The eleven o'clock checkout is slowly approaching. I can hear housekeeping knocking next door. I am navigating the hotel's express checkout menu on the tv when Windows' blue screen of death appears. After a few more tries, I am able to checkout which is a relief since the lines downstairs are outrageous.
We leave our luggage with the bellhops at the curb and head to the MGM to see if we are lucky enough to see lion cubs at the Lion Habitat. No lion cubs but we do see two brothers playing. They are both a year old with no mane and a touch of spots still on their fur. They both have a huge rawhide bone, but they are wrestling over a particular one. "Keeping up with the Joneses" is what Heather calls it. They are brought from a ranch 12 miles away to "work". It looks more like playtime to me. They are shampood and even given conditioner. You've never viewed lions like this before. You feel as if you are the one in the enclosure as they run above you and around you. As I watch one lapping water from the waterfall, I think of our small cat Sonny doing the same.
Since we're here, we eat at MGM's Grand Buffet. The queue to get into line is non-existing. We then wait in 4 lines based on party size. The wait is minimal which is surprising from all my experience in Vegas. They have an international staff. Our pretty waitress Irina is from Russia. Our hostess from El Salvador gives us the 411 of what's available. There's both breakfast and "lunch" food which has salads, carved meats, Oriental and Mexican food. The tamales aren't all that great and one of the steaks is pretty tough. The desserts are great.
On the way back, we travel through the Miracle Mile stores of Planet Hollywood. We are surprised to find an ABC store and a Hilo Hatties. Both stores are common to Hawaii. The merchandise is slanted more towards Las Vegas, but there are plenty of macadamia nuts--some packed 10 boxes to a bag.
We return to The Paris by 130. Heather drives up a few minutes after the bellhop returns with our luggage. The airport dropoff is crowded and she drops us off a few doors before the Southwest entrance. Check-in goes smoothly. The one bad thing with Southwest Vacations is that we don't receive E-ticket so no on-line check-in which means we are stuck in the last boarding group.Terminal C has the longest line. It starts four abreadth and funnels down to one by the time we reach security. The monitors show clips of celebrities telling us what to do and not to do. Lance Burton the magician tells us to remove all metals, Rita Rudner teaches us not to joke in the security line. The Knights from Excalibur leave their weapons behind including water soakers. I don't know what Carrot Top and the Klingon were telling us.
We take an express line through security. I think they are testing for explosives since we carry our shoes and stand in this detector which has nozzles along the sides. It hits you with air starting from the top down. I know it's childish, but as I stand there I wonder if a guy farted hard enough if it would set off the detectors.
We leave our luggage with the bellhops at the curb and head to the MGM to see if we are lucky enough to see lion cubs at the Lion Habitat. No lion cubs but we do see two brothers playing. They are both a year old with no mane and a touch of spots still on their fur. They both have a huge rawhide bone, but they are wrestling over a particular one. "Keeping up with the Joneses" is what Heather calls it. They are brought from a ranch 12 miles away to "work". It looks more like playtime to me. They are shampood and even given conditioner. You've never viewed lions like this before. You feel as if you are the one in the enclosure as they run above you and around you. As I watch one lapping water from the waterfall, I think of our small cat Sonny doing the same.
Since we're here, we eat at MGM's Grand Buffet. The queue to get into line is non-existing. We then wait in 4 lines based on party size. The wait is minimal which is surprising from all my experience in Vegas. They have an international staff. Our pretty waitress Irina is from Russia. Our hostess from El Salvador gives us the 411 of what's available. There's both breakfast and "lunch" food which has salads, carved meats, Oriental and Mexican food. The tamales aren't all that great and one of the steaks is pretty tough. The desserts are great.
On the way back, we travel through the Miracle Mile stores of Planet Hollywood. We are surprised to find an ABC store and a Hilo Hatties. Both stores are common to Hawaii. The merchandise is slanted more towards Las Vegas, but there are plenty of macadamia nuts--some packed 10 boxes to a bag.
We return to The Paris by 130. Heather drives up a few minutes after the bellhop returns with our luggage. The airport dropoff is crowded and she drops us off a few doors before the Southwest entrance. Check-in goes smoothly. The one bad thing with Southwest Vacations is that we don't receive E-ticket so no on-line check-in which means we are stuck in the last boarding group.Terminal C has the longest line. It starts four abreadth and funnels down to one by the time we reach security. The monitors show clips of celebrities telling us what to do and not to do. Lance Burton the magician tells us to remove all metals, Rita Rudner teaches us not to joke in the security line. The Knights from Excalibur leave their weapons behind including water soakers. I don't know what Carrot Top and the Klingon were telling us.
We take an express line through security. I think they are testing for explosives since we carry our shoes and stand in this detector which has nozzles along the sides. It hits you with air starting from the top down. I know it's childish, but as I stand there I wonder if a guy farted hard enough if it would set off the detectors.
