This week's guest feature comes from our friend Steve over at Foreign Lemonade who has put together an extensive and well written guide when your travels take you abroad. Check it out here: Foreign Travel Guide: 17 Tips for an Easy Travel Experience and give him a follow on Twitter at @Travelers_Todos.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Friday, June 8, 2018
Honeymoon in Vegas
As our one-year wedding anniversary is getting closer, I am longing to go back to Las Vegas, where we visited one of the chapels to say our vows and make it official. Though it may sound like a joke when you talk about cheesy Vegas weddings, it was a memory that I will always cherish as the time that my best friend and I made a lifelong commitment to loving each other, and oh yeah, Elvis was there. Las Vegas has so many options from your basic quick wedding, drive thru weddings and even over the top expensive weddings. The later was definitely not our style. Our small Elvis wedding at the Little Neon Chapel was the second best decision we ever made, the best decision was marrying this wonderful man, Erik.
We found the process so easy and made most of the arrangements online with the chapel we selected. I suggest getting your marriage license online with Clark County as well before you go. We pre-ordered online and picked up at the license bureau early in the day which worked out great for us. Then we were free to enjoy our afternoon before the wedding. Be prepared to wait in line! The Clark County Marriage License Bureau has a separate entrance from the rest of the county building. There was a long line to pick up marriage licenses and having pre-ordered saved us lots of time. Some couples who were going straight to their wedding locations were already dressed in gowns, tuxes, costumes, and anything you can imagine....so waiting a long time in line would have been uncomfortable. As far as chapels, we had reserved ours online before we left but if you are being spontaneous, not to worry! There were vendors on every street corner outside the marriage license office to ask if you have a chapel. They will be happy to give you a card or flyer of the chapel they represent!
Back to our Elvis wedding. We were staying on the strip but our chapel was not. Let's just say that Siri is not always the best with the directions as she tried to make us turn the wrong way onto a one-way street. That was only a small speedbump on the way. Also check out parking before you go. We parked in a parking garage nearby and I wore my flip flops with my heels in hand as we ran to the chapel which was tucked away in a shopping center and not obvious to find. I was wearing a short sleeveless white dress and he was wearing pants and a white shirt - with his tuxedo t-shirt underneath for more pictures later. I can imagine if you are wearing a tux and a gown that you might want to change at the chapel but we saved time getting ready beforehand at the hotel. Also, hold on to your parking ticket. Somewhere in the rush ours either fell out of the car or our hands. The parking attendant had to take all our vehicle information, license and registration and charged us the lost ticket fee which was higher than our actual parking time would have been. Put the parking ticket in your wallet if you are driving, or take an Uber or limo to your chapel to bypass the parking debacle altogether.
All was well when we arrived though and they made us feel comfortable and gave us a place to freshen up before we got started. Elvis was in his full 1970s glory in a black satin pantsuit with chains and sunglasses. When we decided to have a Vegas wedding, having Elvis there just seemed logical. Although it was campy, we loved it. My late father was always an Elvis fan, and that made us feel as if a part of him was there with us. Regardless of who is officiating, a wedding is still a special moment between two people and this was no different. I got emotional as Elvis sang "Can't help falling in love" and looked at my groom with tears in my eyes. I know some brides may want the big wedding with all the bells and whistles, but as long as Erik was there and we made our commitments to each other, that was all that I needed. It still gets me choked up when I hear that song. My wonderful husband made an anniversary gift for me that was an homage to that moment and it's something that I will always cherish. I don't know if we could have had a more romantic wedding than we had.
Some other tips for Las Vegas weddings:
Other Las Vegas Tips:
Back to our Elvis wedding. We were staying on the strip but our chapel was not. Let's just say that Siri is not always the best with the directions as she tried to make us turn the wrong way onto a one-way street. That was only a small speedbump on the way. Also check out parking before you go. We parked in a parking garage nearby and I wore my flip flops with my heels in hand as we ran to the chapel which was tucked away in a shopping center and not obvious to find. I was wearing a short sleeveless white dress and he was wearing pants and a white shirt - with his tuxedo t-shirt underneath for more pictures later. I can imagine if you are wearing a tux and a gown that you might want to change at the chapel but we saved time getting ready beforehand at the hotel. Also, hold on to your parking ticket. Somewhere in the rush ours either fell out of the car or our hands. The parking attendant had to take all our vehicle information, license and registration and charged us the lost ticket fee which was higher than our actual parking time would have been. Put the parking ticket in your wallet if you are driving, or take an Uber or limo to your chapel to bypass the parking debacle altogether.
All was well when we arrived though and they made us feel comfortable and gave us a place to freshen up before we got started. Elvis was in his full 1970s glory in a black satin pantsuit with chains and sunglasses. When we decided to have a Vegas wedding, having Elvis there just seemed logical. Although it was campy, we loved it. My late father was always an Elvis fan, and that made us feel as if a part of him was there with us. Regardless of who is officiating, a wedding is still a special moment between two people and this was no different. I got emotional as Elvis sang "Can't help falling in love" and looked at my groom with tears in my eyes. I know some brides may want the big wedding with all the bells and whistles, but as long as Erik was there and we made our commitments to each other, that was all that I needed. It still gets me choked up when I hear that song. My wonderful husband made an anniversary gift for me that was an homage to that moment and it's something that I will always cherish. I don't know if we could have had a more romantic wedding than we had.
Some other tips for Las Vegas weddings:
- The chapel had a photographer and we were able to buy only the photos that we liked later online. But take your own photos as well. My husband is an awesome photographer so we took his Canon and a tripod and took photos around Vegas and our hotel that we wanted. My favorite pic from the trip is the one that he took from our balcony with Excalibur in the background.
- They offered to stream the wedding on Facebook Live but it was an extra $75 and that seemed expensive to us for something that is usually free.
- Tip your Elvis! Expect to take some cash to tip your officiant, whether he's Elvis or not. They take a lot of time to prepare and in our case, dress for the occasion so don't think you can skimp on the tips.
- You can get married 24 hours a day, but we found that afternoon was best. We had flown in the night before and lost luggage along the way. Plan for those delays and you will be less stressed. Also it gives you the rest of the night to enjoy the strip, gamble, drink or whatever you have planned with your new spouse!
Other Las Vegas Tips:
After the wedding, or even if you aren't getting married there, you must spend some time on the Las Vegas strip but also visit places off the strip. Every casino has it's own theme so it's interesting to just wander in and out of all of them as you walk the strip. Restaurants of every flavor abound in the casinos, some pricey, some not, so you can easily work around your budget. Las Vegas is an open container city as well, so you can buy alcohol and drink it as you walk down the street. Be careful of the heat while you do this, as it could sneak up on you. A lot of places have mist machines facing the strip as well so you can catch a cool break if you walk towards these. After walking a short distance in the heat, you will want to find these. The monorail is also worth a try to keep you from doing so much walking, and it is air conditioned. It enters and exits through some of the casinos so you can decide which ones you want to visit as you ride by as well.
We also spent some time driving out of Vegas to visit the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. On the way to the Hoover Dam, you must stop in the small town of Boulder City. It's a unique little town with a Southwestern feel and we had a meal there that we are still talking about a year later. The Southwest Diner on Nevada Highway in Boulder City was unassuming but the patio was packed and so was the dining room, which is always a great sign. You must try the potatoes, "Those Potatoes" as they are called on the menu, are fried potatoes with onions and bell peppers, and they were above and beyond any home fries I've ever had. Breakfast comes with a choice of toast or banana bread and trust me, you want the banana bread. Among the usual breakfast and lunch options there are southwestern dishes which are the real draw. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu as everything was flavorful and delicious. Erik had the huevos rancheros that included pork chili verde and it was unlike and more delicious than any huevos rancheros that I've ever seen.
Next we visited the Hoover Dam and took the Dam tour. Be prepared for the long line to get into the dam and parking as that took some time but once inside it was much easier to navigate. The Hoover Dam is impressive and you can't really imagine the size of it until you are there. We did the powerplant tour and I would recommend it so that you can get the entirety of what is involved in running the dam. The turbines alone are larger than most houses and they generate about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. We walked through a portion of the dam that was underground and you can see water running slowly down the rocks. Up top, there are some gorgeous views of the dam and the Colorado River. You can also drive across the dam or the Michael O'Callaghan- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge and take photos from either of these. The view from the dam to the bridge is really breathtaking.
The Grand Canyon really deserves it's own blogpost. Every inch of it looks like a beautiful painting and it goes on and on for miles. I know I'm stating the obvious here that the Grand Canyon is well, grand, but what you don't expect when you get there is how GRAND! We spent an hour just walking behind the Visitor's Center and around every corner it got more and more breathtaking. We visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona and it was worth the drive. Parking is limited so park in the village in the visitor's center there and take the free shuttle to the park. They will also take you to different scenic view areas of the park where you can hop off to take pictures and hop back on next one as you need to. We spent a lot of time at many of the scenic views because they were so beautiful and we honestly just didn't want to leave. We really wish that we had stayed overnight there to take in more views and maybe hike or kayak in the Canyon with a guide. There are some adorable cabins by the South Rim that would be great for an extended stay. You can also camp there in designated areas. I hope in the future that we can go back and stay longer as it really deserved it's own trip. We only did a day trip from Vegas and we were exhausted driving back that night.
Our trip to Vegas was too short but we managed to do a lot of different things and have an awesome time on and off the strip and had an awesome wedding in the process. We even had a memorable experience at an In-N-Out Burger near the Arizona/Nevada border after the Grand Canyon. A male patron decided to sneak in the restaurant wearing only a t-shirt and no pants. As many of us diverted our eyes, the manager took care of the situation with grace and there was no big scene but we know this for sure - meth is a hell of a drug. That aside, we had a wonderful start to our lives together as a married couple and it was one of our best trips to date.
We also spent some time driving out of Vegas to visit the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. On the way to the Hoover Dam, you must stop in the small town of Boulder City. It's a unique little town with a Southwestern feel and we had a meal there that we are still talking about a year later. The Southwest Diner on Nevada Highway in Boulder City was unassuming but the patio was packed and so was the dining room, which is always a great sign. You must try the potatoes, "Those Potatoes" as they are called on the menu, are fried potatoes with onions and bell peppers, and they were above and beyond any home fries I've ever had. Breakfast comes with a choice of toast or banana bread and trust me, you want the banana bread. Among the usual breakfast and lunch options there are southwestern dishes which are the real draw. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu as everything was flavorful and delicious. Erik had the huevos rancheros that included pork chili verde and it was unlike and more delicious than any huevos rancheros that I've ever seen.
Next we visited the Hoover Dam and took the Dam tour. Be prepared for the long line to get into the dam and parking as that took some time but once inside it was much easier to navigate. The Hoover Dam is impressive and you can't really imagine the size of it until you are there. We did the powerplant tour and I would recommend it so that you can get the entirety of what is involved in running the dam. The turbines alone are larger than most houses and they generate about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. We walked through a portion of the dam that was underground and you can see water running slowly down the rocks. Up top, there are some gorgeous views of the dam and the Colorado River. You can also drive across the dam or the Michael O'Callaghan- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge and take photos from either of these. The view from the dam to the bridge is really breathtaking.
The Grand Canyon really deserves it's own blogpost. Every inch of it looks like a beautiful painting and it goes on and on for miles. I know I'm stating the obvious here that the Grand Canyon is well, grand, but what you don't expect when you get there is how GRAND! We spent an hour just walking behind the Visitor's Center and around every corner it got more and more breathtaking. We visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona and it was worth the drive. Parking is limited so park in the village in the visitor's center there and take the free shuttle to the park. They will also take you to different scenic view areas of the park where you can hop off to take pictures and hop back on next one as you need to. We spent a lot of time at many of the scenic views because they were so beautiful and we honestly just didn't want to leave. We really wish that we had stayed overnight there to take in more views and maybe hike or kayak in the Canyon with a guide. There are some adorable cabins by the South Rim that would be great for an extended stay. You can also camp there in designated areas. I hope in the future that we can go back and stay longer as it really deserved it's own trip. We only did a day trip from Vegas and we were exhausted driving back that night.
Our trip to Vegas was too short but we managed to do a lot of different things and have an awesome time on and off the strip and had an awesome wedding in the process. We even had a memorable experience at an In-N-Out Burger near the Arizona/Nevada border after the Grand Canyon. A male patron decided to sneak in the restaurant wearing only a t-shirt and no pants. As many of us diverted our eyes, the manager took care of the situation with grace and there was no big scene but we know this for sure - meth is a hell of a drug. That aside, we had a wonderful start to our lives together as a married couple and it was one of our best trips to date.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Japanacation Vol 1: What is this thing?!
Jet lag gets to even the best of us; it's been known to knock me out like Gentle Ben in hibernation season. One of the worst things that can happen to a jet lagged traveler is disorientation - especially when that disorientation occurs in a completely foreign and unfamiliar place.
Imagine this, for example:
After waking up at 6 am to make your flight, you've just spent the last 17 hours flying from the east coast of Canada/US to Tokyo/Narita - your body feels like it's midnight, the local time says it's 5 pm. Drunk with exhaustion, you pass through customs and immigration, make your way to the train, and nod off the the hour ride to Tokyo.
You are briskly awoken to a soft melodic chime followed by an unfamiliar voice over the loudspeaker: "Mamonaku ichiban sen ni, Tokyo yuki ga mairimasu." states the voice in a cheerful disposition. You've arrived at Tokyo Station.
Feeling more tired than you were before your brief catnap, you stumble through the station and decide to consult your mapping application for navigation to your hotel. You're really starting to feel out of it at this point and just want to go to sleep.
At last, you've arrived to your hotel. After some brief pleasantries and a few forms later, the clerk at the front desk hands you a room key with a comically large keychain attached to it. You chuckle to yourself and head to the elevator feeling excited, but tired.
Imagine this, for example:
After waking up at 6 am to make your flight, you've just spent the last 17 hours flying from the east coast of Canada/US to Tokyo/Narita - your body feels like it's midnight, the local time says it's 5 pm. Drunk with exhaustion, you pass through customs and immigration, make your way to the train, and nod off the the hour ride to Tokyo.
You are briskly awoken to a soft melodic chime followed by an unfamiliar voice over the loudspeaker: "Mamonaku ichiban sen ni, Tokyo yuki ga mairimasu." states the voice in a cheerful disposition. You've arrived at Tokyo Station.
Feeling more tired than you were before your brief catnap, you stumble through the station and decide to consult your mapping application for navigation to your hotel. You're really starting to feel out of it at this point and just want to go to sleep.
At last, you've arrived to your hotel. After some brief pleasantries and a few forms later, the clerk at the front desk hands you a room key with a comically large keychain attached to it. You chuckle to yourself and head to the elevator feeling excited, but tired.
You make your way to your room ready to sleep more soundly than Snow White after an all night rave. As you open the door, you notice your room is pitch black save for the warm glow of a small light on the wall...
(The power of TEPCO compels you!)
...You feel around feverishly, stumbling in the dark; you can feel what seems like a small squarish opening next to a switch - but what is it? In a stroke of genius, you decide to insert the totem pole of a keychain you were given in to said square and press the switch. Et voila! You now have light (and hopefully air conditioning)!
(Let there be light!)
So what exactly is this contraption? Well, actually it's an ingenious power saving system found in most, if not all non-western hotel chains in Japan (I can't vouch for the by-the hour love hotels! More on that in another article). While this power saving switch is a great and praiseworthy idea, it does have one major downfall in some hotels (and no, it's not the aforementioned fumbling around in the dark): in some hotels it terminates ALL power. Yes, ALL power including the A/C and any hope you had of charging your iPhone or other batteries when you are conveniently absent from your room.
If you are fortunate, some hotels simply disable the power to the lights if you remove the keychain from the switch, others realize the colossal inconvenience of not being able to charge your electronics by supplying a stand in fob that you can use in place of your keychain. This also is particularly helpful when trying to respect local etiquette as you are expected to return your key to the concierge prior to venturing out for the day.
(The "stand-in" for the room key/key chain to enable power)
Now there are obviously several ways to bypass these systems (especially if you have a keycard switch instead of the keychain kind), but it would be disrespectful and it might buy you a one-way ticket to eviction land. Consequently if your hotel is kind enough to provide you a courtesy fob, it goes without saying to be a good steward and only leave powered what you absolutely need.
In keeping with emPOWERing tips, stay tuned for our next post about power, plugs, and other electrifying information.
Do you have any unique tips and tricks you'd like to share? Feel free to comment below!
Monday, December 18, 2017
Japanacation: Introduction
Japan is a country steeped in tradition, shrouded in mystery, and surmounted by the abundance of natural and unspoiled beauty. To the first time traveler, the thought of travels to parts unknown can feel daunting; fortunately, it doesn't have to remain this way!
In this series of posts titled Japanacation (sort of the love child of Japan + Vacation), we'll reveal some of some of our very best ninja secrets to help make your trip to majestic land of the sun a memorable one.
Who are The Traveling Ninjas?
We are the Traveling Ninjas! As a newlywed couple, we want to explore the world together and share as many as experiences as possible. Between us, we have experience on three continents and 32 states. Traveling is something we love to do and as we aren't independently wealthy, we use all the tips, the points, rewards and miles that we can to get all the vacations possible for next to nothing.
It's not as difficult as many people think to travel on a budget. We have both traveled domestically and internationally without spending above our means and we are planning big trips for the near future as well. With a lot of planning and some careful shopping, you can do the same. Don't let the word "budget" scare you. We are thrifty but we make the most of our vacations and we don't skimp on experiences to save money. We never feel deprived! From cruises, to flights, to hotels, and even camping, we have ideas, tips and advice for any vacation you can imagine.
We also want to share what we have learned from our previous traveling experiences abroad. Having been there before, we will tell you how to navigate trains, planes and automobiles, even if you have to drive on the other side of the road. There are subtle differences that can confuse newcomers to any location so we will help you navigate.
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