Las Vegas Smart

Dresses to Wear in Vegas

2005-09-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

We went to Vegas a few months ago for our anniversary and I wore a tux to a concert and my wife wore a white formal. Everyone thought we had just gotten married and kept congratulating us. Finally we just went along with it and told everyone thanks!

I remembered this because we had to do formal shopping this week for my daughter who is going to homecoming. My friend Hal talks about his Prom experiences as the dad of a teen daughter going to prom. What torture!

We did get some good info for formal dresses here, if you are looking for a formal to take to LV.

In the Slow Lane

2005-09-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

You know, I love Vegas. I love thinking about going to Vegas, I love the drive to Vegas and I love being in Vegas. But for those of us living in Southern California, the drive home from Vegas on Sunday afternoon after a weekend of fun and frivolity is a heavy price to pay. There is a sadness and dread that overwhelms your heart as you start down I-15 passing the New York, New York, then the Mandalay Bay and finally the Luxor. Soon, it is all just a gleaming light in your rear view mirror and the blazing desert is all that is left between you and home.

It really bites. I won't say it is the over zealous Nevada Highway Patrol that stake out the 30 miles of freeway between Vegas and state line to prey on Californians need for speed that pains me so. It isn't the ridiculous gas prices at state line either. It isn't even the smell of that foul place called Baker - the doorway to Death Valley. No, it is the grim reminder of the traffic of LA (Caltrans traffic) that hits you like a brick in the face 10 minutes outside of Vegas. Now I understand that Las Vegas draws more tourists from Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties than it does from any other place but how can traffic slow to 5-10 miles per hour in the middle of the desert when no one is exiting or entering? I have never made the trip on a Sunday when the traffic didn't crawl to a near stop somewhere between Vegas and Barstow. It is such a buzzkill. But it won't stop me or the other millions of my fellow southern Californians from making the pilgrimage across the forbidden sands to Sin City like so many ants seeking a crust of bread.

Las Vegas Helicopter Tour

2005-08-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, for a wedding anniversary, I took my wife on a Helicopter Tour to the Grand Canyon and then floated down the Colorado River. The tour was on Papillon and was called the

Grand Cruise Celebration!

We were staying at the Bellagio and we were picked up in a van early one morning and taken to the executive airport at the Las Vegas airport. Once there, they weighed all of us (much to my wife's happiness, the scales were turned so only the guy behind the desk could see the weight).

They put 6 of us in the copter. My wife got to sit in the co-pilot's seat (which is the best seat in the house) where the front bubble extends down to her feet so she could see down below her. However, we all could see well. The copter was very loud, but we had earphones on and got a narrated tour as we passed over the strip, over Henderson, and over Hoover Dam. About mid-way across Lake Mead, we stopped for refueling at a small airport.

We then continued up the Colorado and went up over the plateau on the southern rim. The land was gently rolling. One of the best parts of the whole trip was going fast across the plateau, reaching the rim and suddenly having the earth drop out from underneath us. My wife, in the front, gasped and let out a slight scream. It was way cool.

We descended through the canyon and landed on a small hill overlooking the Colorado Airport. They had some food for us to munch on and we had a chance to walk around and look at the river and the walls of the canyon.

A while later we took off again and flew back to Lake Mead and landed at the Lake Mead airport. From there, we were shuttled to the base of Hoover Dam. We then got on huge pontoon rubber rafts. There must have been 30 or 40 of us on the raft. There were several rafts that left with us.

The rafts were very tame. Having done white water rafting before, I had hoped for a little more, but this was something that the old and young alike could handle. The canyon was beautiful and we saw some wildlife along the shore. We stopped once and we were able to get off and wander around a little. I found the trip a little monotonous and with the sun beating down on us, it got quite hot in the raft. We finally made it to the end where we loaded on buses, drove back up to Hoover Dam, crossed the dam and then made our way by bus back to Hoover Dam.

I would rate the helicopter tour as excellent. The rafting portion was fun, and if you had never been rafting before, this would be a good easy introduction. I would probably not do this part of the tour again, since I was wanting a little more of a thrill, and not something so tame.

Overall, you should see the Grand Canyon by air at least once in your life. A
helicopter tour is a great way to see it.

Here is a great offer I was able to find from Papillon for up 50% off:

Vegas Shows

2005-06-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

I saw the "O" show recently at the Bellaggio, and I was right impressed. It involves a lot of water--everything takes place on, in, or above a huge pool of water--and spectacular effects and acrobatics. There were moments when the combination of music, lighting, and action on stage was quite powerful. The ticket price is worth it just for those moments (it's like $90+). As for story-line... you know, these types of spectacle shows always attempt to have one, but it's random and not compelling. I wish they wouldn't waste time or resources on a story-line.

I'll tell you what my favorite show is: the Amazing Johnathan. He has a magic/comedy show that is absolutely hilarious and entertaining. He performs at the Sahara. He's quirky, witty, and very original--an awesome combination of magic and comedy. I recommend his show above any others.

Mamma Mia Caught Me Off Guard

2005-06-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Mamma Mia really is a fun night out, however it is not your traditional Las Vegas show. Several times during the performance I found myself thinking " remember you are in Vegas not New York City". I really would put this show in a different category than most of the Las Vegas shows. When going to Las Vegas I typically expect to see shows such as Cirque du Soleil (mind bending),
Lance Burton (causing cars to disappear on stage), or some type of comedy performance. Mamma Mia truly was more like a typical Broadway performance.

Mamma Mia was a light hearted musical that kept you fully engaged from beginning to end. What amazed me was how someone actually managed to pull of the disjointed ABBA songs and actually put them into something that actually made sense. No small feat. Multiple times you would find the scene in a serious moment and completely unexpected the actors would burst into song.

The only part that did bother me a little was the slight glorification of poor decisions (drug use and immorality) of a young girl. That being said, it was still all in all a show that was family friendly.

If you like Broadway, you can’t go wrong with this show.

Mamma Mia at Mandalay Bay

2005-06-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a convention in Vegas and while we were there, we went to "Mamma Mia". For those who aren't familiar, Mamma Mia is a musical based upon the music of ABBA.

The Las Vegas Mamma Mia Show is at Mandalay Bay and the story goes like this:

Donna Sheridan was the lead singer in all women's band during the height of the disco era. Over a space of several weeks, she had intimate relationships with 3 different men on a small island in the Greek Isles. She wound up getting pregnant and was not sure which man was the daughters father. The men left and never knew that she had a daughter.

Fast forward 20 years. Donna's daughter, Sophie is getting married. She found her mom's diary talking about her three possible dads and decides to invite all three to give her away.

As the three dads show up the day before the wedding as well as Donna's backup singers also show up for the wedding.

Somehow the show's producers entertwined this comedy into the popular songs of ABBA.
The show features many of ABBA's best-loved songs including:

Dancing Queen
The Winner Takes It All
SOS
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Take a Chance on Me
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
The Name of the Game
Money, Money, Money
Super Trouper
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
and
Mamma Mia

The show is great fun and very campy. When we went, most of the audience where on their feet dancing along to the extra songs sung during the ovation. Having grown up listening to Abba in high school, this was more fun that any of us expected. I liked that they didn't take themselves too seriously. Even one guy in our group, who missed the Abba era, was familiar with most of the songs and really enjoyed the show.

It is a feel good, fun show. Compared to other Vegas shows, the show was good clean fun. You do have the issue of Donna having 3 lovers, one scene about re-living the good old days where they pretend to smoke a joint, and one scene where one of the hired help hits on one of the older backup singers. But all of these are very tame and generally not offensive.

I would definately recommend this show. The tap number with the guys in snorkle gear complete with fins and mask was hilarious. The song "Take a Chance on Me" had me laughing hard. It would be one where I would have no hesitation to bring my teenagers, unlike some of the other Vegas shows.

Other Vegas shows that I have liked include:

Blue Man Group at the Luxor
Cirque de Soleil - I have only seen O, which was amazing (and odd). I won't be seeing Zumanity as it is too adult-oriented.

What is your favorite Vegas show? I would love to hear about it.

Click here for more info on Vegas Shows.

The Beginning

2005-06-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

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