Extreme Couponing -- Vegas Style

Less than a week after we got back from the lovely Pacific Northwest we headed to Las Vegas on June 28th. Being that Saul and I are essentially homeless vagabonds this summer (no jobs, no cars, no house haha) we had to head over to Hertz to rent a car for our trip. Being the uber cheap and deal hungry person that I am, I was able to find a $14/day Ford Fiesta with the help of a promo code and our AAA card. 

Off to Vegas we went. We had originally booked two nights (Sunday/Monday) at the Monte Carlo for something like 40 bucks a night. We also found a promo code for the stay that gave us $75 food and beverage credit the the Pub (think Yard House). However, our favorite thing to do in Vegas is weekend champagne buffet brunch and because we weren't due to arrive until Sunday we wouldn't be able to go to one. 

We decided to see if we could find something cheap for Saturday night at the very last minute on Kayak. Lo and behold the Monte Carlo had a spa suite for $44. WTF we thought considering our $40 a night was just getting us a basic room on Sun. and Mon. We go to book and see that the projected tax is $115 and the deposit was $445(supposed to only be the cost of a one night stay). Even more confused at this point we kept looking further into it and realized that there was a malfunction in the system and the room was actually supposed to be $445 instead of the $44 Kayak was saying. We went ahead and booked the room anyway for $44 and said we'd deal with it once we got there.

So we make the 4.5 hour journey from LA to Vegas. We arrive to the Monte Carlo fingers crossed that we don't get charged way more than we had for a hotel room. Not only did they honor the price and room category, they UPGRADED us to their exclusive Hotel 32 (top floor, special key card access) into a one bedroom penthouse suite (goes for something like $2000 a night). Maybe Saul and I are super polite? Or maybe the guy checking us in could tell that we were homeless and wanted to do us a solid? Who knows but the room was incredible. We had private concierge, a lounge with free beverages/food, and an awesome red key card. The fun ended the next day when we were sent on our way back to the 12th floor and a basic room (boo). At least we had our $75 credit to the pub to drink away our sorrows..kidding.

One of the sinks in the bathroom with a TV in the mirror.

The bedroom

The living room

Crazy shower with changing LED light and about 5 shower heads not to mention in shower speakers. 

Vegas is always a blast with my hubby. We got a groupon for a champagne brunch at the Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood. All you can eat/drink is a fabulous combination. We had a lovely waiter who was so on top of his refill game (a bad champagne brunch waiter is really all it takes to ruin an otherwise great time). 

Nom worthy.

We also got a living social coupon for 2 for 1 tickets to Zombie Burlesque at the V theater in Planet Hollywood. A combination of Zombie makeup, comedy, singing, dancing, contortionist, and (of course) burlesque. Fun stuff. 

The rest of the trip consisted of gambling, watching the World Cup in various Sports Books and going to a horrendous 2 hour Time Share sales presentation only to get a free $50 gift card (not worth it).

I always get frustrated when I hear people say they don't like Vegas because they don't like _____. There's something in Vegas for everyone (our thing just so happens to be shows and boozy buffet brunches).

Gotta keep it classy with Barefoot wine ;)

Handsome hubby :)

Tip: there is the most mouth-watering Mexican food place in Barstow. Like I love Mexican food, I lived in San Diego not to mention LA, and this place is up there on the best Mexican food places I've ever had...ever. California Burrito comes with carne asada (duh), French fries, guacamole, sour cream and cheese.

Lola's Kitchen. You're welcome. :)

-C

North by (Pacific) Northwest

We had just enough time to go to Alex’s High School Graduation and pick up a few things from storage before we were packing again. June 15th, two days after we stepped foot on continental US soil for the first time in about 11 months, we departed for Canada.

We spent countless hours on our slow Internet in AmSam planning an itinerary for the upcoming trip to the Pacific North West. We had to plan there considering our short stay (what amounted to a long layover) in Los Angeles. Our itinerary was as follows: two days in Whistler, two days in Vancouver, and then we crossed the border by train to spend three days in Seattle.

My first foray into Canada was a success. I wasn’t expecting Canada to be as beautiful as it was. It definitely does not get enough credit as a vacation/living destination. I don’t know if it is anti-Canadian sentiment from the US, or if they just keep themselves and their beautiful country (and social benefits) low-key in order to keep people out, but the country north of the border is quite a wonderful place.

Personally, I’m thinking it might be the Canadians trying to keep their country under wraps because they have some of the most intense and intimidating customs officers I have ever encountered. There was an extensive interrogation at the customs booth about why we were visiting Canada, exactly where and at what hotels we were staying at, and how we were financing the trip considering the we are currently unemployed and volunteered for the past year (we didn’t volunteer that information, they asked about it).

We started our trip by hopping in a car and driving up to Whistler from Vancouver. The four things that really stand out in my mind from our time in Whistler are good our beautiful hotel, great food, breathtaking scenery, and adventure.

Our hotel room in Whistler.

I can’t say enough about the food in Whistler. Just about every meal we had in Whistler was simply spectacular. Since it was off-season, all of the restaurants offered an option to choose an item from each course (usually between three and four courses total) for a set price. The items were the same as the ones offered a la carte during the peak season. Talk about a bang for your buck. We were in foodie heaven and we took full advantage of it.

Bloody Caesar aka a Blood Mary with clam juice

Peaked Pies, delicious!

We were in Whistler for two days and did two adrenaline junky activities. We went white water rafting down the green river and ATV riding through the mountains. Chelsia and I sat in front of the boat for the white water rafting, so we had to set the pace and use our teamwork skills to make sure everyone was rowing in unison. Sitting in front also insured that we got soaked with the freezing cold river water. We had two lively guides in our boat that made the experience that much better. Thankfully no one in our party fell off the boat (there were some close calls though). The ATV trek was a blast. There was beautiful scenery, no speed limitations, and we even got to go through some off the beaten path mountain terrain.

We spent the next couple of days in downtown Vancouver. I was not expecting it to be as big/clean/beautiful as it was. We had some more fantastic food, some good drinks, and took advantage of the extensive bike lanes the city had to offer. On our full day, we rented bikes and rode around the city, parks, and Sea Wall (which is a Vancouver must see). We also took a drive out to Granville Island to do some shopping and eat yummy treats at their market.

Vancouver Sea Wall

Chels :)

The last leg of our trip was a three-day stop in Seattle. Let me sum up the best that Seattle has to offer in three words: food, Food, FOOD! We really thought Whistler was foodie heaven until we got to Seattle. Not even close. Pike Place Market has so much to offer and that’s just the start of it. There were restaurants everywhere. Good restaurants. When we first got in we stopped at a little pizza place to grab a quick bite to eat. It was hands down some of the best pizza I have ever had. And dollar beers… it doesn’t get any better than that!

We took a Segway tour to get acquainted with the city, ate dinner at the Space Needle restaurant on our first night to get a clear view of the entire city (both during the day and at night since we sat down about a half an hour before sunset) and knock off one of the biggest monuments Seattle has to offer. In the subsequent days we drove out to the Seattle wine country for some wine tasting, took a food tour of Pike Place Market, and a brewery tour (noticing a theme here!?). The food, wine, and beer knocked our socks off. Then we went to the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum to admire the glass blown artwork—a must see if you are in Seattle. Needless to say if was a fun, busy, and filling last few days in Seattle. The next day we hopped on a flight back to California for some much needed rest and relaxation.

We're cheesy like that.

Chocolate and red wine short ribs at Sky City at the Space Needle

Our view from the rotating restaurant at the Space Needle

Pike Place Market

Our tour guide for the Market Food Tour

We left our mark on the pig at the Pike Place Market Garden.

Pike Place Chowder.

Crab roll + chowder

Chihuly Garden and Glass

-S