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| Desert Botanical Garden |
This is a cool place in the desert, I think it was once a girls school. It is very charming in adobe architecture and on a good bit of acreage, which feels like an oasis in this urban setting. There were fireplaces roaring, both inside and out. This felt great on this pretty cool evening. (Well, pretty cool by Arizona standards!) This was a warm and friendly place, unpretentious, with good food and drink. Our niece (and cousin to Joey and Amanda) Tina Gallo drove in from San Diego and was able to join Ed, me, Amanda and Joey. We had such a good time!
This is the view leaving Phoenix yesterday, we could see snow in the high country of Arizona. This is somewhere north of Phoenix, near Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. It really was a beautiful view, I'm so glad I had a window seat.
Arriving in Houston, just in time to catch sunset at the airport. The beauty was gone by the time I got off the plane.
Does this look like fun to anyone?
It was neat to see this place. The point is (or was originally) a livable, walkable neighborhood. This appeared to be a mostly deserted place, few ordinary people seen living in these pretty houses. Looks like vacation dwellings for rich people. Quiet, few cars in the actual neighborhood. Stores and Post Office walkable. Probably busy in "season". 
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 – Got up at my usual time, 5:30AM. Showered, went to breakfast with Ed before he begins this week of meetings and conference work. Nice breakfast, oatmeal with dried cherries. We see a lot of old friends from the VA, there are 750 people here from the VA. Mostly those that work with Ed, but I know quite a few of them. He leaves for the meetings and I go check out the walking trail. It is nice, goes around the parking lot and parking building, under the Monorail tracks. I walk the trail. Surface is nice, I think it must be coated with rubber, it feels good under my feet. The sun is up but it is not yet too hot.
Today I have a mission though. I haven’t mentioned to anyone, but I’m going to find a local Weight Watchers meeting. I have researched it and know the address and have a map. So, I set off to find it.
I’m starting on the Monorail, so I take it to the end of the line. I know the major cross street I need is near this station. However, when I get off the Monorail, I find the exits to the street are marked “Emergency Only, Alarm will Sound.” Apparently, they want people to go out through the casino, which is very long walking. I know my stamina is limited, so I find a real person and beg to be allowed out through the door. The woman is very nice to me, and opens one of the doors, releasing me to the street. It is quiet, not quite 8:00AM, so I feel quite safe. However, the street is 6 lanes wide and confusing, I do not see the bus stop. I thought I would catch the city bus #201 and go a couple miles down this street. There is a lot of traffic with people going to work, I suppose. I see a large taxi line at the MGM Hotel, so I just go over there. I get a taxi and I give him the address. He starts that direction, but tells me he does not recognize that address, wants to know what it is. I tell him (just a little reluctantly) it is a Weight Watchers Meeting place, that it might be a strip mall or an office building, I do not know what type of building we are looking for. OK, he is fine with that. In minutes he pulls into a strip mall and he has spotted the Weight Watchers office, so I am at the right place. He asks if I would like for him to wait, but I tell him I’m staying for the meeting after I get “weighed in”, so it will be over an hour. He gives me his card and says I can call him later if I need a ride. He is a nice person, an older guy and he speaks English, which is cool for me. But, later, when I come out, I am calmer and I can see the bus stop up the street. I just walk about a half mile up to the stop and then I wait for the #201. The bus comes and the driver is patient as I ask how much and fish for my money. I ride the bus with the locals just past the “Strip” so I can walk down the side of the “Strip” that has the Bellagio. That hotel is beautiful, and I don’t want to miss it.
The Weight Watchers Meeting is fine; I’ve lost 2.8 lbs, which is wonderful! The people are so friendly and the meeting is much more organized than our meeting in Bethesda. The members all talk about their week and give each other tips, and ask questions, it is good. The leader is a nice young woman with a kid at home. She is a good leader, works part time with Weight Watchers.
So, I’m back at the “Strip” and it isn’t even noon yet. I walk into New York New York Hotel and it is fun, lively and filled with people. I just wander around the casino and the shops until I see a Mexican restaurant. I stop there for lunch, and get a seat “outside” on their version of a patio. You aren’t really outside, it just looks like a street scene and looks like a sky high overhead. It’s fun. I order a fish I’ve never heard of before, a Barramundi filet and vegetables. It is really good! I’m delighted and sit there for a while, people watching. I wander on down the “Strip” to the Bellagio. I love this place; it looks Italian and is outrageous. I find the Bellagio Museum which is featuring a Modernist exhibit; I pay the $15 bucks and go in. It is inspiring and beautiful, even though I have not been a great fan of Modernism. The Georgia O’Keefe paintings really make this show great. I leave there and go to the Bellagio shoppes.
I find the Tiffany and Company. A nice guy named Josh waits on me. I spend a lot of time looking, I go through every case they have. After I’ve looked in each display, I tell Josh to show me the earrings I know they have to match that Tiffany ring I bought a while ago. He does, I smile and buy the matching earrings. I’ve now spent all my vacation money! I love the earrings.
I’m getting tired. I told Ed I would meet him about 5pm in the room. I stop in front of Caesars and get an iced tea. I sit outside (real outside this time) where it is 105 degrees and the misters are turned on. Its great people watching. I sit there, probably an hour. I walk the long way to the Monorail Station.
I ride the Monorail back to the Las Vegas Hilton. The Monorail is nice and clean, new, great views as we ride along. Ed isn’t there yet. He comes in at 5:30, our theatre tickets are for a 7:00 curtain time, so we take off for the Palazzo Hotel. We arrive at the showroom in plenty of time, as we take a taxi there. We look around the casino, have a glass of wine and then go into the theatre. The show is “Jersey Boys” and it is about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The singing is fun, although I don’t really remember too much about the Four Seasons. It is a good show. We didn’t have dinner reservations, but after the show it is only about 9:15, so we look around and see a Mario Batali restaurant called B & B. We decide to eat there. This turns out to be a disappointment, as it is very pricey and we don’t really understand the menu. What about… Warm Lamb's Tongue with Chantrelles and a 3Minute Egg $15 …or Lamb’s Brain “Francobolli” with Lemon and Sage $19 … Stinging Nettle Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu $25 …When we finally figure out what we can order, it is good food though. I end up with a salad and a pasta dish. Snobby waiter.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 – Up at 5:30; shower; breakfast with Ed. He goes to work and I start walking the trail. It’s wonderful to be outside again. After the walk, I go take the Monorail. This time I take it Southbound clear to the end and stay on and ride to the other end. There isn’t an agenda today. I feel a little lonely and at loose ends, but Ed has to work, so it cannot be helped.
Today I have decided to ride the Monorail to the Paris Hotel area and try to find what they are referring to as “The Miracle Mile” of shops. The weather is very hot here, but beautiful with unlimited sunshine all the time. I enjoy the weather, in spite of the heat. I carry water and am not afraid to stop when I get too hot. I can always duck into an air conditioned place here. I catch the Monorail to the Paris station stop. I walk up the street to the Miracle Mile site and go in. The shops are not open yet, they do not open until 10AM, so I go into the casino at Paris and find a Starbucks. I get a skinny vanilla latte and a newspaper, find a seat and enjoy the next hour. Afterwards, I walk the whole Miracle Mile, stopping when an interesting shop appears. It is interesting. I don’t buy a thing, but enjoy looking around. There is no Barnes & Noble I notice. I lunch at Mon Ami Gabi at the Paris Hotel. 
I ask to be seated outside, but in the shade. That is good, although when the misters turn on, I get soaked and have to move to a table farther from the actual mister nozzle. I have a great view of the construction across the street. I think it is the largest job site I have ever seen. I count at least a dozen large tower cranes working and countless workers everywhere. Ed tells me later that is a 9.2 Billion dollar job. (It’s called City Center and built by the MGM Grand Hotel.) He says we could retire there, as this will be an all inclusive type development with condos and grocery stores….I don’t think so!
I go to the Caesar’s Forum Shoppes. They are fun to look at and amazing in architecture. I walk until my legs are exhausted. I get back to the hotel via Monorail and early enough for some pool time today. I love it. Ed gets to the room about 5:30, I’m ready for dinner. Dinner tonight is at Emeril’s newest restaurant, Table 10 at the Palazzo. It is beautiful, dark, wood tables with inlaid tops, linen napkins. We have a nice wait staff, a team of 3. They are friendly and fun. The food is awesome, for dessert we have Amaretto poached peaches. They really are divine! I also order a Blue Mountain cappuccino, which turns out to be the best coffee drink I’ve ever had. At $12, Ed thinks it should be really great.
