“I’m a West Coast boss with a bougie ass sound!” —Saweetie

Ya know I lalalalove the West Coast, so it was only right to finally go there for a Birthday Tour! I usually travel alone simply because I like to hop up & go when I want to but a longtime friend of mine, Lashanti (Biden), joined me this year.

San Diego

One of my favorite cities! There are countless activities & adventures in SD! If I hadn’t scheduled tours for my actual birthday in Nevada, I would’ve stayed an extra day to find the hidden swings! This was Shanti’s first time in SD, so it was cool showing her a few of my favorite areas. We spent time & laughed a whoolleee lot with my brother (I haven’t seen him since my last year of college, so that was a major highlight), sister & niece. We went to Seaport Village, La Jolla Cove, Sunset Cliffs, Old Mexico (loooveeddd), Balboa Park, Coronado & Chicano Park. Of course we ate at Tacos el G (Shanti finally understood my complaints of gringo tacos), Barbusa (the oysters 🦪 are top tier) & Sayulitas (the carné asada fries were staacckkeedd). Major shoutout to Balboa Park for the late night churros & elotes! I literally ran to the cart once the aroma of the churros took over & my niece followed! We hiked the six mile Cedar Creek Falls Trail—beautiful!!! I saw my first waterfaaallll—thank you so much Veniboo!!

Las Vegas

The initial plan was to drive to Vegas, from San Diego… until the rental company wanted to charge 1k for the Vegas drop-off. So we booked same-day tickets, cancelled plans & shoots for that day then rushed to the airport. Unfortunately, not driving cancelled a few stops & two hikes along the way to Nevada—but everything for a reason, right?! Although there was a sudden change of plans, it was a smooth & rather perfect day. Although I think the strip is overrated (read why here), I enjoyed myself! I love being in the dessert & hiking, so next time, I plan to stay near the mountains… if Cosmo doesn’t take over my world! :) I loved having some of the most popular restaurants in the world within walking distance everyday! My favorite restaurants were Hell’s Kitchen, Nobu, Tekka Bar & another restaurant at the Cosmo but I can’t think of it!! Major Tip: If you plan to travel soon, make reservations!! I made our reservations for everything over a month in advance, it’s necessary, trust me.

Horseback Riding with Cowboy Trails

Talk about an experience!! No matter what was going to occur, missing this lovely adventure wasn’t an option! This was a two-hour horseback ride in Red Rock Canyon Mountain, the morning of my birthday. As a first-time rider, I know I did a great job, aside from leaning off of my saddle a bit. But that was due to me getting freaked out because another rider was scared at the peak of the canyon. Other than that, the ride was breathtaking!! The horse I road was Riley (the brown horse pictured below), he (I called him a she the entire time) was easy-going. The only part I did not like was kicking the horse (while in the saddle, not a sumo-kick or anything)—I think the proper term is leg aids. The Wranglers advised us to do this if the horse stopped walking, this is recommended for lazy horses. I definitely see myself taking up horseback riding as a hobby in the near future & returning to ride up the canyon!! Enjoy the pictures & short video to come later this week—you’ll see how breathtaking the views were!!

Candy Martini Bar

For my sugar lovers, this one is for you! If it wasn’t for Shanti, I definitely wouldn’t have stopped here. Whether you know me personally or not, from my website alone, you can probably guess that a candy bar isn’t my jam but it is worth seeing! The martini glasses are GIGANTIC! I couldn’t stop thinking about the sugar rush overload & that sugary coat on people’s teeth. I prayed everyone brushed their teeth after, it’s so much candy & sugar in the drinks, it looks like an instant cavity… lol

Hell’s Kitchen

From the price, to the portions, Hell’s Kitchen was my favorite meal of the entire tour!! My mom loves watching the show & Gordon Ramsey, so I honestly went for her, but man am I glad I did!!! It’s no surprise, food in Vegas is expensive, especially if you’re like me & don’t eat fast food but HK is worth every bite. This is what I had for lunch: Espresso Martini; Lobster Risotto (appetizer); Jiordi Chicken Scallopini—roasted pee wee potatoes, artichokes, lacinato kale & truffle chicken—(entrée) & Sticky Toffee Pudding (dessert). All of that only cost me $82!! I was shocked! I will without a doubt return just to eat at HK & it will definitely be more than once.

The High-Roller

Explore The Strip from the tippy top: 550 feet high, 360 degree view, 28 cabins (bubbles) with about 15 people in each (pre-COVID it was around 32 people). This is the world’s tallest observation wheel—get more details here. Don’t be nervous, the wheel moves extremely slow, I could’ve gone to sleep!