Here are the top things that I found:

• Spent a day at the pool at Mandalay Bay.  Renting a cabana, and have a place to get out of the sun occasionally, made a 100+ degree day at the pool bearable.
• Watched the volcano erupt at the Mirage.
• Saw Disney’s The Lion King at Mandalay Bay.
• Dinner & a show at the Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur.

Win a trip to Fabulous Las Vegas!

I’ll be writing about my experience, and providing some reviews and recommendations about them soon, but I wanted everyone to know that I had a GREAT time!  I have some future Vegas trips coming up that will be adult-oriented, so this trip was a little out of the ordinary for me.  But it was was incredibly fun!

How would you like to have a GREAT time in Las Vegas as well?  If you tell me what you would love to see or do in Las Vegas, you just might have the chance to do it!

The nice folks at VisitLasVegas.com are providing one lucky winner a $250 gift card on Southwest Airlines to take a flight to Las Vegas.  SWA flies there from most major cities around the United States.  In addition, the winner will also receive a $150 AmEx pre-paid debit card for spending cash.

To enter the contest all you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog post and answer this question:

When you go to Las Vegas, what do you want to do or see?

Deadline for comments is Tuesday, August 18th, at midnight ET.  After that, I’ll select a random number and match it up with the comment.  You must leave an email so that I can contact you.

Not sure what you want to do?  Or maybe you just need a little help narrowing it down?  Visit Las Vegas will help you out with all sorts of suggestions to tempt you.

Now what are you waiting for?  Enter the contest and tell me what YOU want to do?

Photo credit: Bukowsky18 @flickr

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Today’s Matchbook Monday is a little trip down Las Vegas memory lane, back to the glory years of the desert, and the once infamous Desert Inn.  The Desert Inn was once the home to reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, who rented a couple floors and holed up there for so long that he eventually bought the place.  This was the first of many Las Vegas purchases that Howard Hughes made.

The Desert Inn was one of the premium resorts on the strip, and all the top stars played its Crystal Showroom.  You weren’t anybody till you played the DI.  The original 1960’s version of Ocean’s Eleven was shot here, and it was the setting for the television show Vega$ which aired in the late 70’s.

The resort celebrated it’s 50th birthday in 2000, with a huge, splashy week long party that included many of the starts that had played there over the years.  Just three short days later, the resort was purchased by Steve Wynn.  The hotel eventually closed and was demolished, making way for the Wynn Resort.

I remember visiting the Desert Inn at a time when it was considered one of the elite spots on the strip.  Anyone else?

Photo credit:  personal collection

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Today, though, I step back to a popular destination, Las Vegas, and the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino.

Located right on the Las Vegas strip at 3535 Las Vegas Boulevard South, the Imperial Palace is an Asian-themed hotel owned by the Harrah’s corporation.

It’s two primary attractions are the Auto Collection and Legends in Concert.

The Auto Collection is the world’s largest classic car showroom, and features over $100 million dollars in inventory.  Over 250 antique and classic cars are on display, nearly all for sale, and walking through is like taking a little snapshot of history.

Legends in Concert, a long-running musical presentation by celebrity impersonators.  While the show moved next door to Harrah’s just a few months ago, it’s substantially linked to the Imperial Palace where it originated.

The Imperial Palace is not typically one of those hotels that’s at the top of my list when choosing a place to stay in Las Vegas.  It’s been many years since I’ve stayed there, but on that occasion I had the opportunity to visit the spa.  Between soaking in various pools, and a fabulous to-die-for-massage, it ranks as one of my best spa experiences.

Photo credit:  personal collection

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

Paris is located on the Las Vegas Strip, and, as it’s name suggests is patterned after the famous French city after which it takes its name.  It include a 540 foot replica of the Eiffel Tower, making it easily identifiable in the Vegas skyline.  The property also includes a two-thirds sized Arc de Triomphe, a replica of La Fontaine des Mers, and a neon sign shaped like the Montgolfier balloon.  The front of the hotel is designed to look like the Paris Opera House and the Louvre.

Paris is connected to its next door sister property, Bally’s Las Vegas, by a covered promenade, making both properties easily accessible to guests.  You can wander back and forth between the two properties, or head to the monorail station that serves both properties.

It will never take the place of the real Paris, but if you’re looking for a strip hotel, this is a good choice.

Do you have a matchbook collection sitting around in a jar or stuck in a desk drawer?  Matchbook Monday was started specifically because of people like you.  Even though we’ve moved into a non-smoking era, most of us have picked up matchbooks from our various travels around the world.  I’d love to share your matchbook on a future Matchbook Monday, so please take a photo and email it to Flyaway Cafe.  Feel free to include any remembrances of how you came to get the matchbook.

Photo credit:  personal collection

Post from: Fly Away Cafe