LP Fest - California and Las Vegas

Last month, Mom, Dad, Jamie, Elizabeth (LP's girlfriend), and I went to California to spend some time with LP before he was deployed. He left on August 23rd on his MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) and will be on the U.S.S. Boxer until the end of April.

Amazing photography by me with the Styrofoam cup on the side.

We flew out of Indianapolis (convenient for me), but our flight on Frontier Airlines was delayed and as a result, we missed our connecting flight in Denver. Jamie, who got her ticket separately from us, had a layover in Chicago and was meeting us in Las Vegas. Luckily, the airline was able to put my dad and Elizabeth through to Las Vegas that night to meet her. Mom and I had an overnight layover in Denver.

All things considered, everything went pretty smoothly. We stayed at a nice hotel, got $50 in food vouchers, and $150 off our next flight on Frontier. We didn't get much sleep, but it was obviously worth it to see LP.

When we landed in Las Vegas the next morning, we hopped in the rental car and drove five hours to Oceanside. We stayed at an amazing little place on the water called Oceanside Marina Suites. We must have had the nicest unit in the place because we had two bedrooms, an open-air living room, and a huge balcony with a gorgeous view of the water. We also had stairs down to the pool, hot tub, and breakfast nook.

Unreal.

We relaxed the first night, eating at a local Mexican restaurant and spending some much-needed time with LP.

The next day, I drove to see one of my favorite people on the planet, Julie at The Smitten Mintons. We went to The Camp, a really cute, environmentally-focused shopping center, and had lunch at Umami Burger. It goes without saying the burger was delicious, but my favorite thing might have been the delicious truffle fries. Amazing.

The best human.

Don't mind my heart attack.

After lunch, we went to Balboa Island to walk down the strip and drool over the gorgeous houses. After miraculously finding a parking spot, we walked along the water, analyzing the houses while I took an embarrassing amount of pictures. Then, we checked out the adorable little shops on the strip and had some ice cream.

Someone actually lives here.

Why can't we live by each other?

As always, it was so wonderful to spend time with Julie. She is truly one of the sweetest, most fun people I've ever met and I'll forever be thankful that the blogosphere brought us together. It was also great to see Doug and finally meet her adorable fur babies! I may or may not be planning a trip to see her sometime soon.

Yes, he wore that Bengals shirt on purpose.

When I got back to the hotel, we decided to walk down the nearby Oceanside Pier. From the pier, we watched people fish (mostly unsuccessfully) as the sun set. Jamie had the balloon guy make her a hat and, of course, I took tons of pictures.

Almost makes fishing look like a worthwhile endeavor. Almost.

Totally normal.

We also had dinner at the restaurant at the end of the pier, Ruby's. If you're ever there, I highly suggest you stop there. You feel so transported back in time, sitting upstairs at the end of the pier, listening to '50s-era music, and feeling the ocean breeze.

I'd like to work there.

The next day, LP had to drop his stuff off at the U.S.S. Boxer, so we drove to San Diego to see his ship. The ship was enormous, but his bed was ridiculously small. I felt claustrophobic just looking at it.

The U.S.S. Boxer

Thinking about me trying to get up there is hilarious. It's okay to laugh.

After we left the ship, we walked around the Gaslamp Quarter for a bit before heading to La Jolla Cove to see the seals. Unfortunately, there was a family on the little beach and any time a seal got close to the shore, the kids would scare it off.

Our last full day with LP was spent relaxing at the hotel, grilling steak on the barbeque, swimming in the pool, sitting in the hot tub, and having LP's last ice cream for eight months. Jamie, Mom, and I also had breakfast at a nearby brunch place called Jolly Roger. I had a Belgian waffle that changed my life.

In his element.

All I do is eat on vacation.

Oh.

The next day, we said our final tearful goodbyes to LP before heading back to Las Vegas. He makes me so proud to be his sister every single day. I miss him like crazy, but I know time will fly and he'll be back before I know it.

He's handsome, America.

They do peace signs because they're cool.

In an effort to shake off our sadness, Jamie, Elizabeth, and I decided to have an eventful night on the strip. First, we all had a huge dinner at the buffet at the Palms. As we were leaving, I noticed someone that looked vaguely familiar walking through the casino. After getting a closer look, I realized it was, indeed, Travis Barker from Blink 182. Words can't explain how obsessed I was with Blink 182 in middle school, so this made my night. I'm still kicking myself for not being in the picture.

He was clearly thrilled.

After dinner, the three of us embarked on our tour of (one side of) the strip. First, we stopped at the Bellagio to watch the amazing fountains (which happened to play my favorite, "Luck Be a Lady" by Frank Sinatra) and look at the gorgeous lobby. This season, it was decorated all things summer - with a lighthouse, birds, kites, and so many flowers.

Probably my favorite place ever.

Next, we headed to the Cosmopolitan to see the chandelier bar. Jamie and Elizabeth bought two shots and two drinks that totaled $60 and quickly made the decision to make their own drinks at CVS. Smart choice. We smelled the amazing smells in the Aria before heading to New York, New York. After a little debate, we decided to ride the roller coaster. The view of the strip at night from the roller coaster is unmatched and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

A little wind blown.

The rest of the night was a blitz through the Excalibur, the MGM, and a loud taxi ride back to the hotel.

We're the three best friends that anybody could have.

I'll be distant on the blog this week - I'm heading to Toronto today and Eric and CJ's wedding this weekend! Have a great week, lovelies!