Something ridiculously neat and totally unplanned happened when we were in Las Vegas! Haylie and I were headed to Mandalay Bay for a little aquarium fun. We grabbed my phone to book a Lyft since we were feeling pretty lazy. We did too much walking the day before. It was Lyfts everywhere we went for the second half of our trip since our legs were beat!

Las Vegas Strip 1 Storms Family 0

While clicking away on the app, I was given an option! I could book a self driving car!!! Of course the adventurous part of me squealed with excitement and was like hell yeah!!! It sounded so futuristic. Like the stuff you see in movies!!! After a 10 minute wait for our Self Driving car to arrive, it was time to find out exactly what all of this Self Driving Lyft stuff was about since it was totally new to me!

I apparently have been living under a rock because Lyft's self-driving cars powered by Aptiv have apparently been picking up passengers around Las Vegas for the past year! The program launched in May 2018 and over 55,000 people have been adventurous enough to book a ride. If you’re a world traveler, this is probably old news, but I figured it’s a share-worthy story since I can’t be the only globetrotter to never hear of this.

The cars are self driving, but arrive with two engineers on board in the front two seats. Lyft is on stage 4 out of 5 when it comes to self-driving testing, so engineers on board are legally required to make sure everything goes smoothly. These two individuals basically take notes about the ride and will even spill all the details on these rides. Basically they are the cars babysitters just Incase anything goes wrong.

One of the engineers even pointed out to me that their self-driving cars average a 4.97 star rating and 92 percent of riders gave feedback that they felt safe during the ride. I will have to agree that I too felt very safe. The cars are very aware of their surroundings that’s for sure.

The entire self/driving car experience took about five minutes since we were only headed to Mandalay Bay which is pretty close to where we started, MGM Grand. Honestly, this makes for a really neat story to tell folks, but the ride felt uneventful. Not going to lie, I had hoped for a car that chatted with us, on its own, and drove us, on its own, the presence of two people in the front with screens took a bit of fun from the ride. For the thrill seeker, that's let down. For the self-driving industry, it's a giant win.

It was still neat to take part in what I expect to be the future of the Taxi industry. We aren’t too far away from self driving cars! So glad I had the chance to experience it at the beginning. Can’t wait to see where Lyft is in a year when we head back to Vegas. You bet I will be checking the app constantly for a Self-driving ride for an updated review. Maybe by then we will be close to stage 5 and zero engineers on board! How neat would that be?!?!

Eat Before You Arrive ~ The food at Circus Circus and Adventuredome really isn’t anything to brag about. Vegas food prices are expensive and paying high prices for just ok food?! No one is happy when that happens!! Eat before you arrive!!! You will thank me later.

Souvenir Shopping ~ Honestly, the shops inside the Circus Circus before you enter the Adventuredome have the cheapest prices I spotted for t-shirts, shot glasses, coffee mugs. You know, all the cheesy merchandise you want to being home for your friends and family!! With deals like two t-shirts for $20, I definitely brought home something for everyone!!! Even picked up a killer Las Vegas tye/dye for myself!

Plan To Spend 2-3 Hours ~ If you purchase an all day pass and plan on doing everything, plan on this being a 2-3 expedition. Adventuredome isn’t usually that crowded, but if you happen to be visiting on a holiday/weekend, you might want to add a little bit more time to your schedule since some of the coaster lines will have a small wait.

Bring Socks ~ If you purchase an all day pass, roller skating is included. To skate, you will need to be wearing a pair of socks! Come prepared if skating is your thing.

Height Requirements For Coasters ~ This is an obvious thing to keep in mind, but it’s good to know a head of time so you can prepare any kids in your party that may be under the height requirement. To ride the coasters you must be 48 inches tall. Being inside a casino, you best believe they are pretty strict about height for all the rides. Even the baby rides my daughter was being measured and she’s 7! I’m assuming it must be a policy of theirs to measure everyone for insurance reasons.

Snacks ~ I suggest to eat before you head to Adventuredome, but if the kiddos do get hungry or thirsty, there are snack shops throughout the park! You can purchase things like 20oz sodas, bags of Doritos, chips and candy! Nothing was too crazy priced either!

Nevada Resident Discount ~ you can save $2 by flashing your Nevada ID when you purchase your tickets! It’s not a huge savings, but hey! It’s at least something!

Mini Golf, Rock Climbing, 4D Movies ~ Someone in your Party not into rides?! There are a few non-ride options for that person to enjoy. A few of these activities like the golf do cost extra, but at least that person won’t be bored!

If you are hitting up Vegas with kids under 10, Adventuredome is a must! I’m honestly not a fan of the actual Circus Circus hotel since it’s a tad bit run down, but I do give the Adventuredome part of the resort two thumbs up! My 7 year old had so much fun at Adventuredome. We were trying to kill time between checking out of our hotel and heading to the airport and Adventuredome was the perfect activity to do such a thing! With all day asses we rode everything and then went on a few of our favorites one more time before heading to our Lyft.

​ I usually have at least one thing to complain about, but besides the Circus Circus being run down, I have zero complaints about the actual Adventuredome! Everything was priced right considering you are in Vegas and we had a blast! If I find myself in Vegas with my daughter again, we will be back!

Another Mother’s Day has officially come and gone!!! For the last several years we have attended the Mother’s Day Brunch at the Chautauqua Athenaeum Hotel. However, last year, I thought it would be fun to try something new. Total fail since we missed what had become a tradition of ours! Our lunch at a Buffalo steakhouse was delicious, but it just wasn’t the over the top fabulousness that we have grown to love at the Athenaeum Hotel!!!

This year, even if it was 40 degrees so we had to bundle up and not wear the most colorful, spring looks in our closets and it may have been raining as well. Boo!! I made it a point to document our experience so those of you googling away next year know that the Mother’s Day Brunch at the Athenaeum is a not miss event!!!

I’m not even going to deny it! This Mother’s Day Brunch is definitely on the pricy side. $45.95 for Adults and $14.95 for children. You do get what you pay for though. If the mom in your life loves to feel pampered and loves all thing elegant and fancy, this is the brunch for you. Worth every penny if mom is one who loves to dress up and see hubby in that tie!

The good news is, mom does get a complementary mimosa! You get to choose from Apple, Grapefruit & Traditional Orange. The Athenaeum Hotel does have a full bar, so if a Bloody Mary is more your thing or even a mixed drink or beer, they have it!!! Cheers to mom!!!

This is what everyone always asks me in the comments when I spam my personal Facebook page with my annual Mother’s Day photos! Is the food good?! What do they serve?

The food is definitely phenomenal. We wouldn’t be repeat guests if the food wasn’t out of this world. I’m a proclaimed wannabe chef, so good food is my thing & the Athenaeum delivers every year!!!!

As for what is served? They offer carving stations featuring prime rib, Turkey & ham! I’m not usually a turkey fan, but their turkey really is out of this world. You get to choose from a variety of sides like asparagus, salads, mashed potatoes, stuffing! The Athenaeum also has breakfast stations for those of you wanting to make your own omelets and enjoy a waffles, bacon and sausage. A cheese display, soups and desserts along with breads are also available. So much food it’s sort of overwhelming. Always a good thing when that happens!!

Y’all already know I love the Athenaeum Hotel Mother’s Day Brunch!!! I recommend it to anyone that loves to feel like a princess or enjoys history, old fashioned type of things. The Athenaeum is a historic hotel that has hosted everyone from celebrities to presidents!!! Just being in this hotel gives me this feeling of wow!!!!So many amazing people have walked the hallways of this fabulous establishment and I get to sit and eat brunch there!!!!

The food is also out of this world. If 4-5 star restaurants are your thing, this brunch is for you.

My my only complaint is the fact it’s not exactly kid friendly food wise. My daughter is a picky eater and she ends up eating toast and cupcakes every year. Since it is Mother’s Day, you would think maybe some chicken fingers, pizza slices or maybe hot dogs would be offered, but they aren’t. Thankfully, the child price is only $14.95, so it’s not a total waste. My daughter probably eats that in cupcakes and drinks that in milk alone lol.