Las Vegas for Thanksgiving? It may seem like an odd choice but at the time that I made the reservations it seemed to fit in well with my route. What made it the best was that Mom & Dad thought it would be fun to fly in to Vegas and spend the holiday with their oldest daughter on the road (yes, that would be me!). This holiday is a reminder that we should reflect and be thankful for what we have in our lives.
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.” Henry David Thoreau
I have so much to be thankful for in my life, a great career in Parks, the ability to retire young and fulfill a desire to travel and of course my great friends and wonderful family.
Family is certainly number one for me. As far as families go they are the best of the best. We support each other through all of life’s crazy times. So having Mom & Dad here for Thanksgiving was awesome.
“Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life.” Albert Einstein
Preparing Thanksgiving dinner in the RV would have been quite a production (not to say it couldn’t be done!) so instead we decided to go out for dinner. With so many choices (and quite a range of prices) we settled on Hash House A Go Go, and it was a good choice. The traditional dinner they were serving was great and the prices were reasonable.
And what would Thanksgiving weekend be without the Black Friday shopping trip? Mom and I hit the stores and there were no shortage of places to shop in Vegas. It was a productive day and we knocked out most of the items on our Christmas lists.
Having driven through this area a number of times and even stopping at looking over the Hoover Dam I had never taken the tour to see the inside of the dam and power plant. Thanksgiving weekend is apparently one of their busiest weekends (figures) and fortunately we got there early and were able to sign up for the tour and look around the dam.
The dam tour was informative and interesting, tour guides were very knowledgable and being able to actually go inside the dam to see the inner workings was worth the time. Located in Black Canyon (not Boulder Canyon as one may think) completed and dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt it was truly an engineering marvel. Just over 726 feet high it took 3.25 million cubic meters of concrete to complete.
Built during the depression years the construction provided jobs for thousands of workers. It is interesting that they still allow visitors inside the dam and vehicles to drive over the dam as after 9/11 many dams do not offer this opportunity.
And what would Las Vegas be without a show? There are many impromptu type shows all over the city and many great shows to choose from including
“The Bronx Wanderers” that we saw at Bally’s. Great music and performance by this group new to Vegas. They are obviously still enjoying performing for the crowd.
Those impromptu performances up and down the strip include a “mermaid show” at the casino adjacent to the giant Bass Pro Shop. I think I may have found a potential retirement job!
All in all it was a great holiday weekend, thanks Mom & Dad for making the holiday special. I will continue to give thanks everyday for my awe inspiring adventures and my wonderful family and friends.
“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.” Tecumseh
What fun !!! I’m thankful you were able to enjoy the holiday with your parents! And realize I’ve never seen that dam …