Las Vegas Girls Trip Recap: Bruno Mars, Korean BBQ & a Freezer Door

I said I was going to be in bed by a reasonable hour.  I lied.

Not on purpose. But Texas time does not care about Vegas time, and my body clocked out of adjusting somewhere over New Mexico. I was up until 2 and 3 a.m. every night — which, for the record, is 4 and 5 a.m. in Dallas. The girls had me home at a perfectly respectable hour. My internal clock just refused to cooperate. I slept half of Sunday when I got back, and I don’t regret a single moment of any of it.

So, this is what had happened.

Thursday:  The Arrival

I landed Thursday.  Welcomed at the carousel by my uncle.  We grabbed some pizza and spent the better part of the afternoon catching up.

While the other ladies checked into the Fontainebleau, I checked into something better suited for me — a guest room in my Uncle Nae Nae and Aunt Rae’s country club tower, seven minutes off the strip.  Quiet. Calm. Family.  No casino sounds bleeding through the walls.

I am not missing anything. I don’t really like Vegas. Too loud.  Too bright.  Sensory overload.

That evening we all met for dinner at Casa Playa inside Encore at Wynn—coastal Mexican.  The kind of place where the food earns the bill and the bill will still make you gag.

But what I actually remember most about arriving at dinner.

I got there first.  And when the crowd shifted and I saw them—all five of them—walking toward me.  It was giving Girlfriends opening scene, Sex and the City slow walk.  They were strutting, and I was standing there tickled and thrilled.

Years.  It had been years since we were all in the same room.  And there they were.  Coming through the crowd like they owned it.

We ate well.  We talked and laughed.  It was perfect.

Friday Afternoon:  Mister Kim’s and My First Korean BBQ

Friday I spent the afternoon with my aunt and uncle before the night’s events.  They took me to Mister Kim’s Korean BBQ.  My first Korean BBQ experience ever.

For those that don’t know, you cook your own meat at the table.  All you can eat, and yall know I love to eat.  We had Bulgogi—which was incredible—and I ate more beef and pork in this one sitting than I typically do in a month.  I balanced it with kimchi cucumbers, so there were vegetables too so take it easy.  It was a late lunch.  I give it a 9 out of 10 on the family rating scale.

I was still full three hours later.  This matters.

Friday Night: Through the Freezer Door

Before the concert, we met at Craft Creamery—an ice cream shop in the Downtown Arts District that is hiding something behind its freezer door.  You walk in, ask for the flavor of the day, and they walk you through a faux freezer door into CC Speakeasy.  Deep green walls.  Mid-century modern furniture.  Low lights.  Murals.  Pretty and chill is the only way to describe it.

I had fries.  Because Korean BBQ.  No further questions.

The girls had cocktails and appetizers.  We sat in that low, pretty light and did what women who haven’t been in the same room in years do—laughed too loud, talked over each other, didn’t care.  That was the pre-game.

Then we went to Allegiant Stadium.

Teal was in charge of purchasing the tickets to see Bruno Mars. Her birthday and she is great at an itinerary. I can’t speak for the other ladies, but I did not fully realize walking in which Bruno Mars show this was.

The city had declared it Bruno Mars Day, renamed a street Bruno Mars Drive, and crowned him King of Las Vegas—all before he ever stepped on stage.  There was a parade down the Strip that afternoon that we did not attend, because we were at the pool lounging and at the all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ like the well-prioritized women we are.

Over 60,000 people packed Allegiant Stadium for a sold-out opening show.  We were six of them.

Leon Thomas opened.  Then Bruno came out and didn’t let up.  New music from The Romantic.  Every classic you know by heart.  And then Anderson.Paak joined him mid-show for a full Silk Sonic set and the stadium lost its mind.  We danced, sang, and screamed.  It was fantastic.

Jennifer—from L.A—had never been to a concert in her life.  Ever.  Her first concert was Bruno Mars’ historic opening night.

Saturday: Pinky’s, Birthday Toast, See You Later

Saturday we celebrated the actual birthday girl at Pinky’s for brunch.  Good food.  Great company.  We toasted Teal, laughed some more, somehow got on a conversation about menopause (life after 40), and then one by one headed to our gates and back to our cities.

Both Mornings:  The Mat

Both mornings—or early afternoon, mind your business— before anything else, I rolled out my yoga mat.  The time zone had my schedule in shambles, but the mat helped.  It always does.  Non-negotiable, even in Vegas.

What I’m Bringing Home

My love tank is full.

Between the alone time, the family, and—most of all—getting my eyes on these women in the same room at the same time, something in me settled.  That’s the thing about chosen family.  You don’t have to explain yourself.  You just show up and it picks right back up.

Six women.  Four cities.  One birthday.  One historic concert none of us knew was historic until we were already inside it.  Kimchi cucumbers.  Freezer doors.  A bill that made me have to catch my breath before we laughed and paid it full.

Teal planned everything— maybe with the input of some of the other ladies.  I planned and added nothing.  I was not disappointed by a single choice.

Worth the flight and the flashing lights.

BTW: “When the music changes, so does the dance.” – African proverb

Did you read Part 1? Go back and read Girlfriends, Sisterhood, and Getting Out of Here first—then come back here.

And tell me:  What’s the best trip you’ve ever taken with your people—planned or completely unplanned?  Drop it in the comments.  I want to hear about your village.

Other Post You May Enjoy:

Girlfriends, Sisterhood, and Getting Out of Here

So What’s Happening

My Summer Concert Series: The 11:11 Tour