You live in the hearts and minds of the loving family you left behind (Unknown).
I didn’t have any problem finding the club House.
As soon as I entered the club house, I saw the same guy chatting to somebody else. Right away he walked towards me holding his hand in the air to shake my hands and said cannot stay away, can you?
I said good afternoon to you, too, sir.
He said my name’s David and yours?
I told him my name and told him that my wife’s name was Lynda.
David said it was my pleasure to make acquaintances, Mir.
David asked me if we made up our mind?
I said, yes, indeed we did and got the house.
David asked which house.?
I told him and David said that’s a very nice house and you two will be happy there. He continued, we don’t live too far from your house and if we can be of any help, please let us know.
I said, thanks for the offer. We are new and we could use any help you can give us.
He said one of you must be a social animal otherwise you wouldn’t buy a house here on this park.
I said, not me, my wife is indeed a social animal, she has been a part of the Sorority for a long time, and she’s known for organizing social activities.
David said, we need her here as a part of our social committee.
David asked when are we planning to move in?
I said a week from now.
David said the timing is good. We have a meeting scheduled in a couple of days to discuss the upcoming party to celebrate our Independence Day on July 4th. He continued – I serve on that committee, and I think it is an excellent idea for two of you to join us. What do you think?
For a minute, I didn’t know what to say. Finally, I said it sounds great, David but we are not going to move in until a week or so.
David said, don’t worry about that. You both come for the meeting and buzz us here at the clubhouse and I will let you in. In the meanwhile, I will tell everybody that you both are wonderful people.
I said how much that’s going to cost me?
David said for attending the meeting?
No, for lying to tell people that we are wonderful people.
David said, I thought you Canadians have no sense of humor.
I said, obviously, you don’t know anything about us Canadians. Yet, you folks claimed to be our cousins.
David said, we should continue this conversation some other time, but I take it that you both will be attending the meeting.
I said, yes, indeed, and thanks for inviting us.
I said I will just walk around one more time to check everything out before I go back to our place.
The time I got back, those two were almost ready. Lynda was very happy with the help that Judy provided, and she said Judy knows a nice place for the supper but before we do that, she would like us to go to the mall where we can visit stores for the furniture and grocery etc.
The main mall in Henderson called the Galleria at Sunset. It was located on The Sunset Avenue across from Sunset Station Hotel & Casino.
The Galleria at Sunset mall was open in 1996 in Henderson which was the third largest and fastest-growing city in Nevada. The airwaves, newsways and roadways were packed with advertisements and people heralding the opening of Henderson’s first and the valley’s fourth shopping mall.
The Galleria had opened its doors and 100-plus stores to the public in an area of the valley that just a few years ago was as unlikely a place for large-scale development as was the Maryland Parkway site in 1968.
It was easy to take for granted in 1996 the building of a multimillion-dollar regional mall in the southeast valley. Green Valley jump-started a record growth rate which had catapulted Henderson into the lead of Nevada cities which encourage and welcome good and responsible growth.
Included in the mall are bookstores, home stores and outlets specializing in electronics, clothing, sporting goods and groceries. Banks, restaurants and dry cleaners also have found homes nearby.
If my memory serves me correctly, there were the following major stores in the mall:
- Macey’s;
- Dillard’s;
- JC Penny; and
- Kohl’s.
When we got there, there was a huge parking area where hundreds of cars parked. Judy parked the Limousine away from all other cars and explained to us that once we go in and browse, Lynda also should consider going into Macy’s where she will find everything she will be looking for. She added as a matter of fact they have a specific section where they also provide a kind of “consulting” for customers free of charge.
Lynda liked that idea.
When we walked around praising the set up and attractions of the mall, we reached to Macy’s.
Judy helped us to go to the section she was familiar with and asked for somebody. As soon as the lady showed up, Judy introduced Lynda to her saying that they bought a home in Mountainview Manufactured Homes which needs all kind of help with the furnishings. Lynda said we are Canadians and come from Ottawa.
The lady said, no, you can possibly be a Canadian. You’re indeed English, more to the point, you’re a Cockney.
Lynda said it’s long time ago when I came to Canada and Canada is my home as well as my country.
She said my name’s Wendy and I will do almost anything to help you. Would you like to make an appointment.
Lynda and Wendy figured it out to have a meeting to discuss the plan and I thought that will be great.
Once we were done, Lynda asked Judy where she would like to go for a nice meal?
Judy said why don’t we go to Sunset Station Hotel & Casino which is only across from here. She continued – because I want you to see the beautiful casino where we would have so many choices to have dinner.
We were captivated as soon as we entered the casino. After walking around for a little while and looking at the list of restaurants, we decided to go for the buffet.
There was a huge hall with 760-seat buffet. The buffet, called the Feast Buffet, was a prominent feature of the property. It offered a variety of dishes, including classic comfort food, Asian stir-fried dishes, pasta, and made-to-order specialties.
We took our time and enjoyed the buffet and later we learned about the casino a lot.
The Sunset Station Hotel & Casino was opened on June 10, 1997 (Only a few days before we arrived in Las Vegas) as Henderson’s first hotel-casino resort. It was Station Casinos’ flagship property when it opened in 1997, a resort that easily could have been built on the Strip instead of in suburban Henderson.
Sunset Station includes a 163,951 sq ft (15,231.5 m2) casino, as well as 448 rooms in a 21-story tower. Standing 230 feet, it is the tallest building in Henderson. The hotel tower was renovated in 2016. The casino measured 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) upon opening, and included 2,800 slot machines, 40 table games, a 208-seat sportsbook, a poker room, and a keno lounge. In late 1998, the casino introduced health-conscious slot machines that incorporated stationary bikes and treadmills.
Sunset Station features a Spanish/Mediterranean theme. The interior was designed by Las Vegas-based Morris & Brown, which referred to architecture in Spanish cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Segovia, Seville, and Valencia. The work of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí prompted the Gaudi Bar at Sunset Station. The central feature of the 140-seat bar is a 6,000-square-foot (560 m2) stained glass ceiling composed of thousands of glass pieces and weighing 12 tons. The resort interior also includes sky painted ceilings inspired by The Forum Shops, a mall on the Las Vegas Strip. Exterior facades, resembling Spanish villages, were created by a Hollywood film set designer.
The property opened with various restaurants, including a 760-seat buffet. Gordon Biersch Brewing Company operated a restaurant and 11,000 sq ft (1,000 m2) microbrewery. However, the company ended its lease in March 1998, upon realizing that its premium alcohol did not appeal to the resort’s budget-minded clientele. The casino took over the space and reopened it as Sunset Brewing Co.
Upon its opening, Sunset Station included a video game arcade and child-care facility. A 13-screen Act III movie theater opened a year prior to the rest of the resort. The facility has since been taken over by Regal Cinemas. A $45 million resort expansion began in 1998, on the property’s south side. The project included construction of a parking garage, additional movie theater screens, new meeting space, and the Sonoma Cellar Steakhouse. More casino space was also added, for a total of 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2).
