Before you go: New York – Part 1

I Want to Be a Part of It

New York! New York! The lights of the city that never sleeps keeps on calling you and you have to follow. But before you skedaddle there might be one or two things you might want to do.

First, always make sure you have your budget completely planned out. Do as much research as you can of hotel rates, taxi rates, gas rates, and how much food will cost you. Always leave yourself a little extra spending money just in case you stumble upon that little doohicky you just can’t live without. If you’re staying for a while in New York, even if it’s just vacation, you might want to check out surrounding suburbs for slightly lower hotel rates. Of course one thing that is fantastic about New York is its transportation system. Make sure to make full use of the subway, ferries, and the elevated train as all might be cheaper than a taxi.

However, another important part of coming to New York is what to expect. New York has a unique kind of independence about it. Its honking and bustling just shouts absolute freedom and exhibits American liberty like no other city in America. You must try to visit all of the highlights during your stay. But remember not to wear yourself out. Savor every part that you visit. Relax and take your time. Remember to observe as you travel from place to place. Walk as often as you can and take in the full meaning of the city.

The Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Madison Square Garden, The Plaza, Fifth Avenue, Broadway. All of these are just a small percent of all of the fabulous locations for sightseeing in New York City. You will want to get full maps and brochures as soon as you get to the city.

However, in all this planning you must not forget to research where you should not visit. There are certain places in New York that might want to be avoided. This is nothing to be overly concerned with. There is danger in every place in the world, but it happens to abound in New York. Just use common sense. Do not do a lot of walking at night. Stay away from alleys at all cost. Don’t display your money at any time, and it might be wise to carry just a credit card. (You might still get beat up, but you’ll still have your money.)

Take plenty of pictures and make sure to see a Broadway show. Just remember to take it slow and really enjoy your stay. This city is the pinnacle of America’s success and it should be treasured and respected. So do everything beforehand that is possible to make your stay to New York the most intriguing and rewarding experience.

Hoover Dam helicopter tours run out of Las Vegas, NV

There are dozens of tourist helicopter flights out of Las Vegas every day and night. Several flight services cover only the Hoover Dam area, a short 20-minute hop from the famed Strip to the dam site in Boulder City, Nevada. Many other Vegas-based helicopter schedules include excursions flying several hundred miles from their Las Vegas airport bases to as far away as Arizona’s Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and Petrified Forest and to Utah’s Bryce Canyon.

Additionally, the more extensive helicopter flights offer varied combinations of interesting attractions, lasting anywhere from a few hours to several days. Some include such special services as intimate formal dinners for lovers on a flat rock overlooking the Canyon rim, champagne weddings in the air and overnight camping on the Colorado River bank a mile below on the Canyon floor. There are also helicopter excursions featuring Western ranch horseback riding experiences, exploring ancient Native American ruins and dozens of other exciting activities.

To narrow the selection down to Hoover Dam only flights, I’ve selected one that features mostly an eagle eye’s visit to one of the world’s most massive man-made structures. In-flight narrations will reveal to passengers that the dam is not only famous for its huge size and enormous hydroelectric power that serves hundreds of cities and farms throughout the West. Additionally, when it was built in the 1930s, at a cost of more than 100 workers lives, during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, Hoover Dam created an unexpected bonanza. The government funds and salaries of the dam’s thousands of fun-seeking construction workers also were essential in creating the glittering city of Las Vegas of today.

A typical tourist excursion example is the Las Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam Twilight Helicopter Tour. This trip includes, as most of the others do, limousine service from passengers’ hotels to McCarran Airport, where they board the helicopter for the two-hour flight. The trip takes in aerial views of the Dam and its Lake Mead surroundings. On the return flight, usually at dusk, the chopper lingers lovingly over the famed Strip and downtown Vegas as nightfall brings on the millions of brilliant lights and other Vegas nighttime attractions. The list price is $219.99. Code: 2280TWILIGHT.

As with everything else in Las Vegas, if you take the time to do some homework after you arrive, you rarely need to pay list price for the tourist helicopter flights to Hoover Dam or everywhere else. Before you book any Vegas attraction, always check with your hotel desk for discounts, as well as look for dollars-off coupons in hotel room magazines.

Hotel reviews: Tradewinds Inn, Carmel, California

Travelers to Carmel-by-the-Sea, the ocean-landscaped retreat on the Monterey Peninsula in central California, have vast and varied accommodation choices.

Quaint bed & breakfast inns to refurbished historic motels, more than 60 options are available in the one-square-mile hamlet.

Ocean Ave. is the city’s main artery, and many of the accommodations are located among or within a few blocks of the epicenter’s diverse collection of shops and restaurants.

This convenience can both add to the enjoyment of visiting Carmel and it can present issues.

Walking is a favorite pastime among locals and tourists. But it’s those same visitors and a steady flow of two-way vehicular traffic that can prove bothersome for guests at the most centrally located accommodations during popular seasons. As such, even in the paradise that is Carmel, convenient hotel parking and quiet rooms are not commonplace.

Through the years, however, Carmel establishments located off-the-beaten path, like Tradewinds Inn, have enticed a loyal following by offering a simple but important formula: quality rooms and service, plentiful parking and serenity.

Nonetheless, after reaching middle age, the Tradewinds Inn needed a makeover. The result is a $4 million renovation (completed in 2004) that transformed the facility into a Asian-influenced inn and place of peace. Susan Stilwell, the daughter of original 1959 owners, Richard and Patricia Catlin, collaborated on the recently completed one-year project with interior designer Charles Gruwell.

Flowing fountains, bamboo screens and tropical plants dominate the centerpiece meditation garden. Custom-designed furniture, multicolored slate floors and accents from Bali and China are prevalent in each of the 28 rooms. The Asian-dominated interior and exterior motif is a family preference. Stilwell’s father collected antiques on his trips to Japan, and some of his collection also decorates the lobby.

The lobby also more resembles the entry way of a spa rather than a hotel reception. Two sentinel-like statues rest on each side of the entry, and the guest check-in area features furnishings and an ambiance similar to room offerings.

While parking is limited or offered for a daily fee in some Carmel accommodation locations, covered and on-street parking in plentiful and free at the Tradewinds Inn.

I stayed in a second-floor deluxe king room with an ocean view during my visit. While not extraordinarily large, the arrangement of the furniture,

How to Find Discount Las Vegas Hotels and Casinos Resorts

Las Vegas of the United States is a beautiful place of nightclubs, disco clubs and other social establishments. This city can be a real abode for wealthy people for there are endless ways to spend your money. That is why, Las Vegas is also known as one of the most expensive cities in the US.

Apart from its world class expensive accommodations, the city also has various inexpensive and discount Las Vegas hotels which are available in an affordable rate and without compromising to its quality services and comfortable hotel accommodations.

Hundreds of reasons are there why Las Vegas is called as The Entertainment Capital of the World. Casino resorts, entertainment, and many more interesting things will never let you bore and you will definitely learn new things.

The cheap Las Vegas hotels provide the facilities like the bed rooms which are well equipped with modern amenities and beautifully decorated as well. Above all the facilities like fitness equipment, safe deposit, Business center and conference rooms, Direct Telephone Dialing, T.V. and free Internet access, Bar, Lounge, 24 Hour Security, Room service for limited hours, Currency Exchange, Laundry facilities, Fitness Center, Picnic area etc. are available in the hotels of Las Vegas.

Excellent dining, gaming, entertainment, and shopping are the main theme of Las Vegas Leisure travelers. Encompassing Fremont Street in the center of downtown Las Vegas is a unique light and musical show like none other in the world. Millions of lights cover the place with a state-of-the-art sound system.

The tours of Las Vegas include the city lights and spectacular water fountains of the Bellagio, the Gamblers Museum, Downtown’s famous “Glitter Gulch”, the famous Fremont Street Experience city light show, colorful Red Rock Canyon, Mather Point, Yavapai and Bright Angel lodge, a slow float down the Colorado River, Hoover Dam, etc.

 

Discount hotels will definitely curtail your expenditure and save money for making the various trips to Las Vegas. Whether you are a business traveler or leisure traveler, it is sure that Las Vegas will give you a warm welcome. And the memories will never fade even after the years and decades. The moments you spend in Las Vegas are going to be a precious asset for your whole life.

 

Discount Hotels in New York & Las Vegas

United State of America is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. The world’s third largest country (In terms of area) has many tourist locations to visit. Some very famous cities of the world are situated in USA like New York, Las Vegas, Las Angeles, Florida and Orlando (Disneyland) etc. New York and Las Vegas are two most famous cities of USA and are also very famous among the tourists.

New York City, one of the biggest cities of USA has lots of tourist attractions. Some important tourist sites of New York are Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center, Staten Island Ferry and Central Park. Due to the famous tourist destination, New York City has a numerous hotels for stay. Tourist can find out variety of hotels in the city from Luxury hotels (Five and Seven star hotels) to discount hotels (two and three star hotels).

The New York hotels can be categories as Luxurious New York hotels and discount New York hotels. There discount hotels mean such hotels which provides best services in discount rates (Especially during festival season). Some discount New York hotels are Sohotel, Hotel Newton, Excelsior Hotels, Americana Inn, and Clarion hotel at LaGuardia Airport.

Las Vegas is another famous tourist destination of USA which is famous among the visitors and tourists for its nightlife. Bellagio Fountain, Red Rock Canyon, Shark Reef, Madame Tussaud’s Celebrity Encounter and Secret Garden are some very famous tourist sights of Las Vegas City. City has a ton of hotels in various categories from Luxury hotels to discount hotels. Riviera hotel and Casino, Tuscany Suites hotel and casino, Best Western Mardi Gras Suites and Casino and Best Western Nellis Motor Inn are some discount Las Vegas hotels. The city is also famous for its Casinos and therefore famous as City of Gambling.

These two popular cities give the promise of fantastic holiday or vacation to their respected visitors or tourists.

Hotel tips: New York City, NY

Remember that when you’re going to New York City, you’re probably not going for the room service. The city is your room service. Unless you’re planning on living in this hotel room; sleep, get up and dressed and then get out and see that city!

With this idea in mind, settling for a cheaper fare in a slightly less than ritzy hotel may not seem so much like settling when the location of the hotel, its proximity to a subway station, or a highly recommended night spot, landmark, park or restaurant is considered.

Booking a room with a shared bath is not an automatic invitation to throw your well-groomed habits out the window. Many hotels actually end up cleaning the shared baths more frequently, and usually you’re only sharing with a few rooms, if ever more than one other – and with so much to do in NYC, and so many times of the day and night to be out there doing them, it will probably be a rare act to actually bump into any of your bathroom-buddies.

Take advantage of continental breakfasts. Even if this just means grabbing a bagel to wrap up and keep with you in your book-bag. Though there is food an average of every 4 1/2 feet in Manhattan, if your hotel offers this complimentary service, in essence, you’ve already paid for it, and with all the walking around you’ll do in this pedestrian friendly city – you’ll need the extra calories to burn.

Don’t be afraid to ask the check-in clerk to name some hot spots for you. Yes they themselves may have just moved to New York from their homeland on Tuesday, but most hotels have a bevy of information at their fingertips and possibly even discounts on tours or attractions, if you only ask.

If you haven’t bought a map before you arrive in the city, don’t be too panicked, they are everywhere, but remember, in such a public transportation filled city as New York, make sure that any map you purchase also has the subway stops clearly marked. Amd before you buy those subway tickets, check and see if there is a three day pass you can get, instead of having to buy a ticket each day, or every couple of hours.

Above all else. Remember, if you’re here to explore and have an adventure, keep an open mind and do just that! Enjoy yourself and you’ll be amazed at what opportunities crop up.

Hotel reviews: Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach, California – Part 3

“This is W6RO on the Queen Mary calling CQ, CQ, CQ.” For 15 years, every Thursday morning, I would adjust my ham radio frequency, rotate the antenna south, and listen for that call. That was the day that my parents took turns being guest operators in the radio room on the Queen Mary. Sadly, they’re both deceased now, but I still admire my QSL (postcard) from the Queen Mary verifying our contacts. The radio room was recently re-named The Nate Brightman Room for the ham radio operator who thought up the idea of having a permanent radio room aboard the QM during its final voyage from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:off ice:smarttags” />Southampton, England to Long Beach in 1967. During the six week trip which went around Cape Horn, the volunteer ham radio operators took over 3000 messages by wireless radio.

Visiting the radio room is just one of the many fascinating places on this floating museum. The Queen Mary is an elegant hotel in the Long Beach harbor. Convenient free shuttles take visitors back and forth to the center of Long Beach. Guests should remember that the elegance of the Queen Mary is that of an earlier age not the uniform faux-riche of hotel chains today. Each cabin is unique and while the carved wood banisters and room appointments may have a few scars, you need only close your eyes to imagine ladies in rustling taffeta putting away their dresses for the long ocean journey.

Construction on the Queen Mary, originally known only as “Yard Number 534″ was begun in December of 1930 by John Brown & Company Shipbuilding and Engineering Shipyard in Clydeback, Scotland. The ship was to be one of Cunard’s two-ship weekly express service from Southampton to Cherbourg to New York. Construction was halted during The Great Depression but Cunard applied to the British Government for a loan to complete “534.” The loan was given on the condition that Cunard merge with their rival, White Star Line. Both agreed and the Queen Mary was finished and launched in 1934. Completion took over 3 years and cost 3 and million pounds sterling. During World War II, the QM was used for troop transport but after the war she and her running mate, RMS Queen Elizabeth resumed their Atlantic passenger voyages and continued them for two decades.

Originally Cunard had planned on naming the ship “Victoria,” but when company representatives asked and received permission from King George V to name the ship after “Britain’s greatest queen,”

Why Las Vegas Hotel Rooms for You?

Las Vegas has more than 100,000 hotel rooms to choose from. There is something for every budget, and enough entertainment within walking distance to keep anyone occupied for months, never mind the usual weekend stay or honeymoon. There are few cities which have as many luxury hotels as Las Vegas.

For travellers searching for top of the line accommodation, try the Four Seasons Las Vegas. It offers an oasis of tranquil elegance, comfort, luxury, and seclusion. Though it has no in-house casino, it is adjacent to Mandalay Bay Casino. Four Seasons Las Vegas is a tranquil retreat from the bustling city. This hotel offers 424 rooms are located on floors 35-39, and the views from the floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the famous Las Vegas Strip. The Business Center and Concierge service at this hotel have an extremely good reputation for meeting special needs of guests, such as arranging limousine on a moment’s notice.

The Bellagio, a Las Vegas landmark, is a five-star hotel located on the 122-acre site of the legendary Dunes Hotel and Golf Course at the corner of Flamingo and Las Vegas Blvds. It contains one of the most attractive casinos in Las Vegas as well as numerous shops and restaurants. Bellagio’s world-famous fountains combine opera, classical and whimsical music with a breathtaking water and light show. The Conservatory & Botanical Gardens holds rows of exotic plants and flowers with unique displays for every season and holiday. It’s an inviting location for a honeymoon photo opportunity.

Caesars Palace is the long-standing epitome of Las Vegas luxury hotels. It holds the famous Forum Shops, Spago, an Imax theater, and a new shopping wing and tower. For those guests who want to relax and be pampered, this hotel offers the Spa at Caesars, Venus the Salon, and the Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis.

Caesars also offers guests access to the exclusive Cascata Golf Club. It features mountain scenery, beautiful waterfalls and rivers, and panoramic views combined with challenging holes and velvety greens to produce a golfing experience unparalleled anywhere else in the world. No expense has been spared, from the opulent clubhouse and pro shop to the personal and attentive service personel. Cascata was named listed as #56 by Golfweek Magazine in its article “2004 America’s Best Top 100 Modern Courses”. Golfweek also listed Cascata as #2 in Nevada in their list of “America’s Best State-by-State Public Access Courses”. In addition to be being named in Golfweeks America’s Best Modern Courses, Gary Galyean at Golf Magazine named Cascata #19 in the “Top 45 Courses Since 1959″.

Luxor is a Nile-theme hotel which features a sphinx and a large pyramid which has become a Las Vegas landmark. The Pyramid has 2,256 rooms with 236 Spa suites, two in each corner of every floor. The rooms are reached by inclinating elevators which travel sideways at a 39-degree angle up 30 stories. The Luxor features a wide variety of restaurants and entertainment.

Mandalay Bay is a tropical-theme new resort offering visitors the chance to walk inside a plexiglass tunnel through the Shark Reef Aquarium, which holds sharks and rays. The hotel has a 30,000 square foot world-class Spa Mandalay and the 11 acre Mandalay Beach pool complex. The House of Blues music theatre has a seating capacity of approximately 1,800, and plays host to an eclectic mix of live music.

The Mirage Hotel is has an exploding volcano and a 20,000 gallon aquarium the greet guests as they enter this luxury hotel. The large pool complex has a quarter mile of shoreline along two large pools and smaller lagoons, and features a grotto and waterslides. The 2.5-million-gallon Dolphin Habitat is home to a family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.

The Mirage Hotel Tiger Habitat is the open-air home of Siegfried & Roy’s Royal White Tigers, available for viewing by the public during the day and evening. The tigers’ environment features a swimming pool with fountains and simulated mountain terrain. Unlike conventional tigers, which have black and gold markings, white tigers are white with black stripes, pink paws and ice-blue eyes.

Visitors can find French-themed shopping and dining at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. It has a replica of the Arc De Triomphe and a half-scale Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower Experience allows guests to ride 460 feet to the top to see a stunning, panoramic view of the valley.

Paris is not the only European city recreated in miniature. The Venetian, renowned for its spacious and luxurious rooms, has gondolas in the midst of Las Vegas, as well as the Grand Canal Shoppes, a 500,000 square foot shopping plaza complete with cobblestone streets and beautiful traditional venetian style storefronts. The Grand Canal Shoppes host Streetmosphere, a cast of Carnivale street performers and opera singers.

For bargain hunters, the Rio hotel is not the newest or most elaborate building in town, but this all-suite Las Vegas hotel just off the Strip was rated No. 1 in value by CondГ© Nast Traveler.

The Rio was voted to have the best slot club according to Casino Player 2004. The Rio has more than 100,000 square feet of casino floor, hosting around 1,200 state-of-the-art slot and video poker machines, more than 80 table games including blackjack, craps, baccarat, roulette, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud Poker and Mini-Baccarat as well as a Keno Lounge and full-service Race and Sports Book.

The Rio offers a great variety of entertainment all under one roof, from afternoon programs to risque late-night adult revues and interactive theater such as Tina and Tony’s Wedding.

The Rio has opened a new restaurant, the Mah Jong Chinese Noodle Bar, which offers authentic Cantonese and Chinese dishes such as Beef Brisket Noodle Soup, Preserved Egg and Pork Congee as well as seafood entrees like Salt & Pepper Seabass and Scallops with Asparagus. Asian inspired decor and a fluent Chinese staff make this restaurant a memorable place to dine.

This list is just a small sample of the luxurious theme available in Las Vegas. This city has something unique for every taste and budget.

How to make the most of a weekend in Las Vegas

Emerging from the Desert 100yesrs ago, Las Vegas really is the city that never sleeps!

Vegas may not seem like the ideal place for your holiday property rental, attracting visitors all year round, the city offers lots of visitors all year round, with 320 days of sunshine! With late October through to mid April being the chillier months, with temps still known to be in the 30’s.

The city offers lots of real estate opportunities to suit everybody whether you want to purchase a fabulous desert villa or a strip side apartment!

With sunshine all year round this is an ideal please to have your Las Vegas Holiday Property Rental, and not only is this home for hardnosed gamblers but also a great family holiday with lots of great shows, events, arcades, theme rides suitable for all ages!

You can fly into Las Vegas McCarren International Airport from all major European airports and internal flights from the US.

There are shuttle buses that operate regularly from the airport to the casinos and resorts along with a great city bus service and lots of taxis!

Las Vegas is not accessible by train but you can get there other than flying with the famous Grey Hound Bus.

Exploring the city of Las Vegas and everything that the Strip has to offer has been made so much easier with the introduction of one of the world’s most modern transportation systems, the Monorail, the monorail travels behind the resorts along the east side of the strip, operating daily from 7am through to 2am! Check out this amazing transportation here www.lvmonorail.com

To discover the surrounding Dessert and the attractions that surround Las Vegas it is best to hire a car, visit the Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon Skywalk, and much more. Remember to take extra drinking water with you in your car for trips across the desert as there are times when a gas station won’t be seen for miles and miles!

When in Vegas make sure that you plan your trip before arriving at your Las Vegas Rental Holiday as this will make sure that your maximise your time in this fantastic resort!

Whether you are a high roller or travelling on a budget, Las Vegas had plenty to offer the young and old alike!

Las Vegas is one of the safest states in the US, with Police and Security Personnel Highly visible the majority of the time. There is a curfew for children under the age of 18 in Las Vegas, in particular on the strip no child under the age of 18 is allowed out after 9pm without being accompanied by an adult.

There are some massive and lavish Casinos and Hotels to visit in Las Vegas, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Hard rock Hotel, Ceasers Palace, Las Vegas Hilton and many many more with world renowned casinos such as the Golden Nugget, Four Queens, Birion’s Gambling Hall and the Fremont Casino, and don’t forget your gaming etiquette while in these wonderful casinos, majority of them do not appreciate mobile telephones and they are defiantly not allowed in the Sports Book section of any casino.

Apart from the casinos and out of this world hotels, Las Vegas is also the home to many out of the ordinary Weddings! Each chapel charges according to what type of ceremony that you wasn’t ranging from the traditional to a diamond encrusted Elvis impersonator!

SO while unpacking your cases in your Vegas Holiday Property Accommodation make sure that you packed something flashy as you never know what the day or night will hold for you in Las Vegas!

A baby boomers guide to visiting New York City

New York: Where you cannot say, “I’ve seen it all, now”

I vividly remember planning my first trip to New York. I went by myself, but not without knowing someone who lived there. People constantly told me, “New York is dirty,” “New Yorkers are rude,” “it’s crowded,” “you’ll see people urinating on the street,” and “oh, the rats!” Well, if I believed everything that people said, I would have never made it to New York. Frankly, I’m glad I didn’t believe what they said because it’s just not true.

I made it to LaGuardia in the early afternoon. My friends, who I will simply call “A” and “B” picked me up. “A”, at the time, was second in charge of a nice hotel at an address I will never forget, 55 and 7, which in non-New Yorker language is 55th Street and 7th Avenue. We arrived in midtown faster than I anticipated because “A” knew that the trick to getting back to midtown without getting stuck in rush-hour type traffic was to get behind an emergency services vehicle that was going on a run. Needless to say, it worked and I was now in midtown Manhattan.

I walk into the hotel and remember how nice the lobby was and not to mention the view from my room was extraordinary. I could see that famous ball that drops every New Years Eve in Times Square. I could see the only part of the city that is green, Central Park. But, I craved more. I knew I had not even begun to sink my teeth into the proverbial “Big Apple.” So, I asked “A” for some advice. “A” handed me a stack of books and maps and said, “have fun.” Now you are probably thinking how rude of “A” to send me out alone, but, “A” had to work and couldn’t provide me with a traditional tour of the city.

As I am walking the streets of New York, not only did I notice that I can get a boost of energy with a fresh cup of Starbucks coffee on every corner, but I can tell you that New York is not dirty. In fact, I remember hearing the garbage trucks very early in the wee morning hours hauling off bags of garbage so the streets were clean by the time most New Yorkers woke up.

And New Yorkers, they are not rude. Yeah, I said it. New Yorkers are not rude, they are just busy people. If you need directions, just ask. Don’t waste a New Yorker’s time by explaining how you got lost and the reason you want to go to your destination; just ask how to get where you need to be or want to go and I guarantee a New Yorker will help you. I remember two New Yorkers in particular that helped me-the man selling

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