I went to Vegas to get a tan and did not step foot in a single club. Mission accomplished! I spent 5 beautiful days in Vegas with good friends and managed to avoid the clubs and the “scene” that is so much of Vegas.

Monday, July 2, 2012: I woke up a little early and decided to catch the earlier flight to have maximum pool time. I had also received a text around 4am telling me my flight was going to be slightly delayed so the earlier flight started looking better and better. Southwest makes changing flights as simple as can be and I found myself on the 9:45am flight to Vegas. An hour later, I was in hot and sunny Vegas ready to go.

My room at the Stratosphere was ready for an early check in so of course I immediately changed and went straight to the pool. The pool is 67,000sqft and offers a great view of the tower and the sky jumpers. The chairs are less than appealing but with temperatures over 100 there was very little time spent anywhere but the pool.

The usual Vegas trip would start just as above and then have a nap and some epic night in a club. Mine went a different direction. My friend Cory who lives in Vegas picked me up for dinner at the Peppermill and we had a lovely dinner followed by a little penny slot action. Penny slots are not usually my thing but he had me addicted to Gold Fish. Off to bed I went and all before 2:00am.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012: Pool day again of course since the ultimate goal is a tan. A little nap and then an evening of hanging out with my friend Wendy who also lives in Vegas drinking wine, eating delicious delivery of chinese food and taking a late night dip. Once again, I was in bed nice and early…or at least before 1:00am.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012: This was going to be a normal pool day with another local friend Cara. I woke up to a message stating she was going to pick me up and head to a friend’s pool which was just fine with me. Little did I know that my best friend Seth had driven in to surprise me for this great holiday. We spent the day in oddly overcast weather at the Mandarin pool enjoying the tan you get when the clouds block the sun. Of course it was nap time before the 4th of July festivities began. Cory hosted everyone at his condo with gorgeous views of the fireworks and an evening that was nothing short of interesting. Once again, I was in bed early.

Thursday, July 5, 2012: Another pool day for me to continue my goal of working on the tan. Seth and his travel buddy met up with me a bit later and we decided to conquer the rides of the Stratosphere. This hotel is known for having the best view on the strip and it does not lie! Of course we had to ride all the rides on top of the hotel…twice!

Insanity – A massive mechanical arm extending out 64 feet over the edge of the Stratosphere Tower at a height of over 900 feet, this Vegas ride will spin you and several other passengers in the open air at speeds of up to three ‘G’s. You’ll be propelled up to an angle of 70 degrees, which will tilt your body into one position — straight down!

X-Scream – Ever played on a giant teeter-totter, 866 feet above the ground? With the X-Scream, you can! X-Scream propels you and several other riders headfirst, 27 feet over the edge of the Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower.

Big Shot – Strap into the Big Shot and prepare to be shot 160 feet in the air at 45 miles per hour as you overlook the majestic Las Vegas Valley. In a matter of seconds, the Big Shot thrill ride catapults 16 riders from the 921-foot high platform up the Tower’s mast to a height of 1,081 feet and down again.

These rides worked up a bit of adrenaline so some quick delicious pizza and then off to bed…once again pretty early.

Friday, July 6, 2012: I slept in and checked out to head over to the Venetian and meet my friend Kathy who was coming in for another reason for the weekend. We spent the day at the Venetian pool which is quite the scene if you ever go. We treated ourselves to a lovely dinner at Scarpetta in the Cosmopolitan which is a fantastic restaurant by Chef Scott Conant. If you decide to spoil yourself at all while in Vegas this is one option that will not let you down.

My trip had to end at some point and I was on the last flight out of Vegas and back in LA before I could blink my eyes! I have been to Vegas quite a few times and I must say this was one of my favorite ways to do it!