Good Family Fun in Vegas

Good Family Fun in Vegas

If you are looking for some fun things to do in Las Vegas with or without the family, this should keep you busy for the better part of your travels. Keep in mind that Vegas is a city about lights and action most of the attractions will have on or other if not both of these elements. Enjoy the bright lights of this big city and have as much fun as you can possibly muster during your stay.

The High Roller at the Stratosphere Hotel is a roller coaster, which at 909 feet above ground is the world's highest (keep in mind that competition is fierce among coaster makers and that is subject to change). This roller coaster consists of more than 800 feet of track and offers some sharply banking turns at around 32 miles an hour for your coaster fun and enjoyment. The cost for one trip on this coaster is $5 and passes may be purchased for the day (height restrictions apply).

The Nevada Zoological and Botanical Park is another great way to spend the day. While this is by no means the world's largest zoo it is a nice place to take your kids and visit the wildlife (well some wildlife that isn't located on the strip at any rate) of Las Vegas. Some of the animals you might see include chimpanzees (usually a hit with the little ones), emus, ostriches, wallabies, and flamingos. You can also choose to take a full or half day eco tour of the desert. These tours give you the opportunity to learn to the view the desert a little bit differently and are a great educational experience disguised as fun for your children.

What would a stay at the Venetian Hotel and Casino be without a gondola ride? You do not however have to stay at the Venetian in order to experience this pleasure, nor do you have to venture a transatlantic flight. For an authentic gondola experience you only need to travel as far as the Venetian Hotel and Casino. You will float under bridges as your gondolier serenades you with the sounds of Venice. You can choose and outdoor gondola ride when the weather permits. The outdoor rides are only marginally less expensive and are still quite nice (they might even be preferable on a chilly desert night). Children 12 and under are very inexpensive passengers and if you are traveling with your partner you can opt for a romantic 2 passenger gondola for an added fee. Reservations must be made in person and can only be made the same day beginning at 9 a.m. for the indoor gondola ride and 10 a.m. for the outdoor ride.

If you're old enough to remember the commercials that asked if it was live or it was Memorex then you will understand that reference when it comes to Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. Where else can you play a round of golf with Tiger, sail the seas with Captain Jack Sparrow, marry George Clooney, become a playboy bunny, and sing along side The King? You will see some of Hollywood's brightest stars both living and living memories at Madame Tussauds have fun meeting your favorites. This is a must see stop on your trip to Vegas and will have the entire family rolling with laughter, be sure to bring the camera along for this one.

Vegas might have been a little slow to see the light, but this city is really working to make this a fun place to be for the entire family and it is slowly building a nice selection of activities that don't directly involve gambling or the casinos. The casinos, recognizing good business sense when they see it have been the pioneers of many of these family oriented activities in hopes of encouraging more guests to come back to the city. Be sure to check out all the wonderfully fun things there are to do with the family during your Vegas stay.

Fabulous Vegas Freebies

Fabulous Vegas Freebies

Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a huge fan of freebies and living frugally. What self respecting Vegas visitor would ever pay full price if they didn't have to or leave this great city of chance without getting something for nothing. One of the best services I can provide my fellow man is the ability to share these fabulous free finds with anyone that is interested in what I have to offer.

This is better than a 'tell all' book on who did it and why isn't it? The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens offers a delight to the eyes of the beholder. It is a true delight to all the senses to see the sights and inhale the fragrance of these gardens that display seasonal highlights in plants, flowers, and produce. Each season offers new delights to the senses and there is no admission fee to view these beautiful floral arrangements. This is a great place for a photo op to help you remember your time in Las Vegas.

Have you ever seen water dance? If not, then while you're visiting the Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio, you'll want to stick around long enough to witness the fountains of Bellagio. These shows consist of more than 1000 fountains that are literally dancing in choreographed unison with light to the music (you may be surprised or quite possibly impressed by the extent and variety of the music play list for this particular show). This is also free to witness and occurs every half hour or so after 3:00 PM throughout the week and after noon on the weekends.

If you're looking for more great fun that is free for the entire family to enjoy, head on over to Circus Circus for Circus Acts-this show is free to watch and provides the audience with the thrills and chills of the big top day after day. You can watch different acts as they perform throughout the day at the half hour mark between the hours of 11 AM and Midnight.

Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall offers a stunning display of water and laser lights daily at 2:00, 6:00, 8:00, and 10:00. This show is called "Sunset Stampede" and takes place in a 9-story atrium that hosts a natural habitat of live trees, greenery, waterfalls, and trails.

Another great free attraction in Vegas is the Masquerade Show in the Sky. The show is free to watch, if you choose to participate by riding one of the floats, the cost is $12.95 (that is subject to change). This experience is very reminiscent of Carnivale in Brazil. The floats are literally suspended from the ceiling for the sake of this show which is considered one of the best free shows that Vegas has to offer.

Perhaps one of the most interesting freebies is the Silverton Hotel and Casino's Aquarium. This attraction is completely free to the public and a fascinating thrill to children big and small (even mom's find this one fascinating). Enjoy watching both salt water and freshwater fish in their natural habitats and enjoy the ambiance of your surroundings.

The Sirens of Ti is a great sexy pirates tale that shows at Treasure Island TI daily as the weather allows. This is one great show that the kids, especially little boys that think pirates are the bomb and big boys that enjoy watching ships sink and sirens do what sirens do, will all agree to enjoy together.

Free entertainment is often the best entertainment that can be found. There are so many things to do and see that cost literal fortunes. It is nice to know that there are so many thrilling adventures available for little or no cost to explore while visiting Las Vegas. If you spend wisely, you will discover that you can enjoy the better part of most days filled with activity without breaking your wallet or becoming close personal friends with any creditors.

Excalibur Hotel and Casino Brings Magic to Life

Excalibur Hotel and Casino Brings Magic to Life

If you are harboring thoughts of bringing the family for a Las Vegas vacation, then perhaps you should seriously consider a stay at Excalibur Hotel and Casino. This hotel will have you feeling as though you've stepped into the fairy tales of your childhood. From the moment you cross the threshold from the outside world to the charmed existence of life in the hotel you will find that you have truly been charmed and are leading a somewhat enchanted existence.

Not only is there the magnificent casino to enjoy, there is also the wonderful pool, links golf, the castle walk for your shopping pleasure, and the midway where you can play all kinds of fun and exciting arcade and carnival games. Perhaps one of the most memorable and impressive of offerings is the Tournament of Kings dinner show. This show is offered nightly at 6:00 and 8:30 and you will eat in the manner of those in medieval times, without utensils while watching the evil wizard Mordred as he invades the evening festivities. This show is quite enjoyable and relies heavily upon audience participation.

Dining in the hotel and casino can be quite the adventure without the assistance of horses and actors as there are several dining options including the Roundtable Buffet, The Steakhouse at Camelot, Regale Italian Eatery, Sherwood Forest Café, and how could we forget Sir Galahad's Pub and Prime Rib House?

If you're looking for the fairytale wedding of your dreams, then Excalibur has the package for you. You can even elect to rent medieval costumes in which to get married. There are many different packages available to fit various budgets and wedding needs. Wedding packages vary in price from around $400 plus $55 for the cost of the minister to around $1575 plus the cost of the minister. These are all rather basic packages and do not include extras such as costume rentals, extra poses for the wedding photos, or video and candle services.

Before your big day make sure you make liberal use of the spa services available at Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Of course this is a great idea even if you are just hoping to relax while on vacation. You remember relaxation right? That is what you did on occasion before you had children. You should definitely get the royal treatment that is available through the spa and enjoy every minute of your visit. Some of the spa services offered at Excalibur include: facials, wraps, Aveda facials, and various massages. There are add on services that can be purchased and packages available. This is a great way to spend an hour or three before your big day or any day.

Once you've finished getting pampered at the spa, step on over to Kristina's Salon and get primped. You can enjoy everything from manicures to full service hair styling services. Whether you are preparing for your big day and saying "I do!" or simply for a romantic evening on the strip this is a great place to begin.

Excalibur also offers full service catering and convention services. Whether you are hosting a wedding reception or a company convention we have the facilities as well as the expertise to keep everything operating seamlessly behind the scenes so that all eyes will be on the things that are important. Projections and profits for the corporate conventions and the bride and groom for wedding receptions.

Excalibur Hotel Casino can meet almost any lodging and accommodation needs for those staying and playing in Las Vegas, more than that we can provide a great 'fairy tale' atmosphere for your family vacation or just your big trip in general. If you haven't given proper consideration to the idea of staying here during your visit, I highly encourage that you do-especially if you have a little princess in your party that you are trying to impress.

Eating Cheap in Vegas

Eating Cheap in Vegas

A Las Vegas vacation for many people is an experience to enjoy 24/7 food, drink, and gambling. In fact that is the very reason that many people visit Vegas and it is also one of the main reasons that the city of Las Vegas and the gambling empires that have been built, crumbled, and been rebuilt again and again have had many of the rocky rides that offer more bumps, dips, twists, and turns than you will find on many of the roller coasters that also inhabit this great city.

Las Vegas has so much more than that to offer its visitors. Gone are the days when gambling was the sole income of casinos or that casinos were the only businesses in town. Vegas is dressing up a bit in recent years and working oh so slowly and diligently towards changing its image.

This city of bright lights and empty promises is quickly becoming a city that offers world-class entertainment and excitement to its residents and its visitors. Las Vegas has some of the best dining on the planet. Many of the wonderful dining experiences are associated with the casinos of the area but they would not be as successful as they are if there was not a reason to keep the tables full. Diners don't tend to dine if the food isn't good and a for a restaurant a bad review will travel around the world three times before ten good reviews will make it once. This means that the world-class fine dining restaurants really must earn their stripes in order to bring in the business required in order to stay in business.

I personally tend to look for the dining bargains and that is what this particular article will focus on. There many great places to eat in Vegas that will not have you busting open your piggy bank. Now my guy is a steak and potato kind of man so I always try to look for a good steak bargain. For him, I love Arizona Charlie's Boulder Sourdough Café. Here you can get a 14-ounce Porterhouse for $7.99 this includes soup or salad, choice of potato or rice (5 pm-11 pm), veggies, and rolls. You can also get spaghetti and meatballs for $6.49 and Chicken Penne Primavera or fried chicken for $6.99. This is good food at its best at a price that easy on the budget.

This is just one of the many places a person or family can get a relatively good meal inexpensively. Not all great bargains involve steaks but there are many great food bargains to have. Be aware of coupons you may find around town offering two for one food purchases or dollars off of entree purchases. It may not seem like much or two but if you can manage to save $2 per two people for 10 meals during your stay, that adds up pretty quickly to $40 that could buy a little time on the slot machines or tickets to one of the many great shows.

Cheap dining by no means indicates a lack of quality. While it may not be as sophisticated as some offerings, you might find that a lot of the cheaper places to eat actually have far superior flavor to many of the more expensive dining experiences and it's just nice to get away from buffet food once in a while during your Vegas stay. You can only endure so many buffets before they all begin looking, and tasting just alike.

Circus Circus Family Fun Vegas Style

Circus Circus Family Fun Vegas Style

Circus Circus Las Vegas boasts of being the most kid friendly hotel in Las Vegas. With its big top attitude and its indoor amusement park it very well may be. In addition to being the most kid friendly hotel on the Las Vegas strip Circus Circus Hotel is also the fifth largest hotel in the world. Of course this is at the moment and that is subject to change at any time.

The beauty of this particular hotel doesn't lie so much in its size or even the circus like atmosphere. The charm lies in the fact that it was something new and relatively untried along the Vegas strip. Rather than build to suit the gamblers they were hoping to attract, this particular hotel was wise enough to offer something new and untried by appealing to families with children rather than solely to gamblers.

The gamble seems to be paying off in a city that is known for both its hits and its misses. Other hotels and casinos are also working to cultivate the family friendly image that Circus Circus has basically proven. Not only did this hotel build The Adventuredome Theme Park they also decided to make accommodations even more family friendly by accommodating RVs at the Circusland RV Park. This offers a great place for families to stay that might not otherwise grace the theme park, hotel, or the casino.

Don't forget that there is a casino involved and that is the primary purpose of this gigantic hotel, resort, and theme park. The casino makes the expense of building it all very much worthwhile and brings in big business of its own each and every day. In grand Vegas style there is also the requisite onsite shopping and of course full service of wedding options in addition to a wedding chapel and banquet facilities in which to hold the reception of your dreams. The shopping at Circus Circus offers everything from ultra exclusive boutique shops and salons to stores such as Under $10 and the trading Post, which offers fad jewelry and other kid friendly gifts.

This hotel has a somewhat unique concept that sets it apart from the many others along Vegas' strip. If you are traveling to Vegas with the family I very much recommend at least checking them out and comparing prices and packages with the other hotels and resorts in the area. Keep in mind that comps are like money in the bank particularly when they involve food or activities that you were planning to do even without the comps. So you may be able to negotiate a much better deal even if you're paying a couple more dollars a night by having free parking, complimentary meals, or tickets to events, shows, or attractions.

Now we're on to my favorite part of the discussion. Dining options. Circus Circus does not disappoint when it comes to offering variety to its guests. In addition to The Steakhouse, there is The Garden Grill, Mexitallia, Pink Pony, Circus Buffet, Pizzeria, Westside Deli, and Barista Café. The food offerings accommodate varying budgets and familial needs by offering some kid friendly dining choices to visitors and guests as well. The good news however is that if these restaurants aren't appealing to you there is another hotel, casino, or restaurant next door that has different fare to offer.

If you are looking for a great place to stay in Las Vegas along with the family there are very few hotels that will offer the overall environment of fun and wonder that you will find at Circus Circus. In addition to the wonderful rooms, the great food, the casino, and The Adventuredome Theme Park you will find that the shows here are as kid friendly and entertaining for the entire family as the atmosphere in general. This is a great vacation destination anywhere. Considering the fact that it is in Las Vegas and it is very nearly the perfect vacation retreat for those with children.

PPPPP

America Conquers the Air

America Conquers the Air

If you ask any student even in elementary school why the town of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina is significant to American history, they will know the answer immediately.  They will know that this was the place that Orville and Wilber Wright made the first working airplane and discovered that man could fly.

Today, with thousands of airplanes taking to the sky at any given moment and the experience of flying high above the earth as common as riding a bicycle, it seems that a world where men did not fly is as far away as the ancient Romans.  But we have to travel in time back to the days before the Wright brothers made their phenomenal discovery and the invention of the first aircraft when there was a time when it was firmly believed that man would never fly like a bird and indeed, man was meant to never fly but always be a terrestrial being.  We can be grateful that the Wright brothers did not hold to that belief.

The date of that first successful flight was December 17, 1903.  It was on that fateful day that Orville and Wilber successfully flew the first controlled, powered, heavier than air airplane.  This break through ranks as one of the greatest inventions of American history and in truth, one of the great inventions of all time as man had been dreaming of being able to fly as far back as we have primitive drawings illustrating that dream.

The Wright brothers were well suited to go through the tedious research to finally create a machine that could accomplish this feat.  We all know that great inventions are often the results of hundreds or thousands of failures and tests by which the inventor refines his ideas and makes new discoveries that take him step by step toward that final break through.  That was certainly true of the Wright brothers.

Our reference to flight becoming as common as riding a bicycle is well chosen because it was the Wright brothers vocation as mechanics repairing printing presses, motors and bicycles that gave them the knowledge of the inner workings of such machines that was needed to create a machine that could sustain flight.  Their work to perfect the design of the common bicycle lead them to believe that conquering flight was not a question of providing sufficient power to the aircraft as it was providing mechanisms of control and balance to properly keep the aircraft steady with sufficient consistency that it could take to the air.

Long before that first successful flight, the Wright brothers conducted their research.  Using their bicycle shop as a makeshift laboratory, they first experimented with gliders and unmanned aircraft to refine their theories and their designs.  But finally on December 17, 1903, they achieved their dream of manned flight, even if only for a short time.  Orville Wright’s account of that first flight is scientific and understated.

"Wilbur started the fourth and last flight at just about 12 o'clock.  The first few hundred feet were up and down, as before, but by the time three hundred feet had been covered, the machine was under much better control.  The course for the next four or five hundred feet had but little undulation.  However, when out about eight hundred feet the machine began pitching again, and, in one of its darts downward, struck the ground.  The distance over the ground was measured to be 852 feet; the time of the flight was 59 seconds.”

Little did the Wright brothers know that an entire new industry would be built around these simple experiments.  Moreover, they had achieved a dream man had dreamed for centuries, to actually be able to fly above the ground and come back safely.  It is truly one of the great accomplishments of American history.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

We would like to think all of our presidents of the United States were truly great men and to be sure, just handling the awesome responsibility of the presidency takes a special kind of individual.  One of the unique and great things about the system of government in America is the concept of citizen leadership.  This is the idea of an ordinary citizen rising up and becoming president for a while and then returning to private life.

But of the handful of men who have held that office, a few have stood out for their great achievements and leadership in a time that changed the country for ever.  And one of these truly great presidents was Abraham Lincoln.  Probably more than any other president, Lincoln had to handle an internal civil war that was far more than shouting and name calling.  This was a dispute that could have torn the country in half and starting a rupturing that could have resulted in dozens of small weak independent states instead of the powerful nation we know as America today.

It was Lincoln’s leadership, his commitment to values and his strong moral fiber that made it possible for America to find its way through that war and then to begin the healing process that would eventually lead the nation back to unity once again.  Lincoln’s term of service from 1860 until his death was one of considerable challenge.  If he only had the problem of dealing with the attempt by the south to succeed from the union and his ability to keep those states as part of the American national territory, he would be lauded as a great American indeed.

One of the little known leadership styles that Lincoln used to his advantage in the organization of his presidency was his appointment of talented national figures from opposing political parties to be part of his cabinet.  Lincoln felt that he needed to have close advisors from the opposing viewpoint to keep from having his presidency become insulated from the American people and one sided.  By gathering members of the “loyal opposition” into his trusted inner circle, Lincoln was always aware of both sides of every issue which made him a stronger leader.

But that is not even his greatest accomplishment or the one that we remember him for the most.  His bold and unchanging opposition to slavery is without any doubt his greatest contribution to the history of America and indeed to world history as well.  When he was willing to put everything on the line to stop this barbaric social sin, Lincoln made a stand, against the popular opinion of the time in many cases that he would be the figure to bring slavery to an end.

It was not a stand that came without cost.  The civil war was one of the bloodiest and costliest in the nation’s history if for no other reason than all casualties; on both sides were casualties of America.  It would take many decades for the ravages of that horrible war to be repaired.  The schism between north and south continued for decades and is still a part of our national personality in this country.

But the end result was what Lincoln wanted to be his legacy.  By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation to make the end of slavery permanent, Lincoln followed that up with the passing of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments which made permanent the freedoms that were hard fought and won in the Civil War.

The freedom that was won for so many black Americans in that war permanently enshrined the memory of Abraham Lincoln as one of our greatest presidents in the hearts and minds of all Americans.  Small wonder the monument honoring him on Washington’s national mall is one of the most revered spots in the nation and one that thousands flock to each year to give respect for this great president that made liberty and freedom a reality for all Americans, not just a few.  And his face on Mount Rushmore is well deserved so the very mountain itself shouts out, this is one of the greatest leaders in the history of this great country.