Sibling Rivalry in Vegas?

Posted on March 27, 2014March 27, 2014 by Dusty Roads

I’m still exploring Free things to do in Vegas. I’m pretty sure our budget will be tight so I figure we should do the Free things first and save our money incase we run out of Free things to do.

The Forum Shops at Caesars sounds like a place to go shopping so I was just going to skip right over that. I’m not much of a shopper as anyone who has ever looked in my closet can attest. As my waistline has expanded and my need for business attire has diminished my wardrobe has shrunk accordingly. Jeans, sweats and T’s are my wardrobe du jour. But then my curiosity got the better if me. What did it mean by “Fall of Atlantis” at Caesars Forum Shops?

A little more google and voila! I have answers! 🙂

This was the best description:

Fall of Atlantis at Caesars Forum Shops Description:

The Atlantis Shows inside the Forum Shops is sibling rivalry at its fiercest. Sure, you may have once fought over toys, food or even listened in on each other’s phone calls with your own brother or sister, but this feud is like no other.

Roaring fires. Splashing waters. Thunderous sounds. A huge, horrific beast. These all come into play in the free 11-minute show. Get your video camera ready for the dramatic, mind-blowing special effects, neon lights and the surrounding fountains. For a second, you’ll forget you’re in a mall.

Witness the fall of Atlantis reenacted by 9-foot-tall lifelike animatronic statues (and a scary 20-foot winged dragon) costumed in armor and leather by the legendary Hollywood blacksmith company Sword & Stone.

The tale begins with King Atlas deciding whether his son or daughter should take over in ruling Atlantis. Greed and haughtiness get the best of the two as they brag about how one’s ability is better than the other. The sister waves her staff and shows off her water power. On the flip side, the brother waves his torch and bursts of flames erupt all around him. The warmth of the heat is shockingly strong. You can also feel the sound waves.

The family learns the ultimate lesson — let’s just say it doesn’t result in a “time-out.” The decision falls out of the father’s hands and the other gods show their wrath with the Fall of Atlantis. A terrifying beast with wings appears from behind Atlas’ throne and watches the destruction of Atlantis. The ferocious flames and wild water effects prove that these guys are serious.

Be sure to get to the show a few minutes early to grab a good spot since it tends to fill up fast. You’ll find it next to Nike and the Cheesecake Factory.

Before or after the show, make sure to check out the 50,000-gallon saltwater aquarium behind the Fall of Atlantis. The breathtaking aquarium features more than 300 fish. You can walk right up to the glass and snap amazing shots of stingrays, flounders, tropical puffers and other fish you’d see in Disney’s “Finding Nemo.” Another plus? There are plenty of places to sit around the aquarium. Lose track of time while you watch in awe.

Sounds like another “Not to Miss” experience!

What’s New in Vegas

Posted on March 25, 2014March 25, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Like I said yesterday, I haven’t been to Vegas in a long time so I thought I’d poke around some of the web pages and see what’s been happening and what we might want to see.

First of all, I looked for FREE things to do. Free is always good! XD

I don’t believe the Silverton Hotel was there when I last visited. Certainly the Aquarium wasn’t. I wonder if this is one of the ATM Aquariums from the Animal Planet Show Tanked. ATM is based in Las Vegas and they installed a huge aquarium where they do a mermaid show.

And guess what! There’s a mermaid show at the Silverton Hotel’s Aquarium. We will just have to check that out! I have seen a mermaid show before in Florida at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

I think I need to compare the shows.

A little more poking around and sure enough, this Aquarium is the ATM aquarium featured in the Tanked series! The review I found was written by a big Fan of the show and she gave the aquarium rave reviews. and included pictures!. Now it’s definitely a must see…cameras at ready.

Up next in the Free department is the Bellagio Conservatory. The Bellagio was under construction when I was in Vegas last for more than a change of planes and that was back in 1998. I told you it had been awhile. Anyway, this looks amazing.

The exhibit in the conservatory changes according to the season. They even have live musical performances daily. I bet this would be even more amazing during the holidays!

Of course while we’re visiting the Bellagio we have to see the dancing fountains. That was actually what I thought the Bellagio was known for, not the Conservatory. The Bellagio fountains were designed to “romance” the senses.

In a show of water , music and light the fountains strive to mesmerize the views. This is the most ambitious, choreographically complex water feature ever conceived and it amazes against the beautiful backdrop of Las Vegas’ lavender sky. (My tripod is going on this trip for sure!)

So far in my quest for FREE entertainment I think I’ve found 3 amazing options. But I’m not through digging. Let’s see what more I can find.

It’s not the Bunny Trail

Posted on March 1, 2014March 1, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Peter Cottontail hopped down the Bunny Trail and many states have Wine Trails including Massachusetts and Maine but I haven’t heard of too many that have Whiskey Trails. Leave it to Tennessee for that.

W.C. Fields advised people to “Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite… and furthermore always carry a small snake.”

Tennessee makes some of the smoothest, finest “sipping ” whiskey. Two of the most well know and established distilleries are the George Dickel Distillery in Tullahoma and none other than Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg. I’ve never tried George Dickel Whiskey but Jack Daniels is “mighty fine”, sweet and smooth.

I don’t know if I’ll get that far from Gatlinburg but I won’t have to skip the whiskey sipping unless I want to. There’s a new stop on the parkway called Gatlinburg Barrelhouse. Here’s just one of the reviews from trip advisor:

We visit Gatlinburg at least once a year, but were pleasantly surprised to find the Gatlinburg Barrelhouse on the Parkway. After waiting in line for a tasting of moonshine that you can find in just about any Tennessee liquor store, we were happy to find the Barrelhouse and especially Davy Crockett’s whiskey. They offer quality whiskey in a variety of great flavors, and this is the ONLY location you can find them. (Personally, we think the chocolate and southern pecan varieties are fabulous.) I’m sure it’s soon-to-be just as busy as the moonshine distillery, but in the meantime it’s fun not to have to fight a crowd. The people are nice and we enjoyed the live music. We’ll definitely be back!

I’ve never been to a whiskey tasting. I’ve done several wine tastings. Depending on how many wines you try it is possible to get a bit tipsy. I had read that you swish the wine in your mouth and then spit it out. I’ve never seen that done. In fact at the last tasting I went to I asked. The response was that spitting it out was a waste of good wine.

I would imagine that one would need to take it easy on the whiskey.

What’s In Gatlinburg?

Posted on February 25, 2014February 25, 2014 by Dusty Roads

A similar question came up when we went to South Dakota and that turned out to be a great vacation. So I am hopeful that this will be the same. Sandy has been to the Great Smokey Mountains and the first thing she said when I told her I’d decided on Tennessee was to be sure to visit Dollywood.

I admit, Dollywood wasn’t on the top of my “to do” list and I reluctantly said ok, if it’s close enough. Well it sure is close enough. Located in Pigeon Forge it’s less than 10 miles from Gatlinburg.

Dollywood isn’t open year round so I was still thinking I might get a reprieve if it wasn’t open for the season but that didn’t work out either. According to the website it’s opening on March 22 so even if they were to delay the opening for some reason it’s still sure to be up and running by May.

But here’s where it gets interesting. I was dragging my feet because I don’t like amusement parks. 6 Flags is a waste of money for me and I only go to Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire on occasion to take pictures. But Dolly stresses that her park is a “family adventure” (don’t call it an amusement park”).

My sister says this is the cleanest park she has even seen! Although there are more than 30 rides there are also musical shows, restaurants and arts and crafts shops where wood carving, glassblowing and quilting are demonstrated.

Although Dollywood had to bear the brunt of a number of jokes when it first opened it now hosts 2.5 million guests in a typical season. No longer a laughing matter, Dollywood is a major employer for the region. As of 2010, the park was the biggest “ticketed” tourist attraction in Tennessee each year for more than a decade.

So I have had a change of heart and moved Dollywood from a reluctant location on my itinerary to one of the “must see” stops. They say the Ferris wheel is 60 ft. high. Imagine the pictures I can get from up there!

Maryland

Posted on February 23, 2014February 23, 2014 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

The next state with an exchange for me is Maryland and oh my, I think I fell in love when I read the description. Here it is word for word…what do you think!

Nestled in the natural wetlands overlooking the beautiful Isle of Wight Bay, you will discover a very unique and distinct hotel that can accommodate endless possibilities for any occasion.

The Coconut Malorie is a five-story, bay-front resort. With its beautiful marble lobby and waterfall, it offers deluxe suites, all newly designed with attention to meeting your vacation needs. From the building’s exterior to the carpet in the bedrooms, no detail has been left out. Professionally decorated rooms showcase all new furniture, artwork, carpet, bedspreads and curtains.

Located on top of the hotel in the tower, you can enjoy magnificent views of the ocean, the bay and the best sunsets on the east coast.

Ocean City has a boardwalk. At just under three miles, the Ocean City, Maryland boardwalk is a perfect family bike ride, an invigorating walk or run, or a relaxing tram ride. At night, the boardwalk comes to life with rides, arcades, performers and so much more.

And this is the perfect location to see the wild ponies of Assateague. The famous ponies are just nine miles from Ocean City, along with nature trails, deer, foxes and thousands of birds. Oh be still my heart! This is a major wish list of mine.

There’s tons of free events too if the travel pages can be believed. Here’s an excerpt from just one of those pages:

Enjoy our nights of free family fun. In the summer there is a free family event every day of the week. Some of the events include:

Sundaes in the Park with free concert, fireworks and ice cream for a small fee at Northside Park.
Concerts on the Beach every Wednesday evening.
Free Movies Under the Stars Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Family Beach Olympics on Tuesday evenings.
Sunset Park Party Nights every Thursday.
Laser Light Shows on Sundays.
Fireworks on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I’m seeing photo ops everywhere! I think Maryland is giving Colorado a run for first choice. Unfortunately it looks like this location is all booked up for 2014. 🙁 Even in the “off Season”.

Any comments or suggestions from the Maryland contingent?