Stinson, California is a beach town just north of San Francisco. Andrew and I recently stayed there with friends for a weekend get-a-way.   We stayed step away from the beach and really enjoyed ourselves.  The town itself is very small and only offers a handful of things to do and places to eat but I think we found all of the best it has to offer! 

Matt Davis Loop Trail: Hiking Muir Woods was on the top of my to-do list for our stay in the Stinson Beach area.  Muir Woods is the world's most-visited redwood park.  The day we planned on hiking it was raining so instead of driving to The Muir Woods Visitor Center we decided to hike a trail right off of the main highway in town.  I didn't realize it until I got home and Googled the trail we hiked (Matt Davis Loop) that we were actually in Mt. Tamalpais State Park which is what surrounds Muir Woods.  We saw plenty of redwoods, waterfalls, and lush forest.  The loop is about seven miles in its entirety.  It wasn't the best day for a hike so we walked far enough to get an excellent view and turned around to go back down.  We did about a two mile hike.  You can access this trail behind the Stinson Beach fire station. 

Sand Dollar Cafe: Since 1921, this eatery has been a popular place with locals.  The Sand Dollar Cafe is right off of the highway so you can't miss it!  We ate there twice: once for a quick appetizer and drinks and the second time we went for dinner. The restaurant is family owned and Stinson beach's oldest establishment.  You could tell the staff were a very tight knit group of people and they knew most folks by name as they walked in the door.  When we went for appetizer and drinks (around four pm) I asked the bar tender if they had happy hour menu. He looked at me, smiled, and said, "Ma'am when you're the only bar in town, you don't do happy hour." 

Parkside Cafe: On the side of the highway, closest to the ocean, is a string of small businesses that assemble The Parkside Cafe.  The Snack Bar opened in 1949 and is best known for its burgers, smoothies, ice cream, and fries.  I bet this place is hopping in the summer with beach goers!  The Parkside Cafe Restaurant serves food all day long with a full menu.  They have a quaint outdoor area with a fireplace, patio, and garden.  We weren't able to enjoy this space as it was cold and rainy but let me tell you what we did enjoy: food and drinks!  The food was amazing and overall, a very healthy menu. Because we did eat well and were happy, we found their motto of "eat well, be happy" to be very appropriate and right on target.  We all ordered a morning coffee and enjoyed that very much until we saw the table next to us get orange juice.  This wasn't your average looking orange juice, you could tell that it was fresh squeezed!  Therefore, we all ordered and enjoyed the orange juice, some of us enjoyed it in a champagne glass (mimosa style), others enjoyed it with vodka, and my pregnant friend enjoyed the OJ just how it was! Parkside Cafe is an integral part of the community and available at all times to satisfy your hunger ad don't forget to order OJ. 

Whether you visit Stinson for a day at the beach, go with a group of friends for a weekend stay, or go to explore, you are guaranteed a good time.  The people in this quiet beach town were friendly, everyone smiled, and local businesses are thriving. 

It would be fun they said. It would be pretty they said. 

Our trip to the Point Reyes lighthouse was neither of those things but looking back on it now it's quite hilarious. Recently, while visiting the Bay area with good friends, the group stayed in Stinson Beach which is about an hour from Point Reyes National Seashore which I had to see. I wanted to visit the lighthouse because I've heard it is absolutely beautiful, it has a lot of history, and as luck would have it, our visit was during the peak whale watching season! I talked everyone into going to the lighthouse for an afternoon. We loaded up in our rental van and were on the way!  If you've been watching the news at all or keeping up with the weather you know that California has had record breaking rainfall.  It was drizzling rain the day we decided to go to the lighthouse... in fact, it rained basically our entire trip.  It was also over cast so we knew we wouldn't have the best views of the lighthouse but the weather wasn't going to hold us back.  The drive from Stinson Beach to Point Reyes is amazing!  You go through several small beach towns, get to see lots of pretty farmland, and you get occasional glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. 

Driving for about an hour, we knew we were getting close to the lighthouse based on our trusty GPS. Again, it was drizzling outside but nothing we couldn't handle until we got about two miles from our destination.  At that point, the rain started coming down harder and the fog set in like nothing I've ever seen.  I was driving the van and visibility was terrible.  We had already come so far so we figured why not, let's keep going!  When we pulled up to the parking lot we noticed people walking sideways... yes, sideways!!! We had been in the car and been driving inland so we didn't realize that the wind had picked up. We parked and we all decided we were going to see that lighthouse regardless but first we needed a bathroom break.  They had a small shack with porta potties for use.  My friend Abby went in first and said it was bad and to hold your breath!  I went in second and held my breath the entire time and of course hovered over the seat (TMI?).  My friend Sarah, who was three months pregnant at the time, went in last.  She walked in and immediately started gagging as pregnancy makes you more sensitive to smells (so I've been told). 

Here's what happened next: 
Ragan: Sarah, it's fine just hold your breath and go
Sarah: Gag, I don't think i can do it (as she's already hovering, sorry Sarah)
Ragan: You're fine, just go!
Sarah: Gag, I can't do it!
Que Sarah running out of the stall with her pants barely pulled up. 
Ragan: uh, are you going to be okay? 
Sarah: gag, puke, gag
Ragan: oh...um...sorry
Sarah then proceeded to death glare me and get teary eyed all at the same time. I was in shock I mean who knew?! 
After that fiasco, we had to hide Sarah behind the porta potty so she could go tinkle outside because you know, when a pregnant women has to pee, they have to pee! 

Now here we are, ready to go to the lighthouse. Andrew only had on freshly cleaned tennis shoes and he said he didn't want to get them dirty so he'd just go barefoot. I mean, why?! I think everyone around us thought he was crazy, I know we all did!  Here we are just six friends on a half mile hike to a lighthouse, one of us a sick pregnant lady, and one of us not wearing shoes.  The "drizzle" had turned into rain, the wind was blowing 55 mph, and the fog was dense!  We walked up to the stairs to the light house but we couldn't see the actual lighthouse, that's how foggy it was and the winds were blowing so hard it wasn't safe for people to walk down the stairs to the lighthouse. For sure, we weren't seeing any whales!  Basically, we drove over an hour, almost got blown off the side of a cliff, and never saw the lighthouse just to have this hilarious story.

Have you ever been to Point Reyes?! If so, send me a photo, I'd love to hear how beautiful it is! 

I've decided every Christmas must be a vacation!  Andrew and I met our families in Key Largo on Christmas day this past year (2016) and it was wonderful!  Our families are spread out across the United States which makes it hard to see everyone and spend equal quality time with them.  It's crazy when you're trying to get from place to place and the added stresses the holidays bring so a destination Christmas was the solution and I might add totally worth it! 

Our first night in Key Largo we ate at the Lazy Lobster. It was one of the only places on the island open on Christmas.  The food was excellent and the back yard atmosphere was very nice.  It felt great to sit outside in December with short sleeves on.  The next day we ventured to John Pennekamp State Park. Everywhere I read and everyone I spoke with said that JP State Park was a must do in Key Largo.  I'm sure the park is beautiful and there seems to be a ton to do there but the day we went it was over cast and wasn't warm.  We explored the park a bit and decided to go into the visitor's center and see the aquarium which was nice but not worth the money we paid to enter the park.  We ended up calling this idea a wash and explored other options for this day.  Andrew, his dad, and his brother went fly fishing in some of the mid-keys.  Those of us who didn't go fly fishing drove down a few keys to see the pretty water and did some exploring.  This day didn't go as planned but it was nice to be with family and not in cold Nebraska! 

My favorite activity we did while in Key Largo was rent a boat from Sunshine Watersports. We had eight people in our group so we rented a 19 foot boat.  The boat was a great size for us and it was very nice.  At first we thought we'd go snorkeling so we headed to the coral reef about five miles off shore.  We got half way there when we had to turn back, the waves were bigger than our boat and we were all soaked!  It was scary being in the open ocean with swells that large.  I was beginning to think this day wasn't going to go as planned either but then we went to Nest Key.  Nest Key is absolutely beautiful! It's an island nature reserve right off of the Florida Everglades.  When we pulled up to the island, we saw several boats and knew immediately that we found the place!  I wish I could describe Nest Key with another word but I think beautiful is perfect! You'll have to go see for yourself! We stayed there all afternoon and waded in the water, laid out on the beach, had a picnic on the boat, swam, played with beach toys, fished, and explored.  It was the perfect afternoon!  I wish boat rentals weren't so expensive because we would have gone back there every day.  We also found a ton of starfish in the water which was really neat!  We picked them up for a photo op an promptly put them back in their natural habitat.  on our way to Nest Key we saw manatees swimming in the mangroves and while we were on Nest Key a man caught a three foot hammerhead shark.  When he let it go, it swam right by my foot!  Yikes!  While fly fishing this location, Andrew and his dad caught barracudas.  This tiny island made for the perfect day!

On our last full day in Key Largo, we enjoyed beach time at the private beach within the community we rented in.  We ate dinner at Hobo Cafe which was great (seafood pasta, yum).  After dinner we ventured to the Caribbean Club which is a famous hole in the wall bar that's been featured in the movie Key Largo and the Netflix original series Bloodline. We didn't end up spending time at the club, just took a picture and then drove to Jimmy Johnson's Big Chill Sports Bar. We enjoyed the drinks, live music, and great views from this place. 

I wish our trip to the Keys with family could have been longer but it was nice to spend a few days together, relax, rest, and unwind!  I can't wait to get back to the Florida Keys and explore more! 

If you're visiting Key West, you've got to visit these four places (in no particular order): the Harry S. Truman Little White House, the southernmost point, Fort Zachary Taylor Historic Park, and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. 

The Little White House: The house itself sits in a beautiful gated community with other lovely homes. Initially, it served as the naval station's command headquarters during the Spanish-American War.  Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States and during his early years as president he got very sick from the over-whelming stress. His physician ordered him to take a vacation in the sun to rejuvenate and get some Vitamin D. Because the Naval Station's headquarters was in Key West and a safe place to visit, he decided to go there.  Truman loved this place so much he joked that maybe we should move the capitol to Key West!  The house was a place of relaxation for him but he always worked there as well, the President never gets to truly go on vacation.  Although multiple presidents visited before Truman and several visited after him, he ended up visiting ten times after his initial visit so that is why the house is now known as the "Harry S. Truman Little White House."  The house is now a museum and it's been restored to its original state.  If you visit, I would recommend taking one of the guided tours.

The southernmost point: This is one of the most popular tourist destinations on Key West.  The southernmost point is a concrete buoy at the corner of Whitehead and South Street. I think it's comical because people line up to get a photo in front of the marker but it's not actually the southernmost point in the United States, just look at a map of Key West and you'll see! Regardless, it is 90 miles to Cuba from this point and I feel like you have to at least see it if you're in Key West.  I'm going to give you a tip, don't stand in the line!  There is a retaining wall around the marker; Andrew and I jumped up on the wall and snapped a quick selfie (see proof below)! It's not the best quality photo and some people weren't too happy with us but we didn't want to wait in at least an hour line!  We ran away quickly but still got to see the marker so we were happy! 

Fort Zachary: The fort was one of a series built in the mid-1800s to defend the nation's coastline but now it's Key West's favorite beach located at the southern end of the park. Fort Tours are given daily; however, we went to Fort Zachary for the beach!  The park provides opportunities for picnicking, swimming, snorkeling, and fishing.  I did one out of four of these and Andrew participated in all four. The water was way too cold for me so I chose to just picnic on the beach.  Andrew was much braver than me and he actually got in the water!  You do have to pay to enter the park but it is totally worth it as Key West doesn't have very many beaches.  I know that's surprising since it's an island but it's true! I'm going to let you in on a little secret, there are two beaches in the park. One of the beaches is the most popular beach and it's very crowded and the other is what the locals call "the secret beach." Of course, Andrew found the secret beach and we spent our entire afternoon there.  There were only two other couples at our secret beach so it was absolutely amazing!  One of the couples were locals and the other had an adventurous side to them like us! It's a bit of a walk to this beach but it's worth it. I'm not going to tell you where it is because then, it wouldn't be a secret anymore but, I bet you could look on a map and find it! 

Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum: We visited this house on Christmas which was a really neat way to spend the day!  The home is absolutely beautiful. There are so many architectural details that went into building this place.  The gardens are stunning and there are cats that roam the property and the house freely. The home was originally built in 1851 and became Ernest Hemingway's home in 1931.  All of the cats around the house are descendants of the cats he kept while he lived there, including many extra-toed cats. Hemingway purchased this property for $8,000 which seems absolutely crazy to me!  The house now operates as a museum and it remains the single largest residential property on the island of Key West. The house is open to tour year round and costs $14 per adult. I'd recommend taking one of the free guided tours as you learn many personal Hemingway stories and so many interesting facts about the house. When we visited it was so crowded I wasn't able to get a good photo of the actual house so, here's a picture of a cat in Hemingway's master bedroom. 

If you ever visit Key West I think these are four must visit places. Comment below or shoot me an email if you have any questions or want to know more information about one of the places listed! 

While in Key West, Andrew and I tried to eat and drink at some of its most famous places; always the food adventurers, we also wanted to try some local "hole in the wall" restaurants as well. 
​
We made the drive from Miami to Key West and had to stop at The Hungry Tarpon on Islamorada Key to eat dinner our first night.  You can't miss the Hungry Tarpon as it's in Robbie's Marina and there is a huge sign.  The restaurant is directly on the water and offers beautiful views, great food, and a tropical atmosphere. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was so much fun!  When you eat here, you're truly getting a taste of the Keys lifestyle.  You can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Hungry Tarpon while you watch the boats come in with their fresh catch of the day!  We were here in the evening and got to see the sharks and tarpons being fed the leftovers from the days fishing trip. Another reason the Robbie's Marina area is famous is because some of the Netflix original Bloodline was filmed here. This is where the characters of the show spend a lot of time in boats and on docks.  We're huge Bloodline fans and sought out as many filming places as possible in the keys (more on that in another post).  Our first night in Key West we felt compelled to go check out the world famous Sloppy Joe's Bar. The official beginning of this bar was on December 5, 1993- the day Prohibition was repealed. Sloppy Joe's Bar has been through two name changes and one change of location but it has been at its present location since May of 1937. This Bar sits on the corner of Greene and Duval Street. This place is a staple in Key West and was once the watering hole of Ernest Hemmingway.  Sloppy Joe's now also offers a food menu.  Andrew and I enjoyed listening to a live band, having a cocktail, and eating a sloppy joe! If you're ever in Key West, even for just a day this is a piece of history you don't want to miss! 

After Sloppy Joe's, we ventured over to Willie T's.  We were immediately drawn in by all of the one dollar bills hanging up all over the place.  There are thousands of them and we had to leave our mark as well!  Willie T's had live music and its open air so it is a really fun place to stop.

During our second day in Key West we wanted to have a picnic on the beach so we went to a place called Blue Heaven Restaurant to pick up food to go.  A local actually recommended it to us and the food was amazing!  I had a huge grilled cheese with bacon and Andrew had a chicken salad sandwich.  They even boxed the sandwiches up for us so we'd be able to carry them easily out to the beach.  That evening we went and ate at Sara Beth's, which provides both indoor and outdoor dining and its building is a historic 1800s clapboard landmark building.  The food here was delicious! We tried the velvety cream of tomato soup, the crispy calamari, and the shrimp and grits!  The service was some of the best I'd ever experienced, even the host was top notch!  Make a reservation if you'd like to eat here and I've heard brunch is awesome, I wish we would have had time to go back.

Our last night in Key West happened to fall on Christmas Eve.  We didn't want to do the traditional Christmas food so we decided to do a traditional Key West spot called Schooner Wharf.  This place has been voted Best Local's bar six years in a row.  They have really unique nautical decor, live music, great food, and it's open-air.  Schooner Wharf is located right on the Historic Harbor Walk.  We tried conch fritters here for the first time.  Conch fritters are to the Keys what hush-puppies are to the south. You can find fritters on the menu just about any place you go so we decided to give them a try and oh my, they were great!  They even came with a Key Lime mustard sauce, it sounds weird but it tasted amazing!  For our entree we shared the seared sesame tuna and oh my goodness was it fresh and so good! The entree came with seaweed salad which I have never liked any other time I've tried it but this place had the best seaweed salad ever! This was far from our traditional Christmas Eve dinner but you can't beat fresh seafood at an open-air restaurant, with a sand floor, watching yachts float by. 

There are lots of good eateries in Key West.  My major regret was that I didn't have time to try other places; however, I was really happy with our choices.  I'd give all of the places listed five stars! 
​

Andrew and I spent a few days in North Carolina with his parents, brother, and Louie (our child, um...dog).  The area we visited in North Carolina is called Boone, where everything a person does is like one big adventure. Boone is located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and is a place I would definitely return.  We stayed in a truly magical little a-frame cabin called Chalet Alpine. My Mother-in-law found the cabin on VRBO and it was absolutely amazing! If you're ever searching for somewhere to stay in the area I'd highly recommend Chalet Alpine.  We had such a blast on this trip and although I'm about to tell you in detail what we did the summation is this: hike, eat, hike some more, eat a lot, play games, eat, and hike. 

The first day we arrived in Boone there was a torrential downpour.  Everywhere we tried to eat was packed, the streets were flooding, and we didn't have umbrellas.  We finally settled on Blowing Rock Tavern in Blowing Rock, NC.  All of the towns in this area are within close proximity and it doesn't take long to drive from one little town to the next. The tavern's food was amazing and so was the service!  The downtown area of Blowing Rock is very quaint  with a lot of cute stores.  You can shop for anything from fudge, to ski gear, to clothes. I scored myself an original 1993 Carolina Panther's shirt! Go Panthers! 

Day two of our trip was absolutely beautiful; thankfully, the rain cleared. We drove on the Blue Ridge parkway to all of our hiking destinations.  In case you aren't familiar with it, The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469 mile scenic drive that follows the highest ridges between the Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains. It's designed especially for leisurely enjoyment which is exactly what we did; we enjoyed the wonders around us! On our first stop, we hiked Flat Rock Trail.  The trail takes you to an overlook at an elevation of 3,987 ft.  The views were absolutely breathtaking from the top! Next, we drove to Linville Falls.  The hike was a bit muddy because it had rained the day before but it made the falls that much more beautiful! Linville Falls is a series of two falls, upper at 12 feet and lower at 90 feet. These plunge into the 2,000 foot deep Linville Gorge.  This trail is a must do in the area and well worth your time. It takes about two hours to do the entire trail.  On our last night in Boone, we ate at Proper which used to be an old jail house.  Our family thought that was really cool.  The food was some of the best I've ever eaten.  Andrew and I shared a large helping of chicken and dumplings.  Yummy!!!

On our last day, we visited the downtown area of Boone and the original Mast General Store.  The store was established in 1883 and is definitely a sight to see! The old and young alike will have appreciation for this place. Residents can still pick up mail at the store and anyone is welcome to buy a tank of gasoline. 

I don't think there are too many states like North Carolina left where you find century old buildings in the heart of the city and state government offices in renovated Victorian houses.  In North Carolina you can still buy honey from a roadside stand, eat wonderful southern cooking, and sleep in inns where people in the history books once slept. I personally love this state and I'm so glad my in-laws live close! If you ever want adventure and relaxation all in the same get-a-way then this area is where you want to be. 

I saw this sign in one of the stores and I thought it fit perfectly: "We aren't behind the times. It's just that we think there are times much too important to be left behind." 

On Christmas Eve 2016, Andrew and I visited the Dry Tortugas National Park. We boarded the Yankee Freedom III Ferry in Key West to travel to Dry Tortugas.  The National Park is made up of seven small islands but the main attraction is the historic Fort Jefferson, which was once used as a prison and blockade during the Civil War.  I was surprised to find out it was a Union fort; because of its location I would have originally thought it was a Confederate fort.  The Union used Fort Jefferson to block the Confederates from Southern shipping.  It was also used as a prison for criminals and Union deserters during the war.  The most famous prisoner was Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was imprisoned for his involvement in the assasination of President Abraham Lincoln.  We were able to see the prison cell that Dr. Mudd was kept in.  Though used briefly during both world wars, it has long since been closed.  The actual island was discovered in 1513 and the fort was constructed in the 1800's.  You can travel to the Dry Tortugas via the ferry, a charted or private boat, or a charted or private plane.  If you can afford to take the plane out to the fort, that's what you should do!  Doing so will allow you additional time to explore Dry Tortugas.  We went by ferry and left the port at 8am and had to be back by 5pm so we only got to spend four hours on the island. 

Here are some facts that I found really cool on Fort Jefferson: 16 million bricks were used, they had 420 heavy guns, 37 powder magazines, a moat, and casemates (gunrooms) form the backbone of the fort.  Construction began on the fort in 1846, and although it was never officially finished, it remains one of the most historic places to visit in The Keys.  When you travel to Dry Tortugas you have the option of going on a 40-60 minute guided tour led by one of their expert naturalists or you can download a self-guided tour and view it on your cellphone or other device. Andrew and I elected to do the self-guided tour so we could check out exactly what we wanted to see and spend more of our time doing other things on the island.  If you're mainly going to see the fort then I'd recommend doing the guided tour.  The fort was like nothing I've ever seen before, it was absolutley massive and took up almost the entire island.  There was also a moat around the fort which was neat since the only moats I've ever seen are around sand castles! 

Andrew and I were completley in awe of the fort and were so glad we got to see it but the main things we wanted to do were snorkel, fly fish (Andrew), and relax on the secluded beaches.  The water is crystal clear so snorkeling is a must!  We took our own gear but the Yankee Freedom III provided snorkel gear to anyone that needed it.  It depends on the way the wind is blowing which side of the island you'll want to snorkel on but I was able to see three barracudas, a moon jellyfish, and lots of other fish.  Andrew didn't catch anything this trip but he did have fun fly fishing.  I think it's also worth the trip out to the Dry Tortugas just for the beach.  The sand is soft and powdery and the beaches are pristine.  The only peope that stay on the island are the park rangers and the campers so it feels very private and secluded. 

We really enjoyed our trip to Dry Tortugas and want to visit again.  My only regret is that we didn't have enough time on this trip.  I hope you enjoy these photos! If you've got any questions about our Dry Tortugas excursion commend below. 

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post about Andrew and my Thanksgiving adventures especially because Christmas is just around the corner!  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I get to see my cousins who live all over the United States. This year, my grandparent's hosted Thanksgiving in Branson, Missouri where family members gathered from Arkansas, Tennessee, Utah, Nevada, Missouri, and Nebraska.  It was a wonderful week with lotsof great food, board games, wine, conversation, and activities! 
Branson offers an abundance of fun things for families to do together. Our activities included riding go-karts, driving through the beautiful Ozark hills to look for wldlife (we saw over 20 deer), shopping, and riding the Mountain Coaster. 
The runaway Moutain Coaster was by far my favorite activity that we did this trip to Branson.  If you're finding yourself asking "what is a mountain coaster?"... let me tell you! A mountain coaster is exactly as the name implies.  It uses the outdoors and natural elevation to provide a really fun ride up and down the mountain!  It takes about five minutes to get all the way up to the top and it's a straight shot.  Once you're at the top, the carts are released to travel down and the best part is that the driver is in control of how slow or fast you go!  You can go down slowly by pulling the break and enjoying the beauty around you or you can do what I did and never touch the breatk!  My cousin's girlfriend, Madison, and I road together.  We were winding down the hill at lightening speed!  It was such a thrill and I'd do it again and again!  The total experience lasts about seven minutes and costs $15 to be a driver and $10 to be a rider.  I'd highly recommend this adventure if you're ever in the Branson area! 
Although we did lots of exciting things the best part of Thanksgiving is spending time with family.  I look forward to the holiday season every year!  What are some of your favorite places to visit during the holidays?
​Remember, always give thanks! 

I have officially been to Las Vegas, Nevada five times now and I have never left that place disappointed.  There is something for everyone to do there and although most of the town thrives on gambling, you don't have to enjoy that to have a great time! 
Recently, I went to Vegas for work but I was also able to squeeze several fun things out of the trip!  Thankfully, my husband and some very close friends also work for the same company as I do so we get to hang and have a blast while we're still "at work." This will come as no surprise to anyone that knows me well but I had to visit the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens two times on this trip.  Once with my husband, Andrew and once with a friend who'd never seen "the gardens."  I love a good excuse to go there!  The best part about the gardens is that it changes at different times during the year, the display that's happening now (November 2016) is the Fall Harvest.  I learned that a team of over 120 horticulturists take care of the gardens; man, that's a lot of people! While at the Bellagio you can't miss the spectacular fountain show! Vegas is all about catching your attention and the fountains definitely do that with their water show, lights, and music! If you've never caught one of the shows before, it's a must see.  They go off every 15-30 minutes depending on the time of night.  I've never actually stayed at the Bellagio before but it's one of my favorite hotels to visit... oh, and they have an amazing buffet!  
For this particular trip, my group stayed at the MGM Grand hotel.  The rooms were decently sized, the staff was friendly, the casino was fairly clean (as clean as a casino can be), and the pool was excellent! The downfall to staying there was the location, nothing is really "close" in Vegas but this hotel is too far to the end of the strip.  I prefer to stay in the middle of the strip where I can be in the middle of all of the action!  The MGM Grand is home to one of the many famous Cirque Du Soleil shows called Kà. Andrew and I went and saw this our first night in Las Vegas, we didn't account for the fact we had traveled and worked all day so by the time we sat down for the show we had been up 18 hours.  We were exhausted but this show woke us up!  It's an epic production about an entire empire.  The stunts and sheer talent of the people that perform during Kà is amazing!  The MGM Grand also has several other perks: Top Golf, which is right behind the hotel and a really fun experience, Hakkasan, the night club inside the hotel, and the pool area has a lazy river.

​After all of our work events had come to a close for the week, it was time to play!  Andrew and I laid at the pool with our friends, Eric and Rachel, and enjoyed a sun shinny day in November!  It was even hot enough outside to make you want to get in the pool!  After our pool time we got ready for dinner and had an amazing meal at Gordon Ramsay's Pub and Grill in Caesar's Palace.  The food there was so good and it wasn't too terribly pricey. My friend Rachel and I shared the beer-braised short rib and it practically melted in our mouths. I'd highly recommend it!  Once we were finished eating we had a show to catch! We went and saw Absinthe which is a show right outside of Caesar's Palace.  It was one of the funnier and most awesome shows I've ever seen!  I do want to say this, if you are easily offended, even in the slightest then this show is not for you.  The show is an acro-cabaret variety show and there is truly not a bad seat in the house.  This show caught me off guard a bit as I wasn't sure what to expect, it was actually recommended to me by a couple of different friends.  The host pulls the audience in and is very entertaining.  You really can't take your eyes off of the world-class acrobats, singers, comedians, and dancers!

​On our last day in Las Vegas we decided to venture to Fremont Street which is a five-block entertainment district in historic downtown Las Vegas.  One of the first things you see when you get there is the Heart Attack Grill.  If you weigh over 300 lbs (they have a scale outside) you get to eat there for free.  We didn't eat there as we didn't want to have a heart attack so we went to The Smashed Pig Gastropub instead, which was amazing! I had lettuce wraps (which were the best I'd ever eaten) and hand cut French fries.  After we ate lunch we walked around to some of the main attractions on Fremont street which included the million dollars at Binion's, the shark tank and the golden nugget at Golden Nugget, Vegas Vic and Vegas Vickie, and several street performers.  Let's talk about the street performers for a second... Some were better than others and some weren't even performing but merely standing there in outrageous outfits. Unfortunately, I can't un-see some of the things I saw on Fremont Street.  It's worth the cab money to have this experience! 
We spent five days in Las Vegas some for play and some for work but in conclusion, it was a trip for the books! When you come home from Las Vegas, always remember to wash all of your clothes, soak your feet in warm water, and use your humidifier. If you don't know why you should do all of these things, then you've never been to Las Vegas! 

I don't think there is a better way to spend a weekend other than with good friends and a mini vacation which is exactly what Andrew and i did for the first weekend of October. Our friends, Eric and Rachel, are great and they make amazing hosts; this is our second time visiting them in six months.  Madison, WI is only about 6 hours from Omaha so we're able to make the trip for the weekend and still have plenty of time for fun! 

This trip, we basically ate our way through Madison. Eric cooked a phenomenal dish one night which consisted of homemade spaghetti and meatballs, yum!  The photo below really doesn't do it justice. 

Some of the standout food items of the weekend included: amazing sushi from Red, steel pan pizza from Lucille's, and fried cheese curds from The Great Dane. It's an obligation that you have to eat cheese curds while in Wisconsin, I ate them twice. 

On Saturday we visited the Wollersheim Winery.  We were able to tour their brand new distillery and do some spirit tasting (not my personal favorite).  The distillery was really neat but the tour guide was almost overly informative.  If you are a brandy drinker, they do have three different types you can try.  I also tried licorice absinthe...not my best idea. Let's just say I used the "pour bucket" quite a bit.  I wasn't trying to be rude but spirits aren't my thing.  The winery itself is absolutely beautiful!  It sits on the hillside across from the Wisconsin River about 20 minutes outside of Madison.  The winery originally opened in the 1840's but since the 1970's it's been owned and operated by the Wollersheim family.  It won "Small Winery of the Year" in 2015 from the San Diego International Wine Festival.  We chose to take the wine tour which gave us a bit more background on the property history and a different view of the grounds.  We were also permitted to go into the original wine cellar which was very neat!  I was surprised that my favorite of their wines were both whites and I'm usually a red wine drinker.  The Prairie Fume and the White Riesling both impressed me.  The Wollersheim Winery was a fun day trip for us! 
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Sadly enough, our weekend had to come to an end and we hit the road back home. Thank goodness for audio books! Until next time Madison, Peace!