Mt Charleston

Sunday we planned to do the Angel Peak Loop at Mt Charleston, Amy and Nicky joined us. We came down Kyle Canyon Rd. and turned off on what we believed to be the way, but we went wrong somewhere. We ended up in a heavily treed wash area. The Suburban was too large to continue. The truck suffered some carnage from hugging trees too tightly. We dented the driver side passenger door, broke a taillight and drivers rearview mirror.






We stopped and had a picnic. Then, decided it was best not to continue on trail we haven't done before, with Nicky onboard. We got out of that squirrely area just fine, no reason to risk it. So, we headed back to paved road and headed up Mt. Charleston. We parked at the Trail Canyon trailhead and decided to try a short hike.










We didn't go too far, before we turned around and headed back to the car. I'd love to go back and actually hike the trail, I must convince Frank to give it a try.

After hanging around Mt Charleston, we continued on to Lee Canyon.




and we wound around to the Desert View trailhead at 8200 ft. There you can see NV Test Site, and Area 51. Also, coral and other sealife fossils have been found so it is believed that it was once underwater.
















Miles and Miles away... During A-bomb testing people would come here to watch. Today you can see maneuvers performed by from Nellis AFB.



From there we headed home. It was a long day and we were ready to swim. There's nothing like groovin' to dirty 80's on the way home. Nicky thought it was great! Everyone dance!

We had a great day even if we didn't do the Angel Peak Loop as planned. That'll leave us another adventure for next time.

A day at the park

Ok, so maybe it was just an evening, but we still had fun. Yesterday, Amy, Frank and I took Nicky to Nature Discovery Park in Aliante. It's also known as the dinosaur park.

Before we went to the playground we stopped by the pond and waterfall to see the ducks and other birds.






Then, we made our way over to the playground. Slides were our first stop.




I rode the big slides, but I hurt my butt my last time down. Amy hurt her knee her first run and didn't go again. They're fast, real tall and windy. Err, winded?








Oooh, dinosaur bones!




Next we were off to feed the ducks and geese





Ice Cream man!! Nicky got spongebob ice cream. He loved all the ice cream ads, and he was enthralled by the man in the truck. He kept saying, thank you, see you soon, and whatcha doing? He would've been happy as can be sitting there in front of the ice cream truck if we had let him.



After ice cream we played with bubbles and attempted to play baseball, but Nicky wanted to go back to the playground. He learned of the splash pad and wanted to play. We stripped him down and off he went.





He made a friend, he called him Tommy. That's one of his friend's names back in Chicago.














Like I said, before, we had lots of fun!

After the park, we went to Gordon Biersch for dinner. We tried the Czech Pilsner, and had Southwest Eggrolls to start, both were tasty. Frank had the Grilled Chicken & Avocado sandwich, flavorful, fresh and juicy. Amy had the Chicken Parmesan, a nicely done version. And I had Tuscan Chicken, pasta with tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It was very good. We all agreed it was a great meal.

We returned home, Frank and Nicky went for a swim. Then, Amy and Nicky left so Frank and I could hit the hay, it was after 10 o'clock, we had a long day. We were pooped. I think Nicky might have been, too.

Review: Bonjour Bakery

This morning I dodged out of the house to make it to the doctor for allergy shots before work. I didn’t leave myself enough time to put together a decent lunch, so I grabbed a Three-Cheese Ziti by Smart Ones. It’s my go-to frozen meal.

By the time lunch rolled around that Ziti was the last thing under the sun I wanted to eat. Just the thought of it turned my stomach. I debated whether or not I was going to be too lazy to go out and grab something. Fortunately, the ill stomach was enough motivation to get me off my ass and away from my desk.

What to eat? What to eat?

I wanted a sandwich. All that is right near by is Subway. Yuck. I thought about it for a bit and decided to try Bonjour Bakery. It’s been on my radar for a long time. Heck, I used to drive by it daily, but for whatever reason I never made it there until today.

It’s a cute bakery in a rundown strip mall. There are tables outside and inside if you opt to dine in. Inside there is a wall of breads, cases that house pastries and desserts, and across the way they have a few grocery items. I looked over the menu and drooled over desserts, while I waited to place my order. The tiramisu and lemon meringue were real beauties.

I settled on a half a salami and cheese sandwich on a baquette, and a croissant. How can you visit a French bakery and not try the croissant afterall?

The sandwich was pretty tasty, but I found it odd that it came with roast beef. Especially when I didn’t notice beef anywhere on the menu, whatever, it too was good. I wasn’t blown away, and I'd chose a Siena Deli sandwich over it anytime, but it hit the spot. It was surely better than that Ziti I originally planned on.

The croissant was a bit dry, a disappointment really. I bet they are better early morning when they are nice and fresh.

Lunch came to eight dollars and some change. Not terribly priced. I doubt I’ll rush back for a sandwich, but I do want to pop back to try a few desserts sometime.

Review: Seasons

Last Thursday, we had lunch at Seasons buffet inside the Silverton. Frank and I tried to eat dinner there before but the wait was ridiculous; we opted to go elsewhere. This visit there was no wait at all. At the time Silverton was running the buy one, get one promo that is offered several times a year at each of their restaurants. You must be 21 and have a player’s club card. However, I missed the “must be 21” part on all their advertisements. When we were asked if we were all of age, we replied in unison, “yes”. Amy will only be twenty next month, thankfully they didn’t ask for proof. With the discount, four of us were able to eat for twenty bucks. Great value!

The buffet selection was much smaller than I anticipated. I suppose I was a bit spoiled by M Resort. Nevertheless, they offer the standard fare: Asian, American, Italian, Mexican, salads and desserts. There were two made to order stations available on our visit, pasta and baja fish tacos. I didn’t try either, no one was manning them and I had no desire to wait.

I sampled a bit of everything, yet, there were only a few standout items. I liked the grilled sausage with peppers and onions, the potstickers, and Kahlua Pork. Pad Thai must be a regular find these days, because Seasons offered it, too. However, their version was no where near as tasty as Studio B over at M Resort.

Desserts were lackluster, I didn’t have a memorable cookie or pastry. They do have a few gelato selections and a variety of cones. I tried the cappuccino gelato in a chocolate dipped cone. It was pretty good.

Service was average. At times refills were slow to receive and it took a fair amount of time to have plates cleared.

Lunch typically runs $8.99 with a Discovery Club card. So, even at regular price it’s a pretty decent value compared to other buffets around town. With that said, I don’t plan to return. My mom, Amy and Jeff were underwhelmed, as well.

After lunch we took Nicky to see the 117,000 gallon Aquarium, home to tropical fish, stingrays and sharks. We arrived just in time to spot the Mermaid and Scuba guy. Nicky didn’t know what to make of them, but he enjoyed the fish.

Neat!

It's 04:05:06 07/08/09

that's all.

Do you know the way to San Jose?

Well, we're going to find out.

Southwest is having a 48-hour sale, today is the last day, for travel Sept. 9 through Nov. 18. The rates are $30 each way for flights as far as 400 miles, $60 for 400 to 750 miles and $90 for more than 750 miles.

We considered a few destinations: San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Washington DC, and New Orleans.

San Francisco is our choice. Airfare to San Jose was $60 less per person vs. flying directly into San Francisco. We planned to rent a car, anyway, so we'll make the 50-minute drive and save ourselves some cash. The money could be better spent on important things - like FOOD.

We planned a trip to San Francisco last year, but cancelled last minute because we decided to buy our house. This trip's itinerary will be similar. We'll see the sights in San Francisco, visit Muir Woods, Yosemite, and if there's time we'll see Napa, too. We're planning a six day vacation so I think we'll be able to squeeze it all in. That is if we can sway ourselves away from the all the excellent eateries.

We have four months to research and firm up plans. I'm excited.

Pool fun

A few of Nicky's favorite things - Splashing, airplanes, sunshine, and swimming

And, of course, JUMPING!

Sweet smell of freedom

There is nothing quite like the scent of steaks grilling and fireworks in the air. The Fourth of July is one of our favorite holidays. Fun in the sun, BBQ, beer, and fireworks all to celebrate our independence and recognize the men and women who continue to fight to protect our rights and freedoms, how can you go wrong?

We had a great holiday beginning on Friday with the 15-minute firework display in Pahrump. The show was enjoyable as always. Saturday we lounged by the pool, grilled steaks, corn and garlic bread, and then Frank and Jeff got our own personal show underway. Mortars, Aerials and Saturn Missiles went off one after another for nearly two straight hours. It was beautiful to see and fun to watch them enjoy themselves. Frank says we’re buying twice as much next year, and next year will be grander since we now know what offered the best bang for the buck.

All the Station Casinos lit off a simultaneous firework display. We were comfortable at home so we didn’t make the drive, but we could see a few bursts in the distance over Red Rock Casino. I heard it was a nice 9-minute display.

We wrapped up our night with a late-night swim, followed by a relaxing time lounging in the hot tub and lastly a game of Nertz. The holiday would’ve only been better if my brother, Mike, was there to join us. Still, it was great having my mom, Amy, Jeff and Nicky. With any luck, next year we will all be together to celebrate.