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: Dive-in movie at the Boulevard Pool

Visiting Las Vegas in the summer season seems like the right thing to do for most visitors, as with the kids out of school it's easier to send them off to grandma's or drag them along for a family vacation, and after a hard slog of work the previous half of the year it's certainly about time for a well-deserved rest. Whether you can escape for only a couple of days or weeks at a time, Vegas in the summer is one happening place to be. It's definitely the busy time for the city, outside of major party holidays like Halloween and New Year's Eve... oh, New Year's Eve in Vegas is epic, believe me... but the peak of summer, when the sun hangs high in the sky cascading it's brilliant beams down to bake and sizzle all that summer skin on display is the main peak time to visit Vegas. Naturally, when it's well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (or around 40-ish Celsius) you're going to need ways to cool off. While out walking the strip you'll find a lot of streetside bars and venues blast cooling mists and fans, and there's a lot of air conditioned shops and areas inside the casinos and walkways connecting them to help, but nothing compares (to you) to swimming, dunking yourself heartily and bodily into a crisp, cool pool of glistening water. Never fear, my dears, because Vegas most definitely has you covered in that regard. Whether you're into dancing in the water, to EDM, reggae, R&B, whatever- or would prefer to lean back and relax while watching a movie, options abound. 

On this particular instance, my friend Blaze joined me to dunk our toes in the Boulevard pool at the Cosmopolitan for the Dive-in Movie showing of Ferris Bueller. Having already sipped on some seriously strong drinks from Fat Tuesdays, we were happy to kick back and put our feet up for the movie. We learned the hard way that it pays to get there early, as the Dive-in movie event is very affordable (and free to hotel guests, I believe) so it was very popular. The ideal seating, with waves gently licking your toes, was full-up when we arrived and we found ourselves some of the very laST remaining seating upon a top balcony with an awkward view of the movie screen. These things. We still had a lot of fun and enjoyed the night out and excuse to go swimming in a pool we might not otherwise have ever gone to. The Cosmopolitan itself is one of the newer casinos here in Vegas and one I hadn't been to prior to this evening, so it was a lot of fun for me to explore and I enjoyed spending time with Blaze, who I've known for ages. We went to high school together back in the day, and Ferris Bueller was a fittingly nostalgic film to watch with him. Good times! There's going to be several more movies showing throughout the remaining summer months, so it's definitely worth scoping out if you find yourself overheating and in need of a refreshing but relaxing form of entertainment.  

10 Things to do in Vegas this summer (part one)

If you're in Vegas this summer (you lucky thing) you'll surely be in need of some forms of recreational fun between benders at the buffets and endless rounds at the tables. Our summer months here are especially toasty and the sun shines bright with little obstruction throughout most of the season. Given our sunny disposition, you might want to get outside and soak up some of that free-flowing vitamin D that proliferates here! 

1. Dive-in movies at the Cosmopolitan 

Like movies? Like swimming? How about floating in the cool, crisp water while classic films play at the Cosmopolitan hotel? Win-win, guys! There's a range of movies playing throughout the summer months, from a Star Wars triple feature (heck yes) to Ferris Bueller, Forrest Gump and other sentimental or cult classics. There will invariably be movie-themed beverages at the ready for your boozing up, along with lots of cool water to dip in should you find yourself growing warm. Isn't this what summer nights were made for?

2. Intergalactic Art Car festival

If you're into fancy vehicles and fantastic creations, but don't want to deal with the crowds, travel or cost of Burning man to see their freaky art cars, you're in luck! The giant flame-throwing Preying Mantis (doesn't every city have one?) at Downtown Container Park is teaming up with Lyft for this psychedelic festival. They'll do a parade down Las Vegas boulevard (aka the Strip) to show off for everyone, before returning to downtown for the festivities at 8pm. 

3. Stop in at the Springs Preserve

Get away from all the hedonism and debauchery of the strip and breathe in some fresh air and floral scents at this lovely oasis of natural beauty in the city. Only a short drive from Las Vegas boulevard, all the major casinos AND downtown, there's no reason to miss out! Much more open and less crowded than the Bellagio's conservatory gardens, you can check out their butterfly habitat (for a limited time) or check out the rotating exhibits in their museum! 

4. Catch a 51's game during their last season at Cashman field

After this season wraps up, Las Vegas's own minor-league baseball team will be moving to new grounds for their games, retiring the historic Cashman field. While all good things do have to come to an end, you'd definitely be missing out if you didn't try to catch one last game at this classic field before they move on to newer grounds. You can find their schedule here. Get you a helmet full of nachos while you're there, because you deserve it.

5. Ditch the city for the mountains, like Mount Charleston

If you enjoyed getting away from the tourist centers of the Strip by going to the Springs Preserve and are willing to go a little further out of the way, hop into your car (or rental, Uber, Lyft, or even a bus) and head out for the mountains. There's a lot of them to choose from, and while snow may be a rare sight during the summer months it'll still be many degrees cooler than the city itself. There are log cabins you can rent for an extra-special get away. They're only about a 40 minute drive from the heart of the city, and well worth the journey if you enjoy the outdoors!

Stay tuned for the second half of the list, dolls.

Thanks for stopping by!

💕

XOXO,

NAU

Boulder Beach campout 2015-10-01

Back in Nevada, we set up base on Boulder Beach!

We were able to park reasonably close to the water, which was lovely.

While we stayed up for a few hours after leaving Willow Beach it was simply too dark for photos...

 Sunrise, however, was a whole different story.

A shame, too, because we witnessed a coyote prowling the beach a stone's throw away!

Louie had played his guitar for us, which seemed to incite the coyotes into yipping. 

I thought that was pretty neat, but our neighbors down the beach packed up and were gone within moments! Scaredy cats. :P Coyotes shouldn't be brazen enough to attack humans unless extremely desperate. There should be plenty of bunnies for them to enjoy by the lake!

More photos after the cut~