Tag Archives: vacation

Denver is a place where I’d love to live

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I’ve been wanting to visit Denver for pretty much forever, considering I love a good hippie vibe that will remind me of back when I lived in Flagstaff. I finally got out to the city of the north this past weekend, and I had a blast exploring the city, as well as Boulder. It wasn’t just a great escape from the desert heat–the people were fun, and there were a lot of cool activities to try while I was there.

My first night, my pal and I went to dinner at 1515 restaurant in the lower downtown part of Denver. I immediately loved the place, housed in a historic building with a hip bar downstairs and fine dining upstairs. The upstairs dining room had expert, knowledgable servers, and it was decorated with black and white photography.

I had the best meal of my life there, and I really loved their seasonal, molecular menu. I started with the Loaded Baked Potato Soup ($7), which was made with Creme Fraiche, powder cheddar cheese and a chive oil (I left off the bacon). It was rich and creamy and tasted super-fresh.

My entree was absolutely amazing, the Raspberry Goat Cheese Ravioli ($19). I’ve never had anything like it and never thought I’d be eating pasta with a bright pink stuffing. It was delectable and covered with walnuts, watercress and a grapefruit butter sauce.

Even the bread and butter before the meal was so good, with an orange-infused butter to spread on the freshly baked bread. From start to finish, everything was wonderful, and I’d recommend it as a fancy date place if you choose to eat upstairs.

Later that night, we went to one of the hippest bars I’ve ever been to, the Green Russell, also in lower downtown. All the male bartenders wore dapper duds that would fit in well at a speakeasy, and a hostess seats you to take in your cocktails–it’s not just drinking, it’s an event, and you can even make reservations since the place gets so packed.

Each cocktail, starting at $12, is handcrafted with a variety of fresh ingredients, and the bartenders make them with a showy flourish. The bar also serves up some local brews ($6) and a variety of pies nightly.

The next day, we explored a little more of the city of Denver, starting with a trip to the Denver Art Museum.

The sprawling art museum spans seven stories and houses Native American, European, Central American and Asian art. It had a great mix of classic and modern works, and it’s the largest art museum between Chicago and California. I definitely could have spent all day there, and there were lots of cool exhibits to check out.

Next, it was off to the Downtown Aquarium.

Compared to another aquarium I’ve been to, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, this one was much smaller, but it was still cool to see all the fish and marine life–and the sea otters were so freaking cute.

That night, we went to a Colorado Rockies game to help cheer them on to beat the San Francisco Giants.

The stadium was super-cool, and I loved their dinosaur mascot. I was happy to see so many people at the game, and even though they ended up losing 9-1, it was still a really fun experience–especially because I was super-close to Brian Wilson!

We headed to Denver’s Oktoberfest afterward, which goes for two weekends and features a slew of German music, food and beer to sample. It was a huge hit with the downtown Denver crowd, and it was a lot of fun to check out.

The next day, we drove about 45 minutes to nearby town Boulder, a college town that reminded me so much of Flagstaff. There were tons of people riding bikes, the weather was cool and beautiful, and there were a ton of fun street performers along the Pearl Street Mall part of town.

There wasn’t too much to do in the town part besides eat, drink, shop and watch street performers, but Boulder is also known for its hiking and biking trails.

Later that night, we went to the 16th Street Mall back in downtown Denver. It has all the mainstream shops and sort of reminded me of a more laid-back Times Square.

We saw some really cool break dancers on the street battling it out, and it was pretty fun to walk around and people watch.

Later that night, we went to the Denver Improv to see comedian Sebastian Maniscalco from Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show. Tickets were a steal for $16, and we saw three high-quality comedians that kept us laughing. The Improv was way smaller than the Tempe Improv, and the show felt really intimate. It was a really relaxing way to cap off the weekend.

I really loved Denver because the downtown area was a much prettier, more cultured version of downtown Phoenix, and the people there were way less superficial than the vibe in Old Town Scottsdale. The weather was gorgeous (I didn’t even need long sleeves during the day), and the scenery was greener. The city just had a great vibe to it, and I’d highly recommend it for a fun little getaway close to Phoenix.

Las Vegas bustling once again

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It seems like things are looking up for Las Vegas financially, as Sin City was packed with peeps this past weekend when I vacationed there. The hotel I stayed at, MGM Grand, was completely sold out Friday night, and taxi lines were packed everywhere we went.

I saw Love by Cirque du Soleil for the second time and adored it just as much as the first. I don’t think it will ever get old. The performance includes all-Beatles music, some theater and acting, dance and acrobatics. It’s so much fun to watch because, besides the great music, there are always so many things going on that it’s constantly stimulating. It’s at The Mirage on the strip.

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The rest of the weekend was basically spent golfing, gambling and eating. We went to Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill at MGM Grand, and I had an olive pizza ($15). The pizza was interesting because the dough seemed to be a bit sweet. I didn’t really like the flavor, but the texture was pretty much perfect–really soft. I definitely don’t think it was worth how much it costs, though, especially considering it was one of the less expensive menu items. Here are some of the things we ate there, including salmon and crab cakes.

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For the second time, I went to Society Cafe at Encore. It’s just simply one of the best restaurants in Las Vegas and worth a second visit for its striking ambiance and delicious food.

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This time, I had an orechiette pasta with veggies ($19) and a side of Yukon mashed potatoes ($7). I didn’t really care for the broth-y sauce on the pasta–I would have preferred a creamier one, but at least I felt like I was eating very healthily. The potatoes were amazing–such a rich flavor and a great not-too-mushy, not-too-hard texture. And the Mac and Cheese “Bites” we started off with ($12) were melt-in-your-mouth yumminess.

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What I was most impressed with this time, besides the gorgeous pink, black, green and white decor and beautiful lighting, was the service. Our server was one of the best I’ve ever had wait on me. He was probably younger than I am, but he was so charming, so knowledgeable about the menu and so intelligent, that I felt like our table was greatly taken care. They really train their wait staff well (so does Sassi), and that impacted the meal so positively.

I already miss Vegas, and it’s nice to see the city thriving once more, no matter how trashy it may be in ways.

Sedona the perfect romantic spot for Valentine’s Day

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I go to Sedona often, since the gorgeous town to the north is only about an hour away but offers a complete change of scenery with gorgeous red rocks and cooler weather. I went there this weekend for Valentine’s Day and had a great trip, like always.

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We stayed at the Radisson Poco Diablo Resort, where our King room overlooked the hotel’s cute little 9-hole golf course.

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It was a Par 3 course, which made it perfect for beginner golfers like me. And, the best part, was that there were a ton of ducks hanging out on the course. We made friends with a few of them and fed them bread, which they seemed to like.

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The hotel was gorgeous, and our room had a jet spa, couch, huge bed and large television. It was a really pretty hotel.

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For dinner, we went to the Heartline Cafe, which had a delicious Valentine’s menu.

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I had carrot and ginger soup, asparagus and mushroom, manicotti and chocolate mousse.

The place had a family-style feel to it, with one large dining room and lots of patio seating, too.  It was very pretty, with tablecloth-covered tables, art on the walls and an excellent wait staff. I would highly recommend it for a nice dinner out.

The next morning, before going on a pretty hike, we went to The Coffee Pot, a bustling breakfast spot known for the celebrities who have visited throughout the years.

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It was an interesting place because the restaurant has a few tiers to it–it sort of reminded me of the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Mesa. On a Monday morning, there was a wait, and I’m sure on weekends, it’s even busier.

The menu has greasy spoon staples, and I ate French toast with crispy hashbrowns and Hollaindaise sauce.  It wasn’t anything spectacular, but the history in the eatery made it a novel experience. There’s also a store with handmade items including windchimes, soaps and purses, and that was really fun to check out, too.

It’s no wonder Sedona is a go-to place for day trippers. It’s charming, quaint and full of breathtaking views.

Vegas, baby, yeah!

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I’d been stoked to see Lady Gaga for as long as I remember…since I became a fan of her’s last year. My dream came true last week when I headed to the Palms Casino Resort to catch her concert.

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I had tickets in the upper level and was a little scared we’d be too far away, but I was excited to see that no seat in the house was bad. The show was a blast, and you can read my full review here.

While in Vegas, we dined at a couple beautiful restaurants. The Society Café at the Encore at the Wynn lured us in because of a sign proclaiming the restaurant had been named one of the Best New Restaurants in America, 2009, by Esquire magazine. It’s no wonder why–the place was gorgeous and the food delicious.

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The restaurant had a funky, modern decor with hot pink seats, lots of fresh plants and bright lighting.

I had a Trenne pasta ($20), with parmesan truffle cream and diced tomatoes. Just look at it–it’s beautiful and tasted wonderful, too.

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My pal got the best-looking ham and cheese sandwich I’ve ever seen ($12), with a poached egg on top.

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We also ate at Nobhill Tavern at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. The dark and cozy restaurant had a huge selection of wine, with some bottles costing more than $1,000.

We had berry mojitos, truffle-infused macaroni, cream of celery soup, creme brulee, fish and more. Check out the deliciousness.

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Everything was great, but what I really liked was the ambiance. We were seated in a booth that was a super-private experience, since the booths were separated by glass panels.

To make my Vegas trip even sweeter, I won $100 on my fave Vegas game, the horse racing track at MGM. Score!

Elated on my first cruise

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It’s probably weird that I’ve never been on a cruise before, because it seems like everyone I know and their mom has.

But I finally embarked on my first water-bound trip this past weekend, on the Carnival Elation to Baja, Ensenada, Mexico.

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The 4-day cruise, which departed from San Diego, was only a meager $150. My Southwest Airlines flight barely cost $100, making for one of the cheapest vacations I’ve ever taken.

I heard Carnival is geared towards young people, but there was a diverse mix of ages and nationalities on the cruise.

There were plenty of 20-somethings, though, and the experience reminded me of a spring break–lots of drinking all day, laying by the pool and going in the spa, dancing at the nightclub and in the bar and just an energetic vibe all around.

I was amazed at what the price of the cruise got its passengers. It was like Vegas on a boat–free food from room service or the 24-hour buffets, lots of live entertainment-from comedy to hypnotism-and free access to all the bars and clubs.

There was also a casino, with live tables, and a full-service salon on-board. It was the most decadent thing I’ve ever been on, but I guess that’s OK once in awhile.

The third day of the cruise, we docked in Ensenada for the day. My friends and I paid $79 each to ride ATV’s. This is something I’ve never done before.

I consider myself pretty athletic, but I guess I’m really a wimp because I lost control of my ATV and actually flipped over. It landed on my leg and caused a huge amount of pain, to where I required a wheelchair that night because it was too difficult to move.

Be warned: before you ride the ATV’s, you sign a waiver that you won’t hold the ATV company responsible for your injuries.

Maybe I’m a klutz, because while several people stalled throughout the trip, I was the only one to flip over.

There was no medic on the ATV team–a doctor who happened to be in our group actually helped me.

And it cost $80 to see a doctor on-board the cruise, so I opted to ice the bruises and take Motrin. Luckily, I didn’t break anything.

I thought the ATV course was really challenging, and I’d warn beginners to drive as slowly as they feel comfortable to avoid doing what I did.

Overall, the cruise was a blast. Each night, you eat dinner at the same talbe with the same strangers, who later become friends. We were paired with fellow young people, who were a lot of fun.

You also tend to see the same people throughout the trip–sort of like an adult summer camp. I would highly recommend the cruise as a fun, cheap weekend getaway.

Rocky Point my new home away from home

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This weekend, I finally went where all Arizona natives should have gone by the time they’re through with college—Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, better known as Rocky Point.

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It’s only about 3-and-a-half hours away from Phoenix, and it’s the perfect little weekend getaway spot (well, if you can stand high temps in the summer, that is.)

I stayed at the Las Palmas Resort, with one bedroom-one bathroom condos only about $150. The condos are fully furbished and include a living room, full kitchen, washer/dryer and queen size bed, plus a patio with beautiful views of the beach and ocean.

And did I mention the place has a water slide?!

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It was a lazy weekend, and most of the time I spent hanging out on the beach. There you’ll find lots of vendors selling things like wood carvings, pottery and jewelry.

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I rode on a “banana boat,” which is an inflatable tube shaped like a banana that’s tied to a speedboat. You straddle the boat (or, if you’re a wimp like me, sit in-between two of them) and hold on tight as the speedboat whips you around the ocean. It was only $5 for about a 10 minute ride, and it was so fun, I did it twice.

The ocean was amazingly beautiful and so fun to swim in because it was so warm—just take out your contacts before you go in.

I also went on the Fiesta Cruiser booze cruise. For $30 a person, you get a meal, unlimited beer and watered down margaritas, and a two-hour ride with a live band. I loved the sunset view and had a lot of fun on the ride, on which there were lots of families and plenty of drunk people dancing along to the music.

I feel ashamed I haven’t checked out Rocky Point until now, but I know I’ll be going back soon. It’s cheap, so close, has plenty of my favorite type of food and has a little bit of culture mixed in with the tourist vibe.