Where Can We Meet? Vegas!!

Another boring day at the office for Glen working poolside but I brought my camera on Friday to explore the views from my deck chair (see photo of empty roller coaster testing the track).  NYNY's pool is in the shade in the morning so a great time to enjoy it without the heat or the hordes of guests who sun-worship.  Meg and Mike had their traditional morning cocktail called a Burnt Cherry as she read my book, White Crane.  It was neat seeing someone lounging on a deck chair enjoying my writing.

Today's excitement began when we met our good friends, Tim and Ed (see If You're Going to San Francisco for our last meeting) who had driven from their home in Newport Beach, California to join in our Vegas fun.  They were up for anything so it was off to the CSI: The Experience in the MGM Grande Resort.  Meg and Mike had done this interactive adventure before but there are 3 possible crimes to solve so the chances were good we'd do a different one and we did.

With clipboards in hand we set out to record evidence at a crime scene.  The set up is designed for those over the age of 12 but younger ones could enjoy it with help from parents.  We had a great time recording what we saw although we over-thought the whole scene, penciling in details that turned out to be staging rather than crime-scene facts.  Still, it was a hoot.  We then proceeded to go through the lab analysis of various elements of the crime until Ed blurted out "who did it".  Turns out none of us were surprised but it was so much fun going through all the stages of the detection process.

We ate lunch at Nine Fine Irishmen, the NYNY pub that had been closed for renovations.  It is named after nine Irishmen who, in 1848, fought for Irish independence from the British and lost.  Their death sentences were commuted when it was agreed they'd become martyrs.  Some were sent to Tasmania but most ended up in the Americas.  Thomas Meagher became a Civil War general and eventually, governor of Montana.  Thomas D'Arcy McGee had a Canadian connection.  He was elected mayor of Montréal then became an MP before landing the post of minister of agriculture.  He was assassinated in 1868 while entering his Sparks Street boarding house in Ottawa. Partick Whelan, a Fenian sympathizer was convicted of the crime and hanged.  It was the last public hanging in Canada.

After a brief afternoon rest, we met again to go to dinner at Caesar's Palace's Cheesecake Factory.  Having eaten in this restaurant in SF, I knew what I wanted.  The SkinnyLicious® Shrimp Summer Rolls.  They were every bit as tasty as I remembered.

Meg had suggested we see the show Absinthe at Casear's so ordered our tickets in early May.  She got us excellent seats in the white tent erected on the Roman Plaza of Caesar's.  As it turned out we were far enough away from the in-the-round stage to escape the barbed (and foul-mouthed) tongue of Gazillionaire and his side-kick, Penny Pibbets.  I'll admit I was a little uncomfortable until I realized no one was spared his comedy.  The circus acts were amazing feats of strength, balance, and danger involving trapeze artists, balancing acts, tightrope walkers, and roller skaters.  There was even a striptease so something for everyone.

Afterwards, Ed suggested we do dessert at Nine Fine Irishmen but they were only serving drinks with their live entertainment so we went to the America restaurant.  The drop ceiling of this place is a giant (90 feet x 20 feet) bas-relief map of the United States with each state's landmarks highlighted.  Glen and Tim (he shared with Ed) ordered the huge brownie sundae, Meg, the lava cake and Mike, a milkshake.  I had a coffee but it came in a 2 cup carafe.  The only disappointment was the milkshake which Mike couldn't drink.

We then parted ways agreeing to meet at America for breakfast.

Three Events in One Day--Too Much Vegas?

Thursday began quietly enough with lounging at the pool.  The water was cold so I didn't swim but I'm not adverse to reading in a deck chair.  Glen 'worked' by answering emails and for him, that's relaxing.

A highlight of any visit to Vegas is a stroll through the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay.  This is an aquarium that also features crocodiles and komodo dragons but it is the sharks that illicit the most oohs and aahs as they lazily swim above and below you.  Having snorkelled (once near a shark), the environment of the Shark Reef evokes memories of my own time swimming with fishes.   Meg loves stoking the rays in the interactive tank (see photo).  One ray wanted someone to touch it and almost climbed up the side of the tank, trying to get our attention.  If the rays didn't want to be touched, they could swim out of arm's reach.  Staff members made sure no animals were abused.  As I moved into an area meant to be a sunken ship, I missed an octopus moving along its aquarium's glass.  Meg's photos were incredible!

I was all for seafood for lunch but that got vetoed.  Meg suggested we go to an American-style pub called The Public House in the Luxor.  I love the Luxor as it has an Egyptian theme (it looks like a black pyramid from the outside).  The rooms open onto a central space that mimics the pyramid shape and huge statues of Egyptian gods soar from the floor.  Water features add a relaxing feel to the hotel.

The pub was huge, 7000 sq ft and one wall was a giant TV.  It as hard to ignore Fred Couples when he's over 10 feet tall.  I had a delicious pulled pork sandwich but their menu offered limited food choices.  However, their beer menu was extensive.  Meg and Mike couldn't resist ordering Hobgoblin English Ale and when they saw its tap at the bar, they had to photograph it.

After lunch, we staggered upstairs to the Titanic Exhibit.   One unique feature of Vegas is the vendors who wander the halls, sidewalks, and connecting walkways between the hotels.  Those outside offer everything from coupons to strip shows to cheap bottles of water.  Inside, they offer discounts on the shows featured in the hotel.  Stop and take these coupons as they usually save you $5 on the price of intermission.  This happened as we walked toward the Titanic Exhibit and when admission is $32/person, those discounts help.  As we entered, we were given a card assigning us the name of an actual person on the Titanic.  Mike was thrilled to find he was a first class passenger as before, he had been in third class and ended up dying.

The exhibit took us from the building of the ship through all the artifacts brought up during various dives to the ship's resting place on the bottom of the ocean.  There was even a replica of the Grand Staircase and an actual chunk of the hull.  Meg said they had added a jewellery display she hadn't seen before.  We reached the end to discover even though I was a third class passenger, I had survived the sinking whereas poor Mike had not.

We returned to our room for a brief respite before going off to the Tournament of Kings in Excalibur.  We'd done this dinner/show before and loved it so when Meg got complimentary tickets, we joined her and Mike.  Dinner begins with a bowl of tomato soup (no spoons) and a glass of either water or soda.  Beer can be bought but by the time our server reached us, we were pretty much done our meal.  The meal itself is a whole chicken, a stalk of broccoli, some potatoes, and a biscuit.  There is no cutlery so fingers are the utensil of the day.  It's lots of fun.  An East Indian family sitting nearby had a vegetarian version but I'm not sure what that entailed.

The show is based on a rendition of Arthur and the knights of the round table.  Each knight is the king of a country and his 'people' sit in a specific section of the oval indoor stadium.  We sat in Ireland's section so all our cheers were for our Irish king.  The show had feats of horsemanship, jousting, swordplay, and spear-throwing.   Dancing girls added some female talent.  It is a family show appealing to all ages.  Children under 3 get in free but they must sit on a parent's lap and eat off their plate.  With the amount of food we were served, I could have shared with several children.

As we waddled back to the hotel, we all agreed that doing so much in one day was not a holiday so we would take it easy on Friday.  Famous last words.

Meet Us in Vegas

I've used this title before and yet it seems appropriate to do so again.  Not only did we meet family in Vegas (see Meet Me in Vegas to read about one such meeting) but our friends from California joined us for the weekend.

First though, we had to leave family in Aurora.  We picked Elijah up from school which delayed our departure for the airport.  We weren't worried as we arrived about an hour before our flight left.  But, by the time we'd gone through security, etc, the plane was boarding as we reached the gate.  The flight was short, about an hour and a half.  We flew in over the sprawling city of Las Vegas (see a previous blog, Viva Las Vegas).  Not only was the dry landscape of red rocks spectacular, but the expanse of Lake Mead always awes when seen from the air.

The city is about 2000 ft above sea level and is in the middle of the Mojave Desert.  Surrounded by rugged mountains (one at least 13,000 ft), Las Vegas enjoys about 300 days of sunshine and we arrived to temperatures in the mid 30º C.

We stayed at the New York New York hotel (NYNY) this time; our first time in the middle of all the action.  It is a big hotel with three towers and five large restaurants.  We were in the New York tower while Meg and Mike stayed in the Empire.  After settling in, we went to supper.  Meg's favourite Irish pub in NYNY was closed for renovations so we headed to the Rí Rá pub in the Shoppes at Mandalay Place.  One does a lot of walking in Vegas so wearing good footwear is a must.  But, it's also a good way to burn off all the extra calories one consumes in food and drink.  The portions here are large so often ordering from the appetizer menu is the way to go.  On this night, though, we had hearty appetites.  I enjoyed their shepherd's pie while Meg had a Dublin Burger.  Mike and Glen had their 'small' fish and chips but the fish filled the plate so hardly small.

The next morning, we were up early and had breakfast at a little café, keeping our meal much the same as what we eat at home.  We sat at tables arranged along 'Greenwich Street' in front of brownstones much like those in New York City.  The plan was to begin the day with Meg and me going to the spa in the morning and Mike and Glen hanging out together until lunch.

I am not a spa person but wanted to share Meg's enthusiasm for pedicures and pampering.  I've never had a pedicure before but figured I needed to experience one at least once in my life.  Meg told me to warn the tech as then she'd walk me through it.  Our appointment was for 9:30 and Meg was taken in for her wrap at that time.  She calls it the sushi wrap and assured me I'd love it.  I waited for 20 minutes for the girl to do my feet.  I hadn't brought anything to read so I sat listening to the soothing music and it inspired me so I now have an idea on how to end the book I'm writing.

I survived my pedicure and even had a design painted on my big toe.  There was only one moment of pain for which I was thankful.  She said I kept good care of my feet--who knew?  Next came the wrap. It was wonderful and relaxing.  First, I was slathered with warm Dead Sea mud then wrapped up in layers of blankets and plastic (hence, the sushi reference).  I now know why babies love to be swaddled.  The girl then massaged my head and face.  A quick shower washed away the mud before I was treated to a deep massage using a coconut cream to rehydrate my skin.  I almost fell asleep, I was so relaxed.

We found the 'boys' by the pool drinking beer.  Fortunately, the beer was in cans so they continued drinking as we walked to lunch (the drinking laws in Nevada are civilized).  It has become a tradition we eat a meal at the Rainforest Café so we headed to MGM Grande.  The restaurant is nestled in the basement but its rainforest decor makes you feel like you're eating in a jungle.  The bugling elephant added to this ambiance.  I had a shrimp soba bowl and was shocked I had to eat this Asian dish with a fork.

After lunch, we took the monorail to the Flamingo stop.  This train is a great way to travel up and down The Strip.  It costs $5.00 per ride but there are multi-day passes which make it a little cheaper.  We weren't sure how many times we'd use it so just went with single tickets.

The Flamingo was the first luxury hotel built on The Strip.  Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel financed it and named it for his girlfriend, Virginia Hill whom he had nicknamed Flamingo for her long legs and red hair.  All the air conditioned paths in Vegas lead through casinos and each has its own unique character.  By the way, it's a myth that the casinos pump oxygen into their air but these gambling dens are cooler and often have a pleasing scent.

Our destination was Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.  We've been to several versions of this famous museum in the past (our first experience being the original one in London, England).  Anna Tussaud learned wax modelling from a Swiss physician and created her first figure in 1777 (Voltaire).  During the French Revolution, she made death masks which she showed on the streets of Paris.  In 1802, she moved to London but didn't stay long.  The Napoleonic Wars stranded her there so she toured the British Isles until finally settling in London in 1836.  There, her main attraction was the Chamber of Horrors featuring victims of the French Revolution.  Madame Tussaud died in 1850 but her legacy lives on in her famous museums around the world.

The Vegas version lacks the Chamber of Horrors and all of King Henry's Wives (which seem to feature prominently in other museums) but is interesting for its collection of Hollywood celebrities from Elvis to Lady Gaga.  Glen enjoyed having his picture (see above photo) taken with Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer while Mike seemed to enjoy mugging for the camera with any wax figure he could find.

It was definitely a beauty day for me when Meg then dragged me into her favourite make-up store, Sephora. A consultant, Mimi, offered me advise and I bought a few products she suggested.  Meg knew what she wanted so we weren't long in the store.  Mike and Glen found a seat in the shade--it was hot.  My legs had begun showing signs of my usual reaction to heat on asphalt so we headed back to the hotel so I could lie down with my feet up.

That night Mike wanted to eat at the Burger Bar in the hotel and we all thought that an excellent idea.  Here we drank Rogue Dead Guy, Arrogant Bastard and Turbodog beers and ate chill, mushroom and chicken burgers. Afterwards, Glen and I played video poker and lost $45 in under a half hour so went to bed.  Meanwhile, Meg and Mike rode the roller coaster that winds its way through the hotel and its outside environs.

Family Fun

Visiting Colorado is all about family fun.  Yes, we do some touristy things but there is also plenty of time to enjoy Geoff and Melissa's backyard, busy schedule, and movie collection.

Right now the boys are playing Nintendo while Grampy naps.  We've had exciting games of football where Elijah has blossomed as a quarterback and Miles has learned to the tuck the ball and run.  The heat exploded the soccer ball but before it died, Miles gave us a clinic on passing.

Thursday night (after our day in Boulder), we enjoyed Elijah's school's rousing choir concert where I was only teary-eyed for a few seconds.   Elijah really enjoyed performing and we all celebrated with Dilly Bars from Dairy Queen.

Friday, Melissa and I had a chance to sneak off and do some letterboxing together which also involved drinking tea.  Parker is the town next door to Aurora so we didn't have far to go.  We found two of the three boxes, but one was swarming with landscapers so we had to abandon our attempt.  It was hidden near an historical site called Twenty Mile House.

Parker began as a railroad station during Colorado's gold rush.  Alfred Butters built the nearby hotel (also post office) in 1863.  Later, he traded this refuge for travellers for a yoke of oxen.  The Long's moved it to Main Street then added rooms and stables.  As it was now on the stage coach line and 20 miles from Denver, they called it Twenty Mile House.  It eventually ended up in the hands of James Sample Parker in 1870.  He prospered and added more buildings including a school house and the town named for him was born (all that is left of the original buildings is this tiny house set in a lovely park).

Today, we enjoyed watching Geoff play his electric guitar for his church's (Creekside Bible Church) worship team while Melissa kept us singing the correct words by working the projector.  Elijah sold doughnuts with the youth group so we bought a few.  We also had a chance to talk to Kelly and Kelly who always make Thanksgiving in Aurora special.

Tomorrow is Memorial day so Geoff and his neighbours are proudly flying the Stars and Stripes and yesterday, Elijah made a 'flag' fruit salad of blueberries, strawberries, and bananas (with cherries and apples to further the theme).  Traditionally, this weekend begins the summer and BBQ season so we're having hot dogs and hamburgers to celebrate all washed down with good Colorado beer (New Belgium Brewery smiles on us this weekend).

Bohemian Boulder

Geoff had work to do in Boulder so Glen and I kept him company as he drove to a facility on the University of Colorado's flagship campus.  (see my other posts on Boulder--2012's Thanksgiving and 2010's Day Six)

The town grew up as a college town with the first university building built in 1875.  It nestles below rock formations called the Flatirons, part of the Rocky Mountain range.  The town took its name from Boulder Creek (a tributary of the South Platte River) which tumbles over boulders as it weaves its way through the town.

We did computer work while Geoff filled his 800 mhz nmr magnet with liquid nitrogen.  Then we were off to find a watch repair shop.  Glen had lost the spring bar for his watch band while playing football with Elijah and Miles.  Watch Galaxy was just closing as we arrived so we ended up in a funky mall several blocks away.  The guy at the Rocky Mountain Time Zone did a quick job although he told Glen he should have been playing baseball as it was baseball season.

By this time, we were ready for lunch and Geoff suggested the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse.  This exotic building was constructed by hand in Boulder's sister city, Dushanbe, Tajikistan then rebuilt in Boulder.  It is in a beautiful location beside Boulder Creek with an interior that reminds one of Persian palaces.  It was too cold to sit on the patio so we asked for seats inside.  The only table available meant we'd sit cross-legged on cushions.  I laughed as Glen said, "That's not going to happen."

We walked to Pearl Street, the main shopping street of downtown Boulder.  It is believed to be named after one of the founding fathers' wife during the 1850's when the mountains were mined for gold.  During the 1960's, the downtown deteriorated but some forward-thinking politicians proposed closing the street to traffic and establishing a mall (1977) after restoring some of the historic buildings.  We found ourselves drawn to the Bohemian Biergarten (opened in April 2013), perhaps because a delivery truck was unloading beer kegs.

Set up as a traditional beer garden, we sat ourselves at end of a long table made of 150 year old reclaimed wood originally from New York.  Owned by a Czech ex-pat, the beer is European--German, Czech, Austrian, and Belgium although Geoff enjoyed a Colorado beer brewed in the European style.  Glen and I had an Austrian beer as we perused the menu.  There was everything from goulash to speck (a type of ham).  Geoff and I had a pastrami reuben with the best rye bread I've ever tasted while Glen had a speck and cheese.

We headed back to Denver and after a delicious étouffée created by Melissa, we attended Elijah's choir concert.  It was great entertainment and a wonderful ending to the day.

Run Forrest Run

As usual, Glen hadn't read the ASM meeting's schedule beforehand so didn't realize there were sessions Tuesday afternoon. Fortunately, they were not a 'must see' as I wanted to leave downtown Denver for Aurora and the grand kids.

So Tuesday morning, Glen went to view posters while I wrote a blog entry.  I then packed up our suitcases and left them with the front desk.  I wandered up 16th Street Mall and arrived at the convention centre to await Glen (under the bear, of course).  I met his grad student's husband and son who showed me where Glen wandered the lobby. We connected then headed to Bubba Gump's for lunch.

I'd never eaten at this restaurant inspired by the 1994 movie, Forrest Gump which began in 1996 in Monterey, California.  The Denver franchise was decorated with antiques from the 50s and 60s, some of which I remembered from my youth.  Our wall above our booth bore the dress Sally Fields (Forrest Gump's mother) wore in the movie.  She is a very tiny woman even though her stage presence is huge.

We ordered 1554 Enlightened Black Ale brewed by the New Belgium brewing company then tried to decide on which shrimp dish would suit us.  I ended up with fantastic shrimp tacos while Glen had Shrimp New Orleans.  Meanwhile, our server asked us questions from the movie.  I was surprised at how much I remembered.  We had just finished eating when we got a text from Geoff saying he was on his way to pick us up.  We returned to the hotel and gathered up our luggage.  Geoff and Miles arrived and we headed out to Aurora.

While Glen played with Miles, Geoff and I shopped for groceries and beer.  We had a great meal of sausages, sauerkraut, and delicious corn on the cob.

Tea for Two

Monday, Glen's meetings began with breakfast and would run the whole day.  I didn't mind as I had made plans to meet my good friend, Jennifer.  We connected10 years ago in Hawaii and our friendship has blossomed over the years so I was very excited to see her again.  She wanted to visit the Tattered Cover bookstore in LoDo so I headed there to meet her.

My first experience with this independent bookstore was eight years ago when Geoff and Melissa lived near Cherry Creek Mall.  That's where this premiere store had its beginnings in 1971.  In 1990, Tattered Cover bought an historic building in LoDo which has since expanded to 20,000 square feet.  In 2006, the Cherry Creek store closed and moved to Colfax Ave.  Jennifer had read it was the largest independent bookstore in the United States and the one in LoDo is huge.

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves divide the two floors into nooks where comfy chairs or sofas allow one to read in peace.  Both Jennifer and I thought the store felt like an old library.  I unconsciously lowered my voice as we spoke and even a gaggle of kids (on a field trip) were not loud.  My only disappointment was that their beautiful central staircase was closed for repairs.

We headed up the 16 Street Mall as our next stop was tea at the Brown Palace hotel.  We arrived early so we could enjoy the ambiance of this beautiful old hotel.  Built in 1892 by Henry Brown, it has hosted almost every president beginning with Teddy Roosevelt in 1905.  Brown donated some of his land to build the State Capital then made his fortune selling the rest which allowed him to build a 'palace' hotel.

We went to the spa to buy some lip balm for Melissa and learned there was an apiary on the roof which provided the honey used in making their signature soaps and beauty products.  The hotel also has its own artesian well, 750 feet beneath the Ship Tavern.

Afternoon Tea begins at noon and Jennifer made reservations for 12:30 (it's a popular spot so call ahead if you wish to go).  The tea is set up in the lobby, an open atrium rising eight floors and lit by a lovely stained glass window.  Each floor has cast iron balconies overlooking the lobby.

We ordered Veuve Clicquot for Two which came with scones (and a bowl mounded high with clotted cream), tea sandwiches (open-faced cucumber were my favourite) and tiny pastries.  Veuve Clicquot is the best champagne I've tasted and could easily become my choice for New Year's.  We also drank Brown Palace Crown Jewel tea made of a blend of Assam and Ceylon leaves, served in silver teapots.  A special truffle finished the meal nicely.

Most patrons enjoying their teas and the soft piano music filling the lobby were dressed in flowery summer frocks but neither Jennifer nor I felt out of place in our blouses and pants.  One day, we'll do tea wearing fascinators and gloves but we felt elegant as we sipped our tea from fine bone china cups and used heavy silver utensils.

Jennifer and I parted after lunch but made plans for supper with our husbands.  We met at Rock Bottom Brewery and enjoyed a great evening together.  I had shrimp and lobster enchiladas and Red Ale while Glen enjoyed his steak with Rolle Bolle.  Neil had work that evening so we parted company after supper.