Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day #3 “Cold? Are You Kidding Me?”

by reissmd, posted in Stockholm, Sweden

Today was our first real day of touring.  We met our group promptly at 8:30 AM and were on our way to take a bus/walking tour of the city.  Walking from the hotel to the bus was only a distance of about 100 feet, but it was one of the longest walks of my life.  I couldn’t believe how cold it was.  The thermometer registered 6° C which converts to 43° F.  Plus it was windy which made it feel much colder.  Just to add a little spice there was a slight drizzle.  I admit it, I am from Southern California and they build us weak there, but this was even difficult for the sturdy.  Well maybe not.  We have a couple of ringers here.  Matt and his wife, Jayme, are from Iowa (via Wisconsin and Minnesota respectfully) so they don’t count.  Here is a picture of Matt and me.  

Can you tell which one of these men is from California?

The city tour was okay.  But traveling around a town in a bus hearing a bunch of facts is not really my thing.  We did make some stops that were of interest.  We visited the City Hall which was very impressive.  Inside, the building demonstrated real warmth.  No not the architecture, the temperature.  it was very warm and I didn’t want to leave.  Our guide, Monica, showed us the Blue Room which for some reason is not blue but actually red. 

Patrice and me in the “Blue Room” in the Stockholm City Hall. Hey, if you had to live in this weather things would look and feel blue to you too.

Above the Blue Room is the Golden Hall.  This was very beautiful and supposedly composed of 18 million pieces of gold mosaics.  I was counting to confirm but our guide said we didn’t have time for me to finish my count.  Really?  What was all that verbiage about tailoring the trip to meet the client’s needs?  

I got to about 150 on my count to confirm there were 18,000,000 golden pieces and I was stopped. Can you believe that?

Use the link below to see a panoramic view of the Golden Hall. Just ignore the narrator who at first calls it the City Council then corrects himself.

https://youtube.com/shorts/ubtwB24rEqk

Here is one more picture of the wall. Notice the depiction of the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower.

I can’t confirm this but I was told that Trump has asked that the Swedish government arrange that the Statue of Liberty (93 meters tall) appear bigger than the Eiffel Tower (303 meters tall). I was also told that if this does not happen a tariff on Swedish meatballs will follow.

After our visit to the City Hall was completed we did some more walking around the town. And then I saw an unbelievable sight.

Yes, Matt put on a jacket!  And his wife was wearing gloves!

What I didn’t tell you about the above picture is that I took it while I was standing in a shop.  I have no idea what they were selling. I only know it was incredibly warm. 

Now we are off to dinner and a museum visit.  I will tell you about that tomorrow. 

Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day 2. “I Need Some Sleep”

by reissmd, posted in Stockholm, Sweden

Today was a disaster but I only have myself to blame. Much of yesterday we had a lot of snacks throughout the day….. I mean throughout the night. When we were in Copenhagen waiting for our flight I should have eaten something but I didn’t. When we arrived in Stockholm all I wanted to do was get some sleep. Since my body is still on LA time I awoke at about 2 AM extremely hungry. My body was craving lunch or an early dinner but my surroundings said everyone is in bed and you should be too. I remember reading that the hotel restaurant (yes, Restaurant Reiss) opened at 6 AM so I toughed it out until then. Patrice was asleep so I quietly exited the room and headed downstairs only be told that the buffet opened at 6:30. It was difficult but worth the wait. I was well satiated and returned to our room. Sorry, I was too hungry to think about pictures.

Except for this picture. How could I pass up Restaurant Reiss?

After letting my food partly traverse my digestive track I then returned to bed. Less hungry I was able to get some sleep. Patrice being a much better sleeper than me headed to the Royal Palace. She sent me this picture from outside the hotel.

Sorry, I can’t tell you anymore than they are men on horses who look like they might be police.

Feeling more rested I joined our group for a chance to meet the other travelers on the tour. There are a total of 24 people on the tour, 8 men and 16 women. That is a ratio I liked when I was in my 20s. At 75, who cares!

The tour took us to the Vasa Museet (museum). This is a structure built to house a 64 gun war ship that took its maiden voyage in 1628. The Swedish ship sailed for 25 minutes. Yes, the ship was unstable, too heavy, and sank shortly after it left port. Actually it never got out of port. I am used to seeing displays honoring great accomplishments. Maybe you have gone to the Smithsonian and seen Charles Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis” or Chuck Yeagar’s “Glamorous Glennis” (in which he broke the sound barrier). But a museum to honor a ship that was a total failure? The ship might not have been seaworthy but it was and still is quite beautiful.

Ornate sculpture on the side of the ship. Not bad for something that is about 400 years old and spent about 340 years underwater.
Rear of the ship is also a true work of art.

We then headed to dinner at Villa Godthem (Rosendalsvägen 9, 115 21 Stockholm). The food was very good. Lobster soup followed by Swedish Meatballs, and Chocolate Mousse cake.

Apparently they forgot the soup part of my serving.
Swedish Meatballs. The red glob was a portion of lingonberries (in the same family as blueberries and cranberries). I was told Swedes love them. Maybe I am part Swedish?

I am now in a place I have been looking forward to visiting all day. Yes, I am in bed.

Goodnight all. Or good afternoon to you.

Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day 1. “That Was a Long Day!”

by reissmd, posted in Stockholm, Sweden

Well seems like it was just last month that I was blogging about our trip to New Orleans for the ACP meeting.  Actually it was last month.  Today, actually last night, we left for a trip to Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.  Neither of us have ever been to these countries so it should be an interesting adventure.  We are once again using Tauck tours.  I remembered my mother talking about enjoying the Tauck vacations so we gave them a try last year when we travelled to Croatia.  That was a fun trip so we are giving them another chance.  I know some of my friends prefer to set up their own vacations so they can dictate the itinerary but that can be so much work and sometimes quite expensive.  Last year we investigated a private tour of Scandinavia and a two week trip was going to cost us an unspeakable amount of money.  I didn’t even bother to reply to the agent.  When the travel company followed up I told them they misunderstood my request, I wanted to visit Scandinavia, I didn’t want to buy it.  They offered to alter the tour to make it more affordable but we thought going to Croatia with Tauck was a better decision. 

The flight from LAX last night took us first to Copenhagen.  Our friend, Mike, was kind enough to give us a ride to LAX.  It was very fortuitous because he is quite strong and I don’t think I could have lifted our luggage into a cab.  The flight to Copenhagen was uneventful except for a brief period of severe turbulence.  Of course I was in the bathroom when it started making for an interesting excursion.  That being said the flight and service was quite good.  I guess these days if a door or window from the plane doesn’t come off and you don’t hit a helicopter when coming in for a landing it has been a good trip.  The crew of the SAS flight were very good.  I found out that SAS (Scandinavia Airline System) hires attendants from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.  The crew members all speak English but talk to each other in their native tongue.  The languages are similar enough for our Swedish flight attendant to understand her Danish co-worker even though they are speaking 2 different languages.  Apparently not that different.  

In Copenhagen we had a 3 hour layover until departing for Stockholm. Patrice occupied herself by reading her book, checking emails and Facebook, and ignoring my whining.  

The flight from Copenhagen to Stockholm was also uneventful (I am very happy to report) and we were met at Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) by our driver Sven (I made that up since I didn’t hear him say his name).  He quickly took Patrice’s luggage and carrier, leaving me to fend for myself.  

Sven or Bjorn, or whatever his name, putting Patrice’s luggage in the car while good old what’s his name brings up the rear.

We made it to the hotel and I am now chilling in our room. I need some sleep.  Our trip starts tomorrow. Something about his hotel makes me feel at home. See below.

Bar and Restaurant Reiss. How perfect of a start.

See you tomorrow, if I wake up.

ACP in NOLA Day#7 “Going Home: Travel Tips, Funny Photos, and One More Dessert for Eric”

by reissmd, posted in New Orleans, New Orleans (NOLA), Uncategorized

We head home today but our flight scheduled for 6:40 pm has been delayed twice (current departure time is 8:53 pm) so we have time to do some more sightseeing. Last night we had an incredible dinner at the Pelican Club (312 Exchange Pl, New Orleans, LA 70130). It was recommended by her friend, Ellen. Patrice had the Cioppino and I had the Red Fish. This trip I learned that I love Red Fish (aka Drum).

This morning we trekked to the French Quarter to have Beignets and Cafe Au Lait at Cafe Du Monde, a New Orleans tradition. We could have gone to their satelite outlet at a nearby mall but that would not have been the same.

How can you go to a recent add-on when there is so much tradition with this place.

After that we walked back to the hotel during a light mist of rain. Before I forget here are some travel tips for NOLA that might help you in other areas.

As previously stated don’t trust the taxi drivers in NOLA except for trips to and from the airport. Walking is a great option but bring an umbrella and jacket no matter how warm it is. It can get very cold very quick here. Next is a great tip from my son, David. Pack this incredible backpack. It has tons of pockets for all sorts of goodies (I used it in the conference to bring my laptop, phone charger, ear phones, glasses, etc.) Also as you can see it folds up to a very. tiny size that is very easy to stuff in your luggage.

Backpack ready to be filled.
This is what it looked like when I slipped it into my luggage.

Also, don’t look like a tourist. See below.

What? Does wearing a hat that says Portofino, holding a city map, and a cup from Cafe Du Monde look suspicious?

Now for some photos that I found interesting. Some need no explanation, some need a few words, and some are beyond my comprehension.

Southwest now has these huge overhead compartments which are very convenient for storage but very hard on the head. I banged mine getting into my seat and on my way out. Hopefully I will remember and not do it on the return flight.
I saw this sign upon arriving in New Orleans. I had to investigate the Pet Relief area.
I found this room, equipped with fire hydrant. It also had a sink in case your pet wanted to wash its hands. I mean paws.
This speaks for itself.
Love this slide of a doctor counseling a patient about colon cancer screening. Check out the doctor’s left hand.
Patrice and me posing at the ACP sign.
For those of you who didn’t believe my story of the song “Father and Daughter” here is a list of the final songs slated to be played. By the way, I am not crying now. [Patrice here: Yes he is.]
Even the police sell souvenirs.
Of course I had to buy Patrice something as a souvenir of the trip.

But she opted for this instead.

And finally in honor of Eric.

Carrot Sticky Toffee Cake with Cream Cheese Ice Cream from Peche (where we had lunch today).

That’s all for this trip. Speak to you in May when we go to ………………

ACP in NOLA Day #6 “Paul Simon, etc.”

by reissmd, posted in New Orleans, New Orleans (NOLA)

Last night was very special.  We took an Uber to the Saenger Theater.  By the way don’t take a cab here unless it’s from the airport where the fee to and from the city is a fixed rate.  We’ve taken 3 cab rides here and not one taxi had a meter.  It’s as if they make up the charge on arrival (With the exception of the airport rides).  For instance last night we took an Uber to the theater and paid $10.  Yesterday we took a cab to the same place to buy the tickets and the charge was $20. 

Oh well, let’s concentrate on the happy thoughts.  The show was at the Saenger theatre which was built in 1927.  It has housed performances by Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Seinfeld and many others.  Broadway shows have also been featured including Chicago, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, and next week Hamilton.  The theater is gorgeous. Before the show we had a chance to tour around this beautiful theater.  We met an usher who had been on the job for only 2 days but was born and raised in New Orleans and it was obvious that the theater had been a big part of his life. He filled us in on the history of the theatre and gave us a list of the songs and the order in which they were going to be played.

Look like we are having fun?
A variety of statues adorn the walls. There is a night sky decoration on the ceiling.

Simon came onstage at 8:15 for a show that was scheduled to start at 8.  I was disappointed looking at the song list because “Father and Daughter” was not included.   Although not his most famous song it has been special to me since I made two music videos using the song. Each honored one of my daughters Lindsay and Erica (I also made one for David using “Let’s Hear It For the Boy”. A better choice for obvious reasons).  Simon finished the show and then came back for his encore with the songs listed as “The Boxer” and “The Sounds of Silence”.  He started to talk about his daughter Lulu and then much to my surprise he started playing “Father and Daughter”.  By the time he got to the last line (“There could never be a father who loved his daughter more than I love you”) I was in tears. [Patrice here: The big baby was in tears just writing this sentence.]

It was a special night but the 83 year old soon to be 84 didn’t quite sound the same as years ago.

This morning I started off thinking it was time to hit the gym and get on the treadmill. I kept procrastinating until Patrice woke up and said “Let’s go to breakfast”. We took an Uber to Who Dat Coffee Cafe (2401 Burgundy St, New Orleans, LA 70117) which was recommended by our friends Alan and Becky. We shared the special of the day Oysters Benedict.  I said to the server that it sounded very healthy to which he replied “They don’t call us the heart attack capital of the world for nothing.”  

Oysters Benedict with Grits instead of fruit (Why try to be healthy?).
Your happy travelers in front of Who Dat Coffee Cafe.

After breakfast we took a short walk to the nearby Jamnola museum. Jamnola stands for Joy Art Music New Orleans Louisiana.  It was a small but fun museum with lots of creative exhibits. 

I thought we were in an M.C.Escher painting.
We offered an alligator some tasty Californians.

We thought we would then cruise the neighborhood but heavy rain with thunder and lightning convinced us to just chill in the museum a little longer.  

Crawfish (also spelled Crayfish) making Robert Etouffee
He changed his mind and we played a duet instead.
Patrice showing off her muscles.

They had a number of costumes and accessories that people have worn at Mardi Gras celebrations including the outfit below.

A guide was asked if it weighed about 100 lbs to which she say, “No, somewhere between 95 and 105”.

Then it was off to lunch. It was still raining quite hard so a walk to burn off some calories was not going to work so another Uber ride was upon us. We decided to return to Muriel’s for another amazing meal.

Crawfish and goat cheese crepes.
Blackened Redfish with some broccolini (added to make you think you are eating healthy).

I think Muriel’s might be our NOLA favorite. 

Sorry, I need to stop for now. My book group meeting is about to start. Dinner will be late so I will leave you until tomorrow.

Ciao

ACP in NOLA Day #4 “Bad News, Good News, and Great News”

by reissmd, posted in New Orleans, New Orleans (NOLA)

This morning I planned on attending a 7 AM lecture for the 3rd day in a row.  I awoke at about 4 AM and decided rather than playing Duolingo, Wordle, and checking emails I would close my eyes for one more second.  When I next opened them it was 6:58 AM.   At that point it was unlikely that I would make it to the 7:00 AM lecture so I just closed my eyes again and smiled.  What a wonderful feeling it is to get a good night’s sleep.  I finally got my act together and made it to the 8:00 AM lecture and those that followed.  Today was a good day in which I learned all sorts of great tips that will help my patients and me. 

Mid day we met for a quick lunch at the nearby Mulate’s (201 Julia St, New Orleans, LA 70130) so I could get back to the conference.  The main courses were okay but the highlight was the dessert.  So here at the request of Eric is a photo of a dessert: beignets filled with Nutella. 

Worth every calorie.

The highlight of the meeting occurred today when Patrice and I saw a UCLA Health VIP. Yes, Janet, one of the high level doctors at UCLA Health was at the conference. We chatted briefly then Janet told Patrice that I was a UCLA superstar.  How could I not love that? 

That’s all good news but I’m sure you are asking “What is the great news?”  Turns out that one of my sister’s high school classmates is in town and we will be seeing him tonight.  Many years ago I recall looking through my sister’s high school annual.  I was curious to see what she looked like when she was 18.  I wondered if she looked anything like what I remembered.  After finding her I looked at the other students.  Suddenly I stopped and yelled out, “ANNETTE, YOU WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH SIMON AND GARFUNKEL?”.  As I recall she said, “Who?”.  So tonight we will be seeing Paul Simon perform. Much to my amazement we could buy excellent seats at a very affordable price.  We looked online and saw that balcony seats for his performance in Los Angeles cost far more than we paid for seats in the orchestra section for tonight’s performance. 

Yes, Paul Simon in New Orleans.

Home now.  Too tired to write more. I’ll tell you all about the concert tomorrow. 

ACP in NOLA Day#3 “Who is Having More Fun?”

by reissmd, posted in New Orleans, New Orleans (NOLA)

This morning I headed out to the ACP meeting trying to get to a 7:00 AM talk. Yes, 7:00 AM! Don’t these people realize that some attendees are coming from California? I did my best not to disturb Patrice while leaving at that absurd time of the morning. After a quick breakfast I made it to the meeting where the speaker was discussing wound healing. I had no idea the extent of the pictures that were to follow. After seeing some tasty bed sores and limbs that looked like they were destined to be amputated, my breakfast started to revisit me. Luckily it stayed where I had placed it rather than returning to my mouth.

The morning went well, as did the afternoon. While I was trying to get smart, Patrice was again exploring the city. She went to the Audubon Aquarium (I thought Audubon was into birds?) which is not too far from the hotel and said she was thinking of me. Then she sent me this picture (see below)

Thinking of me? What is she trying to tell me?

One of my concerns for this vacation was that I would not get any time to exercise. We are staying at a hotel that is across the street from the convention center and with so many interesting talks how would I get any time to work out? It turns out that the New Orleans convention center might be one of the longest ones in the world (1 kilometer according to Wikipedia). Even though we are across the street, the meetings are at the opposite end. On Wednesday my pedometer read 14,243 steps. Today it was at 6,477 by noon. The set up here is kind of crazy. It is not unsual to have about 500+ steps between lectures. And when you get disoriented about the lecture room location (which is easy to do) you can add on another 500 steps.

After the conference we decided to head out for dinner. First I thought I would see how the outside world was doing and I found this. See below.

Hmmm, this blog is suppose to be fun and games.

After seeing that my appetite became curbed a bit. I thought for a moment and I asked myself, do you think Patrice would accept McDonalds instead of another fancy NOLA restaurant? That would be a NO!

Dinner was at an Italian restaurant named Domenica (123 Baronne St, New Orleans, LA 70112). It is located inside the Roosevelt Hotel and was recommended by a friend of Patrice. The food and service were superb. See below.

Patrice had the fish of the day, Red Snapper.
I had the crawfish pizza. It was excellent but Patrice’s fish was much better.
We shared the Brussels Sprouts.

As I said the restaurant is located in the Roosevelt Hotel. The hotel looked very elegant. It opened in 1893 when it was called The Grunewald Hotel”. In 1923 it was renamed in honor of former President Teddy Roosevelt. I was told that Huey Long often frequented the place. We checked out the lobby and saw this painting. See below.

Patrice said it reminded her of us. I didn’t understand then I looked a little closer.
Now I understand.

I have to get some work done now because before you know it, I will need to hustle down the street to the conference.

Ciao

ACP in NOLA Day #2 “More Food”

by reissmd, posted in New Orleans, New Orleans (NOLA)

Today I started the ACP conference and Patrice toured the city.  She definitely got the best of the deal.  For example I started my day with a talk about pains in the butt.  That was my highlight.  In all sincerity the talk was very informative and gave me some tips that will help me assist my patients.  I hesitated writing that knowing that someone will make some butt jokes at my expense.  Go ahead I can take it.  The rest of the talks were just okay. Patrice on the other hand took a city tour.  Here is the one picture she sent me.

Caesar’s Palace Casino? Do I need to keep a closer eye on this woman?

The afternoon lectures were okay but none were as good as the 7:00 AM Butt lecture. In addition to going to the didactic sessions we have time to go to the the exhibit hall where all sorts of companies are looking to sell their products to doctors. There are electronic medical records companies, drug companies, and a variety of companies looking to hire doctors. I stopped at one of the booths to talk to a recruiter. I cut to the chase, “Would you consider hiring a doctor of my age?” The rep enthusiatically said, “Yes, yes!”. So we had a conversation and I think we might have a deal. I really liked the look of their booth. What do you think?

I later asked if they knew who their oldest primary care physician was at UCLA. They did not, so I told him it was me.

In addition to looking for a job I was availed some health food in the Exhibit Hall. After all this is the meeting for the nation’s elite internal medicine specialists, of course we eat healthy.

Delicious brownines. Not up to Patrice’s quality. But how would I know, did I eat one? No, I ate two.
Hmmm, maybe this is why I’m so thirsty.

That’s enough about food. Well maybe not.

Tonight’s dinner was at GW Fins (808 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112). It was recommended by my friend Andy, who said he had the best meal of his life there. Andy is from Fresno. Should I have been worried?

The restaurant is in the French Quarter and they had a modest dress code (men required to wear collared shirts). They started us off with biscuits. They looked very plan but beleive me they were anything but.

Very tasty biscuits.

Patrice and I both ordered the Scalibut.  Seems like this day started with a lecture about butts and ended with us eating two. The Scalibut dish was Shrimp, scallops, halibut, and risotto.  Also with a few peas to fool you into to thinking you’re eating healthy.

This was amazing and gone in a flash.

I don’t know about you “butt” I’m exhausted. Talk to you tomorrow.

ACP Meeting in NOLA Day #1 “On the Road Again”

by reissmd, posted in New Orleans, New Orleans (NOLA), Uncategorized

We are off.  After a relatively long hiatus we are traveling again.  I must admit it has been quite gratifying to hear from numerous people “When will you be traveling?  I miss your blog.”   Well that day has come.  At my previous job, I was only working 1 day per week and had 8 weeks of vacation.  My current job with UCLA is a bit more restrictive so other than a couple of weekend trips to visit the grandsons we have stayed at home a fair amount of the time. I recently found out that I’m allotted educational leave that doesn’t count against vacation.  When I realized that the American College of Physicians meeting was in New Orleans this year I had to go.  Patrice agreed without hesitation since some of our best meals on trips have been in NOLA.  Some of our friends heard about our plans and said they look forward to hearing about the trip when we get back.  I told them, I’d send them an email everyday instead.  Just check out REISSTRAVELBLOG.COM 

As usual the trip to the airport was a breeze. We use the Ride Yellow app for trips to LAX. The Yellow cab drivers almost always arrive early (as opposed to Uber drivers who seem to have trouble finding our house).  They don’t charge you extra for reserving the taxi in advance. They also know how to get to the airport.  The charge is quite reasonable so I suggest you use them. 

The flight to NOLA was uneventful except for some occasional mild turbulence.  I have to admit I was a little unnerved when I saw this. 

737 MAX? Yikes!!!

In spite of being on one of the most dangerous planes in the sky at least we weren’t going to one of the most dangerous airports. That being Reagan in DC. And I am not talking about the air traffic issues in DC. Oh well, we landed safely in NOLA, got our bags and headed to the hotel. 

People have expressed concern about my blogging.  “Aren’t you worried that someone will rob your house knowing that you are out of town?”   Not at all, I tell them.  The reason is that we have Bruce and his pet dog, “Daisy”, house sitting for us. 

Here is a picture of Bruce.

And here is a picture of his sweet dog, Daisy.

Isn’t Daisy a dear?

Tonight’s dinner was at Muriel’s (801 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70116).  We’ve eaten there twice before and tonight was just as wonderful as we remembered.  They had a wonderful offer that we took advantage of. You could choose an appetizer, main course and dessert for $55. The meal was amazing. I don’t think we could recreate the food we had for twice that cost in Los Angeles. Just take a look at our choices.

My appetizer was the wedge salad. It was perfect.
Patrice had the Tasso Carbonara. She thought it was great.
My main course was Shrimp and Grits.

I have a rule never have Shrimp and Grits north of the Mason Dixon line. Well we are south right now, and this meal did not disappoint me. The only thing I thought was odd was that there were only 5 shrimp. Don’t they usually serve 6 shrimp with an entree?

[Patrice here. Don’t say anything but as you can see in the picture there were 6 shrimp. Someone grabbed one when Robert was busy using his phone. Serves him right.]

Patrice’s entree was the Pecan Crusted Drum.

I never had heard of a fish called a Drum. I Googled it and found out that Drum are members of the Sciaenidae family. Sorry but that did not help me at all.

Bread pudding for dessert. Patrice’s favorite. Almost as good as Massa in Los Angeles.
I had the Crème brûlée 

The crème brûlée was delicious. It was just as good as the crème brûlée that I make and a lot better than my friend, Gary’s. By the way, as a doctor I am a bit embarrassed to promote and make crème brûlée. After all it has to be one of the most unhealthy desserts ever made. It has sugar, heavy cream, vanilla (that’s not bad), and egg yolks. The healthiest part of the egg (the white, which has all the protein) is discarded. Very unhealthy but oooohhhhh soooo good.

After all that food, I am exhausted. Talk to you tomorrow. 

Happy Birthday To You Day #3 “It Was Worth the Wait”

by reissmd, posted in Blue Diamond, Nevada, Las Vegas

OH MY GOD, doesn’t do it justice. The Sphere was spectacular!  From the moment we entered we were impressed.  We found our seats with no difficulty entering the area directly (after a long walk) from the Venetian Hotel lobby.  We got to our seats and we were treated to a series of hit songs with superb acoustics.  The arena was illuminated with a graphic paying tribute to the Eagles with a collage of Los Angeles landmarks (in honor of the band being from LA).   Check out the video below to see the scene and two patrons waiting for the show.

The Eagles came on stage (no warm up act) and we were treated to 2 hours of their hit songs and a series of graphics that almost upstaged the stars.   I have a great video of Glen Frey’s son, Deacon, singing “Peaceful Easy Feeling” but copyright laws won’t let me post it. Sorry.

The Sphere has 18,600 seats and can hold 20,000 with standing room expansion.  The only thing that would be a concern would be exiting in case of an emergency.  Leaving the arena was awful. Thankfully there wasn’t a tragedy and we are alive and well 

After the concert ended. Do we look like we had a good time?

Telling you about the concert and the venue was supposed be the end of my entries for this trip but Sunday morning we had a special activity that I have to share.  A friend of ours, Milton, has relocated to Las Vegas and we planned to connect for a brief visit. 

Milton picked us up at the hotel and drove us out of the Strip area and filled us with all sorts of interesting “facts” about Vegas.  As Milton put it “I’m going to tell all sorts of interesting information about Las Vegas and you can decide later which of it is true.”   This made him sound typical of one of my blog followers (and like me too for that matter).  In addition to showing us a number of local communities (including his beautiful home) he took us by Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.  We didn’t enter this region but what we could see from the highway was beautiful. Looks like it is definitely a site worth visiting.  We had a lovely breakfast at Cottonwood Station in Blue Diamond, Nevada (14 Cottonwood Drive; Blue Diamond, NV). The food was delicious and the prices reasonable.  Service was friendly but interesting.  If I’m not mistaken they brought out each drink and meal one trip at a time.  Luckily they brought my meal last since (although I’m not proud of this) I’m a very fast eater.  Speaking of fast Milton told us something I had not known. He was the state high school champion in the 100 yard dash. I didn’t want to brag but I have a 100 yard dash honor myself. I still hold the Dorsey High School record for the SLOWEST 100 yards ever run. With the 100 meter dash having replaced the 100 yard dash, I most likely will hold the record for eternity. After a quick picture and a goodbye it was time to check out from the hotel and head for home. 

Milton, Patrice and me. That is Milton on the left

Well that is the end of this trip. I know I usually end with fun photos but forgive me this time since this was short, sweet, and all about giving Patrice a pleasant birthday. I did think about you at one point. Our room was number 5121. All the odd numbered rooms were on one side with the even numbered rooms on the opposite side. On our way to our room we passed 5111, 5115, and 5117. That’s correct, no 5113. Room number 13 in Las Vegas? ………………… NO WAY!

Ciao