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     I just got back from Las Vegas and I'm here to tell you about it. Now some people might be asking, Audra, why did you take a vacation in the middle of fundraising? Well let me tell you. David and I haven't really experienced a REAL vacation since we have been married. We have certainly taken trips, but all of them are what I would call a whirlwind. During our honeymoon I was sick and in pain most of the time so it wasn't the enjoyable trip one would think it should be. For the last 9 years we have been hustling constantly. I have friends that would tell you it's about damn time we took vacation. These last few years have been particularly tough, COVID aside and we were both burning out HARD. So we talked about it and David went to work calculating and gaining overtime so that we could make this trip.

 

     We also didn't pay full price for our Bellagio stay. Thank God for connections. Early on when we first moved to LA one of my coworkers told me if I ever planned on taking a trip to Vegas I should play a little game called Pop-Slots.  I started playing and collecting points a little while ago. It ended up getting our room rates chopped in half.So we said, the timing doesn't make sense in business, but it makes sense to go to refresh so that we don't completely unwind and fizzle out from the burnout. 

 

DAY 1 - THE ROAD TRIP TO VEGAS

 

      So we booked our trip and took off on our anniversary. We left in the morning and decided to make a road trip out of it. We looked up the popular spots for sightseeing along Route 66. Some places we stopped and others we skipped.

 

     The first stop we made was at Elmer's Bottle Tree Farm. It's quite an intriguing stop for the middle of nowhere. The first thing to know is that there isn't really good accessible parking. If you want to park you will need to slowly climb a dirt mound so watch your undercarriage! We parked and got out. At first it looked like it was closed. The gates were chained up and no one was out there. The bottle tree ranch is connected to what looks like a workshop/store/house. Disappointed that a closure wasn't listed online we started to dig into Google to discover that Elmer passed away in 2019. RIP. We began snapping some photos from outside. Other people began to show up and as we headed back to the car someone came out and opened the gates. We made our way inside, closing the gate behind us because the owners of the ranch allegedly had a dog (which I never saw). As you first approach the ranch there is a leather chair pulled up to a workbench. Without being told I could feel that space was where Elmer worked on his pieces. As we stepped into the Bottle Tree Farm made up of thousands of metal "trees" that held various emptied glass bottles we began to feel like we stepped right onto a set from Mad Max. All of a sudden we were transported from the 21st century to a post-apocalyptic timeline. Delaminated and worn out relics adorned both the treetops as well as the yard. As I traversed this otherworldly landscape I began to sense a very real connection with Elmer. These weren't just relics, they were a story. He wanted to preserve history and bring the past to life by presentation. I began to sense that this stop wasn't coincidental. I stood in silence taking a moment to deeply reflect. Thank you for the encouragement, Elmer. After snapping what could have easily been a couple hundred photos we decided to head out to our next destination.

 

     With a couple minor detours, we set our GPS for the Calico Ghost Town. Unfortunately, by the time we got there it was closed. We decided to press on and try and stop back on our way home.We had planned to stop at both Seven Magic Mountains and the Pioneer Saloon before hitting the bright lights of Vegas, but it was nearing dinner time and with David's new blood sugar imbalance we decided to try and catch the Seven Magic Mountains on the way back too. 

 

     The Pioneer Saloon and it's giftshop stood on a stretch of road all by itself. The exterior looked like something straight out of the Wild West, but I had no idea the encounter I was about to make. We stepped inside and were immediately greeted by friendly staff. We wandered into the dining room to be met with history plastered all over the walls. The waiter came over and asked us if we wanted to have dinner and I asked him if they had anything vegetarian. He let me know they had an equivalent to the Impossible burger, their "unbelievable" burger. We decided to stay. After hours of driving I paid a visit to the little girl's room. As I sat the lights began to flicker. At first I thought it wouldn't be unusual for that to happen in a place like this. But my sixth sense protested and I knew at that moment I had been "visited." I returned to the table where I started to read the history on the walls. As luck would have it, the place was a hotspot for Hollywood and heartbreakingly haunted. You see, this was the location where Clark Gable's wife's body, Carole Lombard, was recovered after her plane, similar to Kobe's helicopter, unexplainably crashed at a nearby peak. The dining room where we sat acted as a temporary morgue as they recovered the bodies from the crash. We paid a visit to the bar where Clark Gable's cigar marks still rest: the cigar marks he made in the bar as he waited, drinking and heavily smoking as they identified his now deceased wife's body. As I touched the cigar burns I could almost see him standing at the bar, holding back tears in an attempt to maintain composure, creating those marks as he desperately waited for answers, some which would never come and I had to wonder in that moment if he had any regrets.

 

     Around the corner on the wall were three gunshots immortalized in the wall of this restaurant. These gunshots were where a man was shot to death for cheating the house playing poker. Two of these bullet holes went straight through the man's body and one hit the wall. As I touched the bullet holes I could sense the moment of finality this man must have felt as he knew this was the bitter end for him. There was shock and then an awakened stillness that seemed to slow down time. As we ordered our food, the waiter also told us that a woman had been strangled to death in the woman's bathroom. I told him about the lights flickering. He grimaced as he informed me that "yup, they don't do that. That's not a normal thing at all." And in that moment I knew that she knew I would know it was her. She knew I had a gift and wanted to let me know she was still there. Before we left, I stopped in the women's bathroom one more time to let her know I was sorry for what had happened to her, that I heard her, and I honored her on the way out. Our vacation had just begun and I was already having an unbelievable time. Also I got a beer, and drank the rest of David's, so he took over driving the rest of the way.

 

      Once we got to Vegas, we spent our first night in The Rio. It was pretty exciting to finally be there. Our room was pretty high up and had a pool view so that was pretty cool. All the stops turned what would have been a four hour trip straight through into an eight hour trip. We were beat. 

 

DAY 2 - ENTER THE BELLAGIO 

 

     We woke up the next day and had just enough time to check out on time by the skin of our teeth. The checkout line was ridiculously long and we had to walk a block and a half to the parking garage. And I was wearing bad shoes for walking in. We stopped at Target to pick up some small last minute items before we stopped in at the Bellagio. 

 

     Walking into the Bellagio was like walking into a modern day castle. I literally thought I died and was at Heaven’s gates. Immediately we were greeted with gorgeous grecian-inspired pillars, art installations overhead and a pianist playing at the in-house bar called the Petrossian. I couldn’t believe it, but he was playing our wedding song “All I Ask of You” from Phantom of the Opera. Now, anybody can play piano, but this man was a true artist who was playing from his soul. Talent from skill is something that can be taught, but talent born from artistry from one’s soul is a whole other thing and it's beautiful. His playing brought me to tears and once again I knew that this vacation was divinely inspired.

 

     We initially had plans to hit the casinos that day, but we were both still feeling pretty exhausted from the previous day's excursions. So we stayed in and relaxed. David bought me these fuzzy house shoes as an anniversary present since my feet were busted from my bad shoes and I had forgotten to pack mine, along with all my socks. 🙄 Our room was very cute and fed into my artistic aspirations. Many people don’t know this, but in High School I wanted to be an interior decorator, but there were no designs for decorators, only for designers and that involved a lot of architecture and math. The one thing I actually regret not taking better pictures of was the beautiful macro floral photography that was hung on the walls. As we snuggled into our hotel we made some dinner and watched Friends and SpongeBob.

 

DAY 3 - TIME TO PLAY

 

     One of my favorite parts of the trip was getting dolled up. I wore fake eyelashes for the whole trip (no, I didn’t get them done). I glued on the Forever 21 falsies. It took me a few tries to get it right, but eventually I got it down pat. 

 

     Today, we would explore that magical art installation in the lobby. I had read about it on Bellagio's website, but couldn't find where admission was. As it turns out, there wasn't. The installation was just part of the hotel. All the way down the hall we were greeted with the scent of the freshest flowers we have ever smelled. As we approached the entrance we could hear beautiful flute music that accompanied the installation. I read on the website that these installations change seasonally. This one was an artistic representation of Mother Earth and the four elements of fire, earth, air, and water. Of course my favorites were the queen herself and the phoenix. When we first explored this installation there were many others also enjoying the experience. It was really something out of a dream. Once we finished with the installation, I decided that I really needed to Holly it up and find some good walking shoes as my feet were still crying from the day before (as a side note, don't trust shoes from China… I knew better…) 

 

     We walked across the street to the miracle mall across the street. There was an amazing panoramic ceiling and the tops of the stores took you to another side of the world. It was incredible. That's another important tip for Las Vegas. We all know Holly Madison is always pairing her outfits with cute sneakers, and now I know why. If you go to Vegas, don't wear heels. Apparently, enough people make this mistake that the nearest mall sells emergency flats next to the women's bathroom.

 

     We trekked on to Journey's, where I found these cuties! Every trip seems to have at least one unexpected expense. This was mine. Finally, my feet found reprieve. We were going to stop in at this cute little restaurant called Ocean One Bar & Grill, but it was well past lunchtime and they had a long wait, so we hit up a little spot called Lobster Me. As I don't eat dairy or egg, I had to ask them to hold the dressing on my lobster salad and let me tell you… it's been awhile since munched on straight greens. The lobster was almost untastable. Turns out the dressing made the salad. You live, you learn. 

 

     Now it was time to hit the casinos. I played a couple penny slots and ended up making back my money plus $20. We decided to call it quits and headed back to our hotel. Deciding the day wasn't quite over, we hit the last 30 minutes of the pool. Anyone who knows me knows I don't swim in public toilets, so I relaxed on the pool chair while David swam. But let me tell you. The Bellagio pool was something else completely. Gondolas lined the walls all the way around the pool and they kept freshly stocked fridges with complimentary snacks. With my sun in Taurus, I always find snacks. Peach gummies? Yes, thanks. The pool area had one large pool (only about 3.5 feet deep to avoid liability) and then several smaller pools with elaborate fountains, jacuzzis, statues in a garden archways, a poolside cafe, a couple pool bars, and as is popular in LA, misters at the entrance of the Gondolas.I really didn't want to come home. After dark we caught the amazing water fountain show in the front of the Bellagio. It was truly incredible to witness.

 

DAY 4 - ADVENTURE DAY

 

     We began our last full day in LA. This was probably the day I was looking forward to the most. We had booked a tour at Zak Bagans Haunted Museum. I am actually a big Ghost Adventures fan and have experienced quite a few paranormal encounters myself, so this was a treat (and possibly the reason I picked Vegas in the first place). 

 

Seeing as our tour was booked for later that evening, we decided to check out the Fine Art Museum in the Bellagio. What we first saw was kind of surprising and to be honest, initially thought it was a sham. Various artworks all centered around boxing lined the museum walls. Was this the best the Bellagio could do? Was my first thought. But as I read up on the history of Boxing in Las Vegas, I learned that this was actually a big part of Las Vegas history. We toured the museum with a new perspective and found it fascinating. We hit the Museum Gift Shop and I was struck by a book called "Japanese Ikebana." It was explained to me by the staff that the Museum had an arrangement for a Japanese installation, but that it fell apart at the last minute and that's why they had Japanese merchandise. This book was amazing. It was filled with textures, shapes, and perfectly paired colors that evoked emotion. I bought this book as a hot tear ran down my cheek. I realized at this moment that my inner artist had been dying and I came to the conclusion that for an artist, art is not optional, it is as necessary as breathing. This book not only relit my artistic passion, but would now fuel a new hobby of mine that would allow me to blend my passion of home decorating with a small and manageable hobby. I was reminded again that this was much more than a vacation, it was the rediscovery of self I had so desperately been needing to find for more than a decade.

 

     We ended up relaxing for a little before heading out to my favorite part of this trip- The Haunted Museum. Just up the road I'm downtown Las Vegas we reached Disneyland. My heart was racing as we approached the entrance and waited to be ushered in by the Museum staff. One thing I like about Zak Bagans is his personability

He hired amazing staff who knew how to give a great presentation while maintaining a personable connection with their guests. I could only get photos in the lobby. (I forgot to get some of the mansion on the way in). And there is a “no photography rule” while in the museum. We felt and saw some truly incredible things in this museum. Zak has collected cursed and haunted items from around the world, so there are some truly interesting things here. To my amazement he has also squired Charles Manson's cremated remains. My only complaint is that I wanted more time to see everything. The tour guide crew gave everyone a fantastic and fluid experience that kept the momentum going, but what can I say? I'm actually the weirdo who likes to study. 🤷🏼‍♀️ The tour was about an hour and twenty minutes though it only felt like 15.

 

     We ended up upgrading our tour from general to RIP on arrival, which I don't regret at ALL. We got a free t-shirt at the end and found out that the gift shop has way more items than were listed on the website. Kinda regret not getting the skeleton statue. Maybe they will ship it. 🤔

 

     Our next stop was dinner at the Golden Tiki. Not only did the Haunted Museum recommend this spot, it was also one of the locations covered on Ghost Adventures. The owner of this restaurant has collected items from different parts of the globe which ranged from weapons of war to a knife that decapitated heads for shrunken head rituals. Although we did not experience anything paranormal at this restaurant, we had an awesome time. The staff were fun and friendly, and the ambience was enamoring. I even stole the mermaid on David's drink and named her Josephine. As a heads up, the one thing to know is that this is not a spot for kids. The bathroom was a little bit of a surprise with phallic for door handles and women's open crotches adorning the women's bathroom, the overhead speaker was talking about, well,...dicks. So……After this incredible experience we called it a night. 

 

DAY 5 - ALL THE LAST MINUTE THINGS AND THE ROAD TRIP HOME

 

     As we checked out of our hotel, the Bellagio made it easy. Once we had packed up, we were able to check out on the room tv. We stopped into some stores and picked up some souvenirs for our immediate family. My favorite store was the Giardini Garden Home Store. I picked out a couple candle holders for my sisters and David bought me an adorable trinket holder. We stopped into the Vegas store and picked out some things we thought the rest of the family might love. And of course we took the last of the photos. It was about 2 by the time we grabbed Chipotle and wrapped up our stay at this incredible hotel.

 

      We had three stops we tried to hit on the way home. The first one was Seven Magic Mountains. About 20 minutes down the road we stopped at this incredible art installation. (Okay, the one thing I am going to say is that if you hit these popular stops, bring good hiking style shoes. It's rocky and dusty). This installation was created by an artist who painted these large limestone boulders. Nevada's Art Museum then stacked the boulders. It took 10 years to create. 

 

     We were lucky to catch a young man proposing to his girlfriend. I'm sure that's not something everyone who stops by this will see. 😉We snapped some photos for the gram and headed out. As people in cinema, the lighting was not ideal so of course it drove us both nuts dealing with the direct sunlight, but what can you do?

 

     Our next stop was the Zzzyyxx road. No one really tells you that the way to the there is really set up for Jeep Wranglers. The road to the  is massively unpaved. After about 5 miles of driving you reach a parking lot with outdoor bathrooms. Under a small covered structure there is a map. The parking at this point had been completely blocked off, but we were welcome to walk about 2-3 miles around the compound. That wasn't happening in my.non-walking shoes in 104 degree weather. 😒 We decided this would be a stop for another time and turned around. We knew it would be closed by the time we arrived, but that didn't stop us from swinging into Calico Ghost Town. As it turns out the gate up the entrance to the Ghost Town at 5pm. We drove around the campground to check it out and it looked like a pretty banging stay for $8/night. With nothing more to see, we also marked this one for next time.

 

     Our last stop was Cracker Barrel in Victorville, where David found a nice cast iron skillet (he enjoys cooking with cast iron). This was my last day of not watching my calories, so of course I took advantage. I got fried fish, a biscuit, and some fried okra. 😋 David got a steak, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli. The staff was amazing and again we had a great time. I will say this though as a foodie. Food cooked outside of its natural demographic seems to be lackluster compared to its native version. To me, eating Cracker Barrel in California is the same as eating Del Taco in Idaho. It's just not the same. 😒

 

     Of course all these side trips turn a four hour drive into an eight hour drive, but we weren't in a hurry and had a really great time. Not only did we have the vacation we have desperately needed, but I came to several important realizations along the way. I am very grateful to have been able to spend this last week with all of these incredible experiences that I will continue to treasure for the rest of my life. ❤️

 

And with that we rolled in at around 10:15 that night. Beat down like sissies, we hit the hay and this drew a close to our ✨ magical Vegas experience. ✨