May 9, 2012

L’Auberge de Sedona: the loveliest of pauses

By Abby
Abby Tegnelia

Getting some sun on my cabin's balcony at L'Auberge de Sedona.

In this world of online projects and juggling a million things at once (let alone my full time job, two rambunctious big dogs, plus three to four fancy fashion soirees, magazine parties, and premieres a week — and I try to save some time for friends), I think it’s become extra-important to take a pause every once in awhile. Stop time, turn everything off (most importantly my brain!) and just … pause. Recently I was lucky enough to land in gorgeous Sedona, Arizona, at the decadently peaceful L’Abuerge de Sedona.

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April 28, 2012

Good New Mexican Food Was Worth Risking My Life, Quince Jerome

By Abby

Quince JeromeI lived in New Mexico for only two years, although now that I’ve been visiting there for more than half my life, I consider it home. But two years or not, it was long enough to make me a food snob when it comes to the food. Ask anyone who’s put in any time in the “505″: We take our green chile VERY seriously. The first time I brought a jar home to a friend in NYC, I was horrified when I learned later that it had been poured into a bowl, mistaken for the sort of chile you eat at a football game. The New Mexican chile is an obsession put on everything from pizza at Dion’s to cheeseburgers, even at McDonald’s and Dairy Queen. But I digress. During a recent American Southwest roadtrip with my friend Diana, we received a restaurant recommendation for a good New Mexican restaurant called Quince (Jerome, Arizona( outside of Sedona, where we staying. What we didn’t know what was that the road to Jerome was a death-defying twist of asphalt heading straight up.

For New Mexican food, it was worth it.

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April 22, 2012

Drive carefully: charming Jerome, Arizona sits at 5,000 feet (straight up).

By Abby
Abby Tegnelia

Relaxing in Sedona before our death-defying drive to Jerome, Arizona.

 

Since I already hinted at a stop in the charming mountain town of Jerome, Arizona, I thought I’d go buck wild and kick off my recent Southwest road trip there, although it was technically our last stop. Diana and I went there on a whim (following a restaurant recommendation, of course), with zero expectations. As we climbed higher and higher towards this town that sits at more than 5,000 feet, my hands sweating as I rounded a few bends guarded by a barrier I just didn’t think was thick or high enough, I decided this was my first and last trip to Jerome. Diana drove the rest of the way! Once we were safely parked, however, we both fell in love with this historic mining town.

 

 

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April 18, 2012

Love in Jerome, Arizona

By Abby

Jerome, ArizonaI just finished another whirlwind three-day tour of the southwest, including the charming mountain town of Jerome, Arizona. I fell for this charming gate that is soldered shut — an innocent-looking design denoting love that bars about eight “no trespassing” signs on a pink house that is now decrepit. Many more posts to come, but for now, I have a big party to prep for! One of my favorite parts about living in Las Vegas is how much there is to do outside of town. Just get in your car and drive: You’ll be rewarded with hours and hours of wide open spaces, gorgeous views and plenty of quirky towns to spend your free time. And then you make it home just in time for whatever A-list party is going on that night.

See you there?

April 12, 2012

Absinthe Las Vegas celebrates 500 shows with… astronaut suits

By Abby
Abby Tegnelia Penny Pibbets

Posing with Penny, star of Absinthe.

There’s never a dull moment in Vegas: From the parties to the legendary shows, there’s always something to do. And let me tell you, Las Vegans dress the part. Short skirts and sequined dresses are the norm on the Strip — so leave it to a little hit show called Absinthe Las Vegas to completely knock that on its head. At this point, I hope everyone in Vegas has seen Absinthe at least once. For those of you who haven’t yet met this phenomenon, go. It’s an old-school circus that performs daredevil acts on a teensy tiny circular stage in a tent in front of Caesars Palace. The ringmaster is a perverted jokester named the Gazilionaire, assisted by the even raunchier little Penny Pibbitz,  shown here, third from left.

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April 7, 2012

The Magnificent Hoover Dam

By Abby

I love getting out of town, even if it’s just for an hours-long drive through our famous southwest landscape. Recent quick getaways include Utah, skiing on Mount Charleston, Lake Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. One of the easiest excursions for getting out of Vegas for a few hours is to drive out to the Hoover Dam. Even though the suburbs of the city are more sprawling than a lot of people realize, at the end, it really does end abruptly with nothing but desert on the other side. When driving east, it’s easy to pass right by the Railroad Pass casino. Next time, get out for a minute and look around. It’s the oldest continually running casino in Nevada (it’s game license is #4). Boulder City, the town between eastern Vegas and the Dam, is one of only two cities in all of Nevada that prohibits gambling — it was a town built for the workers on the Dam, and no one wanted them gambling away their earnings! You also drive by Lake Mead, the reservoir shown here. It supplies 90 percent of our desert city’s water.

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