USA TRAVEL GUIDE

Viva, Las Vegas

noreply@blogger.com (G & G) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:01:00 +0000

For the millions of visitors who make the trek to Las Vegas every year, the city offers an ever-increasing array of sights, sounds, and experiences to play on their unsatisfied needs. We desire travel to exotic locales, so we stay in a hotel modeled after one, like the Mirage or the Venetian. We want to experience adventure, so we play casino games: a good adrenaline proxy for physical risk. Just for a moment we want to own and consume finer things that we have, so we visit opulent restaurants and visit any several concentrations of high-end shopping districts, looking to buy items that would b just beyond our reach back in the real world.

Beyond and to some degree within the spectacle, the people of Las Vegas, Nevada are quintessentially American. It shines through in the out-of-starters who settled in Southern Nevada for a million different reasons over the years, who deal blackjack and drive cabs. But also evident is the melting pot; Las Vegas is the city on the hill for immigrants from all over the world. For visitors and many locals as well, Las Vegas knows that what you want and doles it out in spades. It's both exotic and comfortably familiar at the same time. But the city goes beyond merely reflecting American tastes and ideals; it consumes, amplifies, and blasts them out at high volume.

If you are here for 1 day: Try the spicy scrambled eggs for brunch at the Mesa Grill at Caesar's Palace to get you started off right. Then make a complete lap of Las Vegas Boulevard, North of the Wynn, then South to the Mandalay and Luxor, drinking in the sights and sounds of the Strip.

If you are here for 2 days: Catch a show if you are in town for a night. Even during the weekdays you can see some great standing acts, like comic magician Mac King at harrah's, or a broadway-lite show like the Producers at Paris Ls Vegas.

If you are here for 3 days: You will be here long enough to get a good feel for what a Las Vegas all-nighter is really like, so belly up to a midnight card game at Hard Rock Hotel, then sleep it off in a poolside Cabana. By the third day you should not even have to use your Blackjack crib sheet anymore.

If you are here for 4 days: The Main Street Experience downtown is a wholesome spot for people weary of the crowds on the Strip. Take the time to learn a more challenging table game like Craps or Pai Gow. It helps when you are playing at lower stakes at the El Cortez Hotel downtown as you suck in that authentic Vegas vibe.

If you are here for 5 days: See some of the countryside. Tour the hoover Dam just south of town and spend some time at Boulder Beach on Lake Mead. When night falls, pick out a Cirque du Soleil show to see; there are at least five to choose from on most nights. I recommend Mystere at Treasure Island.

If you are here for 6 days: Why not see the weirder side of Las Vegas? Go bowling at the Suncoast Hotel, then consider the nuclear option: the atomic Testing Museum. Head out west to spend a night at the Little A'Le'Inn on highway 375 in Lincoln County. better known as the Extraterrestrial Highway for its history of UFO sightings and proximity to the ever spooky area-51.

If you are here for 7 days or more: surely you cannot gamble for a week straight, right? Drive out to the new glass-floored Grand Canyon Skywalk. it extends 70 feet out over the gorge, providing you an unobstructed view a mile straight down. Follow that up with a night in Laughlin, the mini-Vegas on the Arizona border with a charm and style all its own.

Exploring New York City

noreply@blogger.com (G & G) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:11:00 +0000

New York City - the city that never sleeps. Uniquely American and simultaneously quite unlike anyplace else in the U.S., New York City has a culture, style, and spirit all its own. Home to more than 8 million residents who represent every nation in the world, New York City is a fiercely multicultural capitol of finance and fashion. It has over 19,000 restaurants and at least twice that many shops; has a lively theater district, arts, and music scene; and is home to more than a dozen world-class museums. Whatever you want, it is her. Prepare to be dazzled.

TOP SIGHTS AND TOURS in NEW YORK CITY

STATUE OF LIBERTY

To see the Statue of Liberty, catch the ferry from Battery Park; the boats leave every half-hour between 9:30 am and 3:40 pm Your Liberty island ticket also includes a stop at Ellis Island
The Statue of Liberty was presented to the U.S. in 1886 as a gift from France. The 152-foot tall figure was sculpted by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi and erected around an iron skeleton engineered by Gustav Eiffel. It stands atop an 89-foot pedestal designed by Richard Morris Hunt. Over the course of time, the statue has become preceisely what is creators dreamed it would be: the single most powerful symbol of American ideals, and as such one of the world's great monumental sculptures. The tours are limited to 3,000 participants a day; to guarantee a place, particularly on the observatory tour, you should order tickets ahead of time - they can be reserved up to 180 days in advance, by phone or internet. Although the narrow, double helix stairs leading to the statue's crown have been closed to visitors since 9/11, you get a look at the statue's inner structure on the observatory tour. if you are n one of the tours, you will go through security check more thorough than any airport screening, and you will have to deposit your bags in a locker.
Free admission. Ferry ride: $11.50 round trip. Opens daily 9am to 5pm.

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

Form the 86th-floor observatory, which towers 1,050 feet above the city, you can see up to 80 miles away on a clear day, and it's heated and air-conditioned, unlike the deck 16 stories further up. The views at night are equally dazzling, with the glittering city lights. if you are afraid of heights, gazing at the building from afar is nothing to sneeze at, either-especially in the dark,m when it is illuminated by coloured lights that correspond to different holidays and causes. 350 Fifth Avenue at E. 34th Street, Murray Hill. Admission:$18. Opens daily 8am to 2am; last elevator up leaves at 1:15am. Subway: B, D, F, N, Q, R, V, W to 34th St. / Herald Square.

CENTRAL PARK

The literal and figurative center of Manhattan, Central Park has 843 acres of meandering paths, tranquil lakes, ponds, and open meadows. For equestrians, softball and soccer players, strollers. ice and roller skater, rock climbers, bird watchers, boaters, picknickers, and outdoor performers, it is an oasis of fresh air and greenery that lets them forget - at least for a while - the hustle and congestion of the city.

BROOKLYN BRIDGE

A "drive-through cathedral" is how the critic James Wolcott describes one of New York's noblest and most recognizable landmarks, which spans the Est River and connects Manhattan to the heart of Brooklyn. A walk across the bridge's promenade - a boardwalk elevated above the roadway and shared by pedestrians, in-line skaters, and bicyclists - take about 40 minutes, from Manhattan's civic center to the heart of Brooklyn Heights. It's well worth traversing for the astounding views. The roadway is supported by a web of stell cables, hung from the towers and attached to block-long anchorages on either shore.

Yellowstone National Park, USA

noreply@blogger.com (G & G) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:30:00 +0000

Driving to Yellowstone: the interstate highway system does not go directly to Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is nearly 55 miles from I-90 and 155 miles from I15. It is no wonder that Yellowstone is considered one of the most remote places in the continental United States. Still hundreds of thousands of cars make the pilgrimage here each summer. Those who make the trek are immediately rewarded at any of the park's five entrances with a feast of sights, from the animal-rich Madison Valley at the popular west entrance, to the magnificent terraces of Mammoth Springs int he north and stunning peaks of the east and northeast entrance.

Much more than just America's first National Park, Yellowstone is the quintessential example of the nation's natural splendor. Remote as it maybe, millions have been drawn here by the park's incomparable combination of pure beauty, rugged wilderness, abundant wildlife, and intense geothermal activity for the past 130 years. The park, along with nearby Grand Teton National Park, makes this northwestern corner of Wyoming a haven for backcountry wanderers and backseat explorers alike. The parks are veritable gold mine of national treasures, with ecosystems as rich as any in the world.

SCENIC AREAS OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Yellowstone Grand Canyon from Grand View

This stunning canyon is 23 miles long, but there is only one trail from the rim to base. As a result, a majority of park visitors clog the north and south rims to see Upper and Lower Falls. To compound problems,park officials will completely close the North Rim Road in 2008 for construction. Popular north rim scenic stops Grand View, Lookout Point, Inspir called the Seven Mile Hole, Lookout Point, and Brink of the Lower Falls may be reachable only by foot, if at all. Unless you're up for the six-hour strenuous hike called Seven Mile Hole, you have no choice but to join the crowds on the rims to see this natural wonder. The red-and-ochre canyon walls are topped with emerald-green forest. It is a feast of colour.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs is known for its massive natural terraces, where mineral water flows continuously, building an ever-changing display. You will almost always see elk grazing in the area. Mammoth Hot Springs is also headquarters for Yellowstone National Park. In the early days of the park, it was he site of Fort Yellowstone, and the brick buildings constructed during that era are still used for vigorous park activities. The Albright Visitor Center has information and displays about the park history.

Old Faithful

Old Faithful is Yellowstone's most predictable big geyser - although not its largest or most regular - sometimes reaches 180-feet, but it averages 130-feet. Sometimes it does not shoot as high, but in those cases the eruptions usually last longer. \the mysterious plumbing of Yellowstone has lengthened Old Faithful's cycle somewhat in recent years, to every 94 minutes or so. To find out when Old Faithful is likely to erupt, check at the visitor center, or at any of the lodging properties in the area. The 1-mile hike to Observation Point yields a unique view - from above- of the geyser and its surrounding basin.
West Thumb Geyser Basin
The primary Yellowstone caldera was created by a volcanic eruption 640,000 years ago, but the West Thumb came about much more recently about 150,000 years ago, as a result of another volcanic eruption. This unique geyser basin is the only place to see active geothermal features in Lake Yellowstone. Two boardwalk loops are offered - take the longer one to see features such as "Fishing Cone" where fishermen used to catch fish, pivot, and drop their fish in boiling water for cooking - without ever taking it off the hook. It is popular for winter visitors who take advantage of the nearby warming hut and a stroll around the geyser basin before continuing their trip via snow coach or snowmobile.

Black Hills Mountain of South Dakota, USA

noreply@blogger.com (G & G) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:52:00 +0000

How to get there by driving:motorists arrive via I90 which connects Rapid City to Sioux Falls and Billings. From the south, visitors can get to the Black Hills via US highways 79, 85, or 18. From the North, most drivers arrive via US highway 85. The Black Hills of South Dakota is one of the most scenic areas in the nation. For many travelers, it remains one of the overlooked jewels of the West. Comprised of some of the oldest mountain the world, the Black Hills are a mix of lush green forests, open mountain prairies, creek-carved canyons, and crystal-clear lakes encompassing more than 1.2 million acres.

The Black Hills welcome more than 3 million visitors per year from around the world who come to see one of the highest concentrations of parks, monuments, and memorials anywhere in the world. The ideal time to visit the Black Hills is during the summer months - except during the first full week of August, when a half-million motorcycle enthusiasts flock to the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and fill virtually everyhotel room and campground between Sundance, WY, and Wall, South Dakota.

SIGHTS AND TOURS

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

At Mount Rushmore, one of the nation's most famous sights, 60-foot-high likenesses of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt grace a massive granite cliffs, at an elevation of 5,725 feet, towers over the surrounding countryside and faces the sun most of the day. Start your day with breakfast with the presidents, and allow 2 hours to tour the memorial. The memorial is spectacular at night in June to September, when a special lightning ceremony dramatically illuminates the carving. The Mount Rushmore Information Center, between the park entrance and the Avenue of Flags, has a small exhibit with photographs of the president's faces as they were being carved. Admission and parking are free. Opens 8am to 10pm daily May-Sept.; 8am to 5pm Oct. to Apr.

Crazy Horse Memorial

Designed to be the world's largest sculpture, the tribute to Crazy horse, the legendary Lakota leader who helped defeat General Custer at the Little Bighorn, is a work in progress. So far the warrior's head has been curved out of the mountain, and the head of his horse is starting to emerge. when work is underway you can expect to witness frequent blasting. The completion date is unknown, since activity is limited by weather and funding. Near the work site stands an exceptional orientation center, the Indian Museum of North America. Admission: $10 per adult or $24 per carload for more than 2 adults. Opens daily 8am to 9pm May-Sept.; 8am to 4pm Oct.-Apr.

Deadwood

Its brick-paved streets plied by old-time trolleys, illuminated by period lightning, and lined with original Victorian architecture, Deadwood today owes much of its historical character to casinos. In 1989 South Dakota voters approved limited-stakes gaming for the town, on that condition that a portion of revenues be devoted to historic preservation. Since then, more than $200 million has been dedicated to restoring and preserving this once infamous gold-mining boomtown, which earned distinction as a National Historic Landmark.

The Badlands
If you are traveling to the Black Hills from the east, at least 100 billboards will alert you to your pending arrival at the Wall Drug Store near the Badlands, about 55 mi east of Rapid City. It ll began with the offer of free ice water, but has evolved into third generation attraction that commands the entire block. The landscape of Badlands National Park east of the Black Hills is other-worldly, with 244,000 acres of ragged ridgelines and sawtooth spires that make it look like the surface of the moon. Best seen at sunup or dusk, the 32-miles Badlands Loop Road is well worth the drive.

Devil's Tower National Monument

The Black Hills spill over the South Dakota state line into extreme northeastern Wyoming, where you'll discover Devil's Tower National Monument, the first such monument established in the U.S. The trading post outside the park's entrance is worth a stop, as is the monument's visitor center. A gentle walking path surrounds the geologic up-thrust made famous in the movie Close Encounter of the Third Kind.