Las Vegas Beetle Mob Boss

 

Traveling onward, we soon came to the end of the day. It was dark and my daughter cannot drive at night. Neither can I, at least well enough for her to trust me driving further. She chose to pull off into a few of the hotels along the strip in Las Vegas. No, we did not reserve a room for the night ahead of time. This was an unforeseen product of life, as death of your mother typically is. 

Mom was 95 years of age, and while that should be your first clue, she just kept bouncing back through any medical issues she was going through. With that, it seems to settle in your brain that mom will be around forever. The night I got the call from my other daughter, I lost it. It didn't seem possible and yet deep down, this call was expected. If that makes sense. 

The trip was unplanned, but we were holding it all together fairly well. Our main issue was that we did not reserve rooms along the way. Well, that was one problem, I guess, is a more truthful way to put that. Parking lots were plenty. We had choices galore. As usual, the strip was lit up with lights, each casino and hotel calling our names. 

After a bit of searching for a good place to sleep for the night, all of the lights became one long string of where we could go. 

We finally spotted a smaller hotel called OYO. This felt like the place to be. It would become our temporary home for the night. My daughter Dawn got out of the car to go inside and make plans. I was staying with Bella and I thought Kylee. Kylee made a last-minute choice to get out of the van and join Dawn. I sat inside the van, with nothing to do besides check out the family group chat. I sent along some photos I had taken earlier so the family could be a part of our trip. 

My eyelids began to droop. It was late and the day of traveling had been long. Dawn must be exhausted, driving all those miles today. She wouldn't let me drive, feeling unsteady about anyone else driving. I let her be. As I sat texting to ensure the family knew where we were, I spotted some motion. 

Glancing over the top of my glasses, I saw Kylee. Or a blur of Kylee anyway. She was running faster than I ever thought possible. I kept watch over the top of my rims to figure out what was happening. Do I need to get out of the car? After she ran to the end of the parking lot, I looked back to see Dawn, pulling suitcases, and holding blankets, but making one hand available to wave at Kylee. "Bye Kylee. See ya later," is all I heard her shout, and she was laughing in between those moments of yelling toward her daughter. 

What the hell is going on? Is my family losing it? Too many miles in a day? I rolled down the window, and Dawn arrived at my window. She was still laughing. Good belly laughs to be exact. I asked what was happening and she informed me that some big beetle looking bug that flies had chased Kylee down the strip. It was flying right behind her for a while. When Kylee stopped running, the beetle flew around her and on down the strip. This had me laughing. 

Kylee returned to the van window, to join us in the laughter. She began to explain how big that beetle was and how it would not leave her alone. Oh, boy. This is going to be a trip. What are we in for? 

Once the commotion had calmed, we stepped out of the car to watch the sun set behind the trees. It was a gorgeous sight. But we had suitcases to get into the hotel, so off we went. Our dinner was calling our name. 

Bella immediately found her spot on her mom's bed. She was ready to get out of that car for a while as were we all. 

The entire reason we made a cut over to Las Vegas was to meet my sister, Ginger. Ginger flew into Las Vegas to help us drive further. This was confusing to me, as Dawn told me several times, she did not like other people driving. It made her feel out of control and unsafe. So, I guess maybe it's mom that makes her nervous behind the wheel?

I sent Ginger a text and we found out she was in a hotel room directly behind us. That would make the gathering for the morning very quick. We set a time to meet, as Ginger wanted to get on the road early to get some miles behind us. She's a truck driver by trade and that is the norm for her. 

As we sat in the hotel room, we decided we were all hungry. There was a fast-food restaurant in the lobby, so off we went. We grabbed burgers and fries and took them upstairs to our room. All of us seemed so tired that it was hard to stay upright to eat while relaxing on those comfortable beds. Once we ate, all three of us chose to lie down and watch TV on the set in the room. About three minutes in, we were all asleep. 

Ginger came to our room the following morning. We ate some breakfast quickly and took off for the car. Ginger sat in the driver seat and Dawn in the back. Off we went. It felt simpler, a bit easier with her in the driver's seat only because she knew the area. We got on the freeway, and the miles began to pile up. I sat back, chatting with my sister I had not seen in a few years, and simultaneously took photos of the beautiful landscape. 

For many miles we drove ... I recall two or three nights of being in hotels, fast food, and being flat out exhausted every night. Miles and miles went by, as did hours. After being on the road for about four days, we began to see things that made sense due to their familiarity. I was almost home ...

I was recognizing so much around me now. 

Nashville signs began to appear ... here we come family. 

And yes, I do believe Memphis could slow down there a little ...

***

I'm leaving this post here. Our next post is in Tennessee. 

Thank you so much for reading the blog. We appreciate you all. Sorry for the delay, but there has been so much going on that it's been difficult to find the time to put our memories in here, where they belong. I was almost to my family, yet I sure missed my home and family back in Oregon. My fur babies, Terry, and all of my kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. I'm so grateful for my family. 

Until our next post ... hugs to all of you and please take care.