October 31, 2009
Peoria, AZ
Wow, what a blur the past week has been. I can't believe it's the weekend, or the end of October for that matter. This week was pretty typical for us in terms of the "first week back". We've been getting back in the swing of life off the road.
Since we arrived home in the afternoon on Sunday, Monday was devoted to unloading the coach. We like to move a lot of stuff back to the house for a couple of reasons. First, we're trying to avoid duplication, so we have "one" of a lot of things these days. When I was still w*rking, we used to keep many things duplicated in the coach so we didn't spend a lot of time swapping things back and forth. Now that we're less time-constrained, it makes more sense to avoid the expense of duplication and spend a little extra time managing our belongings. Second, and just as important, the loading and unloading process gives us the chance to make sure we're actually carrying around things we actually need and use. It's amazing that every fall we find stuff in the coach that we've been carrying around all summer (or longer) and just never used. This process is usually a good source for things that belong on eBay or at Goodwill, typical fall/winter projects for me.
Since we did a good job at getting a head start with unloading on Sunday, Monday was an easy day. We started at the front of the coach and unloaded the inside first. After lunch, I pulled the tools and spare parts out of the bays, and by 3:00 PM she was back in storage. With the economy being weak, things seems to have stabilized for the storage business, since I was able to get exactly the same spot as last winter. At least I won't get confused about where to park. Rates went up to $68/month (from $65/month last winter), but it's still the best deal I've found in the area.
Since we knew we wouldn't want to cook after working with the coach all day, I'd booked a reservation at Buca di Beppo, a chain restaurant over by the Peoria Sports Complex. It was "Pasta Day", so their promotion involved free pasta: for every entree we got a free side plus a free pound of uncooked spaghetti to take home. And take home we did, since we had entrees of chicken parm and Chianti-braised beef and took some of both home for leftovers. Marlene would be proud.
Tuesday, we started putzing around the house but the main event was getting Geri over to the imaging center for her second follow-up MRI. Since this isn't an "open MRI" facility, she needed a "happy pill" to calm her down before the procedure. She was happy and everything went well; we were back home by 3:00 PM. We'll get the results when she sees the urologist in mid-November.
On Wednesday, I started working on the one problem we encountered with the house: both our "over the air" TV antennas are out of whack. We can get everything we need from DirecTV, of course, but it's nice to have the local channels when we're here. It's especially convenient because the evening network shows are on an hour earlier in the Mountain Time Zone, and us old folks can't stay up too late. The kitchen TV is getting some but not all channels (no Fox - figures now that the World Series is on!) and the living room/bedroom (both on the same antenna) wasn't working at all. I got a new external antenna from Radio Shack, but didn't have time to do much because we needed to head for the vet in the afternoon. Maya Lynn was due for her Bordatella vaccination. She had that and passed her exam with flying colors.
Thursday was our day to go in different directions. Geri (finally) had a chance for some "alone time", heading out to get her hair done and then some shopping. I spent the day finishing up getting one TV antenna replaced and aimed (which was quite difficult until I realized that the power supply for the in-line amplifier was bad: .15 volts instead of the specified 15). I tried every combination of direct connections and replacement cables before I finally got what I wanted. Since we're feeding two TVs and have a relatively long cable run, I have to make sure that the signal is optimized to make up for the loss in the wires. I think I've got it; now I just need to "find" Fox on the kitchen TV.
Friday was another busy day. We had to head out early (for us) just after 9:00 AM to take Merlin to the vet specialist in Scottsdale. This is where he was referred when he was so sick last fall, and we wanted to follow up with her because he developed a small (2 cm) lump on his side near where they did the liver biopsy. She did a needle biopsy and verified that it was simply a benign fatty growth (a lipoma). As long as it doesn't change or bother him, he's OK - very good news. They're running a full set of blood tests, which he hasn't had since New Jersey; we'll get those results early next week.
Since we were out in Scottsdale (about a 35 mile drive), we decided to make the most of the trip. We stopped at Sur La Table and Crate and Barrel looking for a few things (and looking at lots of things we'd like but don't need). We had lunch at Panda Express and stopped at an Italian Deli we like (every Cento product known to man and mortadella with pistachios - yum) before heading home. It was a long and productive day.
We also managed to eat well this week. We made chicken breasts, pounded and breaded with garlic rice, Geri's famous sausage and peppers with pan-fried potatoes, and finished the leftovers from Monday night. We had good wines with each, focusing on things we brought back from California with us, since we haven't had a chance to shop for "everyday wine" for home.
Today has been a day for catching up in the study, making sure bills are paid and money is moved around, and catching up on blog posts. I still need to get the patio washed down and get the waterfall going in the back yard - that's next!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Back "home" once again
October 25, 2009
Peoria, AZ
Today's drive from Las Vegas to Peoria was mostly uneventful, unless you count when Merlin tried to eat the inspector's hand when we stopped for the checkpoint at the Hoover Dam. Until they finish construction on the bypass (scheduled for "2008"), there are checkpoints to ensure that we're not terrorists before anyone is allowed to drive across the dam, and all RVs need to be searched. I asked the three guys to step back while I came out with the dogs to have Geri hold them, but Merlin's leash was too long and one guy wouldn't take direction. Hey, he's just protecting his territory. Like most security checkpoints these days, the examination is cursory at best (open all the bay doors but don't check anything in there) with more attention being paid to my reaction than the vehicle itself. If I'd acted wrong, I'm sure a different crew would have taken things apart, but we know the drill and were on our way in less than 10 minutes.
We could have avoided the dam by taking US-95 south and taking NV-163 to Laughlin and AZ-68 to Kingman, but that would be a lot longer than the 10-minute checkpoint. We followed US-93 from the dam, through Kingman and along I-40 for a bit, down to Wickenburg. We were surprised to find that a bypass of sorts had been built to connect US-93 to US-60 without entering "downtown" Wickenberg; we haven't been out that way since early-2008. From there, it was a short drive on US-60 to the civilization of Sun City West and Surprise before we got to Peoria. We were "home" by 3:30 and tackled some of the unloading, primarily the refrigerator and freezer. All house systems checked out OK, with no heat damage over the summer and no leaks as I turned the water and gas back on.
We had a great summer "vacation". We travelled about 11,200 miles round trip and used 1,950 gallons of diesel fuel. Because of our creative traveling companions, our per-night cost for parks was $23.25, and that was because we stayed at a few "expensive" places toward the end (we were right around $19/night coming back from Alaska).
Now, we shift gears and spend a few weeks off the road...
Peoria, AZ
Today's drive from Las Vegas to Peoria was mostly uneventful, unless you count when Merlin tried to eat the inspector's hand when we stopped for the checkpoint at the Hoover Dam. Until they finish construction on the bypass (scheduled for "2008"), there are checkpoints to ensure that we're not terrorists before anyone is allowed to drive across the dam, and all RVs need to be searched. I asked the three guys to step back while I came out with the dogs to have Geri hold them, but Merlin's leash was too long and one guy wouldn't take direction. Hey, he's just protecting his territory. Like most security checkpoints these days, the examination is cursory at best (open all the bay doors but don't check anything in there) with more attention being paid to my reaction than the vehicle itself. If I'd acted wrong, I'm sure a different crew would have taken things apart, but we know the drill and were on our way in less than 10 minutes.
We could have avoided the dam by taking US-95 south and taking NV-163 to Laughlin and AZ-68 to Kingman, but that would be a lot longer than the 10-minute checkpoint. We followed US-93 from the dam, through Kingman and along I-40 for a bit, down to Wickenburg. We were surprised to find that a bypass of sorts had been built to connect US-93 to US-60 without entering "downtown" Wickenberg; we haven't been out that way since early-2008. From there, it was a short drive on US-60 to the civilization of Sun City West and Surprise before we got to Peoria. We were "home" by 3:30 and tackled some of the unloading, primarily the refrigerator and freezer. All house systems checked out OK, with no heat damage over the summer and no leaks as I turned the water and gas back on.
We had a great summer "vacation". We travelled about 11,200 miles round trip and used 1,950 gallons of diesel fuel. Because of our creative traveling companions, our per-night cost for parks was $23.25, and that was because we stayed at a few "expensive" places toward the end (we were right around $19/night coming back from Alaska).
Now, we shift gears and spend a few weeks off the road...
"Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night"...
October 25, 2009
Las Vegas, NV
After getting warmed up with the cheesesteaks, it was time for evening entertainment. The ladies were off to see the Cirque du Soleil show Zumanity at New York New York, and the guys headed to Sam Boyd Stadium at UNLV for the sold-out U2 concert. We found a place to park just before the stadium, which paid dividends in terms of easy-in/easy-out, and found our seats with little trouble: second row up at about the "fifty yard line" (of course, the stadium wasn't set up for football, but you get the idea). I'd gotten the tickets during a pre-sale (before availability to the general public) on u2.com; since U2 is my favorite group, I've been to see them on every tour since 1987.
The opening act turned out to be The Black-Eyed Peas, a pretty popular group in their own right. They opened with "Let's Get It Started", a perfect way to begin and ended their 45-minute set with "I Gotta Feeling" (the chorus is "Tonight's gonna be a good night").
U2 did their standard 2 hour+ show, opening up songs from their new album ("No Line On the Horizon") and then mixing in both new and old material for the rest of the show. Like many of the other shows I've seen, classics from early albums like "The Unforgettable Fire" and especially "The Joshua Tree" got the biggest fan reaction, with the newest material receiving a more muted response. This seems to be pretty typical, as there aren't any new break-out hit singles and the album seems to need time to grow on you (at least for me). It was similar a few years ago when "Pop" and "How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb" came out.
It was interesting to see the varied age spread in the crowd. There were parents with kids in the 10-12 years old range down on the floor dancing around, lots of twenty-somethings, and even a few gray-hairs like me. The area we sat in (well, stood in - at a U2 concert, you're on your feet from the beginning until the lights come up after the encores) was filled with die-hard fans, not surprising since we all bought the tickets in the pre-sale. There were a couple of guys behind us who were on a three-week trek to see as many shows as possible (pretty good at $250+/ticket), and a couple that already had tickets to see them in Helsinki next year, as the tour continues. I'm pretty sure I'll hold off on buying a ticket (Geri's "retired" from U2 shows) for the next round of North American tour dates unless there's a follow-up album that will change things up.
Overall, it was an exceptionally good show, and I think Al and Mike enjoyed themselves as well. It's not "classic country" or "classic rock" like some friends enjoy, but U2's music continues to be my favorite...
Saturday was a time for breakfast in the morning, then some preparation for Sunday's travel in the afternoon. We went to "Hash House A G-Go" off the strip for the biggest plates we've ever seen. The ladies all had hash, and each one came in its own cast iron skillet - full. Leftovers? You bet! Back at the coach, I dumped and flushed, put the bike back on the Range Rover, and brought the awnings in. Geri straightened up the patio furniture and put away most of the stuff on the inside. We knew we wanted to get a relatively early start in the morning, since she didn't want to be driving after dark - and it gets dark so early! We definitely got spoiled with the "midnight sun" up in Alaska.
We had one more event to handle, though. Mike had made reservations at Lawry's for a final (for us - the Connecticut Crowd was staying in Las Vegas until Tuesday) for prime rib, so we continued our Adkins-like culinary experience with more beef. We had a great time, Al picked out perfect wines, starting with a lighter Pinot Noir and finishing with a Cabernet blend (Paraduxx from Napa Valley). We made friends with the six ladies from New Orleans celebrating a birthday at the next table and finally left when we noticed that the staff was standing around the edge of the dining room waiting for us to get the hint that they wanted to close up. Typical for us...
So, this morning we're up and at 'em, ready to head back to Arizona. As soon as I finish this, it's "dish down" and "wheels up".
Las Vegas, NV
The opening act turned out to be The Black-Eyed Peas, a pretty popular group in their own right. They opened with "Let's Get It Started", a perfect way to begin and ended their 45-minute set with "I Gotta Feeling" (the chorus is "Tonight's gonna be a good night").
U2 did their standard 2 hour+ show, opening up songs from their new album ("No Line On the Horizon") and then mixing in both new and old material for the rest of the show. Like many of the other shows I've seen, classics from early albums like "The Unforgettable Fire" and especially "The Joshua Tree" got the biggest fan reaction, with the newest material receiving a more muted response. This seems to be pretty typical, as there aren't any new break-out hit singles and the album seems to need time to grow on you (at least for me). It was similar a few years ago when "Pop" and "How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb" came out.
It was interesting to see the varied age spread in the crowd. There were parents with kids in the 10-12 years old range down on the floor dancing around, lots of twenty-somethings, and even a few gray-hairs like me. The area we sat in (well, stood in - at a U2 concert, you're on your feet from the beginning until the lights come up after the encores) was filled with die-hard fans, not surprising since we all bought the tickets in the pre-sale. There were a couple of guys behind us who were on a three-week trek to see as many shows as possible (pretty good at $250+/ticket), and a couple that already had tickets to see them in Helsinki next year, as the tour continues. I'm pretty sure I'll hold off on buying a ticket (Geri's "retired" from U2 shows) for the next round of North American tour dates unless there's a follow-up album that will change things up.
Overall, it was an exceptionally good show, and I think Al and Mike enjoyed themselves as well. It's not "classic country" or "classic rock" like some friends enjoy, but U2's music continues to be my favorite...
We had one more event to handle, though. Mike had made reservations at Lawry's for a final (for us - the Connecticut Crowd was staying in Las Vegas until Tuesday) for prime rib, so we continued our Adkins-like culinary experience with more beef. We had a great time, Al picked out perfect wines, starting with a lighter Pinot Noir and finishing with a Cabernet blend (Paraduxx from Napa Valley). We made friends with the six ladies from New Orleans celebrating a birthday at the next table and finally left when we noticed that the staff was standing around the edge of the dining room waiting for us to get the hint that they wanted to close up. Typical for us...
So, this morning we're up and at 'em, ready to head back to Arizona. As soon as I finish this, it's "dish down" and "wheels up".
Friday, October 23, 2009
Always good to catch up
October 23, 2009
Las Vegas, NV
Last night we had fun. First, it was off to dinner with Cindy and Larry. We make it a point to catch up with them each time we visit Las Vegas. Come to think of it, we seem to visit Las Vegas quite a bit in our travels, considering that we're not gamblers, although it's been a year-and-a-half since our last real stop. We don't count passing through on the way north in April, since we only stopped at the Camping World for a new tow bar.
We met for dinner at the new M Resort casino, which was very convenient for both as they live in Henderson and we were near I-15 just south of the Strip and airport. Las Vegas Boulevard continues south for quite a while (11 miles?) from where the major casino-hotel complexes are, and the M Resort is about 8 or 9 miles south, about as far as you could go for development along that line. You can tell that the place is new (I think it had just opened when we passed by in April), as some areas are still under construction or final deployment, and some of the signage was generic ("Steakhouse" or "Italian Restaurant" instead of the actual name of the eatery).
Anyway, we found our way without too much difficulty and met Cindy and Larry right on schedule. They're both doing well and looking good. We caught up for quite a while before we took the hint that the waiter really wanted us to order. The food was pretty good, too; lots of places need quite a while to get their "sea legs" and consistently put out good food, and Marinelli's is doing well.
After coffee, we said our goodbyes and headed back. Now, normally we'd be heading back home but in this case, we were going to meet the Connecticut Crowd (Pat, Al, Mike, Lynne) once they arrived. They chose the Oyster Bar at Harrah's even though they were staying at the Flamingo two hotels away, but who are we to argue. We arrived first and parked with the valet (I'd already called to see if we had a vertical clearance issue with the roof pod on the Range Rover - yes, so let the valet deal with it), and Geri was already done with her first round of oysters on the half shell by the time they arrived, along with another couple that Mike knows who happened to be in town at the same time. We hung out and finished our wine while they all motored through some seafood platters (air travel makes you hungry since they stopped serving food). Around midnight, they hit the wall due to the time difference, the waitress wanted to go home, and the party broke up. We headed home to walk the pups.
Today was a pretty calm day, as all we had planned early on was to have the Connecticut Crowd over to the coach for a late lunch/early dinner (pre-show). We made our kicked-up "Philly" Cheesesteaks. I put "Philly" in quotes because we have enough experience with the real thing to know a) you can only get the real thing at one of a handful of shops in Philadelphia (no matter what they tell you somewhere else) and b) ours aren't authentic in any way since we can't get the right bread or meat on the road. So, we do the best we can with what we have. We'd bought the meat (half of a whole beef tenderloin, trimmed and chopped up) and cheese (aged provolone and something with truffle), and prepared the sides (caramelized onions, sautéed peppers and onions, and fried mushrooms) earlier in the week.
The Connecticut Crowd arrived by cab around 3:00 PM, we fired up the grill for the griddle, and the cooking was under way as soon as we'd popped the cork on a California Pinot Noir and served a couple of vodka tonics. With the truffle cheese and a drizzle of white truffle olive oil, the sandwiches were reasonably good, even if the roll to filling ratio was a bit on the high side (you don't want the rolls too big so the meat and cheese get lost). The wines were very good as well, highlighting that California can do pretty well with Pinot Noir (Mike's a fan of Oregon Pinots, but coming around).
Las Vegas, NV
Last night we had fun. First, it was off to dinner with Cindy and Larry. We make it a point to catch up with them each time we visit Las Vegas. Come to think of it, we seem to visit Las Vegas quite a bit in our travels, considering that we're not gamblers, although it's been a year-and-a-half since our last real stop. We don't count passing through on the way north in April, since we only stopped at the Camping World for a new tow bar.
We met for dinner at the new M Resort casino, which was very convenient for both as they live in Henderson and we were near I-15 just south of the Strip and airport. Las Vegas Boulevard continues south for quite a while (11 miles?) from where the major casino-hotel complexes are, and the M Resort is about 8 or 9 miles south, about as far as you could go for development along that line. You can tell that the place is new (I think it had just opened when we passed by in April), as some areas are still under construction or final deployment, and some of the signage was generic ("Steakhouse" or "Italian Restaurant" instead of the actual name of the eatery).
After coffee, we said our goodbyes and headed back. Now, normally we'd be heading back home but in this case, we were going to meet the Connecticut Crowd (Pat, Al, Mike, Lynne) once they arrived. They chose the Oyster Bar at Harrah's even though they were staying at the Flamingo two hotels away, but who are we to argue. We arrived first and parked with the valet (I'd already called to see if we had a vertical clearance issue with the roof pod on the Range Rover - yes, so let the valet deal with it), and Geri was already done with her first round of oysters on the half shell by the time they arrived, along with another couple that Mike knows who happened to be in town at the same time. We hung out and finished our wine while they all motored through some seafood platters (air travel makes you hungry since they stopped serving food). Around midnight, they hit the wall due to the time difference, the waitress wanted to go home, and the party broke up. We headed home to walk the pups.
Today was a pretty calm day, as all we had planned early on was to have the Connecticut Crowd over to the coach for a late lunch/early dinner (pre-show). We made our kicked-up "Philly" Cheesesteaks. I put "Philly" in quotes because we have enough experience with the real thing to know a) you can only get the real thing at one of a handful of shops in Philadelphia (no matter what they tell you somewhere else) and b) ours aren't authentic in any way since we can't get the right bread or meat on the road. So, we do the best we can with what we have. We'd bought the meat (half of a whole beef tenderloin, trimmed and chopped up) and cheese (aged provolone and something with truffle), and prepared the sides (caramelized onions, sautéed peppers and onions, and fried mushrooms) earlier in the week.
The Connecticut Crowd arrived by cab around 3:00 PM, we fired up the grill for the griddle, and the cooking was under way as soon as we'd popped the cork on a California Pinot Noir and served a couple of vodka tonics. With the truffle cheese and a drizzle of white truffle olive oil, the sandwiches were reasonably good, even if the roll to filling ratio was a bit on the high side (you don't want the rolls too big so the meat and cheese get lost). The wines were very good as well, highlighting that California can do pretty well with Pinot Noir (Mike's a fan of Oregon Pinots, but coming around).
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Now, that's more like it
October 22, 2009
Las Vegas, NV
First, let me say that it's not like us to go out to dinner two night s in a row, much less to two steakhouses in a row. But hey, it's Vegas, baby!
Carnevino was this evening's destination. It's in the Palazzo hotel, which is a new addition to the Venetian property on The Strip and billed as the world's largest "green" building. Carnevino is an "Italian Steakhouse", which certainly combines two of our favorite culinary genres. We each decided on a three-course approach: appetizer, pasta, entree. Geri had Calamari, Bucatini and a Pork Chop Milanese. All were excellent. The sauces for the squid and pasta were spot on, and the chops were pounded thin as a scaloppini. I had a Carpaccio done with aged skirt steak, "Spago" pasta with a lamb ragu, and a Filet Mignon. The salad had fresh arugula with a lemon vinaigrette that was crisp and peppery, and the pasta sauce was much lighter than the version that I make at home. Geri and I switched pasta plate halfway through so we each got a chance to try both. To top it off, the steak had to be in my "top 5" best I've ever had. At one-third the price of the Waygu we had the night before, it was a downright bargain!
This restaurant has wine service down as well. They had three roving sommeliers covering the dining room, so accessibility and visibility was excellent. I selected a 1999 Carlo Giacosa Barbaresco, and didn't have to ask for decanting. From the table, I was able to see the wine service station clearly, and noticed that the first bottle was tested and conferred over, then discarded. The sommelier then brought over another bottle and told us that the first wasn't acceptable to him and the wine team. Before service, he seasoned the glasses and verified that the second bottle was appropriate. As someone who has (unfortunately) had to send corked wine back on occasion, I really appreciated the attention to detail and honesty.
We finished off dinner with dessert, another out of character thing for us. We shared the "pumpkin donuts", which we more like donut holes filled with a pumpkin puree and lightly fried (is there such a thing as "lightly" fried?). They were paired with a Solera-style dessert wine (the name of which I neglected to retain - d'oh) and we ended with cappuccinos.
As we were leaving, I asked to speak to a manager, simply to let him know how much we liked the food and appreciated the service. I think he was expecting a complaint, poor guy.
Today, we picked up a few more things from the grocery, made sandwiches from Geri's leftover pork from last night, and did some more prep work for Friday's pre-concert/theater snacks. Tonight, we're headed to the new M Resort south of town to have dinner with Cindy and Larry, friends we've been visiting here for several years. After that, plane schedules willing, we'll meet up with the Connecticut crowd at Harrah's Raw Bar for a nightcap once they arrive in town.
Las Vegas, NV
First, let me say that it's not like us to go out to dinner two night s in a row, much less to two steakhouses in a row. But hey, it's Vegas, baby!
Carnevino was this evening's destination. It's in the Palazzo hotel, which is a new addition to the Venetian property on The Strip and billed as the world's largest "green" building. Carnevino is an "Italian Steakhouse", which certainly combines two of our favorite culinary genres. We each decided on a three-course approach: appetizer, pasta, entree. Geri had Calamari, Bucatini and a Pork Chop Milanese. All were excellent. The sauces for the squid and pasta were spot on, and the chops were pounded thin as a scaloppini. I had a Carpaccio done with aged skirt steak, "Spago" pasta with a lamb ragu, and a Filet Mignon. The salad had fresh arugula with a lemon vinaigrette that was crisp and peppery, and the pasta sauce was much lighter than the version that I make at home. Geri and I switched pasta plate halfway through so we each got a chance to try both. To top it off, the steak had to be in my "top 5" best I've ever had. At one-third the price of the Waygu we had the night before, it was a downright bargain!
This restaurant has wine service down as well. They had three roving sommeliers covering the dining room, so accessibility and visibility was excellent. I selected a 1999 Carlo Giacosa Barbaresco, and didn't have to ask for decanting. From the table, I was able to see the wine service station clearly, and noticed that the first bottle was tested and conferred over, then discarded. The sommelier then brought over another bottle and told us that the first wasn't acceptable to him and the wine team. Before service, he seasoned the glasses and verified that the second bottle was appropriate. As someone who has (unfortunately) had to send corked wine back on occasion, I really appreciated the attention to detail and honesty.
We finished off dinner with dessert, another out of character thing for us. We shared the "pumpkin donuts", which we more like donut holes filled with a pumpkin puree and lightly fried (is there such a thing as "lightly" fried?). They were paired with a Solera-style dessert wine (the name of which I neglected to retain - d'oh) and we ended with cappuccinos.
As we were leaving, I asked to speak to a manager, simply to let him know how much we liked the food and appreciated the service. I think he was expecting a complaint, poor guy.
Today, we picked up a few more things from the grocery, made sandwiches from Geri's leftover pork from last night, and did some more prep work for Friday's pre-concert/theater snacks. Tonight, we're headed to the new M Resort south of town to have dinner with Cindy and Larry, friends we've been visiting here for several years. After that, plane schedules willing, we'll meet up with the Connecticut crowd at Harrah's Raw Bar for a nightcap once they arrive in town.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
When is good not great?
October 21, 2009
Las Vegas, NV
Last night we went to the MGM Grand on The Strip for the evening. Back in August, I'd purchased tickets to the Cirque du Soleil show Kà online. As is our custom when we go to shows like this, we made reservations for a restaurant in the same hotel to avoid travel complications.
So, we drove over to the hotel with no traffic issues and parked in the garage. I was a little worried about clearance since we have the roof pod on, but the 8' 8" sign at the entrance made us comfortable. I'd picked Craftsteak for dinner, since we've tried some of the other restaurants in the MGM Grand before and like to try new things. We decided to try their Wagyu beef steaks, the domestic version of Japan's famed Kobe Beef. While good, neither of us found it to live up to the hype, so lesson learned there. We did pair it with a very good Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2001 vintage - on the recommendation from the sommelier (yes, guys do ask for assistance at times).
We were stuffed (overly so, actually) as we walked across the casino to the Kà Theater, and only had a short wait before they opened for seating. Since I had ordered the tickets so far in advance and done so through the "Cirque Club", we had seats in the first row center. The show was very good, perhaps a little more focused on dance and storytelling than most of the other Cirque shows that feature acrobatics. The seats were very good as well, although some of the aerial action took place over and behind our heads; the best seats are probably about 10 rows back. The seats did have embedded speakers in the headrests, though, so that made for a very good auditory experience.
It was after midnight when we got home, but we still walked the pups before bedtime. All in all a very good evening.
Today was the day for getting up late and taking an afternoon nap. In between, we did some prep work for Friday afternoon. On Thursday night, Geri's daughter, Pat, arrives from Connecticut for a few days of vacation with her husband, Al, and their friends, Mike and Lynn. On Friday, the guys are going to the U2 concert at UNLV and the gals are going to Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity burlesque show. We'll have everyone over here for kicked-up Philly Cheesesteaks in the afternoon, coupled with a bottle or two of the California Pinot Noir we collected, I'm sure. So, we have the whole beef tenderloin (I did mention kicked-up Cheesesteaks?) trimmed up, onions are carmelized, peppers are sauteed, and mushrooms are braised. With aged provolone and truffle oil, we should have a winner.
I also finished up a task that's been on my list all summer: writing up and posting online reviews of all the various RV parks we stayed at this year. Since I rely on these reviews as part of selecting parks where we stay, it's only fair that I submit my perspective for others. Since we stayed at about 20 different parks, this took up a good bit of the day, but I'm happy it's done.
Las Vegas, NV
Last night we went to the MGM Grand on The Strip for the evening. Back in August, I'd purchased tickets to the Cirque du Soleil show Kà online. As is our custom when we go to shows like this, we made reservations for a restaurant in the same hotel to avoid travel complications.
So, we drove over to the hotel with no traffic issues and parked in the garage. I was a little worried about clearance since we have the roof pod on, but the 8' 8" sign at the entrance made us comfortable. I'd picked Craftsteak for dinner, since we've tried some of the other restaurants in the MGM Grand before and like to try new things. We decided to try their Wagyu beef steaks, the domestic version of Japan's famed Kobe Beef. While good, neither of us found it to live up to the hype, so lesson learned there. We did pair it with a very good Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2001 vintage - on the recommendation from the sommelier (yes, guys do ask for assistance at times).
We were stuffed (overly so, actually) as we walked across the casino to the Kà Theater, and only had a short wait before they opened for seating. Since I had ordered the tickets so far in advance and done so through the "Cirque Club", we had seats in the first row center. The show was very good, perhaps a little more focused on dance and storytelling than most of the other Cirque shows that feature acrobatics. The seats were very good as well, although some of the aerial action took place over and behind our heads; the best seats are probably about 10 rows back. The seats did have embedded speakers in the headrests, though, so that made for a very good auditory experience.
It was after midnight when we got home, but we still walked the pups before bedtime. All in all a very good evening.
Today was the day for getting up late and taking an afternoon nap. In between, we did some prep work for Friday afternoon. On Thursday night, Geri's daughter, Pat, arrives from Connecticut for a few days of vacation with her husband, Al, and their friends, Mike and Lynn. On Friday, the guys are going to the U2 concert at UNLV and the gals are going to Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity burlesque show. We'll have everyone over here for kicked-up Philly Cheesesteaks in the afternoon, coupled with a bottle or two of the California Pinot Noir we collected, I'm sure. So, we have the whole beef tenderloin (I did mention kicked-up Cheesesteaks?) trimmed up, onions are carmelized, peppers are sauteed, and mushrooms are braised. With aged provolone and truffle oil, we should have a winner.
I also finished up a task that's been on my list all summer: writing up and posting online reviews of all the various RV parks we stayed at this year. Since I rely on these reviews as part of selecting parks where we stay, it's only fair that I submit my perspective for others. Since we stayed at about 20 different parks, this took up a good bit of the day, but I'm happy it's done.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
October 20, 2009
Las Vegas, NV
Sunday was our travel day and everything went like clockwork. We tried a different route, designed to avoid most of the potential issues with Los Angeles traffic. We hit the road roughly on schedule at 7:20 AM (early but not out of bounds, as the sun was already up). Hopefully, we didn't wake too many of the neighbors as we eased out of the relatively tight spot, with about two feet to spare given the other rigs and parked cars.
Our route took us south on US-101, then east on CA-126 once we got to Ventura. This was a great 4-lane road, freeway to Santa Paula and an easy drive over to Santa Clarita. We hopped on the I-5 south for only a couple of miles then north on CA-14 toward Palmdale/Lancaster. We've been up this way several times for rallies at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds. We cut off on the Pearblossom Highway to CA-138 to CA-18 directly east to Victorville. From there, we turned north on I-15 right into Las Vegas. We stopped for breakfast along CA-126 and for fuel and lunch (both "fuel", I suppose) in Barstow, and rolled into the Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort by mid-afternoon. Perfect.
The weather's been nice but breezy. OK, windy. Temperatures were warm to start but are supposed to be in the low-80s for most of the week. We're looking forward to that, as we've got several activities planned for the week.
Monday was a day for chores. Geri knocked out a couple of loads of laundry and we each spent some time on the phone arranging things for when we get back to AZ. Geri's got hair lined up, plus her next follow-up MRI to verify that her kidney is OK. Merlin and Maya Lynn are going to the vet. I've got city services (water - sewer - trash) restarted, and made arrangements to reactivate our high-speed internet service via Cox Cable.
I decided to do that since we had some capacity issues last year with the Verizon "air card"; there's a 5 gigabyte limit on that service and we came close to going over. Who wants to be constrained? Cable is cheaper, I can suspend the air card, and it's faster as well. With the new cable modem I picked up (thanks to a Best Buy coupon), we should have 20mbps service by the time we get home. Installation should be a snap since all the wiring is done from the service we had before.
We also did some shopping Monday afternoon, checking out a new Whole Foods right on the strip north of here (Blue Diamond), plus Wally World and Costco. Since we're eating out most nights this week, I decided to fill our dance card by booking a reservation at Carnevino, a new Mario Batali/Joe Bastianich venture in the new Palazzo Hotel for Wednesday night. OpenTable.com is our friend. To prepare ourselves for feasting, we just had a small salad with some sautéed bay scallops for dinner.
Today was a relaxing day, as we spent most of our time at the coach. Tonight, we'll head to the MGM Grand for dinner and a show.
Las Vegas, NV
Sunday was our travel day and everything went like clockwork. We tried a different route, designed to avoid most of the potential issues with Los Angeles traffic. We hit the road roughly on schedule at 7:20 AM (early but not out of bounds, as the sun was already up). Hopefully, we didn't wake too many of the neighbors as we eased out of the relatively tight spot, with about two feet to spare given the other rigs and parked cars.
The weather's been nice but breezy. OK, windy. Temperatures were warm to start but are supposed to be in the low-80s for most of the week. We're looking forward to that, as we've got several activities planned for the week.
Monday was a day for chores. Geri knocked out a couple of loads of laundry and we each spent some time on the phone arranging things for when we get back to AZ. Geri's got hair lined up, plus her next follow-up MRI to verify that her kidney is OK. Merlin and Maya Lynn are going to the vet. I've got city services (water - sewer - trash) restarted, and made arrangements to reactivate our high-speed internet service via Cox Cable.
I decided to do that since we had some capacity issues last year with the Verizon "air card"; there's a 5 gigabyte limit on that service and we came close to going over. Who wants to be constrained? Cable is cheaper, I can suspend the air card, and it's faster as well. With the new cable modem I picked up (thanks to a Best Buy coupon), we should have 20mbps service by the time we get home. Installation should be a snap since all the wiring is done from the service we had before.
We also did some shopping Monday afternoon, checking out a new Whole Foods right on the strip north of here (Blue Diamond), plus Wally World and Costco. Since we're eating out most nights this week, I decided to fill our dance card by booking a reservation at Carnevino, a new Mario Batali/Joe Bastianich venture in the new Palazzo Hotel for Wednesday night. OpenTable.com is our friend. To prepare ourselves for feasting, we just had a small salad with some sautéed bay scallops for dinner.
Today was a relaxing day, as we spent most of our time at the coach. Tonight, we'll head to the MGM Grand for dinner and a show.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)