But there’s something else going on as well.  Call it a case of “the grass is always greener,” but sometimes it takes moving away to appreciate what you have–like miles and miles of trails steps from my backyard, and, well, an actual backyard with lounge chairs and a grill and room to run around (even if we have faux grass instead of the real stuff).

Today, as I threw out piles of paper and old magazine issues, listed unwanted items on eBay and boxed up unworn clothes for Goodwill, the move started to feel real.  And I realized that I am going to miss Las Vegas and the sprawling beigeness of its suburbs.

X Train: Coming 2011

If you read my blog with any regularity, you know that I love trains.  So, needless to say, I’m pretty stoked about the planned “X Train” from L.A. to Vegas.  It’ll be plush and very red–and you can gamble on board.  What’s not to love?  More details here or check out the website (Warning: turn off the sound–there’s some cheesy rendition of Born to be Wild with train whistles and all).

Slurrrp... ahhh!

Living in the desert poses a whole host of new beauty and skincare dilemmas because of the harsh, arid climate–so very different from the oppressive humidity of Shreveport, LA.  I asked Dallas-based skincare expert Renee Rouleau for her expert advice on how to adapt to the dryness:

For oily or combo skin, Renee recommends adding water, not oil. “One thing many people do is lather on heavy, oil-based moisturizers to compensate,” but what they really need is a hydrating product like Skin Drink (normal skin, pictured) or White Tea Soothing Complex (sensitive skin) serums underneath an oil-free moisturizer. “Serums have a smaller molecular structure and therefore can hydrate deep into the skin when used under a moisturizer. The good thing is, serums are oil-free but high in water content and give your skin that extra drink of water.”

For those of us who already have dry skin, Renee says, go ahead and use oil-based moisturizers. “When your skin is already dry and you live in a dryer climate, the battle is two-fold. The best way to combat dryness is with oil-based moisturizers.” As with oily/combo skin, Renee recommends using serums, like her Intensive Firming Serum, applied beneath a moisturize-rich, cream-based product like her Pure Radiance Mask with 14 luxurious oils.

Which is why I was inspired to look into detox options in Vegas for new weekly Vegas Seven.  It seems juicing, a huge trend in New York and L.A., hasn’t really made it to Sin City — though detoxifying spa treatments (and hypnotherapy) are available in spades.  If you’re dead set on denying yourself of whole foods (which, at the very least means you’re taking a break from caffeine, booze, and chocolate) a slew of companies on either coast will FedEx their freshly squeezed green goo direct to your doorstep.

Charlie goes potty

I’ve been a slacker when it comes to blogging in the past few months, but with good reason:  First, there was my two week biking endeavor (and the multi-month planning prelude), which had a blog of its own; Then, it was the holidays — and the news that we would be moving to Las Vegas; and finally, I decided that my dog Charlie should have a blog of his own.  That’s a lot of blogs and twitter accounts to manage.

In any case, I’m back — and settled in Las Vegas — at least for now.  To find out what I’ve been up to in the last few weeks or so, check out my wordpress blog, Travels with Charlie.

My father-in-law recently sent me this link to an article called Toe Huggers.  It’s a tad more involved than my previous post on Toe Shoes, but addresses the same issue — is there anything to this idea of running barefoot (or virtually barefoot?).  It also calls out Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, about Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians, who run ultramarathons without any real support — a book which, as it so happens, is sitting on my nightstand. More to come, especially as I have just signed up to train for the Capital of Texas Triathlon with Team in Training.  I’ll be giving those toe shoes a few more test runs.

Last year was a pretty awful year for the world and for the media world in particular.  Magazines folded, editors were laid off, advertising dollars cut, and so on.  I’m hoping 2010 is a better year and that life in Las Vegas will be a fresh start.

Gorgeous pink sand beach on Harbour Island

I’m spoiled for islands: Two years ago, I spent several days in St. Barths and I can’t think of an island that has come close to it in terms of charm, natural beauty, and gorgeous hotels. It’s absurdly expensive, of course—although, there are ways to get around the hefty price tags—and not the easiest isle to reach (scary puddle jumper involved unless you have a private yacht).

So, I was more than a little excited to finally check out Harbour Island, dubbed the St. Barths of the Bahamas. In some ways, the comparison is on point: There’s a fair amount of glamour to Harbour Island, although it’s not an obvious sort of glitz. Tucked away on colorful, though somewhat peeling streets, you’ll find stores like the Sugar Mill, which stocks candles and lotions by co-owner India Hicks, Virginia Johnson scarves, and bikinis by Melissa Odabash. Also worth checking out are Miss Mae’s, the Blue Rooster, and Bamboo Bamboo.

Then there are the resorts–I loved The Landing, which has a laid-back elegance to it:  Think four poster beds draped in white Indian cotton, dark wood floors, and island prints.  There are currently just seven rooms, but this winter, look for five new rooms. On the other side of the island, Pinks Sands is the oldest and ritziest property, but I preferred its sister, the Coral Sands.  For one, the prices are within the realm of possibility–and you have access to the amenities next door.  Then there are the brand new cottages, which range from a one-bedroom shotgun style setup to the sprawling two-bedroom Sea Oats, where you can take a bath and watch the lavendar-hued sunset.

Food-wise, Harbour Island has everything you’d want–from Arthur’s Bakery, where you should order the coconut bread (best toasted and slathered with butter) and Queen Conch, where you’ll find the island’s freshest conch salad to more gourmet establishments, like the Vue at Romora Bay, where the chef hails from the French Laundry.

Still, Harbour Island is not St. Barths.  And that doesn’t mean it’s not worth visiting–but St. Barths is something special.  It’s a place where people leave their keys in their cars, where a lost necklace is reported in the island newsletter, and where (to be completely blunt) there is no racial divide.  It’s one of the things I find so tricky about the islands (and living in the South, I’m now more aware of than ever)–that lingering feeling of colonialism, I suppose.  Although, I did love seeing the school girls in their white blouses and navy blue knee socks.

Since I’m now an official American Express enthusiast, I thought I’d better go back and find out how I could be a tad more savvy about using my card.

The first thing I learned about is the First Collection, which was launched in 2006 as a premiere collection of brands accessible only to Platinum and Centurion cardholders. For 9.5 million points, I can score a Lamborghini, for example. More realistically, I could book a night at the Mandarin Oriental San Francisco (50,000 points) or get a $250 spa credit at the Peninsula Hotels (25,000 points). Honest assessment: I’m actually pretty excited about the spa credit, but otherwise, most of these seem a tad out of my point league. And since this is a privileged collection of offers, I’d love to see a better bang for the buck (The rewards roughly translate to about a penny per point).

I didn’t find too many other exciting tidbits as I was perusing my welcome package and the website, but I did remember (and locate) an invitation my husband and I had received nearly a year back for a free night at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba. It seems unlikely that we’ll use it; after all, we’d have to get ourselves to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico and we’d probably like to stay at least two nights (and even one night is a bit beyond our budget). Still, I remember thinking—if I end up going to Mexico for work, I’d definitely make a detour to check this place out.

Check back often for more on points, perks, and the platinum card.