Las Vegas: Taco Y Taco

Las Vegas, Nevada, is a great city to find something delicious to eat, especially if your pockets run real deep. If you're willing to shell out top dollar, you can find some of the most luxurious meals served in some of the culinary celebrity worlds biggest names' own restaurants, from opulent sushi spreads to the latest in creative, avant-garden cuisine. Personally, I prefer to veer off The Strip (aka Las Vegas Boulevard and all those glitzy casinos) to find my meals, and Taco Y Taco is one of my favorite neighborhood spots for a satisfying, affordable, and consistently fantastic meal. There are other, more famous, restaurants that you could grab some tacos at, and some of those even have locations dotting that main-drag, but during my brief visit to my old stomping ground I made sure to pop in and get my fill on all the delicious offerings I could stuff into my face. CeeDro joined me on this venture, and we both got down on some taco goodness before parting ways for the evening. It was great to catch up with him over the evening, and who would complain about tacos?  

Taco Y Taco has a self-service salsa bar with an almost overwhelming array of options to choose from. I recommend the grilled jalapenos, who add a fresh pop of flavor with a smokey sweetness to contrast their shop bite. The ordering system can be a little confusing, especially if it's your first time, but the staff are used to it and are generally friendly and happy to steer you in the right direction should you get lost. All the meats are good, but they do offer vegetarian options (and maybe even vegan ones) for those who'd prefer that so you can bring everyone along! I ordered a ridiculous amount of food for just myself, but managed to devour all of it with gusto. I waddled my way out of the restaurant a very happy, very satisfied lass. Should you choose to visit Taco Y Taco, you too should feel that stuffed-to-satisfaction glee. 

So good.

Travel: Flight from SeaTac to Las Vegas

Travelling is one of the things that I value most highly in life, though I don't always have the means with which to pursue that passion with the regularity I'd like. For most of us, that's probably the case, otherwise, we'd all be off circumnavigating the globe instead of toiling away at our day jobs for 40 or so hours every week and society would probably cease to get things done for awhile. I know there are people who do get paid to travel, and while I admire (and envy) their lifestyles, but for me, currently, that's just not in the cards. I'll be reserving my travel to occasional weekends and work trips for now when funds allow, but I was recently lucky enough to be able to take a brief work trip to my hometown of Las Vegas. It feels like only just yesterday that Antho and I even made our journey up to Seattle, which is no small (or short) feat by automobile, and it took us three days of driving. Flying is certainly the more convenient way to get between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Las Vegas's own McCarran International Airport and only takes a few hours, time awkwardly wandering around waiting at the airport included. Given that I'll take nearly any excuse to travel, I was eager to take this opportunity and quickly agreed to fly down, even if it was only for a brief 48 hour window. I was able to see our good friend Mae, who throws some of the most ridiculously awesome parties I've ever had the pleasure to be invited to, along with our pal CeeDro, and I even got to devour some of my favorite tacos before packing it back in and departing for the Pacific Northwest yet again.

Flying from Seattle to Las Vegas is an excellent opportunity to witness some of the sheer diversity that mother nature has to offer, as you'll travel from the densely forested and mountainous regions up North to the Mojave desert's rocky, sandy expanses that are sometimes flecked with reds, purples or greens to contrast all that openness (or vice versa if you're doing the trip in reverse). During my flight, I got to witness snowy peaks, walls of clouds, the gentle transition of the landscape from one terrain into the next. I may have even squeezed in a brief nap, due to the fact I took the flight in the morning and had woken quite earlier than normal. Overall, I'm so glad I got the chance to fly down to Vegas for a few days and see some of my beloved friends once more, there's never enough time to enjoy the company of the people you enjoy!

A girl's gotta snack, and Waji's is an affordable option for a quick bite in SeaTac airport.

 Plenty more photos below!

Nevada: Boulder City, Summer 2018

Boulder city is a very small little town outside of Las Vegas, where gambling is illegal within the city limits, and there's only a handful of traffic lights (if that). It's a quiet place, where families that tire of the excitement (and crime) rampant in Vegas proper can go to escape the city, while still benefitting from the predictably arid, sunny climate and close proximity to all the entertainments of the city. I actually spent a few years living in Boulder City when I was younger, and was exceptionally bored by the quaint, quiet little town as an energetic teen. Now that I'm older, and presumably wiser, I suppose I can see the allure to moving out of Vegas for Boulder City, if you're 60. It's a great place to retire, and if you can afford one of the homes on the slope towards Lake Mead you'll have an excellent view of the dwindling resources at the bottom of the hill. Of course, the ongoing drought has impacted some of the landscape choices in the area, but there are still plenty of open, green areas where the Big Horn sheep of the area will congregate to graze and get their fill of grasses. In a town as small, and quiet, as Boulder City, it should come as no surprise that the cops get stuck playing sheep-herder when the stubborn sheep begin to wonder perhaps a bit too close to the nearby residences. 

If you like outdoorsy or water-bound activities, having Lake Mead in your backyard is certainly a boon, despite it's drying out. As bored as I was throughout much of my angsty youth, I have to admit certain gratitude for the friends I made in that little town, the experiences and mischief we shared in that safe little burb, and the opportunity to explore. I'm certainly not going to be moving back any time soon, but for old time's sake it was fun to breeze through. We didn't stop for lunch, like we normally would, as we'd had plenty of snacks out at the Lake and had been driving for a while by this point. We were more eager to get home and grab a shower than to get down on some grub. Given as much, the photos are going to be a bit scattered. Still, I hope you enjoy!

Las Vegas: National Atomic Testing Museum

Tucked into an innocuous lot off of East Flamingo road, it'd be easy to drive right past the National Atomic Testing Museum and never notice the presence of this scientifically abundant space. I can honestly say that we certainly did exactly that for quite a long time, before finally realizing what we were missing out on and making a point to check it out. As luck would have it, we found time to make the trip not long after our weekend out by Lake Mead, so after a long morning hauling through the desert, we found ourselves basking in the air-conditioning and soaking in the vast supply of information available. Despite eluding our awareness for some time, the Atomic Testing Museum is a pretty legit experience, allowing visitors a glimpse into history to the Las Vegas area that not many people know about, but continues to have an impact on our country to this day. The ramifications and reality of nuclear fallout are real, guys, and more widespread than their scientists predicted back in the heyday of atomic testing, impacting the states of Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico the most but extending as far out as even New York, though the proliferation of super-fund sites is a whole different problem in and of itself. You can learn about this sort of stuff at the museum, along with checking out some of the pop-culture memorabilia that has sprung up around it, in some way or another. We spent a couple hours wandering around, reading the various plaques and signs and trying to absorb as much as we could.

There are some thematic areas that might be a little spooky for small children, and the words to pictures ratio might not be favorable to young kids, either. For the literate, the curious, and the passing through, it's absolutely worth popping in to explore the Atomic Testing Museum if you find yourself in their neck of the woods. During the time of our visit, there was a woman have a very loud, very dramatic and very public sort of fit, screaming at her phone, a guy across the street, and otherwise making a scene, which was a little appetizer of free entertainment before even stepping foot inside the building. The museum is a bit more together, thankfully, and after obtaining your ticket from their friendly staff, you'll be soaking in the knowledge! You might be able to find a discounted ticket on Groupon, as we did, but they also partner with the Mob Museum to offer discounts for visiting both museums during your time in Vegas, or there might even be separate discounts still available for locals! It doesn't hurt to do a little research before your visit, after all.  

Nevada: Moonrise, plus Sunrise at Lake Mead Marina

When I was a youngin growing up not terribly far from Lake Mead, you could camp out right at the water's edge overnight, but the water levels weren't so dangerously low and the city's lifeline so perilously threatened back then. These days, you can find camping near the water in one of the designating camping areas, or stay overnight nearby in the city of Boulder City, where there's several different hotels, motels, and inns to choose from. We found a spot to camp out not far at all from the lake and nestled into our van for the night. There's only so much you can see in the dark of night, anyhow, so we went to bed fairly early after having enjoyed the moonrise and set our sights on exploring the lake come the next day's light. I've already covered some of our later escapades on the road trip here, but for the evening and sunrise adventures, you're in the right place. It was a stunning full moon rise as we prepared for bed, and when the gentle rays of morning jostled us from slumber we made our way to the marina and watched the sun come up over the water. Not a bad way to start the day. 

There are, of course, plenty of options for entertainment if you're looking to spend more money and time out here than we were. You can rent a kayak, jet skis, or go out for a cruise on one of the local charters, depending on how much time and money you have to spend. There are even a restaurant and small convenience store right at the marina, so if you run out of ice, snacks, bait or booze you do have a lifeline within the Lake Mead recreational area, at least during their hours of operation. We'd come prepared and simply had to find a pleasant place to park the van before strolling out for our adventures. It was summertime when we visited, so the heat rapidly increased as the sun rose, which was a major factor in why I spent so much time splashing around in the lake later on. There's a lot of wildlife to be found out here by the water, surprisingly, from coyotes to rabbits, vultures to lizards, and so many different kinds of birds. It's always nice to get out of the city and experience some degree of nature, even at a man-made reservoir like Lake Mead!

Plenty of photos ahead!

Vegas: DMV OOTD

What do you do when you're bored at the DMV with ample time to kill? Well, if you're Antho and me, you step outside intending to vape and coincidentally take some photos due to the snazzy lighting. We found a cozy spot in the shade and relaxed long enough to take a couple snaps before a security guard told us off for vaping near the buildings. Whoops! Now we know. Of course, we aren't exactly hanging around the Vegas DMV scene these days, but better we know. Knowledge is power and all. As for our trip to the DMV, it went well enough and we managed our intended mission with relatively minimal trouble. I tend to dress in a lot of neutrals and monotone, anyway, but I was specifically dressed all in black just in case I had to go straight from the DMV to my work, which had an all-black uniform. I guess it's chic, right? Slimming? Something? I don't mind it, really. You might think that as someone who makes tie-dye I'd be a walking rainbow dropping glitter and sparkles with each step, but like I said above, I'm really into neutrals. A neutral outfit lets whatever color of the week my hair is shine, after all, and it's easy to match when all your clothes are within a certain palette to begin with. While I'm not as defiantly minimalist in my closet as I would like to be, it's getting better in time. I'm more focused on using what I have now before I buy anything new, and so far so good. I've still got Heat-tech tees and tanks from Uniqlo from many moons ago, and while they still retain heat they're starting to go a little threadbare. When this winter is over, or the shirts give up the ghost, I'll gladly retire them to either rat-cage liners or another use and feel good about that.  

Anyway, if you don't smoke, don't pick up vaping. If you smoke, maybe try vaping. Don't vape in places where they don't want people vaping, like next to the DMV doors or something. Be conscious and courteous of where your clouds are going. Don't be that guy. 

Peace!

💖

XOXO,

NAU

Vegas: Lake Mead National recreation area

Growing up, I spent countless weekends out at Lake Mead national recreation area, often overnighting at some random corner of the park. Most of the time we'd be out, parked or camped near the water, with an ice chest full of drinks (beer for the adults, sodas for me) and a wind-powered vessel of some kind anchored on the beach, but sometimes we'd venture off to an island or cove. Regulations around camping were a lot looser back then, and you could freely park on the beach, but these days you're limited to the marked camping grounds. Times change! Around my ninth birthday I was "gifted" a small sailboat, which I've always suspected was more a gift for my adopted father that coincidentally happened to be obtained around the time of my birthday, since I had long expressed my near-zero interest in boats, being more of an artsy fartsy kid who spent their free-time deeply immersed in drawing, reading or writing at any and all given opportunities, but it afforded us even more excuses to get out to the water. As an adult, in many ways I really am quite grateful...the opportunity to meet and mingle with many different individuals, learning that there were different approaches to this thing called life than what I could see from my limited perspective as a child, expanded my worldview and openness to new and unusual people in ways that have profoundly shaped my life.  I also got to spend a lot of time in nature, discovering frogs, owls, crustaceans and spontaneous weather events that I wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to. For the record, though, had I actually been asked what I wanted at my ninth birthday, I probably wouldn't have said to get taken out camping with a bunch of drunk adults, one of whom sat on my birthday cake... That time spent around the water and among nature, though, has left in me a deep need to be near water bodies and untouched natural areas. It feels all the more ironic, and perhaps sadistic, that I spent as much time in the desert as I did throughout my life. 😂

Lake Mead, however, is a man-made reservoir about 40 minutes to an hour's drive outside of Las Vegas, so it's a bit of a respite from the desert climate, if only temporarily. Due to a severe drought over the past couple of decades, the water levels have dropped measurably, leaving a sad ring around the lake, like soap scum on an under-cleaned bathtub. While opportunistic animals, like coyotes, rabbits, and vultures, have managed to thrive, the dwindling water levels could bode badly for Las Vegas residents, along with those from some of the other nearby cities that depend on the Colorado River and Lake Mead reservoir for hydration and electricity. Things aren't exactly looking to improve in the coming years, either. Maybe it's the desert's way of saying we weren't supposed to settle here? It's dry, and maybe global warming is making it dryer... this isn't going to prohibit Las Vegas from growing, of course, with the acquisition of the Raiders, new stadium, and all that. I'm curious to see what the future holds for Vegas, but I'm glad I've settled somewhere a little less devoid of one of the most necessary components of life.

Vegas: Local style

Sin City, an oasis of endless opportunities for debauchery in the midst of a harsh, inhospitable desert landscape devoid of hydration or comforts. For all the fun and enjoyment one can have while vacationing in the glittering casinos, there is more to the city than the gaudy glimmering front portrayed for the world stage. When your luck runs out and there's nowhere else to turn, many people find themselves adrift, wandering the scalding hot, sandy streets and alleys for any meager measure of respite they can eke out for themselves. Las Vegas is a city built for the winners, after all, with luxurious marble and gold-studded suites larger than most middle-class homes, and expansive buffet tables groaning under opulent spreads with caviar and import delights. The idea of a social safety net, while mandated to some degree by the federal government, is not something that latched on especially well in this city. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Las Vegas ranks as one of the highest populations of people without homes despite being one of the country's smaller cities and things aren't looking to get much better as the population grows. There are homeless shelters, a 24/7 open courtyard with port-a-potties, and food banks, but they're often full up or devoid of supplies before the end of the day, and the local government isn't overly concerned with spending money on helping the unfortunate when there are literal fortunes to be made by catering to the rich passing through on vacation. 

This is not to say that there aren't people with good hearts living in the city of Las Vegas! There are truly some incredibly generous, loving souls that do their best to help their community and fellow human, like the Critical Care Comics group, among many many others. It's just that, when it comes to the focus of government spending, you're unlikely to find it going back into the local communities. Vegas thrives by appealing to and attracting visitors from elsewhere, bringing their tourist money to over-indulge and get away from it all, and the locals are more a necessary cog in the machine, replaceable pawns. Yeah, you need a local population to operate as staff for the many different restaurants and casinos, but they don't need to be especially well educated or well-off.  Given as much, it doesn't take much for the rug to come out from under many of the city's working population, and with the cost of living going up while pay remains stagnant, where do they go from there? It doesn't take a genius with odds to see that things are a bit bleak. 

I don't have the answers, I'm afraid. What I do know is that without sufficient awareness, things won't improve. Knowledge is power, isn't it? If you want to help, you can make a donation to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, or look into other options. 

Nevada: Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam is a marvel of modern engineering roughly a half hour to forty-five-minute drive from the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, proper depending on traffic. This massive feat of cement and hydro-electric power provides the literal spark of electricity that keeps the city of Sin sparkling away and attracting visitors all-year-long, powered by the Colorado River and the Lake Mead man-made reservoir. Unfortunately for the residents of Las Vegas, like your's truly used to be, the water levels of the reservoir have been dwindling away over the last couple decades to leave a depressing ring around the entirety of the lake demonstrating how high the water levels used to be, versus their current levels. As a youngling, my family would drag me out to the lake pretty regularly for outings and Hoover Dam would get a visit at least once a decade to make sure I was aware of and, hopefully, appreciative, of it's importance to the valley. As an adult, I'm still grateful for the construction of Hoover Dam and the cheap energy it has provided the nearby cities for the majority of my life. Having a power plant in your own backyard is certainly a boon, though many newer residents of the valley might not be aware of just how close their energy creation is to their home. 

As is the case for most of us, the future is uncertain. There have been efforts to push water conservation in all the areas that benefit from the Colorado River's limited supply, but as the populations continue to grow in the drought-riddled areas there's going to be ever more scrapping over ever-more-scarce water supplies. It's not just the city of Las Vegas that benefits from the reservoir, after all, but much of Southern California, Utah and Arizona get a boost from this nearby supply. For many years it's been a cheap and efficient supply, but when the costs go up? I'm glad I'm not there to find out the result... I don't know that it's going to go full Mad-Max style up in the Mojave desert, but I can't say I'd be the least bit surprised if it did. 

Also, as a long-time resident of the area, it's kind of crap in my eyes how they've started charging for anything remotely resembling Dam-accessible parking. If you're willing to wait and possibly fight a bus-full of tourists, you might be able to find free parking at an outlying area, but otherwise, you're gonna have to shell out for the privilege of viewing a National Treasure. Bastards. Last I checked, you can't even go inside the Dam anymore due to fears of terrorism. 'Murica, home of the scared-shitless, am I right? Vegas is far more likely to be attacked by homegrown domestic terrorists, as clearly demonstrated by the terrible incident in 2017.  But I digress, being a center of power for a large region of the American Southwest probably makes it a consideration, which results in the over-the-top security measures being implemented. It is what it is, I'm afraid. 

Vegas: Buzzed bands and blurry nights

If there's one aspect to Vegas to be applauded, it would certainly be the robust options for entertainment and debauchery that spawn up throughout the city like dandelions on a well-watered field. Any day of the week, any time of year, you can spend a short time ambling along Las Vegas Boulevard, weaving your way through any number of casinos, and find some form of entertainment that tickles your fancy, whatever your fancy may be. Perhaps you enjoy a nice piano medley over a cocktail, or grungy guitars dueling it out over a draft beer, there's something for everyone. As a long time local to the city, I generally made a point of it to try to avoid the Strip proper because the sheer variety of options leads to a densely packed crowd of tourists churning through the city on the regular. Some weeks you might find the crowd to be composed primarily of glitter and neon bedazzled dancers and ravers flooding the city for the Electric Daisy Carnival, other times it'll be hoards of billiard players and their teams in the matching uniforms, carting their cues through the casino. The endlessly changing nature of the crowds means that the entertainment options, too, will evolve to try to keep pace and entice each new crowd into spending their cash.

Constant sensory overload is the name of the game, so if you find yourself overwhelmed by the happenings outside on the street you will find no sanctuary in stepping indoors. The casino floors are often the loudest, flashiest, and most chaotic of areas throughout the entire Strip, despite how crazed the streets may seem at times. This may be explained away by the cheap slots and ample free booze that are available inside, along with the air condition's respite from the absurd heat baking the streets beyond. Cool off, or heat up if you're digging the cocktail waitresses' uniforms. There's always the strip clubs just off the strip on industrial if you're getting a little too hot and bothered and want a place to really delve in without the shame of a prominent hard-on in Bally's. You do you, boo boo.