Honeymoon in Reno

Larry and I capped off our honeymoon segment in Oregon. We had one last barbecue with Larry's mom Joy, and the Repaskys: Larry's sister Dianna, her husband Tony and their son Joe.

The whole Repasky family was dreading Wednesday, when Joe had to go back to school. Dianna, because she's got to be the human alarm clock. Joe doesn't wake easily. Joe is a talented, budding writer and filmmaker, and he has a hard time shutting his mind off to go to sleep. Which is fine when you're 25 and you can make your own schedule. But as Joe's dad reminded him, Joe is STILL 15 years old.

Larry's mother Joy came for dinner. She treated me to loads of pictures of Larry; pics of him as a baby, school kid, teenager, ans posing as a missionary. I've got plenty of great shots for bragging, bribing and blackmailing. Joy gave us some great jewelry too. Larry has a diamond earring. Now he's got this sexy pirate look that's a bit distracting when I'm trying to write.

The next day we left and drove all day and hit Reno at around 9pm. Larry saw a Days Inn off the freeway. "Only $35 a night!" But I ssaw "Circus Circus" in neon blinking on a hi-rise in the distance. Larry crowed: "Only the best for my bride!"

Nothing says "honeymoon" like walking a casino floor on a Tuesday night. The cheap drinks, the Nicotine contact high, the retired ladies gambling their pensions away, one dollar-coin at a time. Starbucks are really popular in Casinos. I guess the caffeine keeps them gambling.

We got out of the casino and walked down the main drag, to take in the neon and the warm night air. The air afoul with the weekend trash. The desperate looking people going from pawn shop to casino. Whatever fun we thought we might have in the way of kitsch and camp quickly evaporated.

I hate gambling towns. The first time I drove through one we were on our way to Utah to ski. I was in 7th grade. I remember ladies playing slots at the supermarket; a bum stumbling in the winter morning light as if he'd been startled awake.

Well, we got back to Circus Circus, enjoyed the carnival games, took the monorail 50 yards from Circus Circus East Tower to Circus Circus West Tower (hey ... It saved us a walk through the Corridor of Slots). We got to our room and blogged. No wait, we didn't. Only one of us could log on at a time. Forget that.

We woke up early, drove an hour to Lake Tahoe, and have been enjoying a peaceful, relaxing day and evening on the South Shore. Where there is no gambling. We did drive a mile back across the Nevada State line for dinner and a view of the Lake.

I love the smell of California mountains. I grew up going to Bible camp and summer trips to Big Bear or Forest Falls and Idyllwild. Even a few trips to Tahoe. That smell of dry air and pine and salt water. Just the best.

It's back to Los Angeles and OUR home. Hopefully Larry and I will do a lot of traveling and blogging in the future. And so far he's the perfect traveling blogging companion. With benefits.