It is not often that I see such a fantastic exhibit here in Texas such as Dior: From Paris to the World at the DMA. This exhibit reminds me of being back at the Costume Institute at The Met in New York, it was that well done. It was also not as crowded as the Met gets. They do timed tickets so that it is not overcrowded which is great. The exhibit runs until September 1st, so be sure to see it while you can!
For the last few years, I have been thinking about creating a travel guide for Las Vegas and finally got around to doing it! I have been going to Vegas multiple times a year since I turned 21 and sometimes will stay for a week or two at a time. I met my husband in Vegas, we were engaged at the Bellagio, and then married at the Aria, with a reception at the Palms. It is my home away from home.
I do not know everything about this city, but, as a frequent visitor, I have quite a bit of experience. I also know that Vegas has something for everybody and this guide may not be geared to everyone. There is just so much to do in Vegas and this guide doesn’t even scratch the surface but I hope it can help! This is also an ongoing guide that will be updated on a regular basis. Let’s go!
The Nomad hotel is located adjacent/inside of the Park MGM on the top floors. It is the newest hotel in Vegas and underwent a massive renovation from the old Monte Carlo Casino. Since it opened, we have stayed here 3 times. The first two times we had small suites and then the last time we stayed there we received a deal on Suite Royal for my husband’s 40th birthday. The rooms are beautiful, clean, and just have that new smell and feeling because not that many people have stayed here compared to the other hotels obviously. I feel like we were one of the very few people who stayed in the suite so far. I really love the attention to detail in the rooms and around the hotel. No expense has been spared to create a beautiful aesthetic. I can’t say anything about the pool as it was still being renovated when we were here, but am excited to try it next time we stay. I love the Nomad for a number of reasons. The first is the location - center strip. The new Park MGM also has it all including a massive and new Eataly. If you are looking for a quiet and luxurious Vegas experience away from the craziness, this is a great hotel.
Pros: Clean, quiet, and relaxing rooms so far.
Love the attention to detail including the toiletry accessories.
Perfect location
Cons: The concierge/ front desk team has some work to do; they seemed incredibly disorganized. I called multiple times in a few days to request basic items and the phone kept ringing and ringing with no answer. I went downstairs to get help and they said oh whoops the phone was off.
You have to share the elevators with the other guests staying in the Park MGM. It is fine, but I feel like they could have made a completely separate elevator bank that just goes up to the top floors for a faster trip.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Bavette’s- One of my favorite steakhouses in Vegas. You feel as if you just went back in time to the 1920’s. The sourdough bread is amazing, but do not fill up because the portions are huge! The crabcake is a must, and also try the brussels sprouts as a side.
Primrose- A beautiful french garden inspired restaurant. Great for brunch, they have very refreshing and inventive cocktails.
The NoMad Bar- The bar has a dark red and sultry atmosphere. The cocktails are good and food is elevated bar food. I recommend the hummus and the hot dog. Stop and take a look at the beautiful photographs hanging on the wall as well.
The NoMad Restaurant- We have had one amazing experience here, and one bad one ( might have just been an off night). Our first experience was fantastic. The restaurant is gorgeous and their signature chicken is one of my top 10 most incredible dishes of all time. The next time we went here we were with a few friends and kind of rushing ourselves, and I just ordered a simple pasta which was bland. I will give it another go soon!
Juniper- One of the best new cocktail bars in Vegas! Their menu is just so fun an inventive. My absolute favorite drink is A Little Birdie, served in an actual glass bird ( pictured below left)
Roy Choi BEST FRIEND- I just love this place- it is super kitchy! The entrance looks like a bodega in NYC and then the restaurant is inside. I actually like to eat and drink at the bar in the bodega. The food is eclectic and delicious.
Eataly- I am happy they put this in here because there are not many places to get a quick bite or breakfast besides the overly crowded Starbucks. It is is no way a breakfast place, but if you want something pretty quick they have a very nice breakfast stall with treats. The inside looks like a train station, which is beautiful but otherwise it is a pretty standard Eataly.
The Palms has just gone through a multi-billion dollar renovation run by Stations Casinos . The Palms - in it’s heyday - was the HOTTEST hotel in Las Vegas. I first visited in 2009 when remnants of its past were still there. I went to Rain, Moon, Ghost Bar and the Playboy Club, as well as the Ditch Fridays Pool. They finally finished most of their renovations this year.
The property has evolved. The original Palms vibe is not quite the same, but the property has been elevated. The Palms is now home to the most expensive hotel suite in the world- for $200,000 a night you can stay in a room designed by artist Damien Hurst. He also designed Unknown Bar, featuring an actual shark in formaldehyde. Will the hotel renovation live up to it’s early 2000’s craze? I am not sure, but it is definitely worth a visit.
Pros: Off the strip ( although some people might find it annoying that they have to leave the strip and cab it, but I like the change of scenery)
Next door to a Marijuana Dispensary, and a Sonic! ;-)
Cons: I really cannot think of any! Keep it up Palms!
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Scotch 80- A replacement for the original NINE Steakhouse- definitely a huge upgrade from the early 2000’s basement decor. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with famous artwork, and the food is always fantastic!
Green Street Kitchen- I recently went here for the first time on our last trip to Vegas since it just opened. This is one of the best new trendy restaurants to go to before a night out. The entrance is inside of an arcade and you have once again multiple amazing pieces of artwork. I like that the menu has a lot of small plates, you don’t feel like you have to sit down for a large dinner. Great for a big group or a date.
Vetri’s- This new Italian restaurant opened in the place of Alize, high above the Las vegas strip. I was devastated about Alize’s closing because we had our wedding reception here. The space is unrecognizably different, a lot more casual too- yet after coming here a couple times I have really enjoyed it, and the food is some of the best Italian in Vegas.
Mr. Coco- A small upscale speakeasy. Do not come to this bar expecting cheap drinks, they are VERY expensive but they are worth it for the experience. When you want to get away from the craziness and have a refined evening.
Unknown Bar ( AKA The Shark Bar)- The center bar designed by Damien Hurst including the details of the menu and napkins. The highlight of this bar is of course the huge shark suspended in formaldehyde. It is worth a trip to the Palms to just see this bar because it is that incredible.
Send Noodles- A fun take on a noodle spot. Great for lunch and cheap!
Lucky Penny- One of my favorite breakfast/brunch spots. Very inexpensive and the food is delicious. They have a millions things on the menu so it is perfect if you cannot decide what to get.
The Cosmopolitan became one of my favorite hotels after I stayed there in 2012 for my friend’s bachelorette party. It is the quintessential party or bachelor/bachelorette hotel in Vegas. Literally every girl that walks in wants to pose inside of one of the giant shoes and/ or in front of the chandelier bar with her besties. I recently stayed in the Cosmopolitan for the second time with my husband. The room was amazing and i HIGHLY suggest it for either couples or a group sharing it. We had a terrace view suite complete with hot tub overlooking the strip. The room was surprisingly clean and put together. Cosmo has opened up a new food hall with a secret Mezcal bar inside ( search for the door with the donkey) We had a great time but would we stay here again? I am not sure because the room we had was not comped and the hotel was a bit too busy.
Pros: A ton of great restaurants to choose from and center location.
Cons: Elevators take forever and stop on basically every floor.
Don’t try and bother with EggSlut unless you want to wake up at 6am. The line is ALWAYS long and annoying and the wait continues after you order. Not ideal when you had one too many the night before. A fantastic under the radar alternative is Burger Lounge inside of the Aria, it has a mean breakfast sandwich!
Pro/Con: Very loud/busy all the time, and party atmosphere but when in Vegas that can be a good thing too, it depends on what you want from your trip!
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Milos: The best ( and one of the few) Greek restaurants on the strip! Do not come here for dinner, however. The prices are very steep for the same items you can get during lunch. We always come here for lunch- they have a deal where you get 3 courses and it is one of the best deals on the strip!
Beauty and Essex: I love this place because we often fly into Vegas at night and it is opened for dinner late! It is a beautiful restaurant inside of an actual Pawn Shop. Like most of the restaurants in the Cosmopolitan- it originated in New York, ( I do not know what this property was not renamed New York , New York, oh right because they have one already ;-)) It has a small plates menu which is perfect if you are not too hungry and it is a great place to eat before going out at night with a big group.
Zuma- One of the best Japenese restaurants on the strip! I love their small plates and my favorite sushi roll- Pirikara Hamachi. I also once drank their goldfish drink which is in a plastic bag sans the actual goldfish.
Blue Ribbon- I like this restaurant when I am not sure what to have for dinner because they have such a wide selection and all the food is great. You must try the fired chicken here, they are famous for it!
Jaleo- I love to come here for lunch because they have a 3 course deal. They also have a great selection of interesting gin and tonics.
Momofuku- Another New York transplant, this place is great for lunch or dinner. After you eat there save room for Milk bar next door with some of the BEST ice cream you will ever eat. The cereal milk is my favorite!
The Delano has been one of our favorite hotels for a while now. It is probably the quietest of all of the hotels in the strip, far away from everything but is still connected to Mandalay Bay Resort and The Four Seasons. We have stayed in many of the rooms, and they are all beautiful complete with strip views. The last time we stayed there we got the penthouse suite for an amazing deal. This is probably my favorite room on the strip that we have stayed in. It is HUGE and complete with hot tub, steam shower, wet bar, and mirror that turns into a TV.
Pros: Quiet, clean, and beautiful and relaxing.
One of the best lobby cocktail bars is located here, The Franklin.
Their spa Bathhouse is one of the best on the strip.
Cons: Far away from the center of the strip, however you can actually walk inside through casinos all the way until you exit Excalibur. Great for when it is hot out!
The coffee shop inside of the Delano is the MOST expensive on the strip, and for no reason- no joke do not go here.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Strip Steak - Inside of Mandalay Bay. First off, they give you a complimentary TRIO OF DUCK FAT FRIES with dipping sauce instead of boring old bread! I can just stop right there.
Skyfall- A beautiful bar with another amazing outdoor view of The Strip. ( Always check to see if they are hosting an event which happens a lot before you go) Next door is the restaurant Rivea.
The Franklin- One of our favorite cocktail bars of all time, located in the lobby. A secret tip- if you are an M Life Platinum card holder you get the Comfortably Numb drink for free.
There is no other hotel on the strip as iconic as the Bellagio, and it definitely lives up to it’s hype. The first time I saw the fountains go off, I cried . Basically when you are looking for the best views and photos of Vegas, you have to get the fountains in frame. I have been fortunate to see some of the best views of the fountains.
BEST VIEWS
From a terrace room at The Cosmopolitan. facing the fountain side of the strip.
From one of the middle Bellagio Penthouse suites.
Head on right in front of the Bellagio on the sidewalk.
When you walk outside of the Bellagio front entrance, keep going straight and you hit a fountain/garden- great view of the fountains from the opposite side of the Bellagio with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
The terraces of Lago or Spago restaurants- you get so close to the fountains here that it is almost if you might get sprayed by them.
View from The Eiffel Tower restaurant.
There really is no bad view!
Pros: Center strip, perfect location, iconic.
The service here is probably best on the strip, they really go above and beyond for their customers and I cannot say that about every casino.
Cons: Always busy and packed with tourists who are just there to take photos and leave.
The spa was a complete disappointment, average treatments and packed with bachelorette parties, the hot tubs were completely full.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Le Cirque- It took us a long time to come here and I do not know why! We were completely wowed by everything here from the food to the service. One of the best restaurants hands down in Vegas.
Spago- Newly opened in the Bellagio coming from the Caesars shops. I love Spago in Beverly Hills and this is basically just an more open air version. Their corn ravioli dish is the best but is inly in season during the warmer months.
Lago- They have an amazing 3 course lunch menu that will fill you up for a day!
Sadelle’s (pictured)- A casual yet beautiful cafe behind the Bellagio Conservatory, and super Instagramable!
Things to check out:
The Bellagio Conservatory- Since we go to Vegas so much, I have seen so many different themes as it changes every season, but I always want to take a look every time we go.
The Bellagio FIne Art Gallery- Keep on the lookout for interesting exhibits; we saw a fantastic Picasso exhibit here.
The Shops at Bellagio- A beautiful hallway of luxury stores, it is fun to walk through and window shop or splurge!
I will admit that I do not have a ton of photos from The Aria yet it is a place that we frequent all the time and we were married in the Aria Chapel! It is not the most photogenic casino because it is just so dark inside, although some might argue otherwise. The Aria actually has the BEST selection of restaurants of all the strip properties. I do not love staying here however because we have had multiple bad experiences with service.
Pros: The best selection of restaurants on the strip.
Great location with walkways to the Cosmopolitan and Crystals.
Cons: The worst service of any hotel we have stayed at on the strip. Rooms are very basic as well and a lot of the time you have to walk VERY far to get to your room from the elevator. No joke we had a room once so far from the elevator I think it took a full 5 minutes to walk there. It is very annoying when say you forget something and need to go all the way back. Again, everyone has their own experience and there are lots of people who I am sure love to stay here ( that was just mine). I would however one day like to stay at the Sky Suites, they look amazing.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Carbone’s- I literally have dreamt about their spicy rigatoni and vodka sauce. It is probably my favorite pasta dish of all time. Aside from that, the veal parmesan is incredible and HUGE! I also love all the free items, you receive, including focaccia, fresh parmesan, pickled vegetables, and rainbow cookies. I do not recommend even getting an appetizer because you will fill up on everything else.
Jean Georges Steakhouse- I will go as far as to say this is the BEST steakhouse in Vegas. I have a thing for dipping sauces and you get not one but FOUR sauces with your steak. You must also try the crispy chicken and the side of potatoes.
Bardot- A beautiful French Brasserie with amazing food. They also have a great happy hour here. I love the way they do their escargot on mini puff pastries. The brunch is also incredible with unlimited Rose ( I think I had like 3 glasses and I was OUT!)
Sage- Probably the most underrated restaurant here, but one of the best. All of the food is incredibly fresh and the restaurant is gorgeous. Unfortunately the bartenders told us they had to give their cocktail menu to next door’s Catch restaurant, boo! A must try are the scallops here.
Catch- We went here recently after it opened and I was excited because Catch is great in other cities as well. The entryway is beautiful but it is again very full all the time of people trying to get photos here. The food took a very long time, they burnt my husband’s chicken, and it was overall a bit mediocre.
Julian Serrano- We have come here for lunch more times than we can count. It is a fantastic Spanish tapas restaurant with a lot of healthier options.
Javier’s- A great Mexican restaurant with my favorite margaritas! They are a little expensive but worth it, I recommend the Pepita Magarita. The food is also very good.
Other Restaurants we LOVE!
L’Atelier by Joel Robuchon - MGM Grand - A fantastic modern french restaurant, experimental but not too crazy- we have not been to The Joel Robuchon which is next door but are meaning to try it!
Twist- Waldorf Astoria- A very experimental French restaurant. I do not love all the dishes but it definitely takes my palate on a rollercoaster of tastes.
Cocina by Wolfgang Puck- Honestly this place is even better than Spago and cheaper! Located inside of Crystals, it is a great place for lunch and they have great happy hour deals at the bar.
Libertine Social- Mandalay Bay- We usually sit at the bar, but the food is awesome and the drinks are even better!
Sinatra’s - The Wynn- A not very well known Italian place inside of the Wynn dedicated to non other than Frank Sinatra. It has been a while since we have been here but the food is always great and the portions are huge.
Border Grill- Mandalay Bay- Located close to the convention center it is a bit out of the way but the walk to get there will make you more hungry! They have one of the best brunches on the strip!
I am not one for buffets because I hate waiting in line to eat, especially when there are SO many great restaurants in Vegas, but I LOVE WICKED SPOON!
CASUAL/CHEAP EATS
Going out to dinner in Vegas is something I LOVE to do, but sometimes you just need a quick snack before you go out, or you are with a group of friends and you want something everyone can enjoy. Here are a few quick and relatively cheap eats in Vegas
Secret Pizza- Located down a hallway in The Cosmopolitan. It is not really a secret anymore but the pizza is great!
Pin-Up Pizza- A small pizza shop inside of Planet Hollywood with a Pin- Up theme. The slices are HUGE so one is usually enough.
Slice of Vegas- Inside of Mandalay Bay, another great and quick pizza shop and probably the cheapest of these.
Earl of Sandwich- Located in a few casinos like Planet Hollywood and The Palms. It is a chain but has a damn good breakfast sandwich!
Village Street Eateries- Any of the stands inside of New York, NY- There is a crepe place, a breakfast place, a pizza place, a hotdog place, a deli, and a fish place. Great for getting a quick breakfast or late night bite.
Carmine’s- Inside of the Caesar’s shops.- Carmine’s is not normally cheap or that casual but between I think 2-5pm for their happy hour you can get $5 bar bites and drinks- best deal on the strip if you ask me!
Las Vegas Concert Residencies- From Lady Gaga to Backstreet Boys To Celine Dion, Vegas now has SO many residencies it is hard to keep track. Last time I was here I saw an ad for concerts by New Kids on The Block and MC Hammer. It is worth a splurge to se a fantastic show here!
Cirque Du Soleil- I am not one for going to Cirque Du Soleil but the best one I have seen is the Michael Jackson show. I feel this way because of course you know all the music, and it is really upbeat and fun. The other shows I have seen honestly made me go to sleep, but I have not seen all of them so cannot say if they are good. That being said many people enjoy them so definitely see for yourself!
jabbawockeez- I saw them when they were at The Luxor but now they are at MGM Grand. This show was SO much fun I highly recommend it and would definitely go again!
Gamble- When I first came to vegas I think I gambled $1 in a machine and lost and that was it. I am not a big gambler and you do not even need to be at all to come and enjoy Vegas. Now once in a while ( if I am drunk enough) I might play some blackjack or craps with my husband.
Gambling can be fun and for some and also addicting for others so please be careful and never get too high or too low. Slot machines are the biggest money suck and are also the worst odds, however I have won money a few times unexpectedly. If you try and win, you won’t but if you have no idea what is going on chances are you will. The best slot odds are off the strip. I really do not suggest playing at the biggest casinos on the strip at all.
Gambling is also the ticket to getting rooms/food comped by the casino- but you must have a players card and gamble enough for them to offer you deals. Getting a players card is easy (I often lose mine all the time) You just have to sign up at the players club in the hotel. A big trick to getting multiple deals is to gamble at different properties- MGM, Harrah’s, Wynn, SLS. You can look online to see the list of casinos under these brands.
Night Clubs or Day Clubs- I used to be a total club girl back in the day, and this was a big reason I came to Vegas. Now I only go once in a while or if a group of friends is in town. I still absolutely love it but it can be a lot. The Dj’s come on late as well around 1am or later in the afternoon at a day club. I have actually left the clubs multiple times because the DJs came on so late and I was tired ( BOO!) That being said they have the BEST clubs and pool parties!
Walk the strip with a big drink in hand- It is almost a right of passage your first time to Vegas to order the biggest drink you can find and stumble around the strip. I can’t drink those anymore because they are too sweet but it is a lot of fun and something you cannot do in most places.
The Pool at Caesar’s
Vegas has some of the most incredible pools inside of the hotels. Pool season and parties started around mid March when it is hot enough. Here is a list of some of my favorites
Mandalay Bay Pool- This property is a resort for a reason. The pool is probably the biggest and most insane in Vegas. There are multiple pools, a wave pool, and another pool at the Delano. As you walk to the pool you step into a beautiful palm tree covered oasis.
Waldorf Astoria Pool- If you are looking for quiet, luxury, and relaxation, this is the pool for you. With beautiful views, cabanas and flowers, it is incredibly picturesque.
The Pool at The Cosmopolitan- There are again multiple pools here. I really love the Chelsea Pool because this one has a giant rainfall shower. One of the pools also turns into an Ice Rink in the winter,r but I have yet to try it!
The Caesar’s Pool- This pool is just epic in terms of the amazing architecture. We didn’t even swim here just walked around and took some photos.
The Bellagio Pool- Another beautiful pool, great for relaxing but is often pretty crowded.
My suggestion for getting around Vegas is to walk! Walk when you can because you can get a ton of steps in without even realizing it, and it is great for working off that big lunch or dinner. The hotels are HUGE and it will take a while to get from one hotel to the other, especially if you do not know the shortcuts.
Many times however it is difficult to walk, say if you are in heels or need to go from one end of the strip to the other. I suggest either cabs or UBERS. Cabs are great most of the time because you can normally get one right away and the drivers usually know the best route and are interesting to talk to, they have a lot of fun stories! They are expensive, however and they charge you to use your credit card ugh! UBER and LYFT are of great alternatives because they are cheaper but the downside is that a lot of the time they do not know the best routes and you always have to find the ride share stations. I normally take a taxi because I honestly feel bad for the drivers a lot of the time because they wait hours just to get one ride
Downtown Vegas might get overlooked by the usual tourist but it is not a place to skip my any means! If you want the real old school Vegas experience, look no further than Downtown Vegas. Here, you actually also have some of the best gambling odds in Vegas and the slot machines are actually looser.
Downtown Vegas actually starts a lot earlier than the famous Freemont Street and extends pretty far. If you take a cab the strip way to Freemont Street you will pass by the Downtown Vegas Sign- this is where you leave the strip and enter downtown. On the way in the cab you will find multiple wedding chapels. You will also pass by the outlets and also a very cool photographable building called the Cleveland Clinic. I do not suggest walking around too much before you enter the Freemont area though I (although I have a few times) There are some very cool vintage spots to look at, just be aware of your surroundings.
Freemont Street
The Freemont Street Experience is a huge moving screen canopy above the famous hotels of downtown. There is also a zip line that runs across the entire screen high above your head. Freemont Street is just so much fun to walk around and explore. There is usually something awesome and crazy going on here like half-naked performers, impromptu concerts, drug busts, and it’s especially mad on Halloween! Check out a few of the classic hotels like The Golden Nugget, Binions, and Four Queens.
RESTAURANTS
Hugo’s Cellar- Located beneath the Four Queens hotel. This is a Vegas institution. We save this place usually for a special occasion because we first visited on our engagement weekend. Do NOT order an appetizer unless you want to be stuffed because you receive SO much food!
Oscar’s- Located above Freemont Street inside of the Plaza Hotel. It is a beautiful old school restaurant that makes you feel as if Sinatra would walk in at any moment.
Andiamo’s- An amazing old school Italian restaurant inside of Th D hotel. Definetly order the big meatball!
The Freemont Street Experience
As you leave Freemont Street you get into the heart of a lot of the fun local places in Downtown Vegas.
Some of the best places include:
CommonWealth-A two story bar. The top outdoor portion is where awesome local Vegas DJ’s spin. Inside of Commonwealth is a speakeasy called The Laundry Room. You must call to make reservations ahead of time but it is worth a visit!
The El Cortez- This hotel is such a fantastic shit hole in a good way. It always reeks of cigarette smoke and is a bit dirty, but it is exactly the place you wanna check out to feel like you are in old school Vegas.
Secret Bar inside of The Mob Museum- There is an awesome speakeasy inside of the mob museum. It is actually really hard to find the entrance but I won’t tell you where it it. We went here on Halloween and it was a Flapper Costume Contest. We felt like we were transported to Vegas of yesteryear.
The Cleveland Clinic
The Neon Boneyard is a MUST do if you have the time in Vegas. It is a museum that is a short drive from Freemont and houses a collection of all the old neon signs. I highly recommend booking a time for a tour in advance before you get to Vegas. If you want to do a portrait session with a photographer, there is an extra cost.
Container Park is a small shopping and eating destination just right off the end of Freemont street. At it’s entrance you have a giant grasshopper that actually shoots flames from it’s antennae. The first time I went here I jumped as the guy operating it like to scare people by shooting off the flames in front of a crowd. Inside of the park are large shipping containers that have no been refurbished to be stores/bars/ or restaurants. It is a very nice place to come get a drink, a bite or walk around. We love the small wine bar BIN 702. Definitely order the small finger sandwiches here. The cocktail bar Oak and Ivy is also here and has some of the most inventive concoctions in Vegas.
I can’t mention a great time in Vegas without mentioning the incredible spas. They are an ideal cure for a hangover, and you might end up napping afterwards. I don’t have photos because you are not allowed to take photos inside the spas ( although people do, and I do taken a few iPhone photos).
Here are my absolute favorites.
Waldorf Astoria Spa
Pros: The services are the absolute best I have had- they are expensive but worth it. When you first walk in for your appointment, they offer you a shoe trade in, fresh tea, and a hot towel ( It’s the little things I love) It is also one of the most beautiful and cleanest spas with great views.
Pros:
Mostly always quiet and empty
Great Steam Room
Rainforest Shower- You can adjust the shower different ways, from hot mist, to cold rainfall.
Snacks and infused water and tea
Nice toiletries
Cons
No Sauna- but there is a Laconium ( a less hot version of a Sauna which is meh)
The hot tub is beautiful and very relaxing, but I prefer one that is a bit hotter with stronger jets ( these jets emit just bubbles)
The Spa at the Park MGM- Okay, so don’t ask me why I love this spa so much but it has just the perfect amount of everything that I love a spa to have. It is small and usually empty because people do not even know there is a spa here. I used to love it even when it was the Monte Carlo Spa. Now it is updated, and everything is new, beautiful, and fresh.
Pros: Intimate and quiet
Hot tub is perfection, nice and hot with strong jets.
Warm relaxation beds
Great Steam Room and Sauna.
Quiet and beautiful relaxation room with zero gravity chairs and yummy snacks.
Cons: I honestly cannot think of any- this spa should be at #1 but the Waldorf treatments are just so good that I still leave that at the #1 spot.
Bathhouse and The Delano- A beautiful, modern, and intimate spa.
Pros: Mostly always quiet and not busy
Just visually beautiful, modern, and dark
Fantastic hot tub
Hot and cold plunges
Snacks and great toilettries
Cons: Nice Sauna but a little small.
I have never had a treatment where I was wowed here, they are pretty standard.
Drift Spa and Hamman at Palms Place. Another spa that is one of the best, but my only issue is that since the Palms has been changed over and is now opening a new spa and salon in the casino that the Drift Spa I feel like has gone down hill just a bit. It is more crowded that usual but only probably because since the construction was going on they had to shove many people to the Palms Place and Pool. Now that it is over I need to go back and see how it is.
Pro: The Hamman! A huge co-ed steam room (don’t worry, everyone has to wear some sort of clothing while in here) You actually have to pay a lot to use other Hamman’s at other spas on the strip, but if you want to just use the spa it is great to just get a day pass.
The treatments are always amazing, half the price of the spas on the strip, and they are always offering great deals ( keep checking online or call)
The Aria Spa - This is my least favorite of the bunch but still on my top 5. This spa is always a little too busy which I really don’t like, but sometimes it is quieter than usual.
Pros:
I love the salt room ( no idea what it does but it is relaxing)
Hot Tub, Steam room, and Saunas are all solid.
Really nice outdoor pool that is co-ed
Room with hot stone beds
Cons: Is mostly noisy and busy
The treatments are forgettable
Spas I must check out-
Qua at Caesars
The Spas at the Wynn and Encore
Canyon Ranch at The Venetian
Photo courtesy of Mindy Bean Photography
Whether you want to have a big fancy wedding or get eloped at the Little White chapel, Vegas is an AWESOME place to get married! Unlike a lot of other destinations weddings, Vegas can actually be cheaper for people to attend. You might be surprised with how many guests will show up, plus who says no to Vegas?!
A few tips to keep in mind when planning a Vegas wedding:
Marriage License- Contrary to most people’s beliefs, you cannot just go get married at a chapel in Vegas. You actually have to go downtown to the courthouse first to get your marriage license which can take time. We went the day before our wedding and only stood in line for about 20 minutes.
Venue- Make sure you visit all of the venues first before choosing one. There are so many options in Vegas, from getting married at a hotel, to outdoors in the desert, to a downtown chapel. Pick a venue that is right for you and fits within the price range. Many of the casino wedding packages start small and get bigger but they are much more expensive than off the strip. The great thing about most wedding venues in Vegas is that almost everything you need they will take care of for you so you do not have to worry. They understand that most of their weddings are destination.
Photography- There are so many amazing photographers in Vegas that it can seem overwhelming. We had such an amazing experience using Mindy Bean and I highly recommend her! Many of the hotel chapels will add in their package an in house photographer but there are usually certain stipulations that come with that and they tend to rip you off. We had a photographer at The Aria for the chapel but in the end we were only given 20 prints, the digital files cost about $2000 extra which was insane. I am very happy they we decided to hire a different wedding photographer in addition who works outside the casinos. If you do hire an outside photographer- keep in mind that you might be shooed away from security in certain spots. You also are not allowed to take photos by the casino games.
Finding a wedding dress- Unfortunately there are not many places to find dresses in Vegas which came as a complete shock to me. I was lucky enough to find a store where I actually did find my dress called Brilliant Bridal. Since there are not too many shops here if you are out of town it is a good idea to get your dress somewhere else.
*****Well that’s all for now folks! Thank you for reading, and also know that everything I wrote here are my own opinions. I did not get paid for anything ( although I wish I did because this was a lot of work). Keep checking back for more updates and hotel rundowns!
Since I was in my early twenties I caught the travel bug and this bug has never left. I really started heavily traveling the past 7 years with my husband and every year we try and up the ante. Here is a list of my top ten favorite travel destinations so far, not in any particular order.
Greece- I know that Greece is still fresh on my mind because we got back 2 weeks ago, but it now has a very special place in my heart. The day after we got back from Santorini, I thought “ so when are we going back?” Greece is a place that definitely lives up to the hype. There are many other islands I want to check out here, and we were supposed to go to Athens but had to come back early so still a lot more to see! Everything about Greece I loved. From the food and wine, to the culture, to the beautiful views. It was hard to find something I didn’t fall in love with.
Australia- My husband and I took our first trip to Australia last December. We really had no expectations about going and it was on my list although not very high on it just because it was so far away, He ended up having a conference here so we got to stay for free and his flight was paid for which was amazing. I was super nervous about the 17 hour flight because I have a fear of flying, but it really was not bad at all and actually went by fast, I would definitely do it again. After visiting Bondi we honestly thought about actually moving here, we loved it that much! Bondi is one of the most relaxing places I have ever been to, people don’t even walk around with shoes on! I realized that as I get older i love just chill places with delicious fresh food! Our dream is to one day leave the United States and escape to Australia.
Las Vegas- It is hard to imagine life without Las Vegas in it. In fact, I should probably do a special Las Vegas travel guide because I have been about 50 times in 10 years ( really I lost count). Milan and I met in Vegas in 2014 and got engaged and married here. No matter what, Vegas will always be our home away from home. As we have gotten older we appreciate the finer Vegas experiences, such as dining, shopping and going to the spa. We will still throw in a club or show once in a while. What we love about Vegas is that it is always changing and there is something for everybody. Every time we go, we get to check out something brand new and exciting or go back to the places we love.
Belgrade- Belgrade is the capital city of Serbia and a place I can honestly say I would have never seen myself visiting if not for my husband. He was born in Belgrade and moved to Canada when he was little but still has family there. Since we have been together, I have been four different times. Sure, it is not the most beautiful or charming city, in fact many people would consider it ugly or dreary especially with such Communist era architecture. I just love it there, and it is probably one of the only cities in Europe that has no been taken over my Instagram Tourists. People still smoke everywhere, including in restaurants and hotels, and I mean A LOT. Even though I do not like cigarette smoke, for some reason I enjoy this. This city has it’s own unique feel that is just so special I cannot describe it in words.
The French Riviera- Although we only went here once a while ago, some of the best memories I have are from here. It was our first Euro Trip together, where we did London, Paris, Nice, and Monaco. When we got off the train from Nice, we walked to our hotel, and just in time for the Bastille Day Fireworks. We actually had no idea there was a famous fireworks show on Bastille Day. When we arrived to our hotel we were told we had a balcony and view of the fireworks show to our surprise. Just in time for the show we went upstairs and got to see the show high above the crowd. After a day in Nice, we went to Monaco. We stayed at the Fairmont Monte Carlo. It was really fun to go to such a small country/ principality. The casino was definitely a huge highlight, it felt straight out of a James Bond Movie.
Mayakoba- Mayakoba is an area in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. We went there for the first time two years ago, and cannot wait to go back. Imagine a Venice in Mexico, with beautiful canals and boats. It is a very relaxing and unique place. Mayakoba encapsulates 4 different hotels and you take a cute little boat in between the hotels (or you can hop on a gold cart but the boat is way more fun). Our favorite hotel was the Banyan Tree. Another sort of James Bond esq experience was rolling up to the Banyan tree hotel in a boat.
Venice- Speaking of Venice…When we went to Venice, I really thought it would end up being in a sort of Italian Disney World- being heavily warned about all the tourists. I was completely wrong and absolutely loved it. We also went in low season which was perfect. We had St. Marks Square basically all to ourselves. It is such a fun city to wander and eat Cicchetti ( Apertivo in Venice). We drank a ton of wine and stumbled around enjoying the sites and sounds of Venice. We did do a Gondola ride to check that off the list, and honestly it was the only real let down of Venice. It was 30 minutes but felt like 5 minutes and we paid like 90 Euros- we got super ripped off. Next time I would love to rent a boat. We took a boat to the airport at 5am and it was one of the most fun experiences ever- the boat literally docked at the airport entrance!
Paris- Paris is one of those places we always find ourselves going back to, even though sometimes it isn’t all that perfect but maybe that is what we enjoy about it. Paris in my opinion is not like in the movies or how you see it on Instagram with heavy filters. It can be dirty, people can be rude, cabbies can be assholes. It reminds me of a french version of New York City. Yet, there is nowhere else in the world like Paris, it just has that Je ne sais Quoi! I have so far been to Paris 5 different times- going on 6 this year. After only about 2 months of us dating, Milan flew to Paris from Dallas to visit me for 4 days while I was alone in an AirBnB shooting fashion week in Paris. It was the most romantic thing anybody has ever done for me.
New Orleans- Nola is unlike any other place in the US, or really the world. Even though we love it here, we have not been in a while and are definitely due for a trip back since it is only an hour flight from us. The only problem with Nola is that it is too much fun, too much eating and drinking. It is such a charming city, and the best parts are away from Bourbon Street including Frenchman Street, The Warehouse District, and The Garden District. Our favorite thing to do in Nola is to have brunch at Commander’s Palace and drink their 25 cent martinis. Yes you heard me right, 25 cent martinis. They are incredible and you can only have I think 3 but 3 is more than enough.
Sonoma Valley- Sonoma is the less touristy and more rustic neighbor of Napa Valley. We always joke that we are one day going to buy a little house, retire here, and grow a garden. Sonoma is probably the most relaxing place on this list, and I don’t even know why ( maybe all the wine?!). We always stay at the Fairmont which has the best spa and one of our favorite restaurants in the world, Sante. Each trip we visit probably about 2-3 wineries, and a few tasting rooms downtown.
Places still on my list to get to maybe in the next couple years!
Tokyo- Scheduled to go in October!!!!
Italian Coast- Positano, Capri, Ischia, Cinque Terre, Procida, all of the above if possible!
Banff- A beautiful place in Canada with Moraine Lake and Lake Louise .
Barcelona/Madrid- I have never been to Spain yet, so a definite must someday!
And Many More!
After Fira we spent 2 amazing days in Oia. I am so happy that we got to stay in both Fira and Oia as they are two very different towns. Fira was definitely bigger and had more of a lively atmosphere. Oia was smaller, quiet, relaxing, and of course has the famous sunset.
The first day we walked into town to check out the streets and famous sunset. Yes it was crowded, (and I don’t even want to know what the crowds are like in the Summer) but we made a fantastic decision to not go right as the sun goes down, but afterwards. We didn’t know but literally right after the sun sets, everyone leaves the castle spot. There were hundreds of people leaving the castle and we were basically the only ones heading towards the castle. When we ended up there, it was almost empty and we were able to snag some beautiful photos. (which I think was perfect lighting and even better than the sun setting!) After the sunset, the hoards of tourists were cleared out and we were able to stroll around the streets at night. We grabbed a drink at a chic bar called Maryan’s and then some delicious food at Naoss Restaurant which was more high end- Greek dining. We walked back to our hotel and on the way we saw the famous Easter Good Friday celebration which consisted of the parade of the Epitaph and burning of the canisters.
The next day we went into town a bit earlier because we saw the sunset already and wanted to avoid the crowds. I still went back to the castle to snag a few more shots because it is just that beautiful I had to see the view again. Afterwards we stumbled on the back streets on Oia ( which is great to know if you are walking to the sunset, take the back way just one street over and you avoid the crowds!) We found a cute little wine bar called Wine Vineyart which had some of the best traditional Greek food I have ever had, including the best cheese I have ever eaten in my life!
The next stop on our Greece trip was to Oia staying at the Mystique Hotel. Oia is about a 20- 30 minutes drive from Fira along a few winding roads but it is very scenic. I cannot recommend The Mystique enough, it was the most beautiful and luxurious hotel I have ever stayed in. The views of the infinity pool with the sea in the background was just breathtaking. Service was impeccable, down to the smallest details. They are always giving you treats, every day they would leave a basket of cookies and goodies in our room, and a plate of fresh fruit. We had a beautiful room inside of a cave with private terrace and jacuzzi tub.
Our favorite thing to do was to sit and relax at the pool of course. The water still freezing but felt great when the sun got really hot. Every morning we sat down to a delicious all inclusive breakfast where you can order anything off the menu. At night we enjoyed a fantastic wine tasting in their wine cave featuring 7 Greek wines with a cheese plate. Our wine director was delightful. She gave us VERY heavy wine pours and said, “Here in Greece we don’t spit so drink up!”. It was so much, we couldn’t finish it all!. After that we stumbled over to the town of Oia for the famous sunset.
After 3 flights and about 24 hours of traveling, we made it to Santorini! Words really cannot describe what being here in person is actually like, after seeing so many photos and wanting to go for so long (but I will try). We stayed in the lovely Anteliz Suites. The private hotel villas are situated at the very top of Fira Town with a beautiful view of the Volcano. We had such a comfortable room, we were actually able to sleep and fight off the jetlag well! We had a small pool on the terrace but unfortunately it was too cold to swim! It’s okay though because I would much rather be in Santorini during shoulder season. It is cool enough to walk around and there are less tourists. Even when the sun was out it was super hot even in 60 degree weather. We had a few cloudy days to be able to walk far, or we would walk in the evening.
Fira is beautiful and a great place to go out, but I have to say that I truly loved the neighboring towns of FiroStefani and Imerovigli. They are the highest peak and just a short walk from Fira. I loved the look and feel of the white washed buildings overlooking the cliffs. These towns are also a lot quieter with fewer tourists, and actually feel more luxurious. (most of the tourists are from the cruise ships that dock in Fira Town) The best restaurant of the trip we ate at was La Maison in Imerovigli. I would seriously come back to Santorini just to eat here again, it was that good! We also were lucky enough to see Santorini in a very green and blooming state because of so much rain, which is actually very rare for the island.
List of Restaurants and Bars We Went to:
Parea Restaurant- Our first restaurant we ate at after feeling jetlagged and off our flights! Great solid Greek food, we were also starving and eager to try our first bites of Greek Food!
Ampelos Restaurant and Wine Bar- One of the best meals of the trip! A highlight was the baked feta with honey and balsamic. There was also a small food tour group right next to us lead by a big Greek guy, so we knew we were in a good place!
Ouzeri- The best traditional Greek food we ate in Fira! Everything was just the best version of classic Greek cooking.
Naoussa- Another traditional Greek place, not our favorite but the Octopus was very good!
Cesare- We were in the mood to switch it up and do some Greek/Italian. Delicious pizza here!
PK Cocktail Bar- A beautiful bar overlooking the Caldera, the cocktails were delicious, I recommend the special Spritz.
Tropical Bar- A small cute but touristy bar with sweet drinks.
Casablanca Soul- A pretty open air bar/club with white linen decor.
Highlander- When you want a tourist trap/ Irish Bar with blasting old school songs. ( really actually enjoyed it here)
Assytirco- A cute little open air wine bar and cafe. We loved the wine flights and huge piece of Baklava. More Points for giving us free cheese with every glass of wine!
Mylos- A high end Greek Gastronomy restaurant in FiroStefani. Probably my second or third favorite of the trip. It was more experimental but equally delicious!
La Maison- Last but certainly not least! The best restaurant of our trip! This high end Greek restaurant is located in Imerovigli with seating looking out to the ocean. The service was incredible, they cater to you in every way. The food was high end but also approchable cusine.
? Bar/Restaurant in an Alley- We found this beautiful bar and restaurant where we had great drinks and the owner came up and spoke to us and offered us free drinks! We cannot remember the name but it was in an alleyway on Danezi M Street.
Before we decided to visit Sarasota, I really did not know much about this city at all besides that Siesta Key was nearby. When I did my trip research I came across this amazing place called the John and Mable Ringing Museum. I became pretty obsessed with the Greatest Showman recently. Even though this was not owned by P.T. Barnum, the Ringlings bought the Barnum circus to create The Greatest Show on Earth. I had no idea this incredible site even existed. It is a definite MUST do in Sarasota. I recommend spending at least 3 or more hours at the entire property.
First we walked over to the Ca d’Zan which was the actual residence of John and Mable Ringling. Definitely do the John Tour AND the Mable Tour. Both tours take you to different spots in the house and do not repeat. Unfortunately you cannot take any photos inside of the house, but for once I actually enjoyed not taking photos (even though they would have been beautiful) The inside of the house is truly spectacular. Mable was a perfectionist at curating the home just so and attention to detail. She wanted every place you looked to have beauty, The exterior of the house is also incredible, as is the waterfront view.
After visiting the Ca d’Zan, we explored the grounds which included Mable’s rose garden and incredibly large Banyan Trees. We walked over to the Ringling Art museum which featured an enormous pink courtyard housing works of art. To do the two tours and visit the museum, it did cost $65 which was a bit pricey but I think totally worth it for a once in a lifetime experience.
After about a month away from Australia, we were seriously missing the beach! Our friends invited us to visit them in Sarasota this past weekend and we knew we could not pass up the chance! We stayed at the Tribute Modern Sarasota Hotel. The hotel just opened so everything was brand new. I just loved how this hotel was a great mix of modern and retro at the same time. Since the hotel is still going through it’s soft opening we got the whole pool to ourselves. We felt like it was our own private resort. Although the hotel had a few kinks to work out, I highly recommend staying here while in Sarasota.
One of the best things to do in Australia is the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee. The trip is quite long one way with lots of hills and steps so I definitely don’t suggest walking there and back especially on a hot day. You can start from anywhere on the trail and go in either direction and stop in between many, many times to admire the beauty. We did the walk twice from Bondi to Tamarama, and once from Coogee to Bondi. The scenery in between includes Bronte Beach, Tamarama Beach, Waverley Cemetery (quite possibly the most beautiful cemetery I have ever seen)., Clovelly Beach, Gordon’s Bay, and more! It is hard to say what my favorite part was because it is all incredibly beautiful. Aussie’s all have their opinions on the best beach to go to but I think my favorite beach was Tamarama. The beach is not too big but not too small, it is just right.
Ah, Bondi Beach. The land of surfing, flat whites, avocado toast, and bare feet. We spent the first few days of our trip to Australia here at Bondi (pronounced Bond-eye) at the QT Hotel. From the moment we arrived, we loved everything about the way of life here. The boutique hotel QT was a great place to stay. The decor was a laid back vibe with modern pastel colors that mimicked the famous Bondi Icebergs.
Every morning we would wake up early and go eat breakfast at Vida Surf Shop Cafe or Berri Patch to get delicious acai bowls, matcha lattes, and avocado toast. From there we would explore the area. Bondi has the most beautiful shops and clothing boutiques (one of my favorites pictured here called Playa) You will not find many chain stores. It also has some beautiful art deco buildings as well. Not as many as say Miami Beach, but a few very nice ones that you can spot if you walk a lot around the area.
After exploring the area we walked down to the famous Bondi Beach every day. We also completed the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk a few times. Many local Uber drivers told us they think that Bondi is very touristy and that there were many better beaches. I have to really disagree. We both did not find it too touristy at all. We loved it so much that we could even imagine getting a small condo there.
A few restaurants to check out:
Drake Eatery- Amazing fresh farm to table food, highly recommend the gnocchi but I think the menu changes a lot.
Bondi IceBergs- A must do, and we saw Steve Aoki there when we were at dinner. We also went there during the day time for some drinks. It is a real hot spot, lots of bougie people watching.
Vida Surf Shop Cafe- Fantastic Acai Bowls, and also loved the ham and cheese toastie.
Bondi Hardware- We just had some snacks but the fish taco was great and it is also a very beautiful place.
A Tavola Bondi- Delicious Italian food with fresh pasta.
Bill’s Bondi- Another institution in Bondi, we didn’t east here but had some drinks.
The Shop Wine Bar- We also just got wine here but the food looked great and was a very cute local cafe.
Can Cava Pintxos- A tapas restaurant. Highly recommend the cauliflower and the octopus.
More observations:
Walking barefoot everywhere is a thing here… even to restaurants and the main sidewalks. You get used to it but still it is not something I would want to do.
I finally found out why the Bondi Icebergs are called Icebergs. It was started in 1929 as a Winter Swimming club so that local life savers could keep in shape during the winter. To this day it is still the only operating pool in the Winter time as well as year round.
Many many cute dogs all around Bondi. Most of them walk off leashes, I wonder how they don’t all get lost but they seem very well trained.
I could not be happier that summer has come to an end and fall is finally here! We spent 3 amazing days in the US Capitol of Washington DC. My husband had a conference in Charlottesville so we decided to fly here first. Our whole trip was quite the whirlwind, we ended up spending the night at 3 different hotels in DC! The first two nights we stayed at the Kimpton Mason & Rook. This hotel is a small modern boutique hotel near the 14th street area with great restaurants and shopping. The first day we ate at Commissary for a late lunch and walked around the area. Then we went to Ghibellina for dinner. The next day we walked around the National Mall and stopped at the National Geographic Museum and the Smithsonian American History Museum. For dinner we stayed in the area and yet again went to an Italian restaurant called Lupo Verde.
After our stay at Mason and Rook, we headed over to the Kimpton Monaco. This hotel was incredible and definitely my favorite one of the trip. After we checked out the beautiful hotel we walked over to the CityCenter. This upscale area had a new Umbrellas Sky Installation so of course I had to check this one out. We also did a little( a lot of) shopping at the stores over there and then headed to the National Portrait Gallery. At night my husband wanted to watch the McGreggor/Khabib fight so we went to a bar to spend the night watching it. To our surprise, right before the fight started, right where we were sitting Dave Chapelle walks in with his crew and ends up drinking right next to us! It was quite the night, we didn’t end up talking to him but we did talk to his friends.
After a super fun night we got up the next day to take the train to Charlottesville. I love going through Union Station, they just finished restoring the ceiling. Even if you are not taking the train it is worth a visit. After our train ride we took a car to Lexington (quite the change of pace). Lexington is where my husband had his conference. It is probably the smallest town I have ever been to but it was really very historic and beautiful ( more about that in next post). After that we went back to Charlottesville for a night before heading back to DC. I really did love Charlottesville. The campus is beautiful and the downtown mall promenade is very quaint.
Our last day in DC we stayed at the new Line Hotel located inside of an old church. This is in Adam’s Morgan which is a very cool hipster/hippie area. This was again a very different hotel than the rest, obviously a lot more hipster than the other hotels. We walked around the area and then ate dinner at Iron Gate. All together we stayed at 5 different hotels in one trip, definitely a record for us indeed.
I have a serious thing for photographing umbrellas and before our trip to Miami, I saw that Coral Gables now has an amazing umbrella sky project. This first time I saw an umbrella sky was from photographs of a street in Agueda, Portugal. I honestly wanted to go all the way there just so I could see and photograph this one street. I obviously did not go all the way there but years after I saw more umbrella skies popping up around the world. The first time I got to see an umbrellas sky was actually in Belgrade, Serbia.
We had this trip planned to Miami for a few months and before I go on a trip I research heavily on Pinterest, Instagram, etc. I freaked out when I saw that Coral Gables recently installed an umbrella sky and was so excited to photograph it. The drive from downtown Miami to Coral Gables is about 20 minutes. My husband jokes about how I always drag him to the most random places for photos and something always goes awry, well he is right. We got to the umbrellas and about 5 minutes after a huge storm rolled in with a lot of lightening. We waited under a canopy along with tons of other people who were there to take pictures under the umbrellas. When the rain let up a bit we ran into The Bar for a drink, a great local Coral Gables spot. After we finished our drinks the sun same out. I am actually very happy that I got to photograph the umbrellas in both clouds and sun, so it was really turned out to be a good time!
One of the many special things about the Mandarin Oriental hotel group is the location of their hotels. The properties are always hidden away in an otherwise very busy city. The Mandarin Oriental Miami is located on a private island near downtown called Brickell Key. We stayed here for a few nights and even extended for a night because it was so cozy and relaxed. Our room had a fantastic balcony with a view of Downtown Miami. In typical Mandarin Oriental fashion, the services and amenities were incredible. The infinity pool was beautiful and right next door was a small man made beach. I also spent time at the spa and received the most amazing facial complete with a rose quartz treatment. A short walk from the Mandarin over the bridge and you hit Downtown Miami. We took advantage of this and ate at both Zuma and Boulud Sud. Overall our stay at the Mandarin was as always such an incredible experience.
Two months ago I moved to Dallas with my husband after living in Fort Worth for over 3 years. As a born and raised New Yorker, I actually adapted to moving to Texas quite well. The quality of life here is honestly overall so much better and so is the weather. Fort Worth was such a nice relaxing change from NYC, but after a while it got very mundane because it is such a small city. We always knew we wanted to be in Dallas since coming to Texas. It is the perfect happy medium between New York and Fort Worth. We finally took the plunge this Summer and bought a place in downtown Dallas.
Milan is an avid swimmer and I am, well an avid photographer. We love spending time at the pool and I decided to whip out my camera and get a few snaps of the pool in our new condo. Milan was also nice enough to snap a few photos of me. I am always behind the camera and never in front but it is nice sometimes to have photos of myself (especially because I have been going so hard at the gym!)
After New York, we stopped in Philadelphia for a few days for a quick trip. My husband used to live here and we never went here together as a couple. Philadelphia is so much fun, a great mix between New York and DC. Every time I go on a trip I always look up the best things to do and this time I found out there was a Rodin Museum in Philadelphia! The only other Rodin museum that I have heard of is the one in Paris which my husband and I have both been to together. We of course had to check this out, being both francophiles and lovers of Rodin.
The museum itself is very small but makes up for that with it’s beauty and sculptures. I find that I love going to smaller museums better than very large museums. They can be just so overwhelming. When you go to a smaller museum you can appreciate every piece and for longer. For a little slice of Paris, I highly recommend checking this out in Philadelphia!
Let me start off by saying that I grew up in New York, born and raised on the Upper East Side. I didn't leave New York until college and afterwards I came back to live in Hell's Kitchen on my own for the next 4 years. I left New York to move down to Texas for my then boyfriend, now husband. Before we moved down to Texas we spent a summer living together in New York. I have not been back to NY since to live, only to visit friends a few times a year. My husband and I decided to live in New York for the Summer, something that we have been wanting to do since we left New York in 2014. We finally were able to do it this Summer of 2018.
I was so excited that I think I was just plain blindsided by this city again. It hits you right across the face when you land and leaves a lasting bruise until you leave again. We got a very nice sublet right in my old neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen on the 34th floor of a doorman building. The apartment had great natural light and beautiful views of the city- the complete opposite of my former apartment here. For the first few days I was very happy to be back. I missed the energy of the city, and forgot just how many people were around. I noticed things that I never really saw before, like how everything operates in the city as controlled chaos. I just don't get how so many things go on at one time but they all work in a noisy but perfect harmony. My dog's reaction to the city is pretty much how I felt after a few days- a scatterbrain.
New York is the kind of place where you never want to leave your apartment, but once you do, you want to do anything and everything. Truly the best things about this city are the restaurants and bars. No city in the world has the diversity of cuisine and cocktails as New York. Below are the list of restaurants and bars we were able to check off our list rated from best to worst. Some are restaurants/bars and some I did not include because they were take out/more casual. I wish I had more photos of the food to share, but most of the time we were dining at dimly lit restaurants.
Restaurants:
1. Asiate- Located inside of the Mandarin Oriental. One of the best meals I have ever had!
2. Method- We became obsessed with Izakayas this trip. Izakayas are Japanese tapas. I highly recommend the eggplant and Ramen here.
3. Cocotte- One of the best traditional french restaurants in the city! Almost everyone speaks French here. We ate at their only outside table and I felt like we were in Paris.
4. Bar Goto- Another Izakaya, Get the Okinomiyaki, best you will ever try!
5. Batard- Incredible french restaurant in TriBeca. Everything from the food to the service was top notch, plus they have corkage.
6. Temple Court- A beautiful restaurant inside of the Beekman Hotel. It is worth it to go just to check out the historic Beekman. On Sundays they do free corkage, and it makes sense considering we were the only ones in the restaurant. FiDI is dead on the weekends, but because of that we got excellent service and an amazing meal!
7. Marea- This place is on the top of every "Best in NY List" We went here and got their two course lunch. Honestly didn't love it or hate it. It was very solid and tasty but I would not say it is up there with the best Italian I have ever had.
8. Davio's- A fantastic steak house with a million menu options and half price wine on Sundays. Love the popovers to start.
9. Harrow- A gem of a restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. Great food that tastes like home cooking with a relaxing ambiance.
10. Jean Georges at the Mark- Food was great and I love The Mark Hotel. A little stuck up though and terrible Sommelier.
11. Gallo Nero- We had our first dinner date here- classic Italian place but always delicious!
12. Pylos- One of the best greek restaurants in the city, literally everything is delicious and fresh.
13. The Drunken Horse- A wine bar/Italian Tapas. Best Flatbread I ever had!
14. A slew of wine bars in Hell's Kitchen with Italian Tapas: Ardesia, Wine Escape, Medi Wine Bar, Bricola, Bocca di Bacco- All fantastic and some we have been before but wanted to go back to.
15. Stanton Social- Always delicious, loved the arepas. The french onion soup dumpling were good but too heavy for the Summer time and smelled heavily.
16. Azasu- We looked up Best Izakayas in NYC and this was number 1. I enjoyed Bar Goto and Method a lot better but this place was very authentic. The food was very good and I enjoyed the decor and Sumo Wrestling theme.
17. Casa Mono- Great Spanish Tapas, always very unique.
18. Yefsi Estiatorio- Another really great greek placeon the UES.
19. Racines- At the bottom of our list. It got great reviews on yelp, but was not all it was hyped up to be. Limited menu- I mean there were only like 3 or 4 choices. Tasty but not too memorable.
20. Buddakhan- We stopped there for late night drinks and a snack. I actually have never been here and always wanted to try it. I got the Edamame Dumpling, basically tasted like mashed potatoes in a dumpling but so good! Probably would not go back to eat though, too touristy now.
21. Bistro Burger- Great burger when you are drunk/ the only burger I have eaten in a few years.
Bars
1. Fig 19- The coolest speakeasy I have been to, it is actually hidden unlike some of the popular ones. I will not tell where though!
2. Garfunkel's- A bar within a bar inside of a vaulted door. This quiet LES speakeasy is a great date place plus live music on Tuesdays!
3. Aviary at the Mandarin Oriental/ The Office- Some of the most creative cocktails I have ever had, with of course an amazing view and our server looked exactly like Ryan Gosling. After we had drinks at Aviary we went to their own bar within a bar speakeasy called The Office. Amazing drinks, although we spent a fortune all together.
4. Amor y Amargo- Great places if you love Bitters!
5. Raines Law Room- A nice speakeasy in Flatiron with beautiful decor and strong drinks.
6. Death and Co.- Been here many times but always solid and a place I like to go back to.
7. Sugar Momma- Honestly best hummus I have ever had and awesome drinks! Weird fact, we went here right after we landed in NY. I was watching Red Sparrow on the plane, and they were actually playing the movie when we walked in!!
8. Blue Ribbon Bar- Great little spot in the village. Loved the white asparagus.
9. Mark Bar- A beautiful bar on the Upper East side where you may or may not see a celebrity. We did not this time, but who knows maybe we did?
10. Blue Bar- Algonquin- A classic bar in NY. Everything is blue of course and they have pictures done by Al Hirschfeld on the walls. I suggest getting the Dorothy Parker.
11. Bowery Bar- A classic bar that is a must do in NY. We went here on the late night. It was very busy and were already way too far gone to enjoy it, oops!
12. The Royalton Rooftop- Nice rooftop with a great view of the Empire State Building. Drinks were okay, it is more for the view.
13. Lela Bar- Great wine, a little overpriced.
14. Randolph Bar- Had some refreshing drinks after a hot walk. Yummy empanadas.
15. M1-5 Lounge- not great drinks but good music and they have an awesome bottle chandelier.
16. Attaboy- Ugh so disappointing. We went to Lela bar to wait to get into Attaboy for about 45 minutes, which was fine. The worst part was I told the bartender I do not like sweet drinks at all. My first drink was fine but then he made the worst Negroni I ever had. How do you screw up a Negroni? Then he made me another one, it was again terrible and too sweet I could not drink it. I told him it is okay you do not need to make another one, and he says snarkly " Well I wasn't going to". We got up and left with a full drink on the bar.
In terms of other activities:
- A stroll through my favorite areas of Central Park twice. Starting at 79th street and walking down to Bethesda terrace to the Bow Bridge, then back again through the Mall and then ending at 59th street near the Gapstow Bridge.
- A visit to the Met and the Met Breuer. I got to see the Heavenly Bodies exhibit before it closed, plus an amazing human sculpture exhibit at the Met Breuer (The old Whitney space).
- A visit to the MOMA, two fantastic exhibitions by Bodys Isek Kingelez and Adrian Piper.
- Strolling around Brooklyn Bridge Park. It is SO different than the last time I was here. Everything is incredibly manicured and bougie now. New condos, storefronts, and restaurants are up.
- Walking the Manhattan Bridge for the first time. This was so great and not touristy at all. You get amazing views that most people do not every see!
- Went to La Duree on the Upper East side after the museums. I sat down for table service and ordered the biggest pastry on the menu and had some tea. For $15 it was well worth the time off my feet indulging.
- Strolling through the High Line, West Village, and East Village. I suggest touring the High Line on a weekday after it just rained. There are hardly any tourists and it is peaceful and beautiful.
This July, Milan and I celebrated our 5th anniversary of meeting in Vegas. We met July 4th weekend in 2013 at Wet Republic in the MGM. Since then Vegas has been out home. We met there, got engaged there, and got married there. We go at least once or twice a month and stay for a few days to a week at a time. We owned a place at the Palms Place and now own at the Mandarin Oriental which we are now renting out. It is the one place in the world that no matter how often we go we always have an amazing time and a unique experience. No trip is similar to the last.
To celebrate our anniversary, we decided to first check out the new Palms Renovations. We had our wedding reception at the former Alize space. I am obsessed with the new remodel. The Palms now has a very up to date Millennial feel mixed with an art gallery. My favorite part is the Unknown bar designed by artist Damien Hirst with a large shark installation. The photos I took really cannot do it justice. We ate dinner at the new Scotch 80 restaurant, inside the old Nine steakhouse space. Barry is still the executive chef there, and has revamped the menu with some of the old favorites. On the walls there are millions of dollars worth of art. I was also told by my hairdresser to check out the middle bathroom stall in the ladies restroom. The middle stall is completely decorated like a cake, not my thing but definitely worth a look. It was a very busy night because of the reopen and we waited about 45 minutes for our dinner. At the end, our waiter actually comped our entire meal because it was so late, what a treat!
After the Palms we decided to stay in a suite at the Bellagio where we got engaged. I love the suites/penthouses in the Bellagio, probably my favorite rooms in Vegas. Our suite had a beautiful view of the fountains, a steam shower, and hot tub. We love having the steam shower because it is just so dry in Vegas! At the Bellagio we got some happy hour drinks at Spago. We were having a great time until I bit into their chip and there was huge piece of plastic in it...ew. We again got our drinks/food comped. I was honestly very surprised by this at a place like Spago, but now we refer to it as the Chipcident. We will give Spago another shot in the future. Moving on after we ate dinner at one of our favorites Jean Georges Steakhouse which is always amazing.
Our last day there I got a call that my grandmother had passed away. I knew it was coming as she went hospice a few days before that due to her Alzheimers. We honored her by having a few drinks, and honestly I cried before coming back home to My Heart Will Go On while staring at the fountains. Even though it was a sad day, I wanted to remember the great times I had with my grandmother.
P.S. I have still been using my amazing FujiFIlm mirrorless camera and I love it! I am so sick of seeing the same old DSLR looking photos, I can now really see a difference between my FujiFilm an Canon photos. The Canon photos are obviously very sharp, clear, and hyper realistic. I find that there is just no creativity in those kinds of shots anymore. I am very happy to mostly be using a Fuji to creating my own style.
Milan and I were recently invited to a wedding on Lake Travis with unreal scenery. His two students from law school asked him to officiate the wedding. I had been to Austin many times but never to Lake Travis which is about 35 minutes from downtown. I really did not know what to expect but I am so glad I at least brought my Fujifilm Camera with me! Not only did it take great shots, it was not intrusive at all. The family's estate was just jaw dropping. I felt like I was on the coast of Italy.
My husband and I got to spend two wonderful days in San Antonio this past week. He is a law professor at Texas A&M and has a wonderful travel budget. We were in San Antonio this time for him to teach a class at the A&M sector. I had never been to San Antonio yet so I was very excited to check it out. We stayed at The Westin Riverwalk. The hotel, like many others in San Antonio was right on the RiverWalk. You just have to walk downstairs and you are there! I adored the Riverwalk so much. It can be a little touristy with some chain restaurants and tour boats, but it is still such a beautiful part of the city.
The first day we were there we explored the River Walk. Right by our hotel on the river was a small little shopping village called La Villita. The best thing about it is that there are so many exits and entrances. You can go down or up at any time you wish, from downtown and back to the river. It is easy to see all the big sites in San Antonio in just a few hours. Along the riverwalk we exited to check out The Alamo. It is a lot smaller than it looks in photos but still very impressive. For dinner the first night we went to Bohanan's Steak House. This was probably one of the best steakhouses I have ever been to. The steak and sides were perfect. I also highly recommend the chicken tortillas soup. The service was incredible too.
The next day we got a quick breakfast and I ventured off to the San Antonio Central Library. I know it sounds weird to visit a library on a trip, but this was one the coolest libraries I had ever been to! I have been working on a kind of Pop Art Minimalist Photography for a while and this was the perfect spot to practice. You will see in my next post.
For lunch we went to Ocho which is on top of the River Walk. This was a beautiful open air cafe with Cuban/Mexican tapas. The food an ambiance was good but the service was not great. There was one person working there and she had an attitude and as soon as I snapped a photo she told me I could not take photos with my DSLR only my Iphone. OH WELL I got the photo anyway! I am going to go on a rant about this... This makes me angry because honestly, why? What is the difference these days? People make a ton of money off of Iphone Instagram images, and I am literally just taking photos for my blog without monetizing it. I just prefer using a DSLR because of the quality. I respect people's wishes and their privacy but I just don't get it. I would understand if they said no photos in general, that makes sense. Maybe the owner had one too many bloggers taking photos with DSLR's, I have no idea! OKAY DONE!
Later evening after my husband's class was over, we met up for drinks at Haunt in the St. Anthony's hotel. After that we checked out Esquire which has the longest bar top in Texas! It was late so we just ate there but it was very good bar food. After that we ended the night at Last Word, a nice cocktail bar.
Here we are in beautiful Sonoma again. We have now spent three amazing trips here since it was part of our honeymoon last year. After spending a night in San Francisco, we took an UBER back to this gorgeous paradise for just two days. Believe me just two to three days is enough when you are drinking wine all day and night. The first day we ate some lunch at the pool, and I got to have some of my favorite fish tacos ever! After lunch we headed up to Repris Winery. We became wine club members here last time and did another tour.
Repris is probably my favorite winery in Sonoma because of the wines and the privacy. This is NOT a touristy spot at all. Our wonderful tour guide led us up to the vineyard in an ATV and then we tasted wine overlooking the beautiful hills. Unfortunately a lot of the land around it was burned from the wildfires but Repris was barely touched! We headed back down the hilltop to once again explore the most amazing wine cave. We ended the tour with a private tasting of the wines accompanied by charcuterie. After our wine tasting we ate a light dinner at Tasca Tasca which has delicious tapas and you can bring your own wine with no corkage fee. We wanted to eat light because the next day we had an Easter brunch booked at Sante in the Fairmont.
On Easter Sunday we started the day at the incredible Fairmont Spa. All of the water in the spa part of the Boyes Hot Springs- natural and healing hot springs that appear just in that area. Included in the spa is an outdoor heated pool and a quiet pool where you float on noodles and dip your head into the water to hear music. The inside of the spa includes a hot tub, warm tub sauna, steam room, and sprinklers/ ice bucket. After relaxing at the spa we enjoyed our buffet brunch at the Fairmont's restaurant Sante. We ordered some champagne and enjoyed a ton of food including unlimited caviar, seafood, cheese, breakfast, and dessert. By the time we were done with brunch and the spa we went back to the room and passed out.
