We Extended Our Trip and Made it Home Alive

 

This was our bonus day...well, kinda half day because we were originally scheduled to fly out in the afternoon.   Still, we had a whole day to play around with, so we decided to go down further south on the strip and visit New York, New York as well as some of the fun themed stores across from them.  But first...breakfast at Tom's Urban.  I appear to be a French toast addict.

Honestly, we headed here because the crispy chicken and cornbread pancake looked interesting, but I so rarely get  French toast made with challah bread.  I really didn't need all of that maple syrup because that salted caramel glaze was sweet enough.  Yummy!

New York New York is also the home of Hershey's Chocolate World, Las Vegas.  However, those of us living in the Mid-Atlantic are doomed to disappointment.  This is *not* the Chocolate World of my childhood.  

It is bright and shiny and flashy...very Vegas.  However, it is a store.  Those of you who are familiar with Chocolate World in Hershey, PA...this is very much the shopping experience after the tour, but without the food court.  And without the giant cases of Twizzlers for sale...and the option to buy custom chocolates (made with custom molds from Life of the Party candy molds...the company my parents founded).

However, the chocolate Statue of Liberty was new (there was a Twizzlers one too that was actually kind of scary...with a bite taken out of it).

Of course, there was also a Lady Liberty as part of the whole hotel/casino complex...wearing a mask.

There is a mini squashed together skyline of New York City that comprises the hotel, which is kinda cool. 

However, it's really weird to see the Chrysler Building being taller than the Empire State Building...just sayin'.

We then crossed over The Strip and did some shopping...Marshalls, DSW, Ross, Target (a teeny tiny Target) as well as the M&M store and the Coke store (where I got a root beer float!!).  By then, we were tired again, so we sat in the sun to catch the Deuce (which was, surprisingly, running on time).  When we got back to the hotel, we devoured the pool snacks of cheese, crackers, and pretzels, while imbibing more room hard seltzer. 

The plan for our new last night was to visit Freemont Street, which is the original Strip in downtown Las Vegas (the shiny, new strip is in Paradise).  We hopped back on the Deuce and went North to downtown.  From the stop, it was a short ride to insanity.

Not only was it incredibly bright, due to a large LED canopy that scrolled bright scenes and advertisements, it was LOUD.  The music being pumped onto the street was fighting with the street performers.  

The canopy also fought with the lights on the old casinos.  I think it would have been more interesting to see without the sensory overload.

I remember the Golden Nugget from Atlantic City...the first casino I ever gambled in.  Um...legally...sure.    Why they needed more lights is beyond my comprehension.   On top of that, you can zipline under the canopy from one end of the street to another courtesy of Slotzilla.

It was too much for both of us.  We found the closest Uber pickup point and made use of the $20 credit I had as a new user courtesy of our hotel.  Only paid for the tip.   We grabbed dinner in our casino at Cafe Americano, which was ok.   I had a "macaroni and cheese with chicken" which was really chicken alfredo with macaroni noodles with some sundried tomatoes and spinach.  Not bad, but nothing to write home about.  

It was late, and we had to get up early the next morning, so off to bed. 

We got up early and made it to the airport without incident.  First class seats are nice.

We made it to Dallas, where we had a long layover.  We got to our terminal and found there wasn't really anything exciting shopping wise.  We ended up having beers and burgers at the Flying Saucer, where I was very excited to see they had turkey burgers on the menu (which were tasty). 

After many flight delays caused by horrible weather, we took off and got home safely.  There were some lovely clouds in the sky that day....

UPDATE:  I've created a Google photo album with more photos of the trip.  It's a bit out of order right now.  Maybe I'll get in there and change the file names so that they display properly...but don't hold your breath.  Until then...Enjoy!

My birthday is on 4/20

Yes, this post is dated a couple of days after my birthday.  I'm a little out of practice and I really wasn't going to put pressure on myself to post every day as I really wanted this to be a relaxing trip.  Especially my birthday, which I had planned to be a totally laid-back day at the pool.  I had decided to invest a bit of money in an "experience" and rented a poolside cabana at the hotel pool.  I got myself a caftan, a big brimmed hat, and a good pair of shades.  I was going to pretend to be bougie.

Pool opened at 9, so there was no big rush to get there.  Got up late, threw on my suit, sunscreened up, and tossed my stuff in a tote bag.  I plopped on my flip-flops and my hat, grabbed my ticket (you reserved these things online like you were buying concert tickets).  I got there early enough to grab the shadiest cabana, right next to the Eifel Tower and waited for Christi. 

We hung out for a bit and decided that we wanted more breakfast than the poolside menu could provide so we drew the curtains on the cabana, and we headed into Hexx Kitchen and Bar, one of the restaurants in our hotel.  I was a vision in my tie-dye caftan and sun hat. 

The French toast with seasonal berries was yummy. Got a scrambled egg on the side and tried the sparkling sangria.   OMG...it was amazing.  Highly recommended. 

We headed back to the pool, where we settled into our Eifel Tower view cabana.  

We didn't get that close to the actual Eifel Tower back on our trip to the real Paris back in 2019, but I can't imagine it was this pretty.  We took a dip in the pool and just hung out for most of the day.  I was waiting for my friend SUe to arrive (capitalization intentional) and, unbeknownst to me, Christi was trying to arrange festivities.  Well, at first, it was deliveries of snacks and medical supplies (she had gotten blisters on her feet from all of the walking) which got cancelled on her a couple of times.  

However, the part stressing her out the most was her attempt to get me a birthday cake.  I had mentioned that I had been thinking of ordering myself a strawberry shortcake that I had found in a bakery search online.  They made small cakes that served 4 people, but I ended up not following through.  However Christi was trying to get Uber Eats to deliver one to her at the hotel.  

I forgot to mention that we had decided to order a pitcher of mimosas after our dip in the pool.  I was getting pretty drunk when Christi disappeared for a bit.  I know I was drunk because she told me she was going to leave the pool and be back in a bit...but I don't remember that.  I do remember wondering where she had gone for so long and texting her only to get a short "I'll be back soon" response.  

She came back empty handed and we decided to order some sandwiches because I *clearly* was in need of food.  That's when she told me she had been trying to get a cake delivered but the driver never showed up even though it showed that her food had been delivered.  She did get a full refund but....no cake. 

My family has a history of cake issues in Las Vegas.  My sister got married there and my mom went to be there (this is my baby sister) and she wanted to get a cake for them.  No matter where she tried, she could not find a cake.  She ended up calling someone who made coffee cakes who had one fresh out of the oven and could deliver.  My sister's wedding cake was a cinnamon pecan coffee cake (although Mom said it was really delicious).

Anyway, SUe had something going on earlier in the day that ended up taking longer than planned, so she didn't get to the hotel until a bit after 4 and got lost finding the pool.  It was really nice to see her and we did get to talk for a bit.  Pool closed at 5 and she came up for a little while to talk until she turned blue from our AC preferences (Christi and I are both hot blooded post-menopausal women).   I walked her down to the parking garage and we said goodbye. 

Christi finally got our poolside snacks and medical supplies...

We showered and got dressed and headed out.  I was soon to learn that we were still in pursuit of strawberry shortcake and there was a Milk Bar  at the Cosmopolitan.  In case you were unaware, the Cosmopolitan's claim to fame is their 3 story chandelier, which encompasses 3 separate lounges.  It's pretty fantastic.  

We didn't stop and drink at any of the lounges as our quest was actually cake, but it was fun to look at it 

Another view where you can see inside a bit.

We got my cake, which ended up being dinner.  It was an interesting take on strawberry shortcake as it didn't have fresh strawberries, but was layered with strawberry jam.  It was still tasty, the cake was flavorful and moist...but I had to eat it in shifts. 

We sat to eat our goodies in a little Alice in Wonderland themed area called "Down the Rabbit Hole" where we were observed by the hookah smoking caterpillar. 

Our hotel looked pretty at night!  We headed back, had a drink (we had bought some hard seltzer for our room fridge) and I finished my dinner/cake.  

Plans for the next day were pretty fluid.  We bought a bus pass for the Deuce, the line that runs up and down the strip.  Not very socially distant, but we were not used to all of the walking.  We ended up the little area between The Flamingo and The Linq near the High Roller ferris wheel. 

We put ourselves on a couple of waiting lists for brunch and ended up at Maxie's.  I was originally attracted to the multiple choices of avocado toast...but got so excited to see both turkey sausage and turkey bacon on the menu that I ordered a waffle stack...that I, of course, could not quite finish.  But it was goooooooooooooood.

Christi highly recommended The Venetian as a cool place to see, so we headed a bit north.  We intended to hop on The Deuce, but it was not running on time at all and we got impatient.  So up we walked.  It was a gorgeous day. 

The really cool thing about The Venetian is the indoor canal and the gondolas that you can ride up and down the mall area.  There are a couple of spots where you are serenaded by musicians.  

There is also a pretty fountain.  I needed at least one selfie and thought this would be a good place. 

We eventually crossed the street to Caesars and found a little bar right inside one of the doors.  It's a part of the restaurant True Food Kitchen  and has some really interesting drinks on the menu.  I got the really cool looking (and very delightful) craft cocktail called The Monarch.

 It's basically a gin and tonic with a shot of gorgeously purple elderflower.  Very refreshing!  We then visited The Forum to gawk at all of the high dollar shops.  Fendi and Gucci and Versace, oh my!  Nothing was purchased, but we needed another break...and another cocktail apparently.  We headed toward the casino and found the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden .   Honestly, never watched Vanderpump Rules, but it looked really pretty and unusual from outside, so we decided to go in. 

It was equally lush and gorgeous inside.  We had drinks.  I had a Veni Vidi Lychee because I adore lychees and I think Christi had a sangria (pink).  Both of us were happy with our choices.  We were also a bit peckish, so thought we'd get a snack.  There was a hummus board that looked interesting...

Not only was it interesting, but beautiful.  It also hit the spot.  We had a late dinner reservation for my birthday celebration (the place I decided on was not open Mondays) so we needed something light.

While out and about, Christi got a notification from the hotel with an offer of a free night's stay.  She took the opportunity of our relaxing with cocktails to explore changing our flight.  She ended up cancelling with our original airline and booking us back on American with her points for first class (oh boy!).  However, unbeknownst to her the free room offer was limited to the first few who took advantage of it, so we did book another night, but not free.  

Be aware that if you get a similar offer, you need to take the free night first, THEN arrange flights.  We know better now!

We got back to the hotel and got ready for dinner.  When I say got ready, I mean we *got ready*.  I brought my little black dress, pearls, and heels.  Yeah, I went with the backup plan for the heels because I knew that I'd likely need a backup plan.  Otherwise, I put on actual makeup and used hairspray!  The pearls did make an appearance as well is my new Coach bag.  I even had a black velvet mask with rhinestones and pearls.  I was dressed like a grown up. 

Our reservations were for the Mayfair Supper Club at the Bellagio, right across the street...so we walked.  We got there only a teeny bit early and got seated pretty quickly.  We were given a choice of fountain view or stage view.  I'm glad I went with stage view. 

This place is pretty expensive, but when you consider you get a full floor show along with your very good meal, it's not that horrible.  Our appetizers were delicious (I recommend the scallops, but the Tomato salad was very flavorful and visually appealing as well). Our main dish of the grilled black bass was amazing and perfectly complimented by the green beans amandine which was drenched in butter. 

The performers were very good and I was very entertained.  There were some surprises...like dancers dangling from the ceiling on hoops and bars doing gymnastic type stunts, but there was also light comedy and great jazz.  A really good and entertaining mix. 

Even if we didn't get fountain view, the Bellagio fountains would make themselves known outside of the large windows separating us from the outdoor seating area.  So, I didn't miss anything really. 

The food was awesome and we were stuffed, so opted out of desert.  However, they did hear that it was my birthday (we mentioned it while figuring out inside or outside) so a surprise arrived...

It kind of looked like a candy apple, right?  well the outside shell was similar, but it was actually more of a giant chocolate truffle.  It was a white chocolate shell, with milk and white chocolate mousse inside, enrobed by a very think candy apple shell.  It was small and just perfect.  I still have that "Happy Birthday" sign, which is actually black glitter.  Pretty!!

So, we paid our bill and sat around for one last song because *that hat!*  

We took the long walk back as we were pretty tired at this point and Christi's shoes were starting to really hurt.  She did go with her (low) heels, but she had those blisters to deal with.  Still, it was a lovely walk past the fountains. 

Las Vegas, the other city that never sleeps.  It sure is pretty at night. 

At this point, we were pretty happy that we didn't have to start to pack up.   So, we took the opportunity to have another room drink and went to sleep.  

Back at it...Kind of

So, I am traveling again.  Nothing as adventurous as usual, but I got on an airplane for the first time in over a year (since November 2019 to be exact) and went on another birthday adventure.  It's been a bit of a long road.

My job has been stressful for more than a few reasons.  First, I work in the travel industry...enough said. I have also been working from home for the last 13+ months too, so work is always here and in my house.  

Christie, my bestie, who has made an appearance in a few of my posts, was determined for us to get back out on the road...plane...boat...as soon as possible.  Her superhuman determination got us in to get vaccinated early on.  So, yes, I am fully vaccinated.  As soon as that shit kicked in, we were booking trips.  Oh yeah, she bought an RV...so that may make an appearance here eventually as well.

I knew it was too early to do Europe for my birthday, so I thought I'd do something easy.  Very touristy and somewhere I've never been but wanted to go.  I settled on Las Vegas.  Due to covid...it's Vegas lite.

So, there are no big shows right now and I'm not much of a gambler.  I have an old friend who lives there, so there was the chance to reconnect with her but I was looking just to get away for a bit, not to run myself ragged doing a lot of planned activities.   I booked a cabana by the pool for my actual birthday, Christie made dinner reservations, and booked three hotels so that I could have a choice. 

First choice was The Mirage with a volcano view, which would have been cool, second was The Luxor because I thought it would be cool to stay in the pyramid (I'm a huge fan of Egyptology), or Paris with an Eifel Tower view.   I decided on Paris because of the central location and the view.

Flight was direct with our friends at Southwest.  We did book flights at the butt-crack of dawn, so I was up at 5am and on the road to the airport.  Right before landing, we had some really interesting scenery...I think of the Grand Canyon.

Early flight flying west means we got in really early, got a Lyft, and were at the hotel too early for our early check-in.  So, we dropped off bags and had breakfast. 

After we were done stuffing our faces with second breakfast (we got tacos in Austin airport...as one always should) we were able to check in.  Dumped our stuff, and headed out to explore.  We poked our heads into the casino, the Miracle Mile Mall, and wandered around to acclimate ourselves.  

We went deep into the Miracle Mile Mall and got trapped by an offer of a free CBD gummy. Once trapped, we were given samples of a CBD salve for our aching backs (we're both old, OK?) that turned us into greasy handed monsters.  I had oil spots on my shirt and on the front of my pants from trying to wipe it off of my hands.   

Then, we got samples of their wrinkle-eradicating undereye cream.  That was the BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE.  It was like having super thick crusty egg whites drying on your skin.  It formed a thick, dry shell under my eyes that took forever for me to remove and caused some serious damage to that delicate area.  I had a red spot that wouldn't go away for days.  

All the unaccustomed to walking hurt our feet. so we got expensive pedicures (Christi got a mani too).  I opted for the paraffin, which made my arthritic foot happy. 

So first pedicure in over a year!  Then, it was dinnertime!

I forgot to take a picture of the shrimp tacos...they were delicious! Back to the room and found that, since our room faced the strip, bright yellow lights shone right in the window.  Made it really hard to capture the great view.

There is a bit of a glare from the lights, but you can see we got a good view of the pool, Eifel Tower, and the fountain at the Bellagio across the street. 

The next day (yes, I'm combining things here) was a shopping day at the North Outlets.  There are two outlet malls, both run by the same outlet mall chain.  One on the north side of the city, one on the south.  Our Uber driver to the mall was the best one we had the whole trip.  He was from Boston (no mistaking *that* accent), drove like he was from the East Coast, and yelled at other drivers.  "People out here have no idea how to merge...they're all on their damn phones!"

We mostly went purse and shoe shopping.  No shoes, but I got a little black Coach purse and found out that I got a birthday discount...YAY me!   

Then we hit the Disney Outlet.  Oh boy...we went a bit nuts!  Apparently, with Disneyland being closed most of last year, there is a lot of good park merchandise that went unsold.  It's all in the outlets.  I've been eyeing Haunted Mansion leggings for awhile now, but didn't want to drop 40 bucks for them.  They had them for 15 dollars, so I snagged 2 pair.  Plus a matching t-shirt.  And a pair of park themed leggings and a matching shirt.  Oh, and an Alice in Wonderland themed shirt...and 2 packs of 4 masks...and a thermal mug for 98 cents.  It was *dangerous* in there.  Hey, but I spent about half of what Christi did...so there is that.  Although, she didn't find a purse, so our total spent that day was close to the same. 

The Uber driver on the way back was not quite as entertaining.  He just asked if the AC was high enough for us and was pretty quiet the rest of the way.  Until we got to our hotel.  Apparently, the entrance to Paris is a magnet for idiot pedestrians.  This would be the first time we saw a pedestrian stand still in front of a vehicle challenging it to run them over.  THAT got a reaction from our driver.  

The next day was to be slow, relaxing day...or so Christi thought.