Animal Kingdom

The last time I attended this scientific conference in person was four years ago in Atlanta. Due to the pandemic, the next three were virtual. However, this year we are back to "normal" along with thousands of other attendees in Orlando. 

My colleagues and I flew in yesterday, but instead of going with them to check into our hotel next to the convention center, I rented a car and headed about 45 minutes east to Titusville. I was a little nervous about driving and staying overnight solo, but when chasing national park units, you gotta do what you gotta do...

Divide and Conquer

Wednesday, January 4

Taking advantage of cheaper air fares after the holidays, R and I flew back to Illinois for a welfare check on our folks. But we decided to split up so that we each would get more time with our respective parental unit(s). After the norovirus debacle last year, my secondary objective was to make sure to get some Lou's this trip.

Who cares how cold it is outside when you have hot pizza in your belly?

¡Sí, Se Puede!

After our visit to Lake Mead NRA last month, I was only one unit short of achieving the National Park Travelers Club Bronze Master Traveler Award for 2022. The closest place we could easily drive for a passport stamp to satisfy the requirement was César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, CA, about two hours away. 

¡Sí, Se Puede!  Yes, we can!

So on my first day of Christmas vacation, my true love came with me on an impromptu road trip!

Switching Sides

After the game last night, we came back to the Cal for a late dinner at Market Street Cafe. Since they start serving their oxtail soup after 9:00PM, folks were already lined up around the corner into the casino. By the time we got seated, it was almost 10:30PM, but R's oxtail soup and my chili rice came to the table pretty fast. Needless to say, neither one of us was hungry this morning. 

So we skipped breakfast, checked out, and hit the road back to California. But instead of going home, we headed straight for the big rivalry game between #7 USC and #16 UCLA at the Rose Bowl, with a quick stop at Freddy's in Victorville for lunch.

We're Loyal to You, Illinois

Because the first game of the Continental Tire Main Event at T-Mobile Arena didn't tip off until late in the afternoon, we took it easy this morning. After sharing a small breakfast across the bridge at Aloha Specialities, we both had some luck at the blackjack tables. Yay!

Having pre-paid for event parking at Park MGM, we decided to take advantage of it and drive down to the arena a bit early. We took the tram over to The Shops at Crystals and walked the rest of the way to the Cosmopolitan for a late lunch. Since we didn't have time (or reservations) for Momofuku, we opted for its walk-up cousin, Bāng Bar, instead. Yum!

Flatbread fold-ups with spicy pork and teriyaki chicken

Body of Water

When it was announced in July that the Illinois men's basketball team was going to play two games in Las Vegas in November, we circled the dates on our calendar. Even better was that their first match-up was against UCLA! But what totally sealed the deal for a road trip to Vegas was the realization that I only needed passport stamps from a few more units in order to qualify for the Bronze Master Traveler Award from the National Park Travelers Club (NPTC). Oh, the lengths I will go to for some ink on a piece of paper...