The Season’s Best in the New Phoenix Desert

We were snowbirds in the Phoenix area for three years before we bought a home base at the Viewpoint Golf Resort two years ago. In all that time, we had confined ourselves to festivities at the Resort during this Merry Season—the Christmas Décor competition, the Christmas Train and Golf Cart Parade, the Christmas Bazaar, the Hillbilly Christmas Party, and the New Year’s Eve Glamor Ball. This year, besides these activities plus the usual neighborhood and friend’s private parties, we ventured out to the Phoenix area and found three events of distinction that make the Phoenix desert a special place for the season.

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

the Frog Dome by night

Every second Tuesday of the month is Community Day at the Garden. That is when the general admission fee of $34.95 is lifted. So, on Dec. 10, we put on our walking shoes and spent six hours on my first visit to the famous Garden that showcases the beautifully unique plants of the hot and dry deserts of the world. There are several trails: the Sonoran Desert, Center for Desert Living, Desert Discovery, Desert Wildflower, and the Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert. There is also a Garden Shop, a Patio Café, and Gertrudes, the Garden Restaurant where we had an early dinner to wait for the sun to set.

the Frog Dome by day

I was thrilled that, when we went, the Wildlife Rising by Cracking Art straight from Milan, Italy was being exhibited. 1,000 animal sculptures made of recyclable plastic—frogs, fish, birds, pandas, rabbits, foxes, and alligators—were on full display. It gave a wonderful burst of colors to the plants in winter. When dusk fell, the annual Las Noches de las Luminarias, the southwest region’s holiday tradition, was also on. The 140-acre garden was lit with 8,000 luminarias that are hand-lit. It was a day I will never forget. And we vowed to go back on one of the Community Days in spring to discover more.

the Tumbleweed Tree

Tumbleweed Tree in Chandler

The Christmas tree has been a hallmark of any holiday celebration. But at Chandler, Arizona, one of the cities around the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, it is uniquely special. Standing over 50 feet tall, the Tumbleweed Tree has been a Chandler tradition since 1957. This ‘holiday tree' begins with 2,000 tumbleweeds assembled into a 35-foot tall wire framed Christmas tree, painted with 25 gallons of paint dusted with 65 pounds of glitter and adorned with thousands of holiday lights that give it a spectacular look, day or night.

We made it a point to see this tree personally and took pictures from all imaginable angles. But we were not able to go to the Tumbleweed Tree Lighting Ceremony. Accompanied by a charming lights parade, it is held on the first Saturday in December to usher in the entire holiday mood. It’s too bad we missed it because of a special event we had to attend. Already a  unique southwestern tradition, the ceremony also features many lively entertainment sideshows and a diverse array of specialty food vendors.

Lights of the World in Phoenix

map of the Lights of the World Spectacle

Would you believe the largest holiday lights show in North America is in Phoenix? It is located in the huge Arizona State Fairgrounds. Over ten million lights and lanterns are put on 65 dazzling displays in several exciting themes—Trek Across Europe, Isles of Oceania, Dinotopia, Christmas Dream, Animal Kingdom, America America, Golden Castle, and Oriental Aromatic. It opens at sundown and we were able to spend all of the four and a half hours until it closed at 10 pm. There were so many photo-ops and food options that kept us busy all night...all for the discounted $14.99 for seniors.

the entrance to the rides

But it is more of a kids’ haven because there are plenty of rides at the Children’s Playground and the full-fledged Carnival. On special nights, there are even Shows like the magician Marrl Lemm’s Show, “The Man Behind The Curtain,” the Puppetone Rockers' Show, or the Acrobatic and Sea Lion.  

Holiday Balloon Glow

There are more such events. We did not have the time to see the Holiday Balloon Glow where more than ten huge hot air balloons are flown over a shopping village complemented by 80 vendors and food trucks. The Phoenix Zoo, on the other hand, sponsors Zoolights with millions of lights in 700 dazzling displays, music and light shows synchronized with 15,000 lights, and wildlife that glow. We have them lined up for next year plus the Tumbleweed Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Phoenix Zoolights

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Prepare to Be Dazzled at Mazatlan’s Carnival

…and Witness Mexican Culture at its Best!

This is my third time in Mazatlan but I always went in the Fall. Luckily, we came in winter this time and ran right smack into the Carnaval de Mazatlan 2019.  It is reputed to be the third largest carnival in the world, after Rio and New Orleans. We have been in Mazatlan for ten weeks by this time so it was but natural for us to have learned a lot about Mexican culture. But at the Carnaval Parade, it was encapsulated in dazzling hours of pageantry from 5-10 pm. We saw the best of Mexican culture.

dramatic sunset

This year’s theme was Equinox and the Parade started near the Diver’s Point on the Malecon. It traveled along the Avenue del Mar that hugs the long boardwalk. We watched the Parade from a raised platform built by the Hotel Hacienda, almost where it started. Jutting out from the hotel’s façade, our front row seats were a strategic spot from which I could take pictures of the floats and the people with the glorious sunset glowing on the ocean as a backdrop.

During the whole night, it became obvious that Mexicans enjoy music. This includes traditional Mariachi, Norteño, Ranchera, and Corridos. It was in Mazatlán that the loud, booming Banda music was born. In fact, bands are a regular feature at Mazatlan beaches. But at the Carnaval Parade, it was front and center. One of the most applauded floats regaled the crowd with Banda music played by a band from a gigantic platform on a very tall float.

"bullfighting" at the Parade

prized seafood on floats

The national sport of Mexico is Charreria, which consists of a series of equestrian events. But bullfighting, a tradition brought from Spain, is also popular. In fact, Mexico has the largest venue for bullfighting in the world, the Plaza México in Mexico City which seats 48,000 people. There is one in Mazatlan but the city has banned the sport due to the urging of animal safety enthusiasts. At the Carnaval Parade, the penultimate showcase was a surprising and entertaining mock bullfight of a matador and two huge “bulls.”

Mazatlan’s economy is built upon the strong foundation of agri and aquaculture. Being next door to America is, in fact, a major stimulus to the country’s economy and Sinaloa is so close to Arizona that it is even more pronounced here. The city is extremely proud of its seafood. On this previous post, I wrote about Mexican food and mentioned that Mazatlan is the “shrimp capital of the world.” Many floats featured the prized seafood: pulpo (octopus), langosta (lobster), delfines (dolphins), etc. in contrast to the others that put Mexican beauties on pedestals. 

Mexican beauties on pedestals

Of course, Bill preferred those ladies to the bulls and the seafood! But both will not win against the favorite drink. Pacifico beer, the most popular Mexican beer, was founded in Mazatlan in the 1900s by German settlers. At the Parade, there was a special viewing platform for their people. In fact, because they partly sponsored the event, it was a huge Pacifico float that started the parade.

The dancing horses of Mazatlan ended the Parade. That’s when we started to walk back to the hotel as there was no taxi or pulmoniya around. It took us about an hour to reach the roundabout where the Carnaval Parade was just turning right at Avenue Rafael Buelva to go to its end point, Old Mazatlan near the Catedral. On the walk, we saw hundreds of thousands of Los Mazatlecos, families having spontaneous parties with food they had brought (or bought from the many street food kiosks on the main avenue and all its side streets), senoritas and senoritos dancing to the loud Banda music on the street, children collecting confetti so they can throw them again, and chairs seeming to float on their own as they were being carried on shoulders back to the cars.

picking up confetti to throw again

The Parade was well staged and directed. It brings to mind Mexico’s outstanding film industry that has produced Oscar winners in the Best Director category like Alfonso Cuarón who just won for Roma (which also won the Best Foreign Film category). The outstanding color and creativity all along the Malecon also brought to mind the famous  Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.

Mexican History on a Float

Mexican culture reflects the country’s complex history: the Aztec and Mayan roots that became an important cradle of civilization, the 300 years of Spanish rule and influence, and the turbulent road to independence. In one night, the warmth and expressiveness of the Spanish and the creative and artistic bent of the indigenous were meshed and on display. We were prepared to be dazzled at the Carnaval Parade. And we witnessed the best in Mexican culture.

POSTSCRIPT

One of the floats seemed to caricature the President of the US with whom Mexico seems to have a tenuous relationship. You be the judge!

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USEFUL SPREADSHEET+RESOURCE LIST FOR MAXIMIZING FUN ON THE GO

with the Naked Cowboy in New York City

These are the words I found in dictionary.com that define FUN:  what makes you smile/laugh/feel happy; not necessarily free-spirited or structured, ordinary or out-of-the-ordinary, just lighthearted or deeply intense, simply the first time and pioneering or repetitive and memorable, or alone or with someone.  This string of contrasting words led me to create a spreadsheet to remind me of ways to have fun whenever and wherever I am. This would be useful so I don’t do the same things again and again and later find I've been forgetting others.  

There are two columns: Alone or With Someone. There are four categories on horizontal rows, each one with contrasting perspectives, each one with a different color of text: 1) free-spirited or structured, 2) ordinary or unordinary, 3) light-hearted or deeply intense, and 4) first-time or repetitive. The only criterion I had for filling up each cell is FULL ENJOYMENT, not wealth production, not knowledge generation, nor reputation building.

MY SPREADSHEET FOR FUN

       

                                               Alone                                            With Someone

1.   Free-spirited               Writing a blog post                           Tubing, canoeing or kayaking

                                   Taking photos                                    Hiking a little-known trail  

Structured                  Attending a local talk                         Playing cards, local games, etc.

                                   Hearing a good homily                      Local dancing

2.   Ordinary                     Planning/cooking meals                    Local dining,  Having cocktails

                                   Reading a book                                 Dogs & s’mores around a campfire

                                   Working out at the gym                     Watching a movie

Unordinary                 Planning trips/parties                        Going to a local theater  

                                   Finding a bargain                              Visiting a museum    

3.   Light-hearted              Riding a carousel                              Having a picnic

                                   Learning to Cook a Local Dish         Karaoke/jam session

Deeply Intense           Playing video games                        Managing a complex project 

                                   Sketching/painting                            Dining potluck style

4.   First-time                  Flying a kite                                     Posing at the Arctic Circle

                                   Riding a bike                                   Riding a motorcycle or helicopter

Repetitive                  Looking for yellow things             Visiting family and friends

                                   Processing Photos                         Calling family and friends

MY RESOURCES FOR FUN

 

riding the Cadillac at the Ranch

You may say that the list is the same whether you    are on the go or not.  There is a big difference, though. You can definitely work on this list a lot faster while on the go because you are already in places that have the resources and facilities and the people around are most probably like-minded. The following paragraphs list three not so obvious resources that may be available wherever you go. They do not include sights and landmarks nor the amenities around your lodging of choice. In RVing, we wrote about the resources around campgrounds here.  

Anywhere you are, you'll find public institutions like libraries that are full of DVDs, CDs, books, and magazines to use. Visitor Centers are sources of info and discount coupons, great for outlying areas. Good substitutes for activities are community centers or senior centers (once we admit it)!  Colleges and universities are also great resources.  At Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, for example, we discovered the Bing Crosby House that stored much of the singer's memorabilia. Churches, from the small Quonset huts in remote areas to the massive cathedrals in large cities, have functions other than Sunday services.  An added benefit is that you will probably get more taste of the local culture in these places.

And, of course, countless commercial establishments fight for our dollars but let me cite those that are not so obvious ones. My favorite is to treasure hunt at thrift and antique stores, especially those that are found near affluent communities. Farmers’ Markets also give us valuable produce like big, juicy watermelons for just $1. We love to window-shop at sprawling malls that become great treadmill substitutes. Wide open drive-in theatres let you do your thing in the privacy of your car. When you run out of time to cook a meal, go into a Costco for some needed staples and have a round of the free food samples for lunch!

flash mob dance in old Vegas

But the resource you can always count on is your family or friends. Bill went back to his hometown in Pittsburg, Kansas where we found the best spot to camp in the whole wide world. Jack Dock, the husband of Rosemary (Bill’s sister), cleared out space on his driveway and extended an electrical outlet for us from his garage. In short, we were close neighbors for almost a month, reliving childhood times, sight-seeing together to nearby towns, alternating cooking meals, and playing lots of games.

PINNABLE IMAGE 

So what more can I ask for? There should absolutely be no more time for boredom.  The axiom ‘More for Less’ which I lived by in the corporate world, also applies in the cruising lifestyle. You don’t have to spend tons to enjoy any place. That makes Cheapskate Carol a happy girl and when I am happy, so is Bill. What are your definitions of and resources for fun?

4+ More Hidden Gems of Melbourne, on our 4th Deeper Look

Melbourne Museum, largest in the Southern Hemisphere

Bill and I were just going to sample more of the great cuisine available in Melbourne. But between lunch and dinner, we found more hidden gems in the city that you must include when you visit.

Little Italy

Little Italy is also referred to as the "Italian Precinct"(just like another area known as the Greek Precinct) where the city’s Italian community is centered. Victoria has the largest Italian-Australian population (around 200,000) and most of them in the suburbs of Carlton where the precinct occupies a number of blocks. Towards the center, on the corner of Lygon Street and Argyle Place, there is a small Italian-inspired plaza named Piazza Italia,  a joint project of Melbourne and its sister city, Milan, in Italy.

Little Italy on Lygon Street

And the large concentration of Italian restaurants is on Lygon Street. After going around and “analyzing menus, Bill and I chose the one where almost every seat was taken, Universal Italian Restaurant and ordered a combo of spaghetti and meatballs paired with red wine (a Shiraz) for just $13.99. For such a reasonable price (in Melbourne) we had a heck of a great Italian meal!

Carlton Gardens

The major landmark in the Carlton suburb, however, is the Gardens, a few blocks away. That is where Bill and I went after our hearty Italian meal. The Carlton Gardens is a World Heritage Site located to the north of the Central Business District whereas the Royal Botanic Gardens and King’s Domain are to the south. The 64-acre site contains the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Museum and Imax Cinema, an award-winning children's playground, and tennis courts.

Carlton Gardens, Royal Exhibition Building,
children's playground, largest IMAX, and the first computer

The Melbourne Museum is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere. The post-modernist building is designed both as a single building and as a network of buildings. An IMAX Theatre with the world’s largest 3D-screen is part of the complex. Aligned with the Italianate Royal Exhibition Building next door, two long high sloping blades rise up from the central entrance opposite the north door of the Royal Exhibition Building. A larger blade-like roof, like its neighbor’s Florentine dome, is a landmark.

Melbourne Gaol

Also a few blocks away from the Carlton Gardens and Little Italy is the Old Melbourne Gaol on Russell Street. It consists of a bluestone building and courtyard and is located next to the old City Police Watch House and City Courts buildings. First constructed in 1839, it was a prison between 1842 and 1929, holding and executing Australia's most notorious criminals, 133 of them by hanging.

Old Melbourne Gaol

Though it was used briefly during World War II, it formally ceased operating as a prison in 1924; with parts of the jail being incorporated into the RMIT University, and the rest becoming a museum. Paranormal enthusiasts claim the museum is haunted, with claims of ghostly apparitions and unexplained voices near cells. At its completion, the prison occupied an entire city block and included exercise yards, a hospital in one of the yards, a chapel, bath house and staff accommodation.

Several blocks to the west of the Carlton Gardens stands the Queen Victoria Market. On the way to the market, we encountered several interesting places which I will mention here but not discuss at length since we did not stop at any one for a long time. We were in a hurry to get to the Winter Night Market for its opening and our dinner! There was another street full of graffiti and art, a Christmas store, a fish and reptiles store, and a public bath!

street art, Christmas store, fish, and reptiles store, and a public bath

Queen Victoria Market

With 17 acres, the Queen Victoria Market is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. It has been listed on the Victorian Heritage Register as the only surviving 19th century market in the Melbourne central business district and is on its way to being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Eastern and Western Markets, both opened before the Queen Victoria Market, closed in the 1960s. Another two Victorian markets have survived, however: the inner suburban Prahran Market and the South Melbourne Market that is near April’s apartment.

Today, the Market is a major Melbourne tourist destination, offering a variety of fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood, gourmet and delicatessen foods as well as specialty delicacies. It also has a large non-food related market, selling a diverse range of clothing, shoes, jewelry and handmade arts and crafts. The doughnut van, known for its hot jam donuts, has become part of its tradition

Queen Victoria Market and the Winter Night Market, inside and out

On Wednesday evenings in summer, there is a night market which offers dining, bars, live entertainment and a variety of other stalls. Last June 7, a Winter Night Market opened (up to August 30) with “an exciting new lighting concept, quirky entertainers, live music, 30 global food traders, 50 specialty and design stalls, warm drinks, cold beers and raging open fires” all under one huge tent. 

Bill fell in love with the Sri Lankan chicken curry. I, on the other hand, could not resist ordering the porchetta. It is the Italian version of the Filipino Lechon and the Scottish hog roast!

It is at this night market where Bill and I chose to end our walking day with special fast food that titillated our palates. We began it with Italian food in Little Italy. Melbourne is truly a food lover's delight. 

4 Major Parks and Gardens of Melbourne: Our 3rd Deeper Look into the City

an oasis in the middle of the city

Curator's Rock, Garden Ball, and the Garden House

Southeast of Melbourne’s Central Business District is two giant complexes that are reasons for the city’s acclaim as “the most liveable city in the world” six years in a tow. Together, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Kings Domain form a giant oasis in the middle of the city. The Sports and Entertainment Precinct, on the other hand, is site for many Melburnian gatherings and events that contribute to a high quality of life. One lazy afternoon Bill and I roamed the grounds.  

Royal Botanic Garden

Australia's National Tree, a golden wattle, n bloom

The Royal Botanic Gardens of Melbourne is internationally renowned. Located on the south bank of the Yarra River, it consists of 38 hectares of lands cultivated with a mix of the native and exotic vegetation of over 10,000 individual species. A second area in the suburb of Cranbourne, some 45 km southeast of the city, focuses on Australian native plants and has won an award for the section called the Australian Garden which opened in May 2006.

Bill and I luckily chanced upon a free Discovery Tour of 1 ½ hours led by a knowledgeable volunteer. I loved the Herbarium, the Gardener’s House, and many native Australia and New Zealand trees, plants, and flowers that dotted the pathways and the large pond in the middle. I was also in this Garden that I found my first-ever wattle tree, flared with its bright yellow blossoms! It is the national tree of Australia and we would soon find it common on road trips in the countryside.

King’s Domain

Kings Domain surrounds the Gardens. It includes the Government House, the home of the Governors of Victoria. The park was established in 1854 and covers 36 hectares of lawns and gardens strewn “with non-native and native Australian mature trees, a mixture of deciduous and evergreens.  Around the Domain are scattered memorial statues and sculptures, each with their own story.”

Shrine of Remembrance, Sidney Music Bowl, and the Governor's House

On a high hill of the Domain beyond the south end of the Royal Botanic Gardens stands the Shrine of Remembrance. It was originally built as a memorial to the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I.  Now it is a shrine to all Australians who served in a war and is where ANZAC Day on April 25 and Remembrance Day on November 11 are observed. It is one of Australia’s largest war memorials.

On another hill beyond the opposite north end of the Gardens is the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Opened in 1959, it was inspired by businessman/ philanthropist, Sidney Myer. About 3-4 free, open-air concerts are held in a year, including one by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The largest crowd ever was the 1967 Seekers homecoming concert (200,000) listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the greatest attendance in history in the Southern Hemisphere in history. Other artists who have performed at the Bowl include ABBA, AC/DC, Metallica, Wings, The Beach Boys, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Paul McCartney, and most recently Bon Jovi and Kanye West.

Melbourne and Olympic Parks

Australia's heart of sports and entertainment is the Melbourne and Olympic Parks. It is situated east of Melbourne’s CBD, across the Yarra River from the Gardens described above. It hosts around 600 events and attracts more than 2.5 million people a year.

Melbourne Park and Olympic Oval

Most notably, it is the site of the Australian Open, one of the four major tennis grand slams. Other celebrated national and international sports events such as rugby, football, netball, basketball, cycling, and gymnastics. It also stages highest-rated artists and shows like Katy Perry, One Direction, P!NK, Beyoncé, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Disney on Ice. 

Melbourne Park includes Rod Laver Arena (15,000 seats), Hisense Arena, (10,000 seats), Margaret Court Arena, (7,500 seats), 2 show courts, 35 outdoor tennis courts, and 6 indoor tennis courts. Melbourne & Olympic Parks, which also runs the adjacent Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, also includes the Olympic Park: the AAMI Park (30,050 seats), Holden Centre, Olympic Park Oval, and Gosch's Paddock training fields. A major reconstruction was taking place and we were only able to take pictures from the outside.

Yoyogi Cafe in Chinatown

The afternoon was preceded by lunch at a Japanese café in bustling Chinatown. At the end of our roaming, we found ourselves at the Café L’Incontro just a block away from where we started, enjoying large scones and clotted cream. From there we boarded the tram to my daughter April’s apartment nearby, just about 6-7 stops away. It was a great way to spend a lazy afternoon!

L'Incontro Cafe's scones

Our First Great Melburnian Road Trip: Sassafras and Healesville Sanctuary

up in the mountains and down in the bushland

Tullamarine International Airport

On Friday, June 9, Bill arrived in Melbourne to join me. It so happened that Monday, June 12, is the public holiday known as the Queen’s Birthday. The second Monday of June is considered fine weather during the first month away from all the other traditional holidays and deemed fit for celebrating a Monarch’s birthday even if the sitting Queen’s birthday may actually be on a different date. In fact, the current Queen’s is in April. Thus, Bill chanced upon the only long weekend during our entire vacation.

We put the weekend to good use, regardless of Bill’s jet lag! April and Clint had not been to Sassafras in the Dandenong Mountain Range and the Healesville Sanctuary in the Yarra Valley. The duo became our first great Melburnian road trip. Before heading up to Sassafras, we passed by the home of my friend from elementary school days. There the famous brand of Filipino hospitality was on full display. The Filipino/American brunch was bountiful and they even packed all the leftovers for us!

outdoor cafe, specialty stores, bonsai garden, tea room in Sassafras

Sassafras

Sassafras is just under a half an hour away from their house and an hour’s drive from the Melbourne Central Business District which is only 15 minutes from April’s apartment. It is a township with a population of less than a thousand, located at an altitude of over 1,500 feet, near the top of the Dandenong Range ridgeline, a couple of miles south of Mount Dandenong, the highest peak. It was opened to small-scale farming in 1893. Today, the small village is a bustling tourist destination.

There are several boutique stores
where we browsed antique, art, craft

Sassafras specialty stores and our takeaway souvenir!

and specialty goods that are hand-picked and hand-crafted quality items, from wooden toys to potted flowers, fragrant candles, and natural fiber clothing. April fell in love with and brought home a top made from Austrian beechwood.  Bill and I found a book we will cherish, “In Your Seventies…and Still Having Fun.” And we had the traditional afternoon tea of scones, bread pudding, coffee and tea at the must-visit Miss

Maples Tea Room where we had to go back after an hour and a half for our reservation.

If it were not that cold, we could have just bought some ready food hamper at the delis for a gourmet picnic in the Village Green, visited the nearby Alfred Nicholas and George Tindale Gardens, hiked the 5-mile Sassafras Creek Forest Trail, or biked to the Skyhigh Observatory at the Peak. But, since it was a pretty chilly winter afternoon, although we were so fortunate it was sunny and not partly cloudy as forecasted, we simply drove the serene forest roads and occasionally ventured out to take photos.

Healesville Sanctuary

We drove down to about 9 miles to a foothill suburb of Melbourne and stayed for the night at the Ferntree Gully Hotel. The Healesville Sanctuary is just an hour’s drive from the hotel through the famed Yarra Valley, one of Victoria's beautiful wine regions. Over the long weekend, the specialty zoo teamed up with the giants of the Valley and staged “Wine and Wildlife,” featuring the best of Australian food and wine at the place where twenty-one threatened local species of wildlife are being saved from endangerment or extinction.

event spaces in the Sanctuary; Kyrie asking for more wine!

From 11 am to 4 pm on each of the three days of the long weekend, five event spaces showcased local wineries, craft breweries, and winter food while roaring open fires raged to the sound of live acoustic music. We had our fill of all the wine and beer tastings, free with the admission of A$32, plus samples of specialty chocolates. There were different dishes available for buying but we zeroed in on the grilled lamb chops with its sauce oozing into the specialty bread. We also wanted the braised beef and Thai chicken pies but they were sold out when we came up in line so we had the last three roast lamb pies!

a baby kangaroo in Mama kangaroo's pouch, a baby koala, dingos,
an Australian pelican, and lovebirds in the wild

But the best part of the day were the Australian native animals that are being nursed in the Sanctuary backdrop of the bushland setting. Kyrie loved feeding the hungry Emu, threw a tantrum when his parents banned him from mingling with the many kangaroos romping around, some carrying little ones in their pouches, and scared away many a colorful parrot by his eagerness. I had a heyday taking photos, including those of koala bears napping on the tree branches, the kookaburras on the old gum tree, the rock wallabies, echidnas, possums, dingos, pelicans, reptiles, the Tasmanian devil, and other Aussie wildlife. 

Such was my first weekend with Bill in Melbourne. It was a hugely exciting two days, the first of three great road trips we had planned on making together here in Down Under’s version of the Land of Oz!   

Our Lifestyle Adventures: Where Else Does One Celebrate a Birthday?

the skies at Caesar's Palace

at the Atlantis monument

Bill turned another page. He celebrated the 33^rd anniversary of his 39^th birthday, and we went on another road trip, this time to Las Vegas, Nevada for three nights and four days. Bill deserved the big break but contends that the party place is more my kind of town. And he is right but when the wife is happy so is the hubby! We booked ourselves at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino right on the Strip. We enjoyed a view of the High Roller at the back of Harrah's and next door Linq!  

On our first evening, we strolled in and around the hotel. But, as the weather was rather cold, Bill and I proceeded to The Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace to look for a sweater for Bill that was going to be my gift! Fortunately, we found a blue casual item at the Banana Republic. As we walked around, we found Trevi, with Atlantis as a background and the refreshing artificial blue and cloudy skies above the tables. It felt right, and we proceeded to have our a sumptuous Italian dinner!

Menopause the Musical

together with the menopausal ladies

Then Dick, Bill’s Sigma Chi Fraternity brother from Pittsburg State University, and his wife Marrene joined us. They had just come from LA. After snacks, we had front row seats at the 6 pm showing of Menopause the Musical. What a blast it was! Bloomingdale's is where the four menopausal ladies enact the entire show, from the jewelry, the lingerie, cosmetics departments, in the bathroom, beauty salon and restaurant. They bonded over hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, etc. to the tune of baby-boomer ditties.

joining the other menopausal ladies on stage in celebration of our freedom

They sang "Wish we all could be sane and normal girls" to the tune of "California Girls." "In the guest room or on the sofa, my husband sleeps tonight” was sung to the tune of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." "Change of Life" was "Chain of Fools" or "Stayin' Awake" carried the tune of "Stayin' Alive.” The crowd broke into wild fun when we got "My Thighs" instead of "My Guy" which segued into "Drippin' and Tricklin" to the tune of "Wishin' and Hopin.” We had our best laughs when "Help Me, Rhonda" became "Thank You, Doctor" for familiar mood-enhancing medication. " It was a riot to see plus-size actresses dressed a la Tina Turner in a micro mini or singing "Puff, My God, I'm Dragging" about working out. Other women's issues like chocolate cravings, vibrators and arguing with your mother followed litanies against hot flashes. But, later, they all morphed into triumphant celebrations of freedom!

the Birthday Boy having this day

It was very witty, very hilarious, and very relevant to me and the other ladies of similar age in the audience! So, at the end of the show, when the powerful cast invited us to join them on stage, I did not hesitate to go and wear the pin that declared, “I’ve Changed” and I am proud of it. Later, I bought the shirt that warns, “BEWARE: My Mood Swings!” Bill even had a photo with the menopausal ladies! It was just right that we ended the night with a light dinner at Sushi Roku across the street at Caesar’s Palace!

Bill’s Birthday Events

photo credit of the super bloom at Death Valley National Park: Washington Post

One of the activities Bill and I had planned on was to make a day trip to Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth, just two hours away from the Strip. The Park has come to life in a “super bloom”, after record rain last October, with the most desert wildflowers since 2005. The flowers were expected to stick around until mid-March but over the weekend, it rained and even snowed a bit, and they suffered. It was too bad that we had to scrap the idea because midway lies Pahrump, Nevada and that’s where a lady I met on my Facebook group, Living the RV Dream, camps at Saddle West Casino. We had both wanted to meet each other in person and my namesake Carol wanted an autographed copy of my book, Carolina: Cruising to an American Dream. In fact, she is a cheerleader for my next one, a cookbook. Oh well, next time or when we get to Oregon, her home state when we get there in October later this year!

the White Swan at Embassy Suites

In any case, Bill and Dick escaped from the clutches of the wives and went to see two games in the PAC 12 Conference of Champions (basketball). The Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament is the annual concluding tournament for that NCAA college conference that has taken place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena since 2013. They chanced upon Game 5, #1 Oregon Ducks vs. #8 Washington Huskies and Game 6, #4 Arizona Wildcats vs. Colorado Buffalos. Marrene and I, on the other hand, descended to the casino floors. I tried my luck with $100 of promotional vouchers and just broke even at Penny machines. Sigh.

a huge and hearty dinner @ Pampas Brazilian Steakhouse

the fraternity brothers with Toby Keith at his Bar

At the end of the day, we all proceeded to Pampas Brazilian Steakhouse in Miracle Mile beside Planet Hollywood. It was the first time for me to taste Brazilian cuisine and I loved the burnt outside of the meats served on large skewers, individually sliced for each of us. There were chicken breasts wrapped in bacon, filet mignon, garlic sirloin, tri-tips, lamb, pork loin, Brazilian pork sausages, etc. There were also lots of shrimps and we could all go back to an endless buffet of salads, soups, and pasta. We all had never eaten so much in one meal! So afterwards, we all went to the Toby Keith Bar and Grille at Harrah’s for drinks, country music and dancing.  

The next morning, we said farewell at breakfast in the Fulton’s Food Court between the hotel lobby and the casino. But it really wasn’t a tearful goodbye because, come October 19-22, we will be together again in Capistrano Beach, on our trek down the US West Coast. Their home is only thirty minutes away from the Riviera Shores Resort where we will be staying.  What a birthday Bill had and what a year it promises to be for both couples! Las Vegas did it again!

the High Roller in front of Harrah's and Linq, our hotel chain