Maybe Someday…

For the last few years we have planned a post summer getaway. This year it was especially needed due to the crazy-bananas amount of gigs we would be playing during July and August.  We had a staff meeting (Mr. Jones, and I) and decided that New Orleans would be our destination. This was a pilgrimage of sorts because Jeff was indeed born in the Big Easy. He was a Navy brat, so he lived there from zero to two years before the family moved on. Never the less, I expected a plaque to have been erected somewhere in the city. The search continues.

I once again took the AirBnb route. I found a place right on historic Saint Charles Street, away from the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter, but accessible through the also historic Trolley line. It was a room located above a cool pizza joint!

Wanna Slice?

Our plan was to come in on a Saturday morning, but flight prices made it more economical to come in late Friday night. Dark pictures of our room to follow…

Clean, neat linens adorned the bed. There was a hint of bleach in the air.

Neatly folded towels.

Funky Artwork above an antique door turned to a desk.

Coffee Station.

A myriad of extras one might need.

More local art.

The bath was clean and equipped more amenities than any hotel.

Now that we were all settled in at our digs, we needed to find a bit of food. At this point it was well past eleven o’clock local time but not to worry, just steps from our spot were not one, not two,  but three 24 hour bars! We ended up at the Blind Pelican.

The Blind Pelican

Allegedly…more on this later.

We bellied up.

I honestly didn’t expect palm trees. Really.

So, this place was not only steps from our room, but I had it on my list of to-do’s because they have .25 cent oysters! When you arrive at 12:30am, they tend to be sold out. Not to worry, we had another southern speciality.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Crab, Shrimp and Spicy Aioli.

A couple beers later and we were cooked….

Good Morning Saint Charles!

Our room looked right over the streetcar line.

This historic Trolley line runs all the way from the Garden District to the French Quarter. For just $1.25 per ride or $3.00 for an all day pass, you have transit. The thing is… it saves your feet, but not any time. Typically, the trolley gets you to your destination a few minutes later than if you hoofed it.

All Aboard!

How many children have fallen out of these windows?

This was our stop. The main drag was quite a bit more expansive and cosmopolitan than I expected.

The main thoroughfare.

Look at us, out and about so early!

Today was Saturday, so I decided that heading right into the heart of Bourbon Street may be unadvisable, due to crowds or just plain craziness. Instead we would be experiencing an authentic River Cruise!

Ticket Center

The Natchez

Plenty of room for now.

No waiting.

We posted up at a table right by the rail. It was nearly 11:30, so high time for a drink.

A rum punch for the lady.

Bloody Mary for the Gent.

That’s one translucent Bloody there. They just waved the tomato juice over the top.

Although the Natchez is a reproduction, built in 1975, it is an authentic steamboat built with authentic parts. Here’s a more descriptive listing from the website:

“Her powerful steam engines were built for U.S. Steel Corporation’s sternwheeler CLAIRTON in 1925. Her genuine copper and steel steam whistle is a treasured antique. Her copper bell, smelted from 250 silver dollars to produce a purer tone, once graced the S.S. J.D. AYRES. Her 32 note steam calliope was custom crafted and modeled after the music makers of the Gilded Age.”

The views along the Mississippi we’re accompanied by a live narration. This made the cruise. The Captain (in the most delightful Creole accent) explained the historical areas of the city as we swept past.

St. Louis Cathedral straight ahead.

This next building I had assumed was damaged by hurricane Katrina, as many of the structures we passed were, according to our narrator. Not so. This circa 1892 rice mill sat abandoned for decades. The interior was riddled with graffiti and most notably, a fine compliment on the exterior for passers by on the Steam Boat. It is rumored that this message was painted by the infamous Banksy. The building was purchased by investors and was subsequently renovated into posh Lofts. The one requirement: tenants cannot remove any graffiti from the brick interior walls.

Rice Mill Lofts.

These Barracks have such a storied past, I’ll just let you read more about it on your own time HERE.

The Jackson Barracks.

The Domino Sugar Factory working full time to powder Beignets.

Another feature of this cruise was live Jazz Music. It wasn’t too elaborate, but the boys got the job done.

“When the Saints…”

A little taste:

Some helpful signage in the engine room.

A lot of scary moving parts.

This area was about as neat as Mr. Jones’ work bench, which is to say, not very.

A view of the muddy Mississippi from the lower deck.

Two hours flew by and it was time to re-enter port.

The communications system was a bit archaic.

It was getting on time to eat. We made our way over to the Warehouse District for a late lunch.

Colorful facades.

Fulton Street cut through. Very modern and commercial.

Gorgeous flower boxes.

Jeff needed to take a load off.

My chair is THIS BIG!!!

We arrived at our destination. This place has been on my radar for years! I saw it on a show called After Hours with chef Daniel Boulod. My dear children were astute enough to remember this and gave me a generous gift card for my birthday the previous July. I totally didn’t lose it!

Cochon means pig.

Why didn’t I take this?

We started with cocktails, as you do. They must change their cocktail menu frequently because I couldn’t find these descriptions any longer. Suffice it to say they were perfectly balanced and quite enjoyable.

Mine

His

The place is not fancy by any means. It’s all about the food. Of course, snout to tail pig is their main focus, but there was so much goodness on the menu, it was hard to choose.

Simple dining space in a converted warehouse.

We ordered everything from the appetizer side. I enjoy small plates of intense flavors and this is where you tend to find them. First, some more beverages.

Local beer for the Mr.

A dry white for me.

smoked pork ribs with watermelon pickle

These were smokey as advertised and fall-apart tender. The pickle didn’t add to much to the party, but it looked nice.

fried alligator with chili garlic mayonnaise

Yup, alligator. It was our favorite bite. Light, crispy and tender. It tasted closest to pork. The most surprising element was the mint and parsley tossed in with the garlic mayo. It just added a brightness that made the dish.

pork cheek sauce piquant with hominy grit cake

I was most looking forward to this dish, but it was the least exciting of the three. Don’t get me wrong, the cheeks were tender, the  grits were beautifully prepared and the sauce was suitably savory. It just didn’t have that “pow” that the other dishes delivered.

Chicharrones bar snack or fried pork rinds.

These were not on the menu. I heard someone else order them and said “Hey, what for???”. You just have to know to ask.

We were sufficiently filled up and ready to walk off our lunch all the way back to our flat. After a good long nap we were off to find some N’awlins jazz. It was emphatically suggested that we get ourselves to the Spotted Cat Jazz Club.

We found it!

The trouble was it was PACKED!!! Like, shoulder to shoulder, anxiety attack packed. We stood outside and listened for a bit and it was awesome. We could have stuck it out, but at this point it was starting to rain pretty hard.

Here’s a little peek of what we got to experience pressing our noses against the window:

We decided to bail and head across the street to a much larger establishment called d.b.a. I still don’t know what this stands for, but it is one of the first clubs in the area to go smoke-free. Did I mention that you can smoke indoors here? Vegas prepared us for this. This place was also pretty busy. Jeff bellied up to the bar to get us a couple local brews. I spotted an empty, tiny nook with bench seating right at the window. Perfect!

They’re all out there.

While I’m in here.

First rate people watching.

There was indeed a band here that started ten or fifteen minutes after we settled in. We stayed in our cubby enjoying the views of Frenchman street for a bit longer. I wasn’t giving up our prime seating!

The band was good…I think. They weren’t very jazzy.

A view from the wings.

The rain had subsided and we were getting pretty hungry. We decided to take a stroll back to our neighborhood. The streets were starkly empty for a Saturday night.

St. Louis Cathedral closer-up.

Beautiful architecture.

Everywhere.

Jazz it up!

Once again, we landed at the Blind Pelican. This quickly became our “Cheers”.

Wings.

Crawfish Quesadillas.

The food here is Meh, but it’s open late and the beer is good. No complaints from this lady. Thank goodness we were mere steps from our adorable suite. We summarily crashed hard. We needed a good sleep to get ready for our big day on Bourbon Street.

Up Next: Our first day on Bourbon Street…Hello!!!!????

This would be our last full day in Vegas. We slept well in our fancy accommodations at the Bellagio. We packed up our things (except for our coats which I left in the closet so I had to run two miles back to the room to get them ) and headed down to the lobby to store our things and grab a Lyft.

View of the plunge pool from our room. Never used it.

We decided to spend most of the day exploring Fremont Street or Old Vegas. We cruised through on our first night but really didn’t see much. This time we roamed around all the classic casinos:

Mr. Jones, staying in the black….for now.

I curated a list of “little things” to search out and find. Kind of like a scavenger hunt! Fun, right? First up: The Worlds’ Largest Gold Nugget! This proved to be quite tricky. It was tucked away down a dead end hallway.

There you are, Nugget!

Tadah!

A lesser nugget.

Some things were a bit easier to spot:

Closed!

This wasn’t on the list. Fun Fact: The former owner died of a heart attack. Moving on!

Whew, it seems like we should take a break doesn’t it? This pizza joint was highly recommended, but we had just had a pie the night before.

A tribute to the Evel one. The whole decor is circa 1979.

Our Lyft driver gave us a heads up about the place we landed in. Highly recommended.

I could use some.

Trendy, warehouse style space.

This spot had an eclectic, creative menu. The color of our first appetizer was jarring!

DEVILS ON HORSEBACK: Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed With Truffle Goat Cheese & Almonds On a Bed of Romesco

CHORIZO EMPANADAS: Spicy Spanish Chorizo, Bell Pepper & Jalapeño Filled Pastry with a Harissa Lime Sauce

THERAPY’S SIGNATURE SALAD: Watermelon Radish, Apples, Candied Walnuts & Blue Cheese Crumbles, Tossed In A White Balsamic Vinaigrette”

Everything was super tasty and well executed.  Now back to work! Next, we were in search of the vintage games at the D Las Vegas. These are on the top floor of the casino.

Vintage Vegas = Extra Smoky

There’s lots of games and machines up here, but by far, the most popular is the Sigma Derby Race.

And they’re Off!!!!

A True one armed bandit.

While Jeff contiued to work on his Black Jack game, I stepped out onto the balcony at D.

Almost to the tippy top.

There was prime people watching up here. Notice the circles painted on the concrete. Those are the designated spots for performers. The city put this system in place in order to prevent tussling over turf.

No tussling here.

This was also a good vantage point to see the “Slotzilla” zip line. We actually considered doing this, but at nearly fifty bucks a person, we decided to skip it. If we hadn’t already laid out the cash on the High Roller ferris wheel we probably would have gone for it.

Weeeeee!!!!!

On second thought, maybe not. While out was out on the balcony I saw this kid get stuck. I think he was too light to make it all the was across. Probably not much of a risk of that for us!

Stuck kid on the right, rescuer on the left.

Jeff finished up, so we continued exploring the old slots.

These looked pretty new to me.

These were just for display.

Pretty neat that they were preserved.

I honestly don’t remember the name of this hotel where we found these artifacts. There was a small display in the lobby. It’s a scavenger hunt, so what fun would it be if I told you, anyway?

Replica of the first telephone installed in Las Vegas. I found the reflection of my iPhone in the glass nearly poetic.

The OG White Pages.

Some sort of ledger from 1907.

Mmmmm…chips.

Hotel Guest Ledger

Drinking on the job?

I found this lobby quite quaint.

We moseyed back out onto Fremont Street and grabbed a spot for a beer and people watching.

Perfect!

Some of the people we watched.

We were situated right behind this young street performer.

We watched him pretend to swallow this balloon about fifteen times as we sipped on our beers.

We finished up and strolled along for a bit taking in all the outrageously large and loud signs and such.

Slotzilla!

Giddy up.

Martini Time!

We hitched a ride back to the Strip and landed at the Venetian. Jeff hit the game tables and I wandered around attemtping to take artsy pictures.

I finally found the canals that run inside the hotel.

This ride is missing a glass of chianti.

This courtyard was beautiful.

I continued nosing around and taking videos of my feet.

The Venetian is brimming with high end stores. This one is renowned for being Michael Jackson’s favorite antique dealer.

He’s rumored to have spent millions here.

They REALLY miss him.

Back to photography.

Losing cash and taking a hundred mediocre pictures was making us very hungry. We headed over to our favorite area for reasonably priced food.

Still looking good there.

We ended up back at the pizza joint even though we said we wouldn’t have pizza two days in a row. We have no temperence.

Some calamari to start. I loved the remoulade. I have a strong stance against marinara on calamari. Ask Jeff.

Another perfect pie.

We dined al fresco, but it was getting chilly by the time we finished up. We had a a bit more time to linger before we needed to set out for the airport so we moved inside and bellied up to the bar. I decided on an espresso martini to wind up the night.

I’m both relaxed and energized!

So, my friends, we’ve crossed another two destinations (did you forget the Grand Canyon already?) off the bucket list. As someone who has no desire to gamble, I can say that there’s enough to do and see here for just about anyone. I would definitely visit again sometime…but not before we get some major cities behind us. This is foreshadowing, folks!

Later, baby!

It was time to make our way back to Las Vegas, but first we got a nice send off from some woodland friends!

A practical herd of deer!

A cheeky, over the shoulder pose.

A strong profile.

On the road again!

Just like that, were back in Vegas!. We would be spending our last night here at the world famous Bellagio Hotel.

Looking good there.

Gigantic origami art festooned the lobby.

There was an abundance of Chihuly glass sculptures as well.

We got checked-in relatively easily. This hotel is huge and gorgeous, but there were, for me some drawbacks, especially after our excellent experience at the Trump Tower. Firstly, it’s loud and almost chaotic as opposed to the quiet boutique hotel experience we had previously. Like most hotels on the strip, this is also a casino. I didn’t realize how nice it was to have peace and quiet at the end of the day. Here, you had to walk a mile through all the beeping,  clanging machines and smoking gamblers just to get to the elevator. I know, I know, it’s Vegas and to be expected. I’m sure most people want the convenience of having the casino right there, it’s just me. On to the room!

Beautiful and well appointed space.

Wardrobe and console area.

If we had wine…

Those vases are glued down. I checked.

Vanity area.

Descent sized shower.

We were only on the seventh floor. The view was okay.

I’ll do just a bit more griping. THERE WAS NO COFFEE MAKER!!!! What? Yup. They don’t want you spending extra time in your room enjoying a coffee. You gots to get to gamblin’. I sent my poor husband all the way down through the maze of a lobby to fetch some overpriced cups of Joe. Lastly, the snacks on display are on sensors so if you even pick them up you’re charged. Guess who knocked over a bag of macadamia nuts with her purse?

We headed out just in time to see the three o’clock fountain show. There was a bit of time to explore the grounds.

A fancy fountain shot.

Hedgerows everywhere.

We secured our spot by the rail and enjoyed the show.

It’s hard to capture, but it’s majestic.

Our free LaQuinta breakfast was long behind us so we set about looking for food.  Some  quick research led me to an Asain Dim Sum Place that looked good.

Where to find Dim Sum? Paris, of course!

We hadn’t explored this resort yet. It was really impressive, especially the facades.

L’arc de Triumph.

Luxurious Versailles style lounge seating.

Found it!

Reasonably priced menu.

They actually had a dim sum cart!

We got a couple of choices from the cart and couple entrees as well.

Peking duck.

Sesame Noodles with Char Sui Pork.

Everything was tasty. Nothing out of this world, but solid. We spent the rest of the day walking about, looking at stuff and stopping for drinks. Perfect vacation activities. First stop was Beer Park . This was atop part of the Paris Hotel.

Beer Park.

A coupla be-ahs

Watching the hustle and bustle.

A look back at the Eiffel Tower.

This place had game tables and Giant Jenga. We got right to work.

The one hand rule is easy to execute when you’re holding a beer.

Careful now.

Next up: the Flamingo Resort. I read that they have a shark tank so we went to check it out. Turns out it’s only open for hotel guests until a certain hour. Fair enough. The grounds were beautiful and well worth exploring.

Perfect Palms

Real Flamingos, not lawn ornaments.

Not real.

Lovely ponds throughout.

Waterfalls

More Palms

They’re so Koi.

Everything had a pink glow to it.

We made our way back to the Linq Hotel area to get off our feet for a bit.

So relaxing back here!

We just made happy hour!

Restored, we took another loop around the strip. It was a gorgeous evening, prime for people watching.

Exhibit A.

We slipped into a lounge that was hosting an Open Mic. This was a hoot. The host was doing a great job encouraging people. What he was not good at was turning round so I could get a good picture.

Sir, could you just…

Over here, sir!

Never mind, I guess.

Honestly, there was real talent here this night. I however, choose to record this fine gentleman:

We continued our walkabout. The Venetian was looking lovely at night.

Oh Sole Mio!

We popped into it’s sister resort, The Palazzo. A bit quieter than the famous Venetian.

Elegant light fixtures.

Sculptures in the rotunda.

Hello!!!!

Next, we wandered over to the Wynn Resort. This is by far the fanciest hotel I’ve ever visited. It has earned all the ultimate accolades: AAA five diamond, Mobil five-star, Forbes five-star, Michelin five star, and Zagat Survey Top U.S. Hotel ratings, as well as one Michelin star for its restaurant Wing Lei.

Wynn Waterfalls

The lobby was just dripping with luxurious fabrics and fixtures.

Ceiling details.

I’m not sure if there was some sort of spring flower festival or if this was a regular occurrence, but there were fresh flower topiary displays everywhere.

Working floral carousel.

Conservatory gardens with floral globes.

Arched trees form a breathtaking pathway.

Around the world in eighty days!

Just stunning.

Look at the detail on these drapes! They don’t need to be here!

Tables set and ready for breakfast. I loved the color palate.

We slipped out the back entrance, before they caught on that we don’t belong here.

Earlier we had checked out the menu at the bar where we enjoyed our happy hour drink. It was barbecue and looked pretty darn good.  This is where we landed back for dinner. I copied the descriptions from the menu. They’re in all caps, but I’m not yelling at you.

TRASH RIBS SERVED WITH MUSTARD COLE SLAW

VIRGIL’S FAMOUS SMOKED CHICKEN WINGS WITH MAYTAG BLUE CHEESE DIP

Another thing that drew us back to Virgil’s was the fact that they had live music. This lady was a belter. She sounded a lot like Melissa Etheridge. No complaints here.

Adena Sampson

Look her up!

We wandered back to the main drag. We had just enough umph left for one more drink.

Neon glory.

We popped into Hell’s kitchen but this guy was glaring at me. Creepy.

We ended up back at the Bellagio for our final nightcap. Yes, we knew the prices were going to be exorbitant, but we were at least prepared this time.

Another celebrity (never heard of him?) owned restaurant.

The place was sleek and attractive.

Wine on display.

Elegant bar.

Modern art adorned the walls.

A perfectly executed Manhattan. Crazy expensive.

I walked around awkwardly and took a few more pics.

Sensational views.

We knocked back our lavish drinks and headed up to our room. I believe Mr. Jones was asleep before I got my shoes off. I was still on the clock documenting our exploits.

Our view looking far to the left. Notice the “High Roller”.

Straight ahead view.

Oooh. The fountain show!

If we were higher up…

It was fine,I guess.

Guys, we have just one day left! Let’s make the most of it.

Up Next: We go on a treasure hunt!

We checked out of our gilded, crystal encrusted digs at Trump Tower and set off on a road trip to the Grand Canyon.  We could have taken a quick, two hour trip to the West Rim and gotten a good gander at it, but my research revealed that it’s worth taking the extra time to head to the South Rim for the best views. Also, the South Rim is in the official Grand Canyon National Park where as the aforementioned West Rim is on Native Reservation land, so it can get pricey to park and enter. Besides, we came aaalllll the way out here to see this dang hole in the ground. I wanted to do it right!

We procured a rental car (a long frustrating story I won’t bore you with) and rolled out. We would be making a brief stop at the Hoover Dam as well, but first, breakfast!  I found this little diner on a list of must do’s. It was a weekend morning so it was packed, but we were able to score a couple seats at the counter in short time.

The Coffee Cup. Adorable.

The Coffee Cup coffee cup.

We both got Bloody Marys. I don’t like Bloody Marys. He drank mine.

I let the internet dictate our selections. I chose the two most popular dishes, plus an order of Avocados to keep up with our healthy additions. We’re trying here, folks.

Huevos Rancheros: Two Corn Tortillas, Refried Beans, Cheddar Cheese, Two Eggs, All Smothered in our Pork Rancheros Sauce Served with Hash Browns

Peanut Butter Pancakes.

We enjoyed the heck out of this meal. I was feeling guilty about the pancakes so I really didn’t need to see this…

Sheesh! Pretty heavy message for a coffee joint!

Back on the road. The vistas all along this trip were just gorgeous. So different from New England.

Gorgeous!

The roads were steep and windy.

We made our way to the Hoover Dam. We didn’t drive over the dam itself, instead we traversed the new bridge that reroutes cars to limit wear and tear on the Hoover. It’s only been around since 2010.

It’s a bit of a trek.

Getting closer.

I really wasn’t sure what I was in for.

The dual-named bridge amused me. I pictured a board meeting with all members, arms crossed, not being able to reach consensus. “Tillman!…No, O’Callaghan!!!”

I guess it works.

Guys, it was really high up there.

This is me trying not to look terrified.

A bit of Lake Mead

He was non-plussed.

It really as an amazing sight to see. You can take tours down at the dam itself, but we needed to hustle along. We made it another hour before Jeff’s pancake sleepiness started to kick in. We pulled off for a wee cat nap.

Even the side of the road pull off was scenic.

Can somebody paint this for me?

Refreshed, we made our way to the Grand Canyon National Park! You don’t see it right away. There are some meandering paths.

Almost there….

Wait for it…

Boom! There it is!!!!!

Friends, there is no way to describe the majesty of this sight. People say all the time, pictures don’t do it justice. Never have truer words been spoken. I won’t clutter up these attempts at photography with my cheeky comments…

My Biggest take away, aside from the magnificence of God’s creation, is that it’s super easy to fall into it! Yes, there are points were railings allow people to get close enough for a good look down and a stellar photo op. However, ninety-nine percent of it is completely unfenced. Rationally, this makes perfect sense. There are hundreds of miles of cliff to fall from so fencing every bit of it would be impossible. Even more notable was the lack of signage saying “Yo, Be Careful!” I guess it was a refreshing turnabout in the age of labels warning you not to use a toaster in the bath tub.

Careful there. Oh, and it was freezing.

Again, trying not to look terrified.

I wanted to find a nice resort overlooking the canyon to have a drink. All the hotels in the park are affiliated on one poorly managed website so it was difficult to get a good feel for what to expect at any particular place. The El Tovar seemed to have a lounge (wasn’t sure). I had hoped to snag a room here, but it was booked up, and pretty pricey anyway. Once got a real look at the place I was  very glad we didn’t get a booking. I didn’t get a  good shot of the exterior so I lifted one from the ‘net.

Looks nice enough…on the website.

A bit of the grounds.

The plus side…great views of the canyon.

No bad.

You could walk up to a low wall and see those gorgeous views, but the resort itself did nothing to capitalize on viewing from the hotel itself. No patio or deck to be found. Crazy!

A view of the back. The place was worn out

A teensy sign.

I should have taken more photos, but the place was dark, dank and worn out. The restrooms were campground quality. The lounge where we had our beer was way too small for the size of the joint and  just kinda…sticky.

There were about five seats. We downed our drinks and moved on.

We drove to yet another area to enjoy the sunset.

Bro, careful.

“What do you want to do tonight? How ’bout play chess on the precipice of death? Perfect!”

We watched the rocks glow and change with the sinking sun.

We’re glowing too!

What an incredible experience. That was a bucket list moment I’ll never, ever forget. Now it was time to head back, but not all the way to Vegas, we would be making camp (La Quinta) on historic Route 66! I found a conveniently located brew pub to have some victuals.

Historic.

Edison lights, chalk board menu…yup we’re in the right place.

The menu was pretty good, but they were cleaned out of a lot of items. Some sort of event occurred earlier in the day. We managed.

We had a few beers. They were all tasty, that’s all I recall.

The most elegantly plated frickles I’ve ever enjoyed.

A hearty grilled chicken salad. Hit all the spots.

Much to my surprise, Jeff ordered a gelato for dessert. Oh boy, so good with a stout!

We stumbled into our room at the La Quinta. I was exceedingly impressed with this hotel. It was clean, well appointed and full of charm. Plus, it was so much more affordable than the musty old El Tovar. Crisis avoided…

Comfy bed with crisp linens.

Charming black and white local art.

Jeez, it’s almost ten o’clock. Time for Bed.

Up Next: We ain’t nearly finished with Vegas yet!!!

This would be our first full day in Las Vegas. We slept until a reasonable time (that’s subjective) and headed out to get breakfast. Normally, a full fledged restaurant-type  breakfast isn’t on our agenda. I’m fine with coffee until, well, lunch time. However, we were strongly advised by some friends who recently visited that we just had to check out this joint. I’m not about to argue. We took a leisurely stroll down the strip, soaking in the sights along the way.

A look back at the Golden Tower.

Lots of fancy schmancy shoppes.

I <3 palm trees.

The Palazzo Hotel, sister to the Venetian.

Landscaping on fleek.

The big sister.

A replica of St. Marks Square. I know this because of Epcot, not cause Ive been to Italy.

That bra looks super supportive.

We arrived at our destination…

Uh…. no. Not today, Guy.

We passed Guy Fiore’s bôite (I recently saw him referred to as a human vape. On the money) in favor of the highly recommended Hash House A-Go-Go.

There was a bit of a wait.

The lobby was festooned with autographed pictures of celebrities who probably didn’t have to wait an hour to eat here.

We made it!!!

The decor was tractor-chic.

We started with a nitro, cold-brew iced coffee laced with Jameson Whiskey and topped with fresh whipped cream. Yes, we had whiskey before noon.

The Frigid Irishman.

So, on this vacation we were sincerely trying to make better food choices, not because of concern about love handles, but more about keeping Mr. Jones’ blood pressure at bay. It stinks getting old, kids. We were not going to completely deprive ourselves (see above whipped cream laden whiskey drink) but we did try and add healthy fare along side our meals. We started with a spinach salad.

MMMMMM….fiber!

Guys, this salad was served with a biscuit that had it’s own zip code!!! Plus it had a huge sprig of unnecessary rosemary stuck in it. Pet peeve: Superfluous garnish. What a waste!

Size reference: Newborn cranium. We sadly put it aside.

Our main victuals were out of this world! An amped up version of chicken and waffles that were TO DIE FOR!!!

This is meant for one human. No way.

This was an amazing meal and the first we had that felt like we didn’t get totally robbed. We’ll be spending more time in this area of the strip later on. It’s a hidden gem. For now, we’ll be heading back to the Venetian where we’ll continue to gift our cash to the black jack tables.

I lost my shirt on the slots!

Over the top gildedness was everywhere.

I have no interest in gambling so I set about taking photos. This hotel is really gorgeous. I thought that the gondolas were only in the front, but I later found out that they run all through the resort.

Gond-Oh-las.

Foot bridge over the strip.

Beautiful lighting over the verandah.

It was a perfect weather day.

We finished up at the Venetian and continued a slow stroll. It was so gorgeous out I decided a drink on a patio was in order. We headed over to the Mirage to explore.

Home of The Beatles Cirque Show.

This enormous water feature faces the street, but there’s much, much more.

Once you move past the berm there are many grand water falls and lush plantings leading to the entrance.

Once inside, we looked around for an outdoor patio opportunity, but soon decided that this conservatory would do just fine. Plus it was happy hour!

This view will do.

Half price drinks! Take a note, Massachusetts.

When we were wandering around earlier, we kept seeing signs for some sort of Dolphin experience. We like dolphins! We meandered down a path and found this…

Sure, I’m game.

We paid an entrance fee. I don’t remember how much but not too bad. Once inside we saw the expected dolphin habitats.

Sandals resort for dolphins.

It’s all inclusive!

Did I mention that I love palm trees?

I’m all about gardens. Let’s explore!

Grrrrr!

Namaste.

So, here’s the thing. Though there were some images of giant cats on the signs, all the verbiage was about dolphins. We had NO IDEA what we would encounter.

Good Morning!

Friends, this was simply astounding. These gorgeous white lions where as close to us as it seems. There was no zoom on my lens. For that matter, there was no moat between us and these majestic (man killing) lions. The only thing between us was a flimsy, home depot, chain link fence.

I’m ready for my close-up!

We could have combed his mane.

We had a lot of emotions about this. On the one hand, the majesty of seeing these amazing creatures made some of us (Jeff) cry. On the other hand, the seemingly insubstantial caging was worrisome. But more so, the confines of the environment showed. These magnificent beasts just paced incessantly. It was a bit upsetting.

See the video below:

There were other large cats in the garden.

A female white lion.

This guy will never change.

Is this THE tiger? Too soon?

This was a sumptuous garden.

When we exited the crazy cat area and moved back toward exit we stopped to witness some actual dolphin training.

Dolphin catching a yellow thing.

Dolphin bouncing a red ball.

Dolphin just showing off.

Dolphin advising us to visit the gift shop. Dang, they are smart.

Oh, and there’s a nude pool area. We didn’t go there…cause it was closed for the day.

We had some exciting plans that didn’t include nudity anyway.

Up Next: We become official High Rollers!

When one approaches a certain age a “Bucket List” starts to form. Time’s a tickin’ away here, folks. I’ve crossed a few items off recently, well some just technically, but we’re forging ahead. Our goals for this trip were to see the Grand Canyon and experience Las Vegas, baby. We had just five days to accomplish this. I had hoped to see Sedona too, but time would not allow. Our flight over Nevada looked more like view of an alien planet.

The Sierra Madre or Mars?

Suburban Las Vegas.

On our road trip down south last fall, I dipped my toe into the world of Airbnb. Things went so well I looked into the same for Vegas. To my surprise, there are “owners’ suites” that can be rented right in certain hotels. This seemed like the best of both worlds. I secured a suite at the Trump Plaza. I can hear your collective groan.

Mr. Trump’s Hotel was really gorgeous.

Gorgeous lobby dining area.

The fixtures throughout were opulent.

I was more than impressed with this room. All the furnishings were solid and in perfect condition.

Comfortable Bedding

Storage Console.

Fully equipped mini-kitchen.

Large screen TV we never turned on.

Cozy living area.

Double sink bathroom. I cloud have done without the scale, thank you.

Ginormous Jacuzzi Tub. A Godsend after walking around Vegas all day and night!

High end toiletries.

A view right out to the strip!

Just don’t look down.

I was thrilled with this room. We will be spending two nights here, then later on in the trip moving to the world famous (and very expensive) Bellagio Hotel. Spoiler alert: I liked the Trump better. There were several points of comparison that we’ll explore once we get there, but one thing I loved about this hotel was that it was NOT a casino. It had a boutique feel and was very calm a quiet, unlike the other resorts here. It was very peaceful to come back to after all the over-stimulation of the strip.  Speaking of which, let’s check out out!

Trump provides a shuttle to the Caesar’s Palace every twenty minutes.

And we’re here!

We were pretty well starving at this point. Chef Gordon Ramsay has several restaurants on the Strip, ranging from a Fish and Chip Shop to “take out a second mortgage” fine dining type deals. We popped into his Pub right at Caesar’s. I wanted to do some  “celebrity dining” so I figured this might be a good middle ground.

The Pub

Nice enough.

Beer Keg wall decor.

Substantial Cutlery.

We were famished, but between the very high entree prices (thirty bucks for fish and chips) and trying to eat somewhat healthy, we ended up splitting a salad along with a couple beers. This set us back FIFTY DOLLARS! You don’t just loose your money at the slots here.

The first of many walks through casinos.

Finally we are setting out to explore. This was a simply gorgeous day!

Outside view of Caesar’s Palace.

The newest of Chef Ramsay’s properties. We will not be eating here.

The afore mentioned Bellagio.

The Paris Hotel.

Hakkasan Nightclub at MGM, featuring “World Famous DJs”. No, thanks.

We walked around a ton. I’m sparing you the hundred or so pictures I took so far. We were ready for a break from the sun, plus my very comfy shoes I walked all over Chicago in suddenly were attacking my feet.

Time for a (double) whisky.

Artsy photo of the ceiling as I recline on a couch.

Jeff getting a lesson in Black Jack.

Cashing in his winnings! This trend wouldn’t last.

All casinos packed all the time.

I don’t remember where this was. Everything was gilded.

I bandaged my poor feet and we headed out! I’m such a trooper.

Man, I love palm trees.

New York, New York. We never went in.

I later found out that the Tram system is comprised of former Disney Monorail cars. I would have gone on had I known! I know that’s weird.

We actually did have a plan, and that was to visit the Mandalay Hotel, to check out their aquarium.

We made it!

We bought our tickets and headed in. This place wasn’t huge, but the presentations were really impressive.

Oh, hello.

They were headed to school.

The initial portion had a Mayan theme. Really well done.

This next space made you feel you were in the skeletal hull of a sunken ship!

The piece de resistance here are the shark tunnels! This was as cool as it sounds. It was crowded with people, so for you to see it, I had to lift a pic from the interwebs.

A wee pic.

A view from within.

A favorite shot.

Jelly.

The gang gets back together.

We hung out for quite a while.

This was a great take. Had I done some more research I may have found a coupon, but even full price it was worth it.

Another view of Mandalay Bay hotel

Our next stop was at the Cosmopolitan hotel. This is where I had planned to have some dinner at another “celebrity chef” spot and have a drink at the swanky bar in the lobby. Our plans changed slightly.

Chandelier Bar, where would would decide not to have drink.

This was gorgeous!

Ooh la la. We decided the drink prices  here would be about as opulent as the atmosphere.

We made our way to David Chang’s Momofuki. I had looked online at their menu and saw a lot of affordable and tasty options I was pretty psyched about.

Momofuku.

We sat at the bar and ordered some wine. As I looked at the menu I just didn’t see the options I had remembered. It menu was quite schizophrenic. There were a few small bite choices and then went way high, like $48 for noodles on up to set meals in the hundreds of dollars. We decided to have a couple of those small bites and move on.

Pork Belly Bun

Shrimp Cake Bun

These two tastings were absolute perfection. They were seven bucks each and  just about two bites. Here’s the thing: Now that I’m home and reviewing menus for this post (yes, I do that), I’m seeing tons of choices and reasonable prices like I remembered. Maybe because the menu was different for the bar? Who knows?

So another fifty bucks and no full bellies. I know I’m sounding like a real cheapskate here. I’m not, really! It’s more about value. I don’t mind laying down the cash for a great meal but these two stops just seemed excessive. Lesson learned. Stay away from celebrity restaurants.

Speaking of value, I next set out to find something cool I read about. At the Cosmopolitan they have what’s called “Art Vending Machines”. They are converted cigarette machines which now dispense ciggie pack sized pieces of art for just $5.00!

Art-O-Matic

My Lil’ piece of art!

This is such a cool idea! I kinda wished I got a couple more. Next time.

We set about for some more exploring and pursuit of some actual dinner. We wandered into the beautiful Aria Hotel because a friend said there was an amazing whisky bar there. Don’t worry we didn’t have whisky for dinner.

I’m not sure what this is. It should be a bar if it isn’t.

We stumbled upon a this reasonably priced pub. Ahhh, an Oasis!

Can’t get much simpler than that!

The Pub Menu.

We threw in the towel on healthy for this meal.

Wings for the chaser.

In a turn of coincidence, again, looking up the menu for this place for our purposes here I discovered that it was opened by celebrity chef Todd English, but things didn’t work out so well. In short time they just dropped his name from the sign and re-worked the menu. I’d say it was for the better.

Now that we had a good meal on board, we were ready to venture off to old Vegas!

Up Next: The Search for Elvis begins!

We awoke from our slumber and set out to get some breakfast. Luckily our hotel was just steps from Chicago’s Eataly. This is a multi-story, Italian food extravaganza. There are several locations in the states, including their latest in Boston (of which I have not partaken), as well as around the world. If you enjoy meat, cheese and bread, this is your Mecca, my friend.

Eataly welcomes you!

Dry goods.

So much cheese, it’s hanging from the rafters.

How much cheese is too much cheese?

Cured meats

Jambon!

Tomahawk Chop!

Pastas of all sorts.

The most bedazzled pizza ovens I’ve ever seen.

Bread and chocolate, together at last.

Olive oil fountain. It’s like Italian Willy Wonka in here.

I guess some people need vegetables.

We enjoyed walking about and looking at all the goods. Unfortunately, all the little restaurants and cafés weren’t quite open yet. They were only serving breakfasty things. Don’t they know that pizza is appropriate anytime of day? We got some egg sandwiches and iced cappuccino and hoped we could swing back in later for some vino and pasta.

Boy, this hit the spot.

Lousy picture of a fabulous sandwich.

We once again got a small break from the rain. We took a stroll to observe more of the stunning to architecture.

Impressive Skyline

Amazing that I can get such artistic shots while running to catch up with the boys.

Old school.

The Trump Tower. We will get to know this brand a bit better on our next trip.

I’m sure it’s just Killing him that it’s the second tallest.

Got a quick glimpse of the “L”.

We made it to our intended destination, the Chicago Cultural Center. This building opened in 1897 as the city’s official reception center for dignitaries. It was converted into an arts and culture center in 1977. The architecture is classically stunning outside, and that’s just the beginning.

Chicago Cultural Center

As I stated.

A look up in the foyer.

On the first floor, they have created some clean white spaces for local art. Let’s have a gander.

Modern Paintings

I like it.

Abstract Painting and Sculptures.

This painting makes me feel…queasy.

Some questionable ceramics.

I’m always watching.

While the art exhibits were quite interesting (and free) it’s the building itself that is the star here. Every inch of the space is gilded, carved, or tiled to perfection. There were several surprises here.

Gorgeous, paneled ceiling.

I’m thinking of starting a blog called “Pictures of my feet” I have many.

This building houses the largest Tiffany Glass Dome in the world. We approached the hall not realizing that this was not the famed piece. This was the Healy and Millet stained glass dome. I was impressed enough, indeed.

Healy and Millet stained glass dome.

This dome was housed in a hall dedicated to the Grand Army of the Republic. The room is a somber and richly decorated memorial to the soldiers of the Civil War. The marble walls bear the names of 30 Civil War battles including: Shilo, Antietam, Gettysburg, Cedar Creek, Ft. Sumter. The coffered ceilings are encrusted with dragons, fruit, stars, and other designs. Yes, I looked this all up after the fact.

Details of the engraved walls.

We continued on, thinking that we already saw the prized dome, then we stumbled up on it.

My goodness.

This was just breathtaking.  At the top of the dome are the signs of the zodiac. At the base of the dome is a quotation from the British author Joseph Addison:  “Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind which are delivered down from generation to generation as presents to the posterity of those who are yet unborn.”   

While the previous room was stately and handsome, this one was rich and extravagant beyond what any picture can portray. The intricately tiled walls gleamed with opalescence. This room was dedicated to literature and religious philosophy. Inspiring quotes in a variety of languages embellished the walls.

The Cultural Center was not only a great take, but completely free. I would highly recommend making this a priority for those visiting Chicago. As we made our way out, the rain began again right on cue. We boogied across the street to a cafe to regroup.

A gloomy view towards Millennium Park.

We did not have pancakes.

We kicked around for just a bit, but we had an appointment to get to. We called a Lyft and waited in the shelter of a high rise lobby.

Monsoon level rain.

The boy requested that we do an Escape Room while here. Sounded good to me. We tried our hand at one in Boston a couple years back. Though we failed, we had a lot of fun. He picked this place, Fox in a Box, which is located in a former train station.

Dearborn  Intercity Train Station

This escape room was highly themed and the hosts were much more involved than my last experience. If you’ve never done an escape room before, I highly recommend having an engineer on your team! Honestly, we worked really well together. It’s not just about solving puzzles, it’s about figuring what the puzzles even are. I’m proud to say we beat this one with just one minute and eight seconds to spare!

Fox Got Outta the Box

Mastering a diamond heist can make a thief pretty hungry. Now is the moment we have all been waiting for…Chicago Deep Dish Pizza!!! All research pointed towards this place as the best in the city. It was definitely off the beaten path. The drive over here was a bit sketchy.

Do I?

A decidedly dive bar vibe.

IPA by the pitcher.

Being responsible adults, we started with a salad. You know, for health’s sake.

Guys, lean in closer and take a good long look at the most glorious pizza pie you’ve ever seen. That gorgeous, lacy burnt cheese crust was as fab as it looks and more! The spicy pepperoni was piled high. It was just perfection.

Let’s book our flight back to Chicago right now.

Whoa! That was amazing. I ate the whole dang thing, for the record. We had just a few hours left to explore this great city. Did we take in another museum? See a show? Nope, we went back to the Beercade again. We’re all perpetual fourteen year olds.

I’m here to help, boys.

Got to see the guts of a malfunctioning machine.

Dude, back off the Skee Ball. That’s my jam.

The last beer.

Our flight home was at an insane 6:00 am, so we needed to behave ourselves and return to our hotel. We did swing into Eataly once again. We got there just in time to see them closing everything down. We were there for the cannoli so, nessun problemo!

No vino for us

The second best kind of bar.

Shells, patiently waiting to be filled.

A perfect ending.

Despite the weather not cooperating, we had a blast exploring the city and getting to spend some time with our son. Coincidentally, as of this dateline, he’s just hours from moving back to New England! Now we need another excuse to get back there. Strike that, the pizza is excuse enough.

We had the briefest of a window with no rain, so we took advantage and headed over to Millennium Park for a stroll. This space was conceived to commemorate entering the third millennium…it didn’t open until 2004. Apparently the construction ran into massive cost over-runs due to poor planning and cronyism. Sound familiar, Boston?

Welcome to Millennium Park

This is where you can find the Cloud Gate, a 100 ton sculpture which has been dubbed “The Bean” for obvious reasons.

The city reflected in the Bean.

A little closer, my dear.

The underside is called the “Omphalos” which is greek for “navel”. I thought it looked a bit more like another piece of anatomy. Tee Hee.

Our room was due to be ready so we moseyed on over, enjoying a nice look-see along the way.

Looking real nice.

I considered getting AirBnB again for this trip, but the hotels were really reasonable. Probably because no normal person would visit Chicago in February. We ended up at a Homewood Suites. It was quite nice.

King Bed

Clean bath. No complaints.

A small, well appointed kitchen.

The boy slept on a pullout in the living room (not pictured), the dear. We took a load off and charged up our phones for a bit, then hit the town! Matt picked our next destination, Headquarters Beercade. This place was awesome!!! They had fantastic local craft beer on tap, as you might expect, but this place was chock-full of vintage pinball machines and video games!

One of two bars.

Pinball galore!

Skee Ball!

Classic video games

This is the “DJ” booth. DJ Macbook.

The walls here were filled with cassette tapes, for show, I’m sure.

My junior high sound track right there.

We conservatively spent about three hours here. There’s no cover charge and, get this, the games are free! No coins needed. The vibe here was so cool. They had a TV’s here and there, but instead of running CNN or sports, they ran 1980s movies! So cool.

No worries about where to set your beer!

Spent keg as a table. Clever.

Our tummies were starting to grumble. We considered just getting some food here, but we did have a whole city to see. Matt chose our dinner spot too.

The Purple Pig

This place was packed to the brim on a Monday night. It was very hipster-like with hightop communal tables. We got seated pretty quickly and started with a cocktail.

A very well crafted, but extremely small Manhattan.

Attractive Bar

The menu here is mostly small plates. The prices were not so small. Don’t get me wrong, everything was excellent, there was just no way were going get full without having to leave a limb behind.  The menu online doesn’t even have prices. If you have to ask, you can’t afford it, I guess!

I panic ordered a couple meats and cheeses.I believe this was about $28.

Everything was superb.

We moved on to wine.

Fired chicken Skins with White Beans and Anchovy

I think this was some sort of potato coquette dish with a fried egg on top.

We enjoyed all these dishes, but we decided to bail and find a place for a burger and a beer. We had spent almost twice as much as we had at the Dim Sum restaurant for a quarter of the food.

Matt took to the internet to find a dive bar. Boy did he ever.

This menu was a little less refined that the Purple Pig.

The guests were a bit rough. Jeff almost got into a fist fight. I’ll share that story with you over a beer.

This was a heavy greasy burger. Just the ticket!

We were all ready to cash in at this point. We finished up and then had a very damp walk home in the rain, getting pretty well soaked. There were some challenges, but really did have a stellar day hanging out together.

Up Next: Can we get out of the box?