Before You Go: 8 Tips To Start Your Vegas Vacation

I can’t even believe that today is sunny and 77°F in Dallas considering last Tuesday the low was -2 F! Welcome to the SOUTH!! I’m happy to say that our house suffered minimum damage from the unprecedented snow storm that hit Texas. The pool is dirty, but it is unthawed and the pump and equipment work. Can I get a HALLELUIAH?! Seriously, the house and pool have been prayed over since this ordeal started, and there are still many people in the area dealing with massive losses. It is during these times that I remind myself of the importance of moving forward and chasing the good things in life even after a great loss (thankfully my losses total to less than $500).

Between catching up on laundry and cleaning the house, I’m also preparing for my Vegas vacation and late birthday celebration for Mr. SJ! I have 8 tips to help any vacation start of smooth, but these may get you a little extra in Vegas.  

1. Confirm your booking. Call your hotel and ask for confirmation of your room. Be extra chatty. Mention why you are coming to Vegas (celebrating birthday, anniversary, etc) and if you are bringing someone who has never visited be sure to mention that too. This helps prime the well to ask for an upgrade when you arrive. (Mr. SJ has a whole thing about how to score a better room when checking in, and I might make him write it up!)
2. Ask follow up questions. While you have them on the phone, ask about gym, pool, and spa  open times and restrictions (because Covid is still a thing). This will save you some disappointment and help you manage your time better. (There’s nothing worse than downing your pre-workout and strutting to the gym to find out it opens 2 hours later than you thought!)
3. Restaurant reservations. Due to the ever changing capacity restrictions (thanks Covid) and the size of our group (party of 5) we made sure to book our dinners early. To avoid long waits, always make a reservation and if you are with a large group make that reservation early. We had to split our party (3 and 2) to abide by the 25% capacity rule; but since booking this has changed so we are now trying to combine the reservations. Mini chasing tip #1: Be flexible.
4. Check your flight requirements. Masks are required on all airlines. But some airline carriers require specifics and extras and those things seem to change daily. It’s a gamble on what’s being enforced and by who and where. Many airlines are not serving drinks or snacks, so grab you something before you board. Mini chasing tip #2: Vegas’ time is 2 hours behind Texas.
5. Mask up. This isn’t new… but you want to make sure you have comfortable masks to wear while inside the buildings (my fave). This trip, I bought a “dressy” necklace lanyard to help me keep up with masks.
6. Check the weather. Casinos do a great job at keeping you comfortable indoors. Our weather this week is low 60’s (F) and 40’s (F) at night. I plan on walking, so I am bringing a jacket that’s warm enough for outdoors and matches my evening outfits.
7. Shoes. I’m bringing my most comfortable black heels for dinner. My shoe game struggles in the cooler weather, so I’m playing it safe and bringing my Nike’s so I can work out and have confidence that I won’t get a blister.
8. Allergy Meds (and some cold stuff too). Casinos are not smoke free. If smoke of any kind bothers you (and you will smell all kinds), pack your allergy arsenal, and throw in some Emergen-C and Day/Night Quil (because Covid).

I will be posting throughout the trip on Instagram and Twitter @chasinlosses. We are dining at Mayfair Supper Club at Bellagio and Lakeside at the Wynn. Sticky toffee pudding ice cream sandwich from Gordon Ramsay’s Burger is happening. My spa time is booked at the Mirage and I can’t wait to get this tension worked out of my back! The guys of The Swole Society have their workouts and bank rolls ready. I can’t wait to see how well Sassy can #chaseme through a Vegas weekend. Chasing tip: Don’t let a bad week spoil a weekend of vacation. Are you ready?  Shuffle up and deal…and #chaseme…