Since having to give back my company car and leaving mine in California (I refuse to register my vehicle in Nevada), I am a bonafide pedestrian. Up until last week, this was a welcomed change since I was absolutely tired of driving, plus my sister lets me borrow her car if I need to go somewhere far. All of my life’s necessities are in walking distance (Starbucks is .44 miles and the dog park 2.2 roundtrip). Also, I’m fortunate to have found friends who are in total support of my bum life so they cart me around if necessary. The weather right now could not be more perfect so Abbey and I have been exploring the outdoors everyday. Things could not be more perfect until they aren’t.

As of last week both Starbucks and the dog park that Abbey and I frequent are under renovation. Like seriously, what are the odds of that happening and why is life so cruel?!! Since I live in one of the newer suburbs of Vegas, there’s not a hubhub of coffee shops around for my choosing. I was disappointed about the dog park as it was more of a work out for Abbey than myself. So instead of acting like the chick in Rumpelstiltskin and crying when shit got real, I decided to find an alternative to my usual ventures. One of the coolest things I enjoy about where I live are the paved sidewalks. It’s like a pedestrian’s dream! So instead of taking Abbey to the dog park, I just lengthened our walks. 3 miles in the morning, and about a mile nightcap before bed.

-Tired pup after walking all over the world…err well, Vegas

As for the coffee shop dilemma, that was a little tougher. Not only did Starbucks quench my caffeine junkie soul, it’s where I get my human interaction. So not going for a week was making me a little restless for human conversation. Since I knew the next nearest Starbucks was about 5 miles away from my house, I was going to have to go with another one. I should also mention that I totally support local businesses so I figure me going to a local coffee shop would be killing two birds with one stone. Alas, after a quick Google search, I found the perfect place called Perk Up. It was 2 miles away and a straight shot from my house, so those amazingly paved sidewalks would come in handy. So today, I made the trek to the coffee shop.

-Yay sidewalks!

Since I’m like a walking pro, it only took me 38 minutes with a heavy backpack. Once I entered the coffee shop, I knew I had come to the right place. The music was legit and the place was absolutely adorable! I loved the color scheme and decor. It definitely put out the “sit down and write” kind of vibe. I even had the barista recommend me a drink. It was called the Lunch Date which was a chocolate and strawberry iced latte. Not my kind of thing but hey, I tried something new. 

-The Lunch Date

Perk Up has all that I look for in a coffee shop and it was a little cheaper than my beloved Starbucks. This will be my new hangout until my usually hangout is done, and who knows, maybe it’ll be added in the rotation. I’m very glad that I ventured out of my normal radius and found this place. Who knows what other shenanigans I can get into if I keep expanding my horizons. 😉

 

-I absolutely love the color scheme

 

-A shot from the entrance

-View from my seat.