Palm Springs, Las Vegas

We decided to kick off our road trip in one of our favorite spots outside of LA, Palm Springs! Although it’s a bit sleepy and incredibly hot in the summer, we had come to love it! This time around we decided to cash in a few extra dollars and stay at The Ace Hotel. We hit the road mid afternoon for the quick 2-hour drive into the desert. We spent the entire afternoon in sipping Watermelon Margaritas poolside - granted it was too hot actually walk around the pool. Waterlogged but cooled off, we headed into town and grabbed 2 seats at the bar at Workshop Kitchen, followed by a night cap next-door at Truss and Twine. The next morning we packed up the car, took one last quick mid-century house tour and plugged in directions to The Cosmo Hotel on the strip. That’s right, next stop, VEGAS BABY.

The drive through Joshua Tree was once again bizarre and interesting, but I had my eye on the prize, the Seven Magic Mountains. If you are on Instagram, or really any sort of social media, you’ve probably seen a photo of these 25 ft tall towers of boulders painted in neon colors in the middle of the desert. Located 30 minutes outside of Vegas, of course, we stopped for a quick photo op in the 110-degree heat. They were quite magical and definitely worth the stop if you are passing through!

Tim hadn’t been to Vegas since he was 17 and was excited to experience the real deal over the age of 21. There was no mistaking we had arrived as we drove into Vegas and down the strip. My friends Megan and Emily had scored a room larger than any of our apartments at The Cosmopolitan, and kindly offered us their pull out couch. For those with pets, The Cosmo is also dog-friendly and comes with a box of treats for your pooch! We dropped our bags and headed out for some quick sight seeing…well, and gambling. A drink at the Chandelier Bar, a tour through the casino at the Bellagio, a quick stop at Caesars Palace, a gaze inside the Eiffel tower in Paris and it was time to start the night.

Emily made reservations at Beauty and Essex which did not disappoint. The food and cocktails were delicious and offered just the right amount of sustenance for a dance party. Sticking close to home, we skipped the line at Marquee and hit the dance floor. Around 3 am it was time to reign things in, and by that I mean a night cap and of course the hunt for late night food. Following the smell of pizza, we discovered an unmarked “alley” hidden in the Cosmo, revealing a secret NY style pizza shop. We headed home with an entire pie for a casual few hours of sleep.

We weren’t done with Vegas quite yet. The next morning, thankfully for the pizza, we headed to downtown Vegas to check out the Neon Museum and Fremont Street. If anyone has seen Chevy Chases Vegas Vacation, the giant neon sign graveyard is real and it’s awesome. You MUST book a tour to be able to get in, and do it in advance! Maybe we’re design geeks, but to us, these signs are some of the best old school art out there! The museum takes in all of the old signs from Vegas and restores them as much as possible, several into working order. It is a feast for the eyes and filled with so much history!

Riding on our old school sign high, we headed down to Fremont street, which we had heard had been revived and was worth checking out. Having little expectations, things just got better. There are incredible murals all over the place, small boutique shops, funky art, great places to eat and of course, all of the old casinos! If you head to Vegas, this is a must see and likely even more fun here at night. If we had 2 nights you would have found us at the Golden Nugget.

On our way out, I couldn’t convince Tim to renew our vows but we did stop at the Little White Chapel. Vegas, you get a bad rap, but you were worth the stop. Thanks for the hang over, off to Zion!

Hotels: The Ace Hotel, The Cosmopolitan
Restaurants & Bars: Workshop Kitchen, Truss and Twine, Chandelier Bar, Beauty and Essex, secret NY style pizza shop
Fun Stuff: Seven Magic Mountains, Marquee, Neon Museum, Fremont street