Las Vegas 2022 (2/5) – Framily

People usually associate Las Vegas with shows, parties, gambling, etc.. Somehow, though, we managed to turn this spring break into a big reunion with friends and family.

Hong’s Parents

First to sign up to this idea was Hong’s parents. They lived all the way in New Jersey but were fond of Vegas. Also, similar to our struggle with hotel free night certs, they had timeshare units to burn. We arranged to meet up, and it was nice hanging out with them.

Conveniently, we had been helping them with some technology upgrades that were rather challenging to do remotely: new cell phones, switching cell phone carriers, and setting up a smart watch for Dad. Meeting up in person made it possible to take care of these things, and it gave us peace of mind that they finally had these things squared away. It didn’t hurt either that the T-Mobile store on the Strip was quite nice.

Aunt 2

Aunt Dora (my dad’s second sister) and Uncle Tawei had moved from the Bay Area to Las Vegas a few years ago, so we called them up as soon as the trip planning got under way. We loved hanging out with them because they were avid travelers, passionate foodies, and among the coolest people of our parents’ generation.

Uncle Tawei was super kind. He shuttled us from the airport to the hotel, and a few days later helped us move from Mandalay to Waldorf. We could have just taken a taxi but he was so generous. We got to visit their house, which was in a retirement community larger than some cities. We also had a couple meals with them… and for the record, nobody wins against Uncle in fighting for the check.

Continuing with that generosity, Aunt Dora prepared Costco-portioned fruits and gallons of bottled water for us to take to the hotel. We needed vitamins and fiber, she insisted. Can’t say it really crossed my mind before, but diets on vacation do tend to be low on the healthier ingredients. It wasn’t easy to eat whole fruits in a hotel room? She thought of that too and bagged a bunch of disposable plates, bowls, utensils, and napkins for us. We ate the grapes, strawberries, and oranges over the next several days. It was so sweet of her.

Cousins

Aunt and Uncle had two sons. Cousin Eric and his wife Sally had a daughter named Chloe. Chloe went to a middle school in Ohio, which had the same spring break as our girls. They decided to visit the grandparents, coincidentally, so we were able to meet up.

With his older brother returning from the East Coast, Cousin Steven and his girlfriend Iris also decided to visit the parents. They drove up from LA and stayed on the Strip.

With distance and age barriers, I wasn’t close to these cousins growing up. It was therefore really good being able to spend some quality time with them.

The Cheng Family

The two generations of Cheng family had been long-term friends and neighbors to Hong’s family growing up in New Jersey. Like my Aunt and Uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Cheng retired and relocated to a suburb outside Vegas.

We visited them (and their cute dog) at home. The next day, they treated us to dinner at Mott 32, a fancy Chinese restaurant in the Venetian. They embodied the Taiwanese-styled hospitality and friendliness, and were huge foodies, too. As such, even though I didn’t know them well, it was fun spending time with them.

Las Vegas 2022:

1. Our First Post-Pandemic Vacation
2. Framily
3. Hotels
4. Food
5. Shows