CAMPING IS A COMING!!!

Next stop, Jay Cooke State Park!

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/jay_cooke/index.html

Well before that...

I work.

Work.

Work double.

AND THEN SWEET CAMPING!!!!

Wilderness, starry nights, and outdoor happiness awaits me Tuesday.

Until then, "Would you like me to take your order?"

BRIEFLY BELFAST

It has a vibe. A low hum to it's nature.
A beating heart. An honest truth.

Which feels... And is felt

By those who find, Step foot

Hit the cobblestones

Of a city, With an air

Full of grit and grind.

As we walked,

Crossed paths with others

A reality of  true kind.

Conversations, moments of

Laughter, life and loss

float, push and melt

Til I'm lost in senses...

Starbucks and Trains.

A lady full of Belfast ways and sways

Strangely enough

Shared my birthday.

Jess from Australia

Is in love with Pat.

Yep I wrote it in the blog,

If she reads this,

(Though she doesn't know me.)

She may not appreciate that.

Watched odd French television shows

(Men in pink wigs holding paper fire.)

With Bijou the Miniature Boxer.

(Who I greatly admired.)

A bar down the street

We scrounge for the pounds

(Damn Euro.)

For another round.

Crying myself awake.

No shame to that

It was my choice

To open that certain floodgate.

Whiskey man's snores

And smelling the booze

(Suffucated the room.)

Seeping from his pores.

A shower at 2 am.

And bam!

Time to depart. Cause it's 6 am.

What I say is, Belfast

A beautiful, real spine

Backbone to yourself

You are on my mind.

MAIN STREET STATION CASINO BUFFET is TERRIBLE

The Main Street Station Casino, Las Vegas has a TERRIBLE BUFFET--wait, scratch that--it has a tolerable buffet for 12.99. 

The pizza is doughy but meh (edible), the chinese noodles are not as good as the Ramen you made in college or high school (or now perhaps), stay away from the OVERCOOKED SALMON (it was brown!) and stick to the garlic bread and the ice chunk soft serve.

The bread pudding was smothered, covered and suffocated by icing and was by all standards a 1 STAR BUFFET (OUT OF 5).

But for the price AND the service which was timely and friendly with a bright atmosphere, I will add 1 STAR.

MAIN STREET STATION CASINO BUFFET, Las Vegas-**

GOLDEN NUGGET CASINO BUFFET, Las Vegas-***
--They had fresh shrimp and excellent bread pudding but the service was lacking. Decent price for the food options. ($22.00)  

I am not a food critic but I was in Vegas, the LAND OF BUFFETS, and what was toted and tooted as being wonderful on the Old Vegas Strip was lackluster and disappointing (MAIN STREET STATION BUFFET). 

The Belgium Waffle at BINION'S CAFE, in BINIONS CASINO (Old Vegas Strip) is excellent and only $5.75. It's the batter. It's all in the batter baby. And the world should know about it!

Gnome Saying? Gnome Saying.

I'M IN VEGAS! Day One...

DAY ONE

HELLO VEGAS!

I am a first-timer to this city and so far it has not disappointed.

We did not stay up all night but I did eat a buffet, walk both strips, saw a prostitute get off the elevator with her very angry temporary employer, talked music shop with big name professionals (of course not realizing they are big name until after I've shoved my foot in my mouth), played the slots AND WON 5 dollars but eventually succumbed to the twinkly lights of the machines and put my money right back in, only to lose.

But that's part of the fun!

We are staying at the newly revamped Golden Nugget in the Rush Tower. It is connected to Fremont Street giving us easy access to the old strip and plenty of people watching.

And a new day has started so it's time to bust.

PS--The Golden Nugget Buffet has excellent BREAD PUDDING. That's a basis of a good buffet.

UK TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

When in Scotland please take a HIGHLANDS TOUR!

SCOTLINE TOURS

http://www.scotlinetours.co.uk/

We took a one day tour of the Highlands with the SCOTLINE TOURS. Our driver PETER was fantastic, knowledgeable and funny.

The tour started in Edinburgh and took us past CASTLE ANTHRAX (Monty Python!) to KILMAHOG where I had much needed coffee and saw my cow Honey who I renamed Fred.

From KILMAHOG we traveled through ROB ROY Country to the Weeping Glen of GLENCOE. 

Along the way we were informed about the true BRAVEHEART as compared to the movie. Scotland is grateful for the business and money it has brought them but the movie was factually, well, off. William Wallace's death was right though if anyone was wondering.

We stopped for lunch in FORT WILLIAM where we took in the beautiful BEN NEVIS, Britain's tallest mountain. All the mountains were beautiful and GOLD!

From there we made it to LOCH NESS (Lake Ness).

I did not see Nessie BUT I drank a double espresso, took a hike through the hills, and posed for many photos. I also bought gummy bears.

From there we hopped back on the bus and made our way back to Edinburgh, Scotland.

It is a 12 hour bus trip total.

Take my word for it, TOTALLY WORTH IT! I get severe motion sickness and I put this tour as one of UK TRIP HIGHLIGHTS!

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND PART 1

First thoughts:

Beautiful.

Friendly. 

Medieval.

Cobblestone HIGH STREET (Old Edinburgh)...

I pause there, reminiscing about the night we spent with my college friend Genean LaChapelle Fisher. She is currently finishing her masters there. And btw, she seems very happy which was wonderful to see.

That night we started at the bar 3 Sisters where drinks come in mini sand buckets and standing on an open patio when it's 40 degrees out is absolutely normal.  

I noticed that WE were completely overdressed in our jackets and pants as compared to the mini-skirts, short-shorts, and lacy tights I saw strutting around.

Wandering the streets and various bars we found our way to the bar, "Lebowski's: Not a Man- A Way of Life..."

A fledging fan of the movie I am, so a White Russian I had, with a sweet top of cocoa powder for a tasty finish.

Strolling back, singing Janis Joplin while prancing, we bolt into a convenience store WHERE I found my elusive (since Canada) SWEET SESAME CRACKERS and 4 Kinder Eggs (all duds).

And I'll pause here, with Edinburgh on my mind...

QUIPS FROM ENGLAND

There is a haunted castle across the road from the McDonald's in Penrith, England.

I renamed the McDonald's "Haunted McCastle'd."

Where to Go in England!

Keswick, England.

Go there.

It is beautiful country surrounded by green mountains, lakes, and waterfalls. 

Mindy and I accidentally climbed a mountain while looking for a tea shop.

We were following a map!

No tea. But we found sheep.

And Mindy hit her first summit.

It was an amazing day.