Ok, Ok, we will let you in on the secrets of Las Vegas. Our main reason for returning to Sin City was to repair our RV. Remember, when we hit that deer last fall in Oregon? Well, it was finally time to fix Atreyu’s grill. He was complaining that people were judging him for his lack of teeth. He was too ‘gummy’, he said. So after 3 or 4 repair estimates from Oregon, California, and Las Vegas we received the best quote from the Sin City. So we made our way to the valley of gambling.
We arrived a week before Atreyu was due to go the ‘dentist’, so we made the best of our leisure time. Our first outings were to be ‘tourists’ on the Strip. We awed at the Bellagio’s fountain show and gardens, watched fire stream from volcanoes at the Mirage, took a leisurely stroll along the canals of the Venetian, and gambled a bit. You, know like $10. As much as you guys may disagree, we are not big risk takers. Especially when we know the odds are not in our favor. Oh, and we signed up for a time-share presentation! That is right folks, we endured 90 minutes of mild flames and torture to score 2 sets of ‘free’ show tickets and a ‘free’ weekend in Vegas at a later date.
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Here is a story that should have stayed in Vegas. I am going to call this story, “The day we delightfully backed in next to the Devil”. Our ‘high scale’ time-share presentation was at the smoke infused, soon to be destroyed Riviera Hotel and Casino. Now, picture greasy old men in cowboy boots, pressed jeans, and cowboy collared shirts with embroidery (they also smell like old cigarettes). These are the presenters. So halfway through the presentation, they try to get information from you on your lifestyle. Being pretty private with our information, we only tell the main salesman that we are in a RV. He then probes, “What RV Park or Casino are you staying at?” We decline to answer and he replies, “You know we could be neighbors!” We just shrugged it off and looked at our 90-minute timers ticking away. When our timers went off, we stood up and walked towards the door despite the warnings that we will never get an offer like this again. As we are departing Wade taps another victim on the shoulder and states, “You have to see the devil where the devil lives.” And we make it out alive with tickets and vouchers in hand. Whew.
Our neighbor at our RV resort is the classic Breaking Bad RV. We tend to mind our own business at RV parks, especially in Las Vegas, so we had not yet met this neighbor. However, not 3 hours after our time-share presentation I step outside to walk Wizard and who do I see in this Breaking Bad RV? You guessed it, the cowboy boot wearing, unbuttoned shirt, chest hair revealing time-share salesman! I do what any respectable human being would do, run the other way. I guess he was our neighbor after all!
Now on to less scary stories. We have several friends and family that call Las Vegas home. One such couple is fellow travelers, Mark and Alex. They recently moved to Vegas and we couldn’t wait to catch up with them. We had a wonderful time exploring Henderson’s breweries with them and several of their friends who were also visiting Sin City. Our group even took over the old school Nintendo at one brewery. Who doesn’t love Super Mario Brothers?!! Wade and I also witnessed our first competitive dart game! Wow, they have skill. The following day Mark and Alex hosted a pool party and BBQ at their new house and a good second night was had by all! Thanks for all the hospitality Mark and Alex. These two just happen to be getting married this weekend. Congratulations, we wish you only happiness!
My cousin and his family also call Las Vegas home. Thus, we spent St Patrick’s Day drinking green beer and catching up with them. Their kids are adorable and the gilled steak and potatoes were fantastic. Thanks for celebrating with us!
Our final family member in Las Vegas is the owner of Las Vegas Running Tours, Jimmy! He is the ultimate athlete, really he runs ultra-marathons, and according took us for an early Monday morning hike. It was a fantastic, refreshing hike on the Historical Railroad Trail along Lake Mead. We then enjoyed breakfast in Boulder City. Now I know why morning people get so much accomplished. We arrived back at the RV by 10:30 am after what felt like a ‘full’ normal day. Later in the week, we also had dinner with Jimmy and his girlfriend. So many laughs and smiles ensued! They are amazing people and we wish them happiness and success. Thanks for the hike, dinner, and gear Jimmy! By the way, if you ever end up in Las Vegas and want to escape the evil “Strip” or get a tour of the original Sin City, check out Las Vegas Running Tours!
We took a day to escape the madness of the Las Vegas to re-convey with nature at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. This is a beautiful area and provides a much needed reset to your soul after spending time in this ‘anything goes’ city.
The remaining time in Las Vegas prior to our RV repairs was spent enjoying our ‘free’ shows and indulging in delicious food. The variety show exceeded both of our expectations and the Cirque du Soleil performance of The Beatles Love was awesome.
Now onto the RV repairs. After Atreyu’s custom grill arrived from Indiana, all went smoothly. Unfortunately, we had to leave the RV at the shop for 3 days for the painting process, so our small family spent some time in a hotel in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas. We went far, far away from the Strip. Wizard and Raja adjusted well to hotel living as we caught up on TV. We hadn’t had cable in months, so my face was glued to HGTV and other non-sense. It did make for a relaxing couple days, but we were happy to come ‘home’. After picking up Atreyu, we headed to Lake Mead to enjoy several days of lake life.
Now you know, what happened in Vegas.
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