Vegas: Neon and nuptials

I'm back to reality this week after taking most of last week off to go to Las Vegas. Vegas is a pretty frequent destination for me, so I try to find new things to do each time, in addition to the standard walk the strip/eat and drink a lot/sit by the pool that I do every trip. This time, we did something extra special, as we got to be witnesses at our friends' wedding.

All dressed up and ready to witness.

The wedding was at the Bellagio on Halloween, and after the sweet ceremony, we walked around the grounds while their official photographer took pictures (and we snuck pics with our phones). We went to a fancy tapas place where I may have had too much sangria, then hit up In-N-Out for a "grilled cheese" – really just a burger with no patty – and topped off the evening with a gondola ride at the Venetian. It was great fun, and I'm so glad we got to celebrate with them.

The happy couple - how cute are they?

We also tried a new restaurant, Hash House a Go Go. There are several in Vegas, but we tried the one in The Quad. I'd heard marvelous things about this place (and their giant portions were featured on Man vs. Food), and I love me a good breakfast, so I was pumped. Unfortunately, the food was just OK. The crispy potatoes were greasy and soggy, and there was no butter or jelly offered for my enormous biscuit. So, not amazing. They did have pretty great orange juice, though.

Mushroom hash from Hash House a Go Go. Not my favorite. But that OJ was on point.

Another new adventure this trip was a visit to The Neon Museum. Their boneyard is a collection of several signs from the Las Vegas of yesteryear, and it was pretty cool to walk through and see the old-fashioned signs and hear stories about Vegas history.

The Neon Museum sign

Only a few of them were actually restored, but the rest are lit up at night (when I went) or you can tour during the day. My guide was a history professor who had tons of knowledge about Las Vegas and its growth and development (like the origin of the $1.99 steak dinner, or the "family-friendly" Vegas era), which I found really interesting.

Some of the collection.

The last new thing I tried this trip was exercising. Not really new to my life in general, but I can't remember ever getting a workout more strenuous than a brisk walk on a vacation before. But I made time each morning to get my butt to the gym in the complex (we stayed at a timeshare place, which was super cute, though not cute enough to convince us to buy one) and get my sweat on.

Pics, or it didn't happen. I look thrilled.

I didn't do anything too tough, just 20-30 minutes of cardio and some ab work, but I feel like it set the tone for the day and helped me make some better choices instead of embracing the free-for-all mentality I usually have on trips.

Overall, it was a fun trip. And it was nice to be in 70-degree weather, especially since it's supposed to snow later today. I've embraced fall, but I'm totally not ready for winter at this point. What did y'all get up to this weekend?