Las Vegas-Part 2: The Experience

My return to Vegas! It has been too long since I've seen the bright lights and never ending flow of alcohol!

In photo: Owen McNamara

My poker face.

Las Vegas-Part 1: MineCon

I went to MineCon in Las Vegas with Owen McNamara and it was one of the greatest Vegas vacations I ever had. The fun started once we entered the elevator to check in, and we immediately ran into Keith Steinbach from BebopVox who does Minecraft Mondays!! (yup thats us :D)

We went to collect our badges from the registration booth and the lines quickly started to get longer and longer, but the wait was worth it. We got some awesome goodies and couldn't wait for the doors to open to see all of the MineCon amazingness!

The whole event was full of fun people, dressed up in all the characters and just having a great time. I even met some awesome people like Paul Taylor, the man behind Frozen Synapse, and Matt Eggertson who became our adventure partners around Vegas. I'm looking forward to next year but nothing can top the fun we had for the first MineCon. It was hard to narrow down the photos I took but here are a few.

Enjoy!

NOTCH! Thank you for all the fun!

This is just a small look at the crowd that filled the room.

SWAG!

That's Keith from BebopVox and me (bottom left).

Yogscast! These guys are hilarious. I'm so glad I got to see them.

We went to this amazing arcade called Insert Coin(s) on Fremont street. I had so much fun playing Assassin's Creed and losing to X-Men. Nothing beats drinks and games.

(Photo taken by Owen McNamara)

This was one of the best trips I've taken in a long time. The people, the lights, the fun! Thank you Owen (taking the photo), Paul (far right), and Matt (middle) for making it an amazing experience for me.

The International Wildlife Museum

I went to The International Wildlife Museum in Tucson, AZ and saw some very interesting creatures. To my surprise they had a bug room and it was filled with some of the most amazing butterflies and moths I had ever seen. The fun didn't stop there; they also had some awesome animal displays and skeletons! I hope you enjoy the pictures, I had so many it was hard to narrow them down.

The Snow Leopard is now one of my favorite cats. I couldn't resist that gorgeous face!

 

This interesting looking butterfly is known as a gynandromorph, which is when they contain both male and female characteristics. At first I thought they had glued two different sexes together to show the size difference but they had a magnifying glass next to it showing that it was real. This was a real treat to see!

Little Things

Some nights I like to wander down by the lake in Tempe. Watch the bridge change colors and the sparkling reflections in the water. It's very relaxing and peaceful for being right in the middle of the city. If you ever get a chance, go sit by the lake and just take a deep breath, sometimes it's the little things that make you feel new.

Testing...testing...

I went to the Phoenix Botanical Gardens this weekend to try out my new camera. The weather was perfect and I even got video of some bugs!

Here is the awesome video!

BUGS!

I went to Tucson, AZ for the Bug Festival hosted by the Entomology Department on the University of Arizona mall. I saw so many exotic and bizarre looking creatures I never knew existed. I was amazed by the different shapes, textures, patterns, sizes and best of all, the COLORS!

The combinations put together by nature are absolutely beautiful. Sometimes these colors are hidden by camouflage, but when they show them off, it's an explosion of colors and patterns you don't want to miss. The beetles on the other hand show off their very colorful shells with pride, from the dark hues to the bright metallic shine, their colors are brilliant!

Beetles can also be a fashion statement. Check out these awesome necklaces sold at Atlantis Dry Goods.

Bugs are just misunderstood. Yes, some sting, bite, spit and pinch, but only when they feel threatened. They're just as scared of you as you are of them. But when they can be appreciated, they are one of the most fascinating creatures on earth. Take a moment before you scream and run away from the next insect you see and observe how wonderful they really are.

If you want to see more in the world of bugs, check out my friend's amazing photography here!