Category Archives: Travel

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Vacation From Vacation

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Usually you never know I’m gone, I know I’m going to be away and I throw some posts up. Couldn’t do that this time since my vacation was a surprise. MK decided we’d both (cough) been working so hard we needed to get away. We packed up and set off Friday morning.

MK booked us an amazing room at a great hotel right on Sunset Strip. We wandered up and down and shopped and ate and wandered some more. We got all fancied up and hit some clubs. We exhausted ourselves. We woke up and ate some more, pooled some, and set off for more adventure. We drove through Beverly Hills, Glen, and Mulholland, which we hadn’t taken the time to do before. There was a lot of “let’s live in that one” “oh my gosh did you see that?” “Is that all one house?”. The only (I don’t think this even counts) celebrity MK spotted was the guy that owns Sunset Tan, while we were eating at the awesomest diner ever that happens to be underneath it.

We failed on pictures – didn’t want to look like tourists! 🙂

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When I Dip You Dip We Dip

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So the real point of the drive was, of course, to get to Vegas. It wasn’t that bad of a drive, especially for me since I could sleep. Apparently MK tells me it’s harder when you have to actually do the driving. Getting in to Nevada was cool, the casinos start as soon as they are allowed. Border pics:

And we saw a giant wreck:

Vegas was the awesomest ever (I say that every time, I know). We stayed at the new Planet Hollywood, which was fine even though I would not recommend it. We kept getting in free no waiting in line to clubs at night (must be MK’s dimples) and got to check out a bunch of new bars. We slept most of the day after seeing the sun come up. We upped Red Bull stock considerably. SoCal is officially too small when you see people you know IN VEGAS, but that was cool too.

Sunday we stayed at the Hard Rock. There is nothing in that hotel that is remotely cool, especially since it’s under construction. Here’s one you might not know: the light fixtures have cymbals over them. Real ones. People bang on them NO MATTER WHAT TIME IT IS. Who’s the idiot that came up with that? Fortunately I passed out and didn’t have to hear it. The bathroom was like a Motel 6, it was so awful.

The only reason we submitted to this torture was all the nonsense we heard about REHAB, the pool party Sundays. So we get down there and walk right in. The line for non hotel guests is, from what we hear, over 2 hours long by noon, and also (by rumor) more expensive than just paying for the room sometimes. So you stay in the junky room, and skip the line.

I’m thinking it’s like a lounge type thing. NOPE. It’s a wild super rock your face off see and be seen party the likes of which I’ve never seen. It made MTV Spring Break look like a snooze fest. They were filming a movie. There were beds in the sand, and cabanas everywhere. There were people freaking making it rain (click for explanation) over the pool. What??? The DJs were the best of the best. Everyone was prancing and dancing and drinking and partying like mad. It was awesome. Really, really awesome.

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So Over America

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Folks, Canada is where it is AT. I don’t even know how to tell you that I want to apply for citizenship, get my maiden name back, and assimilate immediately. Really.

Our trip to Vancouver was AWESOME. The drive was beautiful, if not super interesting. I-5 takes you up from Mt. Rainier to Mt. Baker, and the views were clear and great. The border, which you can see in the pictures is guarded by a stone pillar and a flower flag, only took two hours to get through. As soon as we made it to Vancouver, we took in the view of the city and drove right past it to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Since 1889 it’s been full of bratty kids trying to sway you into a stranger all stumbly-like. It’s extreme, you can also see evidence of that in the pictures…

We did the tree top adventure, then realized the exchange rate was one-to-one and that meant a 15$ salad was really 15$. It was going to be a long trip. Despite my worthless American currency, I love Canada. Tourists abound. Everyone sounds like you but really does say aboot. So hot. The weather was perfect. I think the sun has a little smiley face on it up there. After the excitement at Capilano, you run right into Grouse Mountain, another fantastic tourist trap. We headed right to the top and ate our 3pm lunch in 10 minutes flat. Canada adventure made me hungry. There were bears, as you see that at first looked friendly, but put on a mud wrestling show for us. There was a loggers show, and a gondola that we look so cute on. For only 199$ you too could experience the thrill of a 15 minute paragliding trip, which we passed on. Super fun-ed out, we went to the city to check in to the hotel and check out the night life.

MK got the coolest hotel in the world, the Pan Pacific in Canada Place, where the WTC and Cruise ships and all kinds of other random things hang out. There’s a pic of our view from the room right out on to all the water. We got prettied up, had some coffee, and made our way out to Robson Street. Holy cooler than Seattle, Batman. There was more shopping than anywhere. There was tons of expensive cars and interesting people and food and lights and parties. You say this is the most livable city? I can see it…

I got some new shoes, which put that song into my head about new shoes on (that’s the only part I know) so I was a hummy happy lady. We checked out all the downtown until it closed and found Yaletown, the hippest part of the place. We ate dinner at a super cool oyster bar, where they taught me all about beer and oysters and vintage soul music. Too much fun. We popped into a couple bars and couldn’t get over how happy everyone was and the great vibe just running around everywhere. It’s the best episode of the Twilight Zone, no bad ending. Then we got so sleepy!

For breakfast we went and checked out where I will be living someday, Beach Drive. We ate omelettes in the sunshine and drove from beach to beach to beach. Every one had an amazing view. Right before lunch we made it to Granville, where the public market is even bigger and prettier than Pikes. After a lunch stop and more exploring we made it over to Stanley Park, the Spanish mossy beach, and in and out of countless parts of the city, the Chinatown, campus, and south and west of the city.

If I had only known, I would have picked Vancouver over Seattle. I would have my dual citizenship documents expedited. I can only agree with everyone else that thinks this is the best place to live, it was like nothing else I’d ever seen in any other of my travels. Maybe if the exchange rate improves, eh?

canade flag

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Click here for the pictures.

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Somebody Bumped Their Head…

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Ouch!
So I spent the last few days on a trip for work. Albuquerque and Santa Fe were beautiful. What’s not to love about 30 degrees cooler than Texas? However, I still managed to mess up my trip by fainting and cracking my head open on a granite counter top. I was in the bathroom, after my shower, and the toothpaste isn’t talkin’, so we’ll never know what really happened there.

The first night I got in, we went to dinner at a restaurant called Sadie’s that had suspiciously clear Mexican Martinis that were heaven. (Dare I say better than Trudy’s? Why yes, yes I do!) The meal even CAME with complimentary sopapillas. (shame on me!)

The next night we drove about an hour to Santa Fe – worth it, Albuquerque isn’t all that happenin’…it was incredible. The views were really breathtaking, I haven’t used that term and meant it this much ever!