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Archive for March, 2010

It may seem like nothing existed in the Las Vegas Valley before Las Vegas became the Entertainment Capital of the World and one of the most popular destinations for adults, but the valley has been inhabited for hundreds of years, with the Paiute Native American population, then with Spanish explorers, who utilized the area’s water as they headed from Texas to the West Coast along the Old Spanish Trail.

In May of 1855, Bringham Young asked William Bringhurst and thirty missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to head into the area in order to convert the native population. While the Mormons left Las Vegas in 1857, they left behind an adobe fort known as the Old Fort, which may be seen today in the Old Las Vegas Mormon State Historic Park .

Often people find their way to any number of hotel suites. Las Vegas , though, offers more in its historic landmarks, such as this interesting park. The Old Fort was built along the Las Vegas Creek in 1855, and the Mormons settled and farmed the land using water from the creek. Remnants of the fort still remain and now acts as a Visitor Center with various displays regarding the site’s history, including various artifacts from that time period. In fact, there is now a full-sized replica of the original fort (including the last standing wall from the original fort), as well as a Pioneer Garden. The entire aim of the park is to investigate the history of the area. Visitors will find the park open from Monday to Saturday, from eight in the morning to four thirty in the afternoon.

If you like the idea of coming to Las Vegas and exploring a little bit of its history and natural world, in addition to the Vegas Strip and casinos, then you might also be interested in taking a look at Mt. Charleston, which offers miles of trails for biking and hiking, located just thirty miles outside of town. Pine forests here provide excellent spots for picnicking, and you can ski in the winter and ride on horseback in the summer months.

When spending time in the city of Miami Florida it is all about the water. There is something special about walking along a sandy boardwalk in some cool shorts or a bikini watching all the people enjoying themselves in the sun. It is such a freeing feeling to leave the suit and tie on the hotel floor and let the sun and wind breeze over ones skin. It makes most people want to toss the crazy stressful job and move onto the beach and rent wind surf boards. Ok, so that may take it a bit far but I am sure many have dreamed about it. Just getting to vacation in such a fun environment may have to be enough. So make it great.  

How about renting something. How about renting a boat and taking the family out for some waterskiing. Or maybe a Hobie Cat would be the rental for a day of sailing. Rent a wave runner and take on your buddy in a water race. There is also the option of chartering an adventure. This is fun because you get the local guide to share the history of the area and show you the hot spots for seeing things like dolphin swimming. They can take visitors out for some deep sea fishing or into the near by Biscayne Bay and Florida Key for some fly fishing.  

Getting into the water is also fun with some snorkeling right off the beach. A more intense version of this is scuba diving. There are some great dives with 10 man made reefs near the city beaches. Check out South Beach Divers as a possible scuba connection. One can also check with their miami hotel suites concierge for more information on were to go for the water sport fun. There are plenty more ways to enjoy the beach and the ocean so have a great trip.

Being in the city is as exciting as being part of a song, and there’s so much to Atlantic City that is worthy of music. It’s a spectacular place, where there are splendid attractions and adventures waiting for you at every turn, and there’s always a sense that more is on the way. There’s always excellent hotels to make the stay perfectly stylish, and have you humming along to your own heartbeat, which is faster here.

It’s an exciting place, and it has an exciting present that is matched by its history. There are plenty of ways to explore, but taking a historical tour is probably one of the more interesting, as far as history lovers might be concerned.

Most of the visitors here are from all ages, meaning that there are lots of diverse tastes and opinions, and all of them have something to offer here. There are probably a large number, however, out of the young as well as the old, who have been aware of its history as a place where people come to have adventures.

It’s also been a place of adventure for a long time, where the first official resident here, Jeremiah Leeds , has family in the U.S. since 1696, but the Native peoples had been here for a couple hundred generations prior to that.

It’s possible to learn more about the history of Leeds in the Galloway Township close by, where he and many members of his family are buried. These are interesting treasures that fill in some of the gaps between now and then, and there are plenty of others to be filled. You’ll find your own rhythm here, and discover ways to make your own history as you did into the present in Atlantic City.

One of the biggest mistakes a prospective visitor to Missouri can make is to believe, site unseen, that Branson (in the southwestern part of the state) appeals to a limited segment of the population. The Branson area , 175 miles south of the Missouri state capital in Jefferson City, has something for virtually everyone! What’s your pleasure –live entertainment, fine dining, shopping, or great options in rooms ? Or, would you prefer the outdoorsy stuff like camping, hiking, horseback riding, biking, boating and water sports? Golf anyone? It’s here. For those with a penchant for history, you may choose a visit to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield , a major Civil War site that is virtually unchanged since the terrible conflict in August 1861.

The area is replete with national forest units, wilderness areas, state parks, and miles of placid lakes and waterways, large and small. There are endless vistas and tranquil places that offer either interactive fun with family and friends or moments of solitude to recharge your appreciation of nature. But, for activity in the world of performance entertainment, there is nothing like the variety of venues in Branson. Take your choice of stage shows that are land-based or partake in a dinner cruise. And, if you like a little “processed grape” with your meal, or want to see it from vine to wine, you can tour the local vineyards.

The stage shows are perhaps the best-known feature of Branson. With around 50 theatres and more than 100 shows, this is a mecca for those who want an alternative to a trip to New York, Vegas or LA and still keep options open to enjoy fresh air in the great outdoors. From country to rock ‘n roll, the music just keeps on coming. Great names from stage and screen, recording, television, grace these stages year round. There is so much to see and do that you need not only to plan ahead, but also plan to stay awhile!

Virgina has a number of stores to find great window treatments. For example you can go to any number of large stores such as Indoors, Home Depot , Lowe’s or Expo Design Center, but none of these really specialize in windows and while you can get blinds from one of these places, their people aren’t trained to know the transformation quality of blinds on a room. There are smaller places that are still plentiful through the state, but specialize in blinds and other window treatment options. One of these is Next Day Blinds. They have many stores throughout the state, and they have a number of resources and guarantees that make them a first choice for a number of people.

Curtains are the defining factor in many rooms, and it can be hard to find the one you want that will fit with your room. When you go into a showroom in Virginia you can see the great blinds they offer and even talk to one of their experts about color and style. When you have decided the type of blinds you like and the color you want them in, the helpful associate will place your order and make sure that it is made custom fit to your windows. If you don’t know how large your windows are, there is no problem, they offer a service in which they will send one of their trained associates into your house to measure the windows of your choice in order to make sure they fit just right. You can also get them to come in and install the blinds for you, so that the whole experience is hassle free.

They also carry a number of warranties ranging across the board for different types of guarantee. If you just ordered blinds from them, there is a lifetime warranty on all blinds, and a Seven Year In Home Guarantee. That means that if any repairs whatsoever need to be made to your blinds, a technician is happy to come in and fix the problem for free. There are rarely issues with blinds, but Next Day Blinds understands that it can come as a relief to know that there will never be any hassle with the product you buy from them.

I arrived into Singapore and exchanged my Malaysian Ringgits into Singapore dollars. Then I found the subway and was off to my short adventure, or so I thought. I arrived at one station and noticed people getting off, and then noticed that the train started back the way we came. So, I got off at the next stop, which, fortunately wasn’t far from where I was supposed to get off in the first place. Ahhh…the trials and tribulations of being a foreign traveler.

My stop landed me at the historic district where I took a walking tour of an old firehouse and a church. There was a park next to the church, so I headed into the park, which was very beautiful and well maintained. There was a fortress wall with cannons sticking out of it and all the trees and plants were absolutely stunning with the city sticking straight up in the background. This made me hungry, so I pulled out my Blackberry to see what might be a good Singapore restaurant . I found one that seemed very interesting, called Eleven on Bussorah located in the Arab quarter. I found the Arab quarter and wandered for a bit, doing some window shopping and taking a gander inside a mosque. There were worshippers practicing inside, so I decided to head on down to the restaurant and get some lunch. The restaurant was not bad, it had an international menu, fusion is more like it. I ordered the special of the day, which was a lentil soup served with lamb chops. The meal was perfect and the price was even better, with tip $20.00.

After lunch, I wanted to head for the Raffles hotel to try one of the famous Singapore Slings . I found the bar, which was very long and ordered the drink. It was nice and tasty. I also snacked on some peanuts, which I could throw the peanut shells on the floor! Shocking for such a classy place, but that was the custom, so…toss the peanut shells I did.

Coming to Singapore is like visiting multiple worlds at once. There is a splendid sense of the past, where old temples and old traditions still survive, and co-exist with some very contemporary art forms. There is also an amazing sense of style and design, where the creative energies of the populations here contribute to make a city-state that has an enormous visual appeal, and there are also plenty of other senses that are woken up here. It’s difficult to spend any time here without realizing that the incredible smells in the streets are capable of evoking a ravenous hunger. With a generous offering of excellent places to eat, it’s quite easy to find a great vegetarian restaurant here.

There is a long tradition of vegetarianism here, because of the great mix of cultures that each have their own vegetarian customs, and their own ways of spicing and styling the cuisines. A meatless meal is a wonderful way to begin an adventure that might find a lot to admire in the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple . Visiting here can easily turn into an all-day affair, as there are so many different rooms and floors to explore, each offering a glimpse into Buddhist tradition and history.

The temple was started in 1980, when monks gathered and decided to find a way to enshrine the Buddha’s tooth that was discovered here over 200 years ago. This is the main attraction here, and it’s said that seeing this relic is the same as seeing the Buddha himself, and it’s an experience that can be enormously overwhelming for devotees. You don’t have to be a practicing Buddhist to visit however, but appropriate dress with respect is required. Common sense would dictate that shoulders should be covered, as well as a little attention to refrain from clothes that might be considered too casual. There is also a museum of Buddhist art and artifacts, a wonderful tea shop, and multiple use spaces for cultural performances and lectures. A splendid way to spend a day, and re-connect with the ethereal in an ethereal place.