So in my short trip to Santiago, Chile – I stayed at the Che Lagarto Hostel and Suites.  This place is totally cool.  And yes, I did work for them (see disclaimer at bottom), but this place rocks and I would love to go back!

This hostel used to be an old hotel and is right in downtown Santiago (yes, touristy, but the metro is half a block away and its really easy to get everywhere). 

I stayed in the dorms most nights, and each dorm is divided into 2 rooms with a shared bathroom.  One night, some drunk girl came into the wrong dorm and took a bed, so the girl in that bed took someone else’s bed, and the girl of the bed she took, then took another’s bed.  I guess that happened through 3 or 4 people, because when I went to go to bed (and being the last to do so at 2am) all the beds, including mine were taken.  It was like musical chairs with beds. 

(Why the first girl who realized her bed was stolen didn’t kick the bed-thief out is beyond me), but when I went downstairs to tell the front what had happened they just gave me a private suite-room for the night. 

Which was awesome!

Oh yea, each person gets their own key for their room too!  Even for the dorms.  (Just someone forgot to lock the door behind them one night; which is how the drunk girl stumbled in.)

(Yea for drunken people walking into the wrong room).

(Note:  these photos are not from the private suite I stayed in.  I didn’t get moved until 2am, and I had to be up at 8am for the Valparaiso and Viña del Mar Tour.  This is a different private suite room.  They don’t all look like this yet, but as you will read, Che Lagarto is in the process of remodeling all the rooms and things)

Each night at Che Lagarto they offer a dinner for a cheap price. And the cook is amazing (that’s him below on spaghetti with homemade gourmet sauce night).

And this is the sauce prep. I mean, just look at how fresh these ingredients are!

He is an AMAZING cook.   I loved his food.  Each morning they have a signup sheet for that nights dinner too, so you can see what will be made and decide if you want it or not.

They also have daily activities at Che Lagarto.

Activities like: Pisco Sour night (delicious and deadly Pisco Sour night).

(This is Omar.  He is the Pisco Sour Master.  He is also very happy to serve you)

There is also a pool table and a ping-pong table in the lobby, so there is this great community about the hostel.

The hostel itself is also under remodeling.  I was told that all the bathrooms in every room are getting redone (they work; but yes, the wallpaper is old and peeling in some rooms, and the plumbing is from the 1920’s or something).   They are also in the process of re-doing the floor in the lobby and I was told by next year they will have a rooftop terrace as well (and being 9 stories high already, this rooftop terrace will have an amazing view).

So back to the food.  Breakfast is a giant buffet.  Fruit, toast, jam, butter, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, oatmeal, cereals…mmmmmmmm.  And its free.  And they don’t limit you to how much you can have (some hostels I’ve been in have and its annoying).

Best part (for me , cause I get way too easily amused by the simple things)…IS THIS ELEVATOR!!!

It is so straight up 1920’s –1940’s old Hollywood style. I love it!  Yes it is slow sometimes….but who cares.  I will wait for this.  It even has the black push buttons.  No fancy electronic shit here.  I really, really, really hope when they remodel they don’t change this elevator!

I love the Che Lagarto Hostels and Suites.  When I go back to Santiago, I will definitely stay there again!

CHEERS!

DISCLAIMER: I was given free nights in Che Lagarto in exchange for 5 photos a day of the hostel.  Yes, that was the whole deal.  This, and all other blog posts/tweets/etc. were not asked for. I just really liked Che Lagarto; so much in fact I stayed there  for the rest of my time in Santiago, after the deal with them was up.  Everything in this post is my honest opinion, as always. 

Besides, if you’ve read any of my previous posts, do I honestly seem like the type of person to hold shit back or sugar coat it?

CHEERS!

Here is part 2 (numbers 6 through 10) of my Top 10 Free Things To Do In Vegas as written by a Las Vegas local.  You can read the first half here.

6. Lake Mead – Back Way In

Lake Mead is awesome.  It is the only real water you will find in Vegas (ok, so we have the ‘LAKES’ area, but they are more man made ponds you don’t want to go into because they don’t recycle themselves and there are lots of birds and ducks doing their business in it.  Lake Mead was created when the Hoover Dam was built on the Colorado river and the backlog of water created this lake.  There are a few ways in, and really common touristy spot if you go down through Boulder City near the dam, but there is a sneaky back way in that every time I have been is free (on the road, if you go down, there is a toll at some point, but its been closed every time I have gone, I don’t even know if its open.)

It’s a bit of a drive to go this way because you have to take street roads with lots of lights.  You take Lake Mead exit off whichever highway is closest to you and head east.  Past the city, and up the mountain it opens up 9similar to the west side when heading to red rock) and suddenly you are in the middle of nowhere with gorgeous red rock formations and little ‘wash’ streets (they flood when it rains…so check the weather, if its supposed to rain DO NOT GO DOWN THESE ROADS!  you could get yourself in trouble quick…but since it almost never rains here you are pretty good).

Some of the wash roads you can drive down, some are paved-ish, some are just dirt, some you have to park on the street and walk a few miles down.  but if you look south-ish while driving, you can see the water.  just take anyone of these side roads and you will come to a back way into Lake Mead.  the scenery is gorgeous.  Not every way you can actually get into the water (well,you could, it’s the getting out of the water part that may be difficult). But the scenery is beautiful, the air is usually a little cooler because of the water (but take lots of drinking water with you as the temp only drops close to the water and its still wicked hot here in the summer.  This is a beautiful place to go hiking, photographing and enjoying the scenery. 

You can also camp down a couple of the roads. Google maps also shows the roads (even if you just see a path with no name).  As you drive by each, you can see easily which are accessible by car, 4wheeler, or foot only.  The drive itself is just gorgeous.

7. ANY PARK IN VEGAS

Vegas is FULL of parks.  Every couple miles on any road you seem to run into a park of some sort.  These parks range in size and environment (some grassy, others desert) many have fields for sports, tracks to walk around, or playgrounds. 

Google maps shows the parks quite well, and the satellite view is great for seeing if the park is just a desert landscape, or has trees, baseball fields, grass knolls, etc.  The DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION is a great website to see parks in your area, and they are super helpful and friendly on the phone if you have any questions about any of the parks or events that take place in them.

8. INSERT COINS AND THE EAST FREMONT BARS

ok, so the drinks are not free, but entry into these bars usually is (except say, if a show is playing at Beauty Bar). 

The Griffin, Beauty Bar, Emergency Arts, and the new INSERT COINS are super-fun places to have drinks, see shows and musicians, and at INSERT COINS you can play old school arcade games and dance the night away to 80’s music or whatever they have playing that night.  INSERT COINS has an 80’s night every Wednesday night, and the best 80’s dressed gets a FREE bottle of booze.  This is the new place of awesomeness in this area of Fremont that is quickly building back up to the popularity it had during its heyday (but with new, modern styles of bars and distractions).   So this isn’t free if you want drinks, but the fact you don’t have to pay a cover to enter, and can check out the place for free is pretty freakin awesome!

9. Lone Mountain and the Random Free Hiking Spots

Vegas has tons of random free places to park your car and go hiking.  

Just head either East or West out of town and drive towards the mountains. Eventually you will hit some spot where you can park and start hiking up hills and mountains.  Calico basin (where Red Rock Canyon is – see number 5), is one of these random free parking spots.   Also 2 more I know of is west at the end of Cheyenne (on the west side of 215) and a few blocks north at the west end of Alexander St.  There are also a few on the East side heading towards the back way into Lake Mead. 

Also, once you are out of the city, you can pretty much park your car in the side of the road anywhere and go hiking.  I’ve done this many times with no problem.  You will see cars just parked on the edge of the road and sometimes you see the owner up a hill, or down a valley, or probably off in the gulley out of view.

JUST TAKE WATER WITH YOU!!!!!  This is a desert people.  Even if its not super hot, it is super dry out here and you can go from feeling fine to super-over-dehydrated in an hour!

Also, if you plan to really go into the mountains east or west, it’s a good idea to let someone know where you are, or talk to the Parks Dept. because we do have mountain lions here.  I’ve never seen one, and they are not really in the more common areas, but we do have them, and I have met people who have done some deeper hikes into the mountains and have run  into them (luckily from a distance). 

Basically, if you want to do some deeper, more intense hiking, don’t be a dumbass and use some common sense…but have fun.  There is so much outdoor hiking, rock-climbing,  and bouldering to do here in Vegas.  ITS AWESOME!

10. BIKE RIDING

Vegas is FULL of places to go biking once you get out of the city. (I don’t recommend bike riding in the city. 

Locals call bike riding in the city ‘the desire to get maimed by cars’.  but once you get out of the city you will see bike trails on the roads and you can ride on the streets around the mountains. 

On the west side, in Summerlin (a part of Vegas) the roads open up and every morning you see a ton of cyclists out on their bikes.  You can also go towards the mountains (RED ROCK and LAKE MEAD areas) and see tons of professional racing cyclists, mountain bikers, etc. 

The views are gorgeous, the riding is amazing, and the open air, and peaceful nature of the areas is unbelievable, compared to the crowds and bustle of the main city only a few miles away.

———————————————————————————–

Vegas is amazing that there is so much free stuff to do, and so much open space just minutes away from the central city.  Yes, some of these places you need cars and buses to get to, but there are also cheap casinos and hotels to stay at out of the city and closer to these open areas if you are more into the outdoors. 

Vegas is so much more than the Strip, casinos, and gambling.  I don’t know why Vegas doesn’t promote these awesome art, culture, and outdoor events and areas more (well, I do, Vegas is run by the major casinos)…but if you have never had any desire to some here to gamble (like me) come here for the rest of Vegas…which in my opinion, is so much better than those few miles known as “The Strip”. 

These are my top 10 free things to do in Vegas, and as my style (and as a local here)  these things have NOTHING to do with The Strip. 

This is part 1 (aka numbers 1 through 5).  I had to break this down into 2 parts cause it is long.  I feel the need to describe how awesome these free things to do are. 

Some of these things you need a car to get to.  Some are within walking distance of Fremont Street (aka: Downtown, aka where the overhead light show is).  Some of them I’ve mentioned before on my last Vegas post and may seem familiar.

If you want to know the Top 10 things to do ON THE STRIP, there are PLENTY of guides and lists for those already.  I’m going to tell you the non-strip, cooler, not promoted, non-casino ones!

1. FREMONT STREET PEOPLE WATCHING

Never mind the giant overhead LED screen lightshow, the cheap drinks, the old casinos, and touristy souvenirs…people watching in Fremont is AWESOME.  Fremont basically has all the crazy, weird shit with half the tourists.  There are artists, musicians and contortionists that line the walkway and perform for free.  We also have an abundance of people in costumes walking around that you can get photos with usually for ‘tips’ (think in front of the Chinese Theater in LA).  And the people that walk around are awesome to watch. 

Every age, race, and level of sobriety walk around here…and the mash-up makes for some interesting people watching.  Sit in one place long enough (usually a few minutes) and you are bound to be approached by some slightly, or not so slightly, inebriated person which can make for hours of fun trying to hold conversations with them while you are just making shit up to encourage their insanity.

People watching on Fremont is one of the most fun things to do.  Plus you can get great photos, the rooms are super cheap especially during the weekdays (usually around $30 with taxes and fees), so you can stay here too, and Fremont is within walking distance from many other great free things to do in Vegas.

Throughout Fremont there are also stages where bands (local, cover, non-local, etc.) people play music, perform acts, and you can dance your little heart out.  At the far west end of Fremont is a DJ stage where DJ’s play hip-hop and beats that you can really jam out to.  There are 2 brothers (8 and 14 I think) that are commonly seen on weekends and are some of the baddest break-dancers I’ve ever seen (see photo…they are amazing).  you can also see them sometimes at the VEGAS STREATS festival (see #4)

2. Burlesque Hall of Fame and Burlesque Shows

Vegas is home to much great Burlesque, many legends (older performers) still live in Vegas.  The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a great place to see photos of some of Vegas’s burlesque and to learn about the Burlesque culture.  You can also ask about upcoming Burlesque shows in Vegas (sometimes they are within walking distance form Fremont, sometimes you will need to hop a bus or take a car.

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is run by volunteers who are quite knowledgeable and who also perform and work Burlesque shows all over town.  If you want to find out more, click the link to the Burlesque Hall of Fame to find out hours and information.

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is located inside Emergency Arts Café on the corner of Fremont and 6th street (in the East Fremont District, a block away from Fremont Street).

To learn more about Burlesque in Vegas check out ChaCha Velour’s,  Miss Karla Joy’s , or Goldie DeBlommer’s  pages. (In the photos above – top to bottom)  These lovely ladies are just a couple of the forerunners in Las Vegas’s burlesque scene.

3. FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK

This is a GIANT art event that happens in Vegas every…you guessed it…First Friday of the month.  Artists, vendors, musicians, and food trucks from all over Vegas (YES THERE IS ART IN VEGAS) take over the Art District and it becomes a giant party and all the art galleries open up and you can walk around in them and ITS ALL FREE!!! 

Yes, if you want food, drink, or artwork you will have to buy it, but you can also bring in your own drinks and stuff so no worries.  basically Main St closes down for 3 blocks and you just walk around.  There are ALWAYS crazy people in costumes, people holding ‘FREE HUGS’ signs (some cute teenagers, some creepy old men), other people promoting their art or events (like the Anonymity Ball was one)  and its almost 100% locals that go here.  You will see infants and toddlers to 80 year old couples walking around on First Friday, all enjoying themselves. 

This is a great event that has unfortunately been having funding problems in this economy, and is drastically downsizing lately.  Go to FIRST FRIDAY or 18 BLOCKS (what our art district is called) to learn more, or donate to help keep this amazing event going.

4. VEGAS STREATS

OK, this event, VegasStrEATs is across the street from the EL CORTEZ casino and behind the EMERGENCY ARTS building, in the EL CORTEZ plaza.  About 5 or 6 gourmet food trucks line the pavement (we have an abundance of delicious and cheap gourmet food trucks in Vegas…(see my other GUIDE TO VEGAS post to read more about the food trucks).

Artists and vendors and a couple sponsors  take over the walkway, and at the west end of the plaza (the plaza is only half a block long) there is a stage where all night there are musicians, bands, and DJs playing an array of musical styles.  And people come out and dance the night away, eat delicious food, and get to see artists creating pieces live.  

This event is usually the second Saturday of the month.  This month they are having it on the second Friday, but you can click on the links to see when its happening, who is playing, what food will be cooking, etc.  This is an awesome event!

5. RED ROCK CANYON

Red Rock Canyon is one of the MANY amazing outdoor places to get into nature around Vegas.  best part…its only a 15 min or so drive from the strip.  Located at the far west side of Charleston Street, past where the street lights end, the world opens up suddenly and you are in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by beautiful rock formations, mountains, and tons of cacti (I still get wicked excited every time I see a cactus). 

There are 2 ways into Red Rock.

There is the official paid way, which is only like $7 per car and is a beautiful drive, there are official rock climbing trails, and is just wonderful. 

If you want to go for free and do it local’s style though, take the street on the right, right before the paid entrance (for non-locals, just drive till you see the paid entrance, then turn around and take the very first street – now on your left- that you come to).  This street is Calico Basin.  Drive down it, maybe a mile, past the gorgeous homes and horses, and you will see a parking lot on your left.  Its free to park there and this is the back way into Red Rock.  You should remember though, that you start to lose light on this side of Red Rock around 4pm because it goes behind the mountains.

You can walk the boardwalk and be in the grasses and trees (there is a natural spring here that feeds the ground and allows grass and trees to grow in a very small section), or you can walk up any of the paths…or make your own.. to the rocks a few hundred yards away and just start climbing around like a mountain goat.  You will often see small classes of people learning how to rock climb too.  You can take these classes through places like REI, but be warned…they are not cheap.  I prefer to go ‘bouldering’ (Las Vegas’s official term for pretending to be a mountain goat). 

Red Rock is huge, and in this back way, you can avoid the large crowds gathered at each designated parking spot.  There are always people here but never huge obnoxious groups, and there is always a way to be alone and take in the nature in peace if you want (and usually, if you do run into someone, they just nod, say hi, and keep going, respecting your desire to take in the breathtaking scenery.  If you do climb up towards the top, you get AMAZING overlooking views of Las Vegas city.

And this is all only 15 min or so away form the Strip. 

AND YES THEY ARE!

Wicked Good Sandwiches - the sign doesn't lie!

This bright red building is Edna and Lucy’s in Pownal, Maine. (407 Hallowell Road, Pownal, ME 04069)(207) 688-3029

Edna and Lucy’s is one of the best sandwich shops ive been to, and they are located in a tiny rural town in the countryside of Maine; just north of Freeport. I had a Maine Italian (different than an italian sub).  Maine italians are (my family will be correcting me if I get this wrong) ham, provolone, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, pickles, and olives on a soft roll (or hotdog bun).  They are not toasted. There is no ‘italian’ meat.  It is a MAINE italian.  So all you Bostonians and New Yorkers; stop your cursing…im kinda with you; till I had one…Maine italians are really good.  They are much closer to what us people who grew up in MA (except for the cheese choice) call AN AMERICAN.

Not the point

Edna and Lucy’s has a whole range of sandwiches that would stop the cursing,and fill gaping mouths of all the New Yorkers and  Bostonians (still reading in horror) with delicious awesomeness.

I also tried the (im so looking at the menu photo to get this right) GRILLED EGGPLANT on Wheat bread with (surprise) grilled eggplant, onions, spinach, goat cheese, and tapenade. MMMMM  (ok, my mouth is watering right now).

Oh im just going to show you the menu photo

Edna and Lucy's menu is written on chalkboards that line the walls of their shop

(yes, I distorted the photo a bit to make it bigger).

BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE…

Homemade desserts and pastries...and the are all fucking delicious!

OH YES, Homemade treats (remember the sign on the outside from the photo at the top?…)

Look at that…on the back of the table..

HOMEMADE DONUTS!

I don’t even like donuts…and those are AMAZING!!!!!  (I had some for breakfast on another day).  Fruit, Scones, Molasses Ginger Cookies,..

Oh, and look in the background.  Oh yes,… that IS a refrigerator display for MORE TREATS!  I had some delicious baklava (so good in my mouth)!

And the lady’s who work here are the cutest, sweetest people ever!  I miss country life, just how nice everyone is, and how everyone knows everyone else.  If you have grown up in the city you probably think im wicked naive, and the people here may scare you because you will be positive that no one is that nice or trusting; and the whole town is up to something…and I will feel sorry for you; because in the country, they are. (nice; not up to something).  Unless you have grown up in farmland, you wont understand, so I wont try to explain further.  If you have, you know what I mean, and probably miss the atmosphere right now too.

Hey, look at me totally getting off the topic of the food – you are thinking this right now – but this is about the the whole place; people, food, simplicity, all of it.

Now if you look at photo 2 again; there are 2 doorways (one you just see the frame of).  Guess what’s behind those doors?

A DINING ROOM!  OH yes, you can also sit down and eat here at Edna and Lucy’s Wicked Good Sandwiches & Treats Shop of Awesomness! (ok, so I lengthened the name a bit)

Inside Edna & Lucy's. I love how the pastry/dessert table just calls to you

This is a bigger picture of what you walk into from the outside. Open, clean, lots of natural light and fresh air!  And the ladies are right behind the counter cooking everything in front of you; joking it up with each other and you.  And since I knew someone from the area…they already knew who I was when I walked in the door.

So if you are ever in Pownal, Maine…or Freeport, Maine (Pownal is next town up and Edna and Lucy’s is only about 15min from downtown Freeport)…

…Go to Edna and Lucy’s!…(aka Wicked Good Sandwiches)

Edna & Lucy's - wickedest awesomest sandwich shop

407 Hallowell Road, Pownal, ME 04069

And check out their Facebook page here

And no, this post is not created out of sponsorship, advertisement, or any other business or monetary arrangement.  I just think Edna and Lucy’s is WICKED GOOD!

All opinions are my own…and in my opinion EDNA AND LUCY’s ROCKS!

Cheers!