True Stories That Inspired The Vegas Book

How did we come up with a lot of the material for the Vegas puzzle book?  Well, most of it is based on true stories and experiences.  Below are some of them: 

• We love horseback riding at “Cowboy Trail Rides”. My wife, Liz, and I have been there 3 times so far.  We bring someone new there each time.  The Red Rock Canyon is in the background as you ride through the desert.  It’s amazing!  Btw….they did give me this humongous horse named “King” that I had to ride.  I request him now!!  Oh yea, they have a platform with stairs to help you get on your horse.  I’m not saying I needed it, but my horse was enormous.

My horse “King”

• Red Rock Canyon is definitely something to see. It looks like you are on another planet. We always take someone there to experience it, and never once did I think about biking it!

A giant canyon and one photobomber

• The Mountain Springs Saloon was such a gem of a find.  Liz and I had just left Red Rock Canyon and went to explore Pahrump, NV.  We drove over a mountain and saw a tiny sign for Worlds Greatest Saloon.  The rest is history.  We love, love, love this place.  Also, Liz has beaten me every time we play shuffleboard there. She does hold the championship title.

At the Mountain Springs Saloon having cocktails

• The “O” watershow and the Beatles “Love” show are 2 of the best shows in Vegas. Followed closely by the Micheal Jackson and Mystere Cirque Du Soleil shows.  We have not seen a bad Cirque Du Soleil show yet.

• We did get fleeced by people wanting you to take a picture with them.  Be careful. Although I do have a picture of me with “Smokey” and the “Bandit” that I got down on Fremont St.  I love it and it only cost me $5 bucks.

Finally one of the crew

• Years ago, we did do a 3 minute Helicopter tour over Lake Mead for $19.99 per person.  You had to step on a scale.  Liz got to ride up front as the co-pilot and I got stuck in the back in between 2 skinny dudes.

• One time we parked on the 5th floor at the Hoover Dam parking garage.  I was wearing a walking boot from Achilles heel surgery. The elevators were the slowest and there was a huge crowd waiting for them .  We decided to take the stairs.  It was 94 degrees and yes, I did complain on every flight of stairs.

My XXL boot

• On our last trip to Vegas, we discovered the Eldorado gold mine.  Another great find!!  We had so much fun and it was super interesting.  I really did ask so many questions that the tour lasted an extra 45 minutes. I still want to be a tour guide there!

• One year, we brought our kids to Vegas and we stopped at Hooters for chicken wings.  We ordered too many and had about 20 left (and still warm).  I decided to give them to the valet guys at our hotel.  They went absolutely nuts! They kept our car right up front for the rest of our stay and treated us like royalty. They even remembered us a year later.

• Liz’s sister turned 50 this past February and we went to Vegas to celebrate. We rented a 4 person UTV from Rocky River Adventures. It was so much fun, but cold at that time of year.  The Narrow’s is definitely something to experience for yourself someday.  The “Bra Tree” is real!

The UTV we rented from Rocky River Adventures

• We love Oatman, it’s like stepping back in time.  Wild donkeys roam all over the town.  My father was the one who actually got bit by the donkey.  He had a bag of kettle corn hanging from his back pocket.  What a dope!  He hollered at that donkey for a solid 10 minutes.  The donkey looked remorseful until he took a big dump and walked away…my father continued to yell at him.

• Laughlin is the opposite of Vegas.  It is peaceful and serene. It’s right on the Colorado River and the water taxis are a cool way of traveling around.  You need to see it at least once.  In fact, the 1st time we met Allie’s son was in Laughlin. She drove from Utah to meet us.  Uncle Bri got him his 1st McNugget against her wishes and 15 years later, he is still hooked.

Liam’s first chicken nugget

•  Oh man!!!  This one hurts my pride.  On one trip, Liz and I left Laughlin to drive back to Vegas.  She asked if we had enough gas.  “Of course we do”!  Nope!, while  driving up the mountain I knew we were in trouble.  I started coasting down every hill to save gas.  We didn’t have cell service and my wife was fuming mad.  By the grace of God, the car stalled as I coasted into the only gas station around for miles. Their gas prices were so high, that I only put in 5 gallons.  She still hasn’t forgot it.

The mustang we rented one year

•  I did do the zipline on Fremont St. and I was concerned about the weight restrictions.  When we brought our kids, they did it as well (we used coupons). They loved it and we have great pictures of them.

Zipline over Fremont Steet

• The gondola ride was a total fabrication.  My wife has always wanted to do it, but I always squashed the idea.  I know….booo!!  When she was editing the book, she chewed me out for even pretending to take her on it.  Next time in Vegas I will have to spend the money and just do it.  Btw….in hindsight, I shouldn’t have put it in the book, but I loved the thought of the husband getting in trouble for singing along with the gondolier.  So technically, I got in trouble for trying to make you laugh.  I hope you’re happy!

Never miss an opportunity to light fireworks in the desert