Author: Wendy VanHatten

Travel writer, author, editor, magazine editor-in-chief, traveler, co-founder of www.forkscorksandbrews.com
Posted on by

Bienbon in Saint Remy

Bienbon in Saint Remy

On a side street in Saint Remy sits a small, inviting outdoor seating area for a small restaurant. Don’t pass this one up.

If the menu looked intriguing and delicious, it’s because the food is exactly that. Fresh ingredients that are well prepared greeted us at every course.

Their signature drink the night we were there was an interesting take on an Aperol Spritz. Refreshing. The fennel, sliced impossibly thin, paired with sweet cantaloupe that was sliced just as thin was topped with thin strips of Parmesan. A barely there dressing of lemon and olive oil enhanced the dish rather than overpowered it.

Poulpe, octopus, with corn cream and roasted padron peppers, was a delicious take on something you might not think to order. It was yummy.

Affogato with house-made vanilla bean gelato was just the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.

Learn more about Bienbon at https://restaurantguru.com/Bienbon-Saint-Remy-de-Provence

If You Go: Bienbon is located at 17 Rue du Huit Mai 1945, Saint-Remy, France

Posted on by

Hoover Dam

Recently we visited Hoover Dam. Not having been there for a few years, the drop in the water level of Lake Mead was significant.

This time, we took a tour inside the dam. Seeing where men worked to build this massive structure, learning how the dam was built, and viewing the dam from inside made us think about the years in which this was completed.

Some facts we learned from our tour:

Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Black Canyon of the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona.

The dam was constructed between 1931 and 1936, during the Great Depression. Involving thousands of workers from every state and materials from every state, the dam was built to control flooding, provide irrigation, and produce hydroelectric power.

Since the Colorado River had to be diverted in order to build the dam, four diversion tunnels had to be constructed first. Concrete for the dam was first poured on June 6, 1933, 18 months ahead of schedule.

Over seven million visitors a year visit Hoover Dam, with many of those taking the tour to the inside.

It is as tall as a 60-story building.

The base is 600 feet thick.

Highest concrete arch dam in US.

We walked through some of the tunnels.

There is a monitor for earthquakes.

If You Go: Hoover Dam is located 37 miles from Las Vegas.

For tour information, https://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/service/index.html

For more things to do close to Las Vegas, check out https://travelsandescapes.net/2022/06/13/bellagio-conservatory/

Posted on by

The Neon Museum

Lights are everywhere in Las Vegas. This is especially true at the Neon Museum, where a phenomenal collection of iconic Las Vegas signs is on display.

Founded in 1996, this non-profit organization collections, preserves, studies, and exhibits these amazing signs. The Neon Museum Boneyard is where we took our tour.

First stop, the Neon Museum Visitors’ Center, which is located inside the historic La Concha Motel lobby. This distinctive shell-shaped building was designed by acclaimed architect Paul Revere Williams. The curvilinear La Concha Motel lobby is a striking example of Mid-Century modern design characterized by Atomic- and Space Age shapes and motifs. Originally constructed in 1961 on Las Vegas Boulevard South (next to the Riviera Hotel), the La Concha lobby was saved from demolition in 2005 and moved in 2006 to its current location to serve as the Museum’s Visitors’ Center. References to many of the lobby’s original interior design elements have been included in the newly refurbished facility, with two of the motel’s original signs – the mosaic lobby sign and a section of the main roadside sign – restored and illuminated as part of the Museum’s rehabilitation efforts.

On to the Boneyard. Over 200 unrestored signs live here. Since we wanted to see the full effect, our tour was the sunset one. With everything being lit up, it was quite the spectacle. Signs I remember from being here as a kid sat along those more modern ones.

We learned stories about signs, learned their historical importance, heard about the personalities who created them, and the role each of these played in Vegas history. Not all signs were actual neon signs. Some had other lights or were powered by something other than neon.

This is definitely worth a stop. My personal recommendation would be to go at night to get the whole effect.

If You Go: The Neon Museum is located at 770 Las Vegas Boulevard North. For tickets and special events info check out https://secure.neonmuseum.org/events

For more Las Vegas info, check out https://travelsandescapes.net/2022/06/13/bellagio-conservatory/

Posted on by

Red Rock Canyon

Las Vegas has plenty of glitz, entertainment of all types, and neon. When you want a change from all of that, head west of the Las Vegas Strip into the Mojave Desert. Spend a day at Red Rock Canyon.

Red Rock Canyon was designated as Nevada’s first National Conservation Area.  Located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on Charleston Boulevard/State Route 159, this area is visited by more than two million people each year. 

In marked contrast to a town geared to entertainment and gaming, Red Rock offers enticements of a different nature including a 13-mile scenic drive, miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, road biking, picnic areas, nature observing and visitor center with indoor and outdoor exhibits as well as a bookstore.

In 1990, special legislation supported by the Nevada congressional delegation, changed the status of the Red Rock Recreation Lands to a National Conservation Area, the seventh to be designated nationally. This legislation provides the funding to protect and improve the area.

Keep in mind, you’re in the desert. The best time to visit would be morning. Take plenty of water, sun protection, and be smart about your visit.

We spent several hours along the 13-mile scenic drive, after first stopping at the Visitor Center. With indoor and outdoor exhibits, plant specimens, and live Desert Tortoise habitats, we learned much about the desert, the landscape, and the petroglyphs found here. Desert Tortoises wandered close to us, on their side of the fence. Surprising how fast they could move.

Along our drive we stopped to marvel at the different layers of rocks, the multitude of colors, and the amazingly different landscapes and canyons.

We took one hike to the Petroglyph wall, where we were able to see the historical wall art that dates back at least 800 years.

Reservations are required to enter the area, with timed entries given when you register.

For more information on reservations, check out https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10075177.

If You Go: Take West Charleston Blvd which is State Route 159 from Las Vegas. Take water, sun protection, and your camera.

For more things to do around Las Vegas, check out https://travelsandescapes.net/?s=Bellagio

Posted on by

Bellagio Conservatory

Bellagio Conservatory Display

If you have been in Las Vegas, you’ve probably been to the Bellagio. Their fantastic fountains out front of the casino dance to the music. It’s definitely a show to see.

But there’s more to the Bellagio than the dancing fountains and water show. There’s even more than the huge, glitzy casino. Look for the signs directing you to the Bellagio Conservatory.

This seasonally theme oriented display of flowers, plants, and lighting is worth walking through noisy slot machines and gaming tables. Every season, the entire display gets a new theme with a new name.

Currently it is the summer theme, “Jungle of Dreams.”  This display is all about paying homage to the animal kingdom. All 28 animal sculptures have almost 10,000 plants and flowers either on them or surrounding them. Be sure to take some time and walk around more than once. You will see something different every place you look.

“Reimagining the Conservatory for this new summer display was a dream come true for me,” designer Ed Libby said in a press release. “Working with the talented Bellagio horticulture team, we took a scene that is captivating, visual, and dramatic and brought it to life as only Bellagio can.”

The west bed features a 20-foot-tall lion and its 9-foot-tall cub on top of a giant golden frame. The lion is wearing a gilded crown while flamingos, parrots, and a toucan are located at a nearby waterfall.

On the east bed, there are four giraffes who appear to welcome you when you make your way through a bamboo gazebo.

A pair of zebras is the focus on the south bed. They both have 120,000 individually placed rose petals as each of their coats. Be sure to check out the boa constrictor lounging on a palm tree nearby.

The Amazon landscape is featured on the north bed. Monkeys swing from vines and a jungle boat appears to start its journey. Herons dance in the water as a lazy jaguar watches everything from a treetop branch.

ellagio

The Bellagio says the display features more than 9,200 plants and took 10,000 working hours to create.

We were there one day when they were unloading crates of flowers, wire frames, and boxes of plants. The next day, the entire Conservatory was transformed into the Jungle of Dreams.

Quite the show. Even in a city of shows. For more Vegas attractions, check out https://travelsandescapes.net/