Visit Las Vegas: Glittering Lights

We made an impromptu visit to the Glittering Lights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway last holiday season.   I was really excited because I had such a great time at the Speedway Christmas Lights at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina a few years ago, but the Glittering Lights, in my opinion, couldn't compare.

Admission is by carload, and when you get to the entry you're immediately asked if you want to buy hot cocoa or warm cider, which is smart vs having a separate area for people to stop in and buy drinks.  We waited for a few minutes to get our drinks then started driving through a tunnel of lights.

Unfortunately, the lights are not synced up to any music that you can listen to on your radio.  There are signs to tune in to a specific station to hear Christmas-themed music, but it's not the same as listening to synced music.

Also, unlike at the Speedway Christmas Lights, you are not driving on the track in the Speedway, but rather on an outdoor course.

Although the website boasts 5 million lights and 600 displays along the 2.5 mile drive, the Speedway Christmas Lights displays were so much better in my opinion in terms of the amount of lights and the displays.

The Glittering Lights had mostly tunnels.

It's still a fun place to go to if you want to get in the Christmas Spirit and have nothing else to do, and younger kids may enjoy it much more.

Glittering Lights
7000 Las Vegas Blvd N

Las Vegas, NV 89115

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Visit Las Vegas - Rock Shot Bingo!

Jello shots for the win!

My coworker shared that she had so much fun at Rock Shot Bingo that I knew I had to add it to my Las Vegas itinerary! Definitely not you normal bingo where you keep talking to a minimum, this hour of fun is themed and includes a live DJ! Rock Shot Bingo is held on varying weekends at the five Station Casinos: Red Rock Resort, Green Valley Ranch, Palace Station, Boulder Station, and Santa Fe Station. 

We attended a session at the Green Valley Ranch. Doors open an hour before the 9pm session and I highly recommend you get there early if you want your group to sit together. Each game has a $100 prize with the last coverall game prize of $1000! 

There is a $35 minimum buy in per person and includes 10 Games/50 Cards. It's all electronic cards so you will need to watch your screen for BINGO because you certainly won't hear any numbers being called out. The session also includes drinks and if there is a winner on your table, the entire table gets free jello shots. We had five winners on our table which meant a lot of jello shots! Rock Shot Bingo was definitely a highlight of our Vegas trip!

 

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Visit Las Vegas: Moignet Café

Moignet - Mochi Beignet

Home of the viral mochi beignet and the even tastier mango mochi, Moignet Café is a great place to get sweet treats in Las Vegas. Located in Las Vegas' Chinatown, the café offers a variety of breakfast sandwiches, lattes, and desserts.

The moignet is a blend of fresh mochi beignet dough filled with house-made mochi filling and dusted with matcha powdered sugar. You can also ask for regular powdered sugar. The moignets come in orders of 6 or 12 and you can choose to purchase sauces: yuzu, strawberry, or chocolate.

The mango mochi was definitely my favorite. It is a large piece of mango with cream wrapped in a sheet of soft mochi. 100% recommend! Service was super friendly, but expect to stand in a long line. Inside and outside seating available to enjoy your treats.

I loved the Mango Mochi!

Moignet: A Social Cafe

3500 S Wynn Rd, Las Vegas NV 89103

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Visit Las Vegas: Best Friend at Park MGM

Family style at Best Friend

I've walked past Best Friend before and it definitely looks like a good time so I was excited to dine at the restaurant from Chef Roy Choi. Best Friend opened in 2018 at the Park MGM featuring Choi's famous Korean tacos from his popular LA food truck, Kogi.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were lucky to be seated at the Chef's table located inside the kitchen. I actually preferred the bright table over the vibey club atmosphere of the main restaurant. We started off with the delicious house bread and shared the banchan sampler. For our meal we shared the korean wings, kimchi fried rice, kogi short rib tacos, and slippery shrimp. The dishes were all outstanding with the tacos and wings being the table favorites. 

The restaurant is such a vibe. Definitely a fun time with friends!

From the outside

Checking in at reception

Entry to the main dining room

Happy to be seated at the Chef's table

Do not miss out on the Kogi tacos and Korean wings!

 

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Visit Las Vegas: Meow Wolf's Omega Mart

Our first Meow Wolf experience was in Grapevine, Texas, and my kids wanted to go Omega Mart in Las Vegas, so we experienced Meow Wolf for the second time.  Meow Wolf is located in Area15, and we bought our tickets directly through Meow Wolf (you can buy a ticket package through Area15 as well).

I'm sure many of you have seen the numerous social media and blog posts about this supermarket with quirky merchandise (that you can really buy) and hidden passages into the world of Dramcorp and the mysteries behind Dramcorp's owner.

We didn't really do much in trying to figure out the mysteries.  We were mostly interested in all the cool and fun portals.

There were tunnels to crawl through, ropes to climb up, secret entryways, and more throughout Omega Mart.  

It's easy to Google search the portals so you don't miss any, and if you can't find any, the employees will direct you. 

The spaces are trippy, kaleidoscopic, and psychedelic.  

The store part of the experience is fun to peruse through too.  All the objects are just so interesting!  

If you had the time or you have a Portal Pass (unlimited admissions to all five Meow Wolf locations), you could spend more time poring over the infinite details surrounding Dramcorp.  There were books, computer files, videos, telephone connections, and so much more that gave insight into Dramcorp.  

IMO, it was way too much to absorb in one visit, which is probably the point of Meow Wolf - to get you to go back to discover things you overlooked on previous visits.

There is a hidden speakeasy (it wasn't open at the time we visited) and ways you can elevate your experience (for a fee).

It's definitely a fun (yet overstimulating), imaginative experience.

Meow Wolf's Omega Mart
3215 Rancho Dr #100

Las Vegas, NV 89102

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Visit Nevada: Shake Shack

Shake Shack is always a good option for quick, but good fast food.  I don't eat burgers, so I usually order a chicken sandwich, but this time I decided to try the 'Shroom Burger - a fried portobello stuffed with cheese!

'Shroom Burger

It was so delicious - I would definitely order it again.  

We also got various other burgers, as well as a bunch of sides and sweet treats (I finally tried the frozen custard!). 

You can opt for single or double patties, and customize the burgers with various toppings (for extra). 

Bacon Cheeseburger

Avocado Bacon Cheeseburger

Onion Rings

Parmesan Fries

Shack Stack

Cheese Fries

Chocolate Frozen Custard

Shake Shack always satisfies!

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Visit Las Vegas: Trapped!

 While in Las Vegas, we decided to do an escape room at Trapped!

It was an impromptu decision, and we were lucky to book a time slot online for a decent time for the same night.

There were several escape rooms to choose from, and we chose Pandora's Box.

Upon arrival to Trapped!, we checked in, and were given three options to choose from in terms of how much help we wanted during the 60 minutes.

We then watched a video about the rules, were directed to lock up our phones in lockers, and proceeded to another room where we watched a video of the story behind Pandora's Box.

Staff members role play, which adds to the fun of the experience.  We proceeded to our escape room, and the fun began!

In terms of escape rooms and based on rooms I've tried in the past, this room was on the easier side, and very family-friendly.  It was also very interactive with neat effects (spoiler - we got a little wet).  During moments where we seemed to be stumped, an employee chimed in to give us some clues.

Overall, we needed minimum clues, and we fortunately escaped just in time.

The entire family had a blast.  

Highly recommend for a fun family night out in Las Vegas, away from The Strip!

Trapped!
4760 Polaris Ave

Las Vegas, NV 89103

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Visit Las Vegas: Area15

Area15 is an "entertainment district" that offers two Zones of activities, attractions, shopping, dining, and events.  

You can buy ticket packages and make reservations for various experiences, or if you simply want to browse around, you can get an Access Level 0 ticket, which includes free entry and a fun self-guided scavenger hunt. 

We went to Area15 to go to Meow Wolf's Omega Mart, but we had a lot of fun doing the free scavenger hunt.

There are so many things you can do at Area15 - escape room, golf, arcade, racing simulation, laser maze, and so much more.

There are also a few exhibits outdoors that you can view.

 

It's quite overstimulating, with bright, flashing lights in all colors and music blaring, but it's definitely a fun experience.

There is a nominal charge for parking.

Area15
3215 South Rancho Dr
Las Vegas, NV

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Visit Las Vegas: Honey Salt

 One of my favorite restaurants from our recent trip to Las Vegas was Honey Salt in Summerlin. 

Banana Split Mocktail

Lobster Roll

Backyard Favorite Burger

Biloxi Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich

I had the Fried Chicken Sandwich, since on the menu it stated it was "Named as one of Las Vegas Weekly's Best."  And it was really good, with a slaw and house Durkee dressing.   

Shrimp Scampi Linguine

Mary's Roasted Organic Chicken Soup

Sweet Potato and Regular Fries

Brookie

I loved the Brookie - a brownie + chocolate chip cookie combo, which was topped with salted caramel chunk ice cream.  The brownie was moist and the cookie was nice and chewy.

Service was excellent.  When our food was brought to our table, one of my kids remarked "They knew who ordered which plate.  We didn't need to raise our hands when they said what the food was."  I thought that was very observant of him and telling of the kind of service we received at Honey Salt.

Honey Salt is a charming restaurant with a chill vibe and great food and service!

Honey Salt
1031 S Rampart Blvd

Las Vegas, NV 89145

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