a) Before Airport:
After falling asleep the night before at about 10:30PM, I was sleeping soundly. However, at 3:39AM on the morning of Sunday, August 13th, 2025, I received a text from Delta Air Lines concerning our flights home. At this time, we were scheduled to depart Las Vegas on Delta 555 at 1:52PM PST. That flight would arrive in Atlanta at 9:05PM EST. From Atlanta, we would then connect to Delta 1495, which would leave Atlanta at 10:59PM EST and arrive in West Palm Beach at 12:46AM the next morning. Although my phone is set to "Do Not Disturb," save for a few select numbers and any travel related numbers, I could see that our flight would be delayed. According to the text, our flight would leave 33-minutes behind schedule at 2:25PM.

As I was checking my phone, my Mother woke up as well. She wondered what was going on, being a bit groggy. I explained to her that our flight home would be delayed by about 30-minutes and asked her if just to be safe, we should change it to minimize our chance of misconnecting, which was what happened to me when I flew home from Vegas in September 2022. My Mother said to leave our flights intact for now, as she felt we would still have enough time to connect in Atlanta and overall, it was the easiest way for us to get home. Taking my Mother's feelings into account, I left our flights intact for the time being, but would still pay close attention should anything else happen. Still tired, I went back to sleep and after falling asleep a little bit later, I was awakened by a text once again at 7:24AM. According to Delta Air Lines, our first flight, Delta 555, was now delayed by an hour to 2:55PM. I informed my Mother right away, as she was now awake and we both agreed that I should call Delta, as our chances that we would misconnect would increase.

I called Delta right away at 7:24AM and 3:25 into the call, I got another text from Delta. According to this next text, Delta 555 would now be delayed until 4:15PM. We were both glad that I decided to call Delta right away, as thanks to this new departure time, we would definitely misconnect! We were both thankful to have made this decision, although thanks to high call volumes, likely due to delays in Atlanta, I was on hold for about half an hour. Half an hour later, a friendly and proactive representative answered the phone. Right off of the bat, she could see that our flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta was delayed and because of this, we would definitely misconnect. My Mother was right there with me and listened in. The agent on the phone said that due to severe weather in the Atlanta Area, many flights were affected and we were no exception.

Unfortunately, she said that because of this, there were not many First Class seats available. We asked her to check various routings to either West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and for one flight, Miami through various Delta hubs like Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Detroit, and JFK. She was having difficulty, but at first, my Mother wanted us to both stay in First Class. Unfortunately, the best option the agent could come up with was to leave Vegas close to Midnight, connect in Minneapolis the next day, and then fly to Miami, not arriving until the afternoon that day. My Mother and myself both agreed this would not work, even though Delta offered to cover ground transportation from Miami to Delray Beach as well as other niceties, as in addition to getting into South Florida close to a day later than planned, Miami is also much further from our home than FLL or PBI. We asked the agent about flying on another airline and she checked her inventory, but the flights were sold out on her end. Feeling a bit defeated, we went back to the drawing board and with my Mother's agreement, would keep my Mother in First Class while I would fly a lesser class of service, including Main Cabin.

Wasting no time, the agent came up with a flight that would get us into Fort Lauderdale (FLL) at about 6:00AM the next morning. We both agreed that this would not be the worst case scenario, as we would only get to Florida six hours later than expected. While my Mother would stay in First Class, I would fly in Main Cabin from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City to Fort Lauderdale, I would fly in Comfort+. Additionally, the agent put a note on my seat that should a First Class seat open up on one or both flights, I would be automatically upgraded back to First Class. To sweeten the deal, the agent offered us both sizable e-credits to make up for the inconvenience and on top of that, 25,000 Skymiles for myself and my Mother. We decided to have the agent book our new flights, which were as follows. We would leave Las Vegas at 7:45PM PST on Delta 2925 to Salt Lake City and it would arrive there at 10:09PM MT. From Salt Lake City, we would fly to Fort Lauderdale on Delta 1564, which would leave Salt Lake City at 11:04PM MT and arrive in Fort Lauderdale the next morning at 5:50AM EST. Unlike our previous itinerary, which had the Vegas to Atlanta flight operated by a Boeing 757-300 and the Atlanta to PBI flight operated by an Airbus A321, both of our new flights would be operated by Airbus A321s. With all set and feeling thankful that we would get home not as delayed as we thought, all we had to do was plan our day a little bit, since we would be leaving later.

With our new flights booked, I decided to look into the possibility of a Late Check Out, as realistically, we would not need to leave the hotel until 4:00PM, which would allow us to be at the airport at 4:30PM the latest, giving us about 2.5-hours until our flight's scheduled boarding time of 7:05PM. By the time I was off of the phone with Delta, the time was about 8:15AM. I called the Front Desk and was assisted by Curtis, who was eager to please! I asked him about the possibility of a Late Check Out and he immediately obliged, offering us a 2:00PM Late Check Out at no extra charge, three hours past the normal 11:00AM Check Out time. My Mother was very pleased and we both agreed that Bell Services could store our bags while we relaxed until 4:00PM or so. After that, I ate breakfast and after that, did some last minute packing, save for the majority of my toiletries, which I would pack after I did not need them. While my Mom got ready, she found that the stem of her electric toothbrush stopped working. Since we would not have time to get to Costco, where she originally purchased the toothbrush from to get a newer model, I checked around on my phone for electric toothbrushes comparable to hers and found an older version of the one she had at Walgreens across the street from Resorts World. Although it was more expensive than Costco, it was not that much more expensive than Walmart and having $5 in Walgreens rewards, it would be very close to Walmart's price. What's more? The Walgreens was right across the street. While my Mom started getting ready, I wasted no time, leaving our room and taking the elevator down to the Lobby Level of Resorts World. From there, I walked to The District, the shopping complex of Resorts World facing The Strip and used the exit from The District. Then, I crossed the street to where Walgreens was located. Once in Walgreens, I found the toothbrush right away and I purchased it with the help of a cheerful cashier. After that, I then crossed the street, re-entering Resorts World via The District. I was feeling hungry, so a nice lunch would be in order!

After arriving back at Resorts World, I then went on my phone and checked the status of the incoming flight for Delta 2925. I learned that the incoming flight would be arriving from Detroit as Delta 411, which would be operating "On Time," with a scheduled departure time of 4:30PM CT and a scheduled arrival time of 5:49PM PST.

After passing through The District as well as the din of the casino, I found myself at Famous Foods, the Resorts World's Food Court, as I wanted something quick, as I still had to shower.

The atmosphere was cheerful, with a red neon sign spelling out the name of the venue. Additionally, the atmosphere did its best to simulate an Asian street market, with a variety of stalls selling various types of quick service Asian cuisine along with a few stalls selling western specialties, like barbecue and fish and chips. The space was large and decorated in a theme like a street market, with floors that looked like brick to simulate a street market as well as bright neon signs and other decorations to catch your eye. From where I entered, I could see a centerpiece of beer selling a variety of beers on tap in a self service format, which would be awesome for those folks who like beer!


Although there were many good options, I decided on Kuru Kuru Pa Yakitori by the Aoki Brothers, with famous DJ Steve Aoki being one of the owners, as I enjoyed their quick service Japanese fare when I dined there on my last trip to Vegas.

Unlike the year before, where the menu was more skewer based, the menu this year concentrated more on teriyaki bowls, which was fine with me, as I enjoy that kind of fare and just like last year, the chefs were kind, helpful, and considerate of my food allergies. I ordered a Chicken Teriyaki Bowl, which set me back at $20 in change. While I was waiting for my food, I had the pleasure of watching the chefs preparing all of the dishes.

About ten minutes later, I received my dish. I took it upstairs to my room and had lunch with Mom, as by the time I got back, it was 12:00PM. I then tucked into my lunch, which looked delicious and even my Mother thought the same, even though she does not eat chicken. And I am pleased to report this dish tasted as good as it looked, as the generous portion of chicken proved to be tender and juicy, all while enrobed in a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce. Additionally, the cabbage was leafy and well cooked while the sweet carrots and bite of scallions also added to the heartiness of the dish. Lastly, the rice was fluffy and melded well with the teriyaki sauce. Compared to the skewers I got last year, I thought the value of this dish was better thanks to the larger portion versus the skewers. All in all, this lunch from Kuru Kuru Pa Yakitori by the Aoki Brothers definitely hit the spot!

After lunch, I shaved and then hopped in the shower and afterwards, felt clean and refreshed! I then got dressed, packed the last few of my belongings, including the chargers for my electronics and my razor. Since the time was nearing 2:00PM, I gathered my backpack and my suitcase, now ready to go! My Mother finished getting ready after I did and once we were both ready, we checked the room a couple of times to make sure we had all of our belongings. With everything done, we left Room 61165, our wonderful home away from home for the past six days. We then took the elevator down to the Lobby, where we then went to check out. Once at the Front Desk, Adrian immediately took care of us. Adrian was kind, professional, and sharply dressed! As he was printing our invoice, he asked us how our stay at Crockfords was? We told him it was outstanding, thanks to the luxurious room, outstanding amenities, and impeccable service, including from Adrian. He could not have been more pleased to hear this! After that, we went over my bill and with all being well, he wished us a safe and wonderful trip home and hoped he would see us again! By the time we checked out, the time was about 2:10PM, leaving us with just under two hours until we would head to Harry Reid International Airport to catch our flight. With this in mind, we decided to spend some time around Resorts World, but not without stopping at Bell Services, where the professional and efficient Bellhops stored our luggage. After that, I then checked the status of our flight and Delta 411, the incoming flight from Detroit, was now in flight, having left Detroit on time at 4:30PM and arriving in Las Vegas at 5:41PM, eight minutes ahead of its scheduled arrival time.

We explored Resorts World for a bit and for about an hour, we played slots with the remainder of our gambling budget. Unfortunately, we did not win and ended up losing our gambling budget, but we were not fussed, as our gambling budget was all we lost. Time flew and at about 3:50PM, we headed back to Bell Services, where we picked up our bags, since we wanted to get a taxi or rideshare to the airport. After getting our bags, I checked the Uber and Lyft apps and determined that a Lyft would be the cheapest option, at less than $20 from Resorts World to LAS. We walked to the Rideshare Pickup, where it was becoming real that we would be going home.

b) Getting to Airport:
After a tumultuous at first but otherwise smooth day so far, myself and my Mother were now waiting at the Rideshare Pickup for Resorts World. After hailing a Lyft, it matched us with our driver, Taylor, who was three minutes away and would be arriving in a Hyundai Kona.

As we were waiting, the weather contrasted to the past couple of days at that time, as the skies were overcast and compared to the 100-degree highs of the past two days, it was only in the 90s today. We did not wait long because a couple of minutes later, Taylor pulled up in her Hyundai Kona. At first, my Mother balked, as she was concerned the Hyundai Kona would be too small to carry us and all of our belongings. Thankfully, Taylor won my Mother over, thanks to her bubbly personality and determination to make sure that everything fit. Thanks to a little help from one of the nearby Bellhops, Taylor was able to fit everything in her trunk, making my Mother feel reassured and welcomed to boot! With everything set, we got into the backseat of the Kona, which despite the Kona's smallish size from the outside, as it is a Subcompact SUV, was quite roomy! Buckled in, Taylor exited Resorts World and headed onto Goh Tong Way, then turning left to head east onto Genting Boulevard by 4:06PM in order to get to Las Vegas Boulevard.

After we reached Las Vegas Boulevard, I could see the Wynn as we turned right to head southbound on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Once on Las Vegas Boulevard, we then headed southbound to Sands Road after passing the Wynn, where we turned left to head eastbound. Just a couple of minutes later, we approached the intersection of Sands Road and Paradise Road.

After we approached the intersection, we turned right to head southbound on Paradise Road towards Harry Reid International Airport. Traffic was heavy, but moved as we passed the many off strip hotels, shopping centers, and restaurants located off Strip. At about 4:20PM, we were already passing the Virgin Hotel, which was once home to the Hard Rock Hotel, bringing back many memories of my stays there as a kid in the late 1990s-early 2000s. With the exception of the neon guitar being gone, the additional towers, and the different logos, it didn't look too different.


A few minutes later, we passed Hofbräuhaus, a franchise of the famous brewery out of Munich serving German fare and of course, Hofbräuhaus beers.

Five minutes later at 4:25PM, we were nearing the grounds of Harry Reid International Airport and across the sandy landscape, I could see the Mandalay Bay and its sister hotel, The Delano as well as Luxor towards the foreground and in the background, I could see Allegiant Stadium.

Just a minute later at 4:26PM, we reached the southern terminus of Paradise Road and were entering Harry Reid International Airport. As seen below, the signage was now updated to read Harry Reid International Airport, as even in September 2022, the signage still read McCarran International Airport despite the airport being renamed months earlier in December 2021 after the late Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV).


We followed the airport roadways leading to Terminal 1, where Delta and other airlines have their check in counters. Once on the grounds of Harry Reid International Airport, with Paradise Road becoming Wayne Newton Boulevard, the main road for the airport. As we were following Wayne Newton Boulevard, we passed a portion of the tarmac and I spotted N313NV, an Allegiant Airbus A319 that arrived from Fayetteville, AR on Friday, August 11th, 2023 as Allegiant 95 and would be staying in LAS until the next day, August 14th, 2023 when it would depart for Phoenix-Mesa Gateway as Allegiant 9513. Traffic was still a bit heavy, so it took a little longer to get to Terminal 1. By 4:29PM, we were approaching Terminal 3 as I recognized the parking garage across from it.

Even with the heavy traffic with rideshares, taxis, and limo services dropping off passengers, Taylor was able to get us right near the entrance leading to the Delta counters. Once we pulled up to the curb, Taylor wasted no time and helped to get our bags out of her trunk. Thankful for an excellent ride from Taylor, we bid each other farewell. Me and my Mom entered Terminal 1, making our way to the Delta counters. The time was 4:30PM and despite the ride taking longer than average due to heavy traffic, we still had plenty of time to make our flight as from this point, we had 2.5-hours until our 7:05PM boarding time for Delta 2925 to Salt Lake City. How will everything go? Find out soon!