KoMex Fusion Express Restaurant

KoMex Fusion Express

Living in Las Vegas has its benefits of having exposure to many different types of foods.  Off the beaten path away from the Strip and near the Meadows Mall, KoMex is a locals favorite.  KoMex is a fusion of Korean cuisine and Mexican Cuisine.  In addition, patrons can also choose the original flare of just having Korean or Mexican food.  KoMex promotes themselves as offering Korean, Mexican, Chinese, American and a bit of Soul.  Any way I can describe it is a a fusion pot of food.

KoMex adds Korean bulgogi beef, chicken or pork to mexican dishes for a truly international fusion of flavor.   For example, we ordered a mexican burrito that had bugogi beef, lettuce, pico de gallo, rice and the normal fixings.  See below picture on the right.  We also ordered the Bulgogi Nachos.  The nachos had bugolgi beef, Korean hot sauce, homemade chips much more great fixings.  See below picture on the left.

The wait staff was extremely friendly and was very attentive in refilling our mango ice tea glasses.  Quick Tp: If you have a to-go order, call in advance and they have have it ready for you when you arrive.  This is because their policy is to make all food to order.  The food is not made is advance and comes out of the kitchen VERY hot.   KoMex is very reasonably priced and you get more than your fill of food.

To see their menu and their official website, visit the KoMex Fusion Express official website.

Visit their restaurant in person:

KoMex Fusion Express
Plaza Los Arcos
633 N Decatur Blvd Suite H
Las Vegas, NV 89107

Wedding in Fabulous Las Vegas Mural

Everyone knows about the world famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign.  However, do you know about the Wedding in Las Vegas sign?  The sign is mounted on the outside wall of the Vegas Weddings Chapel.  Where can you find it?  The Wedding in Fabulous Las Vegas Mural is on the corner of 3rd and Bonneville (555 S. 3rd Street) in the north-east corner.  In addition, the sign lights up at night!  The mural is the pictorial  images is of the Las Vegas Strip including the MGM, Luxor, Bellagio and much more.

The mural is a local’s favorite for a great photo opportunity that is off the beaten path.  The location is downtown near Freemont Street.  There is plenty of parking on the street but if you go during working hours, bring quarters for the parking machines.  Try and add character to your wedding with locations like this that will make your wedding unique and like any other.  For weddings that are in the Fremont Street Experience area, this is a perfect one-of-a-kind picture location.

What is a mural?  According to the Webster Dictionary, a mural is a piece of artwork painting applied to and made integral with the surface of a wall or ceiling.  Throughout most of Las Vegas, there are great murals.  The murals of Las Vegas include the mural at McCarran Airport, the “Pyramid at Red Rock Canyon” on the Fremont Hotel & Casino, and WALLWORKS project in the parking garage of the Cosmopolitan.   We also must mention the walls inside the Forum Shops, and the Las Vegas Avenue Shops inside Bally’s and Paris Hotels.

Whether being a visitor or longtime resident of Las Vegas, there are many artistic murals throughout the city of Las Vegas.  Go check some out and enjoy the local flair!

Las Vegas’s Neon Museum

When planning a wedding, the typical places to hold a wedding are in churches, chapels and hotels.  However, there are unique venues to not only conduct a photo shoot, but also for the actual wedding.  The Las Vegas Neon Museum is just one of those places.

What is the Neon Museum?  Developers in Las Vegas prefer to blow building up and tear buildings down to create bigger and better.  The problem with the philosophy of out with the old and in with the new is the past is not preserved for future generations.  Future generations do not have the mystique of stages where the Rat Pack performed or where Wayne Newton wowed fans for decades.  The buildings are gone – just to name a few – The Dunes, The Stardust, Sands Hotel & Casino, The Frontier, and Algiers Hotel.  However, the Neon Museum was able to preserve many of the classic neon signs from the past properties.

Words of advise for visiting or planning an event at the Neon Museum:

• If you are planning to visit and tour the Neon Boneyard, always plan ahead and get your tickets in advance.  They do close for events and sell out.  Buy your tickets online through their website: http://www.neonmuseum.org
• Dress for the weather as it is outdoors.  It is not always 100 degrees in Las Vegas.
• You cannot publicize any pictures inside the Neon Museum without consent.  They are extremely strict on this as they want to protect their biggest asset.

The Neon Boneyard is a unique location for any wedding or wedding related event.  Bridal couples can get their engagement pictures, actual wedding, or even after wedding pictures in their formal wedding attire.  The vintage, historical, rustic, authentic signs give an ambiance that no other location in Las Vegas can offer.  A must see for every visitor to Las Vegas.

How do you get there?  It is located on Las Vegas Boulevard and North of the Interstate 95.  Anyone driving cannot miss the the main office as it was designed after the old La Concha Motel.  See below for the street-side view.

Centennial Hills Salon & Day Spa Review

Rating: B+ (Excellent service but prices are a bit high.)
Neighborhood: North West Las Vegas
Address: 7991 West Tropical Parkway #120 (Near I-95 & Centennial)
Website: Centennial Hills Salon & Day Spa

Looking for a place for the bride and bridal party to be pampered before the wedding?  I recommend the Aveda Centennial Hills Salon.  This salon offers you everything you would want before you walk down the isle.  Don’t have your own stylist; Centennial Hills has someone for you.  Need help with your make-up; they can help with that also.  Stressed out planning your big day?  How about a massage or a facial? One thing I definitely recommend is a manicure or pedicure.  Every bride and bridesmaid is going to want to have his or her hands and/or feet pampered before the wedding.  What a great idea for you all to do together!  I have been to Centennial Hills Salon a number of times and have always been pleased with the service I have received.  I especially like nail technician Jenica.  Centennial Hills Salon also offers a discount for bridal parties.  Make sure you ask when you make your reservations.

The Cupcakery Review

Rating: A
Neighborhood: West Las Vegas
Address: 7175 W Lake Mead Blvd (Near I-95 & Lake Mead Blvd)
Website: The Cupcakery

Everywhere you look, you see cupcake bake shops.  However, we feel one of the best in Las Vegas is The Cupcakery.  At about $3 per cupcake (when buying one at a time), they better be good and these satisfy your palette.  Their cupcakes can satisfy anyone with their variety of options from pumpkin, red velvet, Boston creme, chocolate peanut butter and much more.

Be sure to call or stop by the store to inquire about their wedding offerings.  Besides the Lake Mead location, The Cupcakery can also be found in the Monte Carlo Casino and in east Las Vegas on Eastern Ave.

Rating: B
Neighborhood: East of Las Vegas Blvd
Address: 71610 E. Tropicana, Las Vegas NV 89119
Website: Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame

While not known to the casual vacationer to Las Vegas, the Pinball Museum is a worth  while stop.  The pinball museum is located across from the vacated Liberace Museum.  It is in a large warehouse style building with limited lighting to showcase the classic games.

The best part of the pinball museum is that visitors can play most of the pinball games.  Visitors can play 70′s baseball pinball machines, space invaders video game to a modern Avatar pinball machine.

A great feature of the pinball hall of fame is its giving to charity.  The operator of the PHoF, according to their website, works just to maintaining and restoring pinball machines without pay.  He has also made significant donations to charity which include to the Salvation Army.

About 115 miles north of Las Vegas is the infamous Air Force Base known as Area 51.  Area 51 and Rachel, NV are known for UFO sightings.  There has been hundreds of UFO sightings in the area over the years.  Rachel, NV has been designated as the “UFO Capital of the World”.   The only business in the area serving food is the Little A’Le’Inn.  The Inn has a restaurant selling a great burger called the Alien burger.   The Inn also has alien memorabilia, clothing, and area maps.

Rachel does not have any gas stations so be sure to fill-up in cities along the route before getting to the area.  Except for a couple of ranches, the town of Rachel is the only settlement in the 98 mile E.T. Highway drive.  Please see below sign for a reminder.

The “Extraterrestrial Highway” aka E.T. Highway aka Nevada State Highway 375 stretches 98 miles from US-93 in the southeast to US-6.   To get to the E.T. Highway, drive north on US-93 from Las Vegas.  In addition, the  E.T. Highway is the fastest route  between Yosemite National Park in the west and Zion National Park and Grand Canyon in the east.

25 mile south of Rachel is the top secret military base known as Area 51.  There are 2 gates of entry into the base where visitors can stop and take pictures of the “Do Not Enter” signs.  However, driving from the paved main road to the gates is about 10 miles on a dirt road.  See below picture of one of the dirt road drives.

In conclusion, if you want to travel to see Area 51 and Rachel, NV – the UFO Capital of the World, we recommend to see the Little A’Le’Inn and to camp out under the stars to view the unsuspecting UFOs in the sky.  For more information about the Rachel, NV area and Area 51, visit the following web site: Official web site of Rachel, NV.

Retro Bakery Review

Rating: B
Neighborhood: North end of Las Vegas
Address: 7785 N Durango Drive #130 (near Durango & I-93/95)
Website: Retro Bakery

A big fad right now are cupcake wedding cakes.  Also popular are custom wedding cakes and custom groom cakes.  With shows on television such as Cake Boss, DC Cupcakes and Ace of Cakes, many bridal couples are willing to spend extra money to have a one-of-a-kind wedding “cake”.

The most popular cupcake at Retro Bakery is the Hop Scotch.  The Hop Scotch consists of vanilla cake topped with vanilla buttercream dipped in butterscotch ganache.  The store is open Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays.

Retro bakery can provide cake orders for weddings.  However, give them a minimum of 2 weeks for custom orders or special cupcake toppers.  Custom cupcakes start at $3 each or $36 per dozen.  Custom wedding cakes are also available.  Everyday cupcakes are $2.65 each.  Custom cake prices are determined by size and intricacy of design.

Cupcake towers are available for rent.  A 4-tier cupcake tower holds 70 cupcakes.  A 5-tier cupcake tower holds 120 cupcakes.  Either tower you can rent for a $40 fee.

The workers at Retro Bakery were very friendly and willing to answer any questions.  The downfall of the bakery was that they had no printed information about providing cakes for weddings.  We were instructed to go to their website.

Retro Bakery will deliver anywhere in the Las Vegas area, for an additional fee of $20.  Otherwise, Retro Bakery is about 25 minutes NW of the Las Vegas Strip.

If you like buttercream cupcakes, then Retro Bakery is the place for you!

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Review

Rating: A
Neighborhood: West of Las Vegas
Address: State Route 159 and Red Spring (West Charleston Blvd)
Website: Red Rock Canyon

Are you looking for a unique location for a wedding engagement picture?  Look no further than the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.  The picturesque views of the red rock formations are a site to be seen and cherished.  The scenic background would make an unbelievable background to any engagement picture?

Where would you take your picture?  If you didn’t want to pay the fee to enter the National Conservation Area, off the main highway is the scenic Red Rock Overlook.  There is plenty of parking and space to take pictures with any sunrise or sunset.  However, with more than a million visitors to the National Conservation Area each year, we would recommend early in the morning to miss most of the onlookers.

“Red Rock Canyon” as the Las Vegans call it, is located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip.  The straightest route to Red Rock Canyon is to take Charleston Boulevard west which will take you right to the entrance of the National Conservation Area.  The climate is a bit cooler at Red Rock Canyon than downtown Las Vegas.  So it is great in the summer heat and bring a sweater in the winter.

Red Rock Canyon is open from April 1 to September 30 from 6am to 8pm.  The visitor center has the same day schedule but is open 8am to 4:30pm.   Red Rock Canyon consists of a 13-mile scenic drive with 19 main hiking trails ranging from easy to strenuous.   Each car entering the park can purchase a day pass for $7.

While at Red Rock Canyon be sure to say hello to the many wild horses and wild burros.  While hiking the many trails to be had, be on the lookout for petroglyphs and pictographs on rock surfaces.  If you do decide to go hiking, due to extreme desert weather, bring lots of water and watch for flash flooding in rainy seasons.  Also, be aware of the many desert dwellers such as rattlesnakes and scorpions.

Red Rock Canyon is a great setting for a memorable and cherished picture.  Red Rock Canyon also makes for a great day trip for the outdoors type couples.

Gold & Silver Pawn Review

Rating: C
Neighborhood: Las Vegas Strip – North of Stratosphere
Address: 713 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Website: www.gspawn.com

We are big fans of the History Channel‘s TV show – Pawn Stars.  The TV Show is about Gold & Silver Pawn.  Customers go to the Las Vegas business to try and sell or pawn valuables.  There are many great one-of-a-kind items brought into the store for viewers to see.  In addition, Gold & Silver Pawn buys some collectibles and restores them to their original state.

However, the store is TV made to look much bigger than it really is in person.  Many of the items in the store consist of jewelry.  Other items reflect a higher paying clientele by the higher quality and big ticket items for sale in the  store.

The location of the store is north of the Stratosphere on Las Vegas Blvd and south of downtown.  It is not a great neighborhood.  So we recommend going in the daytime for the casual fan.  In addition, the parking lot is not very big for the growing popularity of the TV show.  We visited on a weekend so it may be better to go during the week for less congestion.

If you are looking for a novelty Las Vegas tourists’  site close to the strip, this is your place.  You can rent scooters, take a taxi or drive  a few blocks North of the strip to the Gold & Silver Pawn.  Maybe you’ll get to meet the Old Man, Rick, Big Hoss or Chumlee.

Hoover Dam Review

Rating: A
Neighborhood: Boulder City
Address: Nevada/Arizona Border
Website: hooverdam

Hoover Dam is just a 30 miles southeast from downtown Las Vegas.  With about a 45 minute drive this is one must see destination.  While at Hoover Dam, take a tour of the dam and the power plant.  Tours start at 9:15 am and go through 5:15 pm in the summer and 4:15 pm in the winter.

You can choose to park in the main Visitor Center’s parking lot.  However, if you don’t mind walking a bit, we recommend free parking lots on the Arizona side of the dam and walking to the dam and visitor center.

Hoover Dam has security check points entering the dam from both Arizona and Nevada entrances.  If you decide to travel in the summer months, be sure to get an early start to the dam.  Otherwise, wait times can be hours to cross the dam 4-7 miles back.

Drive times will be reduced significantly once the bridge over the canyon in complete.  The bridge is also a spectacle by itself.  It will be a suspension bridge.   See below pic.

The Hoover Dam and the surrounding scenic views of Lake Mead Reservoir make fantastic backdrop for pictures.  Don’t miss out on one of the true wonders of the world.

Ethel M Chocolate Factory Review

Rating: A
Neighborhood: Henderson
Address: 2 Cactus Garden Dr
Website: www.ethelschocolate.com

If you are looking for something to do in Las Vegas that is off the beaten path, visit the Ethel M Chocolate Factory.  While at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory you can see the chocolate factory, cacti garden, Ethel M chocolate store and M&M store.

In 1981, Forrest Mars Sr, “retired” to Henderson, Nevada and created Ethel M Chocolates to honor his mother by creating a line of gourmet chocolates that reminded him of how he learned about quality chocolate making.  While at the factory, you can walk on a self-guided tour through the factory and watch chocolates being made.

In addition to the factory tour, you can take a self-guided tour of Botanical Cactus Garden on premises.  The Botanical Cactus Garden has one of Nevada’s largest collections of cacti and contains more than 300 species of plants.

Tours are open 7 days a week.  The Chocolate Factory tours are great.  However, chocolates are produced in small batched to keep quality high.  Call ahead to verify the factory is running if you want to see the process live.  The factory usually runs Monday – Thursday.  Don’t forget to get your free taste of Ethel M chocolate in the chocolate store – dark, milk or white.

Paris Las Vegas Hotel Chapel Review Pt. 2 of 2

Rating: B
Neighborhood: The Strip
Address: 3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Seating Capacity: 30 guests to 90 guests
Website: www.parislasvegas.com

Wedding locations were discussed in part 1.  Paris Las Vegas offers many different wedding packages.  Packages start with the  Create Your Own Package to the top of the line Paris Perfection Package.

Create Your Own Package:

• Personal Wedding Coordinator
• 30 minute use of the Wedding Chapel
• Pre-recorded Wedding Music
• Professional  Ceremony Photographer of the Bride & Groom
• (5) 4×6 Photographs
• Private appointment to make photography selections or image hosting online
• Date is Monday-Thursday
• $685 either chapel, tax not included (20 guests max, max 2 attendants on each side, b&g and guests must come together as no private area for bride)

Paris Perfection Package:

• Personal Wedding Coordinator
• 30 minute use of the Wedding Location
• Minister fee included
• One hour use of private waiting area for bride with photography and bottle of champagne
• Pianist or guitarist throughout ceremony
• Use of lace pew bows
• Unity candle service
• $325 floral credit
• Professional ceremony photography to include immediate family and wedding party
• Studio photo session of bride & groom
• One hour on-property photography tour
• (24) 4×6 photographs with Paris photo album
• Private appointment to make photography selections or image hosting online
• Wedding ceremony DVD
• Online webcasting of the ceremony for 7 days
• Paris wedding certificate holder
• Bride’s lace garter
• Four-night stay in Calais Suite
• Nightly turndown service
• In-suite wine and cheese welcome amenity
• Fresh floral arrangements and rose petals for suite
• 4 passes to Mandara Spa Relaxation  & Fitness Center
• Couple’s Swedish massage
• 2 hour limo service
• 2 Eiffel Tower tickets
• 2 Jubilee show tickets
• Waterford Crystal Champagne flutes
• Bottle of Dom Perignon Champagne
• Wedding gift basket
• 2 Paris bathrobes
• $250 room service credit
• $450 restaurant credit
• daily access to Le Rendezvous Lounge
• $8500 for either chapel or $10,500 for Eiffel Tower Observation Deck at twilight (tax not included)

Receptions do not take place in the chapel or ceremony sites.  Catering is available to provide sit-down  or buffet dinners, champagne brunches and everything in-between.

Otherwise, many of Paris’ and Bally’s restaurants offer private and/or semi-private areas.

• Ah Sin – Pan Asian
• Les Artistes – French Steakhouse
• Le Provencal – French with Italian flare
• Le Village Buffet – Buffet
• LE Burger Brasserie – American
• Bally’s Steakhouse – Traditional Steakhouse
• Al Dente – Italian

We gave a rating of a “B” because we feel it is inconvenient how the chapels are on the second floor and then guests must move to another location for the reception via an elevator.  However, the Paris Las Vegas is an A+ for the atmosphere.  It takes you to their impression of Paris on a grand scale.  It is a bit corny but we really like how in the restrooms a women overhead speaks uncommon English phrases then translates them to French.  The Paris Las Vegas Hotel is one of the finest and romantic locations on the Las Vegas Strip.

To see part 1 of this review click on this part 1 link.

Paris Las Vegas Hotel Chapel Review Pt. 1 of 2

Rating: B
Neighborhood: The Strip
Address: 3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Seating Capacity: 30 guests to 90 guests
Website: www.parislasvegas.com

The Paris Las Vegas Hotel is located on the Las Vegas Strip.  It is on the east side of the strip between Flamingo Rd and Tropicana Ave.  You can’t miss the Paris Hotel with the replica Eiffel Tower landmark in the front.

Both Chapels, Chapelle du Paradis and Chapelle du Jardin, are located on the second floor of the Paris Las Vegas Hotel.  You must take the main elevator to the second floor and the chapels are immediately off the elevator and across from the Spa.

The Chapelle du Jardin has pastel colors accented with garden murals.  Ceremonies are available between 9:30am and 5:30 pm with extended hours on Saturdays.  Seating capacity is 30 guests.

The Chapelle du Paradis offers a cathedral-style setting enhanced with tall columns, ornate gold leaf designs, crystal chandeliers and angelic cherubs.   Ceremonies are available between 10am and 5 pm with extended hours on Saturdays.  Seating capacity is 90 guests.

Brides and grooms can also choose to have their wedding ceremony at the Eiffel Tower Observation deck.  The deck accommodates a private ceremony of 12 people.  Ceremonies are available daily at 9:30 am.  The Eiffel Tower deck is located 460 feet above ground level of the Las Vegas Strip.

Lastly, wedding planners can have their wedding ceremony at Poolside Cabana Courtyard.  Poolside accommodates 18 guests.  Ceremonies are available April through October at 11:30 am.  The Poolside Cabana Courtyard is located on the 3rd floor of the Paris Hotel.

To read part 2 of this review click on part 2 link.

Welcome to Las Vegas sign

The Welcome to Las Vegas sign is on the south end of the strip just past the Mandalay Bay resort.

A great location for engagement pictures and for wedding pictures is at the world famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign.  The big difference in the past few years is now the sign has its own parking lot to make it very easy access to take pictures.  In addition, the sign has a new sidewalk and fake grass surrounding the sign making a great location for pictures.

One of the downfalls of this Las Vegas landmark is the number of visitors at the sign at all hours.  If you want a picture of just the bridal couple or the wedding party, we suggest early in the morning for the fewest amount of tourists at the sign.