Las Vegas in the Summer

Our second trip to Vegas this year was great. Our conference was held at Planet Hollywood Resort, July 23rd and 24th.  The summertime crowds had the casino buzzing and Britney was playing in every elevator. It was electric!

Our home base, Planet Hollywood

To escape the heat, I traveled once again over to Bellagio to take in some of the incredible sights. This resort never disappoints. I was truly refreshed by the underwater paradise that awaited me.

Manzanita doubling as sea life

As I entered the conservatory I walked though a passageway of aquariums filled with coral and tropical fish. for a moment I was sure I spotted a mermaid, then quickly realized it was a girl on the other side of the display peering in as I was. You could only imagine my surprise!

Mermaid?!

Oh, those are people!

As the passage opened up, a larger than life display took me even further into the depths. It was truly grand in its presentation.

 Upon my exit I passed the artful displays of Tesorini. Playing along in a subaqueous tone, there were beautiful pieces of jewelry appearing as if it were sunken treasure. A delight for the eyes.

As I walked through the mall on the opposite side of the hotel I looked above and saw a brilliant canopy of suspended anemone umbrellas. I laughed to myself and wondered if they were meant to correlate with the aquatic theme. I was sure they were and began to suspect that these weren't shallow waters after all.

Brilliant depth

No adventure would be complete without a treasure hunt. Saturday evening after a lovely dinner out, Captain... er, Dr. Joe Esherick led the charge (and yes, CHARGE being the operative word) down Las Vegas Avenue to find the buried treasure! Well, a treasure buried in tourists to be exact. Imagine coming home from such a sail without having had a true pillage.

A man on a mission

 

Booty!

 



Las Vegas, again!

 

Our new digs.

Our first conference of 2016, January 30th and 31st in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Though we had recently visited, a change in hotels provided an opportunity to work and play in different surroundings.  Lucky for us, Planet Hollywood just happens to be headlining one of the newest, and dare I say, hottest additions to the bevy of entertainment on the strip, Jennifer Lopez!  HPC Co-President, Dr. Joseph Esherick and his wife Gina, our Administrator, checked out her show on Friday evening and had a "fabulous" time!

J.Lo in the house!

  Saturday evening, we were treated to dinner on the patio of Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Resort, where we had a great view of the water fountain at Bellagio and enjoyed a wonderful meal with friends and colleagues.  I have to say the Mussels Mariniere were some of the best I've had and the Profiteroles, out of this world!

  In true French fashion I took a walk after dinner and went again to one of my favorite attractions, the conservatory at Bellagio.  A short note: when I stay in Menton, France, I can literally walk the length of a few villas and find myself in Italy.  Braving traffic in a crosswalk across the strip is not quite the same but a close second (this particular journey being far further than the aforementioned stroll!)

View from Bellagio.

  Chinese New Year (The Year of the Monkey) was the theme of the indoor garden, it was beautiful and full of meaning - from a band of peach seeking arboreals to giant gold coin covered trees and everything in between.  Traditional characters took shape in beautiful garments of chrysanthemum and koi swam in ponds that were scattered throughout. So much tradition celebrated and honored, it was truly a sight to behold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Las Vegas Adventures

The truly amazing aspect of Las Vegas is all of the available attractions indicative of the themes of each hotel.  A trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Vegas will grant you a 360 view of the strip and surrounding area. Just below our conference rooms in Bally's, Jubilee Theater is a traditional Vegas full scale production with showgirls, feathers, and more. A delight for the senses and a trip down memory lane!

 Just across the street from our hotel is the conservatory at Bellagio in full fall splendor. A bountiful harvest on display with whimsical characters. It's almost as if you are miniaturized walking through a Rose Parade float as the entirety of the decor is made of plant life.

Greetings from a sturdy tree trunk with an affable nature

Pastoral autumn colors

 

 

 

 

 

Whimsical characters

All of the organic matter is either reused or re-purposed for future displays

 

 

Should you decide to attend one our two future Las Vegas courses there are many wonderful opportunities, from dining possibilities to shopping venues, leisure activities to exciting nightlife, and so much more.

San Antonio

Our latest trip was to San Antonio, Texas! From what I was told, it was unusually cold during our stay, but it was still a fun trip! Last time we visited San Antonio, I only toured the River Walk. This time I expanded my route and visited the historic Alamo.

From the outside the Alamo didn't look like much, but once I entered the walls I was pleasantly surprised. There was a 20 minute video in a small theater which was available to watch, presenting a wealth of information about the Alamo. Throughout the halls were old artifacts, uniforms, and signs which offered more educational information.

San Antonio's River Walk is a beautiful place to walk by and along the way are many places to eat!

Stay tuned, because in March we head to Las Vegas!

Washington, D.C.

During our stay in D.C. we caught the tail end of fall. The foliage exuded brilliant autumn colors. Since I am from Southern California where our seasons all blend into one, I was very taken aback by the beauty of the season.

Even though the National Mall was the only site I had time to tour, it offered an amazing experience. To make the visit even more patriotic, It was Veterans' Day! I started my walk from the Capital...

 Then walked along a beautiful path that ran through the middle of the mall.

The path led to the Washington Monument (which was under construction during my visit)

When I came upon the World War II Memorial, it was filled with people, some were honoring veterans, some were sharing stories, and others came just to look. Regardless of their reason for being there, you could feel the pride and unity in the air. 

Just beyond the WWII Memorial lay the Reflecting Pool which was beautiful and calming. 

Finally, I came to the Lincoln Memorial! My favorite fact about the Lincoln Memorial is that Abe's hands are sculpted into his initials in American Sign Language. "A" with his left hand and "L" with his right hand.

I only had time for one last memorial before heading back to California, the Korean War Veterans Memorial!

Overall, this was an amazing destination and I cannot wait to go back!

Seattle

Seattle, one of my favorite cities, was a beautiful place to visit in September. Although the air was crisp, we were fortunate to have a rain-free weekend which allowed me to roam around city and take in all that it has to offer. 

A few blocks from the ferris wheel was a fabulous restaurant where devoured a mound of sea food. This lunch required a bib and a mallet. Two kinds of crab legs, corn, shrimp, oysters, muscles, and sausage.

Before: 

After: 

Apparently, I have a “thing” for ferris wheels because it seems that anytime there is a ferris wheel at an HPC destination... I’m on it. 

This ferris wheel is the largest observational wheel on the west coast and it looks over Elliott Bay. It measures up to 175 feet tall and can hold over 300 passengers at a time!

The 175 foot ferris wheel seems very small compared to Seattle’s number one attraction, the Space Needle. The Space Needle stands 605 feet tall. Want to get a 360 degree view of Seattle? From the Space Needle’s observation deck you can do so from 520 feet up in the air! 

If you want to be more grounded during your stay in Seattle, then I highly recommend checking out Pike Place Market. Its so lively and there is a lot of fresh produce, fresh seafood, and miscellaneous trinkets to buy.

Last, but most certainly not least, I visited the original Starbucks!!! Being an avid Starbucks goer, this was a must see. Technically, the original Starbucks burnt down in a fire, so this store is the one they built after the fire. However, its still exciting to see! The line was out the door, the coffee tasted the same as it does at any other Starbucks, but the experience was worth it!