HAERR TRIPPIN'

Las Vegas in 12,240 Steps!

After a 9-hour drive, we arrived in Las Vegas giddy. The last time we were here was the Summer of 2019.

Our home for three nights was a splurge stay at The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort.

The 50 story high Palazzo is a luxury, all-suite resort connected to its sister property, The Venetian Resort. It is part of one of the largest hotel complexes in the world.

We went all out and booked the Luxury King Suite. "Nearly double the size of the average standard room on the Strip, this 720-square-foot sanctuary sets a higher bar. Revel in the comfort of the sunken living room—whether solo or entertaining guests—sink into the Roman tub for a serene soak, and rest on the rejuvenating pillow-top king bed."

We're here to experience The Sphere, a 20,000-capacity entertainment venue costing $2.3 billion. Standing 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide, it is the world’s largest spherical structure. Inside, audiences are enveloped by a massive 16K-resolution LED screen and 4D physical effects, including haptic seats and wind. We get to go into it tomorrow. For now, we'll just ogle it from our 18th floor suite (more below). Wow.

After settling in, we went for an explore of our propery and beyond. We were out in the heat for about four hours. When called it a night at 8:30 PM, it was still 98° outside. Wowsers.

The exterior of The Venetian can't be beat unless you go to Venice itself. Belissimo!

Las Vegas always has something fun to discover.

Seeing the new Hard Rock being built on the site of The Mirage was pretty impressive.

Even a Mc Donald's is magical when illuminated by neon!

Back to our view... The exterior of The Sphere—often referred to as the exosphere—is completely covered by an 875,000-square-foot programmable LED canvas. It consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, each capable of displaying 256 million different colors. The exosphere has become a massive digital landmark, displaying everything from smiling faces and eyeballs to seasonal graphics and brand advertisements. This is the ad for Kenny Chesney... the reason we're here.

We were told not to miss The Wizard of Oz but that will have to be a different trip.

This blinking eye was my favorite. I couldn't turn away and stop staring back at it. So dang cool.

Okay, this was the most disturbing (in a mesmerizing way) video projected on The Sphere... Dancing, sexy cats... Only in Vegas! What an adventure already!

“The heat of Vegas desiccates the unwary,

its dryness sapping moisture from one’s mouth and eyes.

Sweat evaporates too quickly to cool,

its only evidence dusting of salt on one’s shirt.

Las Vegas claims they are the sunniest,

least humid state in the Union,

which is boast-worthy to those

not turning to tourist jerky.”

― Thomm Quackenbush

posted under | 0 Comments

Summer Of Stand Up Paddling

One of my favorite ways to be on Lake Tahoe is via my Stand Up Paddleboard. The problem is the awkwardness of getting the board from my car to the shore. With a little research, Steve has found a solution!

Voilà! This little set of wheels is this boarder's dream and today we put it to the test (it earned 5 stars).

We started with a light load when we ventured to the beach.

While not the perfect 'day at the lake', weather-wise, we all enjoyed being on the water which is always my Happy Place!

Oh man, my new little wheels are truly amazing. I'm a happy boarder! Here's to a Summer of Stand Up Paddling!

"A lake is the landscape's most beautiful

and expressive feature.

It is Earth's eye;

looking into which the beholder measures

the depth of his own nature."

– Henry David Thoreau

posted under | 0 Comments

Independence Day Fireworks!!!

Not to brag but NBC’s Today Show recognizes Lake Tahoe’s Lights on the Lake Fireworks display as one of the country’s top Fourth of July weekend Celebrations.

I absolutely LOVE fireworks. We arrived early to not only get a great spot to watch the extravaganza but also to witness an incredible sunset.

In addition, our show is ranked by the American Pyrotechnics Association as one of the top five Fourth of July fireworks displays in the country. It did not disappoint!