Viva Las Vegas

On December 9, 1997 I loaded my luggage into Sam's car and drove away from my home. As I looked back at my home I think deep down I knew I would never step foot into my boyhood home again. When I returned to Utah a couple years later I realized I no longer fit in. Within a few years Heidi and I moved to the glimmering Las Vegas Valley.

Yep, Las Vegas is a dirty city with a combination of trash and dust but man, it became the my home and I miss it. Sure, it has a lot of downsides. You think being sunny everyday would be a good thing but trust me, it's exhausting. And there are loads of trashy billboards, strip clubs, drug problems, a troubled economy, and obnoxious tourists but for most of my adult life it was home and I love and miss Las Vegas. Here are my top reasons why I miss Sin City.

1. The People: There are a lot of wonderful people there. I even miss the freaks, oh, the freaks, how I miss you. Including KISS cover bands and cross dressers covered in tattoos. But all of these people were there for us when Heidi and I were brought to our knees during a very difficult time and we will never forget that.

2. Gravel: I miss the sound that walking on gravel makes. You know kind of like a crunching or crackling sound. I don't know when was the last time I saw or walked on gravel now that I think about it.

3. The Desert: There is something humbling about driving through the Mojave Desert in a small, air-conditioned metal cocoon when the outside temp is 100+ degrees. Many times we talked about how powerful the desert can be, it is one of those terrains that if stranded you could end up dead. An 11-year old boy died from desert exposure at Death Valley last week so yeah, it is humbling to live in an environment where Mother Nature puts you in your place.

4. Neon Lights. It doesn't matter where in the Las Vegas Valley you live you will see neon lights, frequently, and on everything. I miss their bright, intense glow.

5. So many people travel to Las Vegas and miss out on the beautiful natural world that surrounds the man-made strip. My favorite destinations include Lake Mead, Mt. Charleston, Red Rock, and the Wetlands. Sure, Texas has the ocean, bayous, and wildflowers but what can I say, I'm a mountain guy.

6. Dog Fancier's Park: Recently a new dog park opened near our current home but I miss our dog park in LV, the park that started it all. We took Bentley to that park before we even got Myla. We met so many neat people and dogs there and probably spent hundreds of hours talking with the Rosses and Andersons. Plus we miss events like Pet-a-Palooza and Strut Your Mutt. We just haven't found anything like that here.

7. On holidays and when visitors came to town we made trips to the Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden. I miss that place and best of all it was free so check it out if your in Vegas. We even saw an Oompa Loompa once, but he was in a cage and didn't look good.

8. Sports. Let me explain, Houston might have a professional football, basketball, and baseball team but the tickets are outrageously expensive and the crowds are unpleasant. But the Las Vegas 51s, Wranglers and Gladiator tickets were inexpensive and the crowds were bearable. You could pay for inexpensive seats but still find yourself up close.

9. UNLV: Hardly a prestigious university but I loved it there. Heidi's Radiology Club really came through for her when she needed help the most and academically I reached all new levels. Plus I miss hearing the band play Viva Las Vegas even if some of the teams were...well, not very good.

10. Sidewalks: You might think sidewalks are in every city, at least on busy roads, but you'd be wrong. At least in LV you can pretty much walk anywhere safely on a sidewalk. Just ask Heidi about this one.

11. Sunflower Market: The produce department was awesome, they had all sorts of food in bulk and you could even buy ear candles. Best part of all is that Sunflower Market is not all that expensive, we have never found a replacement.

12. Bowling Alleys: I'm not a good bowler but once you have been exposed to the bright, luxurious 100 lane bowling alleys the smoke-filled dark and dank traditional bowling alley really turns you off to the "sport." Oh, the giant movie theaters are cool but movies do cost more there.

13. Bagel Stores: Serious, I know of one restaurant in our current area that makes bagels. What gives? But if you ever want a donut or kolache Houston is the place for you!

14. Real Slot Machines: The first convenience store I entered in Houston had slot machines in it and I did not even realize they should not be there because I was so used to seeing them. They don't even pay out but sure enough there are always a couple idiots playing them. I never thought I'd miss slot machines in gas stations and grocery stores but I do because at least they were real.

15. Las Vegas Clark County Library District: There are less than 2 million people in Clark County, NV and just over 4 million in Harris County, TX so who do you think would have the better public library system? Practically every book, CD, audio book, and movie we ever wanted to watch was available and they would even transport it to your local library within a day or two, here it could take a week or two.

16. The Strip: Not actually going to the strip, that got old real fast. But for some reason I enjoyed heading west and seeing the Strip up ahead with those strange hotels comprising my skyline. Come to think of it I think I saw at least part of that odd boulevard every single day while living in LV.

17. D.I.: Yep, Desert Industries. We made regular trips to the ultimate second-hand thrift store. Sure we had a Saver's, Goodwill, and Salvation Army but D.I. had the best selection and prices and ours was only a couple miles away.

18. T-Ball: Our Stake Primary T-Ball Season was the coolest thing I have ever seen. Nothing beats watching Primary kids play T-Ball. Now that is some good sports action. I have never lived in another Stake that has such an activity.

19. Mormons: I love being a Mormon...I just don't want to live in a community where everyone or almost everyone is Mormon. On the other hand, I want to live in a community where there are lots of Mormons but most of the people are not Mormons. Get it? Not too many and not too few. It was nice living in a community where most everyone knew who Mormons were and what they believed but were not members themselves. I once read that Mormons make up about 13% of the county, that sounds about right.

20. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department: OK, this is less about Metro and more about Texas police departments. I mean cops here live up to pretty much every negative stereotype about cops as possible including eating donuts, being overweight, and spending most of their days pulling people over for rolling through 4-way stops on an abandoned street. At least Metro spent most of their days doing real police work like nabbing prostitutes, harrasing the homeless, busting meth-heads, and chasing down unruly tourists.

So, will we ever head back to LV? We'd love to, particularly Paradise but the economy needs to improve, the housing market has to stabilize, and the right opportunity has to present itself. But I would return to my adopted home in a flash if the possibility was there. What about those that have left LV? Do you miss it or are you happy to be free of southern Nevada's scalding grip?