Vegas Vacation: Part 1 of 2

This past weekend, I found out that there's more to Vegas than looking like a hooker and going to strip clubs! Albert's family invited me to come along on their family trip to Las Vegas. We stayed at MGM (a first for me) Saturday through Monday. This was the first time (post turning 21) that I've been to Vegas without going to a club, going to a strip club, and/or gambling. Still plenty of drinking, but not to the point of throwing up or blacking out.

On the first night in town, Albert and I watched Team USA's Exhibition game. Jello made the drive up that evening to join us at the game too. A lot of the players I was looking forward to watching (actually, just Kobe), ended up not playing, but it was still fun to watch. It was definitely different from watching a Lakers game because I was a lot more easily distracted. Khloe Kardashian was there (our seats were closer to the court than hers was!) but left during halftime because she got mobbed for pictures. I think the white team won, but I honestly wasn't paying attention. There was a tequila station there and I was busy yelling "Hi!" to the players in an attempt to get them to wave or nod.

I got to introduce Aloha Kitchen to Jenny, Kristen, Albert, and Jello...2 Local plates, one kalua & katsu plate, one kalbi plate, and one adobo fried rice omelet later, I think I convinced them to make this restaurant a must-do whenever we come to Vegas. The food is pretty delicious, but I'd argue that it's even better the morning after a night of drinking :) After dinner, the girls turned in for the night and we hung out with Albert's cousin from Wisconsin (Bernard) for a little bit. It was Bernard's first trip to Vegas so he was ready to party hearty...unfortunately, it was our first night after driving in, so we were ready to call it a night at 2am.

Jello had to drive back to LA on Sunday, but we had a full day ahead of us. The itinerary: eat, pool, eat, drink, midway, movie, eat, and sleep...hahah! The pool was packed for a Sunday, but that didn't stop us from getting in and walking the lazy river. The pool is so refreshing in the middle of the desert and great for people-watching, one of mine and Albert's favorite things to do together. That evening, Albert introduced us to a new restaurant: Metro Pizza. OMG...I LOVED it! Best pizza place in Vegas hands down. Between the 4 of us (Jenny, Kristen, Albert, and me) we shared Fried Calamari, Garlic Romano Fries, and a small stuffed pizza called The Stockyard. Do you think we finished all of it? NOPE. I wanted to, but there was no more room in my stomach. The Stockyard pizza was so delicious. The pizza packed with pepperoni, sausage, and ground beef, then covered with another layer of dough, baked, and topped off with tomato sauce. If you're looking for a solid place for pizza, on or off The Strip, it's Metro Pizza. You gotta give it a try.

Yesterday, we took a Greyhound bus home. Albert thought his parents were coming back to LA on Monday, but they moved their departure date to Tuesday so we were scrambling for a way to get home in time for work on Tuesday (today). I remembered that my mom and dad used to take the bus to Vegas all the time when they first started dating, so I suggested that as our way home. It was definitely cheaper than flying home ($50 for a bus ticket vs. $161 for a plane ticket). Turns out, Albert and his mom used to use the bus to get to Vegas too when his Dad lived out there. The bus ride is about 5 hours long with a stop for food in Barstow. It's a nice ride and great for taking naps while someone else worries about the traffic. This year seems to be the year I'm traveling to Vegas in all modes of transportation!

Albert and I are headed out to Vegas again...this time with my family. It's also T.J.'s 22nd birthday on Friday, so we're hoping we can take him out on a couple of the roller coasters out there. He loves his roller coasters :) T.J.'s been there since Sunday and won't be leaving until this coming Sunday...lucky guy is definitely enjoying his summer break! Definitely going to try to hit up Metro Pizza again and fit in Bachi Burger! Stay tuned for Part 2!

Cruising...

I recently took a 3-day cruise to Ensenada, Mexico, with friends aboard the Carnival Paradise ship. The ship sets sail from the Port of Long Beach, docks at a port in Ensenada for about 8 hours, spends a day at sea, then heads back to Long Beach. When in Ensenada, you have the option of doing excursions (e.g., tours/activities around the city offered by the cruise line) or exploring on your own. It was my second time taking this particular cruise, and my third cruise overall.

During my first time taking the Ensenada cruise, my family and I spent the day taking tours but this time around my friends and I spent the day exploring Ensenada's "downtown" area on our own. Once we got off the boat and took the shuttle into town ($2 each way), we found tour guides offering us a $20 All-You-Can-Drink special at Mango Mango Restaurant and Bar. It was a 15 minute walk through Primera Street from the shuttle stop to the bar  (that was the extent of our sightseeing in Ensenada..hahah!).

Mango Mango is located just across the street from Papas&Beer, which seemed to be the more popular of the two. Unfortunately, Papas&Beer didn't have the All-You-Can-Drink special, so Mango Mango was the better value. It was less crowded which made getting drinks and bathroom access a whole lot easier. Our group was the first one in, so we had prime seating and could people watch, not to mention we had a GREAT view of all the debauchery happening at Papas&Beer without being surrounded by d-bags. The D.J. was pretty good and took requests.The mixed drinks weren't super strong, but it didn't matter after 5 hours. Plus shots were included in the drink special so I'd say I definitely got my $20 worth and then some. We did end up checking out Papas&Beer before we headed back to the boat. By then all of us were drunk as skunks. We didn't spend too much time there because we wanted to do some drunk eating before getting back on the ship. We found a local taco shop and chowed down on freshly made tacos (YUM!). Somehow, we managed to get our drunk asses back on the boat in time for dinner.

The last day before getting back to Long Beach was spent at sea. Albert and I made an appointment for a Couples Massage (more details to follow on that experience in a separate post) and then met up with the rest of the group. Coincidentally, this was the same day as the Finals match of the World Cup: Spain vs. Netherlands. Neither team had ever won the World Cup, so it was a historic match either way. Albert was determined to watch it while we were on the cruise and luckily it was on all the TVs in every bar. I wasn't following the World Cup very closely, so I lounged at the pool with the girls and Albert watched with the boys. I was definitely cheering for Spain though (David Villa rocks!) and they ended up winning!

Word to the wise, this cruise isn't really ideal for families. The 3-day cruise to Ensenada is basically a booze cruise. Yes, there were families there and I've been on it with my family, but it's very much a party boat for 3 days. There were several bachelor/bachelorette parties on board as well as friends going on a mini-vacation (like us) to cut loose for a couple days. It's loud, it's rowdy, and a little (okay, maybe a lot) inappropriate. Would you expect anything less from a bunch of twenty-somethings on a boat surrounded by several full bars for 3 days? Nope :)

Oh July!

Although it doesn't look like it, Summer is definitely in full swing for me! 

This past weekend was 4th of July weekend but, more importantly, it was April & Victor's wedding. The wedding took place on Sunday at The Vineyards in Simi Valley and you couldn't have asked for a more perfect day: great weather, great friends, great food, and plenty of alcohol (courtesy of April and Victor...they definitely know how to throw a party!). I did manage to get to my pre-Bacherlorette Party in Vegas weight, so I felt at ease wearing a bright yellow dress :) I love, love, love darker colors, but seeing how everything was pulled together for the wedding, yellow and red make is a beautiful color combination. I think April and Victor did a great job with their sunset theme..one of the prettiest weddings I've bee to. If you want to see what I'm talking about, just look at facbook, pictures galore on there!

Next weekend is the cruise to Ensenada. I've been on this cruise before, but with my mom, my dad, T.J. and my cousin Ian. I was excited to spend the time with family and it was my first cruise ever so I was curious to see how I would do on a boat. Turns out cruises are pretty relaxing and 3 days on a boat is perfect for me. We also took a tour of La Bufadora and a local winery. However, this time around definitely promises to be a little bit different since I'm headed out there with friends. There's a kayak excursion that I kinda want to do, but I'll be happy just chillin' on the beach with a drink in hand and friends beside me...it's guaranteed to be a good time as long as we're together!

After the cruise, it's one open weekend then back-to-back-to-back trips to Vegas. July is definitely going to keep me busy!