What is Zzyzx?

As you go through life you gather experiences and memories that hopefully will last a lifetime. Certain smells, sights, songs and friends that as soon as you encounter them, you fill with joy.  We all have them.  They can be something like a traumatic experience that maybe brought you closer to someone, or the smell of saltwater that brings you back to childhood memories of playing on the beach with family and friends.  One of these for me is driving up the 15 freeway just past the city of Barstow and coming up on the exit sign to the city of Zzyzx.

Zzyzx?  What in the world is a Zzyzx?  Its probably a cool little town just before you pull into the city of Baker for a fill up on gas, or view the worlds largest thermometer, but it is much more than that.  To me it is a spark.  A spark that brings back a flood of emotions and memories every time I pass by.

For me the journey started a long time a go, back in my Disney days.  The countless state line trips with the crew after a long day of paddling around the island, then pulling a double on Fantasmic, then a quick turn around trip to state line for a few hands of blackjack.  At this point, that was over 25 years ago.  More than half my life has past since that time.  After that it was many a’ Boys trip with Tim, Jason and Jon for a quick weekend trip to Vegas.  Casino Royale or IP was the destination.  The ol’ Casino Royale theme song still runs through my head.  “Jackpot, is the name of the game,” still pops into my mind when I pass by.  And of course, LD’s. We’ll leave it at that.

As we all got older, priorities changed, and the road trips continued.  Though they were fewer and further between, the trips were still fun, and something I always looked forward to.  There were more bachelor parties as our friends all started getting married.  Even a few weddings and renewals happened in Vegas that we attended over the years.  We’ve helped parents pack up rocks and move to Vegas that are no longer with us.  Still great memories.  I’ve been to over 20 family reunions in Vegas with my wife’s family and love every trip.  As our family ages we have lost many loved ones and our reunion group gets smaller each year.  But that said, we have been adding to the family every year as well and future generations are now among us.

Most of our group are all grown up now with teenagers of their own.  Some have moved out of state, all have careers, but we all keep in touch and look back and laugh at the fun we’ve had.

I still get excited thinking about upcoming trips to Vegas, but the flood of memories all start with passing that exit sign containing 5 little letters, Zzyzx.  Where is Vanna when you need her?

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