Las Vegas Welcomes CES 2010

Attention all gadget and technology lovers! From January 7 through 10, the International Consumer Electronics Show will be at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The latest and greatest in every type of technology will be on display. Since it’s an industry-only event, the general public can’t get in to gawk at all the fabulous new stuff, but those who are lucky enough to score passes will be rewarded with exhibits featuring all the new technology they can stand (check the CES website for information on prices and the necessary credentials).

If you’re heading to Las Vegas for CES, check out my NileGuide CES guide for tips on what to do when you’re in town. When I wrote the guide in early December, some excellent hotels still had rooms available at CES rates: the Aria, the Hard Rock, and the Hilton. Those properties are now sold out, but amazingly enough, the Circus-Circus and Alexis Park are still showing rooms available on the CES website. On the CES Facebook Fan Page, I noticed several people looking to share rooms, and I imagine a search of Downtown properties or off-the-Strip hotels might turn up some rooms.

If you’re a CES-bound Las Vegas resident, you’ve got your room covered, but you’ll still want to check their online guide to identify your must-see exhibits since there are 2,700 to choose from. Don’t even think about trying to park at the Convention Center. Get a ride, or park remotely and use the Monorail or CES Shuttle. The last time I tried parking at CES, I wound up walking all the way from Maryland Parkway and Desert Inn. And did I mention you’ll want to wear really comfortable shoes?

I have to admit that I’m a little bit jealous of the technology writers who’ll be covering CES. I love gadgets and technology in all its forms, but my travel writing credentials just don’t cut it for a press pass. Maybe one day they’ll have a travel technology section—heck, I can dream, can’t I?

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Image courtesy of Dez Pain at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1153678

Boulder City's Art in the Park & The Las Vegas Festival Season

It's that time of year again--the temperatures are steadily inching below 100, Halloween (also known as Nevada Day around here) is approaching, and it's festival season in Las Vegas! While the economy has cooled things off a bit--Summerlin's sidewalk chalk art festival has been cancelled this year, for instance--this is still the season for festivals of all kinds. Now is the time of year to check the RJ's Neon every week. Last weekend, the Super Run Car Show took over Henderson's downtown. This weekend, October 3, visit the granddaddy of all Southern Nevadan art festivals, Boulder City's Art in the Park. Admission is free; park on the outskirts of town and pay the small charge to take a shuttle to Bicentennial Park. Next weekend, the Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival takes over Sunset Park. Costumes are welcome. And First Friday, which operates year-round, is celebrating its seventh anniversary this Friday, October 2.

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My picture of Art in the Park from a couple of years ago.

Old Mormon Fort Hosting Pioneer Breakfast June 13, 2009

Looking for some family-friendly Las Vegas activities? Visit the Old Mormon Fort, which is located in downtown Las Vegas's Cultural Corridor. Here you'll find the oldest non-native building in Nevada. On Saturday, June 13, the Fort is hosting a Pioneer Breakfast to commemorate the Mormon pioneers' arrival in the Las Vegas Valley. The breakfast will be held from 7:30 a.m. through 10:00 a.m., and there is $5.00 charge per family. Proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Fort, the non-profit group that supports the Old Fort State Park programs and special events.
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Picture information: My photographs taken on the grounds of the Old Fort.

Puddles and Pet-A-Palooza

Animal lovers were appalled in January when the City of Las Vegas’ animal pound erroneously euthanized a pet (Puddles the cat) after it had been identified by its owner. You can read and watch KTNV’s coverage, or read the LV Sun article, “When owners bark or bite.” Read the article to find out why the management at Lied wants improved security features for its staff. In a nutshell, people get really pissed when they find out their pets have been killed after 72 hours (three days) at the pound.

Before I go any further, let me suggest that we re-name Lied to exclude the word "shelter" from its title. (It is actually operated by the Animal Foundation.) If you look up synonyms for “shelter,” you find “protection,” “refuge,” “cover,” “haven,” “sanctuary.” How about Lied Animal Center, or Lied Animal Processing Facility (LAPF)? Lied may be a lot of things, but “shelter” is stretching it. They're doing the best they can, I know, but let's be honest.

What happened after Puddles died? Has Lied made improvements? Has an outpouring of community interest changed the conditions at our dumping ground for the four-legged unwanted? Yeah, right. I’ve been waiting to hear any kind of follow-up, but the news is too busy with our economic apocalypse to have much time for the animals. If you think this recession/depression/etc. has been hard on the humans in Vegas, what do you think these animals are going through?

Support your local animal shelters, pounds, and rescue groups. If you’re looking for a pet, bypass the pet store and adopt one instead. It costs less and can save an animal's life. The Las Vegas SPCA operates a no-kill shelter, and several other worthwhile animal groups work in Clark County. Lied takes animals for the City of Las Vegas and Clark County and obviously needs people to give homes to them. If your pet is lost, begin checking with Lied immediately; if your pet is taken there, you must act promptly. Consider micro-chipping your pets.

You can also support animals by having a good time at Pet-a-Palooza this weekend, April 4, 2009. The fesitval is at Sam Boyd Stadium and features music (Gavin Rossdale, for one), food, and loads of stuff for critter lovers--admission is only $5.00 and a portion goes to support the animal organizations who will be at Pet-a-Palooza.
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Photo courtesy of Sande Hamilton at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/984684

Earth Hour in Vegas: The Strip Goes Dark

The Las Vegas Strip will go dark tonight at 8:30 p.m. in honor of Earth Hour, proving once again that the city people love to hate has some sense of morals. (Not to mention it might also have something to do with good PR.) If you get a chance to watch this astonishing event from a distance, take it. In 1990, my hubby and I watched the Strip go dark in honor of Sammy Davis, Jr.'s death. Back in the pre-boom days, we easily found an excellent vantage point on Decatur just south of Flamingo. Today you'll probably have to look a little harder, but it's worth the effort. The Strip going dark is a sight you won't forget; the jewels of the city don't often acquiesce to the darkness of the Mojave.

Read more about Las Vegas and light pollution in AP Reporter Alicia Chang's article, "Death Valley works to preserve night sky; Las Vegas neon threatens to steal the view from renowned stargazing spot."

Update: on April 3, 2009, the Business Section of the RJ reported that the valley's energy usage dropped 3% during Earth Hour.

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Photo courtesy of Chad Mathews at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/545561

Looking for Las Vegas Info?

Newcomers to Las Vegas tend to complain about a lack of non-gambling things to do. If you’re waiting for friendly advice from your neighbors on day trip destinations, or for an invite from co-workers to a barbeque, well… I hate to break the news to you, but chances are you won’t have much luck.

The best way to uncover things to do around here is to pick up a paper. Of course, you can always check here at the Vegas Girl Blog, but for a truly comprehensive listing of everything that might be happening in the valley, you might want to bookmark a couple of mass-media web pages like the Review Journal’s Neon, CityLife, and Las Vegas Weekly.

A couple of new entries into this category are BLVDS Magazine and the Home News, which publishes neighborhood-specific papers for communities throughout Southern Nevada. Visit the Las Vegas Sun’s page and scroll down to find a neighborhood.
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Photo courtesy of Svilen Mushkatov at bigphoto1.blogspot.com

Henderson & High Octane

My husband was in heaven at Henderson’s Super Run Car Show last weekend. “Ah, the smell of racing fuel,” he said when a hot rod cruised by. As you might have guessed, he loves all things with internal combustion. I think the car show is wonderful fun—the crowd is friendly, the cars range from classic to newfangled, and the street-party atmosphere is reminiscent of the old Mint 400’s Tech Inspection. I had a good laugh watching Henderson’s Finest, along with a couple of Fire Department boys, checking out the car with the stripper (sorry, no photo available). Yessiree, everyone was very safe watching that girl demonstrate the proper use of a mobile stripper pole.

Check out the Las Vegas Cruisin’ Association’s website for a list of upcoming car shows in Las Vegas: http://www.lasvegascarshows.com/

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Photo Information: My hubby's pics of some classics on Saturday night.

La Strada dell'Arte and the Las Vegas Festival Season

As soon as the weather even thinks about cooling off, the Las Vegas festival season begins. One of my favorite festivals, La Strada dell’Arte, was held September 27 and 28. This festival features art done with chalk on the sidewalks, and what these artists do is simply incredible—as you can see by these pictures. This year the juried offerings seemed scarcer than in prior years, but the amateur/impromptu artists looked pretty organized. A smart bunch of folks brought umbrellas, and it looked like groups of people staked out positions along the only shaded portion of sidewalk in the park. Admission was free; a bag of chalk and kneepad along with one chalk art square cost $5 (but were truly priceless). In addition to looking at the sidewalk art and the extensive arts and crafts show, we watched a demonstration of ice sculpting, which looked like whittling ice with a chain saw. Incredible. When the Cordon Bleu chef was done with his sculpture, the human statues took their positions. I felt bad for them because it was humid and about 90°. I couldn’t imagine standing in the full sun with all those layers of clothing draped over me… which explains, of course, why I’m a writer and not a living statue.

Next weekend, the grand-daddy of all Las Vegas art festivals hits Boulder City: the venerable Art in the Park. Held in three beautiful downtown Boulder City parks, all of which come complete with mature trees and cool shade, you can spend most of your day there. Admission is free. I recommend parking in the outlying lots and taking the shuttle, which is just a few dollars; follow the signs once you arrive at the outskirts of town.

Keep your eyes peeled for these types of events throughout the fall--pick up a copy of City Life, Las Vegas Weekly, or check the Neon Insert in the Friday edition of the RJ/Sun.

You can read the Las Vegas Sun’s article on La Strada dell’Arte at:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/sep/18/artists-decorate-streets-chalk/

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Photo Information, top to botton, of my pictures on Sunday at the Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival: Both professionals and amateurs showed off their talents with chalk and cement; the finished ice sculpture; human statues.