This has to easily be the best trip I've been on. It was amazing.
We started driving early Saturday morning to get to Vegas. I got us a room at the Rio where our shuttle was picking us up from. We got there just in time to check in (it says please don't come before 4pm or you'll be charged extra.) First things first, we had to find our tickets for RiSE. I had no idea where to get them from, and neither did any of the hotel workers =/ We finally saw people who were also looking, and they helped us find the tent, in the parking lot, all the way in the back of the hotel. Geez, that took a while, we were so lost. I guess there was also an anime convention this weekend, so it was crowded in the back too. We got our tickets, which was not organized at all, they just handed me the number of tickets I said I bought. Very odd and very easy to steal. But anyway, we got our tickets, went to the car to get our luggage and put it in the hotel room before heading over to the shuttle. It was a 30 minute ride to the designated area that would be safe for all the lanterns to float around. Then we had to walk about a mile, maybe more, to get to the spot with all our mats and lanterns. It was a nice day out. Mary carried Emma in the backpack thing for me, and I took pictures ;)
When we got there, they handed us pens with the schedule and spot to write our hopes and dreams and things on, in case we want to remember what we wrote on our lanterns before floating them off into the night. It did not start on time however. I guess a lot of the people coming in, were experiencing high traffic since there was only one road/freeway to get there, and they made us wait an hour before lighting the lanterns. They said there would be food for sale and not to bring our own, so we went to buy snacks. All of the good food was sold out. Like adult lunchables and fruit plates and things. All that was left were red apples, cookies, licorice, and candy. Not a very good dinner. Bummer. Plus, they didn't even check our bags, we totally could have brought Subway or something. Now we know for next time. We bought a few snacks and went back to our seats to wait and write on our lanterns.
Finally they announced we could start the countdown to light the first lanterns. We were having a BIT of trouble figuring out how to do that haha. I guess it just takes some time for the fire to catch good enough.
When the first wave flew up into the air, I don't think I've ever seen anything more beautiful. It was amazing.
We each had 2 lanterns, so we were lighting them and enjoying the night, having fun. They were big enough that you needed more than 1 person to light them, too.
When it was time for the fireworks, we bolted, hoping to beat the crowd to the shuttle buses. We were on one of the first to leave. We made it back in good time, headed to our room and knocked out. The next day we heard about people who came from another hotel, having a lot of trouble getting back and being stuck there til around 3am with kids, too. So sad. I guess the bus drivers didn't know we started an hour late, and they were only contracted til 11pm, so after that they left. It was so cold, there was no food, and the bathrooms were at least a mile away from the buses so anytime you had to pee, you had to make the trek back to the lantern site. So sad. I'm so thankful our transportation was alright, esp having Katie and Emma with us.
