Vice-presidential candidates' parents, in-laws bed down in Douglas

Vice-presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's parents rode in the Nevada Day Parade with Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki.

Palin's parents Chuck and Sally Heath and her in-laws, Jim and Faye Palin arrived at the Alpine View home of Harold and Beverly Willard on Friday evening.

The couples stayed the night with the Willards after making a few more campaign stops.

They've been in Nevada since Thursday, arriving in Las Vegas and making their way up to Reno.

Earlier in the day, they visited Fernley and Fallon.

"We've been treated like royalty," Sally Heath as she enjoyed the view from the Willards' balcony. "It's been so pleasant meeting such nice people. I loved the drive here. We got to meet so many hard-working all Americans."

Chuck Heath asked about the wildlife in the area.

"It's a beautiful area," he said.

Todd Palin's father, Jim, said the family was surprised when Sarah Palin was named the vice presidential pick.

"We had a trip scheduled," he said., "When we got back there were a lot of messages on the phone."

Nicknamed "Yukon" because he talked about going to Alaska while attending high school in Seattle, Jim Palin said his son and daughter-in-law have been dealing well with all the negative press.

"A lot of the things are not what they've been portrayed to be in the media," he said.