Eat. Travel. Eat!

In a a wall of frosted glass and an exterior from the Mirage's French Polynesian theme (now being transformed to a simple, modern feel with dark colors and pinks) sits the Mirage's VIP lounge, situated between the check in area and the main port cochere's entrance into the hotel. Like the Bellagio's VIP lounge , it sits unadorned with any signage outside, but unlike the Bellagio, is marked on the hotel maps with VIP. And after closing time (approximately 9pm), there is a sign stating that the VIP lounge is closed. The inside of the Mirage VIP lounge is small and intimate. The check in area, encased in white marble and topped with chandeliers, dominates as one walks inside to the lounge. This aspect--brought due to the smaller square footage of the lounge--however, detriments people from actually staying inside the lounge during their stay, for throughout the day, the check in area is busy with people checking in, only to be a small distance away from the rest of...

Exterior: New LOVE Banners The Mirage Hotel and Casino recently celebrated its 24th anniversary, and with its anniversary came additional tinkering to the hotel's public spaces. Here's a look at changes we noticed on our last visit to the Mirage. Outside, many of the elements that were with the hotel when it opened have stayed, like the Mirage Volcano and the many water and landscaping elements. A people mover to Las Vegas Boulevard, however, has been removed, and replaced with just a modern walkway with simple railings. Also, the LOVE banner has been updated to feature the Beatles more so. Ironically, a 3D rendering of the Mirage for advertising doesn't feature this banner, however. Inside, check-in and check-out has finally been changed to a single line queue, which is much more efficient than the previous system. It's quite surprising though, how big this line was during check-out (mornings)--it was filled to the queue entrance! ...

In November we stayed at the St Regis Monarch Beach to compare and contrast it to our experience at Pelican Hill . Unlike Pelican Hill, we had gone to the St Regis in person previously, enjoying brunch at the Motif almost 10 years ago. This visit, not only did we visit Motif again , but also we made sure to tour most of the facility.

Wishing all a merry Christmas and a happy holiday! All the pictures in this post were taken at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia, California; the grounds have been closed since early December due to the windstorm, but on Monday, December 26, 2011, the Arboretum will be open to the public again. Workers and volunteers (like me) have been working hard to bring back the Arboretum's splendor. Go visit and take lots of pictures, just like I did a month ago for these pictures. I have more pictures of the Arboretum which you can see by CLICKING HERE .  (Disclosure: This post was written on my own interest and for your information. Besides, we need some holiday-like pictures on the blog.) Thanks for visiting. This week's post is on Bistro Boudin in San Francisco , if you have not read it already. 

An advantage of staying at any hotel at Pacific Place (especially the Island Shangri-La and Conrad) is the proximity to Hong Kong Park. Hong Kong is a bustling city, and Hong Kong Park offers a calm environment in an area bustling with business activity. Like the Expo Promenande , Hong Kong Park has its own host of various monuments. This monument commemorates the opening of Hong Kong Park, which opened in May 1991. With the holiday season, Hong Kong businesses seem to decorate profusely. One restaurant put out these nutcrackers along the stairs to the restaurant. Besides the lush greenery, random art exhibits are placed in open spots. I don't really understand this particular one though; is this supposed to represent a community? Other monuments, like this one dedicated to WO 2 John Robert Osborn VC, are also in the park. Like most monuments, these reveal many details when one walks closer to glance and enjoy them. Hong Kong Park also offers some great views of the...

These past weeks, or perhaps I should say this past school year, has soared right past me; and suddenly, the business that I have attended to for now has abruptly closed, and half of 2011 has passed by! The time of year where the senior class for high schools and higher level institutions has arrived, and right now for them is a time to think not only about their present day situation, but to also think about their future. Graduation for Arcadia High's class of 2011 was just yesterday, and provided plenty of inspiration towards the graduating class as well as the audience through the speeches. Like the speeches at any commencement ceremony, colleges and universities are also quite inspirational. My visit to Stanford University was likewise very much so; and with this special time of year, I am starting yet another trip series but this time, not from the beginning. It was a brilliant day to head outside on our second day of the trip; the temperature was cool and...