Friends, Flowers, Fireworks, and More From Las Vegas!

Greetings from our little corner of the desert! We hope this finds you all well and enjoying your summer!

A very busy month we’ve already had! Summer has officially arrived and with it HOT temps! Surprisingly, we’re cooler by about 4 degrees from last year at this time. (that coming from the weather gal.) We must be used to it as it really is pleasant as long as you are digging a ditch directly in the sun. Ok….that’s a lie. I’ve tried sitting in it for a bit just to absorb some natural vitamin D and within about 15 minutes….I look like I’ve been broiled. Now my friends from up North in Valdez ….well….they spent every morning for an hour or more sunbathing in the back yard! Both went back to Alaska sporting amazing tans!


Randall took his first vacation since coming to Las Vegas! He was able to travel back to Beaverton for a few days and visit with his friends. Had to chuckle at his attempt to pack his own suitcase! All long-sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, jeans, etc...with little knowledge that the weather in Oregon would be the hottest on record for the year that weekend! Not to mention the humidity .....of which we have virtually none of! I called him a couple of days into his trip and asked him how things were going. He said "I've never sweat ed so much just sitting in a chair." Despite the temps, he had a great time, misses the guys and his dad but realized that Las Vegas is now his home at least for now. One thing that he’s noticed – folks at one time or another end up here for a visit! He was only home a couple of days and a friend came into town for the Fourth of July holiday. They spent a good share of the time at concerts and underage clubs throughout the valley. He’s still not rested up from the events.
Randall’s work is going well. He’s content at his post as well as the graveyard schedule he chose. My kid has never been a morning person so sleeping all day suits him just fine.

Robert also took a vacation this month! We didn’t plan on any trips to anywhere out of the valley, as we’ve not seen everything HERE yet! Most of the time was spent relaxing, checking out some of the local smaller casino/resorts that are not on the strip, attending movies, and just catching up on being together!



As mentioned in the start of my Blog, my gal pal from up North visited with her hubby, Lloyd for over a week! They were here at Christmas but only for a few days. This time they stayed with us! Debbie and I have been friends since Kindergarten in Nome Alaska! Our friendship has been an amazing one with our lives intertwining throughout the years. We never run out of things to talk about and we drive others nuts with the constant chatter. Not to mention all laughs!
During their stay, we planned several outings ……some to places Robert and I have already checked out and others that were new to all of us. They also gave me time to catch up on work around home and took off for a few hours on their own. I’ve posted a few photos of some of our/their adventures.





One of our drives ended us up at the Freemont Experience which is located downtown (old town) on Freemont Street. Personally, this could easily be one of my favorite places! The street is shaded from the hot sun but still lets in the light…..don’t ask me how they did this but the filter makes it comfortable to walk around all the booths and shops that line the street on even the hottest day! If we thought daytime was amazing – nighttime is incredible! They have a wonderful light display accompanied by live music that goes on throughout the evening. The casinos that line the street are replicas of old town. Some even sport the coin-in/coin-out slots! The hotels are smaller but seem more friendly without all the bustle of the Strip. Another nice feature – you don’t have to walk five miles to see everything! They’ve really fixed this place up over the years so if you’ve been to Las Vegas and never thought about visiting Freemont – it’s worth checking out!



Another day trip ended us back out in Pahrump. This time, we visited a couple of the Brothels. The signs say that the “PUBLIC IS WELCOME”, but we decided against it. We did visit the gift shops but while the items hosted funny sayings – I couldn’t imagine where I’d wear any of that stuff! And I sure as heck wasn’t going to encourage my kid!






We were told that a couple of them feature good food. Perhaps another time….
While out in Pahrump, we found a very nice RV Resort. This place was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. Big trees, grassy areas, sandy beaches, and a beautiful little lake. It also included a nice size pool, small grocery store, and a casino/restaurant right on the property. A very nice place to camp….IF I liked camping. A word of warning… In July, when the temps are in triple digits – don’t take your shoes off and walk the sand to the water edge. After two steps, you will be RUNNING to the water to soothe your burnt feet. This is spoken from an experience I won’t soon repeat. It actually would probably have made a funny home video if anyone could have stopped laughing long enough to work the camera. Instead they threatened to leave me out there instead of bringing me my shoes! Very funny guys.

With our friends back home in Alaska and Robert and Randall back to work, life is pretty much back to somewhat of a normal routine around home. We've all some great memories of the last few weeks and pictures that will remind us of our first vacation in Las Vegas! Thanks for sharing them with us! Please write when you can! We'd love to hear from everyone!
*HUGS*
Crystal, Robert, and Randall