Las Vegas is always an interesting place to visit even if you don’t gamble. With our two traveling couples, we once again walked through several of the casinos along the strip, including the Wynn, the Encore, which we missed last year and again enjoyed the fountains at Bellagio. We also went to Fremont Street to enjoy the fantastic laser light show. Downtown Las Vegas has converted a five-block area of Freemont Street and enclosed it into a pedestrian mall with a barrel vault canopy 90 feet high. During the day you enjoy the various casinos, shops and restaurants. While Las Vegas is know for never turning the outside casino lights off, the casinos and other buildings under the canopy do turn their lights off as the laser light show starts. The shows are like a moving parade overhead, dancing to the music of famous bands. A great experience we were able to do this year and hope to see again. The 5-7 minute laser light shows start at dark and come on every hour with different shows/bands.

While in Las Vegas we also ventured over to Hoover Dam to see how the construction was going on the new highway that is going to bypass the Dam. You have to wonder what brave person works on the bridge high up in the air --- and are both ends really going to meet! Then on to Red Rock Canyon on the North West side of Vegas. Although it is not quite the red rock views you see in Colorado, it was spectacular. Probably because it was Sunday (and maybe spring break) there were several rock climbers from various degrees of experience which we enjoyed watching. The route is 13 miles long, very colorful and a view you don’t expect in Las Vegas.

Next on our adventure, we travelled to Pahrump to enjoy Terribles Lakeside RV Park, with green grass and a pond here in the desert. Pahrump also houses the famous Chicken Ranch. Remember Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton in the movie, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”. Texas closed the ranch and a businessman in Nevada moved the Chicken Ranch to Pahrump. It is still very active and supposedly you can get a tour. We tried but they were very busy so we went to the bar where people wait and bought souvenirs. So I guess you could say we have now been to the Best Little Whorehouse in the West.

Moving on, the group traveled to Beatty, NV to Beatty’s Hot Spring RV Park which is very old but known for the hot springs. We took the gang to see one of our favorite castles – Scotty’s Castle in Death Valley which is another story we told you about last year. Back to the campground to enjoy the hot springs which we have always wanted to do but never have. We describe this experience as a hot tub with gravel in the bottom with no chlorine. A fantastic week traveling together but time to say goodbye as our friends go south and we travel north in California.

Christmas, New Years, time in Arizona and now leaving, heading to Las Vegas ----- where does the time go. Christmas this year was in Texas with Jack’s family. Scott was also able to fly down and be with us. It is always great to see all the relatives and spend time with family.

January 2 we headed to our winter home at Canyon Vista in Gold Canyon, AZ for two months of fun in the sun, great sunsets and time with great friends. This year for the most part, January and February’s weather has been in the 70’s and 80’s with lots of sun, which is great for all the birthday parties’, happy hours and feasts!! We once again made the trip Quartzsite to the RV Show, Superbowl party which included the 3-D glasses for everyone to see the special commercial, trips to the Mesa market, Gourd Fest in Casa Grande, dinner and music at San Tan Flats, art show at Fountain Hills, Arizona Opry, and the musical “King and I” at the local community theater in Gilbert. New this year was the Light Rail from Mesa to the northwest side of Phoenix, 20-mile trip one way. We stopped and ate at a Greek restaurant on Mill Street, where we were introduced to Flaming Saganaki (a flaming cheese appetizer). Due to the nice weather we were fortunate to spend most of our time outside and met some great new friends. March 6 was our last hoorah at Canyon Vista, another reason to eat and drink, and there were 21 celebrating a great time. Jack also spent many days flying his helicopter (and many nights repairing it). We were able to see three model airplane and helicopter shows which were great – and even saw that the professionals also crash their planes (oooops). With many memories and new friends, we head out to Las Vegas with two other couples for another short adventure together.