11 Years of Life Together..Vegas? Heck Yea!

It had been almost 3 years since Eric and I took a Las Vegas trip. Our 11th Anniversary was a great reason to cross the desert. We ventured into the sandy, dirt filled Mojave Desert and headed to the oasis in Nevada. If I can make a "no-brainer" suggestion to you all out there, take off to Vegas on a Sunday. Traffic was non-existant and we were lucky to have some clear weather for safe visibility.

An open road!

We were on our way to Planet Hollywood Casino and Hotel. It's an ideal choice because the location is near some amazing, neighboring sights. If you get lucky, as we did, your view will be of either the Bellagio or City Center/Aria Hotel. As with most updated and newly built Vegas hotels, the rooms have a modern look. Over the last decade the hotels veered away from themed rooms. Although Planet Hollywood is themed to films, it isn't screaming at you constantly. When this hotel was The Aladdin, a strong Arabic influence was seen everywhere. The casino floor at Planet Hollywood is pretty easy to navigate and it's not huge, as you might find at The MGM Grand. Those huge layouts get annoying when you need to run back to your room for an item or change clothes.

Planet Hollywood Casino floor

Eric and I were relieved to finally get into our room and find that it was clean, spacious, and included a "soaker" tub. Our room was themed to the film Flashdance. That discovery caused quite the laugh from us because it's a 1980s film that is fun to reference. I can't say that I have seen the whole film, but there is an iconic song. It was complete with a Jessica Beals snapshot from the movie. As shown in the photo of the bed, there was a suit from some unknown character displayed, so random.

In keeping with tradition of our relationship, we of course had a Cirque du Soleil show to see. We had tickets to see Zarkana, playing at the Aria Hotel (just across the bridge from Planet Hollywood). Eric had seen a promo video of the show, but I didn't really know too much about it. This show had just completed a tour that went from NYC to Asia. Zarkana took residence at the hotel theater this past November. I must add that promos for tickets can always be found at www.cirquedusoleil.com under the "Las Vegas" tab. I tell everyone that we never pay full price and it's the truth! We saw at least four different shows last year thanks to our price comparing.

Ready to hit the town!

A little more silliness.

If you haven't been to the Aria you must be informed that it's a sight to behold. It has the perfect mix of elegance with a slight edge. It's as though Bellagio and Planet Hollywood had a baby. I can't say anything about the rooms. I am referring to what we saw as a non-hotel guest, the casino floor. Eric and I have a great time checking out the details of flooring, wall coverings, tile, glass, and shapes that were chosen. As you'll see with the Cosmopolitan, in a future update, the attention to detail is just as present as in the Aria.

Aria's poker room

There is a lot to cover on this trip so I'll let everyone breath and we'll continue the story this week. Still yet to be covered for this first day is the Cirque show Zarkana, and then a venture to a Gay club at The Mirage hotel. For those interested I'll be posting mine and Eric's thoughts on the show and our backstage experience. See you all soon. For now, here is a shot from our room toward the south end of The Vegas Strip.

Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, & New York-New York

Whimsical Characters Descend on Anaheim for WonderCon

An array of personalities and faithful comic followers headed to the Anaheim Convention Center this past weekend. Among them, at least on Sunday, was Eric and myself. The only type of "nerdy" convention we had attended were the last two D23 events at this same location. Although we had a slight idea of what to expect, there was also the unknown. A few goals we had for ourselves was to see a few celebrities and commission a drawing or two from a favorite of ours, Amy Mebberson.

After the easy process of picking up our entrance badges, we were glad to find out that we were  to queue up inside the exhibit hall. To compare to the D23 event, we waited outside on Anaheim's Katella Blvd in what felt like disarray. We already were seeing a few interesting costumes and a few "tossed together" as well. There was a guy behind us as we waited standing on jumping stilts, all while he wore a blanket showing the Tardis from Doctor Who. I think he just really wanted to wear the jumping stilts. Since it was Easter Sunday, there were some hopping around with bunny ears. I need to add this was the best Easter Eric and I ever had.

I was ecstatic to see Gadget of the Rescue Rangers!

I should note the Perrier bottle had wine in it.

When the floor opened, half hour early, we made a quick leap to Artist's Alley to find Ms. Mebberson. I'm glad we made it our first stop because there was already a four person queue putting in their commission orders. It must feel nice to have people rush to one so quickly for ones talents. I put in for Miss Piggy dressed as The Queen of Hearts. When Eric stepped up to the table he requested Chung Lee from the StreetFighter arcade game. Chung Lee has always been Eric's favorite character to use. And, from what I have been told, Eric used Chung Lee many times to beat all the kids at the arcade. Miss Piggy is a Muppet, which I love, and she is my absolute favorite Muppet. I even wore my Muppet shirt that day on purpose. Amy complimented my shirt, which I secretly hoped she would notice. (Amy has drawn Muppet comics and even designed Skeeter, Muppet Babies, as a grown character) We retuned later in the day to pick up our drawings she had done for us.

Check Amy out on www.mimisgrotto.com/

As mentioned before, Eric and I knew which celebrities we would want to see. To wait out the time for those panels we began the wandering up and down the main floors booths. It was a real shame that this was a week when rent was due! There were so many gadgets and toys Eric and I were eyeing. There is a Wizard of Oz comic out there we have pondered buying for at least 6 years. We almost bought two, but we showed restraint. Eric even wanted a Fin cap from the show AdventureTime! He had to ask himself if he REALLY wanted it, or was it just impulsive. He didn't buy the cap. I ended up purchasing an action figure of Rose Tyler from Doctor Who.

This Aquaman was really into cosplay

As we went to check on the wait time for the arena presentation of Nerdist Productions, headed by Chris Hardwick, we found it already started! Chris Hardwick was fielding audience questions or rather debating with the audience about various "nerd" topics (Back to the Future, The Walking Dead, Doctor Who). It really is cool to see that there are so many people out there that understand your obsession for what one person might think to be odd.

Chris Hardwick ( @Nerdist ) doing his thang!

After The Nerdist panel was over, it was time for the panel from Arrow, a show on The CW. The lead role, played by the steamy Stephen Amell, is a character seeking vengeance over the reason of his father's "accidental" death. On the television there are some great workout scenes of Amell showing off his muscular body (enhances the storyline). There was some good insight regarding what to expect within the current season and hints to next year. Eric and I were ecstatic to see Stephen Amell in person, but we were very cool about it.

Amell is center.

Eric made a good point that this convention center holds more people and vendors than the San Diego convention center. He also added to his thought that this must have been what San Diego ComicCon was like before Hollywood stormed into that event. I was even surprised to see that Disney had a VERY small presence, if at all. I do know that Disney was represented in the form of a video game, Duck Tales remastered. The main focus at WonderCon were comics, and general Sci-Fi.

Blurry pic of me hanging with Lumpy Space Princess of AdventureTime

Now that we have Member IDs and will receive SD ComicCon information, I hope we get to attend in 2014. I think it would be interesting to see what the event down there has to offer and compare it t WonderCon.

Yay! It's Coraline!!

Knott's before Spring Break

It was a very gloomy day for Eric and I at Knott's Berry Farm. It's the week before most Spring Breaks and it was the "quiet before the storm". Speaking of schools, there seemed to be many kids there with school field trips. We witnessed a few groups being led by ladies in "period dress" through Ghost Town. No photos of the kids because well that's just weird and I think borderline illegal. I felt for those ladies directing the children and not the awful parents that tagged along to miss work. (Smiling like the kids weren't misbehaving)

Eric is ready to spin on Le Revolucion

I have never really been a fan of attractions that spin and today was no different. Even though I felt this way, when your fiancée asks you to ride with him, you follow because you love him. It's basically a pendulum that spins as it swings. You can see Eric in the shot where he's all excited to spin! I did ok and I think I'd do it again sometime next year. Seeing as most rides in Fiesta Village spin we didn't spend too much time there.

Quiet day in Ghost Town

We did experienced a few "firsts" on this trip. One surprise was the Galloping Goose. It's the train that was used in lieu of the steam train. I don't know a lot about it, except its from the Depression Era (according to @knotts on Twitter). It seemed to have an engine of a bus, but wheels and body of a small train. I'd say the small size made it easier for the railroad bandits to hop aboard!

Something we hadn't done in a while was visit Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant. Cordelia sure knew how to fry herself a chicken! The staff there is very nice and welcoming. At $16.99 one gets quite a spread. Salad, soup, biscuits, Fried Chicken/Mashed Potatoes, and a dessert. There are other selections such as sandwiches and entree salads. Our order proved to be too much food for Eric and I, so we needed boxes for left overs. And now it's the day after. I feel as big as a house after that meal!

To try and walk off what we ate, we headed to a first time visit of Independence Hall. It's across the way from the park's entrance. The building is a replica of where the Declaration of Independence signing took place. On the way there we made some new friends. Chickens, ducks, a rooster, and geese all seem to reside on this pathway. Will those chickens be in the restaurant tomorrow?

Sneaking up on the birds (yes, i realize what this looks like)

There's a 15 minute presentation, all audio/lighting, depicting the actions taken by Congress. We figured those school groups had to have passed through here earlier in the day. It was an empty hall when we walked through. Again I must mention the service. The lady working at the hall was very nice and had some good information. I did feel a little bad for her just sitting there alone.

We did hop on a few favorites during our day such as Calico Mine Train, and Silver Bullet. Eric and I stopped by Boomerang to finally see the new paint job in person. The railings surrounding the coaster also appeared new, but I can't be sure. Just across from Boomerang, the new Coast Rider is going vertical. As of today there is more of the structure visible. I took a photo of what it looked like when we saw it. I'm sure updated shots are online elsewhere.

The Knott's Berry Bloom even starts on Friday, the 23rd. I can't report too much on that other than it is themed to flowers. There were some nice flower beds throughout the park and even Wisteria in Ghost Town. I know that Eric and I are somewhat interested to see what that is. We might be able to convince Rey and Brandi to come along so maybe the next update will be on the "Bloom". (all photos from my trusty iphone 5)

Coast Rider is going vertical

Camp Snoopy...looks nice

Seeking the Wild at Animal Kingdom

Since we had a few first timers to the resort, and one who works at the San Diego Safari Park, we tried to WOW our friends at Animal Kingdom. With our shorter than normal stay at Disney World we knew what offerings to skip. The 10 Miler run we'd soon be apart of the following night also dictated a shorter stay at this park. So, if you visit Animal Kingdom park on a short trip, maybe the type of day we had is for you.

It is said that the Safari attraction should always be visited early on in one's day. Eric and I steered our group left, toward the Safari. The eight of us made short stops along the way. A group, couple, or single person shouldn't be able to resist the views one comes across at this park.

Eric & Ricky couldn't resist an "afro circus" reference.

If you're into photography, there are opportunities all around. Right at the start its easy to get side tracked taking group photos with the Tree of Life as your backdrop. Now when I say "side tracked", I don't mean that in a negative way at all. I can't stress how easy it is to suddenly become engrossed in the atmosphere. The enveloping theme draws you into a convincing, jungle-like world.

After moving through the plants and crossing a bridge, we all arrived in the park's section of Harambe. This area themed to a fictitious market place in Africa is the corridor leading us to the Kilamanjaro Safari. If you can resist the shops and various treats, you'll end up at the "upside down" tree. That tree marks the queue entrance and our journey to a jungle, savannah, and the mud pits.

Eric and I have ridden this tour many times and we usually have a different experience. The sequence of animals seen remains the same, but sometimes we see Lions and others trips we don't. This time I wanted all hands on deck because Kevin knows about Safari set ups like this, and so does his girlfriend Angie. Kevin and Angie would be the travelers to impress. Kevin works at the Safari Park in San Diego County and Angie has been there many times.

Angie/Kevin

Giving a complete play by play of what animals we saw would fill up this whole blog entry. I will say I had hoped to see a lot more during this Safari. If I recall correctly, Kevin and I did joke a little with an abridged Jurassic Park quote "Uh, you do have animals in your Animal Kingdom safari park, yes?" I hope our first timers, that also included Rey and Brandi, still had an enjoyable time while riding. Karla had visited before, but that was Fall of 2004.

Although the bumpy jeep ride through the safari is the main draw, Animal Kingdom has other attractions to offer. And, if you only have one day your group might leave not seeing key experiences. Sure "ignorance is bliss" but missing out on the unknown is a shame.

One of Eric's "not to be missed" items are both Pangani Trail (gorillas) and Maharaja Jungle Trek (tigers and bats). Both trails are lengthy but benches are provided as rest stops. More importantly, those benches being cooled by huge fans are there to take in this great environment. The trails themselves are in unique settings of an old palace and ancient ruins.

It was so fun to watch our friends try to find all the birds in the park's aviary section of the Jungle Trek. One of the Cast Members helped out Brandi as she tried to find a gold tailed bird. She found him in the end. But then the Cast Member spoke on and on about the bird's characteristics. Don't get me wrong. She was very informative, but our group was already in the next exhibit while Brandi and I patiently listened.

Jungle Trek passes through an abandoned palace

A key moment in the Pangani Trail is the grand finale of seeing gorillas in a good sized habitat. This gorilla habitat is a sight to behold as it surrounds the visitor on both sides of the trail. Some guests storm right through and others take a seat and just watch the gorillas for a chunk of time. It's certainly quite relaxing as you hear waterfalls cascading down the hills. I'm agreeing with Eric that these trails are "a must" when visiting this park.

The thrills of seeing giraffes and gorillas don't compare to the sensation of careening through a coaster track. If you don't know, this is where Disney erected Expedition Everest. The mountain themed after the Himalayas sits in Animal Kingdom's Asia section. As our group moved through the humidity and passed under authentically hung flags, we felt as though we were in Nepal. Every few minutes one can see the coaster's train climb high up the side of the mountain.

Whether one uses fast pass or not, the queue is usually not bad. I think the most Eric and I have waited is 30 minutes. That wait time was in the "off season" 6 years ago, when the attraction first opened. I would hate for someone to miss this great attraction because they felt the wait was too long. Of course with the new Fast Pass+ you'll be able to schedule your ride times before leaving home. That could definitely change the way folks maneuver the park.

Not to single out Rey but we were a little interested to see his reaction. I hear coasters/heights are not his favorite encounters. He is a trooper though and boarded with the rest of us. With that said, Rey loved it and so did everyone else in our group. There are a few surprises that I won't spoil for others that have yet to ride. The adrenaline sure gave everyone a perk to trudge along through the humid filled day.

Rick and Karla

Rey squeezing for dear life!!

If you're wondering about food, there is a good assortment from which to choose. During our time at the park we did take a few rests and used our Disney Dining Plan snack credits. Eric found this huge cupcake that he was not able to finish. I ordered too soon and picked out a regular cheese Danish. I wish I had chosen a cupcake similar to Eric. One should get the most out of the Dining Plan.

As we relaxed in the humid shade we were able to talk about our action plan for the 10 mile run. The Twilight Zone 10 Miler was the next night, but we had to pick up race packets. Having to do this made our Animal Kingdom day a little shorter. The packets were only given out until a certain time. Also, half of our group that hadn't yet seen the Cirque du Soleil show La Nouba were going to check out available tickets. After cementing our plan for that, Angie, Karla, and I danced to some African beats!

Dancing to the drums!

We heard Dinosaur, a turbulent ride a prehistoric time, was not running at the moment so we headed to the rapids. Eric and I normally skip this attraction because compared to Grizzly River Run at California Adventure, this ride is sub-par. But, I'm not exaggerating when I say it was sickly hot and humid!

Kali River Rapids is located in the Asia section and has great theming. The "thrill" factor is low, but it can still be fun. The queue consists of a few shrines and abandoned shops that give the feeling one is in India. The actual attraction experience has an environmental conscience message about deforestation. There's a strong image of a burning forest while lumber is hauled away. Our group left the attraction with a decent amount of water splashes. It sure felt great with the weather!

Our six hours in the park was passing by us quite quickly. Although we had our snack, the heat was bringing on hunger faster than we thought. Some great places to eat at this park are PizzaFari, Yak and Yeti, and the place we chose this day, Flame Tree BBQ.

The great traits about the Flame Tree BBQ are the food portions and the seating area provided. Right behind the kitchen building and along the water are many tables. As Eric and I have done in the past, our group grabbed a table with a great view of Expedition Everest. I have to add that it's also a quiet area to rest from the day's walking.

After lunch we found ourselves in the 2 o'clock hour. It was close to our departure from the park. Even though Angie is terrified of Dinosaurs, she decided to tough it out on the attraction of the same name. We checked our wait time app and saw that it was open with a 15-20 minutes wait (a typical length).

Eric and I always get so excited to get people on this attraction for the first time. I know when I had my first trip, I didn't expect what Dinosaur had to offer. Unfortunately the attraction broke down as we neared the front of the queue. After waiting it out a bit, the Cast Members cleared the building of all guests. I'm pretty sure Angie was relieved, but Eric and I were disappointed. We weren't sure when our friends would return so we hoped they would get the experience.

As we headed toward the main entrance, Ricky and Eric made a few last attempts to trade some pins. It's also usually the time when one asks himself, "Did I get a photo of The Tree of Life?" So a few pictures were taken of the tree as we headed out.

Ricky, Angie, Eric, and myself still had the packet pick up and RunDisney Expo at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. Also, since Kevin, Rey, Angie, and Brandi were heading to Cirque. The rest of us would continue alcohol tasting at Epcot. So you see, although not all attractions were ridden, you can still get a full day here. There is nothing worse than trying to cram everything in your day. It can sometimes be too hot and exhausting for that. Your friends, partner, or family are with you, and that's the important part. It's also okay to split up and regroup.