Leaving Las Vegas…

So another vacation comes to close and once again learned a bit while enjoying myself.  First of all Sue & I headed out to experience AMVIV (A MINI Vacation In Vegas) and with only a full day at the event I again think it was great.  I understand that there are some who can compare it to AMVIVs of old, but as a newbie it was well organized and definitely a nice event, but that was only two days of a week’s vacation.

Some vacations have a purpose- visiting family, seeing some exhibit, etc.  This one was just to relax and explore.  Sue and I had not been to Las Vegas in over 20 years and while it had changed so had we.  The first time we went to Las Vegas to attend the wedding of my brother & sister in-law (yes, they are still married)… but that is a story for another day.

Descriptions that popped into my head were things like “EPCOT with Adult Content” & “A Fort Lauderdale for college students in California.”  It seems that many people embrace the “What happens in Vegas- Stays in Vegas” and that does create some interesting scenes.  As for layout there are some wonderful hotels along the strip catering to various tastes… playing “Hotwire Roulette” as Sue put it we ended up at Planet Hollywood for a couple of days.  While a nice hotel I will not miss trying to avoid the people assaulting any couple that walked in about timeshares.  Yes, we could have gotten tickets to a show, or gambling credit, but I would never get that 90 minutes back.

Enough about that-  Sue and I did have a great time we explored Las Vegas, not only yhe strip but beyond a bit.  Monday thanks to some friends we dropped by the Tropicana to see what I think was an undiscovered gem- Santa Fe & the Fat City Horns.  A great group that only plays there on Monday.  If you happen to be in Vegas on a Monday look them up- it was great.  We also drove to Utah, saw the Hoover Dam, and got married.  Yes, Sue and I are celebrating this year 20 years of marriage so while getting a geocache in a drive through wedding chapel we decided to renew our vows.  Cecil came along (when doesn’t he?) and ended up getting his 1,000th find hours before we headed to the airport.  I’m uploading picture to Flickr so check them out if you are so inclined.

Wait… you didn’t gamble? or go to some adult show? or stay up all night in a bar? You didn’t experience Vegas! Some people are shouting at their computer, right now.  While some might label me “conservative” or even a wet blanket you need to understand something… as a school teacher I never… never know when I might run into a student or parent of a student.  I’m typing this from the plane and I have a family from my school sitting next to me.  While some people can let their hair down on vacation… not really possible for me, but then again I had a great time and can remember every minute..

And the comic didn’t skip a beat, although I’m hoping the next time I leave some place I won’t have to bring along my “portable studio”… but a buffer is a discussion for another day.