Tomorrow I’ll leave work and head straight to the airport to catch a flight to LAS VEGAS! I’m meeting two friends from California (Peter and Aaron) and my brother-in-law (Chris). This will be the fourth year in-a-row that we’ve meet in Vegas over the NASCAR race weekend. We’ll be staying at the Flamingo.
I’ve been going to Vegas at least once a year since 1996. My first couple of trips were with a frat brother (Shane) and his family. They were pros and did a good job “showing me the ropes.” After those trips I went a bunch of times on bachelor parties. Once the bachelor parties seemed to dry up (I probably should have started looking for unmarried friends at this time) my best friend Pete and I decided we needed a reason to tell our wives on why we were going back to Vegas.
About this same time, one of Pete’s friends, Aaron, whom I’d met a few times asked Pete and I if we wanted to go with him to Vegas. Aaron is related to a NASCAR driver and his family was all going to Vegas for some fun and to watch the race. Pete and I said, “HELL YES!”
That first trip to Vegas over “race weekend” started the tradition of us heading out there on that specific weekend. It works perfect. As soon as NASCAR publishes their schedule for the following season we are free to start planning our flights and start talking hotels. We always know what weekend we’re heading out there. There is no need to email each other back and forth looking for an “open” weekend. We just keep the weekend that NASCAR runs in Vegas open.
DOUBLE DOWN!
Nafta Split!