We have been going to Las Vegas for decades and I have written about many of the trips and memories. Now-a-days we avoid the glitz of The Strip, because we are visiting our children and grandchildren. A week or more in Vegas is a unique experience, but it is easier because we stay in Summerlin, which is a distinct area of Las Vegas proper, created by Howard Hughes and it is still a living and growing entity.

On the plane, I passed on having a couple of glasses of wine and we decided to have some mixed drinks. I really think the Flight Attendant was trying to get me into the spirit of Vegas early. Traditionally I get one of those small plastic glasses with some ice, a miniature bottle of Bacardi Rum with the cap removed and a can of Coca Cola, but this time the bottle of rum was poured into the small glass with ice and then just a touch of cola. I was not expecting a drink like that, but they finally got me a chaser of cola, to slowly dilute the drink. That was quite a potent drink to have with the small nibbles that are now distributed on flights, I guess the airlines will be happy when the old dinosaurs like me are not around to remember the dinners that they used to serve.

After picking up our rental car, we decided to get some minor groceries for our room as there is always time for munchies in the room, because who needs to call for room service all the time. I went to a wine shop for an important purchase for the room, while my Bride got some basics at the market, of course the market that we usually go to was no longer near our hotel. The first bottle was Josh Cellars “Josh” Chardonnay 2015 by Joseph Carr. This winery was founded in 2007 and they dedicate themselves to raising money for volunteer firefighter organizations. This bottle carries the appellation of California, the fruit basically comes from Mendocino and Monterey, but their website also claims that the fruit is harvested from across the state. This wine was a bit flabby. The other wine had more butter or oak and was more enjoyable, but very little that I could find about the wine. The other wine was Press Run Sonoma County Chardonnay 2014 and I bought it, because my Bride is partial to Chardonnay wines from Sonoma County and it was already chilled. There will be plenty of wines to discuss during our visit with our children and grandchildren.