#I now have an image of a crafting table saved to my ipad

[starsoflyra]

The kids are doing their scavenger hunts a bit differently these days

[Image ID: A digital painting depicting the wreckage following c!Ranboo’s breakdown on the 15th, where he dug up his yard and discovered the Cat disc hidden in a buried chest. Philza gazes over the snow-strewn lawn at Ranboo’s shack and the messy hole in front of it. 

The second slide is a close up of the shack, a simple wooden structure built into the cliff face behind it. Within its fenced perimeter can be seen a crafting table, a furnace, a chest, a bed, and several lanterns. To the left is a small wheat farm, where the water pours out of its shallow trough and into the pit. To the right of his shack is a large printed map of the area blowing in the slight Antarctic breeze. Behind it lies Ranbun’s enclosure and rabbit hutch. Ranbirb, a blue and gold macaw, perches on one of the fence posts.

The third slide is a close up of Philza from the shoulders up. His back is facing the “camera”. He is wearing a dark green/black cloak on top of a green robe, the collar of which is just peeking out over the cloak’s folds, and has donned his signature green and white bucket hat. Wind-blown strands of his blond hair flow out from under its brim. 

The fourth and fifth slides are screenshots from around the 32 and 33 minute mark of Ranboo’s “Confrontation” stream from 1/15/21, used as reference, featuring some of the hilarious donos his audience continuously supplies.]

[mnranger5]

Summer Vacation 2019, Omaha, Denver & Beaver Creek/Vail, 7/7/19 – 7/14/19

By: Daddy, Ashlynn, Brianna, Scarlett & Felicity

As we sat in the hottub on our final night in the gorgeous mountain resort, we asked the kids, what’s your favorite vacation we’ve taken as a family?  Runner up answers included Yellowstone, Disney and Chicago.  But overwhelmingly, the consensus #1 family vacation the Blaniels have taken is the vacation we were currently on!  Yep, Dyan and I struck vacation gold again!  Here’s how we got to that consensus!

 7/7/19

We were on the road by 6AM.  We weren’t traveling in an airplane, train, RV, transit van, or even Dyan’s SUV.  Nope, we rented a minivan for this excursion.  We picked up the van a day earlier so that Dyan and I could get everything loaded up the day before.  That made our morning departure so much easier – and less stressful!

Day one was a nice little drive down through Des Moines and over to Omaha.  We arrived at lunch time and quickly made our way into Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo.  We did a summer vacation here four years ago, and it was absolutely, hands down the coolest zoo we’ve ever been to.

So, when we told the kids this was our first stop on the summer roadtrip, they were super excited. 

We explored the east side of the zoo, making sure we hit the Lied Jungle, Wild Kingdom Pavilion and Scott Aquarium.

Afterward, we made our way over the Hubbard Gorilla Valley, Orangutan Forest and the tiger and leopard habitat.

But the exhibit all the kids wanted to see was the African Safari area where you can view it from the air on the “Skyfari” Chairlift.

The rhinos, giraffes, zebras and lions were all in sight as we sailed across the park on the skyfari.  The kids favorite animals were:

Ashlynn: Deerbra - half deer, half zebra

Brianna: Sharks

Scarlett: Fennec Fox

Felicity: Aligators

Aidan: Gorilla

All Kids: Baby Orangatan

Prior to leaving, take one guess what we ended up doing?  GIFT SHOP!  The kids wandered the gift shop picking up every stuffed animal in the store.  Everybody wanted a stuffed animal, but nobody wanted to spend their own money.  So, Dyan and I did what we always do which is let the kids save their money, and we bought everybody new furry friends!!

By late afternoon, the temps were sweltering.  The kids needed some aquatic relief, so we headed back to the hotel and swam in the pool while deciding on dinner.  Dyan and I were trying to find a fun pizza joint when the kids unanimously voted (while in the pool) on Pot Belly and Cold Stone Creamery.  Both locations were less than a mile from our hotel.  Kids for the win.

Later that evening, we all went swimming again, complete with a very intense game of Marco Polo.

 7/8/19

The second consecutive morning, we were on the road by 6AM.  Denver-BOUND!  Outside of Omaha, Nebraska doesn’t have much to offer in terms of sightseeing, entertainment or roadside stops.  So, the kids did blew through their iPad batteries in record time as Dyan did her best to keep the kids screens charged with the two chargers we brought.  It was a carousel of iPhones and iPads rotating throughout the van.

We rolled into Denver shortly after 1PM.  Made a quick lunch stop at Chipotle before taking the kids out to Red Rocks.  There was scattered thundershowers in the area, but we timed it just right to miss most of the rain. 

The kids played around in the amphitheater area and posed for pictures in the rock formations just outside of the concert venue. 

The kids were adamant that they wanted to return here if Taylor Swift ever played a show at Red Rocks!

We then made the quick trip over to Golden, CO, to get checked into our hotel.  The kids swam in the pool for about 20 minutes before a big storm blew up on us and forced us back to the room.  No big deal!  We needed to get ready for dinner anyway.  After the rain had passed, we walked around the town of Golden checking out the gift shops and grabbing dinner at Woody’s.  Woody’s is a great little restaurant Dyan and I discovered on our trip here in 2014.  Delightful pizzas, and ice cold beer.  

Dyan and Jake for the win!  Of course, we followed up dinner with ice cream from Golden Sweets.

 7/9/19

This was the big day.  The day we’d finally reach our main destination for the summer vacation – VAIL, CO!  After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we were back on the highway, heading into the mountains.  The drive from Denver into the mountains never gets old.  Full of mountainous scenery and old mining towns, the interstate whisks you up, up and away into the snow capped Rocky Mountains.  About 45 minutes into the trip, we hit the Eisenhower Tunnel at Loveland Pass.  Once through the tunnel, we began the long steep downgrade into the Summit County Valley.  About 1/3rd of the way down the pass, the van started to vibrate a bit as I applied the brakes on the steep slope.  Not thinking anything of it, I continued to brake to keep my speed in check.  About half way down the pass , the van started shaking when I applied the brakes.  Something wasn’t right – but I wasn’t sure what was going on.  We continued.  We passed a sign that said something like, be cautious, you aren’t to the bottom yet.  At that exact moment, an overwhelming burning smell filled the cabin of the van.  I looked at Dyan.  We were both confused.  I braked hard and the van shook almost violently as I pulled her over on the shoulder.  The brakes were burning up.  Apparently, I had been applying them a bit too much, a bit too often.  Oops.  We sat on the shoulder, Dyan and I questioning, “What do we do?”.  Although neither of us said it, I know we were both imaging the worst case scenario where the van’s brakes went out leaving us with escalating speeds as we broke loose down the mountain desperately looking for one of those “Runaway Truck” ramps.  Thank God it didn’t come to that…

After about 5 minutes, the smell began to subside and we got back on the road.  The remainder of the drive through the mountains we much more uneventful now that I was aware of the touchy brakes in the minivan.  We entered into the Vail Valley around 9AM.  Vail Mountain is enormous as it towers over I-70.  It certainly looked like it would be one heck of an adventure during the ski season.  About 10 minutes past Vail is the town of Avon, which is at the base of Beaver Creek Ski Area – also a quaint resort tucked back in the mountains.  Sticking out high above the trees was our massive European-chalet-style resort, the Westin Riverfront at Beaver Creek.  The resort facility on it’s own would be spectacular, however, when you add in the setting of the snow capped mountains in all directions around it, the property is remarkably breathtaking.  How are we so lucky to be able to stay in a place fit for a king?

We couldn’t check into the property yet, so we headed into the gated mountain village of Beaver Creek, a short 2 mile drive up into the mountains.  

We browsed the gift shops and got a delicious fresh berry crepe at Rimini for us all to share – it didn’t last long.  But at $14/crepe, this was not going to be our lunch spot!

Back at the resort, the valet attendant recommended the Avon Bakery & Deli for lunch.  It was only a couple blocks away, so we could walk.  When we stepped inside the restaurant we could immediately tell this was no regular Subway or Potbelly.  Nope, it was ALL ORGANIC with bread straight out of the wheat field.  It was the kind of place that frowns on Pepsi and Coca Cola products – instead they produce their own small batch craft colas (complete with paper straws).  It’s definitely where the hippy, green, liberal, vegan, organic crowds congregate to “organize” and drink specialty coffee that is procured through community co-ops.  And it was pretty chaotic. There was a long counter, like at a fast food joint.  Behind the counter, there must have been a dozen people “working,” but really only 2 were actually doing anything.  The rest appeared to be sluggishly coming down from their pot high from the night before – afterall, the weed is legal in Colorado!  In front of the counter was a very small lobby, that was packed with loiterers who appeared to have skipped 1st grade when they learned the social skill called “line formation”.  There were people standing everywhere in the small lobby, some waiting on food, others wondering whether it was their turn to order, a few waiting for tables and many snaking their way through the crowd to the pop refill station.   Well, we entered like a tornado.  Picture five hungry kids on the brink of hunger meltdowns amongst pretentious tree-huggers that probably don’t care for kids to begin with.  Priceless. 

And speaking of priceless, the menu was priceless too.  We ordered 3 sandwich meals and 4 kids meals (flat meat hoagie w/ chips and a pop).  The bill was $130.  WHAT!?!  Kid meals turned out to be $14 and adults were $20.  For lunch meat!  Should have stayed at the Crepe stand!

After lunch, we rendezvoused back at the Westin and spent a couple hours enjoying the pool and hot tub.

Our big event of the day was whitewater rafting on the Lower Eagle River.  Late in the afternoon, we arrived at our river outfitter, Lakota Guides, where they quickly sized us for splash jackets, neoprene boots and helmets. 

We had about a 20 minute bus ride down river to the Wolcott BLM Campground.  Our group of about 40 people were divided up into 5 rafts. The Blaniels got their own raft!

The sunshine was sweltering, but the water temps were paralyzing.  When we booked this excursion in February, Lakota Guides indicated this river began taming in early July, and by mid-late July would have so little water that rafting closes.  The average water flow on the river is about 250cfs (cubic feet/second).     In a typical spring/summer, we’d be hitting the tail end of the snow meltoff, which should run closer to 1,000cfs.  But…..this winter/spring was a rarity in terms of how much snow Colorado Rockies got.  With data going back to 1882, Colorado had 60% more snow this winter than an average season.  In the middle of July, the peaks of the surrounding mountains were all snowcapped.  And due to the extreme heat over the past couple of weeks, the snow melt had intensified.  The waters were roaring down the mountains and flooding the normally trickling creeks and rivers.  The current was running about 3,500cfs.  The river was so ferocious, Lakota Guides called us a week earlier to inform us the minimum age requirement for our float was being increased from 6 years old to 9 years old.  Whew, Brianna would barely squeak by with 3 months to spare!

We boarded the raft with our guide, Byron.  Byron guided for many years on the Colorado River but has been retired from guiding for a couple years.  However, when the Lower Eagle River flooded in the past few weeks, and the rapids gained national attention due to the extreme runoff, he jumped out of retirement for the chance to guide on this intense stretch of river. 

The first 10 minutes of the float were relatively benign – a good stretch to get acclimated to the raft and paddle.  The water was ice cold as it was the product of melted mountian snowpack a mere 12 hours earlier.  Byron encouraged some playful splashing.  Brrr. 

As we proceeded down river, the rapids got more intense.  Not sure it was the vertical drop in the stream as much as how long the rapids were strewn out.  We were ripping from one rapid to the next with no real break in between.  It was awesome.  Unfortunately for me, I seemed to endure the brunt of the rapids.  Sitting opposite of the guide, the front right corner of the raft seemed to meet every rapid head on, soaking me in the icy water.

For the second straight year/vacation, the kids did as little as possible to actually help get the raft in position to take on the waves.  Instead of paddling, they were screeching with enjoyment as they splashed each other and rode bull on the front of the raft.  We had struck vacation gold.

As if the day couldn’t get any better, later in the evening we drove back up to Beaver Creek where they were showing a movie under the stars at the base of the ski hill.  We spread out blankets and brought snacks.  

By the end of the movie, we had all retreated to the fire pit viewing area as the chilly mountain temperatures set in. 

 7/10/19

This was our most adventurous day of the trip as we were spending the entire day using out Mountain Adventure passes at the summit of Vail Mountain.  The adventure passes were pretty sweet, and certainly a vacation highlight for all of us.

The excursion started with a 10 minute gondola ride to the to Eagle’s Nest.  The summit was covered with outdoor family activities.  

First up, the Forest Flyer Mountain Coaster.  Its like bobsledding on rails.  The ride lasts about a minute, but sends you flying down the mountain at speeds over 40mph.  The vertical drop of the coaster is 3,400 feet.  That is a bigger drop than nine Welch Village ski runs (360 ft.) stacked on top of each other!  This would proves to be such a family favorite, we came back to ride a second time later in the afternoon.

Next up was the Bungee Trampoline, which also was a favorite, and experienced twice during our stay.  Who knew doing flips on these was so difficult!

The third activity of the day was the ropes course.  Aidan and Ashlynn braved the Gore Range Adventure Course scaling and crossing obstacles suspended by cable more than 30 feet in the air. 

By this point, the kids started to split up, as not everybody wanted to do the same activities.  

Brianna and Felicity did the Game Creek Zip Lining Tour before joining Scarlett at the Paramount Peak Climbing Wall.

Then they all did Eagle’s Nest Tubing and the Marmot Mini Kids Tubing.  

Even though the kids tubing was for a younger crowed, our kids loved getting sprayed with water on the hot summer afternoon.  For how hot it was, we were surprised to see see piles of (dirty) snow on the ski hill.

Before doing some second and third passes on the adventure course, we had a great sit down lunch at Eagle’s Nest Restaurant.  And by 4PM, we were exhausted.  The sun and altitude were getting to everybody.  We needed to cool down and get back down the mountain.

Once in Vail Village, we found Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream, and a fountain in the middle of the village.

Later that evening, Dyan got the girls all dolled up and we went out for pizza.  

Since it was such a beautiful evening, we got some great pics of the kids around the resort.

7/11/19

Pool Day!  We were at the pool by 10AM, staking claim to front row at the pool – a very highly coveted location.  While the kids frolicked in the pool, Dyan and I picked up Starbucks and a grab bag of candy for them.  They literally played in the pool, ALL.  DAY.  LONG.

That night, we went to the Beaver Creek Rodeo, which was a lot of fun for the kids.  

There was candy, face painting, pony rides and even a calf chase (for prizes) where the kids got to go out into the rodeo.

But the unexpected highlight of the night was an evening dip in the pool.  As dusk settled in, storm were springing all around us, but our resort seemed to dodge most of them.  We all sat in the hot tub and reminisced about our favorite and least favorite vacations.  When we asked the kids what their least favorite family vacation had been, Ashlynn put it best when she said, “I wouldn’t call any of our vacations bad, it’s just that some, (Disney) are better than others.”  All the kids agreed, this vacation IS the BEST.  Dyan and I tended to agree.  Being at a 5-star resort with the kids is a dream come true, and best of all, the kids are finally at an age where they can begin to appreciate the significance of this kind of vacation.

Out of nowhere, the clouds opened up and began downpouring on us.  What would have been the end of the night for most families turned into just the beginning for us.  The kids shrieked as the cold raindrops poured down on them.  But we had no plans to let this “rain on our parade.”  We played right though the thunderstorm.  We swam in the pool for 3 hours that evening, until it closed at 11PM.  There was a flag banner than stretched across the pool.  We spent well over an hour taking running jumps into the pool, trying to touch the flags.  It was an absolute riot.  It was my favorite night of the vacation.  Sadly, it was also, our last night at Beaver Creek…

 7/12/19

…But our vacation was not over.  Nope, not in the least, we had a few more things to do and see.  Our morning started off with a huge, delicious, breakfast at Northside Kitchen.

Next stop, Keystone, CO.  This is the ski area Aaron and I skied at in March.  We arrived a couple hours early, so we spent some time shopping around the ski village and feeding the gigantic rainbow trout in Keystone Lake.

Our big adventure of the day was horseback riding through the Arapaho National Forest.  After arriving at Keystone Stables, we all got assigned horses:

Ashlynn: Angus

Brianna: Peanut

Scarlett: Scout

Felicity: Rio

Aidan: Teddy

Dyan: Rocky

Me: Hack

We bought a 90 minute trail ride through the national forest.  I’ve been on a few trail rides in my days and they’ve run the gamut of good to bad.  Some are just walks along a dirt path which can get pretty monotonous.  Keystone Stables had a different kind of ride in mind for us. One that would test our abilities of riding horse while climbing the side of a mountain in one of the most picturesque national forests in the country.  To say it was anything less than phenomenal would be straight up inaccurate.

The ride started with a gentle stroll through the pasture toward the base of the mountain.  This would be the only chance we’d have to get acclimated to the horse.  We quickly ventured into thick forest and steep, uphill terrain.  At times, the trails were so narrow, our horses had us brushing up on trees and rock ledges.  We climbed over 2,000 feet up the side of the mountain as we moseyed along switchbacks and across avalanche slide areas.  And for some reason, Dyan and I got the problem ponies.  It seemed as though Rocky hadn’t gotten enough lunch.  He kept stopping to eat the grass, which was a “No-No” in the national forest.  No amount of pulling the reins was going to stop his afternoon snack.  And Hack also had an issue.  He’d act like a pokey puppy creating 20-30 yards between us and Dyan/Rocky before going into a full blown trot, almost gallop in an effort to catch up. Our guide noticed this one occasion and asked me to keep our speed in check.   Oopsie.

The ride down the mountain was probably more fun than the ride up had been, because we had to do a lot of leaning back to help keep the horses speed and balance in check as they ventured down the steep terrain. The kids absolutely loved the trail ride and grew quite fond of their equestrian companions.  After we got home from the trip, we asked the kids what their favorite excursion was on the trip.  Trail ride.  Unanimous. Vacation Gold!

We made the hour drive back to Denver, with a picturesque stop at Loveland Pass.

But before the night was complete, we had another special treat for the kids. Dinner.  But not just any dinner.

Our reservations were right at 6PM.  Our venue was the iconic, Buckhorn Exchange! The kids went crazy over all the stuffed animals in the place.  We played a cutthroat game of “I Spy” pointing out the most obscure and unique animals in the restaurant.  

When it was time to order, the kids went with some unique plates too.  For starters, we all shared the cheesy rattlesnake dip, which was an absolute hit. EVERYBODY tried it!  

For dinners, Aidan got a Buffalo ribeye and Scarlett they Buffalo cheeseburger.  Ashlynn and Brianna ordered ribs while Felicity wanted chicken fingers.  Dyan and I split the filet and quail dinner. Everybody enjoyed their meals, however, the quail was nothing to write home about.

After dinner, we spent the evening at the downtown Sheraton hotel, rooftop pool.

 7/13/19

The morning started off with a 1st breakfast at the Sheraton Club Lounge.  We met the manager in the lounge, and he was quite impressed with the kids behavior among the group of business travelers enjoying a quite breakfast.  He called down to the main hotel kitchen and had them prepare some giant, fresh, warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookies!  They were absolutely delightful.  After checking out of the hotel, the kids had their 2nd breakfast at Krispy Kreme, right next door.  The sugar would be running high today.

The drive to Omaha should have been super long, and boring, but we came up with a new game.  As the kids played on iPads, Dyan and I started a competition.  The good ‘ol A-Z game.  Simple rules, find a license plate or word that begins with A before progressing to B, then C, and so forth.  The game got feisty as Dyan pulled way out ahead when I could not complete the letter “Q.”  Eventually I did, and came back to beat here at the very end when she was stuck on “X.” But it didn’t stop there.  We then decided to make it a team effort to do the same with numbers.  A daunting task.  The challenge would be going from 1-100, and then completing A-Z.  We’d have today’s and tomorrow’s drives to complete the challenge. It started out easy.  One through nine was a piece of cake.  But things got way more difficult once we reached double digits.  The game was full of frustrations.  We must have passed a dozen signs for Highway ”25” in North Platte, but we unfortunately were stuck on number 24.  We scoured the sides of semi’s, road signs, speed limit signs and gas prices.  Midway through the day, Aidan decided to join the game, AGAINST us.  He caught up in a hurry when we stopped at Sonic for lunch and he counted 1-28 on the drive-up stalls.  Lucky. By the time we reached Omaha, we were both in the 60’s, setting us up for a challenging ride home tomorrow.

That evening, we went to Oklahoma Joe’s for BBQ dinner before retiring to the hotel to let the kids unwind with the Lion King movie.

7/14/19

We reached the final day of the vacation. We spent the morning back at the Omaha Zoo checking out some of the attractions we had missed earlier in the trip. We went to the Desert Dome & Kingdoms of the Night.  The Desert Dome is such a cool attraction, but we had never been to the Kingdoms attraction.  It’s housed underneath the Desert Dome and the dark stairwell to get there is quite unassuming.  But wow, did it ever pop a punch!  It’s basically a nocturnal animal exhibit, so it’s very dark.  But wow, the exhibits are so amazing.  The snakes, alligators, bats and other creatures make this a must see.

We did a couple other exhibits before packing up and getting back on the road for home.  We continued playing the numbers and alphabet game.  The kids had lost a little interest, but Dyan and I were going strong.  I swear, some of the number took over 30 minutes to locate, and when we did, we had some loud celebrations and high fives.  The kids, and passer-byers, must have thought we were crazy.  By Des Moines, we had reached the 80’s.  Just outside of Des Moines, we hit a lucky stretch of numbers and we wrapped up with 1-100 around Ames.  Back to the alphabet.  We needed A-Z before we got home.  While we thought this part of the game would be easier, it ended up be more difficult than we thought.  Interstate 35 is not the heavily traveled semi-truck route that I-80 is.  Less semi’s means less signage.  But, we did have billboards on our side.  Signs like Dairy Queen, Wanamingo, Xpress Scripts helped us seal the deal.  Just outside of Fairbault was the “Zumbrota Mazepa” sign.  That was the “Z” we needed! We found the 126 total signs were looking for!

Around 5PM, we pulled up to the house.  After 2,146 miles, it was home sweet home!  Another remarkable trip in the books.

[thehungrykat1]

VIP Club Room Experience at Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Marina Bay Sands is always the most awaited part of my itinerary whenever I travel to Singapore. I usually schedule my stay at the luxurious Marina Bay Sands during the latter part of my vacation because I want to save the best for last. During my last trip to Singapore earlier this year, I brought along my younger sister with me. That’s why I decided instead to book a Marina Bay Sands Grand Club Room which gave us a more posh and exclusive VIP experience.

Marina Bay Sands is probably the most iconic image you will see in all of Singapore. With its surfboard-shaped roof deck connecting its three hotel towers, the five-star luxury hotel has become a tourist spot in itself and is always a good backdrop for souvenir photos and videos. The integrated casino complex opened in 2010 and is part of casino-tycoon Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands, which also owns and operates other high-profile casino resorts such as The Venetian Macao & Las Vegas, Sands Macao, The Palazzo, and many more.

The lobby of Marina Bay Sands Singapore is as grand as its stature, with very high ceilings and a unique sail-shaped design that allows plenty of natural light. 

With hundreds of guests checking-in daily, expect some lines to form at the front desk registration area. I was expecting to see a special check-in facility for club room guests, but this wasn’t the case. Nevertheless, it didn’t take too long before we were given our room keys so we could start our dream luxury vacation.

I often stay at their Deluxe Room which welcomes guests with its modern conveniences and elegant décor. This 39-square meter room comes with a king-sized bed plus its own balcony with floor-to-ceiling windows. Guests can also enjoy the 42" interactive flat-screen television with cable channels, an executive work desk, a fully stocked minibar, and complimentary wifi access throughout the hotel.

The marble bathroom is also as elegant with its glass-enclosed shower and luxury bathroom amenities. The bathtub is usually where I spend my evenings and it is always so relaxing to have a warm bubble bath after a tiring day of eating and shopping.

But for this particular trip, I wanted to have an even more luxurious VIP stay at Marina Bay Sands, so I chose their Grand Club Room. This room has a very spacious 79 square meters with a king-sized bed that is just so comfortable. The flat-screen television can be rotated so you can watch it while on the bed or in the living room.

There is so much extra space in the Grand Club Room and you can read magazines or surf the web while relaxing on the plush sofas and lounge chairs. A Nespresso machine and gourmet tea selections are also on hand.

The executive work desk comes with its own vanity mirror which can be an extension of the bathroom itself. The bathroom amenities are even more exquisite, highlighted by Roberto Cavalli toiletries and everything else you need for a comfortable stay.

You can choose to get a room with a City View but I prefer to get one with the Garden View which offers a more tranquil and picturesque view of the Gardens By The Bay just below. This is Singapore's awe-inspiring 101-hectare enclosed tropical garden and you can see its towering “Supertrees” from here. Gardens By The Bay is just a few minutes walk from the hotel.

Guests of Marina Bay Sands also get privileged access to the iconic Sands SkyPark Observation Deck, soaring 57 levels above the heart of the city. Explore the stunning panoramic vistas of Marina Bay and view Singapore from the best vantage point in the city. This area is also open to the public but they have to pay an entrance fee of SG$23.

You can almost see the entire city from up here at the Sands Skypark. That lotus-inspired structure below is the ArtScience Museum which features 21 gallery spaces that explore creative processes at the heart of art, science, technology and culture, and their roles in shaping society. Since it opened it 2011, the ArtScience Museum has been home to some of the most renowned exhibitions including: Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Harry Potter: The Exhibition™, Da Vinci: Shaping the Future, and many more.

Marina Bay Sands guests also have exclusive access to the world’s largest rooftop Infinity Pool. This is the surfboard shape on top of the hotel and it stretches all the way from Tower 1 to Tower 3. You won’t find a more spectacular Instagram-worthy spot anywhere in Singapore! Because of this, the hotel is very strict in only allowing checked-in guests access to the pool through their individual key cards.

The Infinity Pool is open from 6:00am to 11:00pm. You can stretch out to sunbathe on the poolside lounger, or relax in the shade of a palm tree, 57 floors above the city. It is usually crowded, especially in the afternoon, so I think we will just come back early tomorrow morning for a more private experience. Guests can also get a workout at the Banyan Tree Fitness Club, their state-of-the-art gym on the 55th floor.

But the most impressive benefit of staying at the Club Room of Marina Bay Sands Singapore is the exclusive entry and VIP privileges to Club55, their luxurious club lounge located on the 55th floor of Tower 2 which is open from 6:30am to 7:00pm.  

After unpacking our bags inside our room, my sister and I went inside Club55 for some refreshments and snacks. This beautiful venue offers panoramic views of the city-skyline with unforgettable snapshots of Marina Bay. Guests can leisurely browse through a magazine, newspaper, laptop or iPad while enjoying complimentary beverages throughout the day. Hmm... I think that guy is taking our photos.

Complimentary Afternoon Tea is available from 2:00pm to 4:00pm every day and you can find sweet and savory items displayed on the buffet table. We got some sandwiches, cakes and macarons for ourselves paired with refreshing juices and tea for a quick and satisfying afternoon treat.

In the evening, Club55 changes into a more mature and exciting setting as guests can indulge in complimentary beverages and canapés as a prelude to exploring the glamorous nightlife at Marina Bay Sands. From 5:00pm to 7:00pm, the complimentary evening cocktails let us enjoy endless glasses of champagne, liquor and other cocktails while marvelling at the spectacular sunset over Marina Bay.

I can’t really remember how many glasses of champagne we both had, but the servers just kept on pouring these bubbly beverages. The buffet spread was also quite surprising, with heavier items like salmon gravlax, sushi, shepherd’s pie, pastries and many others which are good enough for an early dinner.

From 8pm to midnight nightly, Club55 also opens its doors to the public so you don’t have to be checked-in to a Club Room to enjoy the night view from the 55th floor while sipping on specially crafted cocktails. Their Cheese and Chocolate Buffet is available for SG$48 per adult with optional wine pairings where guests can indulge in over 40 handcrafted desserts and 12 varieties of European cheeses.

The night was still young so we decided to head down to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands which is just across the street and accessible through an underground walkway. Most tourists will take a relaxing ride on the Sampan, a Chinese wooden boat that runs through the canal. This is their version of the gondola rides at the Venetian.

But if you know me, I would rather explore the treasure trove of luxury fashion labels and shop with more than 170 exquisite boutiques all in one fabulous place. The Shoppes at Marina Bay lets guests enjoy late night shopping any day of the week and is home to the largest collection of luxury watch & jewellery brands in Singapore.

Just outside The Shoppes is the world’s largest Louis Vuitton boutique outside of the flagship Champs-Elysees store in Paris.  Louis Vuitton Island Maison is housed in a spectacular Crystal Pavilion floating on the waters of Marina Bay. An underwater tunnel connects the island from The Shoppes and I was able to see a complete display of men’s and women’s leather goods, ready to wear, shoes and accessories from this timeless luxury brand.

After getting tired from shopping and walking around the huge complex, we decided to call it a night. But we decided to wake up very early the next morning so we could have the Infinity Pool all to ourselves. Very early meant that the sun was not even up yet when we stepped into the Infinity Pool exactly as it opened.

We were both still half awake but we were able to take all the solo pictures we wanted around the beautiful swimming pool. Of course, there were also a lot of early risers, but we can say that we were the first that morning to enjoy the waters of the Infinity Pool and were its only occupants, even for just a few minutes. This is definitely one of the world’s most gorgeous swimming pools!

After our dip, we were now more than ready for our complimentary breakfast at Club55. Guests can actually choose to have breakfast at either Rise, the hotel’s buffet restaurant on the ground floor featuring international cuisine, or at Club55. We wanted to have a more private and exclusive dining experience so we decided to have breakfast here. The choices were plenty, especially for a club lounge breakfast, and I mostly enjoyed the endless shrimp dumplings and salmon.

There’s another breakfast option for club room guests, and that’s at Celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck's flagship restaurant, Spago, located on the Sands SkyPark. We actually did not know about this option until after we finished our breakfast at Club55, but since it was still early, why not have another round? 

Spago offers an imaginative and seasonal menu of Californian cuisine with global accents, in a sophisticated and inviting atmosphere. Aside from its fine dining restaurant, it also has a terrace lounge with an al fresco bar. Of course, we could not pass off the chance to dine at Spago, so we took our second breakfast for the day.

There is a smaller selection of items at Spago which include breads and tapas, and you can only order one main dish from a choice of three or four items, but it was still a good experience to have breakfast here. 

The hotel’s standard checkout time is 11:00am so we requested for late checkout since our flight back to Manila was still later in the afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a weekend so they only extended our stay until 12:00nn. After we checked out, we decided to have lunch at one of the celebrity chef restaurants at The Shoppes - Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen. 

Sophistication meets casual dining at Bread Street Kitchen, where vintage blends with modern and the music is as eclectic as the décor. This vibrant spot by the waterfront is the best place we could hang out before we headed to the airport. They have Set Lunch Specials on weekdays where you can have Two Courses (SG$40) or Three Courses (SG$48) so I chose the latter for better value. I had the Chicken Pork Terrine for my appetizer, the Braised Ox cheek for my main course, and the Chocolate Caramel Mousse for dessert, plus a Forbidden Forest cocktail.

It was the perfect end to my Singapore vacation. My stay at the Grand Club Room of Marina Bay Sands was one of the most memorable travel experiences I have ever had. It may be a bit pricey, but this is one of those bucket list items that are worth saving for. 

Marina Bay Sands

10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore, 018956

+65 6688-8888

www.marinabaysands.com

inquiries@marinabaysands.com

www.facebook.com/marinabaysands