Foxfire & Freeways: Bright Lights, Bowling & Bug Takes on Vegas 🎰🦊

Las Vegas was definitely a change of scenery after all those red rocks, canyons and wide-open desert.

Suddenly there were bright lights, colorful characters and something happening pretty much everywhere you looked. 😂

We stayed at the Las Vegas KOA, and right next door was this massive hotel and casino called Sam’s Town. So naturally, one of our first Vegas adventures became…

Late-night family bowling. 🎳

Bug obviously isn’t quite ready to bowl on his own yet—he isn’t even walking yet—but I still wanted him to feel like he was part of it.

I’d let him put his hands on the bowling ball, then I’d roll it down the lane for him. Whenever “his” ball knocked down some pins, we’d cheer for him like he’d just bowled a strike.

He LOVED it. 😂

Although I think he may have enjoyed all the attention he was getting from the people bowling next to us just as much.

After bowling, we headed upstairs in search of some late-night grub and found an authentic Mexican restaurant.

Bug absolutely tore into some refried beans and cheese, while Mama and Papa went straight for breakfast burritos.

And anybody who knows me knows I’m a sucker for a good breakfast burrito—especially when there are potatoes involved. 😂

The next day we met up with a couple of friends for a late lunch, got to sit around and catch up for a while, then headed back for a much-needed nap before round two of Vegas.

That evening…

Fremont Street.

Now THAT was an experience. 😂

Lights everywhere. Music. People. Street performers. Shops. And all kinds of colorful characters around every corner.

There were even a few people dressed as giant inflatable gorillas.

Bug was NOT impressed.

They were huge.

They were weird.

And apparently, according to Bug, they were absolutely not to be trusted. 😂🦍

Eventually we worked up an appetite again and decided it was time for me to finally see what all the fuss was about with White Castle.

Movies and TV have spent years making these little burgers seem like something people would cross state lines for.

My verdict?

They’re… okay. 😂

Apparently they’re supposed to leave you craving more.

I beg to differ.

I’m glad I finally tried them, but I don’t foresee myself waking up in the middle of the night screaming, “I NEED A WHITE CASTLE BURGER!” anytime soon.

We wandered through a few shops afterward and picked up some Vegas souvenirs—T-shirts, keychains and a few little things to remember our stop before eventually calling it a night.

And just like that, our little taste of Vegas was coming to an end.

We didn’t need some huge, extravagant Vegas experience.

We bowled with our little boy.

We ate good food.

We caught up with friends.

We wandered Fremont Street.

We laughed at giant gorillas terrifying Bug.

And we finally learned that White Castle may have had one of the greatest movie marketing campaigns of all time. 😂

Another city experienced our way.

Now we’re trading the neon lights of Vegas for something completely different…

Grover Beach, California. 🌊

Another festival weekend is calling, and we’re back to chasing miles.