Trip to Las Vegas March 16 - 21, 2019

Saturday, March 16 - I flew on Alaska Airlines from Portland International Airport (PDX) to Las Vegas (LAS) at 9:00 AM to arrive at 11:10 AM.  I retrieved my suitcase and met my sister, Jeanette, at Passenger Pickup.  Jeanette's house is beautiful however it is in the McCarran flight path.  Very noisy!

There are miles and miles of brown houses and buildings in Las Vegas all one style.  Incredibly boring!

We had lunch at Starbucks, 8164 S. Las Vegas Blvd.  I had a Roasted Tomato/Mozzarella Panini and Shortbread Cookies.  We sat at a table on the patio.  Afterward I found a Two-for-one Geocache: a Virtual and a Benchmark (GR1933).  I had to count the rungs in the Arden Water Tank ladder for the Virtual.

We went to the Terry Fator show at the Mirage.  We were about 15 minutes late.  Traffic was horrendous!   The show was great.  I can't believe that it was ten years since he won "America's Got Talent". 

Sunday, March 17 - Jeanette and I went to the Regal Cinema at Village Square, 9400 W Sahara Avenue.  We each had a dish of ice cream at nearby Cold Stone Creamery.  I had a scoop each of French Vanilla and Chocolate.  We saw "Gone with the Wind" at 1:00 PM. 

Monday, March 18 - Jeanette and I went to Red Rock Canyon.  Most of the mountains around Las Vegas are composed of sedimentary rock.  Red Rock Canyon provides spectacular examples of both types: the gray mountains are limestone, and the red-and-white hills are sandstone.  

We stopped at the Visitor Center.  We saw the film and exhibits both indoors and outdoors.  We also saw wild jackasses and several desert tortoises.  We saw sandstone boulders dappled with red spots that are iron concretions toward the end of the drive.  I did two Earthcaches. 

I attended the Geocachers of Las Vegas Monthly Meet & Greet at BJ's Restaurant Brewhouse, 10840 West Charleston from 5:00 - 6:30 PM.  I had a glass of Chardonnay wine.  I won the first prize in the raffle.

Tuesday, March 19 - We headed to Arizona on Hwy 93.  We stopped at the Lake Mead Scenic Overlook.  I took several photos of the signboards in order to create an Earthcache.  We stopped at the historic White Rock Canyon Bridge (1933/1934).  It is a two-for-one geocache: a Virtual and a Benchmark. 

We had lunch at Capriotti's, a Sandwich Shop at 771 E, Horizon Drive in Henderson.  I had a half Italian sub and a delicious chocolate brownie. 

We went to the Clark County Museum in Henderson so I could do a Virtual.  We visited the Museum, historic houses, and a Wedding Chapel.  There were old cars parked outside the houses and the Motor Court. 

I watched Master Chef Jr. on television in the evening. 

Wednesday, March 20 - We went to the Bellagio to see the impressive Japanese floral display in the Botanical Gardens and the Chihuly Floral Glass Ceiling in the lobby.  We saw the Chocolate Fountain.  We took the tram to the Aria Resort and Casino.  We visited a Fine Art Gallery.  We went back to the Bellagio to pick up Jeanette's car.

We went to The Capital Grille, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd South for Jeanette's birthday luncheon at 1:00 PM.  We each had their famous Cheeseburger with fries.  Jeanette split her Birthday dessert - a cheesecake with fresh berries - with me.

I watched a two hour "Survivor" on television in the evening.  The tribes merged but were in for a shock when all of the voted off survivors reappeared!

Thursday, March 21 - I packed my suitcase and carryon. I left my hat behind for another visit. Jeanette dropped me off at Alaska Airlines at Terminal 3.  I checked my suitcase and got my boarding pass.  I was quickly through TSA screening.  I got a slice of pumpkin loaf at Starbucks.  The gate was changed. 

I boarded for a 2:00 flight to PDX - bulkhead aisle seat.  I watched a film "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" with Melissa McCarthy based on a true story.  It ended up taking me longer to get home via public transportation (switching problem on MAX light rail red line) than it did to fly from Las Vegas to Portland International Airport!  

New Orleans: An Unforgettable City of Mystery and Intrigue Feb 22 - Feb 27, 2019

Tuesday, Feb 19, 2019

I left home via Vancouver cab at 3:30am to PDX for 6:00 flight to Seattle.  I had a really long walk through the Seattle/Tacoma Airport to catch my flight to New Orleans.  I met Ben Thomas with the music group Jovino Santos Neto - musicians from Seattle on their way to a gig in Mississippi.  I had a window seat in bulkhead row.  I arrived at New Orleans about 3:10pm.  I took the Airport Shuttle to the InterContinental Hotel, 444 St Charles Ave.  I was given a room on the 8th floor with a large balcony overlooking the courtyard and three breakfast vouchers.  I had a light meal and fell asleep early.

There was a full mini bar in a cabinet which I did not touch.  Also there was a container with boxes of Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Peanut M&M's, Roasted Cashews, Pringles Original, Dark Chocolate Almonds, Pringles Sour Cream & Onion, Twix Minis, and Kit Kat Miniatures.  And there was a bottle of wine: Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 and a large bottle of Fiji Natural Artesian Water.  I put the container on the top shelf of the closet and the two bottles next to the coffee maker inside the cabinet.  Out of sight, out of mind.

Wednesday, Feb 20

A historic 1865 house on St. Charles Avenue burned in a massive seven-alarm fire this morning.  The 8,785-square-foot house at 2525 St. Charles, known as a toasting spot during the Rex parade, is unfortunately a catastrophic loss.  It was first reported at 7:44am. It wasn’t considered under control until about 1:45pm, six hours later.  The fire appears to have started in the basement and quickly spread. The house’s age presented a challenge. Newer houses are typically built with “fire stops” designed to prevent flames from spreading quickly. This house had no such stops.  When I rode by on the St. Charles Streetcar two days later on Friday morning there were still fire trucks at the scene.

I woke at 6:00am.  I had a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.  I caught a Lyft at 9:30 to the New Orleans School of Cooking, 524 St Louis Street.  Chef Brandon Moreau was the chef.  He grew up in southwestern Louisiana.  He has French and Acadian Ancestry.  He made Gumbo, Jambalaya, King Cake Bread Pudding with cream cheese sauce (I had two helpings) and Pralines.   I caught a shuttle back to the hotel at 1:20pm.  I had a glass of Chardonnay at Trenasse at the hotel at 5:00.  I watched "Survivor" and it was off to bed early.

Thursday, Feb 21

I woke at 6:00am.  I had a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.  I caught a Lyft to 873 Canal Street.  I found several Virtuals in the French Quarter: Ignatius J. Reilly ("Confederacy of Dunces"),  Edison Place, Menu Venue, The Founder, A Shining Example, Whose Funeral is it? and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop.  I got the traditional powdered sugar beignets and a glass of milk at Cafe Beignet near Jackson Square.  I caught a Lyft at St Ann Street back to the InterContinental hotel at 5:00pm.  I had a glass of Chardonnay at the hotel restaurant.  I purchased some food for dinner at nearby Starbucks. 

Friday, Feb 22

I woke at 6:00am.  I had a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.  I rode the St. Charles Streetcar to Loyola University and back.  I tried to get a Greyhound ticket on line several times on my IPhone but it would not work.  So I caught several streetcars to the Greyhound Station, 1001 Loyola Ave.  I went to the restroom.  When I got to the ticket counter it had just closed!  Back to the hotel.  On the way I found the Virtual Survivors Park, New Orleans.

The Road Scholar New Orleans Program began at 4:00pm with Registration in the Gentilly Room.  There was an Orientation meeting.  We had dinner in the Trenasse Restaurant in the hotel lobby at 6:00.  I had White wine and Shrimp & Grits. Tonight's parades were Oshun, followed by Cleopatra.  The second parade was better.  Then it was off to bed.

Saturday, Feb 23

I woke at 6:00am.  I had a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.  We had a class: "Carnival in New Orleans" by Nellie Watson.  We got box lunches which I ate mine in my hotel room while watching television.  I had Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille with cream cheese spread on French bread.  I watched a couple parades.  We walked from the hotel lobby to Fogo De Chao, 614 Canal Street inside the JW Marriott Hotel.  I had ribs, veggies etc. for dinner.  I watched a couple parades and then it was off to bed.

Sunday, Feb 24

I woke at 6:00am.  I had a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.  We had a class: "Music: The Soul of Mardi Gras".  Bus departed at 10:45 for Mardi Gras World where floats are built.  Not enough time there!  We departed for noon Brunch at the Palace Cafe, 605 Canal Street.  I had Andouille crusted gulf fish with vegetables.  I wandered down to the waterfront where I found the From Distant Shores Virtual.  I caught a Lyft at 4:00 back to the hotel.  I watched a couple parades.  I had a light dinner.

Monday, Feb 25

I woke at 6:00am.  I had a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.   We took a field trip via motor coach with expert on-board commentary for an overview of the city. We had lunch at Superior Seafood, 4338 St. Charles Ave. I had sautéed shrimp served over Superior cheese grits.   I hopped off the bus at St Louis Cemetery No. 1 to get the Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen Virtual.   I walked south on St. Louis Street to the Steamboat Natchez at Toulouse St Wharf for an hour and half ride.   I rode a pedicab to Deanie's Seafood for dinner.  I had combo of deep fried shrimp and catfish served with coleslaw.  Food was terrible.  I went back to the hotel on the tour bus.

Tuesday, Feb 26

I woke at 5:30am.  I had a boxed breakfast from the hotel restaurant.   I took a Lyft at 6:20 to the Greyhound Bus Station to catch the 7:30 bus however the bus broke down somewhere between Houston and New Orleans.  So I caught the 10:30 bus to Biloxi, MS.  I arrived about 12:30pm. 

I caught a Lyft to nearby Ocean Springs.   I toured The Charnley-Norwood House, 509 Beach Drive.  It is a summer (winter) cottage designed by architects Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright in 1890 in Ocean Springs, MS on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  The home was built as a vacation residence for James Charnley, a wealthy Chicago lumber baron, and its style represents an important change in American residential architecture known as Prairie School.  In 1895, Charnley sold the property to fellow Chicago businessman Frederick W. Norwood.  In 1897, the main house burned to the ground, but Sullivan modified and rebuilt it to nearly the same design.  The Gulf Coast National Heritage Area Program manages the property under the MDMR.

The tour guide gave me a lift to the Biloxi Lighthouse where I did the Virtual.  I caught a Lyft to the Greyhound Bus Station.  I walked to Sandbar Bar and Grill where I got a delicious BLT sandwich and chips.  The bus was 30 minutes late.  I arrived in New Orleans about 6:00 and caught a Lyft.  I arrived thirty minutes late at the New Orleans School of Cooking, 524 St. Louis Street.  Our chef was Anne Leonhard.  We enjoyed a wonderful mix of Creole food conjured up in this demonstration class of Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Shrimp Etouffe, Bananas Foster, and Pralines.  I rode the tour bus back to the hotel.

Wednesday, Feb 27

I woke up at 6:00am.  I had the buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant.  I watched the open House hearing on television of Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer while I packed for the trip home.  I had 1:00pm late checkout.  The Airport Shuttle picked me up at 1:10.  My flight left about 4:15 to Seattle and then on to Portland, Oregon.  I had a Fruit and Cheese Platter during the flight for dinner.  It was an interesting trip but great to be home!  I have a stuffed animal and a sack of colorful beads thrown from the floats.