Jon at The DC Traveler challenged the Travel Channel to come up with cocktails pertaining to our cities in honor for World Cocktail Week, which runs from May 8-13.
I found The Las Vegas Cocktail and might actually give it a try this weekend, and came up with a few of my own as well:
Las Vegas Cocktail
- 1 1/2 oz tequila
- 2 oz coconut cream
- 2 oz orange juice
- 2 oz apple juice
- 1 oz whipping cream
Blend briefly with half a glassful of crushed ice in a pina colada glass. Garnish with a slice of pineapple, and serve, with straws.
[If you’re outside enjoying the beautiful weather we’ve been having lately, make sure you check out the hand-cranked blender that needs no electricity!]
…..
The Traffic Tangle
- 1 Strip
- 49 parts easily impressed, out-of-state drivers
- Taxi drivers that just don’t give a crap [amount varies]
Combine and shake vigorously; add heat for a more intense flavor.
…..
The Bored Weatherman
1 local weatherman
1-2 low-lying clouds
1 or more gusts of wind
Stir carefully so you can watch the weatherman change from bored and disinterested to hopping around with something to talk about. For an added dash of excitement garnish with 5% or more chance of precipitation.
…..
The Mayor
1 part Beefeater gin
1 part Las Vegas mayor
1 part annoying news reporter
My husband was treated to dinner at Lucille’s Smokehouse a few months ago after finishing up a late night at work. He brought home a few ribs for me to try and I’ve been impatiently waiting until we could all go together!
We finally made it out to Green Valley Ranch in Henderson to try it out and I think it’s safe to say the entire family is hooked - it’s definitely one of our new favorite restaurants!
We were promptly seated outside (we were given the choice to sit inside or out) and the kids were given crayons and menus that they could color on (always a hit).
Our drinks were delivery promptly - the kids’ in plastic lidded cups and ours in mason jars - by our very friendly waitress. The kids ordered ribs, a hamburger and the bbq chicken and ate every bite, which is saying something for one of them (she gets full just looking at food!).
My husband ordered a half rack of ribs (and ended up taking a few home anyway!) and I ordered the tri tip salad, which I sadly didn’t care much for - the dressing was too sweet and didn’t seem to go well with the beef. The beef itself was tender and perfectly cooked, the greens were fresh, but the dressing really threw the whole thing off. That hasn’t discouraged me, though - I’m looking forward to going back and trying something new.
The menu runs the gamut of what you’d expect from a barbecue restaurant: various salads with grilled meat, full racks and half racks of baby back ribs, spare ribs, combo platters, steaks, sandwiches and burgers, soups, and seafood.
Our meal came with a plate of corn muffins and apple butter (another hit) and our waitress kept on top of refills and napkin requests which was impressive because it was lunchtime on a Saturday and while the restaurant wasn’t full it definitely wasn’t empty!
When I think of a spa I imagine a tranquil, relaxing environment that manages to wash away stress, fatigue and maybe some rough spots on the bottoms of my feet.
The Spa at Red Rock promises to do all that (and much more!) in their state-of-the-art salon. They offer private treatment suites for massage, reiki, stone therapy, facials, aromatherapy, reflexology and wraps. Their most popular treatment is the Tropical Body Glow, a 50 minute pure cane sugar exfoliation followed by a gentle warm oil massage. They also provide you with mineral water, fruit juices, fresh fruit, tea, towels, lockers, robes, sandals and vanity amenities.
And don’t forget the basic salon services of pedicures (traditional, spa essentials, and gentlemen’s) and manicures (also traditional, spa essentials, and gentlemen’s), which last from 50 to 80 minutes.
Expect to pay for it though as pricing [pdf] is considerably more than what you’d pay for some of the services elsewhere (a pedicure, for example, will run you $75 at Red Rock as opposed to about $20 at a stand-alone nail salon around the valley, though I guarantee they don’t last half as long!).
The spa is open daily from 6am to 8 pm, and the salon is open daily from 9am - 8pm. There is a $50 facility fee for non-hotel guests (hotel guests don’t pay a fee), and locals get 20% off Monday through Thursday. They also offer gift certificates and advanced booking, which makes a day at the spa a great gift idea!
Guests are asked to arrive at least 30 minutes before their appointment and if you need to cancel you must do so at least four hours prior. They also add a 20% gratuity to your bill automatically so you don’t have to worry about carrying extra money with you.
The Spa at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa
11011 W. Charleston Blvd.
Tonight’s the night! Cher will debut her new Las Vegas show, “Cher at the Colosseum,” at Caesars Palace at 7:30 tonight. She snagged herself a three-year, 200 show run that will alternate with Bette Midler’s own 2-year, 200 show engagement, and Elton John whose show is up for renewal this year.
Cher, who will be using the same 4,300-seat theater that Celine Dion vacated in December, says she feels that she’s come “full circle” since her first time at Caesars. I have a feeling this is going to be a very successful venture for both Cher and Caesars! She will perform four 90-minute shows per week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
The show has a start time of 7:30pm and tickets will run you $95, $140, $175 or $250 (plus tax and fees of course) and can be purchased online through Caesars, by calling 1-866-510-CHER (2437), or in person at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Box Office which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace
3570 Las Vegas Blvd South
1-866-510-2437
Mother’s Day is only five days away and while family and mom may not be the first things you think of when Vegas crosses your mind, those of us who live here have an opportunity to experience it in a uniquely Vegas way!
Now, it’s well-known that Liberace loved his own mom, and as he would have been 89 years old just a few days after Mother’s Day on the 16th, the Liberace Museum is hosting the 2nd Sunday Mother’s Day and Birthday Event by offering free admission starting from noon until 4pm for residents and their guests. Birthday cake will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis!
The Liberace Scholars Quartet will perform Mozart’s String Quartet in D Major, K. 575, for The 2008 Music In The Museum Series at 1:30 and 3pm. Though the performances are free donations are always appreciated and benefit the Liberace Scholarship Fund to “help talented students pursue careers in the performing and creative arts.”
The Liberace Museum
Liberace Plaza
1775 E. Tropicana Avenue
798-5595, ext. 16.
Cinco de Mayo, a celebration of pride and a joyous holiday throughout Mexico and the US, marks a battle that took place in Puebla, Mexico (appropriately called the Battle of Puebla) that ended in victory when 4,000 Mexican soldiers defeated over 8,000 French fighters on May 5, 1862. But don’t mistake Cinco de Mayo as Mexico’s Independence Day, which is actually September 16th!
Though it’s not a holiday we get out of work for (it’s actually an “optional” holiday in Mexico too) there’s no reason we can’t celebrate when the day is done. Below is a listing of great restaurants around Las Vegas that would be more than happy to hook you up with an authentic meal and a shot of tequila or a cold margarita!
Viva Mercado’s, which I’ve written about before, has great food, a nice atmosphere, and excellent service.
~ 3553 S. Rainbow Blvd; 871-8826
El Jefe’s offers fresh, made-from-scratch Mexican cuisine.
~ 9925 S. Eastern Ave; 453-5333
Pink Taco: Arguably one of the most popular Mexican restaurants in town.
~ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 4455 Paradise Road; 693-5525
Garduno’s is a casual restaurant with patio dining located in the Palms.
~ Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road; 942-7777
Isla Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar is located inside Treasure Island and will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo party with a live mariachi band beginning at 4pm.
~ Treasure Island, 3300 S. Las Vegas Blvd; (866) 286-6809
Diablo’s Cantino will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo by giving away three-day cruises to Mexico and Cabo San Lucas!
~ Monte Carlo, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd. S; 693-8300
Very sadly, the Pass It On Las Vegas website I wrote about a while ago has closed its doors. No real explanation was given though it was hinted that bandwidth was an issue. Several other members stepped in when the problem first came to light and started up off-shoot groups though many of them seem to be struggling as well, since most members of the original PIOLV weren’t able to hear about them before the site shut down.
Anyway, I’ve compiled a small list of other freebie/freecycle/pass-it-on groups for Las Vegas. If you have one you’d like added to the list please comment with more info!
FreeCycleLasVegas seems to be the first place to go to find freebies and deals, but the list receives so much traffic that it can be overwhelming to wade through the individual emails and even the daily digests.
Keep Passing It On LV was the first group to contact me about picking up where PIO left off. The email group is also located on Yahoo! and currently has only 30 members (PIOLV had several hundred), and traffic is really pretty light. It doesn’t have the message board categorization that PIOLV had, which makes it a pain to sort through several days or weeks worth of email to see what’s been posted.
I don’t have any experience with Free XS Vegas yet, but their main trading page is a message board which I find more user-friendly than an email list. The actual trading and give-away areas of the site are completely bare, though.
And there’s always Craigs List Las Vegas. We’ve actually had good experiences the few times we’ve used it and will continue using it as we need to. I would usually post simultaneously between PIOLV and CL, and CL was usually the one that had less, well, flake-outs! The site moves quickly though so you have to keep on top of it if you have something specific you’re looking for. I did have someone attempt to scam me once (the now-classic “I’ll pay you several hundred extra for this item if you’ll accept a cashiers check and I can pick up the item immediately” thing). I’ve found it’s best to go into every prospective transaction with a critical eye - question as much as you need to until you feel comfortable, and listen to your intuition.
Again, if you have any more freecycle or pass-it-on links, please comment and I’ll get them added!
I wrote about the fountains at the Bellagio several weeks ago, and today came across a video of them synced to Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas.” The fountain show takes place every 30 minutes in the afternoons and early evenings, and every 15 minutes from 8 PM to midnight, every day.
Have you seen the fountains? What’s your favorite performance?
My twins turn eight years old today and while we’re not doing a party this year (mom needs a break sometimes!) we have in the past and definitely could have used a party service!
Most places are full service, meaning you take care of pretty much nothing but inviting the kids, and some even offer rental services so you can pick and choose what you want:
Fabulous dress up tea parties, fully catered, in an atmosphere so full of splendor and creativity that we have been called “A Little Girl’s Heaven” and the best bargain in town.
B-Rad The Kid’s Magician – 431-7059
B-Rad has designed his magic shows to be a unique “kid-friendly” blend of amazing magic and sidesplitting comedy. The goal of each show is to make the kids laugh, enjoy themselves and have a great and memorable time. Family oriented fun for kids of all ages.
Pump It Up is a private, indoor children’s party featuring huge, fun inflatables used for birthday parties, team parties, youth group gatherings, Mom’s Clubs, and play groups. Kids love to jump in our bounce houses, sail down our slides, and climb through our obstacle courses. With a warm and friendly staff, we take all the headaches and hassle out of throwing birthday parties and other special events. We supervise the parties and make sure all the work is taken out of your hands. In addition, pizza, balloons and goodie bags are also offered.
Oogles n Googles - Las Vegas, NV
All inclusive themed birthday parties for kids. Fifteen themes including Princess, detective, Superhero, dinosaur, and many more. We do the work so you don’t have to. Everything is included.
Rental-only shops are a great alternative as well. We’ve used Party City several times for tables and chairs (not to mention decorations), as well as Hoppy Bouncy to You for bounce houses (though beware, they’ve been flakey a few times when we’ve needed them to get back to us, and the last time we used them we ended up having to cancel and go with Party City).
Free Comic Book Day is an event held on the first Saturday of May and all 13 Las Vegas comic book shops will be participating!
40 comic books have been created specifically for the event, though keep in mind that not all locations will have all the books available. The giveaway usually coincides with the release of a comic book-related movie and this year’s event compliments the release of Iron Man, which opened today.
Comic Oasis
3121 N. Rainbow Blvd.
Ph: 212-8885
Maximum Comics
5130 S. Fort Apache Rd. #285
Ph: 367-0755
Alternate Reality Comics
4800 S. Maryland Pkwy. #D
Ph: 736-3673
Cosmic Comics
3330 E. Tropicana Ave. #G
Ph: 451-6611
Dark Tower Comics
4750 W. Sahara #32
Ph: 795-2664
Dreamwell Comics
5706 W. Charleston Blvd.
Ph: 870-1268
Hobbytown USA
5085 W. Sahara Ave. #134
Ph: 889-9554
Kool Kollectibles
953 E. Sahara Ave. #9B
Ph: 733-7533
Silver Cactus Comics
480 N. Nellis Blvd. #C1A
Ph: 438-4408
Silver Cactus Comics
4410 N. Rancho Dr.
Ph: 396-8840
Silver Cactus Comics
1725 E. Warm Springs Rd.
Ph: 260-0650
Whether you are a veteran traveler looking for tips to make your life on the road easier, are dreaming of a far away vacation to get away from it all, or somewhere in between, the writers in the Travel & Culture Channel have information and ideas that will capture your heart, mind, and soul
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