Phoenix

I'm capping my spring break by being in Phoenix. Althouth LA is warming up, Phoenix is warmer. It is a quick overnight stay in Phoenix which works out as I'm also sick. :( Got a mustang from Avis, feeling pretty righteous especially since I was originally given an Impala that reeked of smoke.

I seem to be hitting a string of sports related events with Vegas and March Madness and now Phoenix and spring training. Caught a game between the Dodgers and White Sox at the spring training complex at Camelback Ranch. It was really cool, very nice facilities similar to the Giants Stadium in SF yet very intimate feeling. I think the stadium could only accommodate about 15,000 people. Definitely NOT Dodger stadium size. ;p

Budweiser seems to have been a sponsor as I saw the Clydesdale horses. I remember the first time I've seen these horses and they are super cool looking. It is like the Great Dane of horses. The horses were pulling the typical red fire wagon with a Dalmation sitting on top.

Given the relative short stay, I'm at a Hampton Inn this time around near St. Joseph's hospital. I'm on the fourth floor and the level has really high ceilings. The room feels really large because of it. In general, the typical Hampton experience. Part of me suspects this Hampton does well due to the proximity to the hospitals and I'm sure they get alot of business from people who are visiting patients at the hospital.

Took an afternoon evening nap and had a late start looking for dinner options. Since it was 9 pm, did a quick search and came upon Pizza A Metro at 2336 W Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85015. It is a local Italian restaurant/pizzeria. Located in a Circle K plaza, I had the most amazing pasta and pizza. They had a wood fire pizza oven and the pizza crust was chewy and crispy. The linguine carbonara was excellent. I let the pasta sit in the sauce for a couple of minutes (it was also hella hot) and the pasta soaked up the remaining sauce on the plate. The proscuitto was right on. For dessert, the tiramisu is the classic traditional style. The kahlua taste was just right and the ladyfingers were moist. The prices were very reasonable as our meal came to $48 (including tax and tip) for two beers, two entrees, and a dessert. Definitely getting value for your dollar at Pizza A Metro.

Spring Break = Vegas

I'm back at the Las Vegas Hilton with a group of family friends and classmates. I was lucky enough to book a ridiculous rate of $80/night with drink and food specials while it being the first weekend of March Madness. As an added bonus, USC was in the tourney and made it past the first round. The hotel had cancelled my reservation or so they say. Personally, I think they were oversold and was trying to clean out their reservations. Luckily, I didn't have to throw a fit as they quickly honored the reservation.

Because of the last minute pile-up of people, it was a cozy room of seven (the second night) in my room. There was some creativity involved but we managed to all fit and work around the space. Or maybe it is a testament to the size of the hotel room. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get upgraded to the "resort" level room but it worked out in the end. The difference I could see between the resort level and the deluxe room was the toiletries (there was conditioner for the "better" room) as well as additional space and free internet.

On the first night, we had dinner at the Crown and Anchor Pub near UNLV. I didn't get to try the bread pudding but the food was pretty good. They also had alot of beers on tap. Definitely recommend! On the second night, we had dinner at Jin Mee Korean B.B.Q. Restaurant on 953 E Sahara Avenue #E9. It was a little hidden in the plaza but well worth the look. Our group of sixteen easily sat down and we had the "all you can eat" dinner. The available selection of meat was good. I liked the spicy pork, marinated beef, and short ribs. Staples of any korean bbq restaurant. The $18 per person price was also very nice.

Last trip to June for the snow season?

It snowed about five feet during the weekdays in June. I decided to have a run up to the mountin, it is definitely the only one in the month of March as I'm busy for the rest of the month and possibly snow season. My brother rallied a group and the six of us trooped up to June Mountain. Luckily, the June Lake Motel had a room we could all easily split. I booked a room with one queen, two twins, and a full working kitchen. Half of the group had never been and was impressed with the quality of accommodations given the price. The snow quality was good, packed and groomed snow. I would have preferred more powder but the snow stopped on Friday and we loat the chance to be boarding on the "next" sunny day of fresh snow.

A word of advice when driving up the 395, there are alot of sherriffs and CHPs in Inyo County. My poor sister got two speeding tickets within 40 minutes of each other.

Las Vegas

First trip of the year to Vegas. Here for some personal business and decided to stay at the Las Vegas Hilton.
I think the LV Hilton had a high occupancy rate for the weekend because NASCAR was in town. On top of that, my rate was a screaming $55/night. How can you beat those prices? The combination proved helpful as I was given an upgrade to the "Resorts Club" level. The room comes with a HP printer and free internet. Ideal for those who'd like to print out directions or there for some work. It is becoming standard that hotel rooms come with plasma/LCD TVs so I won't mention it. :D Overall, a very spacious room and easy to entertain a goup of five people if you wanted. It was very nicely decorated with a view of the Wynn golf course and had an oversized oval bath tub in the bathroom. The toiletries were a different sort than I'm used to seeing at Hilton hotels. Not sure if they are the same soap but in a different bottle. When I checked out, I asked the Front Desk person how I can be upgraded again. She was very nice and told me it depended on room occupancy and the timing of my check in. The later the better apparently. I think combined with my Hilton status, I have greater opportunities to get to this room. Good thing to know as I'm coming back in a month.

It was a pretty tame weekend, didn't do much gambling. I guess I'm getting old these days, just stuck with drinking and eating. I've determined that I like the buffet at the Las Vegas Hilton. Not so much for grandness but simplicity and reasonable prices. It also helps that I get it for free. :) They have alot of grilled meats in the buffet, I would say that the chicken (fried and bbq) is a good choice. The steak was a little tough depending on when you grabbed it. The prime rib and beef ribs were good (I was suprised about the beef ribs). Of course, since it is the weekend, champagne brunch was the theme and the champagne was palatable. A pleasant surprise since free house booze typically isn't good and requires massive amounts of orange juice to compensate.


My most memorable meal was at Postrio. Another Wolfgang Puck restaurant in Vegas, there are two total (Vegas and San Francisco). I didn't have much expectations for the restaurant because of my experience with his "cafe" restaurants but wanted to eat at one of his signature restaurants to see what the deal was all about. I've never been to Spago in Beverly Hills so this is my first experience with his cuisine at this level. I must admit, I was very impressed. After meandering through the Venetian Canal Shoppes, we came across the restaurant in St. Mark's Square. The outside of the restaurant is the cafe version where you sit in the "outside." The dining room is inside and the decor is very modern and dark. I had the roasted duck, it was cooked to perfection. The skin was crispy and light like a true Chinese roast duck. It came with an Asian slaw that was also very good and complemented the duck very well. A note of warning for those with peanut allergies, the restaurant uses peanut oil to fry. I believe you can ask for a substitute oil for most entrees. For dessert I also had the raspberry souffle, it was very good. A little too tart for my taste and parts of the souffle was a tad chewy but it was still a very good experience overall.