Comments (2)

Looking for something a little off the regular path in the Nevada desert? Clark County contains three inexpensive museums which might fit that bill for you and your family: The Clark County Museum, the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum, and the Searchlight Museum.

The Clark County Museum, open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, contains Heritage Street, a collection of historic homes that have been restored, giving visitors a taste of what it was once like living in different periods of local, Nevada history. You can take a look at a 1900′s newspaper print shop or walk through a 1932 Boulder City Depot, examine a 1918 Union Pacific steam engine, and even walk aboard a caboose, once known in railroad jargon as a Crummy.

In the Anna Robert Parks Exhibit Hall, you may explore the world of Nevada from the Ice Age to the Age of Entertainment, taking you back to the history of the area’s first residents, from the Pueblo to the Paiute, long before the Strip and the hotels Las Vegas is known for were ever built.

In the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum, which is located inside the McCarran International Airport , you can learn about the history of commercial flights and about aviation in general in southern Nevada, everything from the first flight that occurred in 1920 to the introduction of jets. After a tour of the museum, try heading south of the airport, and park on Sunset Road, where you can tune your radio to FM 88.5 and listen to the conversations of flight controllers and pilots as the planes take-off and land.

Finally, in the Searchlight Museum, you’ll find a museum concentrated on the history of Las Vegas’ 100 year old plus community. The museum takes its name from a mine founded in 1898, and explores mining history. The museum also explores the residents of the community. You and your family can learn about a broad range of people, including Academy Award winning costume designer Edith Head, award-winning pilot John Macready, U.S. Senator Harry Reid, and even Scott Joplin, famous ragtime composer who wrote the Searchlight Rag, named after the community itself.

Comments (0)

People do notice these things, although often it might just be caught in the corner of the eye and relegated to the part of the brain that puts such things aside. All over the south, and it’s certainly here in Florida, there are objects that might look like trash to some, but to the owner’s they are certainly treasure. Old tires and bottles hung in trees, even found sculptures, pieces of broken fountains, and any number of wild and strange objects, all of these can be called Yard Art.

In many parts of Florida, it falls into a kind of kitsch tradition, where collectors will find old scraps and make them into objects they decorate. Some collectors, like RhondaK collect objects and make a modest living selling them after they’ve put new artistic touches on them. There are also many salvage yards that will make the more unusual and potentially attractive throwaways part of their inventory, and label them under the heading “yard art.”

One has to go into the neighborhoods, and the older parts of the city sometimes, to find these remarkable displays. It’s very unlikely that guests staying in some of the best resorts Florida offers will come across these, unless they look. But they are worth looking for, because they offer a vision into a very old and profound culture.

There are many art scholars and historians, like Judith McWillie and Robert Farris Thompson, who have made these displays into a careful study.

Keep an eye out for any figures that are circular in shape. Sometimes the found objects are placed just because they look interesting, but there is also a very long tradition of using the circle to make artistic flourishes to the home that represent very old and sacred symbols. The circle is almost always a reflection of the cosmos, of the structures that mark the cycles of life, and speak to continuity. Playful double meanings can also be found in the displays, and with a little time and some careful observation, they might begin to speak of a world of ancestors watching over the living, making visible signs to make room for the potential wisdom of the next generation.

Comments (0)

There is always some incredible project opening, closing or beginning its initial development in New York City. And while the Tony Awards Celebration is occurring this weekend to honor and recognition the current great achievements and performances, there are those who have just opened as well as was just previously mentioned those who are beginning their developmental stage. And a new revival production of the musical Evita is just one of the new projects currently manifesting in Manhattan. And one of the most exciting aspects of this production is that it has just been announced that Ricky Martin will join the cast and play the part of Che.

The musical was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice wrote the lyrics. The two were standard collaborators through a section of their careers and worked together on projects like Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in addition to Evita. Argentine actress Elena Roger is set to play the title role Eva Peron , and will be revising her highly acclaimed performance in the London West End revival production.

The latest news of this revival intended production hit the stands and has already gained a great deal of attention and excitement for the show that is expected to begin performances sometime in the spring of 2012. One of the attractive aspects of this production is the two main performers who represent the diverse interests. Roger is an extremely talented and respected theatrical stage performer, while Martin has enjoyed and incredibly successful mainstream pop music career. The show itself continues to be one of the most popular and loved by the Lloyd Webber and Rice team. Further news and insight into the production’s development will be forthcoming and highly sought by Broadway fans and the guests in some of Manhattans best hotels .

Comments (0)

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree for some. Especially if the tree is a very tall tree, but the apple is on a low branch, because even if it falls hard, it won’t be able to roll very easily. Unless of course, the tree is on top of a very steep hill, and downhill is a long way down, in which case, the apple can fall far from the tree, or at least it can roll.

No one really knows for sure what happened to Dave Barry , but he did grow up in Coral Gables, and now he lives in Miami, which means that he either likes it here, or he has run out of ideas. Either way, it’s easy to see where he gets his sense of humor, because in places where there is so much sunshine, the brain never gets a chance to rest, and it can go weird.

He’s been writing for the Miami Herald since 1983, and has been writing for a lot of people for many years. It’s been a pretty fantastic run, and truly, there’s lots of great reasons why this guy has so many fans. In a place where there are so many luxury hotels, Coral Gables is a place of leisure, which means there’s time to contemplate lots of things, and there probably isn’t a better contemplator out there than him.

There are not many humorists in the U.S. who are alive that have been played by famous comedians. Hal Holbrook waited until Mark Twain’s death was not an exaggeration, but Harry Anderson, alas, could not. It’s a good thing, too, because it gave us the chance to think about what the two of them might talk about when they meet. It was either an easy conversation, or one of those wary moments between men, where they are so terrified that they might dance that they decide to talk about the weather instead.

Comments (1)

These days everyone is on a budget. Food, utilities, entertainment; everything has to be carefully planned out. Unfortunately, this doesn’t leave much room for adding to or updating the style in your home. However, despite the financial obstacles, there are options and many ways that you can make your budget stretch.

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to freshen up the look in a room is by painting. You can usually get a gallon of paint for under $30, depending on the brand; however, if you really want to save money, you could just do an accent wall . Accent walls are not only eye catching but they also require considerably less paint.

Custom window treatments may not even seem like an option; however with Next Day blinds there are many affordable window treatment solutions available. The right window treatments can do a lot to open up a room as well as provide privacy. Next Day Blinds has many different shades, shutters and blinds at very affordable prices.

Keeping your eye out for sales is a great way to find fun accessories to personalize your home with. Many home specialty shops have great sale and clearance departments where you can find fun accents at more affordable prices. Online is also a great place to shop for accessories. Websites like Amazon or EBay usually have a wide variety of choices at very low costs. Thrift stores and consignment stores are also an ideal place to find unique accessories that allow you to add a personal touch to your room.

No matter how big or how small your budget is, there are many options out there to help you make your home unique. Even with a small budget there are many things that you can do to give your home that personal touch you’ve always wanted.

Comments (0)

There are a number of famous people that have come from Texas, and Houston in particular. Some of them would seem obvious such as ZZ Top which formed in Houston. Others are less obvious. Beyonce never needs to stay in a hotel when she is in Houston for example because that is where her whole family lives. It was for a while just her mother, father and other immediate family who lived there, but in recent years her nephew was born, on whom she dotes. She admitted once that she doesn’t just go back home for Christmas, Thanksgiving and other large celebrations like that, but also returns every year for her nephew’s birthday.

Growing up in a town like Houston, with all sorts of things to do all the time can be great for a kid who aspires to be an entertainer. With supportive parents like Beyonce’s it is no surprise that this young star was eventually discovered and rocketed to such heights. She didn’t have it easy getting there though. He mother owned a hair salon, and in the hopes of getting discovered Beyonce would sometimes do shows there. She searched in other places too of course for someone who would be willing to sign her on, but Houston is a country town and it is hard to think about Beyonce singing country. Eventually all the costumes and the performing paid off and she was discovered.

If you are staying in one of the best hotels in Houston and want to experience Houston a little bit like Beyonce does, she has let out a few places that she goes when she is finally back in her home town as well as a few places she used to hang out at as a kid. First of all, the church she goes to is St. John’s church on West Gray and she will of course also go to her management offices Music World Entertainment , but when she is done with business she has a few places she likes to go eat such as Pappadeaux, Frenchy’s Chicken or This is It.

Comments (0)

There are so many great things to do when visiting the city of Miami, it can be difficult to choose from all the options. Even for those people who visit the city to spend the entire time on the beach, and yes there are plenty of those individuals, once they arrive in the city they realize how much more there is to do there than what they had imagined. Miami is frequently considered to be one of the top tourist destinations in the country and it is also the retirement location dream for people from all across this great nation. So, with all of this in consideration, it’s hard to imagine driving outside of Miami once you arrive there.

However, just north of the city is one of the most amazing homes in the entire country. And it is certainly worth leaving Miami and it’s beautiful beaches for an afternoon to explore the Coral Castle , which defies modern science and belief and is absolutely amazing to see in person. This amazing property and the museum and sculptures found within were once the home of Ed Leedskalnin who built the amazing structures from 1923 to 1951. To this day no one understands how he accomplished what he did and he worked in secret and only at night so no one could see what he was doing.

To this day there are people that believe he accessed the assistance of supernatural energies and there are others who remain committed to solving the puzzle he left behind. The structures in the garden are made predominately from limestone and coral and are basically megalithic stones that weigh several tons. Moving them by himself is just one of the great mysteries of his creation. How he sculpted and positioned them is quite another. Some of the highlights on the property are rocking chairs, the fountain, obelisk and the royal throne. Event the stone gates, and their amazing ability to swing open are stunning to those who visit. If you’re going to be visiting, you can definitely ask for information at the Miami hotel in which you are staying. This is one attraction you will not want to miss.