Beyond King Tut is an immersive, art exhibit that dives into the life of the famous kid pharaoh of ancient Egypt, King Tut. The exhibit is hosted by National Geographic and allows guest to step into a world of wonder. They currently have locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, and coming soon to Atlanta. But is it worth it?
Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience
I had the opportunity of going to the preview night of Beyond King Tut’s newest location in San Diego. The exhibit is being held at the Wyland Center at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The address is 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd Wyland Center at Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, CA 92014. The exhibit will only be around until March 26th!
I went in with little knowledge of what to expect. Like many, I have seen short videos and ads of other immersive exhibits. It was all the same type of video – a big room with projections on the walls from floor to ceiling. Don’t get me wrong – they are beautiful videos. But is that enough to get me to pay to see that? As such, I figured Beyond King Tut was going to be this one giant room with projections on the wall and that was it.
I was very wrong.
The first part of the exhibit starts with an introduction video that then opens up into a winding hallway. Throughout this hallway are snippets throughout history that led to the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. You can walk through the exhibit at your leisure as it is a self-guided experience. Going from one room to the next, you dive deeper into King Tut’s life and the impact he had on his people that made him so incredibly popular. And just when you think you’ll end up at the big projection room, it keeps going!
I won’t give too much away because I want this to be spoiler free. If you want a more in-depth look at the exhibit, then scroll down to watch my video! All I will say is that there are about four sections of the exhibit before you even get to the projection room.
Review of Beyond King Tut
It’s safe to say that I absolutely recommend this exhibit. It’ great for all ages and a unique date night idea! But this is just my opinion. I really enjoyed it because I am truly fascinated by ancient Egypt. I also really liked the depth of the exhibit. There was a lot to see and learn, and the visuals were captivating. And each room had a new thing to keep your attention craving the next cool thing to come.
I recommend purchasing the general admission ticket as opposed to the VIP ticket. Having experienced this exhibit at the VIP level, I can honestly tell you that unless you really want to do a 7-minute virtual reality video and get a small gift at the end of the experience, it’s just not worth it to pay an additional $30. Stick with general admission – you won’t be disappointed!
Be on the lookout because Beyond King Tut is popping up in more locations! Act quickly because these pop up locations do not last long.
Inside look of Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Exhibit in San Diego
Mission Beach comes alive for Halloween with the Fall Fest at Belmont Park. All the rides and activities that you love from this iconic San Diego landmark, now ready for a frightfully ghoulish time!
Belmont Park’s Fall Fest Details
This event takes place from September 9th through October 31st. Here are some more of the details regarding fall fest specifically:
FREE Trick-or-Treating every Sunday in October
Mr Jack O Lantern’s Pumpkin Patch
live acoustic performances and festive beer garden Friday nights
specialty treats from your favorite stops
go karting
multiple photo opportunities for fun, seasonal pictures
iconic rides and attractions and MORE!
Although you are welcome to walk around the park for free, if you want to be a part of the action a little more, then you will need to purchase a pass. Although, you can pay individually for the rides, activities, or attractions that you want to do. However with the Ride and Play pass being $60 per person, this is an EXTREMELY fair price! It is a great deal that allows you to do pretty much everything.
Personal Experience
When my husband and I went, we had the Ride and Play Combo pass which included all rides and activities. This included all day turns on the rock wall, LazerMaze, Sky Ropes, mini golf, the roller coaster and rides, and two turns on the zipline. To name a few! We arrived at around 4:45 pm and the park closed at 8pm. We didn’t do everything we could have done with the pass, but we sure did a lot! You will definitely need a decent amount of time if you want to do it all at Belmont Park.
I highly recommend attending the Fall Fest at Belmont Park if you want to mix up your date night activities or do something fun with your kiddos. There are so many things to do. Not to mention you are right next to the beach and those sunset views cannot be beat.
Recently Rooftop Cinema Club invited me for a night out at their San Diego rooftop location at the Manchester Grand Hyatt to watch Raya and the Last Dragon. To sum up the evening in one word, it was PHENOMENAL. But before we get too far in to this blog, I do want to note that this experience isn’t just for San Diegans – Rooftop Cinema Club has locations all over including Los Angeles, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, New York, Tampa, and London!
San Diego Rooftop Cinema Club at Manchester Grand Hyatt
With the San Diego location being in the heart of Downtown San Diego, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for a girl’s night out with my friend, Saralyn. Not to mention with it being our first time seeing Raya and the Last Dragon, we also decided to dress for the occasion! A Disney Bound was an absolute must. How did we do?
We parked in the Self-Parking for Grand Hyatt and, with RCC validation, was only $11! So much cheaper than trying to park in Seaport Village and walking over.
Everything You Need to Know for Your Visit
Rooftop Cinema Club (RCC) opened their doors an hour before this screening, so in that hour we were able to take part in their “Social Cinema”. They had some games to play like large stacked Jenga, ping pong, and cornhole. We soaked in the views of San Diego, took some cute pictures with the views and their nice photo op they had! Pre-COVID, they normally provide pillows and blankets, but since they are still in their transitional period into being back in full swing, they didn’t have them this time. But they encourage viewers to bring their own!
Tickets are sold exclusively online. Ticket prices vary by seating, guest age as well, and what day you are looking to watch your movie. Booking fees apply. All information above is provided by RCC and may only be the ticket prices for San Diego moviegoers! Be sure to check online to see the location prices for the viewing you want to go to!
Rooftop Cinema Club Schedule
Based on the day, RCC shows one or two movies a night and they have themed nights as well for kiddos, teens, and adults! For the first screening (if applicable to the day), you can enter in an hour before, and for the second viewing, you can enter in thirty minutes before. They have all of their upcoming shows on their website which is updated frequently for each month. Keep in mind, they sell out pretty far in advance so if you see a show that you want to see, act quickly so you can have a night out in this amazing place too. I am especially excited for their Christmas in July themed nights when Elf will be playing! It’s my favorite Christmas movie!
Bridesmaid Proposal with Saralyn
What is Provided for a Great Movie Experience
All seats are provided with a sanitized pair of headphones so that you can hear everything in the movie and block out any possible distractions or other conversations going on. And if you need any help at all, the staff there is so friendly and happy to help.
Before we went to our Love Seat, we grabbed our snacks and some drinks. RCC is completely cashless so make sure you bring a debit or credit card. I thought this event would be the perfect place to do a bridesmaid proposal to Saralyn. The staff was able to write “Will you be my bridesmaid?” on her popcorn and oh my gosh it was adorable! She was so happy that she almost forgot to answer the question. But after all of that, we grabbed our seats and we got the perfect view! We had people in front of us but they did not block our view at all.
Once we took our seats, all there was really left to do was enjoy the show. It was so amazing being able to watch a new movie somewhere other than my couch. I can’t even remember the last movie I saw in a theater but this experience was so magical and the perfect reintroduction to watching new movies at a movie theater again. And why wouldn’t I want a great view to go with my movie and popcorn?
An Exclusive Discount!
Lastly, and this is HUGE, The Manchester Grand Hyatt is offering a 30% room discount for guests who would like to stay at the hotel following a night at Rooftop Cinema Club Embarcadero. The discount code is available on the cinema email ticket confirmations for online bookings. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. This is an INSANE deal because this hotel is absolutely STUNNING.
Check out my 2 minute YouTube video of this amazing place and views of the hotel as well to get the full scoop on everything there was to see and just the general atmosphere of it all. Be sure to check out Rooftop Cinema Club and find a screening that you will love too!
My friends and me at the Illenium concert at Allegiant Stadium
Last year I wrote the Perfect 4 Day Itinerary to Las Vegas during COVID times. And now a year later as things continue to open up and restrictions are not as severe, Las Vegas is getting back to being the top of the summer getaway list! There is so much to do an experience, and it’s not just about being 21 years old and going clubbing.
Now, it might have been a little chaotic going on the July 4th weekend, but my friends and I wanted to go to the Illenium concert and that just so happened to fall on one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year. But we had a great time obviously, and here is everything we did to give you some ideas for your next trip.
And before I get started on this guide, a lot of what I am going to talk about were rewards I got FOR FREE by playing the myVEGAS apps, which you can read about HERE.
Day 0 – July 2nd
The reason I say Day 0 is because we actually decided to leave the night before we had originally planned to get there. We left San Diego around 9:30pm, bought a room at the OYO for about $141, and arrived at the hotel around 1:50am. When we checked in, they said they had run out of the standard rooms that we had booked and gave us an upgrade! Although that was really nice of them to do, none of us were impressed by the OYO.
The garage was cramped, the elevators were dirty, the hallways smelled of cigarette smoke, and the rooms were extremely outdated. My friends that I was staying with said their sheets made them itchy and that there was hair left over in the shower. Also as we were checking out (on Day 1 of our trip), the fire alarm went out three seconds after we had gotten off of the elevator and none of the staff reacted to it. So, overall not a fan.
Day 1 – July 3rd
Free drinks with myVEGAS rewards
PHEW! Made it out of the OYO in one piece and time to check in to our room at the Excalibur! Our room for our two night stay was $410 – now keep in mind this was on a holiday weekend so the prices were more expensive! If you have followed me for a while or read my other Vegas blogs, then you know that usually I stay at the Bellagio for free because of those fun rewards that I get from the myVEGAS apps. But we weren’t able to redeem free rooms because of the holiday weekend.
After checking in, we decided to use our free drink rewards that we got through those apps and started our casino bar hopping to redeem the rewards! We went to New York New York, MGM Grand, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay to redeem these free drinks. So if you want some cheap or free alcohol, be sure to the download those apps to start playing. It’s also a great way to explore the casinos! One of my most favorite activities is just wandering around the casinos since they are so big and there’s always something new to do or experience.
Once we had redeemed all the rewards and explored the casinos, it was time for us to get ready for the Illenium concert! Since it was at the Allegiant Stadium, we were able to just walk right on across the street to it! And that activity led us from Day 1 into Day 2. My body was not prepared for a second night in a row staying up until 2am.
Day 2 – July 4th
Area 15
Because we are not as spry as we used to be, we slept until noon on Day 2 – no regrets! But we had to get up at some point and it was time to explore some new things! My friends decided to go to the Zak Bagans Haunted Museum while I took the time to relax by the pool, which cost them $47 a person. They said it was interesting but also really creepy. But I actually really enjoyed poolside at the Excalibur! It was very relaxing and just the perfect day off. After my friends finished up at the museum, we went to Omega Mart at Area 15, and honestly it was AMAZING! So cool! It’s a Meow Wolf exhibit that mimics a supermarket, but deeper inside is something completely else! Complete with slides, secret tunnels, and amazing graphics, effects, and interactive rooms. We spent about an hour and a half in here and cost us $55 a person. If you want a closer look at what you can see in here, check out my IGTV HERE!
After that, we had worked up quite an appetite and we had been craving sushi all day! So we decided to got to Revolving Sushi which was only about a ten minute drive from Area 15. Now, my friends had been there on a previous trip so this was my first time but oh my gosh!! It was so cool! As soon as we were seated, we could start eating immediately. How? Because the sushi revolves around on a conveyor belt between the booths and you can pick and choose what you want! They put all the fan favorites of sushi on the conveyor belt, each plate has 3 pieces on it, and you pay by the plate which is $2.75 a plate. I got STUFFED on sushi with 5 whole plates for $13.75!!! Not including tip and tax obviously. That’s 15 pieces of sushi, literally almost two full rolls, for the price of ONE whole roll at literally any other sushi place. And don’t worry, if you want to order something a little more personalized, you can order on the tablet and once it’s done, it get’s delivered by a little Roomba-type cart above of the conveyor belt. If you want to see what this looks like, check out my Tik Tok HERE!
Finally to end the day, we walked down to the Strip to watch the fireworks light up the sky. Although it was really busy, we still got a great view of the fireworks that stretched from the Aria all the way down to the Stratosphere.
Day 3 – July 5th
I know this sounds like we did a lot, but honestly I feel like we did barely anything. So to end the trip, we woke up around 9am to get our things together, put them in the car, and head to the pool one last time. Now we had to use our room key to get in so the trick for that is to enter the pool before your check out time, and then once you’re inside, do Mobile Check-Out via the MGM Resorts app! Using their app is also a great way to check-in and skip the line at the beginning of your trip. Once we had our fill at the pool, my friend went in to the casino to redeem his $50 FREEPLAY reward that he got through the app. He was able to win some money, and we left without having lost any money to gambling!
Overall, this was a pretty tame trip to Vegas and was more about doing a few big things that we really wanted to do instead of jam packing our stay with lots of small things. I hope you found something fun to do in this blog that can help shape your next trip to Las Vegas this summer!
Let’s craft your perfect Spring day here in San Diego shall we? {Also don’t worry, these are not San Diego specific things – so use this as inspiration for things to do in your own hometown too!}
I have lived in San Diego my entire life, and it wasn’t until about a month ago that I learned… Carlsbad is kind of cool! It’s got some small town, beach vibes and there is beautiful architecture everywhere you turn. My friends, Ashley, and I visited the Shorehouse Kitchen as our first stop on our spring day adventures. It featured a great menu selection, multiple options for coffee and mimosas (so of course I got both), and great areas just outside of the restaurant for impromptu pictures! I would definitely go back here for breakfast because they had some of the best Eggs Benedict that I have ever had!
It’s every spring fairy’s dream to dance around the flowers so our next stop was the Flower Fields! Many areas for photos and the flowers there were unbelievable! They offered multiple stops more “in” the fields where you could get pictures, but just be mindful that there are lines to wait in to get pictures. For every line we waited in, it was about a 20-30 minute wait. You can only spend 10 minutes max in each spot but some people were not following that rule. So just be mindful of your time and make sure that when it’s your turn that you already know what you want to do! These spots are amongst different colored flowers so if there is only a certain color you want pictures with, then you only have to wait in the line for the flowers you want! Entry is $20 a person.
Just a short five minute drive from the Flower Fields was our last stop of the day! And after having so much fun amongst the flowers, I needed a little snack – the Carlsbad Strawberry Company! This place offers you the opportunity to go out into the strawberry fields to pick your own strawberries (or just eat them like I was). You will have to pay for your entry as well as any little bucket you buy to pick the berries. They also had a free sunflower maze which we didn’t have time to do but I would recommend getting there with enough time to do it!
Overall, bring your camera for all the cute pictures or just enjoy all the sites and the smells of spring!
