Park County, Home Sweet Home ❤️

A beautiful day in the \240neighborhood. 9 degrees F

Chandelier Bar

@Chandelier Bar

✔️ Try a new restaurant. Lured by a promo for a free bottle of wine, we chose the restaurant inside MGM below the Hakasan Nightclub. (With the same name.) The food was incredible but the service was severely lacking. With dinner specials STARTING at $68, I didn’t leave feeling very good about what I spent vs the value and level of service.

✔️ See Lil Jon at Hakkasan + Dance

Notably I visited this club a couple of years ago with some 25 ye olds and was welcomed w open arms. This time around, the club employees (@Hakkasan) were bordeline hostile. We paid for VIP expedited entrance and still ended up waiting in lines controlled by bouncers with a God complex.

After finally making it onto the dance floor we realized said dance floor was too crowded to dance. I believe they call that a mosh pit. We tried to dance anyway but after getting pushed a few times we split to finish the night with some gambling.

Waiting.. and waiting in line

Inside Hakkasan

On the floor

There’s not much that Pedialyte, caffeine, and more alcohol can’t fix.

✔️Spa Day

Beautiful relaxing space inside the Hibiscus Spa

Yoga Studio, Hibiscus Spa

✔️Sky Bar

Entrance

Sky Bar, Waldorf-Astoria LV

Great view from our table

They also have a short list of appetizers. We had edamame, chicken satay skewers and a meat and cheese board (that is served in a bird cage, because why not?) Plenty for 3 people to share.

The vibe here drips class and old school glam. I have decided this is my new fav place to have drinks in Vegas.

✔️See a Show

We checked this one off in a big way..

There is a small theatre inside this museum where the performace was held. Note GPS takes you the wrong way- we finally had to ask for help navigating here. This lil gem was a ways off the strip but totally worth it. Cheap drinks to sip and interesting exhibits to check out before the show.

The um.. Headiner.

yes. That is his penis on the big screen behind him. This trick is called the “hamburger” for obvious reasons.

And what celebration of dicks just could \240be complete without this one?

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✔️ Walk the Strip

No trip to Vegas is complete without walking the strip. Sometimes you’re the spectaor, and sometimes you’re the spectacle. If you don’t know which one you are.. you are the spectacle.

✔️ Watch the Fountains at Bellagio

The magical fountain show at Bellagio can’t actually make all that money you lost at the tables reappear, but it can ease the pain. \240

cool park in the city with views of sky tower in the background

inspired by or inspiration for chihuly glass installation in seattle?

Didn’t live up to the hype. 👎🏽 Apparently they do chips better in AUS.

See the person? You can bungee off the top.

Reflection of sky tower in another building.

he’s jumping on the 38mm thick glass.

Nice portrayal of Vegas.

Beverly Hills 90210 anyone?

This was the coolest thing ever - an internet cafe inside a convenience store! love it!

Laundry ✔️

The super strong coffee was served with a side pot of hot water to dillute it to taste.

Breakfast ✔️

Today’s Goals

1. Day trip to Piha Beach ✔️

2. See the 1,000 doors exhibit ❌

3. Find a good chip shop! (Fries)✔️

Best part of the day?

She said:

If Heaven is a real place, now I know how it would smell, sound and look. 

The scent would be the same as what we experienced today hiking the mountainous rocky overlooks of Piha. It was equal parts of a rich petrichor-like scent, soft and dusty floral mixed with honey and vanilla, and salt. If I could bottle this I would wear it everyday. 

The sound of my heaven is surf like I have never it heard before. It was so big and so loud, that even from far away it was otherworldly. It sounded like the earth was taking ujjayi breath. 

When I swam in the ocean and surfaced, my vision was blurry from the salt. I tried looking around me, but I was blinded from the brightness of the sky. But instead of being alarmed it was oddly calming, because I’ve never had such an experience and I remember thinking several times: is this real? am I dreaming? 

I think that’s what heaven would be like. Maybe you die and then suddenly you’re swimming in this gorgeous ocean with blinding light. ..

Blinking to clear the haze I looked down and noticed the dissipating foam around me which seemed to move in slow motion. Then as my vision came into full focus I looked up and there was my husband with the fullest expression of joy on his face, grinning at me as he dove over a new wave. 

That’s my heaven. 

He said:

By far, the beach at Piha and especially the swim in the ocean there. I don't know why, but nothing ever seems as refreshing as a swim in the ocean, especially when the surf is as huge as it was (8-12 feet). This is my new favorite beach in the whole world. Fine black sand, cool water, relatively uncrowded, and the amazing rock and cliff formations that give it an otherworldly backdrop. What a place! (After reading what Kristina wrote, I think she summed it up perfectly, it was pretty much heaven on earth).

Heaven on Earth, Piha Beach West Auckland

A day this awesome deserves a few runners up. So there was also the amazing and huge fish and chips at the Piha RSA along with some delicious beers, made all the better by our working up an appetite and thirst in the sun, sand, and surf; the hike we took prior to the beach and all of the amazing views (and the amazing scent in the air like Kristina said), and our tour guide being such a cool guy.

         Worst part of the day... 

He said: 

Hard to find one really but I guess it is the missed opportunity to stay at Piha even longer for the sunset. Our guide was willing and so was most of our group, but it had to be unanimous and alas it was not.

She said:

We planned to make it to an art exhibit after the beach. But after that much sun I passed out at the hotel around 830pm and didn’t wake up til morning. insert link to no ozone. 

Weirdest part of the day?

He said:

The rock formations at Piha. They were so compressed it almost seemed like everything had been concreted together. But it was totally natural. And in some places there were thousands of tiny mussels stuck to them, as well as water dripping down hundreds of feet in places, forming a mini waterfall, and seaweed washed up that looked a lot like squid. Again it felt like a different planet!

She said: 

There was a mist everywhere set against an overcast sky. It was hard to tell where the ocean ended and the sky began. It gave the whole day this very lovely dream-like quality. 

good to see this tradition is still going :)

wild plantains or bananas maybe?

we met a booze distributor’s rep at this fun bar

passion fruit sour - yum!

After an amazing breakfast of avocado toast and chicken mushroom and spinach pie, we checked out of the Haka. Then we traveled just a short distance away to our new home base at the Four Points Sheraton.

Weird sliding doors let you be a total creeper if that’s your thing. \240

Slumming it at the Four Points.

After \240inspecting the new digs I quickly concluded we had indeed been downgraded. Gone was our Nespresso machine, and daily cookies and chocolates. Gone was our full sized refrigerator, stove and microwave. And most painfully, our coveted washing machine was gone too.

We left a few min after our lil photo shoot to try and catch the 1,000 doors exhibit we’d been trying for. Unfortunately we learned some crazy people had broken into the installment at 4am and vandalized it. (It is outdoors in the center of a city park.) So the exhibit was temporarily shut down for repairs.

From there we decided to take the ferry to the neighboring Waiheke Island known for its Syrah.

Best Part of the Day

She Said

Unexpectedly finding that there was an easily accessible swimming beach within walking distance of the wineries. Gotta love those little surprises! I was feeling hot and tired and then a few minutes later we decided to turn down a street not knowing where it lead.

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He Said

Best - Our two impromptu picnics, one on a roadside bench in the shade with an amazing bottle of Pinot grigio and snacks from the backpack. The other with hard ginger beer and manchego, prosciutto and fresh bread from a little market. All mixed with the amazing views and scents  of waiheke island.

We tasted some amazing wine at the Mudbrick winery. It was so good we immediately left with a couple of cold bottles to enjoy like maybe 50 or so meters away at a bench.

Keepin it classy. The passerbys were pretty amused to see us drinking straight out the bottle.

Manchego, Prosciutto and more at pur impromptu picnic.

More booze because why not?

Worst Part of the Day?

He Said

Leaving behind our room at Haka hotel. No more balcony with a view of sky tower, no more nespresso and ANZAC cookies. The  fourpoints Sheraton isn't too bad, but Haka was awesome.

She Said

Forgetting to bring a swimsuit. I swam in my bra and jean shorts. There was chaffing. Nuff said.

Weirdest Part of the Day?

He Said

Definitely the late night comedy show we went to. They had almost a late night talk show format, with a host at his desk and a music person/co-host. Not too weird sounding right? Well from there the host played trivia games with shots of Jager for prizes, the guests had either had crazy incoherent stories or resorted to shock value to get some laughs. This one comedian \240threw spaghetti on herself and pulled two burgers out of her bra. Lastly, there was a smoothie roulette challenge involving chocolate, cheese, eggs, onions, sardines, and beans and sausage. Funny at times, but mostly just weird!

She Said

Same! That show was so weird I had forgotten about it until just now. It was uncomfortably bad \240comedy where the only laughs were from the sheer awkwardness of it all. It was however a live show so I didn’t take any video out of respect. Mow I kinda wish I would have because there is really no way to describe that train wreck.

Next we visited the 1000 doors exhibit. I could literally post a hundred pics and you would still be confused. It was pretty intense.. If you want to see more search #1000doors on instagram.

These little keys were our “tickets” to get into the exhibit. This is the 2nd installment of three works from this artist that have travelled all over Australia and NZ.

This was the entrance.

One of many rooms within the exhibit. Not quite 1000 doors, but you get it. Each door lead to a room or rooms with \240several more doors.

Hidden door within a paneled door. A recording inside the walls made it sound like there was someone trapped inside the walls.

A solitary child’s coat that hung on a rack within one of the rooms.

It was singed and full of holes and rips.

After the exhibit we caught a ferry to Rangitoto Island for an amazing hike, and ended the day with a little shopping and a satisfying dinner.

Best Part of the Day?

She Said

Completing the 1 hour strenuous hike to the summit of Rangitoto and being rewarded with some gorgeous views. It was lovely to simply bask in our accomplishment with other hikers from all over the world.

He Said

We had an amazing hike through lava fields that made it seem like we were hiking on another planet. That was topped off by an incredible 360 view from the summit and a real feeling of accomplishment. Plus it was another good "warm up" hike for our upcoming 12 mile adventure. Bonus best - finally pigging out on a bunch of seafood at Swashbucklers.

Worst Part of the Day?

She Said

We left the summit pretty exhausted, but were motivated to return to the bay quickly, since we had only given ourselves an hour to make it back and catch the LAST return ferry of the day. I was taking the steps down as quickly as I could and was pretty impressed with myself when my husband called out that we were going the wrong way. Indeed I had lead us about 200 stairs in the wrong direction. That was not a fun hike back up all those stairs to get back on track.

He Said

I read the ferry schedule incorrectly, and that delay was the difference between us getting to see other parts of the island and only having time for the summit. It's an island without any food or lodging, strictly just a park, so missing the last ferry out wasn’t an option.

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Weirdest Part of the Day?

She Said

We ended our day with dinner at this cool little spot called Swashbucklers. It was so busy when we got there and I was so hangry that I ordered without really thinking about it. It’s a seafood place, and I ordered.... Nachos. 🤦🏻‍♀️

That didn’t work out so well. Nachos in NZ are not much like our American version. They were covered in more chili than cheese, and the taste of the chili was sweet like the chili that comes out of a pump for gas station chili dogs.

Also worth mentioning was the stationary bikes they had at the ice cream shop. The idea is you can peddle while you eat your icecream so you can offset the calories. 😳

He Said

The 1000 door exhibit was the essence of weird. Kind of like a haunted house without any cast or actual scary surprises.

“Nachos”

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Then we arrived at the first of the two caves, the Waitomo “Glow worm” caves.

I first learned about “Glow Worms” online. The pictures looked unbelievable, and since they only exist in NZ and Australia and we were visiting both places I had to see them for myself. I didn’t truly expect the real thing to \240live up to the hype. Surely the photos I saw online were photoshopped. I mean, they had to be, right? Wrong! Unfortunately, they didn’t allow photos in this cave, but you can view the promo photo on the tour website here:

http://www.waitomo.com/ruakuri-cave/Pages/default.aspx

or you can simply do a google image search for waitomo glow worms. The experience was like something out of a sci-fi film.

The second cave we entered was “Ruakuri”. If you’ve toured caverns before then you know they can all be similar looking, with only a few really jaw dropping “rooms” in each one. I’ve only ever seen 3 others. Natural Bridge Caverns, just outside SA, TX, Longhorn Caverns in Burnet, TX, and Cave of the Winds in Colorado Springs, CO. None of them were as magnificent as this beauty. The water visibly dripped from all over, \240and at certain points there were splashes that showered the walkways from overhead.It was awesome!

Also worth mentioning there are a few glowworms in the Ruakari cave as well, and they also allow photography in this cave. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

Imagine thousands more of these “glowing” bioluminescent worms and that’s what the Waitomo Caves looked like.

Here a guide points out the sticky string like substance the worms secrete.

Insects are drawn to the glow and become trapped in the worm’s sticky secretions.

A large spiral ramp creates a dramatic entrance to the Ruakari Cave.

The Waitomo Cave’s original entrance has now become its modern day exit where the tours terminate.

Inside gorgeous Ruakari Cave.

Ruakari Cave

Fossil inside Ruakari Cave

After the second cave \240tour we got back on the bus and headed to “Hobbiton” where the Honbit Hole scenes in the “Shire” for Lord of the Rings were filmed. Admittedly, I’m not a mega-fan of this series, but the scenery was beautiful and the stories about the filming and the eccentric perfectionist Director Sir Peter Jackson. were interesting.

After Hobbiton the tour bus dropped us off about an hour down the way at our lodgings in the town of \240Rotorua.

Best Part of the Day

She Said

The caves were the clear winner for me, but a close second was this lovely waking dream feeling I experienced on the tour bus. I fought so hard against sleep on the bus that every time I woke I was simultaneously disoriented \240and overjoyed with excitement as I realized again and again where I was, and marveled at the changing landscape outside the window. This happened. over and over again. \240It was a gift that I was lucky enough to unwrap over the course of several hours.. The meal we had in Rotorua was also the best we’ve had in any restaurant so far. I need to come back to this later and give them a proper review.

The portions were a little disappointing, but the taste more than made up for it.

He Said..

Descending into caves full of brilliant white calcium crystal formations and glow worms on the ceiling that looked like stars in the night sky. And if that wasn't enough there were also places to see the glow worms eerie strands of web hanging down to catch their food, and underground rivers. It was another experience that made me feel like I wasn't on earth anymore.

Worst Part of the Day

She Said

It was a beautiful hot day, and we were glad to have spent much of it underground in the coolness of the Waitomo caves. When we arrived in Rotorua we had two unpleasant surprises.

1. The whole town smells like sulpher. (rotting eggs)

2. Walking into a stuffy HOT room that felt like an oven. Our hotel did not have air conditioning, which meant open windows and that lovely smell singing our nostrils.

Yes. Those are 2 Venice print throw pillows.

Our “Air Conditioner”

The awesome 50’s looking jetted tub was actually quite fabulous.. except that it was in the stink of outdoors.

He Said..

The \2406am departure for our tour meant we were up before 5am to get ready, packed up, and checked out of the hotel. It was a small price to pay for a day so full of cool stuff, but between getting up so early and only having instant coffee, we needed several naps to function. Lucky we had a couple great opportunities on the bus between sites.

The Strangest

He Said..

Our room in rotorua. Where to start. Well first there is the "unique" smell of this entire town. It's full of geothermal activity so a sulphur smell is always in the air. We decided to call it "burnt dog butt" smell. Then we have no AC, so open windows are a must but that continously lets in the smell. Then we had booked this room especially for the “private spa.” \240That turned out to be an unfilled 1950s Era tub. And we saw no less that 5 other hotels on our same block advertising private spas in every room. Notice this isn't in the worst category though, as it all seemed to work out. The evening cooled off so the lack of AC wasn't too bad, the spa actually worked really well (probably because they actually built things to last back then), and even the smell is something that you eventually stop noticing.

She Said

The restaurants had an abundance of outdoor seating. \240We also noticed plenty of folks doing outside pic-nics. I don’t understand why anyone would purposefully choose to eat while experiencing that um.. burnt dog-butt smell. ???

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A short and terrifying 15 minute drive later and we were back at our room to pack up and check out. Next we found breakfast at a nearby cafe, and purchased some snacks for later at its neighboring bakery.

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Before leaving town we stopped at the public park (name) and marveled at the visibly bubbling mud pits and hot springs and soaked our feet in the public hot spring pool. It was so relaxing I momentarily forgave the smell.

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Then it was on to make the — km drive to Tongariro National Park. Looking at the map, we knew we would drive by Lake Taupo (NZ largest lake) but we were short on time and didn’t plan to stop. Then we saw it and realized we probably should have planned some time here. Thankfully those brilliant Kiwis provide several public beach access areas right off the highway, and we easily found excellent parking just a few meters from the beach.

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Then we completed our drive and checked into Howard’s Lodge inside Tangariro National Park.