Lake Mead and The Valley of Fire

In March, Dan and I went on our first Jeep adventure in Nevada. We spent the day driving around Lake Mead and The Valley of Fire. The landscape was absolutely gorgeous and I can't believe in all of my vacations to Vegas, that I had never ventured off of the strip to visit either of these places. 

We didn't quite know what to expect, but we paid our daily fee at the Lake Mead rangers station and drove into the park. There was plenty of sunshine, but it was a crisp, winter day.

Just before reaching The Valley of Fire, we took a detour to see Lake Mead. The water level was low and the boat launch area had a defunct hotel. It looked like it once was a thriving resort. The area was practically deserted and we only saw one other couple taking pictures. The water was a beautiful blue and crystal clear. Next time, we hope to see a more active part of the lake and to maybe rent a boat.

My pictures can't do it justice, but The Valley of Fire was a stunning explosion of red and orange rock formations. We visited in the late afternoon, when the setting sun made the rocks look even more dramatic with intense shadows and warm light. 

We entered The Valley of Fire from the unattended side. There was an honor system daily permit box, where you got a little slip to retain for your records, but basically wrote down your license number, stuck ten dollars in an envelop and dropped it into a locked box. A lot of people were decided to take their chances and not paying. In case you were wondering, they do check. The whole area is crawling with park rangers and there is a manned booth on the opposite end. Even if you think that you might get away with it, just pay the fee. It goes to supporting an amazing National Park and our parks need the funds!

We encounter a bit of excitement as we were leaving the valley. We noticed a couple of tourists had tried to go off-roading in their rental car and they got stuck in the sand. Bad idea. Dan got to use our Jeep's winch for the first time. He was happy to rescue them, but probably even happier to test out the winch!

I even recorded the action.

The Valley of Fire and Lake Mead should be added to your must-do list for your next trip to the Las Vegas area. It's magnificent.

Here are some last shots as we headed down an empty road and back to the strip.

Hotel Review - Rio Las Vegas

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity for a very last-minute weekend trip to Vegas. Since we already had a "break-the-bank" Vegas trip coming up, we needed to keep the costs down. Neither of us had stayed at Rio and since I'm on a mission to stay at most of the Vegas hotels, it was an easy choice. I say most, because there is no way that I'll ever stay at Circus Circus. Never!!!!

 Rio had a lot going for it. The price was good, around a hundred a night for the weekend. We had a basic room and it was massive. There was almost too much space for what little furniture it contained. This was for the cheapest room. I was impressed.  I liked that even the bathroom was large, with plenty of room for all of my grooming items. The bed was was comfortable too. I was very happy with our room.

We had a great view of the pool complex and the Vegas strip. Check out the new Ferris Wheel!

The pool area was really nice. It was absolutely packed when we arrived, but an attendant helped us find two lounge chairs together. I was very impressed with all of the staff at Rio. Everyone was very friendly and I felt like they genuinely valued our business. This went a long way to making a good impression.

A negative was the hotel seemed short staffed. We arrived very late at night on a Friday, when check-in was no longer busy, yet it took over an hour to get our luggage delivered to our room. The bell attendant blamed the sluggish central dispatch system.The valet was impossibly slow, even when it wasn't busy. We waited about forty-five minutes to get our car on a Saturday afternoon. The staff all seem to be scrambling to get everything done, I just don't think that there were enough people working.

We tried several of the restaurants at Rio. The World Carnival Buffet was a very pleasant surprise. It was nearly as good as the buffets at some of the high end hotels, yet for a fraction of the cost. We went for lunch, which included bottomless mimosas. Score! The food was fresh and there was an overwhelming amount of choices. I was in heaven with the shrimp and the crab legs.

For a late night meal, we had burgers at the All-American Bar and Grille. Again, very good food at a reasonable price. I only wish that Rio had more after-hours dining options. 

Heavily advertised throughout the property is the Hash House A Go Go. We waited in long line to try this midwestern themed brunch restaurant. The food was very good, but a bit over-priced. I really enjoyed my pineapple mimosa. As a pineapple fan, this was far better than the traditional orange juice mimosa! We split an omelette and french toast with pecans. Yummy.

The best restaurant was the Royal Indian Bistro, where we are about 99.9% sure that Zack Galifianakis was sitting a few tables over from us. I absolutely loved the tandoori chicken on skewers. The chicken biriyani was equally amazing, but the spiciest thing that I've ever eaten. We ordered it to be medium spicy and I couldn't feel my tongue! 

It's an older hotel and not directly on the strip, but overall, I enjoyed my stay at Rio and I wouldn't hesitate to return. It offers a lot for your money.

Big Bear Dining

We tried several new-to-us restaurants on our winter trips to Big Bear Lake. The food and service, was so good, that I wanted to share it with y'all ( We didn't have biscuits, the y'all just felt right).

If you've been following my blog, then you know that one of our favorite places is the Le Dolce Vita Tasting Room. It's simply the most fun place in town. There is always a great crowd, live music and the owners are very chatty. The only problem is we could easily spend our entire trip parked at the bar and never do anything else. We visited on the weekends just before Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day, so note the decor. The cheese plate was the best I've ever eaten, so much variety.

We were excited to go back to the Grizzly Manor Cafe for breakfast, but the line was out the door. We drove through the city and stopped at the Grind & Grill Cafe. It's not as unique as Grizzly Manor, but the Grind & Grill is strong competition when it comes to the best pancakes and waffles on the lake. Plus, they use local coffee mugs, which I love.

One of biggest dining surprises was the Evergreen, a fine dining restaurant that is nestled up on a hillside and offers the best views of the lake. I should clarify the fine dining. Big Bear has restaurants that serve amazing meals, but even the nicest places have a woodsy/casual vibe. Don't let this deter you or make you think that the food is somehow less with regard to quality. Our meal at the Evergreen rivals some fabulous meals that I've eaten in big city/ celebrity chef restaurants.

What's more, is the hospitality was stellar. We arrived early, not realizing that the restaurant wouldn't be open for another half an hour. The owner of the Evergreen saw us out front and opened early for us. She escorted us to the best table in the house and got us started with champagne and appetizers, as we waited for her staff to arrive.

Dan and I had their Beef Wellington for two, which was scrumptious. The meat was so tender and had zero gristle. The thing to order is the scallop appetizer. Wow. I've never eaten better scallops. Evergreen goes out of their way with presentation and decorative plating. 

The best thing at Evergreen was a moment where I relived my childhood. This is the same ship painting that my mom had hanging in our living room for my entire childhood. Isn't it dreadful?!?!

Sometimes a big, greasy breakfast is not what you want. In Moonridge, just off the main road that runs through Big Bear, we found the Moonridge Coffee Company. This independent coffee shop was super cozy and the antithesis to Starbucks. We had made-to-order breakfast sandwiches and lattes while perusing the local newspaper.

Big Bear has a Himalayan Restaurant, lacking imagination, it's actually called the Himalayan Restaurant. I ordered the chicken sekuwa, which is a chicken that is baked in a clay oven and served with onions and assorted vegetables. It's hard to describe exactly how it's seasoned, as the spices are completely foreign to me. I've ordered this dish at Tara's Himalayan Cuisine in Los Angeles and the taste is very similar. Whatever it's seasoned with, it's delicious. I try to sop up all of the spices with some naan, just to savor it. Excuse the single, not so great photo. We were too busy chowing-down to take pictures!

Finally, if you love your pizza drowning in toppings, then Neo's Pizza House is the place for you. Neo's isn't technically in Big Bear, but it's close. It's located in the town of Running Springs, just a short drive from Big Bear Lake. I've never seen so many toppings on a pizza. Never. The price was so low that we left an extra big tip because we felt like we were robbing them. This is good stuff!

I'm convinced that Big Bear is a town for foodies. Take a weekend trip and bring your appetite!