Crossing over to New York New York

And some “streets” led outside the big hotels like the Wynn so you could take pictures of the waterfall or the people who made the evening special.

Snapping pictures of the waterfall outside Wynn Las Vegas

Of course, street life in Vegas means dressing up for a night on the town!  And why not? What happens in Vegas . . . well, you know the rest.

Two dressed-up ladies agreed to pose with Treasure Island in the background.

For more examples of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Street Life, click here.

Boats at the Pier, St. Petersburg, FL

Of course, we all want ample time to explore a city lined with mature, moss-filled trees. A city where world-class art museums, shops sporting local crafts, and hotels with beckoning porches await us.  A city like St. Petersburg, Florida.

But that’s not always the case.  With only one day to explore and hit the high spots, you can be hard pressed to see it all and do it all. But you CAN see a lot . . . if you have a plan.

Here are our top five “must-see’s” and “must-do’s” for a day in St. Pete.

1. Central Avenue

After breakfast, but still early, head to Central Avenue to do a little junkin’.  Stop in at Paper Street Market (915 Central) for industrial finds like sewing machines, architectural drawings, and metal signs. Or pick up a re-purposed desk and chair for your office.  Want to do it yourself? Iron Pelican (2452 Central) just may have the lowboy of your dreams. But sometimes you’re looking for a first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird. And if you are, you might get lucky at Haslam’s Book Store (2025 Central), Florida’s largest for new and used books — or that’s what the website says!

Come on in. There’s more inside at Paper Street Market on Central Avenue, St. Pete.

Whatever you do, don’t miss Florida Craftsmen (501 Central) where emerging and seasoned artists display their finest work  — like fiber art shoulder bags, hand-thrown pots, baskets woven of mixed grasses, and creative jewelry from fine, fine metals.

Adorned with a bold graphic, this mug catches your attention in the window of Florida Craftsmen.

Hungry yet?  Duck into Ricky P’s (1113 Central) for the Ultimate Shrimp Po-Boy or the Best BLFnT (Bacon, Lettuce, Fish — that’s Fried Tilapia — and Tomato) with remoulade sauce for an extra kick.  Too much sandwich?  Then dig in to Creole Jambalaya (crushed tomatoes, andouille sausage, chicken, and rice, of course).

Ricky P’s on Central, St. Petersburg, FL

2. Dali Museum

Even if you’ve seen the original Dali Museum, you’ve gotta go back to see this newly designed, architectural gem.  Emerging from this rectangular building designed by Yann Weymouth, the “eclipse” — a 75-foot tall curved window of 1062 triangular panes — offers a glimpse into the signature art collection of Salvador Dali.  (For more pictures, click here.) Take the helical staircase (Dali was obsessed with spirals) to the third floor where docents stand ready to share tidbits of the artist’s life and inspiration.  They’ll even shine flashlights on those hard-to-find illusions and symbols you might miss on your own!

The “eclipse” at the Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, FL

Want a cup of tea after touring? There’s not a prettier spot than the gardens facing Tampa Bay.  Adorned with Dali touches (spiral design, drippy watch bench, and a labyrinth made of hedge), the fanciful gardens just might have you looking for the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland — or Dali himself!

3. North and South Straub Park and the Marina

A stroll along the bay might be in order after viewing all that symbolic art, so drive out to The Pier and admire the boats just waiting for a good wind and a savvy sailor.

Boats at The Pier, St. Petersburg, FL

Park your car and stroll the parks while admiring the outdoor sculptures . . .

Newsboy, St. Petersburg

or the magnificent banyon trees standing like puddled drapery in an aristocrat’s home.

4. The Vinoy

After staring at art, strolling the park, and wishing you owned one of those lovely boats in the bay, head over to the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort and Golf Club (501 5th Ave., NE) to take a load off.  Order a drink, find a rocking chair on the porch, and watch the people go by!

An afternoon on the porch at The Vinoy

You may even be lucky to be there when a big event comes to town.  Like the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl.  And then you’ll see a sand sculpture greeting the fans and maybe even the team passing by on their way to the buses.

Sand Sculpture, The Vinoy

Or maybe you’ll just see folks like us hanging out, capturing the breeze, and watching the sun go down.

5.  Beach Drive

With one last push (OK,  you can do it!), you’ll leave The Vinoy and move down Beach Drive where you can take in the Chihuly Collection (400 Beach Drive NE) and the sweet little shops and restaurants along the way.  With a vast selection of contemporary crafts, you’ll surely find a souvenir or a special, one-of-a-kind item in Shapiro’s (300 Beach Drive).

At the end of the day, treat yourself to one of the specialties at 400 Beach Seafood & Tap House.  Like Lobster Mac & Cheese, Tandoori Spiced Mahi Mahi, or Florida Grouper Oscar. Be sure to ask if you can eat outside. On the sidewalk!

Not up for that?  Well, you can always tool it on down to St. Pete Beach where sunsets are free and Happy Hours are plentiful!

Sundown at St. Pete Beach

Walking the beach at sunset

Whatever you choose to do, it’ll be a great day in St. Petersburg!

For more information:

Map of St. Petersburg’s downtown waterfront: http://www.stpete.org/downtown_waterfront_master_plan/docs/Waterfront_Facilities_Parks.pdf

The marina at The Coeur d’Alene Resort

Whenever I think of Coeur d’Alene now, I think of the color blue, a color that defines this lovely town built on a dreamy blue lake in the middle of Idaho, a state known for its forest greens and soft brown fields of grain.

The Coeur d’Alene Resort

Looming large over the downtown area is The Coeur d’Alene, a classy resort and marina where boats rest easy on the lake while vacationers and residents dine in the restaurants, enjoy recreational facilities, and walk the world’s longest floating boardwalk.

The world’s longest floating boardwalk!

So surprised was I to see a sand beach in Idaho that I snapped this picture and quickly posted it on Facebook for my Tennessee friends to see!

Imagine — a beach in Idaho!

This fall, I brought my husband Bert to see the city on the lake where we just happened upon an adventure.  While strolling City Dock at Independence Point, we spied a poster advertising Brooks Sea Plane.  The owner said he had just had a cancellation, and we could go up, up and away, if we were ready to fly right then.  We jumped at the chance.

Bert, on right, boards the plane for a flight over Lake Coeur d’Alene.

The 40-mile, 20-minute flight took us over 125 miles of Lake Coeur d’Alene’s shoreline where some of the city’s residents and a few of America’s well-known stars maintain homes we could only dream of seeing — like John Elway of the Denver Broncos, Dennis Franz from NYPD Blue, and Wayne Gretzky of National Hockey League fame. A bird’s eye view of paradise, Idaho-style!

At the end of the flight, we dined at Dockside in the Coeur d’Alene Resort while watching the sun set on the marina.  Coeur d’Alene looks good from the air AND by the sea!

A sunset view from Dockside restaurant

For more information:

Brooks Sea Plane: 208.664.2842; http://www.brooks-seaplane.com

Coeur d’Alene Resort: 800.688.5253; http://www.cdaresort.com/

For more posts on the Inland Northwest, click on the Page at the top of this blog.

This post is #20 for National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) 2013.

Our trek through the Inland Northwest took us from Spokane, Washington, up Highway 2 through Green Bluff, an area boasting over 30 apple orchards and numerous at-home entrepreneurs.  From there, we drove north toward Bonners Ferry, Idaho, but only made it to Sandpoint when near-darkness and weariness overtook us.

Had we known that Sandpoint would become one of the classiest, most interesting cities on our trip, we would have planned it as a destination.  As it was, we sat in the car looking on our iPhones for the names of B&B’s, hotels, restaurants, etc.  What a find we made when we booked unknowingly one of the finest places we stayed on the whole trip:  the Lodge at Sandpoint!

Rooms facing Lake Pend Oreille

Situated on Lake Pend Oreille, this Old World boutique hotel with modern conveniences charmed us with log construction and upscale lodge furniture.

The commons area exuded comfort with leather seating, patterned pillows, antiques, stained glass windows, and an oversize fireplace just waiting for us to stand with our backs to it and “warm up a spell.”

Fireplace in the main lobby where beamed ceilings and lodge furniture invite relaxation

We could see why the website for The Lodge states that it’s “built on the proposition that Life at the lake is the most fun of all”! No wonder it’s a destination for small weddings, family gatherings, and weekends away for folks like us.

Spectacular sundown view of the lake from the porch at Lodge at Sandpoint

We wondered how long it would take to drive from Sandpoint city center to The Lodge, but the drive was short:  about two miles across the Long Bridge into Slagle.

We never had to leave The Lodge for dinner since Forty-One South (on the premises) offers gourmet cuisine in a lovely waterfront setting.

Our room was spacious even though we were only there for sleeping.  We mostly enjoyed spending time reading in the main lobby or wandering the more than 600 feet of sand beach outside.

With gorgeous evening views of Lake Pend Oreille, though, our first priority was to relax in the cushy seats on the porch until the last glimmer of light dipped into the horizon.

The Lodge at Sandpoint became one of the unexpected high points of our trip, and returning would be a plus, for sure.  According to calendar listings in Sandpoint Magazine, special events abound.  No matter what you enjoy doing — shopping, boating, rafting, fishing, celebrating — Sandpoint seemingly has it all.  It’s definitely on our radar as a Place To See Again!

The Lodge at Sandpoint

41 Lakeshore Drive

Slagle, ID 83860

208.263.2211

http://lodgeatsandpoint.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lodge-At-Sandpoint/112662938751149

Forty-One South

http://41southsandpoint.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Forty-One-South/175667542452845

For more on our travels in the Inland Northwest, click on the page at the top of this post.

And we’d be very pleased if you click to follow this blog by email or share comments about any of the places you’ve visited in this beautiful part of America.

But looking at these pictures from the Westin Lake Las Vegas, you could almost swear that we HAD entered a tropical paradise — in the middle of a Nevada desert!  The tall slightly bending palm trees hovering over the clear blue pool in this elegant resort appointed with fountains, outdoor fireplaces, and sheer water walls glimmering in the sun transported us to the tropics . . . even if only for a little while.

A Word a Week Challenge: Tropical (Click here) from the beautiful blog A Word in Your Ear.

The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa

101 Montelago Boulevard

Henderson, NV 89011

http://www.westinlakelasvegas.com

Elegant seating area in Wynn Las Vegas

Come to think of it, selecting just seven hotels from all that Vegas has to offer is a daunting task, to be sure.  But thinking of which ones we’d like to see again, these really are our top sites to see in terms of interesting architecture, artful interior decor, and unique features. But they’re also the best based  simply on how they appeal to us.

If you missed Part One of this blog (Seven swanky lobbies to see: Vegas hotels), click here. (We had to separate the posts since there are so many pictures.)  We hope you enjoyed the four hotels in Part One.  And now, to finish the seven, our top three places to go lobbying!

Our third favorite: The Venetian

3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South; 702.414.1000; http://www.venetian.com

The towering structures surrounding the Grand Canal invite you to leave The Strip and come to Italy.

 The Venetian had us — and we weren’t even inside.  With exacting details like the recreation of the Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal, we were hooked on the Venetian experience. When we went inside, however, we were struck by the beauty of the ornately painted ceilings and marble floors of the elegant interiors. The Venetian really is a don’t-miss place in Vegas.

It’s Venice replicated: from fountains, balconies, and lightposts to the Rialto Bridge!

Ceilings in The Venetian.

To say the least, the hotel is an amalgamation of luxurious accommodations and fascinating details in the architecture and artful design.  Running through the complex is the canal surrounded by shops made famous for high-quality goods like Italian glass and haute couture, as well as inviting waterside restaurants.   Painted ceilings are delightfully deceiving — the whole place feels like a European shopping plaza or a side street in Venice.

But there’s also a lot going on. At Christmas, we applauded traveling performers.  On a more recent visit, we smiled as we watched people mistake this mime for a statue (surprise!) and then ask to take pictures to email back home.  (Were you fooled a bit, too, when you saw the picture above?)

Of course, you might not want to miss one of the most popular activities of all — a gondola ride navigated by a singing boatman.  You’re in Venice, right?  Or is this just Vegas?  Whatever or wherever — it’s fun.

The Venetian will host Carnevale 2013 from May 27 to September 8, a celebration of music, food, and culture.  Wouldn’t you just love to be there? (Click here for more info.)

Coming in second: Wynn Las Vegas

3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South; 702.770.7000; http://www.wynnlasvegas.com)

Taking its cue from the shimmering copper and gold exterior, Wynn Las Vegas offers an elegant interior of warm browns paired with reds and ivories.  Rich chocolate-colored walls greet you whether you enter from the front door or the free parking area between Wynn and Encore. You know you’re in a luxury hotel, but one that offers something for everyone.

We love the mosaic floors of stylized flowers that add color but keep the hotel fresh and new, not stuffy.

Even the areas reserved for serious poker players (right past Ferrari Store!!) carry out the richness of the brown interior and lead you into the casino area and its signature floral carpet.

Delighting most visitors are the two tree-lined walkways featuring tiny white lights and real-flower spheres that change with the seasons.

The Wynn offers unique dining, too. According to the web site,  “Wynn and Encore have more Forbes Four Star award-winning restaurants than any other  resort in North America.”

We love coming down the escalator into Parasol just for the sheer joy of all that color.  Then we head out to Lake Side to watch the free hourly show on the water and sit in one of the comfy banquettes.  But, upon your request, you can dine even more privately in a tented alcove at Bartolotta’s. Ahhh, for those quiet moments in Vegas.

Entering Parasol on the way to Lake Side.

Dining beside the lake at Bartolotta’s.

To our delight, however, Wynn Las Vegas is a mixture of luxury AND affordability.  During March Madness, bets came in hot and heavy at Wynn’s Race and Sports Book (You can always stand in the back free!), and we dined affordably at Zoozacrackers Deli while watching the fashion show go by!

Lining up to cash out are these now-calm participants at the Wynn Las Vegas Race and Sports Book.

Best of all, we enjoyed Le Rêve — The Dream, a Cirque du Soleil spectacular performed in, on, and over water.  (Click here for ticket information.)

Although pictures aren’t allowed during the performance, we could snap this one at the end: enormous lighted flowers hovering over the circle of water.

Our favorite hotel lobby in Vegas: The Bellagio

3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South; 888.987.6667; http://www.bellagio.com

Walking through the lobby of The Bellagio is one treat we give ourselves each time we’re in Vegas.  It’s just that nice  — and always changing.  You can stand outside the hotel and enjoy the fountains during the day and every fifteen minutes during the evening hours.  As a side benefit, you can also hear several languages as people from all over the world share their love of the dancing waters and familiar music.

But the lobby, too, is overwhelmingly beautiful.  Our favorite part is the ceiling sculpture of over 2,000 hand-blown flowers by glass artist Dale Chihuly.  We just stand in awe — and then we have to take pictures!

There’s even Chihuly at Bellagio, a place where one-of-a-kind art is for sale to grace your home or office.  (But if you’re like us, you can take really, really close looks for free!)

I’ve written before about The Bellagio as I’ve been to Vegas for work since October 2013. (See below for links to those posts.)  And I have to admit, next to the Chihuly sculptures, it’s the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens that beckon me to return each time.  These exciting, masterful exhibits change with the seasons, and each one has brought forth new designs and creative ways to incorporate fresh flowers into the sets.   Technology, too, plays a large role in involving guests:  From winding miniature trains at Christmas to the “Pupa Emergence Display” this spring, the Conservatory always offers something of interest for young and old.

The current installation, a tribute to Andy Warhol, is delightful: Dutch shoes, a house-size windmill, white-flower swans, hundreds of forced bulbs, and a miniature greenhouse where butterflies come to life — literally. (The 2013 Spring Celebration ends May 11th.)

Life-size greenhouse in center of Bellagio’s Conservatory

So, if you think Las Vegas is all casinos and cheesy wedding sites, think again.

Vegas hotels live large — beautiful surroundings, graceful interiors, and something for everyone to enjoy.   Come see for yourself.

Click here to read Bellagio Conservatory and Gardens celebrate Chinese New Year in style!

Click here to read Picture Perfect: Christmas 2012 at Bellagio

Click here to read Fabulous Fall at Bellagio: It’s Vegas, Baby!

P. S. Would love to hear about your favorite hotels in Vegas.  Leave us a comment!

Filed under: Artist, Destination, Hotels, Retail Shops, Travel Tagged: art, Bartolotta's, Bellagio's Botanical Gardens, Carnevale 2013, Las Vegas, sports book, The Venetian, travel, Wynn Las Vegas, Zoozacrackers ]]> http://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2013/04/06/seven-swanky-lobbies-to-see-vegas-hotels-part-two/feed/ 2 rushasams Elegant seating area in Wynn Las Vegas 2012.LasVegas 126 2012.LasVegas 130 Ceilings in The Venetian. 2012.LasVegas 137 2012.LasVegas 138 2012.LasVegas 142 2012.LasVegas 114 IMG_8350 IMG_8512 IMG_8352 Entering Parasol on the way to Lake Side. 2012.LasVegas 113 Lining up to cash out are these now-calm participants at the Wynn Las Vegas Race and Sports Book. IMG_8362 Although pictures aren't allowed during the performance, we were could snap this one at the end of enormous lighted flowers hovering over the circle of water. 2012.LasVegas 073 2012.LasVegas 088 IMG_8248 IMG_8246 IMG_8253 IMG_8257 IMG_8258