Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Vamanos Cabo!!! Well, before we head out on our 4 month backpacking trip through South East Asia, we decided to get some R&R in Cabo. I actually have been to Mexico a few times, but I have to say I remembered it quite differently. Everyone warns you of the horrors of Mexico, but Cabo was not like that at all. I thought I would need to be on the look out all the time. However, Cabo was SUPER touristy! I knew I was safe when I saw groups of little old adorable tourist women wandering around in their hats and dresses, enjoying some sun. I thought Cabo was all "spring breakers", but there was actually quite a fun mix. Due to the touristy ways, it was NOT cheap at all. It actually was similar prices to downtown San Diego, which was a bit surprising. We were hoping for dollar drinks and tacos, which didn't happen. We ended up finding a street taco stand that sold tacos for $2 to $3, so that was what we ended up eating at most of the time as everything else was out of our, what we thought, a "Mexican budget".

Jayda just "reading"

pesos!

Other than that, Cabo was great. I felt safe the entire time I was there, walking the streets of the city, the Marina, and the beach. I mean, yeah we saw prostitution, drug deals, and other shenanigans like that, but that was happening all the time in the streets at night and the day light. As long as you didn't take part, it was fine. I know that sounds absurd, but it was just every day life there. It was comical, especially the "pharmacias" on every corner. Selling drugs, antibiotics, pills, anything under the sun that in the U.S.A we need prescriptions for. Also, the prices were up for debate and you could haggle. If you didn't see what you wanted/needed, they would say, "want pot? Want to fly to the moon? Need cocaine?".... it was out of control! So, if you do go to Cabo, be prepared to be hassled a bit, but it was not too bad. You just say no, buy your sunscreen and leave. I thought it was pretty hilarious.

just a typical advert in Mexico !

We stayed at a lovely hotel called La Bahia, which is a small boutique hotel only a 5 minute walk to Medano Beach. When you get to Medano Beach, to the left was all the crazy beach bars and typical "Cabo Madness". However, if you walked to the right a few minutes, there was a quiet sandy beach in front of empty private beach houses. This is where we decided to set up camp each day. We could hear the music from the bars, but we weren't being hassled by the Time Share people, walking beach vendors, or the drunkards. It was super relaxing! The ocean water was warm, clean, and the beach was super relaxing and absolutely beautiful. The weather was perfect and I actually swam in the sea because the water was so clear!

the entrance to Medano Beach

One day, there were three cruise ships docked in the bay and it was so fun seeing all the people getting off the boat, wandering around, and doing their scheduled activities. One highlight for me were the pelicans teaming up to catch some fish. They chased some fish towards the beach so that they got stuck in the sand and were easy pickings. One LARGE, gorgeous, blue fish (seriously probably three feet long) almost jumped onto the sand, but miraculously got away. That was very entertaining. Not only was I people watching, I was watching nature at work!

just relaxing on Playa Medano

I thoroughly enjoyed Cabo. I woke up, got a juice or coffee from the hotel, went to the store and grabbed some water and chips. Got to the beach, slept all day in the sun, swam in the sea, and read a book on the sand. On the way back to the hotel, grabbed some tacos and (of course) a few Coronas, then sat in the hot tub until bed time. I went to bed, then woke up and repeated the process. It was great, relaxing and just what I needed. I would recommend Cabo to anyone, but be warned that there is not a lot to see and is pretty expensive. It is great for a few days of relaxing, but that probably is just me. I had fun and enjoyed my time there. Not sure if I would go back, but then again, there are not many places I would pay to go back to again. There are so many beautiful places in this world, why not go see something new you haven't been before? Again, probably just me! All in all, my husband and I definitely enjoyed our trip. It is a beautiful place to have fun in the sea, sunshine and definitely just relax.

the Harbor

Denver with a side of Boulder

Denver; we had a GREAT time!!

I just got back from Denver and I absolutely LOVED it! I have this amazing girlfriend who has been planning on moving there for about 6 - 8 months. Well, this past weekend, she made the official decision; I am so proud of her! A few months ago, bored and uninspired, we booked this trip in the hopes that she would fall in love with the city and be able to start a new adventure in her life. That is exactly what happened; she is pretty much super woman.

Cheesman Park

The first day in Denver we did SO MUCH. We saw 3 different apartments (and neighborhoods), went to cute cafes, ate some of the famous green chili and a bit of local beer for dinner. I just have to mention the places we ate at were SO GREAT. For dinner the first night we went to Jonsey's Eat Bar; AMAZING. I had the Breckenridge Agave Wheat (nectar of the beer gods) with my meal, oh SO delicious! Apparently, they have the best fries in the U.S. of A. and I actually cannot think of any fries I have had that were much better to be honest! We split the "Green Chili" fries, because that is what you do in Colorado. You eat Green Chili and have some local beer.

Another bonus of Denver is that it is so cheap (compared to California)!!! I also loved that it was easy to eat healthy, fresh, and local. At the Wynkoop Brewery in LoDo, we got a flight of 3 beers for $4.50!! That is insanely affordable and the bonus was that they were delicious. I particularly liked their Chili Beer and am now slightly obsessed.

beer tasting at Wynkoop

Everyone in Denver was really nice, always referring us to the next amazing local cafe, giving us directions, and recommending great places to eat. My favorite place we ate at was in Uptown, called Olive & Finch. We had our first lunch and cappuccinos there while enjoying the cold. Alexa, aka superwoman,  had her first business meeting of the trip there as well. We loved the place so much, we ended the trip there as well, watching the snow fall sipping on our umpteenth cappuccino. The bonus was that it had SUCH great food (vegan, vegetarian, & gluten free options), coffee, desserts, and they also had a great selection of beer and wine. It was super cute; I sort of loved it.

Highland in Denver

There are so many great neighborhoods in Denver: LoDo, Uptown, RiNo, Lo Hi, Cap Hill, Wash Park.... it literally took forever to learn the lingo, but we eventually got it. Each neighborhood was unique, with some sort of outdoor park or activites. The city also has a TON of bike paths and also a cycle system called B-cycle, where you can rent a bike for the day. They had stations everywhere, so it seemed that you could use this system quite easily instead of driving around.

Larimer Square

The highlight for me, as I am an avid basketball fan, was that we went to a Denver Nuggets game! It was the Nuggets vs. The Pacers and the Nuggets won ! Whoop Whoop! Denver is a city in love with their sports teams, that is for sure! We were able to walk to the Pepsi Stadium from uptown and everyone also seemed to walk from the bars of Larimer Square to the game. Denver was entirely decked out in Bronco's gear, every statue had a jersey on. They were very proud of the fact that they made it to the Super Bowl.

View from our seats, go Nuggets!

The Pepsi Stadium hosts the Nuggets (basketball) and the Avalanche (hockey). Coors stadium is not a far walk to see the Rockies play (baseball), and also not far from the Pepsi Stadium is the Sports Authority Field, where the Broncos play. The four main sports are all centrally located and easily accessible for the people of Denver. I truly was jealous. San Diego is great, but we do not have a basketball or hockey team. Denver is a city for the lover of sports!

After spending three full days in Denver we decided to make the trip to Boulder. It was a gorgeous drive and such a cute college city. We spent the day on Pearl Street Mall, enjoying Irish Coffees and wandering into book stores. It was pretty great. Boulder is extremely adorable and only a 45 minute drive from the city in order to enjoy a relaxing change of pace.

driving to Boulder

Colorado Sunset, driving back from Boulder

The last day was FREEZING, so Alexa drove to another business meeting and I stayed in bed. The high was 18 degrees Fahrenheit and it was snowing. I gladly stayed in bed until Alexa came back to drive us to Olive & Finch. It was again delicious.... after that we went to the airport to make our way back to Sunny California. I loved Colorado so much that I am already looking to book my flights to go visit my friend in October (that is when the international beer festival is meant to happen in Denver)! She hasn't even physically moved there yet; that is how much fun we had! The city is so amazing and I am so happy for my dear friend and the adventures ahead of her. I may even be slightly more excited for myself; I now have more excuses to go back and visit ;)

it was seriously this cold out, my glasses fogged up!

City of Sin (or not): Las Vegas

Las Vegas, the city of sin.... depending on what you want to do, right? Las Vegas can be as tame as you want or as wild as you want; it's entirely up to you. That is why Vegas is so great! I've been to Vegas a few times and each time I have had a completely different experience. I have been to Vegas with my dad and step-mom, my mom and her friends, my in-laws, many reunions with friends from all around the world, an intimate weekend with my husband, and a couple’s weekend as well. Every time Vegas has been slightly different.

When I went with my dad, we went to Hoover Dam, which was pretty awesome. It is not a far drive outside of the city and its size really does take your breath away. Further, but not too far away is the Grand Canyon as well, so if you do get bored of the casinos there are some nice outdoor activities waiting for you.

Hoover Dam with my friends and Dad-2009

Vegas, in my opinion really *shouldn't* be for kids, but there are plenty of family friendly activities: Coca Cola Store, M&Ms store, Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, roller coasters of Circus Circus, New York New York, & The Stratosphere. However, let’s be honest..... Nothing is worse than milking off a hangover by the pool and some loud, noisy, irritating children are splashing and shouting near you. I do have friends who go on family holidays to Las Vegas and they have a great time. However, most people go to Vegas to let loose… so not only do they not want to be around kids, the things they are doing aren’t really kid friendly. However, I don’t have kids, so one thing that I think Vegas needs more of, are adult only hotels (again, just my opinion) so that people like myself can have a stress free trip.

Bellagio Water Show-2012

The key to Vegas is to plan ahead and get a decent hotel. I always find that I spend more time in my temporary residence than always originally planned. If you pay that little extra for the comfort of a nice hotel, you spend less money on taxis. If you get a nice hotel, you tend to stay on its premises; especially if there is a casino and pool. Even though I am not much of a gambler, I love the sound of the casino when you walk in. Nothing really gets you ready to "go out all night" like the sounds of those slot machines! Plus, if you’re gambling you get free booze! My favorite hotel (thus far) is Planet Hollywood. Planet Hollywood has an amazing pool that sits beneath the "Paris" Eiffel Tower, and most rooms also face the Bellagio water fountain. Planet Hollywood has great restaurants, is connected to the Miracle Mile for shopping, has a great fun casino with dancing girls on the card tables, a relaxing spa, fun in-house entertainment, an AMAZING pool, and to top it off it is centrally located across from the amazing Bellagio water fountain display. The extra bonus of Planet Hollywood is that there is a no kids section at the pool :) ahhhhhhhhhhhh !

the pool at Planet Hollywood (view from my chair)

There are also some AMAZING restaurants in Vegas, owned by some of the most famous chefs in the world. My new particular favorite is, "Twist" by Pierre Gagnaire which is located in the Mandarin Oriental. The Mandarin Oriental is a secret gem in Las Vegas. It is tucked away and does not have a casino, but the Mandarin Bar has some of the best cocktails in Las Vegas with, hands down, the best views of the strip. It is very romantic in this bar, so it is a great way to start a fun romantic night for a couple.  My husband and I started here before heading to our Matt Goss show in Caesars Palace. (a great, fun, show by the way!).

Now back to Twist, ummmm AMAZING and one of the best food experiences I have ever had. I probably will not be able to afford such an amazing culinary experience like this in a long time, so I truly did cherish it. Plus the sommelier is amazing and even called my husband a few times prior to our visit to ensure we were picking the correct bottle of champagne to accompany our meal. The service, food, and view in Twist are amazing. Obviously, I cannot stop talking about it! So, as you can see, Vegas is great for a romantic weekend getaway as well.

What Vegas is probably known best for is the debauchery that goes on. In order to have the best and most fun time with your friends, you do need to plan ahead. You need to see which club and or clubs you want to go to and get your names on the guest list. Sad, but true, girls never have a problem so if you're going with boys you really, really, need to plan ahead.

what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas- amazing reunion 2010

In my opinion, the best and most amazing "new-ish" fun thing to do is to attend one of the many pool parties. I went to Encore Beach Club at the Wynn, and it was SO MUCH FUN! I saw Steve Angelo and he was phenomenal. Some of the best DJs come to these pool parties, which makes for great dancing. It may be because I am now getting older, but pool parties are really the way forward! You get there early, around 11 am, you drink and dance all day. It is sunny and hot so you're sweating out most of the toxins you're putting in your body, you dance to one of your favorite DJs, and once it is all over you go back to your hotel. At this point you're probably starving, so you eat and then (in my case) most likely go to sleep after watching some random TV marathon in bed. These courses of events lead to little or no hangover the next day! That nonexistent hangover allowed for my mid-twenty to early-thirty year old friends and I to do two days of partying in a row!! That is now unheard of for us, but doing the pool party first, meant that we could do a club (at night) the next day! So as you can see, pool parties are definitely the way forward... in my opinion; especially if you just cannot recover like you used to.

the pool party at Encore Beach Club-Summer 2013

Vegas can be anything you want it to be, as long as you're going with great people to make it fun. The entertainment options are limitless: Cirque de Soleil, comedy shows, concerts, gambling, theatre, plays, etc., but if you just want to relax, there are many options just for that as well. Vegas does have its flaws.... we already know about my biased child flaw, but I also particularly find myself disgusted by the amount of buffets. It is like watching people stuffing their faces like pigs to a troth. With all the great options for food, I just don't understand eating as much as you can for as little as you can, but then again that is just me… and YES, I have been to the buffets that are accredited, like the ones in the Rio, Caesars Palace and the Bellagio. I still don’t get it. For how much I paid for the buffet, I could have eaten for A LOT LESS money at one of the many abundant subways and not stare at people stuffing their faces all around me. Alternatively, for slightly more (sometimes less as the buffets do get expensive) enjoy a nice relaxing meal at a GREAT restaurant.  

For the most part, I love Vegas. However, I have a little biased sentimental piece of my heart saved for Vegas. I married the man of my life in this city, so how could I not love it? Don't be fooled, you cannot just show up to a drive through church and expect to get married! You have to go to the court house first to get your marriage license, so the whole "how did I get married" thing can't really happen; myth busted!

Las Vegas is great, but to be honest, you probably don't need more than three days there. Three days of pushing your body through extreme outdoor heat, indoor cold air conditioning, smoke filled casinos, alcohol, food comas, and lack of sleep kind of wears you down. The first 48 hours in Vegas are always the best, don't ruin it. Go home and recover so you can plan your next "sinful" (or relaxing) adventure.

September 12, 2009 =)