Let's Go to the Stadium Las Vegas Christmas 2020 December 27-30, 2020
Welcome to FABULOUS Las Vegas!
Disclaimer: This year has been such a mess, for everyone, and has really messed with our plans. Not just with work, school and life but with our travel plans as well. We had SO MUCH planned for this year. We originally had 4 cruises planned for 2020, including FINALLY getting our kids on Royal Caribbean ships. We were able to go on ONE cruise in 2020 in February on the Enchantment of the Seas. But our April cruise on Liberty of the Seas and our summer cruise got cancelled. We also had to cancel our Thanksgiving cruise on Adventure of the Seas. Most of our travel this year came from in-state venues like Great Wolf Lodge and South Padre Island.
I've been itching to go to Vegas so much lately. Perhaps even more than cruising... I know, it is crazy but I have just wanted to feel that "Vegas Vibe" again! On the 3rd day of our Christmas Break I decided to log into Orbitz and look for a trip. I was BLOWN away! The prices and deals were SO GOOD! We're talking flight and 2-3 nights of hotel rooms for less than $100 PER PERSON! I studied for a bit and then saw a deal for the Bellagio- flights (DFW), 2 nights at Bellagio for $181 per person. That was it... I pushed confirm shortly after that. We later discovered that we had earned enough loyalty points in a game we play on our phones to get a free night at The Mirage. This was a trip booked 72 hours before we boarded the plane and it was PERFECT!
With all the changes due to COVID, I am going to try and share as much of our trip as possible! It is not cruising and even with the MAJOR deal we found, this trip will cost about the same as a short cruise (Like our Enchantment of the Seas in February), but we LOVED every minute of it!
Day 1- December 27th
We spent Christmas with my side of the family in Arp, TX so we decided to fly out of DFW instead of Houston. We got into the airport in enough time to grab some lunch and drinks before we boarded the plane. We flew on American Airlines and our Dreamliner plane was about 95% full. However, my husband, Chris, (who is large and tall) was able to switch to a new seat for more space and legroom. I, on the other hand, was on the inside set of 3 seats and had a dog at my feet... It was weird! The DFW airport and the LAS airport were both busier than I expected during COVID; however, it is the week between Christmas and New Years so I am sure many were traveling. Despite all the COVID details and precautions, this was a very EASY flight and travel day! (I forgot how much I like American Airlines... free carry on bags and TVs with games, music and movies! It was AWESOME.)
Our plane has arrived and we are READY!
We are on board and now we wait 3 hours... See you soon Las Vegas!
The plane was... FULL! I was shocked!
Once we arrived we got an UBER to take us to Bellagio and it quick and easy! In fact, the driver was WAITING for us when we got to the pick up area! It was $15 plus a very generous tip! The Strip at 8PM on a Sunday, was not near as busy as it has been in the past trips. But still lively and people were out and about! The city didn't look different at first glance.
We have arrived! Let's get this party started!
Check- In at Bellagio
Our check in at the Bellagio was quick and painless. They checked our temperature and we were on our way to our room in no time. However, I didn't expect to have to scan our room key to get the elevator to work and dropped one of our room key's into the elevator shaft! That was a first!
Our original room was on the 18th floor and facing SW towards the pool. It was a very nice room but we just dumped our stuff and went down to the casino
The entrance to the Bellagio is SO MAGICAL. I swear every time I walk in and just look up and stare and act like I have never seen this before! I love this!
Our bathroom at The Bellagio.
This was VERY spacious and clean cut!
This shower was my favorite part!
A view from our original room on the 18th floor. You can barely see the pool area and the Conservatory area of The Bellagio.
We went back down to the casino and started playing Blackjack. The tables were $15/$25/ $50/ $100 minimums. I was very shocked The Bellagio had a $15 table on a weekend. The last few times we’ve been to Vegas, The Bellagio only had $25 minimums as their lowest tables (even during the day) so this was a pleasant surprise! Of course these were all VERY full since only 3 can play at a time due to COVID! In fact, there were "lines" to get a spot at the tables. We waited for 20-30 minutes for a spot to open but then went to the Stadium Blackjack near the guest elevators. This is a neat game if you have never played. It is a LIVE dealer but machines. We were up $$$ in no time. We felt GREAT about the trip thus far!
Dinner at Noodles
We made last minute dinner reservations at Noodles inside Bellagio. We had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. The state of Nevada has 25% capacity at ALL restaurants and you need a reservation EVERYWHERE! We were LUCKY to get in due to some cancelled reservations! We got in at the very last call for the evening (10:45PM) but the food and service were OUTSTANDING! They did require masks AT ALL TIMES, in fact the manager/ host was adamant about it and asked us to put then back up in-between drinks, but it did not bother us! The food was FABULOUS and the portions were HUGE! Definitely worth the cost and we would eat there again!
The menu at Noodles.
The prices were actually pretty reasonable for The Bellagio.
And the portions were HUGE!
The Vegetable Spring Rolls.
The "Hor Fun" beef. This was SO GOOD and filling!
The Bellagio Conservatory
After dinner we decided to walk off our food and check out the always gorgeous Bellagio Conservatory. It was all decked out for Christmas and it did not disappoint. It had a massive live Christmas tree, countless flowers and plants that included several polar bears, a dog and a horse and carriage in the center of display. My favorite part was the Red Cardinal display. Tip- Remember, this is a completely FREE entertainment venue and no matter what time of year, it NEVER DISAPPOINTS!
This was such a magical area of Las Vegas! Even though Christmas was over, this was just PERFECT!
It is hard to believe ALL of this is made with REAL flowers!
Inside the Carriage!
This was such a great way to start our trip in Las Vegas! Well done Bellagio!
Check out our walk through the Conservatory!
A Class Act
We gambled for a few more hours then went to our room for the night. As we got ready for bed we noticed a very sticky, honey like substance on the bar area under the TV and on the remote and nightstand. I don't know what it was but it was really gross. Then the TV would not turn on or change channels. I had already showered by the time we noticed this but I called the front desk to ask for housekeeping/ maintenance but they offered me a new room instead. It was after 1:30AM so I was shocked and just happy to have a TV to fall asleep to. In fact, the guest service guy changed our room and key cards and everything RIGHT THERE ON THE PHONE! It was so cool!
We got to our new room on the 9th floor and realized it was a FOUNTAIN VIEW room. This was a great upgrade from our Resort King room. It had 2 beds but we didn't care! The view was worth it all!
WOW... This view is phenomenal. I think we stayed up almost another hour just staring out the window! We LOVE Vegas!
I am still shocked at the customer service by the Bellagio. I never asked for this upgrade and honestly never even thought of a new room, let alone a VIEW, I just wanted it cleaned up! They acted like a class act and treated us like Royalty, which we didn’t deserve! They have gained new customers for life!
Thanks for following along... Day 2 coming up!
GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME!
Click on a previous trip to Las Vegas for more tips and tricks:
The past 4 months have been such a journey. Not necessarily the journey we all would have liked but it is a journey nonetheless. Due to COVID-19, we have been unable to cruise these past 4 months or even travel beyond The Lone Star State. It has been a huge damper on our traditional summer plans but much like everyone else, we are making it and surviving and have not yet (Lord willing) been affected by COVID-19. Thank you JESUS!
Our vacation plans have been all over the place as this whole "pandemic" has unfolded. Plan A, a Royal Caribbean cruise with the kids, was cancelled at the very beginning of this whole ordeal. Plan B, a summer cruise out of Florida, was cancelled shortly after that. Plans C, D and E, road trips to the far western United States, had to be scrapped as Texas became the "epicenter" of the rise in summer cases and many states were having travelers from Texas self-quarantine as soon as they arrived. As much as we wanted to get to Vegas or Lake Tahoe, we knew it was just not smart so we were back at square one.
The kids were going on their annual "Trip to the Farm" to see Chris's parents so we decided to go to Fredericksburg, TX and have a few days of exploring the Texas Wine Country. After several mishaps and randomly losing our "24 hr hold" on AirBnB reservations, we finally found an AirBnB house in town with a private hot-tub. Much to my surprise, we were able to book this less than a week before arrival.
On Friday, less than 48 hours after we booked this AirBnB, and just 4 days prior to our arrival, Governor Abbot announced the scaling back of the "Re-Open" plan for Texas and announced all Bars would be closed until further notice. This didn't effect us, or so we thought. By Sunday, all wineries were closed and there went our Texas Wine County big dreams and plans. We tried to cancel with AirBnB and even the small B&B company, Absolute Charm Rentals, to get our money back but without actually HAVING COVID-19, we would have lost our money. We couldn't' in good faith lie about that type of thing so despite even MORE CHANGES (sound familiar) coming down on Monday, we decided to make the best of it.
Monday, June 29th
We drove all the way up to north of Lubbock to drop off the kids with Chris's parents and to see Chris's brother and family. It was so great to get to see our niece and nephew and my in-laws, even if only for a few hours. We spent the night and then got up on Tuesday and we made our way to Fredericksburg.
Natalie was SO EXCITED to see GiGi Jackie and Grandpa!
She opened the car door and took off running!
Birthday gifts from GiGi and Grandpa!
Luke and Daniel on the swing!
I love this little guy!
Tuesday, June 30th
After breakfast, we started our 5-6 hours journey into the heart of Texas. The drive was very uneventful but beautiful as we escaped the dry west Texas land and entered the Hill Country. We stopped for lunch in Ballinger at The Sandwich Shop. The service and food were fantastic and we enjoyed it very much.
Good ol' Texas road trip!
The Sandwich Shop- Ballinger, TX
This little place was great and offered a WIDE variety of menu items! We were very impressed!
The Tuesday Special- Chicken Fried Chicken
Club Sandwich on croissant- This was REALLY good!
We got into Fredericksburg around 2:30PM and drove down Main Street before hitting up Walmart for essentials for the next few days. We were not supposed to be allowed to check into the house until 4PM but got a text at 3:15PM giving us access to the house.
This was an unbelievably amazing house right in town and within 6 "blocks" of Fredericksburg Main Street. It was labeled as a 2 bedroom, 1 bath house but it was actually a 3 bedroom home. It was very spacious, clean and even offered a PRIVATE hot tub in the back yard. It was ABSOLUTELY perfect. Within our first hour of being in the house we realized, we didn't even need the wineries to be open, this house was all we needed.
This kitchen had EVERYTHING we needed and even more! We were highly impressed with this space!
Bedroom #1 with a King size bed (No TV)
Bedroom #2 with King bed AND TV.
Back bedroom #3 with a queen bed and a TV.
The living room was large and exceptionally decorated.
The BEST Part of the house... A PRIVATE hot tub! This was the SILVER LINING for sure!
Welcome goodie bags in the kitchen!
Homemade bakery cookies waiting for us.
The owner had ground coffee and even a Keurig, as well as all of the amenities for coffee.
Check out Tammy's SILVER LINING COTTAGE in Fredericksburg on AirBnB-
We made our way back into town to explore Main Street and get some authentic German food. The Fredericksburg Mayor had a city mandate that masks were MANDATORY at any public place, including Main Street as you are roaming around. You also had to wear the masks into any and all stores and restaurants. We obeyed and honestly, weren't even that bothered by this rule. Many of the stores, winery stores and even some of the restaurants were not open due to COVID-19. The stores that were open, many closed at 5PM. We knew Fredericksburg was an older, quaint town but didn't expect it to "shut down" at 5PM.
We got to the restaurant for dinner and there was a wait due to the limited seating ability. The bar itself was still offering drinks but we had to take the drink on the street (which seems laughable to me as this is the LAST thing I would have thought would be "legal) or wait outside for our table. As we were ordering our German beers, a table became available. The food and the service at Auslander German Restaurant were phenomenal. Seriously the service was some of the best we have ever had. Our food was to our table within 6 minutes of ordering.
Who knew we would like German beer... We are NOT beer people!
At least, we didn't think we were!
The Auslander Menu
Sausage Party sampler plate! This was exceptional!
I got the Rouladen- a Roast Beef roll with pickles and German mustard.
It was... interesting!
Look what we found! Any OFFICE fans out there? Haha!
After enjoying a great German beer and meal, we made our way back down Main Street to see if any winery stores were offering glasses or bottles to go. Many were completely closed, despite being legally able to offer curbside or bottles to go. We stumbled upon Texas Wine Cellars who were offering bottles to go and frozen wines to go. We opted to get the refillable tumbler of frozen sangria for $17 but only $6 refills. This paid off dividends in the next few days. We also found a smaller winery store offering bottles to go. We were not able to taste anything so just had to trust the customer service salesman. We ended up getting a few bottles to go and she did give us a glass to go along with it as well. We took these "Frozens" (Frozen wine based slushies) and bottles back to the house just a short 2 minute drive away.
Texas Wine Cellars (store front) on Main Street. TIP-These were "refillable" cups and worked out perfect for us. These were $17 but refills were only $6. We definitely got our moneys worth throughout the week.
We spent the rest of the evening in the hot tub and enjoying our Texas Wine Country experience COVID style. Despite it being still 90* and humid, we had a great evening.
What a perfect evening... It doesn't get much better!
Having no tasting available, means you guess! This was not a good guess! This was just AWFUL! I made it about 1/2 a glass into it and that is all! Stupid COVID... I hate you!
Wednesday, July 1st
I woke up and got 3 miles of running in town before Chris woke up. We got ready and then went to Enchanted Rock to do some climbing and hiking. As we arrived we were told you needed a reservation. I had looked up the park the night before and the website said reservations would be needed for July 4th weekend. This was very frustrating but we went into the visitors center and were luckily able to get a reservation for park entrance at 2PM.
Running on these roads was fantastic... Despite the hills!
I had to stop and take pictures of the gorgeous scenery!
3.1 miles to start off July! I'm trying to get in 75 miles this month!
The gorgeous drive to Enchanted Rock!
We made it!
We went back into town to enjoy lunch. We ate lunch at Sozial Haus and had an outstanding German Supreme Pizza. As per usual on trips (and cruises alike) our eyes were bigger than our stomach and we had tons of left overs. We took them back to the house and after my zoom meeting we loaded up our backpacks and cooler and headed 16 miles north to Enchanted Rock.
Main Street was very well decorated for July 4th!
My FAVORITE candles of all time! I wish we could have gone on the factory tour!
Rustlin' Robs on Main Street- GO IN THERE! Seriously, it is so cool!
They offered samples of sauces, dips, salsas and so much more. There was a worker at each station offering samples and they did a great job with the COVID scare!
The Sozial Haus menu!
The LARGE 24" Supreme! THIS THING WAS HUGE!
I really enjoyed this for lunch!
TIP- They offered 1/2 price pizzas on Monday and Tuesday from 5-7PM!
The park was not busy but busier than I would have thought for a Wednesday in the middle of the day. Our hike started with the Summit Trail to the top of the Enchanted Rock. It was 2PM, 97* and 90% humidity but we started up the 1.800 ft rock. There were places of clear paths, rocks and even a very steep slope. We got to the top to gorgeous views of the hill county. The way back down was much harder than going up but we survived and then did a few more trails to get view of this gorgeous area before calling it a day.
It's time to tackle this beast!
Hey only 12 heat rescues this year... Let's not make it 13! Haha!
We had our masks with us for times we would be close to others but didn't use them often! The park is HUGE! We were definitely social distancing!
Oh, We're HALFWAY there... Oh, Living on a Prayer!
(I was seriously praying on the hike up. I was worried about Chris's ankle. But we made it! Thank you Jesus)
A view of the summit!
Views on top of the Summit!
Making our way back down the hill!
That is where we climbed to! Whew... We made it! Check out our entire climbing trip to Enchanted Rock!
We went back to the house and took showers before going back into Main Street for dinner at Fredericksburg Brewery. This was a German Brewery offering both German food and American food. We opted for more German food and tried a few more German beers, which we loved. The food and service were once again superb.
This brewery was right in downtown on Main Street! Plus they offered German AND non-German food if you have picky eaters!
They were offering a limited menu due to COVID but we were still very pleased with the offerings!
The Schnitzel was fantastic! WOW.. So good!
I ordered the Jager Schnitzel, which was similar to Chicken Cordon Bleu (but with pork).
WOW... It was SO GOOD! BUT HUGE!
Another EXCELLENT German beer we both loved!
We are having a GREAT time thus far!
Believe it or not, there was LIVE music near Luckenbach on Main Street and were able to snag a table! It was great!
After listening to some live music, we strolled what was open on Main Street and then got some bottles to go to take back to the hot tub again. It became a nightly thing and we were not disappointed.
This was a MUCH better bottle! And oddly enough, since most places closed at 6PM and we were late, I got this bottle at Burgers-Burgers on main street! Haha... I don't know rather to laugh or cry! But it sure was good! Not too sweet!
Thursday, July 2nd
We woke up and made our way to Cross Mountain just outside downtown Fredericksburg but it was closed. Since this is an outdoor park, we were surprised but decided to go and try out Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park and Nature Trail. This was a great nature trail full of beautiful flowers, birds and butterflies. It was about 2 miles long round trip and we enjoyed every minute.
A map of the Nature Trails at Lady Bird Johnson State Park
Let's get this party started!
There were several small creek crossings! The bridge was questionable... at best!
I have no idea what this was but it was really cool!
It would have been perfect if this was a natural waterfall and not a man made concrete spillway, haha! But it was neat nonetheless!
More red dirt trails!
The creek on Lady Bird Johnson State Park.
I have seen more CACTI in these past few weeks, than in my entire life!
Is it just me or does this look like one of those creepy character trees in Harry Potter?
Hiking Selfie!
We made it to the end of the Nature Trail! This was a lot of fun! Our experience on the Nature Trail! It was FUN!
On our way back to the house we made a detour to Luckenbach, TX and the Luckenbach Post Office. I hate to admit this, but I didn't even know Luckenbach was a "thing" or a song even. I am not a country music person so I literally had no clue. A close friend and family members told us to go and take a picture, so we did just that. It was a cute little "town" and we enjoyed it. The Post Office was open (it is now a store) and they were offering music nightly. We took our pictures and then made our way back into town.
Wow... it's real!
We are HERE! Bucket List check off!
The Luckenbach Post Office!
I came. I saw. I bought crap I don't need!
Yep... it's just like any other thing I go to!
This was neat!
On our way back to the house, we stopped at a Peach Orchard, with an adjacent store, to get some fresh, ripe peaches. These were LITERALLY the best peaches I have ever had! Wow... They were incredible. I really wish we would have been able to pick our own and take an orchard tour but this experience did not disappoint!
These were divine and SO SO GOOD!
We went back to the house to freshen up before walking from the house to Main Street for lunch and afternoon shopping. The house lists it is only 6 blocks from Main Street but these blocks are MUCH bigger than regular blocks. And it measures the distance from the house to the far, FAR western end of the Main Street strip. By the time we got to the middle of the strip for lunch, my FitBit registered us having walked 1.2 miles. We were so hot!
We made it... We FINALLY made it! GOOD GRIEF, We were SO HOT!
We had lunch at Mac's BBQ on Main Street and it was delicious! The Green Chile Mac and Cheese and pulled pork were literally some of the best I have ever had! We sat and enjoyed our lunch before doing some true LOCAL shopping on Main Street.
This place was incredible!
These plates and sides were phenomenal. Even now, as I am blogging about the trip, I am craving this place and this food! It was SO GOOD!
We planned on staying on Main Street for the rest of the afternoon but the heat got to us and we took an Uber back to the house to rest for a while. The Uber cost was only $7 and well worth that on a hot and humid summer day.
Haha... I loved this!
THIS! SO MUCH THIS!
Haha...I think my sister, Allison, needs this shirt!
I should have just bought this one!
Shopping with a mask on... BEFORE it was a STATE mandate!
It was hot... and I was claustrophobic but I didn't die!
We rested up for a while and then made our way back to Main Street for another German dinner. This was our best experience and the food and service were top notch, yet again! We tried more German beer and discovered we actually like this beer. Altdorf German Bistro was our favorite restaurant of the trip and the service was phenomenal!
This German restaurant was a little more upscale but we LOVED it!
We found THREE German beers we liked! This will be our FIRST stop on our return trip to Fredericksburg!
Jager Schnitzel with COLD (Traditional) potato salad!
After dinner we grabbed our favorite Texas wine to go and then spent time in the hot tub and watching a FRIENDS marathon! I could not have asked for a better end to our Texas adventure.
Hello there BEAUTIFUL!
We found this TEXAS SOUTHWINDS wine in 2016 in Gruene, TX and fell in love!
It seemed only fitting we could find and enjoy again!
Friday, July 3rd
We woke up and cleaned up the house a bit before getting on the road to get home to pick up Oxford, our beagle. TIP- If you are new to AirBnB, remember to pick up the house a bit before leaving. Not much but washing your dishes and taking out the trash are a start. The drive home was uneventful as we traveled through Austin on 290.
WE LOVED THIS PLACE! Best AirBnB we have ever stayed in! Check out our video of The Silver Lining Cottage- Summer 2020!
This was not the summer trip we are used to and not even one we could have planned but we enjoyed it very much and we really liked Fredericksburg. We agree that we want to go back once the wineries and winery tours are open. It is hard to really know which winery or even wines you like if you cannot taste them first. The city of Fredericksburg did a great job with the hand they were dealt and everyone was VERY friendly!
Fredericksburg turned out to be a great little quaint town full of shops and stores with great LOCAL Texas flair. The restaurant scene was full of unique and specialized food, especially German fare. The winery scene seemed amazing, despite not being able to experience it fully. I think it is a great "long weekend getaway" and only 4 hours from Houston. We will be back!
I am reminded throughout all of this that even if this is not what we wanted or expected, we are truly blessed to be able to do any and all of this. We have been blessed to not have any of the sickness that goes with COVID and Thank God we have been financially secure in all of this mess! So once again... GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME! Thank you Jesus for these blessings!
Our plane has arrived and we are READY! 
We are on board and now we wait 3 hours... See you soon Las Vegas! 
We have arrived! Let's get this party started! 
The entrance to the Bellagio is SO MAGICAL. I swear every time I walk in and just look up and stare and act like I have never seen this before! I love this! 
Our bathroom at The Bellagio. 
This was VERY spacious and clean cut! 
This shower was my favorite part! 
A view from our original room on the 18th floor. You can barely see the pool area and the Conservatory area of The Bellagio. 
The menu at Noodles.
The prices were actually pretty reasonable for The Bellagio.
And the portions were HUGE! 
The Vegetable Spring Rolls. 
The "Hor Fun" beef. This was SO GOOD and filling! 
This was such a magical area of Las Vegas! Even though Christmas was over, this was just PERFECT! 
It is hard to believe ALL of this is made with REAL flowers! 
Inside the Carriage! 
This was such a great way to start our trip in Las Vegas! Well done Bellagio! 
WOW... This view is phenomenal. I think we stayed up almost another hour just staring out the window! We LOVE Vegas! 
