Vegas + SLC

I got in on Saturday and had a quiet rest of the weekend and start to the week. I mostly worked and watched a lot of basketball. I stayed at the Virgin Hotel again. Brian and Meghann got in mid-week so on Wednesday afternoon, the Hawkeyes men’s basketball team had their first round game in the Big Ten Tournament so we watched that from the Sportsbook at the Wynn. Since they won, we did the same thing for their game on Thursday afternoon, but watched that game at the Cosmopolitan Sportsbook. We had a front row seat to Fran's last game and ejection. Wild!

We watched at the Cosmopolitan because we had dinner reservations at a restaurant in Aria (which is connected) called Din Tai Fung. We shared some different dishes: cucumber salad, dumplings, noodles, fried rice…all the things! Meghann and Brian are Vegas experts so I was happy to follow their lead! They also knew of a few of the speakeasies in the Cosmopolitan and I wanted to try one out. 

We went to The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails which is a working barbershop with a speakeasy in the back where you enter through an unassuming janitor’s door. It was that dark vintage vibe with leather couches, chandeliers, and lots of wood. There was live music that was really good and an extensive whiskey and cocktail list.

I worked Friday morning and met Brian and Meghann out in downtown Vegas for the afternoon. We had a great time hitting various casinos throughout the day like the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino, El Cortez, Circa, The D Las Vegas, and Binions. I enjoyed seeing the Sigma Derby table at D Las Vegas - it’s a classic and still in the mechanical form. At all of these places, Meghann was on the hunt for Vegas Matt. I didn’t know who he was, but I also pretended I had my eyes peeled but was usually just on the hunt for the closest IPA!

I left those two downtown as I had dinner for one planned at Battista’s Hole in the Wall. I told Meghann I had to find some lasagna in Las Vegas and she recommended this place. It was exactly what I was looking for - that classic old school Italian restaurant with a lot of kitsch!

The portion of bread they brought me prior to the meal was way too big for myself and I ate way more than I should have because it was so good! The lasagna was also top notch and I was happy to get that in on my last night. Thanks for the accountability, Amelia!

I got all packed up the rest of the night in preparation for my flight the next day. It was off to Salt Lake for the week.

I said I wanted to avoid snow all winter on my travels this year, but that ended up not happening. It snowed pretty hard one day while in SLC. It was heavy and pretty and I definitely love seeing snow on the mountains. With some of the views there, it’s hard to complain!

View from Trinity's Hot Tub

This stop was just what I needed. I felt a cold coming on as I was leaving Vegas and that ended up being the case. It was nice to be able to have a quiet, chill week to be able to cool the cold down a little. It was also nice being able to have such a good caretaker. 

Ava - the best caretaker

While it was a low-key week, we still got out and about a little:

Copper Common: you may remember this as the scene of Justin Rose and John Barlow’s meeting to discuss the altercation they had at Angie and Shawn’s anniversary party. Below is a picture of the table they sat at. While we sat at the bar, we also enjoyed the smashed potatoes like those guys. At Copper Common, I did also learn that the Ferda IPA from TF Brewing HAS TO be poured into a cup. I like drinking my beer out of a can. When he informed it it had to be poured into a glass, I just assumed this was another state law but it’s actually required by the brewery. 

I was sitting at the bar over Justin's right shoulder in this pic

Stoneground Italian Kitchen: you know I had to check out some lasagna in SLC and we did not choose the wrong place. They plop that lasagna on the plate, throw down more sauce and cheese, and stick it back in the oven. It was amazing and the 2nd half made for a great lunch the next day!

On the last night, we took a drive up in the mountains since it had snowed so heavy earlier in the week. The accessibility of the mountains from downtown SLC is incredible.

We closed the final night with a soak in Trinity’s hot tub watching Drake in their first round game. GO DOGS! While they lost in the 2nd round, it was a great season for Des Moines' Hometown Team! We also wish Drake luck on their next coaching search!

Finally, I got to visit my first Maverik. Since they are moving quickly on the re-brand from Kum & Go (boooooooo), I wanted to scope it out. It’s all pretty standard and seemed nice. However…where the hell is the pizza?! There was pretty much no hot food when we went in there. I know Iowans probably eat at gas stations more than most so we're used to them having food, but it’s unacceptable to not even have a crusty old slice of pizza available. Casey’s would NEVER!

Next stops: Phoenix for Kylie’s birthday, Des Moines for work