VINTAGE VEGAS

All work and plenty of play makes memories

In October 2003 I went to Las Vegas for a week on business. Since the job took place at Mandalay Bay, that's where I stayed.

While everyone else was stressing over deadlines and meetings, I couldn't wait to get out and mingle. As it turned out, my three friends and I couldn't have had a better time. After work, we'd go from casino to casino every night, then we'd get back early in the morning ready to go back to work, all the while looking forward to another night.

We never really got enough of Las Vegas, nevertheless we left after a week, taking with us the greatest memories. I went back on a family trip two months later in December and saw snow falling for the first time in my life. Just another great experience brought to me by Las Vegas.

Happy Birthday, Las Vegas!

LILIAN SANTOS

LOS ANGELES

Tired, weary and engaged in Paris

My husband (boyfriend at the time) and I were traveling to Las Vegas from Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 7, 2001. We had just finished a 10-hour shift at the Walt Disney Company, where we are both monorail drivers.

We go to Las Vegas every year with a bunch of friends. We love going to Vegas every year and being surrounded by adults rather than mice and children!

On our 2001 visit, unknown to me, John was planning to propose to me. Everyone we were traveling with knew. Even my parents back in Orlando knew it.

Well, we got to Las Vegas at 10:30 p.m.; that's 1:30 a.m. Florida time, and I was beat. All I wanted to do was get a beer, sit down at a machine and relax. But no. John had the smart idea to drag me to the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas because he'd heard that the city looks so great from the top of the tower.

Well, I went along, but I went kicking and screaming.

We got up to the tower and, I must say, it was the most beautiful sight that I had seen in all our trips to Las Vegas. The Strip was beautiful.

John finally found a secluded corner in the tower and confessed his undying love for me. He whipped out the most beautiful engagement ring I'd ever seen and asked me to marry him. I, of course, said "Yes" 100 times.

When we got down from the tower, there were all the friends that we had flown with from Orlando.

Needless to say, we didn't sleep the entire trip. I was so excited and elated that the man of my dreams had asked me to marry him in our favorite city.

We were married on Oct. 11, 2003, and to celebrate the fact that we got engaged in Las Vegas, and at Paris, we had a miniature Eiffel Tower as a wedding cake topper. Now we're at six months and counting.

Thank you Las Vegas for some of the most wonderful memories a woman could ever wish for!

CHRISTINE SCHITTER

ORLANDO, FLA.