3rd Times a Charm

So the countdown to Vegas begins again...one month to go! This will be our 3rd trip back and first time staying in downtown (at the Golden Nugget). It will be just Steve and I this time because our friends decided not to go. I'm looking forward to hanging out at the pool, walking around Fremont St, and hopefully going to Red Rock Canyon that's just outside Las Vegas. We will also be celebrating my last birthday in my 20s. We plan to spend the evening at Tao Nightclub. This will probably be our last chance to visit Vegas for awhile, so we'll try to see as much as we can this time. Look for pictures after we get back!

Lobby at the Golden Nugget

Wisconsin Dells

Steve and I went to the Wisconsin Dells July 21-25 to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. We had so much fun and the weather was beautiful. We received free wristbands to Mt. Olympus water and amusement park, where we spent most of our daytime. Here are some pics to highlight our trip:

Moosejaw Restaurant & Brewery

Mt. Olympus Water/Amusement Park

Wett Nightclub

Sites around the Dells

Happy 4th Weekend!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend! It looks like the weather will be beautiful here in MN. The hubby and I plan to head to the beach today and then later we're heading downtown to see the Twins take on the Brewers. We also got a hotel room at the Marquette Hotel so it'll be a mini-vacation for us tonight.

Here's a pic of Target Field that I took at a previous game:

Sunday we plan to sleep in and grab brunch before we head home. Monday I have off but my husband works, so I will probably hang out with a friend and her daughter. We may go to a parade and then swim at her parents' pool.

Enjoy your weekend! We're heading to the Wisconsin Dells in a few weeks for our anniversary so look for pics from that soon!

Two trips planned!!

I'm happy to announce that we have two upcoming vacations booked! Since we love Vegas so much, we decided to go back for my birthday in September. This time we decided to stay off the strip in downtown at the Golden Nugget. I'm super excited to sit by their awesome pool. Some of our friends may also join us for a great time in Sin City.

Our next trip is to the Riviera Maya area of Mexico in February. We're lucky enough to stay at the Aventura Spa Palace, about an hour south of Cancun. My parents own a timeshare and were able to use that to get us a great discount at this all-inclusive. I'm looking forward to getting away from the Minnesota winter for a week!

Bucket List

Everyone has things they want to do and see before they die. Obviously, we like to travel, so we're always thinking of places we'd like to visit in our lifetime.
Here are the top ten on my bucket list:

1. Cook Islands : Located in the pacific, between Australia and Hawaii. Known for the most beautiful beaches in the world. Sounds like true paradise.

2. Australia: This has been a place I've wanted to visit since I was young. I would love to go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef and visit Sydney

3. Italy: My sister studied in Italy for several years and I was never able to visit. I would love to see all the history and art, especially Rome and Florence.

4. Greece: So much history and beauty here, also another place I've wanted to visit for a long time.

5. Alaska: My husband's aunt and uncle live in Alaska, but we have yet to visit. The wildlife and nature sounds amazing and we will definitely have to check this off our list at some point. We even have a free place to stay!

6. New Orleans: One part of the country that I've never visited. The culture, food, and history intrigue me. And I've always wanted to check out Bourbon Street!

7. Rio De Janeiro: South America is an area of the world that I don't know much about. I've heard that Rio is a must-see City and it's a mix of Brazilian and European culture. I would like to learn more about the country and people.

8. Costa Rica: A combination of beaches, tropical wildlife, and rainforest. What could be better?

9. Dubai: The architecture of the city is unbelievable and a resort/beach area. Also known for great shopping and nightlife.

10. Pyramids of Giza: I've always thought the pyramids are fascinating and it would be amazing to see them in person.

What's on your bucket list?

Travel Photo Wall

We have visited several places in the last couple years and I wanted to frame and hang some of the photos in our home. I decided to make a travel photo wall with frames I bought from IKEA.

Here's how it turned out:

Las Vegas Strip

Bean Sculpture at Millennium Park in Chicago

 Target Field in Minneapolis

 Hoover Dam

Fountain at the Bellagio

 Wrigley Field in Chicago

Sunset in Aruba

Summer Plans

So far we have a couple things planned for this summer. Our wedding anniversary is in July, so we decided to spend a long weekend at the Wisconsin Dells to celebrate this year. I haven't been there since I was a kid. There are lots of waterparks and fun family things to do. We are staying at Odyssey Dells where my parents have a time share. It'll be nice to get away for a few days and it's only about a 3 hour drive from us.

I also have an annual girls' weekend that I will be attending again this July. One of my friends has a cabin in Danbury, Wisconsin. It's about 1 1/2 hours from the Twin Cities, right on the MN/WI border. It's a cute small town with antique shops. We usually do some shopping, swim in the river, gossip, and of course enjoy a few cocktails. It's always a good time to get away with the girls.

I also can't wait until it's warm enough to have happy hour on a patio! We've had a cold spring and I'm definitely getting restless.

Anyone have fun summer plans???

Las Vegas March 2011

We just got back from Vegas on Wednesday and I have a lot to share!  We had a fabulous time and did a ton of fun things like club hopped, ate great food, visited the Hoover Dam, and saw a Cirque du Soleil show.  We stayed at the Paris Hotel, which I would definitely recommend.  It's right in the middle of the strip so it's easy to get to the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, Bally's, and the Monorail.  We didn't have a strip view from our rooms, but they were very big.  We had 2 queen beds and a huge bathroom with marble floors.  The walls were pretty thin, but I didn't have any trouble sleeping.  Overall, I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars for location and room size.

Saturday March 5
Unfortunately, our flight was delayed an hour leaving the airport, so we didn't arrive in Vegas until after 5pm.  We checked in quickly to the Paris Hotel and grabbed dinner at Le Burger Brasserie.  The food was pretty good and everyone enjoyed their burgers.  We then got ready to head out for a night on the town.  Our first stop was at Tabu at MGM Grand.  It has a lounge feel but the DJ was playing really good music.

We then headed over to the Luxor to LAX nightclub which was probably my favorite stop of the evening.  The music was good and everyone was having a great time.

The last stop of the evening was at Pure Caesars Palace.  We danced for a bit and then made our way up to the terrace that had amazing views of the strip.

Thanks to Club Viva Las Vegas who hosted a wonderful night! We had a great time, but we were exhausted by the end of the night.  After traveling and the time difference, we were up for about 24 hours, so we were ready to go to bed.  Lots more to see and do!



Sunday March 6

We slept in the next day and had breakfast at Sidewalk Cafe at Bally's next door to Paris.  The food was pretty good and cheap.  We then took the Monorail down to the north end of the strip.

We walked for awhile and also stopped to gamble at a couple places along the way.  We then took the monorail back to our hotel to rest up before dinner.  Before arriving in Vegas, I made reservations for us at LAVO at the Palazzo.

Here's a cool fountain outside the restaurant:

Inside of LAVO:

We had an amazing dinner.  LAVO is known for their kobe beef meatballs, so we had to try one.  They were huge so the four of us split one as an appetizer.  It was delicious!  Jill and I had pasta for dinner, my husband had beef ribs, and Ryan had lobster risotto.  Everyone enjoyed their food and the service was great.

At a waterfall at the Venetian:

Monday March 7

We decided to rent a car and drive to the Hoover Dam for the day.  It's about 30 miles south of Las Vegas, so it's a pretty quick drive.  They do offer tours, but there is quite a bit you can see on your own.  In 2010, a bridge above the dam was completed, giving awesome views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also stopped to look at Lake Mead, which was formed by the dam

After we got back to the city, Jill and I had to get ready to see the Cirque du Soleil show Mystere at Treasure Island.  It was an amazing show!  Neither of us had seen Cirque du Soleil before and we were both glad we went.  While we were at the show, the guys went downtown for awhile.  Afterwards, Jill and I went to Kahunaville for a couple drinks until the guys picked us up.

 

 

 My big drink with dry ice :)

Tuesday March 8

For lunch, we decided to eat at the buffet at our hotel.  It was pretty good.  We came in at the end of breakfast and beginning of lunch, so we had a little of both.  I was pretty worn out from everything we had done the last few days, so I rested for awhile in the afternoon while the guys went and gambled.  We decided to head to downtown that evening to check out Fremont Street.   

 

 We had dinner at the Golden Nugget and checked out the awesome aquarium and pool. 

 

 

 

 

We left for the airport early Wednesday morning.  Overall, we had an amazing trip and can't wait to go back!