Viva Las Vegas!!

Despite the limited vacation time due to our move and me starting a new job the month prior, we still found a way to sneak away for a long weekend to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. Since Chris had never been to Vegas (and I had no interest in returning unless he came along), we went all in. Ha! Neither of us are much on traditional gambling, but they say there is something for everyone...

The timing of our trip ended up being just a few days after the mass shooting from the Mandalay Bay so that had us a little on edge, but it ended up being quite a unique trip altogether. We stayed at the Tropicana and our first order of business after getting checked in was to find some lunch. We stumbled upon a spot called Bruxie - known for chicken and waffles. We were sold.

Our first night, we went to see magician Mat Franco from America's Got Talent. He was just as incredible as he had been on the show. I loved every second of the show. I've always been fascinated with the smooth nature of magicians and enjoyed the humor Franco brought to the stage as well.

We stopped by to watch the Bellagio fountains do their thing after the show. I enjoyed it, but I think Chris would have been fine moving on. He's a good sport though!

The next morning, we kicked off the day with treats from The Dapper Doughnut before making our way over to the Westgate. Betting on sports is much more up our alley than any of the other array of gambling so we had fun placing a few wagers and then enjoying the games. We won a couple bets, but mainly it was fun to watch all the massive screens with every game going at once.

We spent some time in the afternoon investigating and solving a crime in the CSI: The Experience tourist trap. It was a fun way to pass some time out of the hot afternoon sun, but not something we would do again. I think we envisioned it being more like an Escape Room type set up. In reality, it was probably meant for teens or families with middle school age kids. We made the best of it though.

Our main event - One, the Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show - took place at Mandalay Bay. It was eerie walking over there from Tropicana. There was a huge memorial of flowers on one of the concrete islands in the street and the Route 91 concert signage was still in place, but police tape cordoned off much of that specific area. It was all incredibly sad.

One was a fantastic show. Chris was singing along to nearly every song. It was very high energy and quite enjoyable. The acrobatics in the cirque du soleil shows are phenomenal.

The next day we just walked around the strip and enjoyed each other's company. I managed to talk Chris into riding The Big Apple roller coaster that sits atop the New York New York Hotel & Casino. It was a rough ride, but we did it. When my family visited Vegas many years ago, my brothers rode the coaster while I stayed inside testing my luck at slot machines so I was glad to finally see what I had missed out on all those years ago. Turns out, not too much!

We were both ready to relax for a bit after all that adrenaline. As we walked by the CBS Television City store, an employee asked if we watched much TV. We answered a few questions and before you know it, we were part of a paid focus group. Men and women were separated, but we watched an episode of a new show and answered some questions before we went into rooms to provide vocal feedback. It was a really interesting experience. In the end, I don't think the TV show lasted long on the market. I wasn't surprised based on the feedback in the women's room.

We took our profit from the focus group and decided to have a little fun back at the Tropicana. Chris opted for slots while I tried my hand at roulette. Fortunately, I had a couple of nice folks at the table with me because there is A LOT more to it than picking a number. They definitely helped make it less embarrassing for me...even though I managed to double my money. Chris won a chunk as well so we decided to call it quits and grabbed some dinner before our flight back to Columbus.

We had a great time celebrating our anniversary in Vegas! Not sure it is a place we would be quick to return to for a week long vacation, but we were easily entertained for a couple of days!

Andrea :)

Austin Sweets!

It's no secret around these parts that I have a sweet tooth. Austin proved the perfect place to indulge in some tasty treats! There was an unbelievable array of option from ice cream to cupcakes to donuts. We visited as many as we could manage over the course of the week.

Amy's Ice Cream

Ice cream was high on my list of sweet treats to try because it was hot while we were in Austin. Amy's was similar to Cold Stone Creamery in that you were able to add various mix-ins. The selection was unique, but we stuck with basic vanilla and strawberry (with banana topping). Definitely recommend stopping here for a scoop or cone. And there is also an airport location!

Gourdough's

Hands down this was the best eating experience of the trip. We had Gourdough's on our list, but weren't anticipating that we would have time to make it there. As luck would have it, we passed by its food truck location on our way to lunch one day. It was simply meant to be. Please, please, please put this on your list of MUST visit places. The doughnut creations were heavenly!! I had Miss Shortcake (cream cheese icing with fresh cut strawberries). Chris had Funky Monkey (grilled bananas and cream cheese icing with brown sugar). Don't miss this deliciousness!!

Sugar Mama's

Cupcakes are my jam. Sugar Mama's met all my expectations. The options were ample, but not overwhelming and everything we tried tasty fabulous. We tried Champion Carrot Cake, Southern Belle (red velvet), Jack's Lemon, and Strawberry Shortkick. They kept well in our hotel for a couple of days as we worked our way through them bite by bite. Certainly worth a visit!

Voo Doo Doughnuts

We wandered upon Voo Doo Doughnuts' Sixth Street location after our Esther's Follies show. The wait was insanely long, but there was an interesting live band that helped us pass the time. We tried four different types - The Arnold Palmer (plain cake doughnut with vanilla frosting and lemonade/iced tea dust), The Neopolitan (chocolate cake doughnut with vanilla frosting, strawberry dust, and three marshmallows), a regular glazed raised yeast doughnut, and The Grape Ape (raised yeast doughnut with vanilla frosting and grape dust and lavender sprinkles). None of them blew me away. I'd actually suggest skipping this place unless you just really want to try some crazy doughnut combinations.

Cheesecake Bites

On our search for food trucks, we found Peace, Love, & Cheesecake Bites. We both tried one of the tasty little bites. Mine was caramel apple - delicious! We pretty quickly headed off to find some trucks with more of a lunch menu, but this neat truck was worth a mention.

Hey Cupcake!

Hey Cupcake! was another random food truck find. Honestly, I wasn't super impressed with the limited menu, but I had heard of the company so I wanted to give them a shot. I got a pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese icing. It was pretty good, but I definitely preferred Sugar Mama's.

What is your favorite dessert option?

Andrea :)

Austin Eats!

Delicious food was the name of the game for us in Austin. Fortunately, there was an endless supply. I was lucky to have a friend that lives in Austin and provided us with a detailed (and categorized!) list of options. As we made our way through the list, Chris and I came to the conclusion that we could spend a full month in Austin and never hit all the top spots. SO. MUCH. GOOD. FOOD.

BBQ

We were tempted by the famous Franklin's BBQ, but ultimately decided we'd rather sleep in than stand in line all morning. Mike from Austin Wine & Cider mentioned Black's BBQ was nearby so we decided to give it a shot. The restaurant was cafeteria style with a number of meat options and sides. I was smitten with the mac and cheese. Chris enjoyed the BBQ more than I did, but that's normal for us. The banana pudding was on point though.

Tex Mex

There were endless options of Tex Mex restaurants at every turn in Austin. We opted for an off the beaten track restaurant - Juan in a Million. It was fun to check out a local spot. I stuck with standard tacos which were delicious, but the portions were massive! We would definitely return to this spot.

Food Trucks

Food trucks are popular in Austin. We went to three different food truck parks searching for a good lunch destination. I wish we had made time for them on the weekend because I think we would have gotten more of the full experience. That being said, we were able to try the popular Torchy's Tacos at South Austin's Trailer Park & Eatery. Chris got The Democrat and Chicken Fajita tacos. He enjoyed the variety of options while I picked my way through a chicken taco. We opted for sweets at the other food truck locations so check back tomorrow for more info on those!

Steak

For our anniversary dinner, we wanted to experience a local steakhouse. After some research online, Chris found ALC Steaks. The restaurant was lovely, and the food was delicious. We had wonderful service throughout dinner, and they even provided us with complimentary dessert for our anniversary. Definitely recommend this local restaurant if you are looking for a high end dinner in Austin.

Brunch

We met my friend, Marissa, and her family for brunch at Kerbey Lane Cafe. We hadn't seen one another in nearly a decade so I was too busy catching up and enjoying conversation to snag any photos of the phenomenal pancakes. I had the short stack - one seasonal pumpkin and one banana. Both were perfect. There are a number of locations for this restaurant around the city so we highly recommend finding one and checking it out. Just be prepared for a bit of a wait to get in - especially on Sunday!

Pizza

We hadn't planned to eat any pizza during our time in Austin, but one afternoon we somehow ended up at Southside Flying Pizza complete with entertaining graffiti art decor. As New Yorkers, we don't often try pizza when we travel, but this was surprisingly good. We stuck with standard pepperoni, but they had a lot of different (and unique) topping combos.

What is your favorite thing about trying new restaurants when you travel?

Andrea :)

Top 10 Ways to Experience Austin, TX

Austin is a unique and exciting place. After spending a week there for our anniversary, we highly recommend a visit to this growing city. We had adventure after adventure with lots of food and sweets in between. (Don't worry - those posts are up next!) We never felt stressed about time and managed to sleep in while still covering a lot of ground. Our time in Austin included five days and four nights - we made them all count!

{ONE}

Our first stop in Austin was a local brewery that Chris wanted to check out. South Austin Brewery turned out to be a double win because they were also having a record sale. Later in the week, we also ventured over to Waterloo Records for additional record perusing. And swung by ABGB for a quick drink with the locals before we left Austin.

{TWO}

Everyone knows that Texas loves football. We hadn't originally planned to attend a Longhorns game, but the timing worked out with our schedule. The most impressive part of the game proved to be pre-game when the team rolled out a nearly 50-yard Texas flag and proceeded to sing the state song. WOW! Definitely never seen anything quite like that before. Texans sure are proud to be Texans. We also happened to be there on alumni band day so the halftime show proved an extra special treat as well.

{THREE}

We left the game a tad early in order to make it over to the Esther's Follies venue on 6th Street in time for the late show. Esther's Follies is a combination of comedic musical theater (think SNL skits set to music) and magic. The focus of the evening leaned heavily toward politics given it was an election year, but we really enjoyed the performance. Definitely a must-attend event! Afterward, we walked up and down 6th Street taking in the scene. Austin is known for its music scene and we were able to take in a bit of the eclectic music atmosphere as we wandered this Bourbon Street type environment.

{FOUR}

Chris found a brand new cider tasting room near our South Austin hotel location. We spent a good portion of the afternoon visiting with the owner, Mike, and trying his four different ciders. It was practically a private tasting since no one else arrived until about 15 minutes before we departed. Surprisingly, I liked Hefe Apfel cider best. The tasting was great, but the company even better - there's nothing like chatting with a local. If you live in or visit the Austin area, stop in Austin Wine & Cider for a drink and tell Mike we said hello!

{FIVE}

The number one item on Chris' things to do in Austin list was visit the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum. I left amazed by the volume of communications and information on display. We both could have stayed there all day. The most fascinating part of the museum proved the recorded phone conversations.  There were stations set up throughout the various levels of the museum where you could listen to phone conversations between LBJ and J. Edgar Hoover, MLK, Jr., Lady Bird, incoming President-elect Nixon, various Senators, and so many others. I was completely hooked. Chris and I went to see All The Way on Broadway a couple years ago so a chunk of the info was quite familiar, but we were still engrossed in all the details and artifacts. The museum was easily the most interesting place we encountered on our visit. It is certainly worth a look (and listen)!

{SIX}

I had heard mixed reviews regarding the Austin Bat Tour before we made our plans. As it turns out, the tour is a great way to learn more about the history and growth of Austin. The first hour of the tour was a sunset cruise on the lake with a humorous and engaging commentary on the skyline buildings and area. This portion was far more interesting than the actual bat watching portion. We definitely saw the bats. Perhaps about a million of them. Seriously, it was a tad unnerving how many of them just live in the crevices of the bridge. After about five minutes of seeing these tiny creatures fly back and forth between the bridge and a nearby tree, I was ready to head out. I would say skip this, but the sunset cruise portion was really neat and informative. Also, please note that opting to stand on the bridge and watch the bats for free will NOT give you the proper angle to see anything. If you are willing to make the trek over to the bridge, definitely go ahead and book the boat tour.

{SEVEN}

As a blogger, I have seen Austin murals (particularly the I love you so much one) for years now. I was beyond excited to be able to drive around and find them with Chris. He was decidedly less excited, but since it was our anniversary he played along nicely. It was fun to spot them, but since we were playing tourist on a random Tuesday it was much more difficult to find a photographer. We made the best of it though. We even found a graffiti park along the way.

{EIGHT}

A local recommended Mount Bonnell to us. While it didn't blow us away like we were expecting it might, we did enjoy the opportunity to see the city from a different vantage point.  I can imagine it is beautiful during sunrise and sunset. We didn't spend much time here, but I'd glad we made the trek up to check it out.

{NINE}

After our delicious anniversary dinner, we stopped by a mini-golf location that we had seen open the night before. It was inexpensive to play both courses (18 holes each) and as we discovered halfway through our first game it was also BYOB. The course seemed to be a popular spot for both couples and groups celebrating a birthday. One course was more challenging than the other and we split wins. Definitely a fun way to end the evening.

{TEN}

Finally, let me recommend a free tour of the Capitol Building. They run on the half hour. We enjoyed learning more about the history of Texas and how their state government operates. The building has some beautiful design work throughout as well.

Have you ever experienced Austin?

What did we miss?

Andrea :)

Relaxing in San Antonio

San Antonio is easily on my list of top five most relaxing US cities. The atmosphere is simply unbeatable. We made sure to visit the Alamo, but otherwise we just roamed around, people watched, and enjoyed the warm weather.

We opted to make use of the audio tour option at the Alamo. I think we would have missed out on some valuable stories and touch points if we had self-guided. Definitely worth the minimal cost. We also tried to go earlier in the day to avoid the crowds and rising temperatures. After a couple of hours spent remembering the Alamo, we ventured over to the Riverwalk area and hopped on a boat tour to get a good layout of the area before we started roamed about on foot.

We managed to find a Blue Bell Ice Cream shop without much issue. It was definitely quite high on my priority list since it is so popular among my crew of ever-growing friends with Texas roots.  We also decided to the beat the heat by spending a couple hours at Dave & Buster's in the Rivercenter Mall. We got pretty competitive with the basketball game there!

Since we started the day with the historic Alamo, we decided to end our evening with both the oldest restaurant and oldest bar on the Riverwalk. Casa Rio had quite a long wait for the outside tables along the Riverwalk, but we managed to get in pretty quickly by opting for an indoor table. The food was delicious with overflowing portions. This meal began a week of fantastic and fulfilling options. Texas definitely does it right when it comes to food.  The drinks at The Esquire were unique with fancy garnishes and neat names. I'm more interested in cider than mixed drinks these days, but the atmosphere was great in this older venue.

Have you visited Texas?

What do you enjoy most about visiting a new place? 

Andrea :)

2nd Anniversary - Cotton Gifts!

Chris and I decided to take a little excursion to San Antonio and Austin to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. Since we were taking the trip, we opted to spend a minimal amount on our traditional gifts. The traditional theme for year two is cotton.

I played it safe with a simple cotton button down for Chris. I made sure it incorporated a purple hue as a throwback to our wedding colors. And, of course, I had to get a bag of Twizzlers. That goes back to our wedding day - in fact, just mere minutes after we officially became husband and wife!

Chris got a little more creative with his gift. I really loved how it reminded me of our wedding day though. When we did our first look, Chris gave me a solitary rose - much like the replica he gave me to celebrate two years of wedded bliss!

I'll share more about our trip and our tasty anniversary dinner in the coming days, but I wanted to be sure to document our special 2nd anniversary gifts today.

Andrea :)

Two Wonderful Year Later...

Two years ago, we stood at the alter, said our vows, and began our married life together! There have been peaks and valleys along the way, but I am glad to have Christopher by my side for it all. Cheers to my love, my best friend, and my partner in life on our second wedding anniversary!

Andrea :)

50 Years!

On Saturday, Christopher's parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  What an incredible feat!  And what a journey they have been on since that snowy March weekend in England.  A move to America, successful careers, two wonderful children, and so much more throughout the years!

We treated them to a doo-wop concert earlier this month and took them out for a family dinner on Saturday evening.  It was a lovely night with fantastic food that we all thoroughly enjoyed.

It really is remarkable to think about spending 50 years of life together.  Christopher and I have nearly 18 months behind us so we have quite a way to go...but I'm hopeful we'll get there someday!

Andrea :)

#MarriedMaitlands - 1st Anniversary Photo Shoot

It has been a couple of months since we celebrated our 1st Anniversary, but one of the things I was adamant we do was take some professional photos!  Just a couple weeks shy of the big day itself, Chris and I met up with the lovely Tara (Wiley) Robstad of Tara Wiley Photography for a fun little shoot.  Chris and I had fun while she worked her magic behind the lens.

Here are our favorites:

Which one do you like best??

Andrea :)