I was actually supposed to be heading to Cancun, Mexico for my birthday in 1998. I had the tickets arranged in May. Unfortunately, hurricane Mitch came through about this time, which made quite a hassle. The hurricane was supposed to hit three days after my arrival date. Needless to say, I didn't want to go to Cancun at that time, because best case being, the hurricane shifts course and I have ten days of crummy weather; or the worst case is that the hurricane doesn't shift course and I have a room with a view... The problem came that I couldn't get a refund unless the officials closed the airport, which probably wasn't going to happen until they were more certain where the hurricane was heading. I ended up cancelling my plans anyway, and it all worked out in the end.
So instead of going to the city of sun, I went to the city of sin with my girlfriend, Heather. Spent a week in Las Vegas, NV. For those who haven't been there, it is quite a town. I definitely recommend going to check it out, the shows and sites are quite spectacular. Heck, the people watching alone is worth the trip. Although, I would recommend only going for about four days, even less if you are not a gambler. My favorite place there is called FlyAway, it is an indoor skydiving center. Basically, it is a turbo-prop engine in a circular building where you can simulate a freefall and do all kinds of aerobatics. Even if you don't want to try it, it's fun to go and watch others there.
The Vegas FlyAway is pretty pricey (like everything else there...), but there is also one in Gatlinburg, TN for only a quarter of the price. Also, we managed to occupy our time with some sites outside of Vegas. Visited the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. My friends from California, Ken and Kim, came and spent the weekend with us too. It is always great to see them.
Here is a shot of me on the edge of a cliff on the west rim of the Grand Canyon. This should not be confused with the West Rim drive on the South side of the Grand Canyon. There is an actual "West Rim" which is really an indian reservation that you can tour. I have been to both places, and the South Rim is definitely WAY better than the West Rim. The scenery is spectacular at both areas, but there is much more opportunity to hike and see the sights at the South Rim. A cool feature of the west rim was a Joshua Tree forest on the way to the canyon.