Planning the Big Trip to Vegas in '09

An earlier blog asked "where do ideas for travels come from?"  A year ago I was thinking I would retire in 2009.  I told my husband that when I did retire, I wanted to go to the World Finals of the Professional Bull Riding (PBR) held late October/early November in Las Vegas.  He said, "Let's do it!"  So this time, the idea was driven by both retirement and wanting to attend the Finals.

So what comes first in the planning?  Getting the tickets.  The PBR announced in October last year that members in the PBR team (fans) had first choice and I jumped on it as soon as I could.  A phone call was all it took.... and a ready credit card.....for tickets near the chutes on the last 4 days of the event. 

Next came finding a hotel.  Online searching found some hotels had the required dates blocked and others only high-priced rooms available.  We finally settled on the Courtyard Marriott because it is near the Mandalay Bay where a shuttle takes fans to the Thomas & Mack Center for the events.  The hotel may turn out not to be best choice for location, but as it will be our first time in Las Vegas, we have no real point of reference.  I'll certainly be making notes for future journeys there.

That was just the first stage of planning, though.  There is more to come.  Stay tuned.