Tag Archives: Las Vegas

Bucket lists, road trips, and everyday adventure – Summer recap and fall sneak peak

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Goodbye, summer!
Golden Gardens Park in Ballard, Seattle, WA at sunset

Summer seemed to go by so quickly! It’s been a crazy summer for me – my brother’s wedding, only a few things off the summer bucket list (I’m never good at finishing those!), and a 3 week road trip with a person I barely knew (we met on my Austin, TX trip in the hostel a few months ago)!

There’s no way I can tell you all the good stuff (recommendations, travel stories, pictures, etc) in just one post, so keep an eye out for future posts as they come. For now, I want to give a quick recap of this season and a sneak peak at what’s coming up this fall.

Summer Bucket List Progress

Of the 15 items, I did 3 that I feel are actually accomplished:

There are a few others I sort of did but I’m not sure if I’m going to count them:

  • look out the window on the top floor of a downtown skyscraper (went to the top of the Stratosphere in Vegas, but I’m not sure I’d consider that “downtown” and went to the top of the Space Needle in Seattle, but wouldn’t exactly call either a skyscraper in the way I was thinking of it – super tall office buildings in a place that gives you a perspective of the downtown/business district of a city that you wouldn’t normally see)
  • write an article for publication (I wrote a more in-depth article about the floating sky lanterns for an online publication, but what I was really thinking when I put this on the list was an article in print)

Do you have things you want to do, but only a certain way? Sometimes I’m more picky than others, for example, I counted riding a camel at the State Fair, but didn’t count the skyscraper thing.

Road Trip… by the Numbers

  • 21 days, drove 3007 miles, visited 3 states (but mainly California)
  • Slept in 11 different places, plus 1 more if you count the one place we stayed up all night instead of sleeping
  • Met 2 famous people
  • Accomplished 5 official list items, and added many more retrospective list items
  • Have infinite stories to tell

Road Trip… by the Favorites

  • Favorite attraction/single location: Alcatraz – really want to go back during the day and see more/spend more time there (we did the night tour)
  • Favorite city/town: Las Vegas – this was my second time in Vegas and it still had its magic. We stayed with family and it was the first time on the trip we’d stayed in one place for longer than one night, so we felt really relaxed and welcomed. One of the best nights on our trip happened in Vegas. (Do you have a travel story of when everything worked out so perfectly and you had the best time?)
  • Favorite bucket list item accomplished: learning to surf (yes, even more fun than skydiving!)
  • Favorite “craziest thing that happened” story: You’ll have to ask me in person someday 😉 (it’s mean to tease, I know, but some things are just better told in person… or, if I eventually change my mind about sharing, I’ll still wait to get permission to share on the blog)

Of course, I’ll be updating you over the next several months on this trip and the rest of the things that have happened, but for now I’ll leave it at that.

What were some of the highlights of your summer? Did you accomplish any bucket list items?

Fall Sneak Peak

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Every day can’t be an amazing bucket list travel adventure, but we can choose to be a little adventurous every day. Starting November 1, I’m going to be hosting a 31 Days of Everyday Adventure challenge here on The Goal List. If you are interested in learning more and/or want to join me, sign up for the Insiders list to stay updated. (The Insiders list also gives you access to cool bonuses throughout the year, so there’s plenty of reasons to sign up!)

Looking forward to hearing about your summer adventures and supporting you in your goals for fall!

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Top 4 Vegas Entertainment Suggestions

Looking for some ideas of what to do in Las Vegas? Here are four entertainment options (three shows and one museum) that I went to see during my trip in March. (Bonus: They’re family friendly.)
Please leave a comment and let me know your top Vegas entertainment suggestions.

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

Titanic Exhibition Store, Luxor

Gift shop replicas of artifacts recovered from the Titanic (photos aren’t allowed in the museum itself) – Photo credit: InSapphoWeTrust on Flickr – Used unmodified under CC BY-SA 2.0 license

You’ll feel really close to this tragic event when viewing artifacts from the Titanic, stories of the ship and the people on board, and exploring the museum structure, which is a walk-through simulation of parts of the Titanic. Each admission ticket comes with a boarding pass with the name and class of one real-life passenger, so as you go through the museum you can see the type of room they would have stayed in and then at the end, you reach a board with the names of survivors and victims so you can tell if your passenger survived or not. This was a really interesting museum, and takes about two hours to go through if you read everything. For those who loved the movie, you will love the museum. For those who hated the movie: fear not – the museum is strictly about the real-life events, no Leo DiCaprio pictures present.
At the Luxor, open 10am to 10pm daily (last admit at 9pm). Pricing available online, discounts available for seniors, children, and locals. Discounted tickets also available from third-party sellers.

V – The Ultimate Variety Show

This was filled with comedy and amazing talent. I remember seeing a YouTube video of Wally Eastwood a long time ago, so it was fun to see him perform live as he hosted the show. A rotating cast makes this show different each time you see it. Highly recommend!
At Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile, shows nightly at 7pm and 8:30pm. Pricing available online. Discounted tickets also available from third-party sellers.

Jeff Civillico Comedy in Action

Juggling comedian, with plenty of physical humor, stunts, balancing tricks, and audience participation. A super entertaining and very funny performance from one of the youngest headliners on the Vegas strip.
At the Paris Las Vegas, shows at 7pm Wednesdays. Pricing available online. Discounted tickets also available from third-party sellers.

KA by Cirque du Soleil

Two royal twin siblings get separated when the rival fire nation attacks. KA is the story of the difficulties the twins face as they fight their way back to each other and take back control of their kingdom. You can expect acrobatics, gymnastics, martial arts, tumbling clowns, pyrotechnics, and great music.
At the MGM Grand, shows Saturday through Wednesday at 7pm and 9:30pm (some exceptions, see site for details). Prices available online, children under 5 not allowed. Discounted tickets also available from third-party sellers.

What do you think of these suggestions? Got any of your own? Leave a comment and let me know.

Got Tips and Must-See Attractions for Vegas? Let me know

Las Vegas Photo Credit: Ruthanne Reid (thisreidwrites) on Flickr, Used unmodified under the CC Attribution license

Photo Credit: Ruthanne Reid (thisreidwrites) on Flickr
Used unmodified under the CC Attribution license

This spring, I’m going to Las Vegas, NV with some friends (going to Vegas is on my list). Here’s the status of the trip so far:

Limits:

  • We don’t drink that much alcohol (I don’t like the taste of alcohol at all, so I don’t drink alcohol at all)
  • I don’t really want to gamble (it seems like a waste of money)
  • We want to save money (but still have fun)

Plans So Far:

  • Cirque du Soleil show (on my list)
  • Fremont Street Experience
  • Walk through the themed hotels and casinos
  • M&M’s World

Here’s where you come in:

What would you recommend we do?

Have you been to Vegas before? What did you enjoy? What would you avoid?

If you haven’t been yet, what would you want to see or do when you go? (or what have you heard of other people doing?)

Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

Resource: Free Attractions in Vegas