Staying Safe While Traveling

Traveling during a pandemic and traveling by yourself can be tricky to navigate, especially when rules are always changing or you don't speak the language. Generally, when I travel alone, I don't really go out after dark unless I take a rideshare or I'm in a place I know well. Here are some great tips for prepping for your next trip:

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Now's a great time to make sure you think about getting travel insurance. 

How do you stay safe during your trips?

Summer At The Bellagio Conservatory

By now you know that I love Las Vegas and so many of the free things it offers. It's a great way to spend less on activities, so you can spend more on food (or, more likely, on airfare). One of the things I always get to on any trip to Vegas is the Bellagio Conservatory.

Each season, the magical horticulturalists of the Bellagio create an awe-inspiring tribute to flowers and plants with a different theme. The Bellagio Conservatory is large and bright and totally free. It's open 24-hours a day and any time is a good time to see what has been created from different plants. Often there are fish in the pond and sometimes birds in an aviary, but it's always spectacular.

This trip provided us with a visit to a jungle paradise packed with amazing animals. The vast room was packed full of tropical birds and flowers, lions, zebras, monkeys, giraffes, and so much more. I absolutely loved it.

The name of this gorgeous little boat is Monkey Business

Since it is open 24-hours a day, you can spend as much or as little time there as you want. It's fantastic for kids, it's air conditioned, and there are always the best photo ops to be had there. If you're lucky, you'll get to see a gardener or two watering and/or replacing plants to keep the scenes vibrant and fresh.

Make sure to walk all the way around the space. Sometimes, behind the main focal point is something wonderful. In this case, it was a big lion butt and tail, but even other angles can give you some fantastic views or interesting shots. Sometimes I like to see what everyone else is taking a picture of and try to do something entirely different. And sometimes those popular shots are the best for showing you how amazing the Conservatory is. 

There's also a large picture frame that's awesome for selfies. It always has a themed backdrop. Last time they also added wings so I could pretend to be a fairy.

Want to see something else cool? Go around the corner and see the world's largest chocolate fountain or head into the lobby to see a massive Chihuly on the ceiling. There's also the famous dancing fountains in front, but these are better for beating the heat and you don't have to struggle to see them.

Do you have a favorite attraction in Las Vegas?

The Future of Transportation and Travel

There has been a lot of talk about new travel, like space hotels and flying cars and hyperloop trains, and it looks like many people believe in futuristic travel coming soon. I love seeing this, but I also remember we thought we'd have flying cars by 2022. Let's look at some of the things travelers are expecting:

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Considering airfare is skyrocketing and I can't even fly across the country for less than $900 right now, what I hope we'll get sooner rather than later is high speed trains. I would rather be able to travel in comfort for cheaper and in less time than having to spend a bunch of money in order to get a decent long-range electric car. I also think it will save a lot more for travelers and the environment. (I'm not saying that electric cars aren't important. We do have one in our household, but it's not our main car, because of the limited range.)

I know a lot of people are interested in space travel, too. I'm not in that group. Personally, I like going outside and doing things and I think space travel seems very monotonous, while also highly unaffordable for most people. 

What kind of future travel and transportation are you looking forward to seeing?