#129 Jan-March 2016 Finally Spring in Vegas

2016 started quietly. Ralph continued working regularly at VCC.

The end of January I flew to Calgary to celebrate my sister, Judy's, 60^th birthday. We took a trip down memory lane to Canmore. Ralph and I lived there from 1974 to 1978 during which time Dave and Kari were born.

The town has changed dramatically, however, the Canmore Hotel has been a focal point for over 120 years.

The Coal Miner statue portrays the town's primary industry for many decades. Ralph even worked at the mine for a year – still repairing buses but in a very different environment.

When we lived in Canmore we thoroughly enjoyed our front room view of the Three Sisters.

When I returned to Surrey the crocuses were promising that spring was on the way.

Late February I returned to Calgary for the funeral of Auntie Pearl. She was the last member of our parent’s generation so it was a sad and reflective time for Judy and I.

Flying home I could see that spring had not arrived in the mountains yet.

The winding, muddy Fraser River welcomed me back to spring.

In March we joined Al and Brian and Tigger on the Sunshine Coast. Monique and Peter went over as well and as usual there was lots of visiting and laughter.

Who remembers the hit TV series “The Beachcombers” from the 1970s and 80s? It was filmed in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. Molly’s Reach is once again a restaurant.

The Persephone is on display near the harbour.

Mid March we put the RV into storage and hoped we would find warmer, sunnier weather in Las Vegas.

We had great driving weather and stopped to enjoy Mount Shasta.

The Cascades mountain range is a chain of spectacular volcanoes. Mount Shasta is composed of four volcanic cones.

As we drove through northern California the hills were showing spring green.

The sun set over the desert as we approached Nevada.

Dave and his girlfriend, Melissa joined us for a week in Las Vegas.

 

We celebrated Dave’s birthday at Nacho Daddy.

Dave accepted our challenge to down a Scorpion Shooter.

He did it – and yes it was a real scorpion!

The Strip and nearby streets are always bursting with energy and excitement. We enjoyed getting to know Melissa as we experienced Vegas together.

Opened in 2012, The Mob Museum conveys the history of The Mob in Las Vegas and its origins in the East.

We experienced a Police Line-up.

We sat in a courtroom where mobsters were tried and more often that not declared “not guilty”.

 

This is the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall against which Bugs Moran’s men were ambushed and shot on February 14, 1929.

We learned that much of the lore about The Mob was true. The quest for power and money continues today but in a much less obvious manner.

We enjoyed the incredible acrobatic performances in Cirque Du Soleil's "Ka".

"Vegas the Show" provided a great review of the evolving entertainment in Vegas.

We rode the High Roller for a spectacular view of Vegas and the nearby mountains.

The Freemont Street Experience highlights the Viva Vision light show on the 1,500 foot long overhead projection surface.

Look for the person ziplining over the crowd.

The Golden Nugget is part of Old Las Vegas on Freemont Street.

These are some highlights of Vegas but there is so much more to see and experience on day trips from the city.