Sierra Nevada Mountains – …on the B.L.

Posing in front of the Arc de Triomphe at Paris Casino in Las Vegas.

11… Ways I Passed the Time in Las Vegas

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021 RaeAnna

A boat filled with flowers floating in the Bellagio's Conservatory. — A boat filled with flowers floating in the Bellagio’s Conservatory.

The last five days, I spent exploring Las Vegas. I’d been once before… in December 1999. A little more than 21 years ago, so I had never really done Vegas because I was nine eight years old. Some would argue I still haven’t done Vegas because I don’t drink or gamble and the shows are still closed for the most part. That being said, there are loads of things to do, and I managed to fill my five full days with fun nonetheless. I got in very early this morning and am very ready for a nap.

This is not a travel guide by any means. It’s just a quick overview of some of the fun I’ve had over the last five days. If you’ve been following my stories on Instagram, you know there were lots of outfit changes, food, and activities. Lots of pictures to come, but I need to go through them all and edit… Did I mention I didn’t get home til early this morning, so it’s not happening today.

Change Hotels There are so many fun hotels and casinos. If you stay for more than a few days, I suggest switching hotels like I did. I was able to experience Las Vegas from different vantage points, locations, rooms, and amenities. I stayed at the Luxor, Hilton Grand Vacation at the Flamingo, and Waldorf Astoria. I’ll chat more about each of them later!
Content Creation One of my favorite things about being a writer and blogger is the content creation. I love having an excuse to take beautiful pictures. I’ve always loved being behind and in front of the camera. It’s taken me a lot longer to get comfortable being in front of the camera in public spaces, but I’m getting there. It’s always worth it when I see the finished product. I think everyone deserves amazing pictures of themselves, and we need to normalize that. But I did a lot of solo content creation all over The Strip.
Eat Oh my goodness. I ate so much all over the place. I will definitely have a dedicated food post. Some exceeded expectations. Some did not. I didn’t have any bad food, though. I did return to Eataly… a lot.
Work The blessing and curse of being a freelance writer is: I still work on vacation. In the before times, I traveled so much that not working every time I was on a trip would have been unfeasible and completely unrealistic. This was my first trip since COVID, but I still ended up working every day. I like it because it keeps me grounded and makes me appreciate the fun even more! Plus I’m more motivated to get it done ASAP, rather than procrastinate.
The Conservatory at the Bellagio I happened upon the Conservatory in the Bellagio on the very first day I was there. It was absolutely stunning and beautiful and everything my flower dreams are made of, so I went back… pretty much every day.
Walking I walk a lot when I travel. I walked between 8.75 and 14.6 miles every single day. I love going, going, going to explore everything. I’m not good at down time when I’m traveling. I have a few blisters from a poor shoe decision on the last day—the photos made it totally worth it, however.
Pool + Reading I landed at 8:45 Wednesday morning, and I was already checked into my room at the Luxor. I headed straight to my room, put on my swimsuit, grabbed a book, and sat my butt by the pool. It was 9:45, and I was two chapters into a new book and soaking up the sun. #goals I did sit poolside with a book every single day I was there. (The Waldorf Astoria’s pool is by far my favorite.)
People Watched Oh, Las Vegas. It might be one of the more interesting places to people watch, especially late at night.
Shopping, Shopping, Shopping I actually did not do a lot of shopping. I’m too poor for the stuff I really want to buy. I did buy a few souvenirs for friends. I don’t like to buy things plastered with the location on them for myself—the exception being mugs—so I buy things that I like and will remind me of the trip. This trip happened to be hats. I found my new favorite hat store and went a little crazy, but a responsible amount of nutty.
Friend It Up I love traveling and being on my own because I meet the most incredible people. Sometimes there are some looney acquaintances made, but most of the time, I have really amazing conversations with total strangers.
See Friends Some of my closest friends just moved to Las Vegas. Maria of Millennial Fashionista grew up in Las Vegas. She, her husband, and baby just moved back. Due to COVID, I hadn’t been able to see or visit them in almost two years, which meant: I hadn’t met darling Clara!!! I was finally able to remedy that situation by spending Wednesday afternoon and evening with them. It’s never enough time when it comes to good friends, but anything is better than nothing, particularly when it’s meeting the most perfect baby in the whole world.

The most perfect baby in the whole world!

I had a great time in Vegas. I was definitely ready to head home and cuddle my babies by Sunday evening. I will for sure miss the Waldorf and all its amenities. I guess I can live without a pool boy… If I must.

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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Travel, Travel Guides

Lake Tahoe Travel Guide

September 30, 2019September 30, 2019 RaeAnna

Outdoorsy is not necessarily the adjective I would attribute to myself, but I do love the great outdoors. When traveling, I tend to find myself doing as many outdoor things as any adventure enthusiast, so travel me is gung ho outdoorsy.

Lake Tahoe has been on my places to visit for a long time, but I never had a reason to go until recently. I was already trying to figure out a way to make it back there before I had even left. I’ve seen a few lakes in a few corners of the world, but I’ve never seen a lake quite like this. The water is indescribably beautiful. Clear and turquoise. I half expected to see dolphins or whales. I’m not an idiot, I know they don’t live in lakes, but I’ve only ever seen water like that in very specific places in the ocean.

Being completely honest, I had never really thought of where Lake Tahoe is. I knew it was somewhere Californians visit. It straddles the California-Nevada stateline. I stayed in South Lake Tahoe, which is on the California side. Between the North and South sides is a rivalry. On the plane, I sat next to a lady who lived in South Lake Tahoe, and the man sitting next to her lived on the North. I would love to say I’m exaggerating when I say things got heated as they debated which was better, but I put my headphones in to better ignore them. I saw no blood, so there’s that. From what I gleaned from the locals is the North side is made up of twelve(?) towns. They’re more remote and quiet with less walkability but the same amenities as the South, more compact, touristy, and robust, side of the lake. South Lake Tahoe is one city with more ski resorts and better walkability. It just depends on what you want atmosphere wise. I haven’t been to the North side, but I hear it’s great.

201909306011011555812276298 — Channeling my inner Aquaman.

20190930_180246-01 — View from Cave Rock.

Places to Stay
Hotel Becket is where I stayed. It’s cute, clean, and within walking distance of just about everything you could want. It looks like an old motor lodge that has been completely renovated with modern amenities.
Honestly, there are tons of places you can stay around Lake Tahoe. There is no shortage and something for every budget.

201909305536670238035234776 — Enjoying the boat tour of Emerald Bay.

What to Eat
Riva Grill The Riva Grill is a gorgeous restaurant with an amazing view of the lake. It’s beloved by the locals and this tourist. You can even park your boat at the dock and eat and outdoor patio for warm days. The food is really amazing. I don’t care for crab, but their crab risotto is superb. One of the reasons I fell for this restaurant is their sense of humor. The signature drink is the Wet Woody. I don’t drink, but they made me a Virgin Woody. Best drink ever. The drink menu is full of risqué details and double entendres.
Driftwood Cafe is in Heavenly Village across from Hotel Becket. Family friendly with large portions, it’s a great place to start your day with a hearty meal before hitting the slopes, the trails, or the water.

20190930_180413-01 — Sitting on the Nevada-California state line.

Things to Do
Water Sports are one of the biggest draws to Lake Tahoe. The waves are even big enough to surf. Shocked. But true. From jet skis to water skis, there’s something for everyone on this lake.
Snow Sports are a huge draw in the colder months. I wasn’t lucky enough to be there for the snow, but I’ve been told the skiing and snowboarding is amazing. Hopefully, I can make it back soon to experience it for myself.
Clearly Tahoe is a clear kayak rental. It was absolutely amazing. The water in Lake Tahoe is so clear you’ll want to be able to see it as much as possible. Clearly Tahoe offers guided tours around the lake in their completely transparent kayaks. I’m a huge fan of kayaking, so this was amazing for me. At night, they offer LED tours, which allow you to see the lake in a completely different light. This really was incredible.
Hiking opportunities are everywhere. Cave Rock is an easy hike with a stunning view of the lake. There are tons of places to hike and stop to take in the beauty or capture a picture. There’s also a great overlook of Emerald Bay.
Heavenly Village is a cute shopping area full of stores and restaurants nestled into the bottom of the mountain. It’s a great place to find a bite to eat or pick out a souvenir. I got a little work done at a coffee shop because workation!
California-Nevada State Line is a great picture opportunity. I like to call it my Walk to Remember moment because I was two places at once. If you walk about a quarter mile up the mountain on the road going through Heavenly Village, you’ll find a great spot where the line is in the road.
Boat Tours are an amazing way to see the Sierra Nevada mountains and the lake. We took the Emerald Bay boat tour out of Zephyr Cove. It is gorgeous. The water is a beautiful emerald color. Plus you can hear fun facts about the Lake and the history surrounding the area.
Vikingsholm is a 38 room mansion on Emerald Bay open for tours. I wasn’t able to visit it, but I did get to see it on the boat tour. It was gorgeous. Hopefully, I’ll be able to see it the next time I visit.

20190930_175527-01 — A tea house on an island in the middle of Emerald Bay.

Travel, Travel Guides

Reno, Nevada

September 21, 2019September 20, 2019 RaeAnna

Places To Stay. Things To Do. Food To Shove in Your Mouth.

I just got home from my trip to Reno and Lake Tahoe. It was a quick trip, but I was able to enjoy a little bit of everything the city has to offer. There were so many activities crammed into a short amount of time; I wouldn’t have it any other way. Reno is known as The Biggest Little City in The World, and I can see why. A new direct flight by United was launched, so it’s even easier to visit!

The people of Reno are some of the nicest most interesting people I’ve met in my travels. People can make or break any place, and the people definitely add to Reno’s charm. Almost everyone I talked to chose Reno; they weren’t natives. Many had left and came back because they found it called to them. There is this mentality of embracing who you are no matter how weird. No one judges as long as you don’t encroach on their own brand of weird. People were happy to chat and tell me everything they love about their city. I have a whole list of places to see, things to do, and food to eat based off their recommendations, which I didn’t have time to get to this go around. Everyone was passionately in love with their city, which rubbed off on me.

Reno is a city full of energy. There is so much to do and enjoy. I can’t wait to go back and dive further into this great city. For now, here are the wonderful things I experienced. I loved every minute of it so much, I know you will love it as much as I did.

Places to Stay
I stayed at the Atlantis Resort and Casino. I’m not a gambler, but there are so many other things to enjoy about the hotel, like the spa, indoor and outdoor pools, restaurants, cafes, fitness center, arcade, fabulous views, and incredibly kind staff.

I slept with my drapes open because the view was so incredible. I was on the 23rd floor with windows the width of the room from floor to ceiling. The city view was incredible at night, but it was even better during the day with views of the skyline and the mountains. I’m still in awe of it.

The spa is the best in town. I can personally attest to how great it is. From locals to staff, everyone swears by the spa and restaurants. You absolutely can’t go wrong here. I was great by such a fabulous swag bag, my suitcase almost weighed too much.

Things To Do

Art The art in downtown Reno is incredible. There are murals everywhere, and they are always changing. Burning Man takes place in the desert just a few hours away. Reno has a ton of Burning Man art on full display throughout downtown. It is amazing.

National Automobile Museum I love cars. The National Automobile Museum is in downtown Reno and has cars from the very beginning. You can follow the maze starting at the start of the automobile era to the more modern era. It’s beautiful and educational.

Ax Throwing Ax throwing has become all the rage, and Reno is home to a great place to do just that. You can even order food from Liberty Exchange while honing your skills.

Reno Arch It used to be red but was painted blue in 2018 to reflect University of Nevada, Reno’s colors. It’s a great photo opportunity! Located on Virginia Street and Commercial Row.

Spa I love the spa. It’s such a wonderful way to relax and unwind, which should be a part of every vacation. I spent an afternoon enjoying everything the Atlantis Spa had to offer. It was the best experience.

Gambling Reno is home to a ton of casinos, so if gambling is your thing or something you enjoy at the end of a busy day, there are tons of opportunities big and small.

Day Trips Reno is so close to hiking, water sports, skiing, and so much! Virginia City and Carson City are only 45 minutes away.

Food to Shove in Your Mouth

Liberty Food & Wine Exchange has amazing food. It is all locally and responsibly sourced. The pancakes are the best I’ve ever had; they taste like pound cake without the heaviness. You really need to go. They make pasta and bread in house daily. Their woodfired oven makes a whole bunch of food. They butcher everything in house and the FDA inspects it daily. It is delicious.

Bistro Napa is located in the Atlantis. Even the locals rave about their happy hour, so you know it’s good. I ate so much, I thought I would explode because it was beyond delicious. This is a fairly classy place, and the service is impeccable they make great mocktails.

Purple Parrot is also located in the Atlantis. It’s open 24/7 and has great breakfast food and service. It’s like a diner, but a little classier and definitely comfier.

Escape Lounge should be a part of everyone’s airport experience. It’s an airport lounge without the exclusivity. You can pay to get in or if you’re an AMEX holder. They have great food, comfy seating, fabulous views, and the service is awesome. I seriously enjoyed it.

Wonderful Things About Reno

It only takes fifteen to twenty minutes to get from one side of town to another.
Hiking and water sports are everywhere.
San Francisco is about a three hour drive away.
You can learn so much about the Native American tribes in the surrounding areas.
The mountains and desert make for a beautiful backdrop any time of day.
Reno is 45 minutes from Carson City, the capital of Nevada.
Lake Tahoe is less than an hour drive from downtown Reno.
Virginia City is home to wild Mustangs and is only 41 minutes away.