Las Vegas 2023

Tuesday January 3rd - Thursday January 5th

We decided to fly out to Las Vegas, Nevada the first week of January to make the most of our Holiday vacation after our Portland, Oregon trip was cancelled by Southwest airlines due to weather and IT issues. It seems as if everyone else had the same idea, as prices for Las Vegas hotels and flights the first weekend of the new year were elevated. We chose to go Tuesday to Thursday where the prices were lower.

This trip would be a more relaxed, slow paced trip compared to previous Vegas trips where day/night clubs were involved. The primary goal of this particular visit was to eat good food and to visit Area 15’s Omega Mart. The photos below are in no particular order. All photos were taken with the Canon 6D + EF 24-70mm F2.8L and the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

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Catch

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>> Yelp Link

Located in ARIA resort, Catch is a trendy, asian-influenced seafood, sushi, and steak restaurant infamous for their beautiful entry ways and celebrity sightings. Stepping through the floral tunnel to enter the restaurant, you’re transported into a low-lit, moody restaurant full of patrons and the excited hum of dinner conversations.

Truffle Sashimi. I usually have an aversion to truffle sauces typically found in pasta sauces or fries, but the truffle sauce paired excellently with the light and buttery sashimi.

Other dishes below include the Hellfire Roll, Crunchy Rice Cake, Crispy Shrimp, Lobster Mac and Cheese, and the Hit Me Cake.

The Hit Me Cake was the perfect way to end the delicious meal. A klondike bar sits atop layers of chocolate cake, caramel/dulce de leche ice cream, and a brownie waiting to be drizzled with more chocolate sauce, and ultimately smashed open by the consumer. A fun finale.

Hattie B’s

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>> Yelp Link

Hattie B’s is an American chain restaurant that specializes in Nashville hot chicken. The restaurant is located in the Cosmopolitan resort food court next to the popular breakfast restaurant EggSlut. Hattie B’s was also at last year’s Coachella music festival as a food vendor. They offer bone-in pieces, chicken sandwiches, and chicken tenders at varying spice levels. Below is a 3 piece chicken tender with a side of fries and mac and cheese. The meal is definitely shareable if you are looking for a lighter meal.

Gordon Ramsay’s Fish and Chips

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>> Yelp Link

A fast-casual, order at the register type of eatery located next to the Linq. With a personality like Gordon Ramsay included in the name, this restaurant has a lot on the line to perform and taste as good as Gordon’s reputation. The menu is simple, serving boxes with choice of protein, fries, and sauces. The fish’s batter is light and not dripping in excess oil, fries perfectly crisp. There is limited seating inside and out of the shop, which can be difficult as there is always a line.

Omega Mart

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>> Yelp Link

Omega Mart is an immersive art experience created by Meow Wolf, located inside the events pavilion Area 15. The art installation’s backstory is based on sci-fy and strange inter-dimensional oddities that you can explore as you walk through the expansive areas. The entrance to the art installation is set up as a typical grocery store, but as you peer closer to the familiar items, you’ll notice that they are slightly off in a sort of unsettling way. Go through the freezer in a speakeasy-esque fashion and you feel like you’ve been transported into another dimension. There are many rooms and objects that encourage interaction. The installation can be observed just by passively walking through, but it is highly encouraged to purchase a $3 ‘game card’ that can be used to activate a multitude of stations around the installation to learn more about the backstory, and to participate in a ‘quest’ like experience.

Area 15

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>> Yelp Link

Area 15 is a hub for pay-as-you-go events/experiences. Entry is free.

The Chandelier

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>> Yelp Link

The Chandelier is a lounge/bar located inside the cosmopolitan. The tiered lounge has 3 levels, and is hard to miss. Known for their off-menu cocktail the ‘Verbena’, patrons visit The Chandelier to try the experience in a cocktail. The Verbena is a margarita tasting cocktail served with a ‘buzz ball’. You’re instructed to taste a sip of the cocktail, then chew on the buzzball for ~30 seconds, and then continue with the cocktail. The buzz ball is reminiscent of eating spicy Szechuan food, as your mouth starts to envelop a tingling and numbing sensation lasting for around 5 minutes. The mouth feel alters the taste and experience of drinking the cocktail.

Bacchanal Buffet

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>> Yelp Link

The famous Bacchanal buffet is located inside Caesars Palace. The buffet is divided into Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, American, Seafood, Pizza, Deli, and Desserts. Most items are self serve, aside from the carved meats. As far as buffets go, the offerings are top notch and do not feel like ‘buffet food’. Each item is restaurant quality and could tick off any possible cravings you have. It felt a bit gluttonous being in the dining hall that had an aura of abundance, but it was an interesting experience eating like a greek god for 90 minutes.

Cafe Americano

Restaurant located next to the Caesars Palace lobby. Large portions. Quick morning stop before our flight.

Nacho Daddy

A chain specializing in different variety of Nachos with tons of toppings. Great late night choice.

Assorted Las Vegas Pictures

Disneyland 2022 - Day 1

We took a trip down to Los Angeles during Thanksgiving week to visit friends and Disneyland. The last time I had gone to Disneyland was in 2012. I was excited to see all the new additions to the park, as well as the holiday theme, as I have never visited during the holiday season.

Solvang, California

On the way down, we stopped to see Solvang, California, a small danish town with unique architecture, shops, and wineries.

Downtown Disney

We met up with some of our local friends to hang out at downtown Disney, a shopping and food plaza adjacent to the Disney and California Adventure parks. Downtown Disney is a gateway to Disney hotels, trains that transport guests to the Disney parking lot, and many Disney related stores and restaurants. It feels like an extension of the parks, except it is free to enter.

Trader Sam’s

A tiki bar serving cocktails and island food.

Star Wars Trading Post

Day one at Disneyland started early at 8:00 AM when the parks opened. We had 2-day park hopper tickets to maximize our time between the two parks. We opted to start with California Adventure on Sunday, hoping Disneyland would be a little less crowded on Monday. Our first ride of the day was spider-man’s web slinger in the new Avenger’s Campus. As an adult, I could better appreciate the attention to detail that goes into each attraction.

Pym’s Test Kitchen

An Ant-Man inspired restaurant serving small snacks and drinks

Guardians of the Galaxy, Mission: Breakout

Previously the Tower of Terror, the tall free-fall elevator based attraction is now themed around the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Lamplight Lounge

We got lunch at the lamplight lounge, a sit down restaurant that could be easily missed, nestled next to the water with views of the Incredicoaster and Ferris Wheel.

The theme parks transform into a lively a cozy atmosphere at night, with Christmas lights and decorations lit up all around the grounds.

Naples

After a long day at the park, we ended the night eating pasta and pizza at Naples in Downtown Disney.

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park
Sunday, May 29th 2022

We took a day trip to Mount Rainier National Park during our Memorial Day weekend in Seattle, Washington. The national park is a 2-2.5 hour drive from Seattle depending on where you navigate to in the park. The park’s iconic green meadows filled with colorful wild flowers were unfortunately out of season. Most of the popular trails are still covered in snow in June at higher elevations. Hiking these trails is still possible, but require special hiking equipment like crampons or snow shoes. If you’re looking for wild flowers, peak season at Mount Rainier is in August. To make the best of trail conditions, we opted to hike in the lower elevation trails where the snow had already melted. We hiked the Silver Falls loop trail located in the Ohanapecosh camp ground, then visited the park’s visitor’s center in Paradise, next to the Paradise Inn.

Mount Rainier National Park is the fourth national park I have visited. I enjoyed the park’s lush green mossy forests, raging teal blue rivers, and white snow covered peaks.

Silver Falls Loop Trail

Silver Falls Loop Trail is a moderate 4 mile hike in Mount Rainier National Park. Sounds of the rushing river travels through the air as you walk surrounded by the lush green forrest. The roars get louder as you approach Silver Falls where you can witness the power of the water crashing between rocks. People of all ages were seen enjoying the trail.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/silver-falls-trail

Paradise Valley

Visitor’s Center

The visitor’s center is located in Paradise. Here park rangers are waiting to answer any questions you may have. You can also find gifts and snacks.

Paradise Inn

The Paradise Inn felt like a cozy cabin in the snow. The Inn is rich in history

Skyline Trail (?)

Skyline trail is the quintessential hike to get the most beautiful views of Mount Rainier’s wild flower meadows. In June, the trail and hills are covered in soft knee deep snow that engulfs your leg with every step, making it almost impossible to hike without special crampons or snow shoes. Fortunately, some of the trail was pre-packed by previous hikers, allowing us to explore the beginning of the trail in regular hiking shoes.

Miscellaneous Scenes Around Mount Rainier National Park

The grandiose scale of the mountains, rivers and trees in Mount Rainier National Park is hard to convey in pictures. The massive natural structures were awe inspiring to see in person.

The day trip ended with a visit from a friend.

Mount Rainier National Park is a uniquely beautiful environment with diverse climates based on elevation. The different climates made for a wonderful winter-y June hike. We will definitely be back during peak season to enjoy the wild flower covered meadows.

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park
Date Visited: Friday, November 12, 2021 - Saturday, November 13, 2021

I feel extremely lucky and privileged to live in California, home of nine national parks! Joshua Tree National Park is the third national park I have visited. The park is located in southern California, just two hours east of Los Angeles near Coachella valley. Named for the region’s twisted, bristled Joshua trees, the park is littered with thousands of the namesake trees as far as your eyes can see, interrupted only by the numerous gigantic, other worldly rock formations. Visiting in Fall / Winter was perfect and recommended, as the temperature never rose above unbearable.

Joshua Tree Visitor Center

Before entering the park, we stopped by the visitor center for souvenirs and park information. Knowledgeable park rangers were waiting outside the entrance to help guests with trail suggestions and general questions.

Cap Rock

Cap rock is an easy 0.4-mile loop trail with a view of a large rock formation with a smaller, flat rock balancing on top of it. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/cap-rock-trail

Hidden Valley Trail

Hidden Valley trail is an easy 1.0 mile loop with great views of Joshua Trees and huge rock walls of which you may see rock climbers traversing. Hidden valley is a great name for this trail, as it feels like you’ve been transported into a magically quiet landscape in the middle of nowhere. Surrounding the valley are fun blocks of rocks that just inviting you to climb them.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/hidden-valley-nature-trail?ref=result-card

Cholla Cactus Garden

Cholla cactus may seem like friendly, furry teddy bears, but be very cautious around them. Along the perimeter of the cactus garden are signs warning tourists of the ‘jumping’ nature of the cactus needles. The best time to visit the Cholla Cactus gardens is during sunrise, when the sun rises perfectly behind the cacti, making the ‘fur’ glow a brilliant golden hue.

Night Photography

Joshua Tree National Park is an astrophotographer’s dream. With light pollution at a low, the milky way can be visible with the naked eye. We did not account for the moon’s cycle, so you may have to wait until the early AM for complete darkness when the moon is over the hemisphere.

Arch Rock Nature Trail

Another jumbo rock playground. A must visit.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/arch-rock-trail--2?ref=result-card

Keys Point

Key’s point may be the most crowded location and visited location in the park. Key’s point is the go to sunset spot, with a high elevation and views of the Coachella Valley. Something about watching the sunset on Key’s point with a large group of travelers from all around the world did feel like a spiritual experience.