by The Railroad Pass Hotel - Photo from MGM Resorts
The Railroad Pass Hotel Casino
2800 South Boulder Highway,
Henderson, Nevada 89002
The Railroad Pass is owta town. It’s on the road to Kingman, Arizona (about 100 miles) or if you do a 180, it’s about 20 miles or so back to Las Vegas. This very cool place is a road-house type hotel and casino just off the highway in Henderson, Nevada.
It’s Old Vegas. In fact it’s 1931 Old Vegas, at least that’s when The Railroad Pass was built. The Railroad Pass boasts the first and longest running gaming license in Nevada. The surrounding country side and view of the stretch out to Searchlight are things that Steve Wynn and all of the other moguls in Las Vegas couldn’t replicate, duplicate, triplicate, or fournicate. Ever! I think I may have gone a bit too far with fournicate. I don’t think it’s a word.
Awaken early and open the drapes to the early morning sun shinning over the desert expanse to Searchlight and other points south. It’s a better way to start the day.
Modest hotel rooms, an Old-West saloon and gambling hall, and modern – but not pretentious – restaurants (3) provide everything you need for a great time in this peaceful setting on the fringe of HOOVER DAM.
In the 90s when I was dry-docking in a motor-home and the streets of Las Vegas began to close-in, I’d scoot up the highway to The Railroad Pass for a night of sanity in the wide open spaces.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Grand Garden Arena at The MGM Hotel.
“Roger Waters, co-founder and principal songwriter of the band Pink Floyd, is commemorating the 30th anniversary of the original release of The Wall with a monumental tour featuring a full band and a newly-mounted state-of-the-art production of his epochal masterpiece of alienation and transformation performed in its entirety. See Roger Waters live at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Show starts at 8pm.”
$250, $125 & $75
Grand Garden Ticket Office open from 9:00am – 9:00pm, daily.
“Yes. Today’s November full moon is a Blue Moon. It isn’t blue in color. It’s only blue in name – at least, by one definition. Tonight’s moon is the third of four full moons in a season. So many will call it a Blue Moon.”
“There is a more modern definition of Blue Moon. It’s the idea that a Blue Moon is a second full moon in a calendar month. The next Blue Moon to fit this description will come on August 31, 2012. Is one definition better or more true than the other? The great thing about folklore is that it’s whatever the folk say it is. So we all get to decide.” read more…
Back to EarthSky.Org’s pages:
“Today’s Blue Moon definition comes from old editions of the Maine Farmer’s Almanac. Here are the facts. Generally, there are only three full moons in any one season. Three in summer, three in autumn … you get the idea. By season, we mean the period of time between a solstice and an equinox or vice versa, but of course there’s nothing official about that definition of a season either. But we digress.”
“In 2010, four full moons fall in between the September equinox and the December solstice. The third of the season’s four full moons may be called a Blue Moon, according to the old Maine Farmer’s Almanac definition.”
“So today’s full moon is a Blue Moon. It’s the third of the season’s four full moons. Almanac makers like to give each full moon a name, depending on where the full moon falls relative to the year’s two equinoxes and two solstices. But when a single season presents four full moons, the extra full moon throws a monkey wrench into the otherwise ordered nomenclature of full moons. It is easier for almanac makers to call the third – rather than the fourth – full moon a Blue Moon.”
This is from The Old Farmer’s Almanac:
“Historically, the Native Americans who lived in the area that is now the northern and eastern United States kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to the recurring full Moons.”
“Each full Moon name was applied to the entire month in which it occurred. These names, and some variations, were used by the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.”
The name given for this month’s moon is: Full Beaver Moon – “For both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. This full Moon was also called the Frost Moon.”
Here are some links for Elvis Presley’s mega hit record from the 50s, “BLUE MOON.”
“Blue Moon” is a classic popular song. It was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934, and has become a standard ballad.” more from wiki…
“Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart were contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in May 1933. They were soon commissioned to write the songs for Hollywood Party, a film that was to star many of the studio’s top artists. Richard Rodgers later recalled “One of our ideas was to include a scene in which Jean Harlow is shown as an innocent young girl saying – or rather singing – her prayers. How the sequence fitted into the movie I haven’t the foggiest notion, but the purpose was to express Harlow’s overwhelming ambition to become a movie star (‘Oh Lord, if you’re not busy up there,/I ask for help with a prayer/So please don’t give me the air…’).” The song was not even recorded and MGM Song #225 “Prayer (Oh Lord, make me a movie star)” dated June 14, 1933, was registered for copyright as an unpublished work on July 10, 1933.[]” read more…
Battista’s Hole In The Wall Italian Restaurant
4041 Audrie St.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
(702) 732-1424
One of my favorite Italian restaurants in Las Vegas “Battista’s Hole in the Wall” is old-school Italian, serving good food for over 30 years.
Behind the Flamingo Hilton, just across the street from Bally’s, Battista’s is a freestanding restaurant with a warm, old-world ambiance that welcomes the visitor with a blanket of security from cold Las Vegas. Of course we’re not talking about the temperature here.
With several prix-fixe menu choices, one can settle in for a night of Old Vegas dining. And yes – accordingly – there is a strolling accordionist.
ALL DINNERS INCLUDE
Minestrone Soup or Italian Salad, Garlic Bread, Pasta Side & Homemade Cappuccino.
FREE HOUSE WINE INCLUDED
Red or White
Pasta Dishes
1. Ravioli (Cheese)
2. Lasagna
3. Manicotti (Cheese)
4. Canelloni (Meat)
5. Eggplant Parmegiana
6. Fettuccine Seafood Sauce
Any one of the above for $22.95
Spaghetti or Ziti
with choice of one sauce
7. Sausage Cacciatore
8. Meatballs (2)
9. Meat Sauce
10.Pomodoro
Any one of the above for $20.95
10 oz. Boneless Breast of Chicken
11. Chicken Rio
12. Chicken Parmegiana
13. Chicken Cacciatore
14. Steak Pizzaiola
15. Linguini Chopped Clams
16. Chicken Alfredo
Any one of the above $26.90
White Veal
16. Veal Piccante
17. Veal Marsala
18. Veal Parmegiana
Any one of the above $29.95
19. Steak Caruso
20. Shrimp – Garlic-Butter or Marinara
21. Fresh Fish of the Day
Any one of the above $31.95
22. Battista Style Cioppino
23. Filet Mignon (10 oz.)
24. New York (12 oz.)
Any one of the above $37.95
By Kyle Hansen, LasVegasSun
Published Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010 | 2:11 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010 | 4:14 p.m.
Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge Dedication
The dedication ceremony Thursday of the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge brought together states and cultures.
The bridge is the centerpiece of the Hoover Dam bypass, joining Nevada and Arizona with a quicker and safer route for U.S. 93 between Las Vegas and Phoenix.
The dedication featured both states, with an honor guard from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, the national anthem sung by students from Kingman, Ariz., and politicians from both states praising the structure.
The event also incorporated representatives of the native people who once lived on the land and used the Colorado River where the dam and bridge now stand. A spiritual leader from the Southern Paiute Tribe in Nevada offered a blessing and members of tribes from Nevada and Arizona took turns dancing on the new bridge.
The project was a group effort under the direction of the Federal Highway Administration along with the Arizona Department of Transportation; the Nevada Department of Transportation; the Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees the Hoover Dam; the National Park Service, which runs the Lake Mead National Recreation Area; and the Western Area Power Administration, which runs the power transmission lines that go to the dam.
“The bridge shows what we can achieve when we set aside individual agendas and work toward a partnership,” said Victor Mendez, the federal highway administrator. “I hope that serves as a model for the future.”
Work on the $240 million bypass project began in 2003. The bridge itself cost $114 million and is 1,900-feet long. It includes the longest concrete arch in the Western Hemisphere and is believed to be the second-highest bridge in the nation, at 890 feet above the Colorado River. Read more from The LasVegasSun.Com…
by Roy Lichtenstein, Untitled (From The New York Collection For Stockholm Series)
Two color silkscreen, edition 231 of 300, 12 x 9 inches, Collection Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, gift of Mr. Robert Rauschenberg, New York, Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
Figuratively Speaking: A Survey of the Human Form. On view through January 2011. Renoir, Picasso, Hockney, Lichtenstein, Viola
Located at the heart of the elegant Bellagio Hotel and Casino, Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (BGFA) is Las Vegas’ premier exhibition space – where great art goes on vacation. BGFA is committed to presenting intimate exhibitions featuring works by some of the world’s most compelling artists. BGFA exhibitions are organized in partnership with museums and foundations from around the world.
This engaging survey features more than 40 paintings, photographs and sculpture along with video installations by 29 artists whose traditional and contemporary perspectives on figurative art helped to define the genre in the late 19th, 20th and early 21st centuries.
Featuring works of art from MGM Resorts International’s own Fine Art Collection, including some by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas and Fernand Leger, Figuratively Speaking also presents some of the best figurative works from the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
General Admission: $15
Nevada residents: $12
Seniors 65 and older: $12
Students, Teachers, Military: $10
*Children ages 12 and under are complimentary
Ticket Information
Tickets available by calling
877.957.9777 or
702.693.7871 or
The Wild West Music Fest will be an annual three-day country and western Fair, with carnival rides, games, food, and exhibitions, all anchored by three days of performances by award winning and legendary country music stars.
DATES/HOURS:
Friday, October 15th … 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Saturday, October 16th … 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Sunday, October 17th … 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
KENNY ROGERS
GLEN CAMPBELL
JOHN FORD COLEY
LONESTAR
JASON MICHAEL CARROLL
LOVE AND THEFT
SPECIAL GUESTS: TOURIN WITH THE TAYLORS
MONTGOMERY GENTRY
ELI YOUNG BAND
LEE BRICE
ADMISSION: $7 (children 3 and under are free)
TICKET INFO: Fair tickets can be purchased at the Pavilion entry gates only. There are no in-and-out privileges.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME ride over the NEW HOOVER DAM BRIDGE
RTC Viva Bike Vegas 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
“Registration is closed for the 115-mile ride due to an overwhelming response and there is NO waiting list. We thank you for your interest and would like to direct you to our 50-mile and 23-mile rides for which registrations are still being accepted. Please note the 50 and 23-mile rides do not include the nearly complete Hoover Dam Bridge
Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge
Click for breathtaking view
We appreciate your interest in this year’s event benefitting After-School All Stars Las Vegas and Nevada Cancer Institute!”
Mark Your Calendars!
RTC Viva Bike Vegas 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
“Fabulous Las Vegas is calling all cycling enthusiasts to join the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) as we host RTC Viva Bike Vegas 2010 Presented by Vector Media on Saturday, October 9, 2010.”
“You can try your skills with our all new 50-Mile ride taking you from Downtown Las Vegas, into the Red Rock Loop and back Downtown for a ride that is not to be taken lightly. This year’s final ride is a 23-Mile course designed to take you from Downtown Las Vegas to the beautiful West end of Las Vegas along the famous Alta Drive Scenic route. The 23-Mile Ride is a great ride for beginner riders looking to ride their first event. Please note the 50 and 23-mile rides do not include the nearly complete Hoover Dam Bridge.”
“Event proceeds from this ride will benefit two local charities, Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars and Nevada Cancer. Don’t forget to view the 2010 route map and information page.” read more, registration information, route map and more…
The Las Vegas Buffet Club offers sincere wishes for a safe journey to the shining star, Tony Curtis, who passed away September 30, 2010 in Henderson, Nevada. Thanks for decorating the movies and our lives.
Las Vegas is letting out all the stops for the 200th Mexican Independence Day Celebration.
On September 16, Mexico is celebrating 200 years of independence from Spanish rule and Las Vegas is joining in on the festivities all weekend long with parties, food and special headline entertainment. Here’s a roundup of what’s going on: (more below from blog.vegas.com)
Viva Las Vegas
Photo - blog.vegas.com
At MGM
MGM Resorts Intl. introduces VIVA, an extended Las Vegas weekend spectacular from September 15-19. This will be a party to remember! Come to Vegas and celebrate Mexico from one end of the strip to the other. Hombre 1 Dot Com
The VIVA celebration [MGM]begins Wednesday, Sept. 15 with a sold-out concert by Mexican sensation Alejandro Fernandez and the traditional “grito” – a ceremonial late-night declaration of independence – at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Latin Grammy Award-winners Marco Antonio Solis and Pedro Fernandez continue the Latin music extravaganza Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. A hilarious mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects by Gabriel Iglesias will bring the Monte Carlo Theatre to life Thursday through Saturday.
FROM CIRCUS CIRCUS
CELEBRATE MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE WITH ‘VIVA’
9/1/2010
Experience a uniquely Vegas five-day fiesta presented by MGM Resorts International
LAS VEGAS – Just in time to celebrate 200 years of Mexican independence, MGM Resorts International is proud to introduce VIVA, an extended weekend spectacular, September 15-19. The red, white and green blowout takes place across all Las Vegas MGM Resorts properties and welcomes Latino travelers, and anyone wishing to join the party, to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of Mexican Independence Day from one end of The Strip to the other.
Room specials – check with an MGM hotel.
From Blog.Vegas.Com
On September 16, Mexico is celebrating 200 years of independence from Spanish rule and Las Vegas is joining in on the festivities all weekend long with parties, food and special headline entertainment. Here’s a roundup of what’s going on:
In celebration of Mexican Independence Day, Tacos & Tequila (T&T) at the Luxor will launch the worldwide premiere of “Viva T&T” Wednesday, September 15 at 8 p.m. The wacky rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas” will showcase an entertaining routine choreographed to DJ Ernan’s mariachi mash-up, starring a mini mariachi Elvis and the sexy Elissa cast as a modern-day Ann-Margret.
El Segundo Sol at the Fashion Show Mall is also celebrating all things Mexico on September 16th. “Loco Hour” includes special drinks and food at half price. Try the bottomless chips and three salsas, fried peppers or a quesadilla and wash it all down with El Segundo Sol’s signature Frozen and Shakin’ tableside margaritas. Live music and mariachis will add to the fiesta atmosphere. More from blog.vegas.com
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