Typically, I’m pretty much in charge of planning where we go on vacation, the sites we see and the activities we participate in. There are two exceptions, The Louisville Livestock show and the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas; those two are non-negotiable. So we were off on the big bird to LAS.

Day 1 – Right off the bat there was drama. A snowstorm in our Minneapolis connecting flight had us worried but after forty-five minutes of de-icing and some other delays, we were on our way. We came out a day early this year as we had never been to the NFR Downtown Hoedown. Held at the Fremont Street Experience, there are three stages featuring country music, and typically one hundred thousand plus in attendance. We started pretty far back when Neil McCoy kicked off the standing-room-only concert, but as people rotated out to get drinks and food, we got pretty close to the stage. Learning how to navigate the crowd during the first performance proved beneficial, during the Laney Wilson (CMA new artist of 2022) concert we ended up about fifteen feet from her at one point. Nate Smith and Scotty McCreery rounded up the line-up that night, but hate to say it, the time zone lag set in and we didn’t make it.

Day 2 – New to us this year was the Resorts World where they were to have a shopping experience as well as rodeo events. A bust for us, Suzanne shopped at the limited gifting exhibitors and the events were on break so it was time to move on. We took the Vegas Loop over to the Convention Center and what an interesting experience and a highlight of my trip. Elon Musk is drilling tunnels all over Las Vegas and this is the first one that is complete. Riding in a Tesla, it took about five minutes to make the 15-20 minute above-ground trip. We shopped a small part of the Convention center and then went to the Westgate Resort for our NFR opening night Viewing Party.

Day 3 – Cowboy Christmas, that’s what today was all about, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, shopping for anything and everything Cowboy. Covering five hundred thousand square feet with almost four hundred vendors, it took six and half hours to cover it all. Our NFR viewing party for Round 2 was at the Mirage Hotel. This has always been a favorite party but we learned the property has sold to the Hard Rock so we’re not sure what its future is. The entertainment here after the rodeo was again Laney Wilson, so from the time the rodeo started with just the NFR fans, till it ended and the place was packed with twenty-somethings, we had to stand to watch the final events.

Day 4 – Surprise, more shopping. We started the morning at the Roper Cowboy Marketplace located at Mandalay Bay Resort. From there, an Uber to South Point Hotel, considered to be Cowboy Central for all that goes on. We spent the rest of the day there watching the Ariat World Series of Team Roping, Shopping the Cinch Western Gift Show, and finally, watching Round 3 of the NFR with a couple thousand of our closest friends.

Day 5 – Today was tourist day with a Terry Fater show that evening. Early lunch at Yard House where Suzanne was able to have tomato bisque; then walked through the Grand Cannel Shops at the Venetian Resort; followed by a walk through Forum Shops at Ceasers Resort. Down to New York, New York Hotel for the evening where we first ate at Nine Fine Irishmen that had another soup for Suzanne. With a little time to kill, we stumbled upon an outdoor NFR viewing party and watched till it was Terry Fater show time.

Day 6 – With tickets to the NFR tonight, we ventured back to Cowboy Christmas for another quick run-through to see a couple of exhibitors that were hard to get into the first day. Preliminary packing this afternoon determined it would be close but we shouldn’t need to ship anything home; then it was on the bus to the NFR at 4:00pm. We have had better tickets but overall the event did not disappoint my rodeo fan for our last night in Vegas.

Worn out and heading home, this was our last outing planned for the year. Going home after a trip is always somewhat bittersweet. Pulling in the driveway always brings some relief and joy to my heart but watching the joy on Suzannes’ face in Vegas is a priceless memory I hated to have ended.