Vegas: Day 1

Per usual, I am behind on posting about our recent trip to Vegas so I will attempt to do it in pieces.

This was our fifth trip in as many years, and the longest we've stayed there (5 nights). It was also our first late-summer visit. Temperatures ran in the triple digits the entire time we were there, which didn't bother us at all.

Day 1: Sunday, August 17th.

Our flight was at 10:20. We always fly Alaska to Vegas, though flights are often delayed/cancelled. After a quick cab ride from Beacon Hill, in which we had to instruct the cab driver how to get to the airport from our house (cab drivers are so confused by Beacon Hill!) we arrived at Sea-Tac around 8:15 or so. After checking in, we learned that the flight was oversold and seats would be assigned at the gate. This was a little concerning, but we arrived early and at the gate we got our seats without any problem.

We landed in Vegas around 12:45 and at the baggage claim I ran into an old co-worker. Pleasantly random! The taxi line at the Vegas airport was unbelievable, but we were impressed by how quickly it moved. Checking into Planet Hollywood was a bit of a disappointment. Even though it was close to the check-in time of 3pm, only a smoking room was available.

So we opted to wait for a non-smoking room and walked around the attached Miracle Miles Shops. We were excited to try the Hawaiian Tropic Zone restaurant, new since our last trip, so we stopped in there for our first Vegas cocktails. A guy handed us a few coupons on the way in so we were able to get 4 drinks for the price of two. I had mojitos, while Dan opted for a classic margarita.


The drinks were smooth and refreshing, but the atmosphere was less Hawaiian than we expected. It was afternoon so we couldn't really get a sense of what the "scene" was like, but there was a platform above the bar that is apparently where women dance. It had a pretty sleek interior with some outside seating with covered cabanas also available.

After checking back for a room once with no luck, we decided to head back into the mall for dinner. We opted for Chesseburger Las Vegas, one of the newer locations in the expanding franchise that began with Cheeseburger Waikiki. Two surfer girls from California started the company after realizing there was no place in Hawai`i to get a mai tai and a cheeseburger.

The interior of this place was definitely Hawaiian! We felt right at home.



Dan tried their mai tai, which was reportedly very good while I couldn't resist a Kona Fire Rock Ale on tap. We split the "It's all Good" burger with some onion rings. Mmmm...heaven in a bun.



Feeling satiated by food and drink, we were finally ready for room 3217. The hotel used to be the Aladdin, but the new owners are slowly making updates to reflect the new image. The room itself was a little on the small side, but the bathroom was awesome. It must have been recently remodeled: double doors, separate deep tub from the walk-in shower, toilet room with door, plenty of space.

Our view wasn't so bad, either.



We took a nap on the comfy bed.



Then it was off to the monorail for a quick ride over to the Las Vegas Hilton.



The monorail is an easy way to get from South to North strip. It costs $5 per ride, or you can buy unlimited 3-day passes for $28. I've never had to wait long, and they are nice and cool inside.


After being dumped off at the Hilton, we cruised right into Quark's bar. As mentioned in previous post, the Star Trek Experience is closing on September 1st so this would be our last trip to enjoy it. We pushed our way in, grabbed two seats at the bar and began sharing a Warped Core Beach.



It is less scary than it looks, and actually tastes pretty good. It contains five types of rum, and plenty of raspberry flavorings. We normally only share one, but we got caught up in the nostalgia of the impending closure and ordered a second one! Uh-oh.



Apparently on our way back to our hotel, this 15 year old Elvis impersonator talked us into posing with him.



Also, I found my fashion twin!



The rest if somewhat blurry, but the night ended in alka seltzer and proved to be the only night we attempted to drink like twenty year olds.

More to come....

Garden Update

See

Last week we harvested our first tomato and had it with some falafel.



Then, last weekend we harvested all this summer squash!

Dan cut if up and grilled it for our dinner guests. People were very pleased.


Not only that, we use some carrots from our garden and added them in with the store-bought ones for our Moroccan carrot salad (also for dinner guests).



What fun it is to grow our own food! Next up are the cucumbers...they are getting very close.

Drink

Mix half a glass of limeade with a Corona. It is refreshing and you will like it.



Also, I mixed up a batch of "Azul Margaritas" for our aforementioned guests (My family, for my mom's 65th bday). I mixed limeade (from concentrate) with a little less than the instructed amount of water, added in the juice of two limes, about 2.5 cups of tequila and 1 cup of blue caracao. They were mighty tasty if I do say so myself.



Remember

After dinner there was a rainbow over our house!



Remember Showbiz Pizza? I had my 8th or 9th birthday party there, and thanks to my mom I now have the evidence. She recently dredged up some old photos for a gift/display at our wedding reception.


Not to Worry

Headed to Vegas on Sunday. The highs look to be around 105-107 and the lows around 80. People think we are crazy, but we get along well in the desert heat. Once you've made it through Burning Man (higher temps with very little shade and no shade, AC or swimming pools) "hot" takes on a new meaning.

I found a great Vegas Blog that I've been looking at to get ideas on what to do.

More from the City of Sin!

Making a Living and eating it

See

Tuesday night Dan, our good pal Ruth and I ventured out to Rebar, to see the Brown Derby's latest concoction of camp, hilarity and irreverance: a staged reading of the movie 9 to 5.

It had been a while since I had seen one of their shows, but I knew a lot of the actors in this one and really wanted to make the effort. I'm glad I did, as it was thoroughly entertaining - and I hadn't even seen the movie. I think my friend Scott as the alcoholic office worker with bizarre wig was my favorite.

The show closes tonight. Doors open at 7pm and tickets are $14. Opening night was packed.



Eat/Drink

Before the show we had dinner at Machiavelli , a restaurant I always tend to forget about. Dan and I had our second date there, and I believe I've been there two other times in all the years I've lived in Seattle/Capitol Hill.


This time I tried the spinach shells with Italian sausage and marinara, and we shared a bottle of white wine. The prices are very reasonable and the menu is straightforward but offers enough diversity to require some decision making.



I'm partial to La Spiga for Italian food on Capitol Hill, but I think Machiavelli is worthy of keeping on the ol' radar. It can sometimes get really crowded, which has turned me away a few times, but early weeknights seem to be optimal for quick, affordable, tasty dinners.

Read

I finally finished Look to the Source. I picked up some valuable insights into the Hawaiian belief system (both ancient, and as interpreted today). Much of it had to do with rituals around death and grieving, though, so I had to fight my inner superstitious worrier.

I am now reading Fornander's Ancient History of the Hawaiian People to the Times of Kamehameha I with introduction by Glen Grant.

Abraham Fornander was a Swedish emigrant who came to Hawai`i by way of the whaling industry, and later became a successful journalist who boldly made his stance as anti-missionary and devoted much of his life to educating the world on the history of the Hawaiian people. He fought against the missionary's idea that until the haole "discovered" Hawai`i, there was no means of civilization or order. This book is actually the second volume of a complete history of ancient Polynesia, but has been re-printed and targeted to those with a specific interest in Hawai`i's past.

Remember

I have been a little side-tracked lately with our Hawai`i Blog. Check it out!

My brother-in-law is running for Judge of King County Superior Court. He has had a phenomenal career as a Prosecuting Attorney, is an undeniable leader in the field of law and is unequivocally dedicated to justice.

To learn more, check out his web site. The primary is August 19th!

Worry

This cat needs a home!

DansinHawaii now Live!

First post is up! More to come. Check us out!

http://www.thedansinhawaii.blogspot.com

I love summer

See

My vegetable garden is a bit of a success! We harvested broccoli last week, and had it with our dinner.



What an accomplished feeling to create our own food! Doing well also: squash, cucumber, carrots, tomato

Still hope, but in need of a comeback: basil, red pepper.

So, it turns out I really dig gardening (veggies in particular). I'd like to learn more, and next year build some raised beds to keep the critters out. I was too late for rhubarb this year, and that's one crop I really enjoy. Reminds me of growing up and eating the sauce and pies and cobblers and jams my mom would make from the garden we had in the backyard.

Eat

I've been to Cafe Flora twice in the past week, both sort of related to work. Last week I was invited to a dinner with the Database Resarch group (who I work with) and I tried the Yakima Valley polenta. It came with many seasonal fruits and veggies (bing cherries, snap peas, kale) and some cheese and a raspberry coulis. It was tasty, but nothing can beat their yam fries with cayenne aioli. Yum.

Last night my co-worker Ashish and his wife, Shalene took us out to celebrate our recent wedding (really, I don't know when it will all end with the generosity, but I'm completely grateful and surprised when it happens). I suggested Cafe Flora because I knew Shalene didn't eat meat, and I think it was a good choice. This time I had the "french dip" which used portobello mushroom instead of roast beef. It was served on a nice toasty bun with melted swiss cheese, along with a cup of mushroom au jus and a nice helping of those delicious yam fries. Beyond gastronomical delights, the evening was full of good energy, catching up and learning a bit more about each other.

Drink

It's summer so anything cold seems epicurean, but last week I got hold of a Chateau St. Michele Dry Rose that knocked my socks off! I have to re-post the label when I get the image uploaded. But who knew? Rose. Yum.

Update: here is the pic, taken near our recycling bin



Read

I have been reading this book I got in Hilo last month. It is a bit dense at times (particularly in summer, on a crowded bus, which is too often when I find time to read), but the encyclopedia style is user-friendly and helpful if you get lost or need to go back and reference something you didn't fully absorb the first time. It is essentially a look at Hawaiian words, what they meant in ancient times, how they related to a specific belief or custom and what the significance is (in 1972) today.

I think the book is targeted toward case workers so that they can better understand their clients of native Hawaiian descent, but for Hawaii-philes like myself there is definitely plenty to dig into from a purely cultural awareness perspective.

Remember

I just volunteered to help with the first ever Live Aloha Festival happening on September 7th from 11am-7pm at Seattle Center. Every year as part of their FESTAL programming they offer up a whole weekend for a particular culture. So far Hawai`i has been left out. But this year, thanks to many who rallied for it, a one-day festival will take place in hopes for future expansion. More on that to come!

Also, I went to Discovery Park for the first time EVER on Saturday. What a beautiful spot! We hiked on the trails for an hour or more, soaking up the sun and enjoying the natural surroundings.

I love summer!

Star Trek Experience Closing.

I just learned that the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton is closing, which includes Quark's - my absolute favorite bar in all of the USA! I am not a huge trekkie, but my husband is a bit so we visited the Experience on our first trip to Vegas in May 2004. We got there late so we only got to experience one of the rides.

According to news reports, the Experience will be closing in early September, which means our trip this August will be our last time to share a big bowl of cocktail with dry ice.

Sad. We've been back every time we've visited since and always meet people sitting at the bar. I think being in such a silly atmosphere helps break down barriers and people just feel comfortable to chat and reach out. There are plenty of big city bars out there with red walls, candles, moodiness and sleek. But only one Quark's.

A new chapter

It's been some time since I've posted anything so I thought I'd quickly get back in the rhythm of things.

The month or so leading up to the wedding was pretty busy, attending to many details and plans. Everything turned out, well, perfect. Just as I had imagined it. All the planning really paid off in the end. It was a beautiful time, a trip of a lifetime really.

I will post more about it, and Dan & I are also going to work on a new blog just for our Hawaiian adventures.

But for now, here is a link to some photos and descriptions of the trip (more photos from the professional photographers to come):

Dan and Dan in Hawai`i