Family Reunion: What Happens in Vegas...


Las Vegas isn't my favorite city and having a family reunion* there on Thanksgiving weekend didn't sound like the best idea—initially.  But this was a "passing the torch" wholly to the next generation, so I decided to keep my generational lip zipped and go with it.

 Our niece Kathy, is a local resident living in Summerlin, an area about 10 miles from downtown Vegas.  Together with our nephew Richard, her cousin, she tackled planning with wedding-like effort and they blew it out of the water. They built it and, OMG, did we come!  
Even though the Oregon/Washington contingent flew, most of the California and the New Mexico family drove. 

 So why then?  Well, we have lots of school–age children, so taking advantage of the break and minimizing academic absences was a good move.
Vegas weather in November can be cold (it was) but relatively temperate.  Although Thanksgiving is the start of the holidays, Chanukkah and Christmas were still a month away.
Making Chocolates, Jason and me
and Red Rock Canyon
So why there?  
1  Las Vegas is more than 'The Strip'.  True, the strip and glitzy hotel/casinos are pretty amazing and not to be missed.  But this fast–growing city is also a good place to live and raise a family.  Being from the Pacific Northwest however, made me wonder where the trees and water were.
2  Las Vegas, Nevada is unique and I think everyone should see it at least once, even if they don't gamble.  
3  Vegas does 'pretend' really well, earning the nickname 'Disneyland for Grown–ups'.  
4  Although an adult mecca through the 60's and 70's, LV has become a family destination.  There is something for everyone and though it can be expensive, a lot of it's free.  We visited Red Rock Canyon, the mob museum and even took in a chocolate tasting at Ethel M's (as in Mars) chocolate factory.  
Gangsters, the feds, and Vegas –oh my!

The Mob Museum, formerly a U.S. Courthouse, is located downtown.  Surprisingly, city leaders didn't raze the old historic structure, but instead restored and repurposed it. It stood out amid all the new and glitter that is Las Vegas.  It harkens back to the organized crime era of the 1930s.  There were also a lot of interactive FBI experiences that brought out our inner gangster/cop. I kept looking around for the ghosts of Bugsy Seigel and Elliot Ness. 
Neon Museum

 Granted, the younger generations had no idea what Las Vegas was like in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, but our generation remembered the big neon signs of Vegas.  Fortunately, they didn't throw the old signs out, but instead created the Neon Museum.  You gotta love Las Vegas ingenuity. They'll make money out of anything.  Forget what I said about there being a lot that's free. There are some free attractions, but not many. It's an expensive town.



But ultimately, it was a family reunion.  George and Teresa (Marvin, Bill, Allen and Earl's parents) would have been proud to see the exponential growth of their family of six.  We all stayed at the same hotel about 10 miles from the strip. It was lovely, family friendly, and not a casino in sight.  As usual, Earl and I got a handicap equipped room and I have to say, it was probably the best ever accommodation–wise for me.

 When we gathered en masse for breakfast in the mornings, or come to think of it, for any gathering, we probably frightened the other hotel patrons. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a Schuman. We were nice people, but noisy and there were a lot of us.  
Marv & Sue's (deceased) family, Bill and Louise's family,
Allen & Maxine's family Earl & Tammy's family

The lesson:  In spite of my initial misgivings about the reunion, it was a truly memorable event. Great location, plenty of activities, fun and no drama. That's a high bar indeed. 

 *Previous post: The Generation Gap
*Previous post: Family Vacation 2016 – Oh, Canada!

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