Category: Travel

MiParacon 2021

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As mentioned in my “MiParacon X” post, I planned to go back to MiParacon in 2020…however, I think we all know how that story goes. So, after a long, two-year wait, I was finally able to return to MiParacon and catch up with a lot of the para-family.

I have said it before and I will say it again, these people are some of the nicest people you will have the pleasure of meeting. Dustin Pari was appropriately placed at the entrance of the main vendor hall. He is a ray of sunshine, so he was the perfect face to greet everyone. It is not surprising that he also gives inspirational lectures across the country and posts motivational videos on YouTube. I worked my way counter-clockwise so the next table I stopped at was the Wraith Chaser table with Mike and Chris. Next in line was Brian Cano. It is always a pleasure to speak with him. He was kind enough to let me interview him for a YouTube show, last year. It was a 7-minute segment but he is so informative and such a fascinating speaker that I had a hard time figuring out what parts to trim to make it fit. Taking up the back right corner of the room was the cast of Ghost Nation. I have known Dave Tango and Steve for quite a few years now. They are great guys but I never seem to get to hang out with them as much as I would like. These conventions are busy! Coming full circle, just adjacent from Dustin, were the Ghost Brothers. I took a picture with them, last time, but I was able to speak with them this year. They are super nice and I hope to see them again. In the hall between the vendor rooms they had a special guest star, Butch Patrick, a.k.a. Eddie Munster. I used to watch The Munsters on Nick at Nite so it was cool getting to meet him. Oh! and I can not forget about the enormous ouija board they had on display!

In the next vendor room over, I caught up with Aaron Sagers. He has an extensive media resume, is the moderator for many impressive celebrity panels at Comic-Cons, and, yet, still has a way of making me feel like I’m just as equally interesting as everyone he has had the chance to meet. For instance, he asked me about a business idea I mentioned to him, previously, and was really motivating me to not give up on it.

Downstairs was another vendor room and the lecture theatre. Two of the vendors in the downstairs room were Dave Schrader and Jeff Belanger. I have known them for 10 years now. They are simply great individuals…and if you let them anywhere near each other, well, get ready for a comedic duo. I attended both of their presentations. Dave actually had to presentations; one with his Holzer Files co-stars and one where he discussed setting intentions. Before his Holzer Files Q&A, he was giving out a couple of books to those who knew “Dave Trivia”. One of the questions was “what location was my first appearance on Ghost Adventures?”. I raised me hand and yelled out “Rolling Hills”. He replied, “Rolling Hills?!!!”, in an “are you kidding me” kind of tone. Just as I was feeling the embarrassment set in, he laughed and said “You are right! Come get your book.” Phew! I had to check my make-up after the Q&A; the laughs were non-stop. You can always count on Dave to bring the humor. I was able to finally meet Shane Pittman from Holzer Files, as well. It was a pleasure. Dave’s seminar on setting intentions was very inspiring. It was interesting to learn how he first got started in radio. I won’t tell all the secrets; you will just have to go to one of his presentations and learn for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Also inspiring was Jeff’s lecture. He told the story of his trip up Mount Kilimanjaro. It is a fantastic story and you can read all about it in his book The Call of Kilimanjaro. Another vendor, who I had never met before, was Mike Ricksecker. He was sitting across from Dave’s table. Just like in 2019, with Brian Cano, I found myself too shy to go talk to him. I waited until the airport to talk to Brian but, having learned my lesson, decided to go up to Mike’s table before the event ended. I am glad I did. He actually does events around the world, including Egypt! I may just have to look into that a little further.

Saturday night was the last chance to hang out with everyone. Why do the weekends have to fly by so fast? I took some last-minute photos with Aaron and Jeff (who said, “look like you don’t know what a camera is”) but never pinned Dave down for one. Dustin introduced me to an EMT named John, who was nice enough to invite me into a picture with him and Dave Tango. Just like that, though, I found myself packing for the return trip home. I am definitely looking forward to the next chance to see everyone.

A Cody Bryan Concert Next to Yorktown Memorial Hospital?…Yes, Please!

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After interviewing Cody Bryan, lead singer of Cody Bryan Band (see previous post), I knew I had to catch a live show.  I checked the tour schedule on their website and was thrilled to see that they would be performing in Yorktown, TX.

If you aren’t intrigued with the paranormal then you probably have no idea why I was so excited about getting out to this town.  Let me introduce you to this little, haunted gem…the Yorktown Memorial Hospital.

 

Built in the 1950’s as a religious, drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, this building was eventually left abandoned.  That is, abandoned by all human residents.  The spirits that decided to stick around have put this building on the paranormal map.  It has been investigated by renowned paranormal researchers, including “Ghost Adventures”.  The owners do provide walking tours of the facility.  Unfortunately, I did not have time to spare.  After all, I had a concert to get to.

Just about a block away from the hospital was my final destination, 5D Steakhouse.  When I arrived, Cody Bryan Band was in the middle of a sound check.  Nothing like getting a show before the show!

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After the sound check, I took a few shots of the stage area and equipment.  I had the great pleasure of talking with Cody and meeting the rest of the band.  They are truly great, fun guys.  I failed to ask them for a picture, though.  I know, I know.  I don’t know what I was thinking, either.  I just got caught up in the moment.

 

Suddenly, it was time for the main event.  The guys took the stage and rocked it out.  They performed so many of their hits, such as “Wreck Me”.  This is the very first song on their first album.  It is definitely a great choice to get that album started.  They also performed “Good at Being Bad”.  I had not heard this song before.  However, as soon as I heard it, I loved it!  It is such a fun track.  I immediately went over to the merchandise table and purchased all three albums.  I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss any more musical gold.  Also on the set list was “Small Town Noise” and “Our House for the Weekend”.    “Our House for the Weekend” is the song that introduced me to the band so I am a bit partial to that one.  From upbeat party tracks to laid-back slow songs, Cody Bryan Band does it all to perfection.  Be sure to catch them live, if you get the chance, and check out all of their music, available on all musical platforms.

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MiParacon X

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Last year, I attended the 9th Annual Michigan Paracon.  I had been told by several of my friends in the paranormal industry that this event was not one to miss and they were absolutely right.  I had an absolute blast.  Therefore, I was left with no choice but to go back again for MiParacon X.

MiParacon is held at the Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.  And yes, that is pronounced “Sue Saint Marie”.  It is not the quickest location to get to but it is totally worth the adventure.  The atmosphere of the hotel portion of the casino is lovely.  It almost feels like you are walking outdoors.  There are stone pathways, rock structures, plants, etc.  Yet, it also is homey with large fireplaces to gather around.  The outside is peaceful, as well.

The event started Thursday evening with a few lectures.  It seems they pulled out all of the stops when it came to this special tenth anniversary.  Grant Wilson, Dustin Pari, Steve Gonsalves, and Dave Tango from Ghost Hunters, Chris and Mike from Haunted Towns, and paranormal radio royalty Dave Schrader were just a few of the celebrities in the the all-star line-up.  They even had the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine and the Ghostbusters Ecto-1.  I must say, I questioned if Scooby was capable of driving.  He looked like he had one too many Scooby Snacks.

Friday and Saturday are the main days of the event.  This is when the vendor floor is open.  Here you can meet your favorite paranormal celebrities, get autographs, and snag those to-be-cherished-forever photo opportunities.

While you are celebrity hopping, be sure that you stop by the other vendor tables.  They have plenty of amazing things to offer.  There are crystals for sale, psychic readings available, paranormal books, and more.  As someone who recently started working a vendor booth at cosplay conventions, I know how important it is to pay attention to the vendors you are not familiar with.  They really appreciate it.

When you want to get off of your feet, stop in and enjoy the many lectures and galleries offered throughout the weekend.  Topics range across the paranormal board from celebrity Q&A’s to demonology to psychic galleries.  While I did not opt in, Friday night, they offered a paranormal investigation offsite.  Saturday night was a special dinner.  The highlight of the dinner this and last year was The Match Game hosted by Ghost Hunters’ Adam Berry.  He is a riot!  I hope they continue that tradition.  Last year, at the dinner, a couple got up on the stage and got engaged.  This year, the convention allowed them to have their wedding at the dinner.  I wish them all the best!

One of the highlights for me is the time after the vendor floor closes.  Since there is a bar on site, everyone tends to end up there until all hours of the night.  It is a great opportunity to just relax, meet new friends, and have a drink.  It seems like every time I go to a paranormal convention, I leave with more friends (like those that snap selfies when you ask them to take a picture for you, haha, see below).  Everyone shares that common bond of the paranormal so it brings us all together.

Knowing that it was a paranormal convention and we would be hanging out at the bar, I wore the most appropriate shirt I could find.  lol

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Alas, Sunday always comes too soon.  I must say, the airport amuses me, though.  It honestly could be a house.  You walk into one large room which is ticketing, security, and a one carousel baggage claim, all in one.

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If you ever get the chance to head out to MiParacon, do it!  They already have plans for their event next year, so check it out and maybe I will see you there.  🙂

TomorrowWorld – The Best Introduction to EDM and Dance Festivals

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In 2013, I had a friend who sent me a video that was advertising the inaugural year of the dance festival, TomorrowWorld.  I had never heard of such a festival before.  In fact, while I loved certain EDM songs, I didn’t even know it had its own genre and scene.  When I heard the beats and saw the outfits, I was instantly hooked and knew I had to attend.  I booked the trip, ordered a custom rainbow-colored bra from Electric Laundry, and, a few months later, off we went to Atlanta.

I have to say, I could not have asked for a better introduction to the festival scene.  The festival was seven stages set up around beautiful property.  It is liked I completely stepped out of reality and entered a beautiful world of freedom, nature, and bliss.  This is where I was introduced to PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect).  Everyone at the festival was so kind and accepting.  I love the whole PLUR mentality, which is why I incorporated into my cosplay name, Cosplur.

I had so much fun that I had to return the following year.  In 2014, I did not have anyone to go with so I decided to go solo.  When my parents looked concerned and said, “You really are going to go by yourself?!”  I smirked and replied, “I’m not going alone.  I’m going with 50,000 of my friends.”  I didn’t end up being alone, though.  I ended up meeting someone on the plane to Atlanta and he invited me to join his group.  I am still friends with them to this day.  Again, PLUR at its best.  After seeing everyone from around the world representing their countries with flags and costumes, the year before, I decided to have a USA outfit made.  The designer did an amazing job!

The next year was the final year for the festival and, yep, I was there.  This was the most adventurous year.  It even made the news.  After an excessive amount of rain, the wet grounds caused transportation issues.  Due to certain incidents (there were different reports on what happened) all transportation was shut down for people staying at hotels and everyone was literally left stranded.  The police even shut down the road to taxis.  Some people slept on the side of the road; some walked miles to the closest public areas to catch a ride.  I ended up meeting two great people from Canada and we started down the street.  I would say we walked at least 5 miles.  Finally they opened the roads and we shared a car back to the hotel.  We didn’t get back until around 7 a.m.  A lot of people complained about everything that happened but I look at it as a memory I will have forever.  As my Canadian friends and I said it, “We survived Cedar Grove Road!”  Hey, I have new friends because of it.

I have since joined my festival friends for a couple of trips to Something Wicked, Middlelands, and Sun City Music Festival but my favorite festival experience is definitely TomorrowWorld!

The Job With the Perks – NYC and Maui Here I Come!

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For a few years I worked at a job that, well, let’s just say the stress level could get pretty high.  However, the perks helped to keep me from quitting.  Yes, there were regular free lunches, quarterly profit sharing, and the “you’ve been working hard” free pedicure rewards, but, even better, there were the trips.  Anytime we met a major goal, we took a company trip.

I joined the company just after their trip to Vegas so my first company trip was in September of 2012.  We went to New York City.  We flew up on Saturday, October 20. That was my first time in New York. We stayed at the Radisson at 34th and Broadway. The weather was great for the entire weekend. We went to a few nice restaurants, walked down 5th avenue (where I got to spend a Tiffany & Co gift card at the actual Tiffany & Co), and stopped at Battery Park for a bit. The highlight of the trip was definitely seeing Wicked on Broadway. What a great show!

Oh, did I mention I fell flat on my face in a crosswalk in the middle of Times Square? …yeah… fun times. Our boss decided to cross the street as the sign was flashing the “warning, time is running out” hand.  I was trying to put something back in my wristlet but needed to stick with the group so I started rushing across the street.  That is when my shoe slipped off of my heel and, well, you can guess the rest.  I reached for my friend as I fell in slow motion, my skirt went up over my head, and I gave all the drivers a good laugh as their light turned green.  Yes, I did check YouTube occasionally after that to see if any videos were marked “idiot falls in crosswalk”.  Thankfully, I never found any.

I will say I was disappointed in one thing, the fashion. I thought New York City was this high fashion area. I packed nice clothes and heels, ready to look my best, only to find that nobody was dressed up! And while our itinerary said we would be taking taxis and subways everywhere, my boss decided that by foot was a much better idea. Except for 5th Avenue, the sidewalks were not made for heels. My poor shoes got a workout on Sunday. We walked all the way down 5th Avenue and then walked from the subway to the 9/11 Memorial, to Battery Park, to Wall Street. I admit though, it would not have been the same from a taxi window. I am glad that we walked it.

The following summer (2013), we made our way to Maui! I was so excited. I had never been to a beach before. We stayed at the Hyatt. That may have been at my suggestion. I mean, they have penguins in the lobby, how could I not stay there?! What I didn’t know was that they also have swans in this beautiful little pond just outside a restaurant. It was the most serene setting. I could have sat there all day.

Our first full day there, I woke up before sunset. About a week before the trip, I suddenly had the idea to do a photoshoot out there. I wanted to capture my first trip to a beach. Somehow it all fell together in time. I found an amazing photographer (Natalie Brown Photography) and she put me in touch with a great make-up artist. I got to watch the sunrise over the ocean on the way to get my make-up done. Natalie picked out a beach (Baldwin Bay Beach) for the shoot and it was absolutely perfect. I can’t say enough about her.

I met back up with the office team and we went to Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. It felt so relaxed compared to the other Hard Rock Cafes I have been to. Light pouring in from windows all around the building. You can watch the ocean from your table. Also, the food was amazing, as usual. I always have to get the mac and cheese (delish!). We then walked along a street of boutiques and I met a salesgirl that was a little too good. I walked out with two dresses and a shirt. That evening we went for a sunset, mountain horse ride. Maui was just a bunch of firsts for me, first time to a beach and first time on a horse. I really had fun. However, my horse liked to tailgate. lol. At one point, he got so close to the horse in front of him that she got aggravated and kicked him. That, of course, made my horse go up on its back legs and had me hanging on for dear life. Thankfully, I stayed on.

The next day, we didn’t have anything planned until the evening. My boss and his wife went for massages and the rest of us went snorkeling. I absolutely love the beach! Listening to the waves is so calming. As we were waiting to get our snorkles, I noticed the “Do NOT Pet the Sea Turtles” signs. Could I really see a sea turtle? Yep! I saw two! One of them started swimming straight toward me! He turned away before he reached me. Good thing, because I would have been tempted to pet him if he came to say hi. I forgot to put on sunscreen until we were down at the beach. I figured, “Oh well, we are going to be in the water snorkeling anyway.” Mmhmm…totally didn’t think about the fact that when you snorkel, your back is out of the water. Hahaha! My back was red for days! I wouldn’t have traded it, though. Relaxing by the beach and then by the outdoor bar at the hotel was my favorite part of the trip. Reality no longer existed. That night, we met back up with our boss to go on a champagne cruise at sunset. Again, the beauty of everything is difficult to describe. It is definitely a must-do if you are in Maui.

On the last full day, we drove up to a crater, not sure what it is called. Tropical Storm Fanny was blowing in. We weren’t sure if we were going to be allowed up to the top. As we drove, we could see the bands of the storm blowing in. It was truly fascinating to watch. The farther up we went, the thicker the clouds started getting around us. We were able to drive to the top. We couldn’t see a bit of the crater because the clouds were all around us. There was such an eerie feeling about the fog surrounding us. It made for some fun photography. I love a picture that I took of a bench. It is so simple but I feel like there is so much that the picture could symbolize. By the time we were heading back down the mountain, they had closed the roads leading up due to weather conditions. Phew, glad we made it in time. We finished out the day with a magic show at a dinner theatre.

The last day was just spent driving around the mountains before having to head back to the airport. I wish I could have had another day at the beach. I know I definitely will have to return one day.

It wasn’t long after our return from Maui that the boss hired a new employee.  Unfortunately, she had something against me from the start and ultimately lied to the boss about me and got me fired. I do not miss the stress of the office but I do definitely miss the perks.

Goofy Race and a Half – A Story of Vindication

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Today, we take a look at Deven’s second attempt at the RunDisney Goofy Race and a Half Challenge.  This challenge, run at Walt Disney World, consists of running a 1/2 marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday.

In 2008, Deven signed up for the challenge.  She was not a runner but thought it would be a fun event.  Having never participated in a race before, she hardly trained at all.  She said of her first attempt, “I finished the 1/2 marathon but my hips were killing me.  I decided to try the full marathon, anyway, and had to stop at mile 14.  Not only were my hips still hurting but my toes were killing me.  Word to the wise…something that someone told me AFTER the race…buy running shoes a size to large because your feet will swell during a run.  It turns out that my toes were rubbing against the front of my shoes.  I lost a few toenails that trip.”

Not liking the feeling of defeat, she decided that she would make it back to try again and 2013 was the year.  With just three hours of sleep, she flew to Florida that Friday morning to pick up the race packet.  The adrenaline of the weekend kept her up Friday night, and, once she finally fell asleep, it was only three hours until the 3:30 a.m. wake-up call.  Exhausted, she headed out for the 1/2 marathon.  The Deven Times had a chance to interview Deven after she completed the first race.  “I love running at Disney”, she said.  “All of the volunteers are amazing.  I love reading all the signs they make up. One couple around mile 4 had signs that read “you’re over half way there” and “<- he’s really bad at math”. And of course the characters are a fun distraction as well.”

It’s not all fun and games all of the time, though.  She told us of one trouble she ran into.  “Unfortunately, they ran out of food for the racers at the back of the pack. That means that I ran the entire thing on an empty stomach! Not good! By mile 12, I was very close to quitting. I felt my feet not responding like they should and I was starting to feel delirious. I knew that they had food at the finish line, though, so I pushed myself to finish.”

Not wanting to find herself without food again, Deven purchased snacks, Saturday afternoon, to carry with her during the marathon.  Another three hours of sleep later found that same 3:30 wake-up call ringing again.  She started the marathon off strong.  She found the pacer that was the one to follow in order to finish the race in 6 and a half hours.  She followed his pace for the first 5 miles.  Then things suddenly changed.  She told The Deven Times, “After mile 5, I suddenly felt all of the energy drain from my body.  It was a significant and immediate shift.  I couldn’t explain it.  All I could think was that my body had not recovered from the lack of food the day before.  I decided to walk the rest of the way, hoping my energy would come back.  At the mile 14 marker, I had to tell the volunteer that I had to stop.”

We asked Deven if she felt disappointed that she did not finish the race again.  In fact, she had to stop at the exact same point as the first attempt.  She shared, “I don’t feel defeated this time because I feel that I really proved how strong I was, yesterday.  I am very proud of what I accomplished this time. Besides that, except for the lack of energy, I felt fine. My legs and hips didn’t hurt at all.”

UPDATE: About a week after the race weekend, Deven reached out to us with an update.  “When I got to the airport that night, I noticed my throat was scratchy. Not even 45 minutes later, I was shivering on the plane. By the next morning, I was running a 104.2 fever. Turns out the reason I was so sluggish during the race was that I actually had the flu. That made me feel even better about things. I mean, I ran 13.1 miles on an empty stomach and 14 miles with the flu. I am one strong chica.”

She informed us that she was planning a trip to Disneyland in August for the Dumbo Double Dare (a 10k on Saturday and 1/2 marathon on Sunday).  The Deven Times will be sure to be there to chronicle the weekend.

Darkness Radio End of Days Event

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The last Darkness Radio event was held November 2012. I loved those events. I wish I had discovered them earlier so that I could have gone to more. This event had a zombie theme for the meet and greet night. It said to come as the undead. Well, not really being into the zombie look, I took “undead” as a legal loophole and dressed up as a vampire. I gave the costume a little bit of a burlesque twist. I met a girl at the previous event that I stayed in touch with. She is a make-up artist and did an awesome job on my make-up. It was great seeing everyone again. Zak did not attend this event but Aaron, Billy, Jeff, and Dave were there. Also there was Aaron Saagers. He was cool. He liked my costume. Dave played a slideshow as his “goodbye”. I was bawling. I just really love all of them so much so it hurt to think that those events were ending. Like I said before, though, I don’t plan on losing contact with everyone. It was just nice to have them all together as a group and seeing them all at once.

Penguins!…Need I Say More?!

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Anyone who knows me well, knows that I LOVE penguins. I collect penguin stuff (stuffed animals, figurines, etc.). I don’t know why, I just think they are adorable. I knew that one day I would have to take an Antarctic cruise so I could see penguins that weren’t behind glass. Then, I found out that Sea World in San Antonio offered a penguin interaction program! My friend, Maria, expressed, one day, how she had “hug a penguin” on her bucket list. Excited to find another penguin enthusiast, I mentioned the Sea World program and we immediately booked our reservation.

Friday, June 29, 2012, we traveled to San Antonio. Our little penguin adventure was not until the next morning so we had some time to spare. It didn’t take long to figure out what we would do, being the opening night of Magic Mike and all. Was the plot left open ended? Yes. Did the script leave something to be desired? Yes. Were we going for the plot or script…ha ha…NO! With all that was lacking, I would still say we got our money’s worth. And we had quite the excursion getting to the theatre. The GPS took us in the wrong direction. We eventually stopped and asked a policeman if we were close. He laughed and said not at all. As we followed the directions he gave us, we passed a sign that said, “Entering San Antonio City Limits”. Yes, we had actually driven out of the city. It took us about 20 minutes to get back to where we needed to be.

On Saturday, June 30, we went straight to Sea World for our 10 a.m. check-in. We were greeted by the program employees at 11. Maria told them we were there to steal a penguin. The awkward laugh they responded with was quite humorous. We went through about a 30-minute educational lecture back in the kitchen and then were escorted to a changing area where we put on overalls, boots, and coats. Then it was time for the main event. We stepped into the penguin enclosure and, as cold as it was, my heart still melted. There were penguins everywhere. This little chinstrap penguin started biting at my boot. They had two baby penguins that were the cutest little fluffballs! They had to keep the babies separated to keep the falling snow out of their down. The parents still congregate around the enclosure, though, and I took a video of the parents and babies talking to each other. They have a photographer on hand to capture your time in the enclosure. I sat down on a rock and they put a penguin in my lap! I actually got to hold a penguin! The best way to describe the way the feathers felt would be like hair with a lot of gel in it…kind of stiff and separated. I couldn’t have been happier. Maria and I also got a picture of both of us with a penguin. When I looked at the photo later, I couldn’t help but laugh. There is a penguin in the background with his wings up and all I could think was the penguin was yelling, “Photobomb!” I did not want to leave but our interaction time was over.

We spent the rest of our day at Aquatica, the new waterpark inside Sea World. I have never been on a waterslide before so I was thinking I was just going to hang out in the lazy river all day. Maria, on the other hand, had different plans for me. She immediately got me up on the worst slide in the park. As we were getting into the raft she tells the attendant to make sure I went backwards because “that’s the best way to go”. Then another attendant asked if he could ride down with us. Starting off it wasn’t so bad. I was thinking, “Oh, this is actually slower than I thought it would be.” Then the slide dropped into a double spiral and the attendant was messing with the raft to make it go faster. Then, as we came out of the spiral, the slide drops at a good 45 degree angle and then shoots you up an anti-gravity wall. I remember screaming “Oh my God!” Then as we got off the raft (with my wobbly knees) I had to ask Maria if I was the one who screamed. She assured me it was. OK, so I totally loved it, but the highlight of the trip was definitely the penguins.

Vegas, Baby!

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For a while, I had been wanting to head out to Las Vegas. I never really had a good reason to spend the money, though. That was until February of 2012. Zak Bagans of Ghost Adventures tweeted that he was going to help host a charity bingo tournament for the NSPCA. I had my excuse. After all…it was for Zak, I mean charity. 😉

On Friday, February 24, my friend Rachael and I flew out to Vegas. The bingo tournament was not until Saturday morning so we just walked around the strip. We joked that it felt like it was the longest day ever (in a good way). With going into dimly lit buildings and back out into the daylight, we just completely lost track of time. We went to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum where I got to pose for a pic or two with Justin Timberlake. (Aw, my teenage dream come true. Aren’t we so cute together?!)

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We went to Rainforest Cafe that night. It was going to be about a 45-minute wait to be seated, which had Rachael starting to rethink our dining decision. While standing in line, I remembered I had the Landry’s Select Club card which bumps you in line. I said, “Wait here.” I went up to the host and said, “Does this card help at this location?” He looked at the card, asked how many in the party, and, when I said two, said, “Follow me.” I motioned to Rachael to follow. When we were immediately seated, she had this awestruck look and was like, “What just happened? I feel like a rock star.” Then I introduced her to the Cheetah Rita. YUM! After dinner and drinks, I talked Rachael into walking back to the Venetian, where we were staying. About halfway there, she was ready to kill me. She kept trying to convince me to get a cab and I kept telling her we were almost there. She roughed it out and laughed about it later. I just couldn’t imagine not walking the strip.

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Saturday found us heading straight to the Silverton for the bingo tournament. I saw Zak and Aaron across the room. I didn’t know Aaron was going to be there so that was a nice surprise. I walked up to Aaron, who in true Aaron fashion gave me a hug, and then I said hi to Zak. Aaron and I chatted for a minute and he told me that Billy was going to be spinning at the Foundation Room in Mandalay Bay that night. I went back to my seat where Rachael was staring at me in amazement. She said, “You are the bravest person I know. You just walked right up to them like it was nothing at all.” The bingo tournament was so much fun. I was one away from bingo a couple of times. There was a funny moment where one of the actors from the Bee Gees show actually won a ticket package to his own show. I, also, met an adorable dog named Austin. I wanted to take Austin home.

Saturday night we went to the Foundation Room. It is on the 48th Floor. I have never seen a city view like that before. It was fantastic. We got to watch Billy spin and we talked with Aaron for a while.

We had to fly back home Sunday. I didn’t gamble very much and I kind of want to next time. The little I did gamble was fun, though. I ended up breaking even or coming out a little bit ahead.

My First Trip to the Stanley Hotel

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As I start this new page, I figured I would start moving posts over from an old page.  Here is a post from March 2011.

I recently took a trip to a ghost hunt event in Colorado. I flew into Denver, drove past farmland and quaint towns that made me feel like time and “progress” had graciously skipped over the area, and wound my way through the twists and turns of a picturesque mountain drive. Just as I drove over the top of a hill and started the descent, I looked in the distance and saw my destination welcoming me to Estes Park, The Stanley Hotel. There can be no mistaking the red roof and crisp white walls set against the green mountain backdrop.

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There are six American flags hanging from the front porch. The red, white, and blue of the flags were perfectly complimented by the red and white of the hotel and the blue sky. Every direction I looked was a photo opportunity. There was plenty of time for that, though. I needed to check in. Entering the hotel is like taking a step back in time. Guests are greeted with a beautiful staircase straight ahead, a Stanley Steamer to the right, a 1909 Otis elevator, and a fireplace on both sides of the room surrounded by plenty of furniture. It felt more like walking into a friend’s home than a hotel.

I will admit, when I first walked into my room, I was a little shocked by how warm it was. A quick trip to the thermostat proved that it was about eighty degrees. Having lived in England for a short time, though, I understood that some places tend to keep their buildings warm in colder weather. Besides, it gave me an excellent reason to open the windows and enjoy the views and the fresh air. The design of the bedroom was simple, a bed, an armoire, two bedside tables and a desk and chair. To me the bathroom was a bit more impressive. The sink and shower fixtures had an antique feel to them as did the little toiletry bottles.

The hotel staff was very friendly and helpful. If I had a question, they quickly answered it or found someone who could. When I could not connect to the wireless internet, they had an engineer at my door in less than 5 minutes. The staff at Steamers Cafe knew what sodas my mom and I wanted after just a couple of times ordering them.
Cascades offered a wide variety of foods. I was not brave enough to try any of the elk products, though. Sometimes I would just have french fries and a drink; other times, I would get a full meal. The filet mignon was very good and cooked just the way I ordered it. For dessert, I would suggest chocolate…either hot chocolate or a chocolate martini. Both were amazing.

Alas, the week-end came and went. It was time again to drive through the mountains, past the quaint towns, and across the farmland back to the airport. Staying at The Stanley Hotel was a wonderful experience and I will definitely go back.