I had every intention of updating ‘Coffee & Chiffon‘ earlier this week, with a post scheduled for the morning of Labor Day, but since I have literally been cruising up and down the entire coast of California over the past few days following a stay in Las Vegas, I just needed a day by the pool without any distractions (and with an ice cold drink!) to fully rest and recharge.
And now here I am! I’ve been gradually getting back into the swing of things since my return to Orange County, both with regulating my sleep schedule and eating things that aren’t just In-N-Out burger, and that includes catching up on e-mails and blogging again. So, let’s revisit the past few days in the desert, shall we?
I’ll have more photos and a recap from my time in the Redwoods a little later on this week since I still have so many pictures and videos to go through!
I arrived in Orange County bright and early last Monday morning where Troy had scooped me up at the airport (after surprising me at the arrival gate with a bouquet of roses and a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream! He’s a keeper!) and we immediately launched into some of my favorite SoCal activities – specifically getting iced coffee and the aforementioned In-N-Out burger. He graciously helped me unpack my things at his apartment so I could get some rest from the early morning flight and the time zone change before we got ready for what would be the first of many surprises during my ongoing stay.
That surprise would be one of the fanciest and most extravagant dinners I’ve ever enjoyed at Orange Hill. Based at the top of Orange County after driving up a gated and winding road to a waiting valet, Troy absolutely spoiled me with oysters, cuts of wagyu beef and lobster tails with a spectacular view of the sunset over the mountains. I was beside myself with how amazing and elevated everything was, and the manager even treated us to a delicious Key Lime Pie dessert because we were a cute couple. I would absolutely and 1000% go back any time, any day!
On Tuesday, while Troy worked during the day, I packed and prepared for our drive to Las Vegas that evening – while also taking some time to hit the gym and snap some photos for my recent August 2024 Favorites post. We did ultimately make it through the desert and to the strip Tuesday night, and our initial plan was to stay at the Flamingo for the duration of our visit, but after a long wait to check in and finally getting to our room – we quickly realized that our plans would need to change. The room was outdated (and not in the fun way!) and a little dirty, with broken plumbing in a bathroom that felt like it was part of a hospital instead of a historic casino right in the heart of the Strip.
And our “City View” that had been advertised at the time of booking was obstructed by the building next door’s air conditioning units that whirred loudly and non-stop. Perhaps the most disappointing thing, however – was how unhelpful and, frankly, rude – the staff were when we tried to see if there was any way to fix any part of our situation. They simply did not want to be bothered.
Troy and I agreed to spend one somewhat sleepless night in the room before promptly cancelling the remainder of our reservation first thing in the morning and making arrangements elsewhere – which he did while I was frantically trying to get the hot water to work in the shower. Thank goodness!
On Wednesday morning, before getting settled in our new suite just a short drive down the road from the Flamingo, Troy and I made our traditional pilgrimage to Peppermill (which I’ve written about!) for breakfast in honor of Kelsey before we did some antiquing in Downtown Las Vegas and visited some of my favorite local shops like Rockin Bettie and The Red Kat Vintage. While out and about, Troy found the greatest and most Las Vegas-esque jacket imaginable, and despite my skepticism, he bought it and has absolutely no regrets about it.
Wednesday night was the real reason for our stay, however – since we were seeing The Killers’ limited residency at The Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album, ‘Hot Fuss’! I’m sure I’ve talked at length about my love for the band and their music, which led me to so many of the cherished and important lifelong friendships and relationships that have changed my life and defined me as a person, so I won’t go on and on about it again – but I will say that hearing their first album in its entirety live, from start to finish, along with an encore of B-Sides and other hits – in conjunction with an absolutely unbelievable stage setup and light show – was incredible.
I was moved to tears more than once when I wasn’t singing along at the top of my lungs, of course!
I had dinner/drink plans with friends who were also in town on Thursday night, so the first part of the day was spent bopping from casino to casino on the Strip, checking out the current display at The Bellagio’s Conservatory, and heading back to downtown Las Vegas to grab a drink at a bar that had come highly recommended by the owner of one of the antique shops Troy and I had visited the day before – The Stray Pirate – which is a pirate dog-themed bar (NOT a Tiki Bar, as we were told more than once!)
If you’re a dog person like I am, you will absolutely adore this place. Not only were the drinks phenomenal – I recommend the Miami Marauder, by the way! – but the décor is both adorable and hilarious, with no corner or section left untouched.
And as the sun began to set on Thursday night, and before I headed over to The Sand Dollar Lounge for some live music and a lot of whiskey sours, I was excited to snag a couple of tickets for The Neon Museum, another location I’ve previously written about – so that I could show Troy some of Vegas’ most iconic and historic signs all lit up! It was actually my first time experiencing the museum after dark, as well – and it was pure magic. They’ve added a lot of new installments/relics since my last visit a few years ago, so there was plenty more to look at this time around!
Come Friday morning, it was time to pack up to begin the trek back to Southern California since we had an even longer drive up to Northern California planned for Saturday morning. After fueling up the car and then ourselves with lattes and breakfast burritos at Pikey Coffee, we headed West – but stopped at places like Buffalo Bill’s in Primm, Nevada to see the Bonnie & Clyde car and Baker, California to grab snacks at Alien Fresh Jerky and to snap a selfie under the world’s tallest thermometer.
And that concludes a recap of the first leg of my ongoing vacation! It’s been oh-so-busy, but also oh-so-fun! I don’t even think this recap or the hundreds of photos I’ve been taking along the way do this trip justice, because it truly has been so amazing and action-packed!
A little later on this week, I’m going to have another recap post with a ton of pictures I snapped during our recent road trip to places like Eureka and Orick, California where I spent a couple of days among the Redwoods (and so many wild elk!) as well as a look at another absolutely perfect and over-the-top surprise Troy had up his sleeve for me!
See you all soon!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 