We are up bright and early this morning to fly out of New York City.  We will be driving to Newark and flying out of Newark Liberty International Airport.

One World Trade Center area in the wee hours of the morning

Going to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular

After the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, we headed to Radio City Music Hall for their Radio City Christmas Spectacular!  What an amazing way to kickoff the Christmas season!

Radio City Music Hall

Attending Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

After watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television all my life, today I am going to get to see the parade in person!  How cool is that!?!?

Sunrise on Thanksgiving Day

Instead of fighting for a spot on the street, we had tickets for breakfast at The Waverly restaurant.  As part of the ticket, we had a blocked off portion of the street.  This meant we didn't have to stand out on the street for hours to get a spot, and it also meant only those with a ticket could be in this particular area.

Rockefeller Center, Trump Tower, and SNL Exhibition

This morning we are heading to Rockefeller Center to see their famous Christmas tree being set up.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Preparations & A Play

Today we will be exploring the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade prep and attending the Broadway play Hand of God starring Bob Saget.

What an amazing sight to wake up to, The One World Trade Center

Attending the Celebrity Autobiography Show

Tonight we attended the Celebrity Autobiography show at The Triad.  This show features celebrity guests and comedians reading from celebrity biographies.  The show is quite hilarious and extremely fun to attend.  At our show, Susan Lucci and Brooke Shields were the celebrity guests.

One World Trade Center at Sunset

Visiting the September 11th Memorial and Museum

For Thanksgiving we are going to New York City.  We will be exploring many NYC sites, as well as attending the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!  Let's get exploring!

Flying into NYC

Exploring Amoeba Music & Leaving LA

Before we headed to the airport to catch our flight, we went to Downtown LA to visit one of our favorite music stores, Amoeba Music.

Heading Downtown

Exploring the Old LA Zoo

Today is our last day in Los Angeles as our flight leaves later today.  One of the last things on our to-do list is the Old LA Zoo.  

Heading to the Old LA Zoo

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney is our destination tonight. We have been to the location in Florida and want to check out the West Coast version.

Beverly Hills, California

Today we are heading out to Beverly Hills for breakfast, exploring the studio area, and then going to a taping of Fuller House at Warner Brothers.  

Salvation Mountain

After leaving Bombay Beach, we headed to Salvation Mountain.  Salvation Mountain is located a few miles away from The Salton Sea near Slab City.  A man named Leonard Knight built the mountain using adobe, straw, and paint.  The colorful mountain features Bible verses. Leonard Knight passed away in 2014.  

On the road to Salvation Mountain

Exploring The Salton Sea

Today is going to be an interesting day!  We are going to Bombay Beach and the Salton Sea.  You might have not heard of these areas before.  Honestly, I hadn't either until not too long ago.  Due to an engineering mistake, water from the Colorado River flowed into the desert area.  Over time, the new lake increased in salinity.  Before this was all realized, the area built up and Bombay Beach became a hotspot for celebrities and families alike.  A beach in the middle of the desert!  Then, disaster struck and the salinity killed thousands upon thousands of fish. The vacation destination was no more.  Many families who resided in the area left.  Some remained, though, and others moved in due to the cheap land.  A lot of the area looks like it was left in a time machine.

Heading to Bombay Beach and the Salton Sea

Rose Bowl Flea Market & Much More

Pasadena, California is our first stop of the day.  Why?  It is home to 2,500 booths!  The flea market is setup around the Rose Bowl and is open on the second Sunday of every month.  It cost us each $8 to get inside.

On the road to Pasadena

Visiting Joshua Tree National Park

We are making a trip to Joshua Tree National Park today.

On the road

Road Trip to Las Vegas

Today we are taking a road trip to Las Vegas for a concert.

The view from our hotel

Shopping at the 99¢ Depot

Driving through the hills of California

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Next up we are heading to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Visiting with the Animals at Wildlife Learning Center

We are heading to the Wildlife Learning Center in Sylmar, California.  Our reason for visiting is you can pay an extra fee (at the time of our visit, there is a separate fee for each animal) to meet and have your picture taken with certain animals.

IKEA!

As the sun begins to set, we are heading to do some shopping before we complete our first day in LA on this trip.

Visiting a Fake McDonald's

Since we were near the area, we decided to head to Industry, California.  Why?  It is home to a fake McDonald's.  Really.

It looks completely real.  One tell-tale sign is the fence around the "store".   This store is McDonald's production store.  They use it to film commercials!  Chances are if you have ever seen a McDonald's commercial, it was filmed here.

Going to the Frank & Son Collectible Show

California, here I come!  We are heading to the City of Angels for a week.  We will be exploring several cities in the surrounding Los Angeles area, as well as making a short trip to Las Vegas.  Come along!

Prior to takeoff

Music Valley Village Shopping

We are heading to the Music Valley Village today to shop for antiques.  The area is across the road from Opryland.

Liberace's Mansion

 Before heading to the airport, there are a few places left to visit in Vegas.

 University of Nevada at Las Vegas.  I love their sign!

Hoover Dam and Exploring Boulder City

Today we going to see a landmark, the Hoover Dam!  I am so excited to finally see this place!

Lake Mead

Los Algodones, Mexico

Today we have a fun adventure ahead of us!  We are traveling almost 5 hours south of Las Vegas and crossing the border into Mexico.  We will be visiting the town of Los Algodones.  This is an interesting town.  The reason is because it is a hotspot for United States (and even Canada) citizens to come to for medical and dental procedures on the cheap.  Many pharmacies are located here, as well, to offer extreme discounts for prescription drugs.

On the road

Exploring Vegas at Night

Tonight we are going to visit and explore a bunch of hotels along the Las Vegas Strip.

The Venetian

Exploring The Riviera Hotel Before It Closes

The Riviera is a legendary hotel in Las Vegas.  It is set to close in the coming weeks.  The hotel will be demolished, and the land will be used to build a new convention center for the city.  We wanted to explore this hotel before it closed its' doors for good.

Hotel Lobby 

The Riviera Pool Area

Famous performers at The Riviera through the years

The Riviera Casino

The Riviera Theatre Box Office

The Riviera Theatre

The Riviera Hotel Food Court

The Riviera Box Office

Door Handles at The Riviera

Signage outside of the hotel

Antique Shopping in Vegas

After touring the Neon Boneyard, we headed to the Egg & I for breakfast.

Neon Boneyard

This morning we have a guided tour of the Neon Boneyard.  The Neon Boneyard is a museum of vintage Vegas neon signs.

Waiting for The Flamingo valet to bring the car

Bedrock City, The Grand Canyon, and the Pinball Hall of Fame

Good morning from Las Vegas!  Today is a busy day.  On the schedule for today is a road trip to The Grand Canyon.  Along the way we will make a few stops.

Las Vegas Day 1

Our flight left at 2:05PM, which was quite unusual for us.  We almost always take a VERY early flight.  It was quite nice getting to sleep-in for a bit.

Waiting for takeoff