Prancing through France: All Roads Lead to Rome…and Las Vegas, San Diego, Tijuana…

Hi Everyone!

As usual, I've been a busy bee and I can't believe I've gone 2 months without posting an update! Here is a "quick" recap of what I've been up to since May.

Rome

I started off this season off warmth with a weekend trip to Rome with Alessa. I visited the beautiful Roma 8 years ago with my Mom, but it was time to go back and explore some more (i.e., eat more pizza and gelato).

We started off our first day at the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. I somehow missed this during my last visit, but apparently the Romans not only held the normal gladiator fights at the Colosseum, but they would also flood the arena to hold naval battles. Waterworld anyone?

Alessa and I at the Colosseum…no Celine Dion here!

Looking out over the Roman Forum.

We were sure to break up all of our history sessions with stops for gelato. Giolitti, how did I not discover you 8 years ago? 2.50 euros for 2 scoops and whipped cream? You can't go wrong.

Best. Gelato. Ever.

In addition to all the eating, we spent a lot of time church hopping to look at all the famous artwork. Over 10 churches and 24,000 steps later (yay for pedometer applications) I had not only sore feet, but also what I termed "church neck" from staring at so many ceilings.

Our final day was dedicated to the Vatican museum (5th most visited in the world) and Saint Peter's Basilica. My favorite part has always been Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. I wasn't able to take any pictures, but I highly recommend this virtual tour.

Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City.

After leaving Rome I had 2 days back in France before heading to the US for 2 weeks of vacation and a very important wedding :)

Las Vegas

It's hard to believe that I've know this girl named Tiffany for 16 years now, and I could not have been happier than to be by her side as she said "I-do" to Michael. Here's wishing you both a life full of passion, and of course a little Sugar and Spice ;)

Enjoying some time with the beautiful bride.

After the wedding, the fun continued when my family from Michigan came to visit. A big shout out to Gramps and Grams, Aunt Crystal, Gabriela, Adam, and Claire for making the journey to see us! And a thank you to you all and Jim for finally helping me check the Grand Canyon off my bucket list :) Now I can once again call myself a proper American (I think).

Family tourist time at the Grand Canyon.

The tourist fun didn't end there! We also went to the top of the Stratosphere tower for a night view of the other City of Lights. At 1149 feet (350 meters), it is the largest free-standing observation tower in the US…and in true Las Vegas fashion, it also has thrill rides on the top. Not for the faint of heart.

Looking out over Las Vegas from the Stratosphere tower.

San Diego and Tijuana

Next, I made a stop in San Diego to see my Dad :) And as an added bonus, the one and only Lauren also made an appearance!

Slombergs walking around Balboa Park.

Family, friends, and the ocean. Life doesn't get much better.

We had some fun times at the ocean, eating "Stu"bacue, making crayon art (Lauren and I are professionals), and singing karaoke.

The last day of my visit, my Dad and I headed to Tijuana, Mexico (~30 min from San Diego) for the day. Another country to mark off! We parked the car on the US side and walked across the border into Mexico, intending to walk around for a few hours to see the sights, have lunch, and head back across.

Unfortunately I wasn't really surprised by the poverty since I knew the reputation of Tijuana, but I hadn't expected the number of pharmacies and dentists lined up, one right after the other, ready to welcome patients coming over from the US.

Zip to Tijuana...

I was excited that we actually stumbled upon some authentic Mexican food for lunch complete with a mariachi band rendition of "Guantanamera." After eating we continued our trek around town, stopped by a Mexican Costco to see how it compared, and then walked back across the border to the US.