Day 1 – Thursday
So I decided to take a quick weekend excursion to Las Vegas to see some friends. My roommate drove out with me so I did not have to drive alone – thank you Todd!
Since I am getting ready for my birthday trip to Ireland this year – I got myself a GoPro before heading out of town!
So we drove out Thursday afternoon – it was a lovely drive. I do not often drive up through the desert to join the 15, but we did that and frankly, I think it is a smoother and easier trip…it is more of a two-lane highway, so it sucks to get stuck behind a truck BUT it beats having to be stuck in traffic going through the city!
So my first stop was Henderson, Nevada and Boulder City, staying with my roommate’s family.
Friday – Day 2
Boulder City was such a charming city, I cannot believe I had never been there before. This is where Lake Meade National Park and the Hoover Dam are.
I had not been to Lake Mead [or Hoover Dam for that fact] since I was a kid. I definitely want to go to Hoover Dam again but I found Lake Mead to be amazingly beautiful. I may have mentioned it before in my blog, but I purchase the National Parks pass every year so I can have access to the parks.
I had no idea that Lake Mead was a National Park…this is why I always carry my card with me, just in case I am near a park and go visit! I really think Lake Mead would be amazing to go to during the summer where you can rent a pontoon and take it out…go with some friends, have some drinks, and jump into the water. How refreshing would that be? Especially since it can get well over 100 degrees in the desert during the summer!
I will most definitely have to plan a trip back to Lake Mead in the distant future!
After a nice lunch at the Coffee Cup and a tour of Lake Mead we decided to head back towards the house. But along the way, we made a quick trip to Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum. Tom Devlin has been a friend of mine from the film industry for over 16 years. We worked on a film together….he even turned me into a zombie for the film!
I had been to Vegas so many times and never got the opportunity to visit his museum. But it was literally 10 minutes away from where I was staying in Henderson, that I HAD to go. Tom Devlin was not there, sadly, so I definitely took a few selfies to show him I came to support.
It is a small museum, shop, creature studio, and theater in the heart of town. I totally understand if monsters are not your thing…but If they are not, it is still a fun little place to stop into for a moment – I know that Tom will definitely appreciate it!
After that, I headed up to my friend Bryan and Liz Streng’s house. My dear friends I met while going to Texas Frightmare Weekend, my new favorite horror convention in Dallas, Texas. We decided to head out to Fremont Street to enjoy more libations. We walked around [it was about 55 degrees] and we listened to bands play, ate some pizza and met up with a couple of their friends.
You can’t go to Vegas without either going to the strip or Fremont street at least once.
Saturday – Day 3
So today was a bit chill, which is why I love to go on weekend getaways. Since work is slow and everyone is trying to stay safe from the virus [which I try to be very safe when I travel. I am vaccinated, boosted, and I wear my mask EVERYWHERE.]
Liz was at a conference so Bryan and I started with breakfast at Pkwy Tavern for coffee and breakfast! [Two of my favorite things, especially coffee!]
From there he took me to my other friend’s store Nightmare Toys. I was first introduced to this store [and owner Kristy Adams] at Texas Frightmare Weekend; the same event where I met Bryan and Liz. They moved their store from Alabama and Vegas – and this was the first time I had a chance to visit. The cool thing is, my cousin Daryl proposed to his fiancé there. [They both LOVE horror!]
The cool thing is, they are about to open a horror-themed cafe next door… and as a horror fan I am definitely here for that. I cannot wait til it opens. The store is located in the arts district of Vegas and you can see the stratosphere from their alley.
The rest of the evening was spent relaxing, watching movies, and hanging with my friends and their new dog Scooby Doo…who actually looks exactly like the cartoon dog! He is so precious!
Sunday – Day 4
On this day we went back to Pkwy Tavern for lunch but then we attended a bottle signing with Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul from the show BREAKING BAD for their new tequila Dos Hombres. We got their a bit early to stand in line at Lee’s Discount Liquor – and even though I had met both actors before it was nice to see them again..and I am excited to have their new tequila.
The question is…do I open it up and drink it?!
After that we watched football – which, I’m not a football fan, but it was nice to chill, order more pizza, and watched as the Rams clinched their victory to make it into the Superbowl. Of course, being from Los Angeles, this is cool. Plus the game will be played in Los Angeles this year, so that is cool.
Monday – Day 5
Time to leave Las Vegas. It was such a fun and chill weekend and I am glad I got the chance to see my friends and do something different than what I normally do in Vegas! Thank you for the hospitality Bryan and Liz [as well as my roommate’s parents.]
On the way home my roommate and I stopped at the Seven Magic Mountains. My roommate had never seen it. I had been there before and took photos, but I had never been with my GoPro. It was not too crowded since it was a Monday and a bit cooler out.
[January seems to be a good time of year to go to Vegas]
