, smelled more weed and saw more drugs in the street than most grown ups anyway. They’ll survive.
We apply for our ESTAs and for God’s sake what a hell of a job that is. What a customer-unfriendly jerk system. Are those Yankees completely messed up? I will be pouring a pile of dollars in the shithole called Vegas and it seems to me that those silly idiots with that clown of a president (according to many) can afford to be so goddamn tourist-unfriendly. Anyway, you just fill in those ESTAs, otherwise you won’t even come in at all. GRRRRR
