Red Rocks Canyon Conservation Area {Las Vegas}

 
Hello world!  Sorry for my absence.  I tried to post a few times last week but the internet was so slow or didn't work at all on the plane (Thanks Delta).  Once we got back to the East coast I realized how exhausted I was and pretty much gave up.  I am back now and plan to do a few catch up posts on our remaining Las Vegas adventures.

Did you know you could find this about twenty minutes off of the strip?  The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a 13 mile loop with lots of trails to hike and rocks to climb.

Mr. J and I got up early one morning to go explore. The high temperatures for the day were suppose to top off at about 107 degrees.  I knew if we didn't get it in first thing there was no way we were going to make it.

We did one trail for a mile in and a mile back. It wasn't suppose to be a loop but we ended up getting lost on the way in and then took the trail on the way out.  Unlike trails on the East coast that are typically wooded. The dessert you can see for quite a ways.  Still very disorienting but we managed to spot the trail we were suppose to be on from our non-trail.  

Rule 1: Don't follow people and assume they know where they are going.

And no need to worry mom, we could see the road (with cars on it) the whole time.

I find desert plants and foliage so interesting. It took a good amount of time before we saw a good cactus though. I was super excited.

Whenever we go to an area like this I insist on stopping at the Visitor's Center.  The Red Rocks Canyon had a really nice one with lots of exhibits. I was shocked that they could be all outside but I guess it is a desert after all. One of the main attractions is the tortoise exhibit.  Below is Mojave Max. He is the oldest male. Crazy how much he blends in.

I would definitely recommend stopping here if you are in the area.  You can also see wall drawings from way back when and wild donkeys. Very cool.

Las Vegas! and WIAW

We are currently on our last planned trip to California. I am sad and happy all at once. Mr. J and I have gotten four mini vacations out of this project. It has been wonderful seeing all sorts of Southern California. However the travel and time change always throws me off. So although I enjoyed every moment of our time here I am happy to say I don't have to come back in another month.

Since this was the last opportunity to eat at In N Out burger we just had to find one. This was our second time dinning at this famous burger joint. It's good but still fast food. I rank them way above McDonald's, ahead of Five Guys, and probably the best meal you can get for $11 to feed to people. My favorite is that along with the ketchup you can get hot peppers.

One of the meals in Las Vegas was Grimaldi's Pizza. It felt strange getting pizza from a place that is famous in NYC. This wasn't that Grimaldi's but it was pretty good. It was nice to have a small meal after our feast for Mother's Day brunch.

We tried our best to explore not just the classic strip in Las Vegas but also wander off the strip.  Part of this exploration took us to Lotus of Siam. This restaurant is in the most seedy strip mall but happens to be one of the best Thai food restaurants in the country as voted by Gourmet magazine.

We went at lunch time to enjoy the $10.99 all you can eat buffet. We were told Mondays are red curry day and to get it fast because it is a favorite.  I had a heaping pile of red curry chicken and pad thai noodles.  Lunch always seems the hardest meal for me to adjust to with the time difference.  By 10:30am I am starving. Lotus of Siam didn't open till 11:30 so I was withering away by the time we could eat.

Another restaurant off the strip was Ricardo's Mexican restaurant

Chips and salsa are my weakness but I tried really hard to reframe from eating the whole basket so I could eat my meal and not be super stuffed.

I got a tostada salad and Mr. J got a combination plate with a relleno, taco, and enchilada.

Finally one of my most favorite spots was the Jean Philippe Patisserie in the Bellagio Hotel.  They have a huge chocolate fountain out front with white, dark and milk chocolate flowing in yummy goodness. It was in a glass case otherwise I would have been sticking my fingers in each type. 

I scouted out several of the other French pastry shops in the other casinos and this one was by far the most authentic. I ended the day with some ice cream. There were so many flavors to pick from but I ended up with creme brulee and coconut. The coconut had pieces of toasted coconut. The creme brulee had little pieces of brunt sugar. It was 104 degrees at 7pm so I basically sucked down the ice cream in about 5 minutes.  This the picture you get is of my empty cup.

Have you been to Vegas before?  

 

What was your favorite eating experience on vacation?

Mother's Day Brunch @ Border Grill in Las Vegas

Is it seriously Tuesday night already? The last few days have been super busy. Busy. But FUN.  Las Vegas is another world. Seriously!

I have bunches to tell you about but first we will start with brunch. Mother's Day brunch. Now Vegas is known for its ginormous buffets but we managed to pick a brunch that was not a buffet. No worries though it was still all you can eat. 

The Border Grill is owned by The Food Network's former TV stars Mary Sue and Susan.  Do you remember Two Hot Tamales? I don't but apparently it was a show that taught home-style Mexican cooking.

The brunch every Sunday at The Border Grill in Las Vegas is an unlimited small plate menu. You pay the set price and get as many small plates from their brunch menu.  This also comes with fresh fruit and cinnamon guava empanadas. 

So this brunch menu has about 30 some options to pick from. All of which sound amazing. Half of which we just had to try.  And if you guessed from the name - it has a Southwestern/Mexican flare.

Breakfast fries which Mr. J and I thought would be the perfect hangover food for Vegas wild ones. Fries topped with shredded short ribs and an egg cooked to order. 

Eggs Benedict.

Sweet potato pancakes with walnuts and maple syrup. This was my favorite. To die for good. My strategy was one savory plate, one sweet plate for every order.

Shrimp and cheesy grits

Sweet corn tamales.  So sweet. So melt in your mouth.

Steak and eggs was another favorite. The steak had the most marvelous rub with tons of flavors.

Churro tots

Banana bread pudding with coconut sauce.

Now if you couldn't tell by the photos, the plates although smaller than a normal full size portion were still plenty big. Lots of food here. Our waitress also brought out some additional specials to sample.  There was no rushing us to finish. No crazy looks when we ordered more. In fact I think the waitress was a bit disappointed when we had to call it quits. 

Oh and did I mention for a bit more they have unlimited mimosas.  I got pomegranate.  There were several other flavors to pick from and once again we got three test version.   One of them was watermelon. It was the most refreshing, sweet and scrumptious.  Just like the food, another drink was in front of us before we finished the first. 

We stumbled out of there with full bellies. It was one of our favorite Vegas experiences, as well as some of the best food and service ever.