CAC 2006

Every year, as the time grows nearer, I anticipate the trip to Las Vegas and the Cauliflower Alley Club gathering. It is as if I was going to a giant family reunion, and it is because it is my OTHER family.

I had gotten up at 5 a.m. and worked my usual day and then left my home for the Detroit Metro Airport some 60 miles away. I had chosen Detroit instead of the much closer Toledo airport because of the huge difference in fares to Las Vegas.

At 7:30, I was airborne to Denver on the first leg of the flight. We arrived in the mile high city at roughly 8:40, and I quickly exited one plane and, about an hour later, was loaded onto the connecting flight to McCarran International Airport that serves Las Vegas. It was the first time that I had used Frontier as a carrier, but I was delighted with the costs they help hold down.

The flight had no frills, as it was only an hour and twenty minutes long. We were in a rain pattern over much of Utah, and that kept most of us in our seats with the buckles in place. I amused myself with my laptop, getting in some much-needed writing time on a special project I have been doing.

By the time I had gotten my luggage, it was 11 p.m. Nevada time. I had been up for 21 hours at that point. I exited the main terminal and was met by Rhonda and Rita Orton to go to the Orton compound about 10 minutes away. Rhonda had just finished singing at a fundraiser for a local charity. She has a marvelous voice and loves a lot of the oldies sounds that make up most of my collection on the computer.

Arriving at the compound, I was met by Barry and led to one of the special bedrooms they have set aside for guests that come to see Bob Orton Sr. Bob has a separate villa that is adjacent to the main compound that sits on nearly five acres of land near the north-south expressway.

I checked some emails and retired to bed, as I was very tired from the long day and the travel. The room was done up in Beachwood trim with chrome accents that were very appealing to the eye. Rhonda, Bob's daughter, had made sure that everything was in place for my visit.

Wednesday morning, I rose and had a super breakfast of fresh fruits and cereal, along with French bread and pure Tupelo honey brought in from a favorite farm in Missouri that was near where Bob used to live.

At 9:30, we went and got Bob Sr. for the trip to Mt. Charleston and the ski area, roughly 45 miles from Las Vegas to the north and west. Rhonda is a super driver, and, under the watchful eyes of Bob Sr., we were at the lodge, which serves the best meals on the mountain, in about an hour.

The lodge is like an A-frame with walls on it. The mural on the inner walls was done in 1977 and depicts local wildlife like mountain lions. The middle of the dining area has a huge fireplace with a red chimney to carry the smoke out. I have eaten in a lot of places, but this had to have been the best experience thus far.

I chose the Buffalo burger from the menu, while Rhonda and Bob decided on the Elk, along with a huge salad and soup of the day. As I looked out of the glass enclosed dining area, I was treated to some of the most awesome sights of natural granite mountains that I had ever seen.

One can only imagine the quiet and solitude that the area displays for its visitors. It is no wonder why the trip to Mt. Charleston is one of the most requested by Grey Line tours in Las Vegas. It ranks right up with Grand Canyon, Arizona and Hoover Dam for tourism.

Leaving the lodge, Bob decided to take me on one more outing. We were at 7700 feet up at the lodge, and we ventured to the ski area, where it took us up another 1000 feet. Those majestic mountains leave you with memories that can't be duplicated anywhere else in the United States.

About halfway to the road that would take us to the ski area, I looked out the side window of Rhonda's van, and there was a black bear with her cub, foraging on some vegetation at the side of the road. It makes you wonder just how close to nature that you are.

The road to the ski area had many areas that did not have a guardrail on the edge of the road, and some had dropoffs hundreds of feet down. There is not much traffic on this road in the summertime, and I was thankful for that.

Stopping at the edge of the ski lifts, I was just in awe of the size of the mountains as they went to some 10,000 feet up. It was June, and the temperature in Las Vegas was almost 100 degrees, but high in these mountains was snow capping some of the area where skiers enjoy their recreation.

Returning to Las Vegas on Highway 95, we encountered some construction in the north end of the valley. Las Vegas gets about 5000 new residents every month, and there is a constant demand for housing and the rest of the things that go along with it.

I spent the rest of the evening relaxing in Bob's family room, watching shows on a huge wide-screen TV something like the Titantron on Monday Night Raw. Barry Orton has added a lot of the electronic marvels to the main home and has his own recording studio within the compound, where he is now producing movies.

Thursday morning, we joined Bob once again and went to the Plaza Hotel for breakfast and also for me to get checked in for the CAC. Rhonda rented a cart for Bob to ride in, as he is having some problems with his one hip. He will celebrate another birthday on July 21, and I certainly hope that he will live many more.

After breakfast was done, Bob, Rita, Rhonda and I went to the CAC area on the third floor and began a beautiful day with our friends from all over this world. Bob was the center of attraction, and he was the focal point of the room for some time.

To be continued…

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