From Vermont to Vegas

I’ve been to several states and there is still so much to explore. America has it all! I love the glitz and glamour of California and Americana of industrial states like Ohio and New Jersey, and farming states like Iowa and Kentucky. We have hula, Aleutians, Creole and Cajun, International Districts, NASA, and Yellowstone. We have Cherokee and Sioux, jazz, salsa, Boeing, and Disneyland. If you want revolutionary history visit Atlanta, Georgia or any one of the New England states like Massachusetts or Vermont.

Many years ago I traveled from Pennsylvania through New York and through farming communities in Vermont where mom-and-pop stores scattered alongside the main freeway sold homemade jams, quilts, and baskets. This part of America had a country feel taking me backwards in time compared to the bustling states we passed through. The people there had a “wicked” accent. I say that because youngsters of Vermont consider things “wicked” cool, and “wicked” wild. The “wickedness” ran straight through to New Hampshire (our final destination, actually), to visit some friends. But let’s go back to Vermont… The first time I stayed at a Bed & Breakfast was in Vermont. The name of the place escapes my memory because it had been years since I’ve been to the northeastern-most tip of the United States. At the Bed & Breakfast, I remember the aroma of fresh baked bread. It is a mouth-watering smell. The check-in counter had bakery items, nuts, and jarred goods like jams and pickled items. Another morning I woke to the smell of cookies baking. I have never tasted a cookie close to this scrumptious goodness ever again until a year ago at Oddfellow’s in Capital Hill, Seattle. I remember a museum in Vermont with Yankee-related nostalgia. We continued to New Hampshire to stay in a cabin with friends and then we took a route through Boston (another favorite spot of mine) and ended up in Connecticut. The trip was exciting, but if there’s anything I can remember most about that trek was the little Bed & Breakfast in Vermont with the delicious bread and cookies.

The polar opposite of Vermont is Las Vegas, Nevada. The Vegas Strip comes alive at night with sparkly things and sparkly people, giant video billboards, entire hotel walls with giant advertisements that span across the buildings and up 20-30 storeys! The city, indeed, never sleeps because the constant chiming of the slots and 24-hour goings on everywhere. The hotels are masterpieces of architecture, art, and fantastical themes hosting all kinds of shows from Blue Man Group to Cirque du Soleil series. Buffets are as plentiful as the bars. Be prepared to tip EVERYBODY and spend your money—I’m not talking about the casinos. So what can families do in the land of sin? Well, there are softball leagues and community events at several parks nearby, boating and water activities at Lake Mead, ATV off-roading in the dessert where you bounce off dunes (I encountered several harmless snakes there). IT SNOWS in the winter so you can go skiing at Mt. Charleston just 35 minutes away. The ski resorts are most popular with the locals instead of tourists. Being extremely new to skiing, I took bunny lessons with the kids but I ended up tubing downhill all day long—that was fun! Hotels also have waterparks and shows for children like Disney on Ice and The Lion King. They have the breathtaking Stratosphere for the daring—don’t do this drunk or hung over or without a diaper! Vegas is mostly a tourist town full of attractions. Be a smart Vegas tourist! Plan ahead and have a purpose like a show or community event or you’ll go broke.

If you want calm and laid back, go to Vermont; fast and wildly entertaining, go to Vegas. But believe it or not, you can spend almost the same amount of money in both places. You cannot resist the delicious homemade food, museums and tours of Vermont and you cannot resist the breathtaking shows of Las Vegas.