Jake's obsession with NASCAR lead to an impromptu trip to Vegas Friday to watch the practice/qualifying for the Sprint Series. We had toyed with the idea of taking him to the California Speedway in Fontana last weekend but thankfully did not as both the practice and the subsequent race were rained out. We were hesitant to spend money on tickets to the race because while we know how much Jake LOVES watching the cars race on TV, being there in person can be significantly louder and more intimidating. We decided that the practice/qualifying, while also being much cheaper, might be a little less hectic and give us a chance to see how he liked it in person. We made the right call. Upon arrival at the speedway and after waiting in line to get our tickets and in line again to have our bags checked and enter, we immediately went to the grandstand. At first, Jake delighted in the site of the race track and his favorite cars lined up on pit lane.
However, as soon the first car vroomed past us on the track, the deafening sound had Jake making a beeline for the exit
Out in the breezeway, we attempted to calm Jake down and gently tried to explain to him that while it was very loud, these were the cars he loved to watch on TV. Suddenly from up above, a kindly worker from the track swooped down and handed us two sets of earplugs. Honestly, we had not attempted earplugs simply because we did not think that he would wear them. Well I wish I could go back and thank that gentleman, because they truly were a lifesaver. We coaxed Jake back into the grandstands and were greeted with nothing short of an ear-to-ear grin. After watching the practice, we trolled the various vendors and booths, where Jake was able to pose with the likes of the #43 Bobby Labonte and #9 Kasey Kahne (they had Gordon and Jr's cars but the lines were outrageous):
He also took part in a slot car race in which his #2 car beat out a couple of adults and 2 kids that were probably twice his age. He won a little pendant and asked to wear it proudly. He tried to contain his excitement upon winning but later, it was all he could talk about - telling the hostess and waitress at dinner that he went really fast and won the race.
After getting Jadyn down for a nap in the stroller, we went back to the grandstands to watch the actual qualifying. Somehow Jadyn managed to sleep through the first part, although how we are not quite sure. We hit the souvenir stands on the way out and were on the road - and subsequently in bumper to bumper traffic for the next 2 hours just to get from the speedway to the strip for dinner. That was probably the worst part.
I have never been to an event like this and quite frankly, it took me all by surprise. I actually grew up watching Nascar at one time. I do not know where the interest came from but I really enjoyed watching it. I have newspaper clips I had cut out and put in scrapbooks from when I was a child showing where Bill Elliot was in the standings. I also don't know what prompted me to stop watching it - probably puberty, the need and desire to fit in and be all girly which consumed me during Jr. High. Anyway, my point is that I found myself getting really pumped watching the cars go around the track yesterday. I could really get into this sport. Of course, we stuck out like sore thumbs. We were the only ones not dressed like our favorite driver had thrown up on us. The fervor of which NASCAR fans support their sport is unreal. To them it is nothing short of a religion. I mean it was crazy at the speedway and THIS was just qualifying. I cannot imagine what it is like on race day. But if Jake's love of this sport continues, I am sure it will not be long before we find out and before you know it, we too will have hats, shirts, belt buckles, backpacks and cool cans with Tony Stewart or Dale Jr all over them. Who knows - maybe we will rent an RV, park at the speedway and make a whole weekend out of it. Could be fun and at least that way, we would avoid the traffic.
As for going to Vegas, it is a pretty easy drive for us. It took us about the same time to get to state line as it does for us to drive to Joe's parents house. Once leaving state line, we soon realized that the Vegas landscape had changed dramatically since our last visit in 03 when my former boss sent Joe and me on a post-Iraq getaway. We have such fond memories of that trip, except of course the constant nausea as I was in the early stages of my pregnancy with Jake. But I digress. The number of homes surrounding the area was unreal. It's like they had multiplied in every which direction from a common epicenter. And there were brand new casino towers with flashing lights, names of which we had never even heard of and dozens more under construction. And why is it that nothing is ever as good as you remember it? We went through a lot of trouble to go to dinner at the Outback situated on the 2nd floor of the Casino Royale sandwiched between the Venetian and the Palazzo simply because on our last trip, we had an incredible dinner there with a view of the volcanoes erupting at the Mirage across the street. We thought the kids would get a kick out of it. Well, as it turns out this Outback has an outdated menu, so they do not serve my favorite entree and like everything else in Vegas, the volcanoes were currently under construction. We still managed to have a nice dinner though, and the kids despite being beyond tired, behaved pretty well. We completed the evening with a short stroll over to Treasure Island so that Jake could marvel at the huge pirate ship. Unfortunately we had just missed the show, but he did not seem to mind. We really should come back soon as there is a lot to see and do for families. For example, I think both Jake and Jadyn would have been in heaven if we would had the time to take them to the M&M Factory and I am pretty sure they would have been impressed by the water dancing in front of the Bellagio. Here is a pic of the kids in front of a fountain on our way to dinner:
And Jake and I front of the pirate ship at Treasure Island:
But here are the pictures that made the whole trip worth it - Tony Stewart's car sparking after finishing his qualifying run AND the look on Jake's face after he got to see it. Priceless!
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