Tag: travel blog

Orange Beach Vacation Photos

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Orange Margaritas photo from my cousin and her husband’s date night in OB

Here are some photos from Orange Bach 2021 with Family.

We stayed in a 4 bedroom, five bathroom beach condo. It was lovely!

Views from the condo. We saw schools of STINGRAYS everyday and even saw some jump out of the water. We saw dolphins each day and early in the mornings they really showed out jumping out of the water. Magical. Breathtaking. Beautiful.

Above: A Night in White and Blue: Dinner at Cobalt was exceptional.

Above: This was the Tiki Boat Tour and it was like a mini party on the water.

I definitely caught some breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.

Favorite photo captured of my cousin and me.

Certainly, we will return next year as this vacation is our wind down vacation. We had meals at the condo, movie night, and plenty of down time. My favorite times were in the morning catching the sunrise, meeting the other early risers in the kitchen and onto the balcony to soak in tranquility.

~Nikki

Travel Confetti: Vegas, the Usual Frontier

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In my casino resort, there was the temptation of this place and not the slot machines. Every day I passed by this place and STOPPED for ice cream!

My three moods while waiting for coffee to brew in the morning.

If you are a foodie, Las Vegas is the place to get your gastro grub on! So many restaurants, so little time!

Lots of Creative Spaces utilized in Vegas.

The Mob Museum

The most interesting part of my trip was The Mob Museum. If you want to talk about organized crime, the mob museum is the place to understand where it all started. The Italians and the Jews, the Irish mobsters and gangs were a very very violent and ruthless group of people. They had the means and money to import illegal things into the country and they did. I find it normal how these gangs are glamourized and many look at the violence in the cities, such as Chicago, as if these gangs have anywhere near the capacity to do what the mob did and continues to do.

Freemont Street

Vegas during the pandemic was different but, I still had so much fun making memories with my family and friends. We made sure followed the protocols and the places we visited did as well. I felt safe the entire time and remained vigilant.

~Nikki

Where Have You Been Nikki? Vegas In A Pandemic

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Las Vegas

Where have I been? M.I.A indeed. I took the yearly trip to Vegas with family, half of the crew, during the pandemic and it was STILL a great trip. I was nervous as one should be during these uncertain times but, from the time we left things were in place from the airlines to the resorts, the city of Vegas and the businesses that we went to. They all had Covid protocols and were very strict about it. However, the Vegas hospitality remained in place.

That is my view from the room. The hotel is one that I really don’t like but, it was chosen as a throwback before the pandemic hit. And although it’s my least favorite because the rooms need a MAJOR overhaul, it is the best location and is connected to some of the best resorts. It also has great food accesses within the hotel itself. And, if you are on the Resort side you have a better view of the mountains.

I enjoyed waking up to the mountains, watching the sunset over the mountains, and getting so much inspiration from watching each day of sunrise and sunset bring a different view and mental perspective. It was less crowded but, still crowded. It was seeing Vegas in a way will probably NEVER see it again. It was not people on top of people and I liked being able to move easily through the casino, resort, streets, and shops.

These are photos from my first evening there.

We had reservation at the Beer Park Rooftop and it was an awesome view of the strip and the food was really good!

I will share a bit more next week but, just wanted to say hello and let you know that I am still here. All is well! It just takes a while to recover for one that has Rheumatoid and Fibromyalgia. There is much to discuss!

~Nikki

Vegas, Fashion, and RA/RD

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It’s a yearly tradition now for some family and friends of ours to visit Vegas for a little getaway. I haven’t given it up yet because of Rheumatoid and Fibromyalgia, but I have learned to adjust and prepare. We visit the sites, shop, walk the strip, party some, and dine. We relax and recoup. Some from a heavy night of partying and me, from the toll of doing more than the usual activities and from wearing heels!

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The things I did differently were:

  1. I didn’t forget my hot/cold pack
  2. I brought flats, fold-able flats that fit into my purse for the nightlife. I wore them to walk to and from the club and event. When I was at the event I took of my heels and put on my flats. Same thing to see an entertainer at the club. I was not as nearly as swollen or in pain as I was last year!
  3. I lowered a pair of my heals, but I didn’t compromise cuteness. The red heels in the first photo are from Target.
  4. I used gel inserts for heels.
  5. I didn’t try to cram 100 events into our day and I left evenings open for rest or doing whatever one wanted to do.

This really helped as far as my health and well being was concerned. I was not stressed or in so much pain I couldn’t enjoy my getaway. I didn’t feel like I was holding my family and friends back from doing what they wanted to do (Although, they constantly checked on me and I didn’t mind that at all). They never complain about me and show compassion and understanding if anything. I try to be calm so they will be calm and not worry. I can take care of myself most of the time. 🙂

Jeans, my 49er gear, and black Nikes with orthopedic approved inserts. Listen, I don’t care what age you are, taking care of your feet will benefit you in the long run and it will prevent or help improve your daily activities. I never wore heels everyday when I had the opportunity to do so. I only wore them occasionally during the week and mostly on the weekends. I don’t need heels to grocery shop or to shop at the mall. It’s foolishness at it’s best. And I am a shoe addict. However, there is no honor in ruining your feet for fashion and suffering unnecessarily thinking it’s the only way to look good everyday.

The red heels with the chunky heel are from Target and are trendy right now.

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Both dresses were ordered from Amazon. Yes, Amazon and were about $25 each. I took a HUGE gamble here. I read the reviews to order a size up, which I did and I am glad I did! Also, there were photos and stories of clothing not being well constructed, arriving ripped, and even with deodorant stains!!!! (faints) However, I went with the ones with the best reviews and photos to see what it may look like on. I am glad that plus size women  posted and gave their sizes because it gave me more accuracy than someone that is not near my size. I also looked at when the reviews were written.

The dresses arrived and I tried them on. They fit. I had to pin the black one and I had to snip some thread hanging on the olive green one. Other than that, nothing fell apart and I didn’t have any wardrobe malfunctions. I accessorized with what I had. I’m always looking ways to save money! Vegas can get expensive when it comes to food and drinks.

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Speaking of food, we made it to Diablo’s this year. We had been trying to go there each time, but ended up somewhere else. The food was delicious. The service was great. I also at at Bobby Flay’s Mesa inside of Caesar’s Palace. The chicken and black bean quesadilla was better than I expected and I expected it to be good. IT WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!! The service was great, also. I have no complaints about my dining experiences in Vegas.

Vegas is loads of fun and we visited the Shark Reef aquarium in Mandalay Bay. It has more than sharks! I have video of the sharks but was unable to load them to this platform. The architecture, the other ocean and wildlife were worth the visit. It’s great for adults and children.

 

I enjoyed Vegas as always and I hope I can continue the tradition started by my brother and I.

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~Nikki

 

 

Paris. Take Off or Not?

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Arrival. Finally. The first thing we see is the Arc.

WE MISSED OUR FLIGHT! First of all you wouldn’t believe the drama and trauma we went through to get here. Flight delayed in Memphis for 2 hours! Then we sat for an hour and a half on the plane. Then diverted to Charles Town, West Virginia for 45 minutes. We made it to Newark and we knew the flight was gone and they delayed waiting on us. They said it was room on the next flight, but on arrival the bridge to let us off got stuck and by the time that was over seats were gone. I broke down crying at the counter. I was beyond stressed. The man put us on standby before booking us a room until next day. We get to the gate, last night and they told us others before us, but I said no we have first. Then they said only one of us. I said nope! Can’t leave my daughter. Again, I sat there and cried and was praying the whole time. Then BOOM they call our name. We get the good seats on the 747. They feed us good. I pass out from exhaustion, but my body was not in pain. Get to Paris and luggage is in Chicago. I blame Memphis because that girl was half doing her job when she tagged it. They comp us to buy anything we need up to $100. Luggage will arrive at hotel tomorrow. We are in our Uber and he speaks little English, but is very nice and is telling us many things. He speaks the language of Congo and French. He is from the Congo. We are laughing at the language barrier. The lady on the plane next to me was so nice and calmed me down. It’s crazy the madness yet we are here. We are safe. We are happy. (Taken from my Facebook page as I documented my journey).

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Marvelous view from our hotel!

~Nikki

Vegas: Arrival, Luxor, Sight Seeing, Food

FOOD, TRAVEL, Uncategorized

I have been silent for a while because I have been busy crocheting holiday orders AND I finally got a chance to go back to Vegas. A trip we use to take every year before Rheumatoid Disease came back. Right, who knew it could come out of remission. I sure didn’t! This trip was expanded beyond my brother and I to more family members. The same crew we went to Orange Beach with.

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The bonus for me was on the night we were looking to party and let our hair down was a night that Lil’ John was scheduled to come to Hakkasan as the guest DJ. Well, I have been trying to catch him there for a long time, but it was never when we planned to go. This was a bonus! We did a shorter visit than usual because my brother wanted to be cheap and fly Allegiant. They do not have many flight time options like Delta or Southwest. We usually stay 4 days and 3 nights PLUS we arrive in the middle of the day instead of in the middle of the night.

But, the bonus was going with a group of family that had never flown before and had never been to Vegas. We had soooooo much fun and the night we partied was EPIC! But it all started at the airport where we had drinks, met a guy that was a promoter who actually worked at the night club we were going to, and we wore our custom made shirts. We stepped off the plane, put our bags down, and hung out into the wee hours of the morning. This photo below is one of my cousins and as you can see we love to take pictures. Our shirts were made by a good friend of mines Key’s Krafts. I am from Memphis and we call it the M-Town.

The next morning we did some exploring and also on Sunday.

 

Oh, the Hotel we stayed in was the Luxor. I have seen it numerous times and been there before. It’s connected to the place we stayed on our very first trip to Vegas which is Excalibur. They have since added what are called the towers and this is where we got the best deal and great rooms! However, the King room I booked was not available when I arrived. I was given a Queen double bed room and a comp for a buffet meal. I had the option to move to the King room the next morning, but after thinking about it I stayed on the ground floor. I have had some great views from higher floors, but when I looked out of my window that morning I liked what I saw. There was a little rock and shrub garden and you could see the hieroglyphics. I liked looking at the Sphinx. I also saw a hummingbird that morning! And I considered how much I like to shop in Vegas and bringing all of those bags to the first floor was convenient!

These are a few photos of the Luxor.

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It obviously has the Egyptian theme nailed. Customer service was perfect and staff was friendly. There were plenty of places to eat inside of the hotel and because it’s connected and very close to four other hotels, finding food was not a problem. The buffet at the Luxor is really good and worth the money. Also, with two Starbucks and plenty of other options in the food court you could not go wrong.

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The food from Excalibur’s Steakhouse was PERFECTION. Everyone in the group savored their meals and handcrafted cocktails. I had the Roasted Pineapple Martini and Salmon with Asparagus (Asparagus cooked right!).

Well, this is all for today. I will post another blog tomorrow or Monday on Vegas: Vegas Nightlife, Fashion, Rheumatoid Disease & Fibromyalgia. (The aftermath).

~Nikki

Confetti Travel: Orange Beach & Family PT 1

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What an amazing trip with family (mostly cousins)! Our corner condo was fabulous with a wrap around balcony and perfect view of the gulf shore.

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A group of cousins got together and decided we should take a trip. Florida was on the table but, Orange Beach seem to be the best option. I knew they would enjoy it and they did. I went a few years ago and the best part of that trip for me was being able to wake up and see this view. This year I had the best experience of waking up to people who truly care and love me, their wonderful company, 98% drama free, and sleeping next to the gulf. I woke up every morning and took pictures of the sunrise and on the last day we saw sharks and dolphins.

 

 

 

 

 

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A captured moment of my brother’s girlfriend. She had no idea I was taking this photo.  

 

 

 

Every morning we had breakfast together. We had mimosas and fruit on the table. This was a bonding moment and beautiful memory. But, not before I had my coffee on the balcony while most were sleep, watching the sunrise, and taking my stroll on the beach in the cool of the morning.

 

As they say; “But first, coffee!”

More photos to come…

~Nikki

 

 

Smokey Row Coffee Co. Oskaloosa

FOOD, TRAVEL, Uncategorized

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We pull into Oskaloosa, Iowa late night on a drive from Memphis, TN and suddenly I perk up as we cruise down Market Street. What’s that? A coffee house? I will be back in the morning!

We were only in Iowa overnight as I rode with my brother to pick up my nephew from William Penn. We stayed at my second family’s house which is a home away from home. I went to “my” room and once I was underneath “my quilt” I was fast asleep. After getting ready the next morning I headed to this coffee house. It is huge with plenty of room, coffee, and uniqueness. I was overwhelmed and I am sure everyone knew I was a tourist as I snapped pictures of everything. The service was fast and as friendly as one could be on a Saturday morning. The hustle hand yet to bustle but, all of that changed as it neared 9:30 a.m.

Caramel flavored coffee was my choice and what a delicious blend! The caramel was subtle and not overpowering. I like to be able to taste my coffee and flavor at the same time. Each table in the shop is different, nostalgic and coffee related. I thought that was so cute!

And the menu…Breakfast all day, Lunch, Dessert, Kids Menu, Dinner…you name it! It was better than a Starbucks (No shade! I still love you Starbucks). It wasn’t carbon copy and I love the sunlight coming through the huge windows and so many places to go within. A parlor-ish feel for a coffee place is really different. I like different. A book vault? Upstairs? A stage for lets say…a live local band? Yes. All of that and more.

Fancy that. I purchased a mint green mug and a sconce. I eyed a big hunk of tiramisu but, decided next time and by next time I mean fall. I hope to be able to linger a bit longer with laptop in tow and just enough space for lunch and a milkshake. I am sure I can walk those calories off in the square.

~Nikki

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