Access Vegas Insider Vibe – July 25, 2007

AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

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Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! I’m not sure if we are in Nevada or Florida with the wacky weather we’ve had the past few days. Thunderstorms in the evening, periods of heavy rain and wind, and temps below normal with muggy nights. While some places get rain and wet winters, summer is our “monsoon” season. Having said that, nothing that really interrupts a vacation. The rain dumps then moves on 20 minutes later and cools the air a bit.

A few of you wondered where the brand new Bellagio Conservatory Route 66 photos promised for last issue were. Because of the huge piles of great Las Vegas info we had backlogged, we put out a special bonus issue over last weekend. This regularly schedules issue is here, and has all the great photos as promised. The Route 66 themed botanical display is truly one of the best seasonal displays they have ever done (and I’ve seen most of them)! Click to View Bellagio Gardens Route 66 Theme Photos

Our congratulations to Judy Craymer, the Producer of the world-renowned Mamma Mia! including Mamma Mia! Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay. She was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II for her exceptional contributions to the theatrical community. Craymer was awarded Member of the British Empire, MBE, at the Queen’s Birthday Honours amongst other prominent figures in the entertainment industry. “This is one of the most exciting things to have happened to me in my professional life,” said Craymer. “Obviously I’m delighted. You never think you will be chosen and it is just wonderful to receive such recognition. It’s a real honor.”

Major Upgrades and Improvements… And It Is About Time! Over the next few weeks, you’ll see some amazing (and long planned) improvements here at AccessVegas.com. Your ability to book rooms, shows and everything else won’t be interrupted. However, we may have an intermittent newsletter schedule and some areas of the site will appear a bit bare bones during the upgrades. Pardon our dust the next few weeks. The end result will be a site much easier to use, navigate, and will have special new fun features for newsletter and site members.

Enjoy This Issue!



Featured Report and Photo Set:
Bellagio Gardens Summer 2007 Route 66

Take A Route 66 Road Trip Through Bellagio’s Conservatory and Gardens – Celebrate the Joys of Summer with Colorful Flowers – a Classic Corvette and a 42-foot Ferris Wheel (photos by Mark Jacobs, story courtesy of Bellagio) – This summer Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens provides nostalgic stops along the historical Route 66, the 2,400-mile highway that connected Chicago to Los Angeles, passing through three time zones and eight states. The Conservatory’s route is filled with thousands of vibrant plants, flowers and trees, a country fair and an automobile museum piece, offering a captivating view of summertime adventures. The Conservatory welcomes guests with a sumptuous roadside market replete with fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers.

Coastal Redwoods, Weeping Willows, red roses and blue agapanthus flowers are overgrown along the roadside where the two market carts have made a home. The market’s red and green apples, cantaloupes, watermelons, tomatoes, broccoli and peppers tempt travelers and set the mood for the colorful and diverse display. The next stop on Bellagio’s Route 66 is a quiet town park. Here, beautiful rose hedges lead to a three-tiered fountain, 12-feet-tall and eight-feet-wide, where water gently flows amid luscious white statice flowers, red yarrow plants and moss. The rose hedges, filled with 4,000 red, orange, pink, yellow and peach Russian-cut roses, form cozy areas with vintage park benches while street lamps provide a soft glow.

The enchanting centerpiece of this memorable exhibit is a 42-foot Ferris wheel within a country fair setting. Surrounded by sunflowers and tent-tops, the authentic Ferris wheel’s seats are full of flowing ivy and glorious sunflowers.

High above the fair, three “cold air” balloons float up and down as would-be spectators survey the magnificent gardens and roadways below. The Conservatory’s Route 66 road trip ends as guests watch a classic convertible “drive” into the sunset. The 1962 fawn beige Corvette, loaned to Bellagio by the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, is featured on a road of “Chocolate Chip” Ajuga plants and white statice flowers. A trio of vintage gas pumps, a desert landscape with Saguaro Cacti, and beautiful red Celosia and white azalea flowers provide the backdrop. Visitors are invited to enjoy the summer display at Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens through September 8.

Summer Exhibit Fast Facts:

  • Total number of plants used: 10,000 flowers and 4,000 plants
  • Number of flower species: 7
  • Number of tree species: 3
  • 1962 fawn beige Corvette on loan from the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY
  • 42-foot authentic Ferris wheel was specially installed without a motor to ensure minimal movement

Click to enjoy the entire
Bellagio Gardens Summer 2007 Route 66 Photo Set

Grammy Award-Winning Artist Toni Braxton Extends Her Run At Flamingo Las Vegas Through February 16, 2008Flamingo Las Vegas announces that it will extend the successful live show, Toni Braxton: Revealed, through February 16, 2008. (Tickets) Six-time Grammy Award-winning artist and international headlining performer Toni Braxton opened her spectacular production in August 2006 and has been dazzling audiences ever since. Toni Braxton: Revealed is a sexy, entertaining and intimate evening with the woman who interprets the emotional essence of a song as no other artist can. Click to Read The Full Story …

The Ultimate Summer Party With Country Music Star Toby Keith As He Brings His “Big Dog Daddy Tour 2007” To Mandalay Bay Saturday, Sept. 8 With Special Guests Miranda Lambert & Flynnville Train – Toby Keith, a multi-platinum country music superstar and one of the most recognizable entertainers in the nation, will bring his “Big Dog Daddy Tour 2007” to the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, Sept. 8. (Tickets) ACMA award-winner Miranda Lambert as well as Flynnville Train will open the show at 8 p.m. Following a career-changing 2006, Keith launched his 2007 blockbuster tour in March and has big plans for the remainder of 2007 that include Las Vegas! Click to Read The Full Story …

The Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater Continuing The American Legacy Of Excellence In Dance – Premiere Performance September 4, 2007 – Las Vegas’s new multicultural repertoire dance company, The Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater (LVCDT), presents its debut season at The Cashman Theater on September 4th at 7:30pm & 5th at 2:00 p.m. LVCDT will present world-premiere Ballets, performed by acclaimed dancers from around the world, by choreographers, Donald McKayle and Bernard Gaddis. The evening will begin with the premiere performance of LVCDT at 7:30pm, following a post performance reception. Click to Read The Full Story …



Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Reader Submitted Photos: – Paul Woodall said

Here are a few Vegas photos that you may use for your e-letter!

Click on any of the above photos for more photos of each hotel, or enjoy all the photos in our Las Vegas Photo Gallery.

If you have a great photo of Las Vegas to share with our readers (can be artistic or just a really enjoyable photo), send them to us at allvegastv@aol.com.


Dear Ted:Up until now all of our trips to Las Vegas have leaned more towards shopping, sight seeing etc. This year we are planning a trip to Vegas but haven’t decided when yet because I’d like to aim this trip more for my husbands interests, (after all that shopping it only seems fair!).

He is very much a car enthusiast, anything relating to cars, car shows, hot rods, racing etc. having been in the body shop industry all his working life. When and where would be some good things to take in along these lines? Any advice would be appreciated it, especially by him.

Thank-you,
Heather Holcik

Ted Responds:

Imperial Palace Auto Collection is a must see on The Strip for any car enthusiast. The selection changes on a regular basis as cars are displayed and sold, but plenty of interesting variety. They claim $100,000,000 worth of inventory at any given time.

If a racing fan, Richard Petty Experience isn’t cheap, but will let you drive an actual race car around the same speedway NASCAR races on.

Wynn Las Vegas has Nevada’s exclusive factory-authorized Ferrari and Maserati dealership. Might want to poke your head in there.

Hope this helps!


Have a Vegas comment or question? Post To Our Message Boards!

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Post a trip report to our brand new Trip Report Message Board section! (Simply click on the New Thread option. You may be prompted to register if a fist time user. That keeps our boards safe and spam-free)!
  • Post a comment, Vegas suggestion, or question to the appropriate category of our Message Boards.
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.
  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!

Readers Rants, Raves, and Questions – Great reader questions and comments from our Access Vegas Message Boards. Help someone out or post your own comment or question!


More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Civic Holiday (Canada) August 6 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day September 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Columbus Day (USA), Thanksgiving Day (Canada) October 6-8 (3 day weekend)
  • Christmas December 25 (4 day weekend – Christmas on Tuesday)
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 29 – January 1 (4 day weekend – New Years on Tuesday)

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!



For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2007 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.

July 25, 2007 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Proud Member:
Las Vegas Internet Chamber of Commerce

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – October 11, 2006

This newsletter is published exclusively for visitors to AccessVegas.Com and can only be signed up for there. We do not buy or rent lists, and this information is only for our members and guests. If you feel you have received it in error, click the unsubscribe link at the bottom. To subscribe, visit our Newsletter Site.


Book Online or over the phone! Call (toll free) 800-696-5721 to book all Las Vegas Hotels, Shows, Nightlife, Tours and Golf. We live here. We know Las Vegas!

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Free Photos, Wallpaper, and Streaming Videos
Free Online Games!

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! With the exception of a day of drizzle last week, the weather has been incredible. Highs in the 80’s, warm evenings, and construction along the strip booming.

Weekend construction on the freeway linking Las Vegas to Southern California may be keeping tens of thousands away over the next few weekends. The bulk of the construction is scheduled over the weekends.

Moral of the story? If you fly in from other parts of the country and usually avoid weekend trips here due to higher weekend rates, poke around at some of the weekend rates our friends Las Vegas Hotel Deals are offering the next few weeks. Enter your dates and get yourself to Vegas!

Our readers are among the best informed Las Vegas Visitors! Just by reading this newsletter, you know more than most cabbies and dealers (many who simply spew crazy rumors or just plain make things up to try to impress you or get a tip). If you are new, don’t forget to go back and check out our seven-plus years worth of newsletter archives. This issue is jammed, so I’ll get out of the way and let you get your fix of Las Vegas.

Enjoy This Issue!



Review: Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill

by Karen Plowden

Love great food? How about Toby Keith? Now located on the second floor of the Harrah’s restaurant is the all famous Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar and Grill”. This restaurant has it all: from great atmosphere, to great food, and incredible entertainment!

As soon as you walk up to the restaurant, you’ll notice that this isn’t your regular bar and grill. You can either go to the restaurant area, or the guitar shaped bar area; where free shots are served to you by one of the bartenders. The only thing you have to do is get up and dance your way to the bar when you hear Toby Keith’s multi-platinum hit selling “I love this bar”. Click to Read Complete Review

Poker Radio – The Las Vegas Hilton launches “Poker-Straight From The Hilton” featuring host Rodd William Stowell and appearances by poker experts and Hilton Poker Room Manager Marc Nelson. The show airs every Monday, 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Pacific Time on KLAV, the talk of Las Vegas, 1230 on the AM dial. Streaming worldwide is available at klav1230.com. Stowell brings a wealth of poker knowledge and broadcast experience to the new show, which will feature news about the world of poker.

Riviera’s Splash Has Final Curtain – The Riviera Hotel and Casino announced the closing of longtime Las Vegas extravaganza “Splash”á with the final show on Saturday evening, September 30. Since its debut at the Riviera on June 21, 1985, “Splash” has been wowing audiences with an amazing union of the grand showgirl performance with intense rapid-fire variety acts.

We have special Splash promo photos Las Vegas computer wallpaper to commemorate the closing of this historical, long-running Las Vegas show just for you. Simply click on the photo of your choice above and follow the simple instructions to bring Las Vegas to your computer!

Yes, We Have Baseball Playoff Tickets – Can’t make it to Las Vegas to bet the game and watch it on a big screen? Go one step further and check out our great prices on Prime Baseball Playoff and World Series Tickets! (Click on the home team’s name to find ticket availability). We have college football and pro football tickets as well!

Hip, Hip Hooray For Barry – Who else but Barry Manilow could salute Dick Clark with a musical number, win an Emmy for “Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program,” and then head into arthroscopic surgery on both of his hips? Barry’s recovering nicely and will be back headlining at the Las Vegas Hilton on November 8. Tickets for the first four months of Barry’s 2007 schedule at the Las Vegas Hilton are on sale now. Click for Barry Manilow Tickets

Big Winner at the Cal!

Zeny Agas of Honolulu, Hawaii, won $77,217 while playing Pai Gow Poker at “The Cal” (California Hotel) in Downtown Las Vegas. Zeny celebrates her exciting win with a smile on her face, proudly displaying her winning check.

Evening Entertainment Redefined at WET – The Spa at TI – WET — The Spa at TI (Treasure Island) is the only spa on the Las Vegas Strip to offer specialized evening treatments. The unique WET PM menu is designed to rejuvenate guests for an exhilarating night out or pamper and prepare them for a relaxing night in; from the heiress, a 24-karat sexy treatment that wraps guests all in gold for a night on the town (including a final sprinkling of real gold dust!) to the sleepy town massage, guaranteed to help anyone drift off to dreamland. Late-night hours allow spa-goers the flexibility to enjoy numerous spa offerings on their schedule. Open to the general public as well as hotel guests seven days a week, WET’s hours of operation are Sunday through Wednesday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Tempt Your Taste Buds with Wine and Cheese at Onda Wine Lounge – Located at the entrance to Onda Restaurant, the new Onda Wine Lounge at The Mirage provides a perfect casual spot for a pre- or post-theater cocktail. The Italian-inspired lounge features a large selection of wines available by the glass, bottle or individual flights. Providing the perfect accompaniment to a classic Chianti or crisp Chardonnay, guests also may choose from an assortment of artisan cheeses and meats to round out their experience. The 58-seat lounge features family-style seating in a classic Italian-kitchen dÚcor.

Lance Burton Taps Keg – Lance Burton became mayor for a day in a tradition that goes back over 500 years in Germany. On October 1st the first keg is tapped by an official. Lance was joined by magicians Fielding West, Nathan Burton, Mac King, Bob Massey, Bill Smith, Norm Nielsen and Peter Reveen at the Hofbrauhaus. Click to Buy Lance Burton Tickets

Did You Know – Pho, (pronounced “fuh”) newly opened inside The Coffee Shop at Treasure Island, is the only Vietnamese restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip. The restaurant is named for a signature Vietnamese dish, Pho, a rich beef broth with vermicelli noodles infused with spices and fresh herbs. The 30-seat restaurant specializes in noodle soups and traditional Vietnamese dishes and is open Sunday — Thursday, 11 a.m. — midnight and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. — 3 a.m.

Gambling Talk: Video Slots – I Love Lucy – with Victor H. Royer. In keeping with the other great IGT games based on popular themes and television shows, this is a five reel 12-line video slot machine which is also a bonus game as well as a progressive. All the popular characters from the TV show are represented in this game, but the most fun you will have is when you land on the Chocolate Factory Bonus. If you remember the TV episode on which this bonus is based, then you already know what I mean and what fun this is. Click to Read Complete Article

Vegas Photo Set Of The Week: PT’s Pubs and PT’s Gold Las Vegas – Want to see how the locals live? Check out the hotties that serve us locals at the various PT’s Pubs and PT’s Gold (bars and lounges) around the Las Vegas Valley. (The “Vegas Valley” is the area you see when you fly in here over all those miles of houses, streets, malls, and grocery stores … going “how could anyone every live here”).

Vegas Streaming Video Of The Week – New Years Eve Fireworks 2003-2004. Missed being in Las Vegas this past New Year’s Eve? Every year, Las Vegas puts on a fireworks show like no other, all up and down every mile of the Las Vegas Strip! New Years Eve rooms are filling up fast, and the price rises day after day even with months to go. Visit our discount room partner Las Vegas Hotel Dealsand book now for this year!

  • Click To View New Years Eve Fireworks 2003-2004: Broadband (only)

See the Grand Canyon in a Jet Helicopter! For years Maverick Helicopters has been providing a true VIP Helicopter experience of the Grand Canyon. We do things a little different than any other helicopter Company. We give you an adventure of a lifetime and not just another tour of the Grand Canyon. Las Vegas Strip tours plus Helicopter Weddings also available!

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Readers Write:

Dear Sir;

We have visited Vegas 8 times now and still never get enough of it. Love the place, and love getting the insider news too. I heard that the Excalibur is being demolished. If so, why. It’s such a beautiful hotel/casino. I feel very sad that the Stardust is being demolished. Stayed there twice and found it very pleasant.

I read your article about taking cabs from the airport to the hotel via the tunnel. Unfortunately I was one of those people who had experienced that and I couldn’t believe the fare they had charged. But after reading your inside report about that I’ll know better when I visit Vegas again in June.Thanks for the tip.

You people are doing a wonderful job out there. Keep up the good work.

Regards,

Elizabeth McAllister

Canada


Ted Responds
:

Elizabeth,

Glad that we are helping you have great visits to Las Vegas. That is our goal!

Per the Excalibur, I keep hearing this floating around, and I’m either really missing the boat, or this is one of the most insane rumors I’ve heard in a long time. If nothing else, it seems official that Dick’s Last Resort (a popular tourist area bar and grill where the staff insults you and being messy is encouraged) will be finding a home at Excalibur in 2007, and they aren’t going to build a huge new restaurant attraction right before they demolish the place.

Long term prospects for Excalibur? Owners MGM Mirage Corp. will probably kick back and until they see what The Tropicana’s new owners are going to do. MGM Mirage is busy enough with their Project CityCenter and the new tower going up (soon) between Mandalay Bay and Luxor.

I’m just not seeing it, but if I have completely missed some pretty firm news of Excalibur implosion, drop me a line at allvegastv@aol.com. If nothing else, this rumor is so strong, I’d like to see where it is coming from!

Hope this helps!

Live From Las Vegas,

Have a Vegas comment or question? Post To Our Message Boards!

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Post a trip report to our brand new Trip Report Message Board section! (Simply click on the New Thread option. You may be prompted to register if a fist time user. That keeps our boards safe and spam-free)!
  • Post a comment, Vegas suggestion, or question to the appropriate category of our Message Boards.
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call, and use some of them on our Radio.AccessVegas.com Streaming Broadcast! (Don’t worry … we never broadcast your personal information. All calls used are edited to insure caller privacy).
  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Halloween October 31
  • Veterans Day November 10-12 (3 day weekend – Friday off)
  • Thanksgiving November 23-26 (4 day weekend)
  • Christmas December 22-25 (3 day weekend – Christmas on Monday)
  • New Year’s Eve/Day December 29 – January 1 (3 day weekend – New Years on Monday)

Win and extreme $50,000 Backyard Makeover! Turn your backyard into your own personal oasis. This and other Great Free Stuff, Bargains, and More on our AccessVegas.com Advertiser Deals page. Click there now!

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!



For comprehensive regular updates of Las Vegas news concerning visitors, events, entertainment, hotels, gambling, real estate, and tourism, please visit our Las Vegas News Update Site and enter your email address there to subscribe and stay informed!

Vegas Comments and Questions? Post to our message boards and get great advice from people who have been here and done it. And don’t forget our comprehensive Las Vegas Frequently Asked Questions area.

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2006 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.

October 11, 2006 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us

Proud Member:
Las Vegas Internet Chamber of Commerce