I live for vacations and just about always have one scheduled. Knowing I’m going to escape the normal routine of working 40+ hours a week—even if it’s four months away—is enough to keep me in a relatively good mood most of the time.
While waiting for vacation to arrive, I spend a ridiculous amount of time planning. When Michele and I go to Vegas, we frequently update our list of items we hope to squeeze in, restaurants we want to try and drinks we plan to sample. Sometimes I enjoy the anticipation of a vacation as much as the trip itself.
My next vacation is Las Vegas Guy Trip #6. In 1999, to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday, my three brothers and I took him to Las Vegas, beginning a biennial tradition. In 2005, my nephew was old enough to join in, so our group now numbers six.
The Guy Trip changes slightly every two years, but we’ve stumbled upon a formula that works well for the whole group, so we don’t mess with it much. Because these trips don’t carry the goals of trying new restaurants or doing much more than gambling, drinking and sharing some laughs, there’s nothing for me to plan. It feels like I should be making a Vegas list, but there’s no need. Here’s how a typical day during Las Vegas Guy Trip unfolds:
Each day, we meet at for a quick, cheap breakfast. I put aside my usual aversion to eating at fast food chain restaurants in a city with so many better dining options and willingly choke down Burger King a couple times each trip. During Guy Trip, breakfast is the least important meal of the day, so pretty much anything will do. We even ate the Imperial Palace buffet for breakfast once, and I wouldn’t feed that shit to my dogs.
During breakfast, one of us will suggest he’s thinking about going to a specific casino. Based on this, part or all of the group will head to that location. If anyone doesn’t feel like spending time at that casino, the group will splinter. Nobody is offended. We make no attempt to travel as a mob throughout the day. Before moving on, we usually agree to a time and location to reconvene for lunch.
Throughout the morning, we gamble and happily consume any complimentary drinks the casino feels like providing. We typically spend a lot of time together in groups of two or three. Everyone usually gathers for lunch in the mid-afternoon. If anyone doesn’t show up, nobody is offended. We find a buffet and eat way more than we should. This is the only substantial meal of the day, so why not? If someone hit a large jackpot during the day, he volunteers to buy lunch. Before separating, we figure out a time for happy hour. Two people volunteer to purchase beer for happy hour if we’re running low. They head to the nearest liquor store while the rest of us gamble.
A few hours later, we meet in one of our hotel rooms for happy hour. Snacks and stories are shared. Beer and bullshit flow. We laugh. A lot. Even if I hit a $1,000 royal flush earlier, this is my favorite part of the day. This is what the trip is all about. Nobody has ever missed a happy hour. If someone eventually does, nobody will be offended.
Whenever beer runs low or a couple of us start to get the gambling itch again, we agree on a time and location for the next day’s breakfast before heading back downstairs, going wherever our instincts take us. More gambling, drinking and wandering The Strip ensue. Sometimes we stay together; other times we separate. Whatever happens just happens. Eventually we all end up going our separate ways as one after another tires and heads back upstairs for some sleep. The next day, we do it all over again.
The reason these trips continue to be so much fun is because absolutely nothing is forced. Everyone is responsible for their own fun and nothing more (except buying beer for happy hour at least once). We’ve never fallen into the trap of trying to spend a certain amount of time together or planning our fun. We make tentative plans as we go and let the fun occur organically. This has served us well five times, and I’m fairly sure it will make my the next trip equally fun.
Over the years, each of us has had friends and coworkers say they wished they had a similar trip tradition. Some have even tried to weasel in on our trips, suggesting they’d like to come along. They’re not invited. As long as we continue this tradition, we will also continue to have just two rules:
- You’re responsible for your own fun.
- No outsiders allowed.