Grandpa Cassens came on Thursday, and on Friday we decided to make a quick trip to Las Vegas. Everyone thinks that since we live in Nevada, we must a) live in a warm climate and b) neighbor Las Vegas. Neither are true. It is quite cold here...6 degrees this morning, and 7+ hours to Vegas by car.
Anyway, I have heard my dad talk about the National Finals Rodeo every year for a long time. So when he brought it up again while visiting, we decided to go. After five minutes of planning and 8 minutes of packing, we got on the road. Nine long hours later (snowy weather, slow fast-food, 60 unneccessary miles, and a pile-up on the interstate) we got to the hotel. Checking in took at least 20 minutes, and we finally walk into our room on the 31st floor to discover someone sleeping in the bed! Back downstairs, we get another key, back up to the 24th floor, and the key doesn't work. Back downstairs, (yes, with baby, bags & grandpa in tow) they tell us they wrote down the wrong room number. Back to the 24th floor, we at last enter a clean, empty, room, and crash in bed. Well, after changing Penelope, feeding Penelope, and getting Penelope to sleep, but you get the picture.
Now to tell you a little about my dad. I doubt he has been to a city of size for many, many years. In Las Vegas he wore jeans half tucked into his cowboy boots, a Wrangler shirt (not tucked in), a dirty & torn Carhart jacket, and a large pair of binoculars hang around his neck. His hair has not seen a comb since I was 14, and his large mustache is reminiscent of the wild west. Interestingly enough, several times he commented on how there "weren't many odd-looking people" around Vegas.
In the morning, dad was impressed with the large array of snack & mini bar items, until I warned him that everything that was taken would be billed to our room at an astronomical price. Later dad asked if he could use the notepad or if you had to pay for that too...
We went to breakfast, and then to "Cowboy Christmas," a trade show. It took a lot of walking, even though we took the monorail, and after a short while I was exhausted. Dad, Penelope & I went back to the hotel to relax, and Wayne wandered around the city a bit more, and picked up tickets for the rodeo.
In the evening, dad & Wayne took off to the rodeo, and Penelope & I stayed at the hotel. Dad & Wayne had a good time, but dad was dissapointed that he "didn't see one person" he knew! Which might sound funny... out of the throngs of people in Las Vegas, one wouldn't exactly expect to just bump into their next door neighbor. But dad is aquainted with hundreds of ranchers & cowboys from North Dakota to Texas, so it wouldn't have been a suprise if he did see someone he knew at the rodeo.
Sunday morning it was up early and on the road. We stopped to meet with our good friends in Ely, before continuing home. It was a very quick trip, but fun to go and see Vegas and take dad to the Rodeo. I'm sure he will be telling stories for years about how he & Big Toe went to the Rodeo in Vegas.
Penelope chilling in our hotel.
New York, New York
Everyone who passes by says, "Aw, cute..." (be sure to notice the binocs) 
Scenery on the way home...
I love your description of your Dad in Vegas. :-) Dad went to NYC one time in a flannel shirt and overalls and he said HE was the one everyone was stopping to stare at, not the ones in capes. He was disgruntled about it and swore off NYC for life. You are so wise, staying at the hotel. I would definitely have decided to go and spent the entire time at the rodeo wishing I hadn't.
ReplyDeleteAnd the assumption we had when we learned you were moving to NV was that you would be living in barren, ugly desert. But you aren't. It is gorgeous!