The months left in Vegas are flying by, so we planned out the essential visits to fit in before our move. Top priority: taking advantage of our proximity to Matt's parents. We have loved living within a drive of them, and we will really miss being able to visit them so easily!
On President's Weekend, they drove down to spend time with us and explore some of our Bucket List items. John was getting a mean cold, but we still had a great time!
First adventure: Springs Preserve and Nevada State Museum
The Springs Preserve is a very interesting desert museum, with stunning architecture and a variety of exhibits. Our favorites were a flash flood demonstration exhibit and a live raptor show (with birds flying right over your head!). There was a "Desert parade" before the bird show, so John participated in his first parade!
He started out strong at the beginning, walking on the path, in sync with the group, shaking his tambourine. This didn't last long... he finished at his own pace after exploring anything interesting along the way.
Attached to the Springs Preserve is the State Museum, with displays on the different phases of history in Nevada. There are great prehistoric fossils and wildlife exhibits, in addition to interesting displays on the Mormons, Basques, mafia, Howard Hughes, and many other groups and individuals that contributed to the history of Vegas and Nevada.
Overall, great museum! Lots to see and explore.
Second adventure: Bodies Exhibit
The Bodies Exhibit is fascinating! We (note: major anatomy nerds) were enthralled by the meticulous displays and huge number of specimens. Especially fascinating to me were the pathology displays (a healthy kidney next to a kidney with stones, healthy lungs next to a cancerous set, healthy aorta next to aorta with atherosclerosis). It's not a huge museum, but it takes awhile to absorb all the detail. Glad we finally got to see this! Bodies has intrigued us since we moved here.
John did pretty well at the museums, despite feeling crummy. Nice ratio- four attentive, doting adults to one child!
We also enjoyed some delicious food: a fun new Tapas restaurant and our favorite new breakfast cafe, in addition to some fun meals at home. We had a great time relaxing at our house, enjoying their company and the fun gifts and ideas they brought with them (Matt's favorite stuffed dinosaurs, toy dinosaurs and cars, and glow-in-the-dark sticks to use in the bathtub). A full and fun weekend!
Third adventure: Mob Museum and Freemont Street
But the fun didn't stop there! Mom and Dad are currently on a Disney Cruise with Wade's family, so we get to see them as they drive down to LA and then back! This past Saturday, we went to our favorite Thai restaurant, the Mob Museum, and then Fremont Street. Such a great night! The Mob Museum is AWESOME. The displays are designed by the same film company that worked on the Spy Museum in DC, with great videos, interactive exhibits, and an enjoyable variety of media. I thought it was really interesting to learn about the origins of the mob, how opportunistic they were through Prohibition and the Depression, and how their influence was diminished. Highly recommend this museum! And it's right next to Fremont street, which has fun "concerts" on their crazy TV screen ceiling on the hour every hour at night.
It has been so fun to explore all the sights in Vegas, especially with Matt's parents joining us for the last few. We love seeing family and it is so nice living within a drive of parents!
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