My exciting Las Vegas Weekend in October 2013

By alantvuong on April 7, 2017

As many of you know, I have been in the hospital for the last 2 months. I am so happy to finally be released 3 weeks ago and am ready to start blogging about my past trips. One that comes into mind was my adrenaline rush weekend trip to Las Vegas in October 2013. I got my buddy Dean to travel with me and we will meet up with our busy travel buddy Tyson. The combination of these two automatically guarantees an exciting fun trip.

Spending 4 nights in Las Vegas, we wanted to do something very exciting and something different from the casinos, nightlife and shows that I had already previously done on my past trips. I was so excited for this trip, and here are the main highlights of what I have done that weekend.

Skydiving

getting ready to board the plane

This was one activity I thought I would never be able to do since being paralyzed. I had the opportunity to try it this weekend with Tyson and Dean so I might as well give it a shot. I mean, what could really happen to me being surrounded by people who have helped a paraplegic skydive before. I am a quadriplegic which means I have less mobility and function than a paraplegic, but that wasn’t going to stop me from being their first quad. It was definitely scary and couldn’t believe I actually agreed to this. So here we go, Tyson and Dean got me ready in my jumpsuit and got me tethered to the instructor. I kept on thinking if I should change my mind and back out of this even though I was being boarded on the plane. I am so glad I did not chicken out. This turns out to be the most daring and fun activity that I have done and am hoping to do this again in the future. Read more here.

safe landing

Hot-Air Ballooning

Yes, there are accessible hot-air balloons out there with an accessible basket but to make it even more easier to find, we were going to use a regular hot-air balloon. I am travelling with experienced travelers who can make things happen under any circumstances. So waking up early, we headed to the balloon. We lined one section of the balloon basket with a bunch of blankets and pillows so that I can stay in my manual wheelchair and be put on top of the pile so I can see over the basket. Dean carried me out of my wheelchair and held me for a few minutes while Tyson carried my wheelchair into the basket. With a few other people helping us, we all made it into the basket and got to go up with the rest of our group. This was so amazing as we got to see such great views over Las Vegas. We even had a skydiver jump out of our balloon.

great views of Las Vegas

Desert Dune Buggies

getting ready

This was an activity that I really wanted to try and couldn’t believe that we are doing this weekend. I love racing and going through a semi rough terrain in the middle of the desert was a dream come true. Of course I had to be extra careful sitting in the dune buggy. I couldn’t operate the vehicle on my own so I had to sit in the passenger side. I got my roho cushion put on the seat, my helmet on, seatbelt, extra straps to hold me in place, and extra sponges between my legs so my legs won’t flop all over the place and bang the side of the dune buggy. I had the instructor and Tyson take turns in driving the dune buggy throughout the desert sand and hills. I didn’t mind the vehicle rolling around fast and through bumps. It was so amazing and I felt quite safe with all the precautions I took. This is definitely something I would do again… and I did! In Dubai but with an SUV instead of a dune buggy. Read more here.

all smiles

Horseback Riding

Riding a horse was another thing I always wanted to do. I can’t even remember if I have ever done this, even before my injury. I know this activity would be challenging because I have no upper-body support and have really bad balance. But of course, anything is possible with a little bit of creativity. I was lifted onto the horse by my friends and I had either Tyson or the daughter of the owner of the horse sit behind me on the saddle and making sure I don’t fall off the horse. This was fun but I was a bit worried that the horse would be spooked by something and go running with me not being able to hold on. Dean and Tyson took turns leading the horse in a slow calming gallop.

giddy up

Rollercoasters

I used to love riding the rollercoasters before my injury and wanted to somehow try this as a quadriplegic. I don’t have any finger movement to grab onto the safety bars and my legs don’t work so I can brace myself in the rollercoaster car. So here I go anyways. Tyson lifted me into the rollercoaster and used his one arm to brace me in and his legs to make sure my legs don’t flop around. I was really nervous to try this for the first time as a quadriplegic. I had no idea what to expect but once the ride started I was both really excited and really scared. Since I wasn’t really secured in the rollercoaster I kept sliding around and flopping over. It was really fun even though I couldn’t really hold on. Such a thrill that I rode Space Mountain at Disneyland 2 years later.

rollercoaster at New York New York Hotel

Halloween on Freemont Street

Octuple Bypass Burger for Tyson!

Since we were here a few days before Halloween which falls on a Thursday, there were some people dressed in costumes on Freemont Street. We were thinking of dressing up in costumes but were too busy with all our activities that there wasn’t any time to buy one. Still, it was fun to roam around the old part of Las Vegas. We had giant burgers at the popular Heart Attack Grill and got to wear hospital gowns at the hospital themed restaurant. It was great to even run into Kiersten and race car driver Ashley Sanford. Was definitely a great time.

great seeing Kiersten

I had an exceptionally great weekend in Las Vegas and as you can see, this city is not just about casinos and night clubbing. There are still some exciting and thrilling activities that a disabled person can do if they are adventurous and brave enough to try.