Last year I had the opportunity to visit Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.  I’m a big aquarium fan, and I enjoyed the chance to check out this wonderful predator exhibit.

I recently heard about a new experience the aquarium will be offering – a Dive with the Sharks program.  Offered to hotel guests of Mandalay Bay and THEhotel, this program will give certified divers the chance to accompany dive guides to hang out with over 30 sharks in the 1.2 million gallon exhibit.  Divers must be 18 years of age and older.

Dives are offered once per day, and there is a limit to two participants per dive.  The experience is a 4-hour commitment, during which you’ll have a chance to experience an up-close educational program about shark health and behavior.  The adventure begins with a guided tour of Shark Reef, where participants will learn about the various predators residing at the aquarium.  Then, you’ll get an orientation sessions and changed into wetsuits and don equipment.

Each dive will be a different experience, as they will be adapted to what’s going on in the life of the sharks.  Once in the water, participants will get up close and personal with sand tiger, white tip, and sandbar sharks, among others, along with green sea turtles, sawfish, and all sorts of other marine life.

Care has been taken to ensure the health and safety of all the marine life as well as the participants.  The limits on participants ensures personalized attention and safety throughout the entire experience.

The Dive with Sharks experience doesn’t come cheap — $650 for single diver or $1,000 for two divers (booked together).  This includes the guided tour of Shark Reef Aquarium, orientation session, the dive (about 45 minutes), and a post-dive snack.  All equipment is provided:  wetsuit, protective stainless steel chain maille as well as a mask, fins, tank, buoyancy-control device, regulator, weights and booties.  You’ll also receive a certificate and video of the dive.

Participants can bring up to four friends to watch the dive from outside the exhibit at no additional admission fee.  They can join in the introductory guided tour.

You must present a valid certification from a recognized dive instruction agency such as PADI or NAUI to participate.  The program is available four days per week, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Advance reservations are recommended.

Photo credit:  Courtesy of MGM MIRAGE

Today’s Matchbook Monday is from Paris.  Not the one in France, but the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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

Today’s Matchbook comes from the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.  I seem to have a lot of matches from Las Vegas as it remains one of the cities where smoking in public areas is still allowed.  I’ve always liked the golden glow that seems to surround this hotel.  It’s caused by using golf leaf on the windows.

Mandalay Bay was built on the site of the former Hacienda (hands up if you remember that hotel and casino), opening in 1999.  The hotel has 39 floors, the top five of which are used by the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, making it a hotel within a hotel.  In 2003, a convention center was added, and the following year a new suite tower was opened that was named THEhotel at Mandalay Bay.  Rumor has it that a condo hotel is planned across the street with a work name of THEplace.

Mandalay Bay has always been popular for its pool and beach area and wave pool, making it a favorite for families as well as business travelers.  In May, a new permanent show takes over at the theater, Disney’s The Lion King.  The hotel is also home to Shark Reef Aquarium and the House of Blues.

Mandalay Bay uses a tram system to connect it to its sister properties, Luxor and Excalibur.

Photo credit:  personal collection

Today’s Matchbook Monday features a box from BOA Steakhouse in Las Vegas.  BOA is located at Caesar’s Palace, among the Forum Shops, overlooking the Vegas Strip (3500 South Las Vegas Boulevard).

As the name suggests, BOA is known for its steaks. offered up with your choice of rubs (tri peppercorn, blackened, blue cheese, herbed butter, foie gras butter) or sauces (signature, cabernet béarnaise, chimichurri, creamy horseradish, peppercorn).  Add a side or two (vegetables and potatoes) in a size suitable for sharing, and just try to save room for dessert.

There are a variety of seafood choices on the menu, either as entrees or add ons with your steak, but here it’s really all about the meat.

Bring your winnings, as steak prices start at $38 (flat iron steak) and sides at $8 (mashed potatoes).  Lunch steak prices are the same, although there are some additional appetizers and sandwiches.

BOA Las Vegas is open Sunday – Thursday,  noon – 10 pm, and Friday and Saturday, noon – midnight.

There are also BOA locations in Santa Monica and West Hollywood.

Photo credit:  personal collection

There’s nothing like a Las Vegas show to give you fabulous night of entertainment.  At the Palazzo Hotel I recently saw the long running and award winning, Jersey Boys.

If you’ve seen this production before, be prepared for a little upping of the risqué factor here in Las Vegas.  The language is a little coarser, making it, some would argue, a little more authentic.  It’s Jersey, after all.

But the story and the music is the same:  the evolution of the music and the careers of kids from Jersey trying to carve out some success.

Part theater and part concert performance, Jersey Boys tells the story of the The Four Seasons, the boy band from the wrong side of the Jersey tracks.  The story is told by, and from the point of view of, four different narrators.  Each narrator represents one of the four seasons, and one of The Four Seasons, as they tell the story of the different goals and self interests that fueled their careers.

The first acts tells the story of some bumbling guys from Jersey trying to carve out a life in music.  When one of the guys gets sent off to prison, Frankie Valli starts fronting for the group, bringing a wide vocal range and an impressive falsetto.  Still, until the group met up with songwriter Bob Gaudio (Who Wears Short Shorts?), success eluded them.

Valli and Gaudio formed a songwriting partnership on the basis on a handshake.  In a world of contracts and lawyers it’s hard to believe that the partnership continues today – on that same handshake.  The partnership lead to successful times during the 60’s,with songs like Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry and Walk Like a Man.  They were clean cut and establishment during a counter-culture era, but the fans loved them.

In the second act we learn that life was not all top ten hits and adoring fans for The Four Seasons.  There were very dark times of gambling (how ironic for a Vegas show), criminal conduct, drinking, womanizing and ruined marriages,and death.  The Four Seasons broke up, to be replaced by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.  The music from this stage of their careers was different, too, with hits like Stay, Let’s Hang On (to What We’ve Got) and Opus 17 (Don’t You Worry About Me).

The show came to its conclusion with one final song, the cast took its bows as the audience was on its feet in thunderous applause.  At that moment, it wasn’t theater, it was a concert. And we weren’t willing to let the bad leave the stage without an encore.

Jersey Boys performs at The Palazzo on Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7 pm.  Tuesday & Saturday at 6:30 and 9:30 pm. The theater is dark on Wednesday.  Tickets start around $65 (plus tax and handling fees), and a variety of room/ticket packages and VIP seating options are available.  The performance last about two hours, with a short break between acts.  You can purchase tickets for Jersey Boys online, through the box office on site, or through your hotel concierge.

Whether you grew up in this era, or are hearing the music of The Four Seasons for the first time, you’ll be caught up in it.  Caught up in the story of the music — and the music that is the story.  Oh what a night!

Image credit: Amazon

Forbes Magazine recently announced its list of America’s Top Ten Most Popular Tourist Attractions.

I know that the phrase “tourist attraction” can be a turn off to many people, but don’t let that label get in the way.  These are some sights worth seeing.

New York New York on the Las Vegas Strip

Here’s the list:

1. Times Square – New York City
2. Las Vegas Strip – Las Vegas, Nevada
3. National Mall & Memorial Parks – Washington DC
4. Faneuil Hall – Boston, Massachusetts
5. Disney World’s Magic Kingdom – Buena Vista, Florida
6. Disneyland Park – Anaheim, California
7. Fisherman’s Wharf/Golden Gate National Recreation Area – San Francisco, California
8. Niagara Falls – New York
9. Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Tennessee and North Carolina
10. Navy Pier – Chicago, Illinois

I’ve been to nine of the destinations on the list, although officially I was on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.  Same falls, different perspective and country, so I’m counting it.

The only attraction on the list that I haven’t been to is the Great Smoky Mountains.  I haven’t traveled much in the south, so have missed many of the great spots in that part of the country.

How many of these attractions have you seen?

Photo credit:  personal collection

Las Vegas may be better known for its vices of gambling and drinking, but the city also has another side – though you really have to hunt it out!

Bellagio: The Fountains of Bellagio

At the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art you’ll find a new exhibit that combines major contemporary artists with a focus on the 1960-70’s:  “Classic Contemporary: Lichtenstein, Warhol & Friends.”

In a move toward showcasing more recent artists, the Bellagio offers this exhibit that features paintings and sculptures from iconic artists of the Pop Art generation.  In addition to the named artists, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein (“Mirror”), you’ll also see works from Frank Stella (“Sabra III, based on a protractor curve), Ellsworth Kelly, Sol LeWitt (“Floor Piece #4, pat of his series based on the cube), Ed Ruscha, and others.

Classic Contemporary will be on view at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art through September 8th, 2009.  It is open Sunday – Thursday, 10 am-6 pm, and Friday & Saturday till 9 pm.

Admission is $15 general admission, $12 for seniors (65+) and Nevada residents (ID required), and $10 for student, teaches, and military personnel.  Children 12 and under are FREE.  Audio tours are included in the admission price.  Advance tickets can be purchased online.

The Bellagio Resort is located at 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas.

Photo credit:  Courtesy of MGM Mirage

Seeing one of my favorite musicals, Phantom of the Opera, in a Las Vegas environment, was a chance that I jumped at.

This Phantom is an all-new production, reuniting the original creative team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Hal Prince.  It’s the same storyline, including all the songs, but has new staging and illusions that are perfectly Vegas-inspired.

Without giving away some of the twists and turns of the plot, the story basically is this:

Young Christine Daae, a member of the chorus at the Paris Opera House, becomes the protege of a mysterious man who lives in the underground world of the Opera House.  This mysterious phantom is a disfigured man who for years has extorted a monthly salary from the managers of the Opera House.  lives in the bowels of the opera house.  The phantom falls in love with young Christine, and mentors her career advancement in rather extreme ways.

To the phantom’s dismay, Christine falls in love with Raoul, setting up a love triangle played out in the opera house and in the phantom’s home in the opera house basement.  Unrequited love has never sounded so beautiful.

Even if you’ve seen Phantom of the Opera before, you’ll want to see this production, as it’s different in subtle ways. 

From the minute you enter the Venetian’s Phantom Theater it’s like being in the Paris Opera House.  The attention to detail in the room, from the draped walls to the “people” in the boxes, all added to the feel of actually being in the opera house – a participant in the evening’s events rather than a mere observer.

You’ll find the plot line enhanced with special effects that are sure to impress.  The classic chandelier scene is spectacular, and the Phantom’s appearances and disappearances are entertaining and magical.  And that includes taking his final bow!

Shows are at 7 pm Monday – Saturday, with a second show at 9:30 pm on Monday and Saturday.  The theater is dark on Sunday.  Tickets can be purchased online, at the theater box office, or through your hotel concierge.  There are lots of special available, so it’s a good time to take in a show.

For me, much of the enduring feelings I have for this musical is wrapped up in the music.  After I saw the performance for the first time, I bought the CD.  For a few months I played it every day.  Eventually, the novelty wore off, but my enjoyment of the music did not.

To this day, despite seeing the performance a number of times, I often find myself quietly in tears as the final notes play.  I’m not a musician nor a singer, but I assume this is a slight approximation of what an artist must feel when they truly become one with their music.

Take a listen and enjoy the Music of the Night:

Image credits:  flickr

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For the price of a hand of blackjack or a roll of the dice, you can spend time predators of a different kind — at Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium.  Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino (3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas) is home to this predator-based aquarium, the only one in the United States.

Recently moving into the aquarium are two female Tigers Sharks, second deadliest specie behind the Great White.  These two are quickly becoming the prima donnas of the aquarium, and it’s the only place tiger sharks are available for viewing in the US.  How will you spot them?  They’re the ones with tiger striped markings, and sharp-serrated teeth!

The tiger sharks join over 2,000 other predators at the aquarium, and although the sharks were my clear favorite, here are a few others from among the 14 exhibits:

Komodo Dragon.  What they lack in looks, they make up for in speed, and the world’s largest lizard uses both its speed, cunning and power to track and kills it’s prey.  So ugly that they’re kind of cute, but very scary!

The piranhas.  A guide was standing near the exhibit to answer questions, and the question on everyone’s mind was – when do you feed them?  He explained that they are fed three times a week, usually raw chicken.  It’s chopped up into small chunks and then thrown about the water so that the piranhas disperse and chase the food.  They try to keep them from swarming in one area, so as to avoid any injuries as a result of less than sterling eating habits.

The stingray petting pool was a big visitor favorite, and not just mine.  A naturalist nearby gave adults and kids instructions about how to “pet” the stingrays swimming about the shallow pool.  I shoved up my sleeves and put my arm in the pool waiting for the stingray to swim by.  When it did, I ran one finger along the top of him.  It’s hard to explain what it felt like.  It was soft and spongy, but definitely not what I expected.  The closest I can come to describing the feel is that it’s like injera, the Ethiopian pancake-like bread.

Allow a little over an hour to walk through the exhibit, listening to the audio guide as you do.  The audio guide provides a nice enhancement to what you’re seeing, giving you the basics and then an option to press for additional information.  I frequently found myself teased by that basic information, wanting to know more.

Shark Reef Aquarium is open Sunday – Thursday, 10 am – 8 pm, and Friday & Saturday 10 am – 10 pm.  Admission is $16.95 for adults, $10.95 for children, and toddlers four and under are FREE.    Shark Reef tickets can be purchased online or on site.  Discounts available for Nevada residents (ID required).

Photo credits:  personal collection

Wanting a last minute escape to the sun, but not wanting to spend all day on an airplane, I decided to head to Las Vegas for a couple of days last month.  Mid-November is a nice time to be in Las Vegas.  Although the nights are a bit chilly, daytime was in the 80’s giving me some solid hours for pool time without feeling like I was being baked to death.

On this trip I stayed on the strip at the Palazzo Hotel, (3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas).

The Palazzo, like its sister property The Venetian, is an all-suites Las Vegas hotel with an Italian theme in the rooms, common area, and extending into the casino.  You enter through a soaring multi-level lobby.  There’s lots of glass, arts, marble and faux marble, giving an upscale feel to the hotel.

For my stay, I had booked a room on the Concierge Level, a little larger in size and giving me access to the concierge lounge.  These suites are located on floors 24-28. There is a separate concierge level check in area, although it was not staffed when I arrived.  In fact, I didn’t see it staffed for most of my stay there, giving me reason to believe that this amenity may have been discontinued.

Still, the check in process was a breeze and then it was off to the room. 

The walk to the elevator bank takes you through the main part of the casino.  While I understand that the real money is made among these tables, I really like to be able to get to my room without having to roll my luggage through the casino floor.  This is the primary negative to the check in process, and in my opinion it’s a big one.

The suites have sunken living rooms with couches, desk and work space, Italian themed art and decor, spacious bathrooms and upscale amenities.  There were three plasma televisions, two large ones in the living room and bedroom and a smaller one in the dressing area of the bathroom.  The suites are quite large, the concierge level ones being slightly larger than the others.  I enjoyed the spaciousness of the room, and it was a pleasant to feel like my room was a pleasant place to spend time in rather than just to sleep in.

Keep reading for more information about the Concierge Lounge and Pool area

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