Archive for February, 2011

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011

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Las Vegas, Nevada really is a remarkable accomplishment if you think about it. This fabulous vacation location was literally created from nothing right out of the middle of the desert. But it has become such a notorious place whose reputation for fun and excitement is legendary.

To say it isnt a historic site would be a mistake. Many of our great cultural icons had important times in Las Vegas. And some really great movies were filmed with Las Vegas as their backdrop. Consider the exciting song we used for the title of this article, Viva Las Vegas. Elvis Presley, one of the great figures of pop culture, loved this town and extolled the excitement that could be found there in song. Many other great movie and music stars made Las Vegas the site of some of their greatest performances. One such striking entertainment moment was when Frank Sinatra and hit rat pack made the wonderful movie Oceans Eleven in Last Vegas, a movie that has spawned a whole series of movies in modern times staring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and a host of other big stars.

To say that big stars are commonplace in Las Vegas would be an understatement. And if we are looking for great sites to see, the availability of shows by some of the brightest and the best of Hollywood, Rock and Roll and Broadway are all available in Las Vegas. For very reasonable prices, you can take time away from your whirlwind schedule of fun and excitement to see some of the best performances you will ever see right there in the casinos along the Las Vegas strip.

Las Vegas has also become synonymous with fast living and adult type entertainment. Its an outstanding location for a honeymoon or that little get away with your spouse where you might want to enjoy some grown up entertainment without the little ones along. Dont feel guilty as you pack the kids off to grandmas house and you treat you and your wife to a few fun filled days of casino action, luxurious rooms, great food and a nightlife that cannot be beat. This is the kind of grown up excitement that Las Vegas is known for and you deserve the fun you will have in this town that some have called in jest, Sin City.

This is not to say that your stay in Las Vegas wont be fun or that you have to leave the kids home. There is plenty to do even if it is just lounging around the pool and relaxing in the Jacuzzi. The casinos know that many of us want our families to enjoy vacation as much as we do so there is plenty for the kids to do and things you can do as a family together. Some of the shows like the amazing animal and circus acts can amaze and entertain young and old alike.

You can also take a day and get a tour of this wonderful town and some of the surrounding attractions. The desert itself can be of great interest to the kids and maybe mom and dad too if you have never visited this kind of natural setting. There are plenty of tours to surrounding sites but one of the most enjoyable is a tour of the Hoover Dam not far from town. You can see one of the wonders of modern engineering in how this dam is used to create energy and control the mighty Colorado River.

Las Vegas is just one of so many great sightseeing and vacation sites that are available in this country of such rich diversity. If the adults enjoy some gambling, the casinos offer many games and entertaining diversions to give you that fun. And it isnt true that you will always lose or come out of there a pauper. It is entirely possible to have great fun at the tables of Las Vegas and still have your vacation travel budget in good shape. And who knows, you might win a round of Black Jack and be able to treat the family to a steak dinner from your winnings.

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Tuesday, Feb 15, 2011

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Vegas is almost as famous for weddings as it is for some of its more questionable roots and activities. In fact there are wedding chapels on almost every corner and in almost every major casino on the strip and beyond. There are themed weddings, elegant weddings, simple weddings, alien weddings, and all kinds of weddings in between. Other than gambling, it seems that Vegas knows the most about weddings.

If you’re planning a wedding, thinking about a wedding, or simply want to avoid a wedding and would like to run away and get married, might I suggest one of the many wedding chapels in Vegas? It takes all kinds of people to put together a fairy tale wedding however it can be done in Vegas in a matter of minutes. There are even wedding chapels in Vegas that will rent you costumes in which to get married. There are also those that rent the dresses and tuxedos for the more traditionally minded among you.

There are all kinds of wedding packages that can be ordered from the plain Jane and simple Sue wedding packages that offer no frills and no fun to those with more bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at. Where I come from there are plenty of sticks to be shaken. From professional photography to full service spa packages before the wedding for the bride and the bridal party there are all kinds of luxurious wedding touches available to those that are willing to pay for the service offered.

Vegas is probably the only city in the world that has professionals dedicated to throwing bachelor and bachelorette parties for brides and grooms to be. It really does beat all you’ve ever seen and more than most have ever dreamed of. While many people had dreams of fairy tale weddings and mom and dad paying for it, there are just as many who have had romantic dreams of getting married in Vegas since the very first time they heard it mentioned in movies or on TV. There are those that want Elvis impersonators singing as they share vows and others that want him to officiate the services. With so many tastes and wedding wishes, Las Vegas has come through with shining colors as far as making dream weddings possible for all those who enter.

It would seem that in Vegas, no wedding request (as long as it is legal) is out of the question. From the simply elegant to the outrageously campy there are chapels of love for all persuasions from pink fuzzy carpet and candles to outrageous dungeon looking rooms and all kinds in between weddings have been performed for many different walks of life and to confirm commitments for all manner of people and relationships from many countries around the world. Vegas is one of the easiest cities in the world in which to get married and all kinds of people take advantage of that fact for a quickie wedding. The one rule is that all parties must be of legal age and must be consenting. Consent is quite recognizable on your wedding day in most cases.

If you’re planning a Vegas wedding, you are not alone and I wish you the absolute best of luck as you begin your new lives in this infinitely fascinating city of many dreams.

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Tuesday, Feb 8, 2011

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Other than gambling, one of the first things that many people think of when they think of Vegas are the many shows that are available to watch. Vegas rakes in a fortune each year off the shows that are offered each and every night. There are major headliners and limited appearances that make the shows the wonderful draws for tourists and locals alike to spend a night out on the town and the shows, dinner, and ultimately the casinos.

The goal in almost every effort put forth by the casino parent companies is to get more bodies in the casinos. The more warm bodies that are warming the seats the more money that is filling the coffers. The casinos like to bring in the money and they are willing to spend a little in order to make a lot. The acts that are highlights in this city are well established for the most part and enjoy their celebrity, their fame, and most often for the headliners, the fact that there is some sort of permanence to their existences and they are not required to travel and spend countless hours on the road away from their families and loved ones.

You will find the ultra famous rubbing elbows with those who are barely known and occasionally some impersonators. In Vegas and most of them are only too happy to be living the life they’ve chosen in this great city of lights. If you have the opportunity to check out one of the many shows in Vegas I believe you will find that these shows are amazingly well put together and quite entertaining. This isn’t your small town little theatre or your community college stage. These shows are professionally done and in business to make money-and make money they do.

The shows bring in clients from all walks of life and financial backgrounds you will find the rich and famous sitting next to the middle class in the audience and all will be either laughing, crying, or cringing together. The shows are designed to elicit different responses from the audiences and to appeal to a wide cross section of the population.

If you are in the market for a Vegas show it is recommended that you book around the time or at the same time you book your hotel reservations in order to be sure you can get the tickets. Many of these shows sell out months in advance and for months at a time. The more popular the show the bigger price the tickets will demand and the bigger following the shows will have.

I also encourage you to take advantage of some of the free opportunities and events within the casinos where the shows you are planning to see occur in order to get an idea of the lay of the land before the time your show is scheduled to start. You should probably be early for the shows you wish to see and plan to stand in line a little while.

While shows are one of the biggest draws for people to visit Las Vegas and some people plan their entire trips just for the sake of catching one show, keep in mind that there are plenty more things to do in Vegas than simply watching a show or two. Take advantage of the many opportunities for entertainment that await you during your Vegas vacation.

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Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011

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One thing you may or may not have noticed about Vegas is that shows are more often than not, not made for family viewings. In fact, many of the most popular shows are decidedly not appropriate for children and younger audiences. Vegas has often become synonymous with sin or at the very least sex. While that is something that most definitely draws the box office dollars it is not something that makes watching shows in Vegas easy if you have children. Magic shows, however are usually a fairly safe bet from great entertainment and less adult oriented content.

One thing that is certain about children and shows though is that most children not only love magic, they also find it utterly and completely fascinating. David Copperfield is one of the most recognized names when it comes to magic and illusion. Your children will be delighted from the first act through the end of the show. This is one show that you won’t have to worry about sending negative messages to your children nor will you have to worry about being bored for the sake of your children with this show either. His show may ultimately be the start of something magical in your own children, you never know. Check with the MGM Grand for show nights and times as this show plays two weeks every month but those weeks vary.

For a little more Xtreme Magic you should check out Dirk Arthur’s show at Tropicana. This show has no age restrictions and the costs are $29 for table seating and $34 for booth seats this show has all kinds of wildlife from beautiful women, lavish dancers, Bengal tigers, a white tiger, and leopards. This show is a very exciting show that displays the art of illusion in a rather extreme form (kind of like extreme sports, this is extreme magic). Show times are 2 and 4 pm Saturday through Thursday.

For a little more magic, the Rick Thomas show at the Stardust Hotel has a little bit of magic for everyone. From the exquisitely choreographed moves and the help of a few showgirl type dancers he has created one of the best daytime shows in Vegas. Not only is Rick Thomas an excellent magician and illusionist he is also an extremely talented showman. And anything that can keep the rapt attention of little ones (in addition to their quiet) is a really good thing while on vacation. You can catch his show Thursday through Tuesday at 2 and 4 pm in the Wayne Newton Theatre of the Stardust Hotel.

While these shows are hardly inclusive of every magic act playing in Vegas these acts are very much the ones worth mentioning. If you haven’t seen any of these guys perform you really have no idea what you’ve been missing. David Copperfield is truly the Master but he very well may have some serious competition along the horizon.

Magic is one of those things that the child in all of us never really manages to outgrow. We see it in brief moments when we hold our children for the first time, when we see their eyes light up on Christmas, when we feel the beauty and perfection of one perfect snowflake. Magic is all around us and so easily missed, there is nothing quite like visiting one of these shows to remind us not only of the magic we’re missing each and every day as well as the wonder that we left behind somewhere in our own childhoods.

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