Vacation a-where to go-go, Part 37

How can you have a bad day when you start your blog off with thoughts of Donny and Marie? You can't! I'll get to why I've posted the Dynamic Duo on the top of the blog, but you'll have to sing, "I'm a little bit country, I'm a little bit rock and roll" before I tell you anything.

Besides putting out positive vibes that the wife's back gets better (healing light healing light healing light), how do you think I've spent the last 48 hours of my life? Let me give you a guess--last time it landed us in Mexi-Louis.

Now that my three program inspections at the place of which I do not speak (one on the State level, two on the Federal level, all three stressful in their own delicious, special ways) have come and gone, my boss (of which I do not have but if I did would give direction at the place of which I do not speak) has indicated it is time for me to take some deserved time off.

I concur.

The good thing is that the wife's Christmas Vacation (of which is like seven months long for college professors) coincides with my newly-suggested vacation plan. The not so good thing is that the wife is very, very limited in what she will be able to do during her between-semester time off, as she can basically walk a half mile and sit for maybe 20 minutes at a time. Soooooo....

....I've spent the last 48 hours looking for a simple, fun, short-in-duration, easy-on-the-wallet, not-too-long-in-a-seat, some-new-adventure for us to do, at a place the wife has never been. A Warm weather site is non-negotiable--although there are many wonderful destinations in our great country, I want warm. I don't want snow, I don't want freezing cold. I can do cold at home. Door county, New England, the great Northwest all sound fabulous....in summer.

My first thought was to try Riviera Maya again, but we're still pretty gun shy after the ol Swine-flu-drug-cartel-Apple-canceled trip this past spring. Besides, the prices are not cheap--they are more than they were back in May. What's up with that? I am blurry-eyed from looking at all the Mexico-related options we have and I am here to tell you that we are most likely not going to Mexico, no offense to the Mayans.

My next thought was "DISNEY!" but that doesn't fit the affordable category and I'm not sure the wife would enjoy time at the Magic Kingdom. Disney's basically all about me. I may be self centered but I'm not incorrigible, so Disney's out.

My Next thought was, "what about an island found in the Bahamas or Key West-ish?" Those options got complicated and for some reason they didn't seem to captivate the wife's attention. She wants to spend a week on an island, not a day or two. Scratch the beach off the list.

I thought about Branson for about 1.5 seconds. 'Nuf said about that; ain't gonna happen.

My next thought was, "Vegas, baby!" The wife's never been there, it's cheap, it's easy, there is tons to do. We could easily do a four day stint in Sin City and only have to drop about $400 each...total--hotel, air, food, tips for show girls. She's never seen the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, the Strip at night or a quality drag queen shows, nor has she ever eaten at an infamous Vegas buffet at 2 A.M. How could I not spend hour upon hour searching for the best Vegas deal?

The great news is that we have lots of options if we go to Vegas: we can fly out of the local airport (of which I am still skeptical but checking out--I hear their planes are dirty and smelly and that they tend to run like seven hours behind when at airports like Vegas); we can get awesome, affordable packages, we can walk around a lot (which is helpful to the wife); we can do something where it is warm but not steaming hot; we can eat at buffets (of which we both love to do). It's not exactly the Caribbean but it's all good with me.

And, if we go to Vegas, we can go to the Donny and Marie show, of which I know the wife would absolutely, positively love!

(Okay, so I'd like it, too. Just don't tell anyone.)

Donny & Marie ticket prices look quite reasonable (that's because I'm used to Madonna-concert ticket prices) and I'm pretty sure we could scrounge up some good ones. What a great way to spend a few days-- buffets, sin, sunshine and Donny & Marie.

The problem? I'm not sure the wife can manage the trip. If it's four hours on a plane and she can't sit for more than 20 minutes at a time, that's gonna be a problem. That's not counting the time on a bus to get to O'Hare or the time waiting at the gate. If her pain doesn't change by then, there is no way I can in good conscious put her on a bus for a billion hours so she can see the Grand Canyon.....

Of course, she could be miraculously recovered by then and none of these considerations will matter. That is the thinking I have chosen to think, but I have to make sure she is thinking the same thing. If she's improved, she'll be able to flit on the strip, hang over the edge of the Grand Canyon and jump on stage to dance with Donny....

Decisions, decisions.

Today, I will spend time outside (because this is the best Indian Summer day I can ever remember--it IS November, isn't it?), I will talk to the wife (who is unfortunately in pain as I type--not from my writing but rather from her sciatica) and we will consider our vacation break options. We could certainly do a regionally-located bed and breakfast; we could stay home; or, we could party with Donny and Marie.

Beloved blog reader, I say to you: "Aspiring travel agents and opinionated travel-loving friends, let the suggesting begin!" Don't wait too long, as I'm time-limited on securing tickets. Do I hear a "Paper Roses" or "Puppy Love" in the house? Do I stay home and harvest my crops on Book de la Face, saving my vacation time for next summer? Operators are standing by......
************************************************************************