Doing Life - Vacation in Vegas

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing awesome, thanks be to God! Although my work schedule has been very busy the past couple months, which has prevented me from blogging a lot, I prioritized going on a vacation last month! I went by myself. I had never been to Las Vegas and since I moved to Nevada last September, I thought it's imperative to make that (almost) 7 hours drive down south of the Silver State as soon as I can. Prior to going, I asked lots of folks that have been there questions on fun things to do, places to visit and most important question for me: best restaurants and places to eat! I had a few things scheduled but also had flexibility on my schedule knowing the social butterfly I am and that I'd make new friends and discover more exciting things to do.

Day 1

Upon arriving in Las Vegas, I checked out an awesome exhibit by women artists titled "A Room of One's Own" at the Left of Center Art Gallery; exhibit is based on the essay by Virginia Woolf - one of my all-time favorite books. In a time when women were given no consideration for education, much less their own space to create, Virginia Woolf argued that a woman must have her own room in order to write. The women in this exhibit are all professional artists who have chosen the artistic path as their career in some form. Having the luxury of their own spaces, something denied to women during Woolf’s time, they have brought to life through different mediums, the concepts that only time and undisturbed introspection bring.  

Afterwards, I checked out the Museum of African Art Collection upstairs, so many cool things from west Africa and beyond in the collection. I really feasted my eyes.

Day 2

While on vacation, I enjoy eating good food at local restaurants and truly enjoy the cuisine of the place. I believe for three days in a row I had really delicious, finger-licking good barbecue ribs! Being that I walked long distances at the Strip and didn't use any public transportation, I made sure to eat well at all times.

I was amazed by the architecture of the buildings and attractions. There was so much to see and do! The place is packed full of tourists and so much going on continuously, day and night!

Something that a lot of folks recommended I check out while down in Vegas was The Bellagio's Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The theme for the current season display is Chinese New Year. Each season, the enormously talented horticulturalists and designers who make up the Bellagio Conservatory team transform this 14,000-square-foot floral playground into a showcase of the distinctive sights and colors of spring, summer, fall and winter. When the seasons turn and the displays rotate, 90 percent of the trees, flowers and plants in the conservatory are recycled, to further celebrate their commitment to the earth. According to the Chinese, this is the year of the rooster - hence the rooster display seen behind me in the photo below.

What's up, Lady Liberty?!
New York in Las Vegas

When chocolate meets chocolate
P.S. Kit Kat is still my favorite

Excalibur Hotel and Casino

I've always enjoyed going on vacations by myself and as a single woman, I believe it's important to learn to have fun by yourself in this season of my life. I'm thankful for the outgoing personality God blessed me with because it comes in handy when going to a new place and not knowing anyone there. I've always been an advocate of going on vacations and exploring the world and I highly encourage folks to make time for it - whether you choose to do it alone, with friends, family, spouse, etc. Also, don't be nervous that traveling will cost you an arm or leg along with your firstborn, because that's never my intention when I vacation - I'm all about "ballin' on a budget." The biggest way I spent smart was getting Groupon vouchers for a lot of things, such as: things to do, places to go, as well as places to eat. Something else that helped me with smart spending was having a Nevada driver's license - this helped me get a lot of things with the locals's discount!

64th floor of Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino

Day 3

Halfway to EDC Pool Party

Egypt-themed Luxor Hotel and Casino

Day 4

I did the Eiffel Tower experience - one step closer to the real deal in Paris. The 541-foot tall replica of the Eiffel Tower is half the size of the real one. Beautiful place to get a great view of the entire city of Las Vegas.

So after doing the Eiffel Tower experience and walking around the Paris Las Vegas hotel for somewhere to eat brunch, I casually bumped into the talented singer, Anthony Evans. He's the brother of my favorite Bible teacher and my #goals - Priscilla Shirer. He was so nice. I was telling him that I've been longing to go to their fervent tour and he said they'll be doing a show in Vegas soon. Y'all, I'm getting so close to meeting Priscilla in person. It's going to happen in 2017

On my last day, I did a sunset hike at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area; my first time there. It was beautiful. Red Rock Canyon showcases a set of large red rock formations: a set of sandstone peaks and walls called the Keystone Thrust. Typical mining engineer move - I took a couple rocks for myself! The walls are up to 3,000 feet high, which are great for hiking and rock climbing. The highest point is La Madre Mountain, at 8,154 feet. Driving through the one-way loop road, which is 13 miles long, was wonderful to soak in the beauty of the area. My new home state of Nevada continues to impress me.

Coincidentally, I planned my vacation to Vegas in the midst of me moving to my new house as well as moving to a new office building. February was a roller coaster of adventures personally and professionally for me, but I'm so thankful to God that I was able to take a few days off and rest and just do life!

“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ Numbers 6:24-26

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.