Travel Blog

Can you believe it, Bristol Palin is still on Dancing with the Stars? She had the lowest points going into this session, week two of the 2012 season by a long shot and who gets booted off? Instead Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson were given the boot, much to our disgust.

Bristol cannot dance and worse, she is not even trying.  She does not seem to have the work ethic which is so symptomatic of many young people these days. So what is keeping her on the show. Well in our opinion it has to be the republican right. Also all of the young single mothers who are pulling for her. And then of course there are her mothers follower’s who must be voting for her.

Bristol’s Work Ethic

We predict that unless she changes her work ethic and picks up her style, the judges will give her an even lower score next time just to try to get her off.  the rest of the dancing crew are so far above her in skill and entertainment value that it is really embarrassing. Even the MC, Tom Bergeron does not know what to say. Everyone was shocked last night. If this continues like it did in the last Dancing with the Stars show she was on, other much more talented people are going to be going home before she does.

Let us know what you think about Bristol Palin being on the show and also what you think of her dancing. She has a long way to go before she catches up with the others on the show who have much more talent.

What About Mark Ballas

We also feel sorry for Mark Ballas. He is an extremely talented dancer with tremendous energy. To be stuck with someone who has stated she does not care that much about the show is bad enough. A person who apparently goes home early also must be very difficult to take. Fortunately for Bristol, he is a professional. He will keep plugging away at her to try to improve her dance skills. There are other people on the show younger than her and with far more energy and better work ethic. They are doing well and will be in the finals I am sure unless the voting really gets out of whack.

Vote for anyone but Bristol so that she goes home next week regardless of how she does so that the real competition can begin with the people who are working really hard on Dancing with the Stars. We need to see a real competition and not a popularity show that is really attributed to her republican mother. She probably is a really nice girl, but get with the program and start competing. Work hard and at least try to improve!

That is our take on last nights elimination with Dancing with the Stars.

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There are many dangers of not getting enough sleep for people who cannot get enough sleep due to their jobs, health issues and possibly bad habits that develop over time in our daily lives. For example having a coffee within a couple of hours before you go to bed can keep a lot of people up for hours or even cause them to wake up during the night as their bodies process the caffeine in the coffee. There are many reasons regarding why people do not get enough sleep, however we will focus on some of the dangers associated with sleep deprivation and then review some of the steps you can take to try to get better sleep.

Symptoms and / Or Causes of not Getting enough sleep

The dangers of not getting enough sleep can involve the following which we will expand on further:

• Fatigue
• Pain
• Depression
• Weight Gain
• Heart Disease
• Death

Fatigue

Chronic fatigue can affect us in many different ways. We are obviously not as alert as we should be which makes us prone to having more accidents of all kinds including while driving a car, working at physical jobs and just not being alert when we cross the street for example.

Our bodies also suffer. In fact every organ in our body will be impacted by lack of sleep which if allowed to go on for a long time can also have very negative effects on our overall health. When we are sick we will be sicker, even cancers can advance more quickly when our bodies are too tired to fight diseases of all kinds.

Pain

Even pain from things like arthritis, cuts, broken bones, etc will feel far worse when we are tired. Our ability to deal with the pain is impaired and we just do not have the patience as well.

Depression

People can become very depressed as well. If you are prone to depression, fatigue and lack of sleep will only make this worse.

Weight Gain

We tend to eat more when we are tired. Our bodies crave energy to make up for the lack of sleep and tired feeling. We eat more and we gain weight as well more so when we are tired  all of the time we gain weight.

Heart Disease

The risk of heart disease goes up as well due to our bodies being under stress due to lack of sleep. If you have underlying heart disease from other issues, this can only make it worse.

Death

Chronic lack of sleep can trigger events in your body that might not otherwise occur. Heart attacks, strokes etc can be triggered by chronic fatigue and lack of sleep.

How to get More Sleep

We just watched a short documentary on getting enough sleep and what the impacts can be if you do not get enough sleep. They suggested that the short list of steps to take to help ensure that you get a good sleep every night is as follows:

• Go to bed at the same time every day
• Get up at the same time every day, including weekends
• Limit alcohol to no more than 3 drinks two hours before you go to bed
• Limit exercise  to greater than 4 hours before you go to bed
• Try to keep the same routine

If you sleep in on the weekends, after two days, your body adjusts and expects to sleep in on Monday. This is probably why Mondays are always so hard and difficult for people. Their bodies are expecting to sleep in, but cannot because they have to get up earlier and go to work. They begin the work week feeling tired and fatigued and not totally alert.

The dangers of not getting enough sleep  can be decreased by sticking to a routine. Avoid any kind of stimulants and also depressant such as alcohol. If these steps do not work, then there could be some other underlying health issue. It could be preventing people from getting a good nights sleep. For example in older people above the age of 45, sleep apnea can be a major cause of not getting enough sleep which contributes to fatigue and other health issues.

If you have tried all of the above and you are still not getting enough sleep it may be wise to check in with your family doctor to asses any other reasons that might be preventing you from sleeping. For more information about the dangers of not getting enough sleep, click here.

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I just got equipped with a CPAP machine and it is also already set up for travel as well. The model I have is shown in the picture and have been using it for 6 weeks now. I am so happy with this CPAP machine that I will travel every where with it. Sure it is another piece of luggage to carry and you must also use distilled water with the humidifier. But it is well worth the hassle to get a good nights sleep. There are some things you can do to make your CPAP for travel more convenient and easy to accommodate. Diet and sleep are linked very closely.

You might wonder why we are including posts about CPAP machines on a diet web site. Well it turns out that if you do not get a slot of sleep then you start to eat more to give you that energy boost during the day when you are fatigued and just need that pick me up. Also when you are tired, you also rest more and do a lot less. Your metabolism declines and next thing you know the pounds are just rolling on. One of the reasons for being so tired is sleep apnea. There are many reasons for tiredness. So regardless of what you do, talk to your doctor and if he thinks you need a sleep test, then do it.

CPAP for Travel by Car and lack of Sleep

CPAP machines are often prescribed for people who have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is described many different ways, but for me who also has sleep apnea, it meant that I would snore really badly, I would stop breathing for awhile until my brain went into panic mode and woke me up. Then I would gasp or snort making it really difficult for anyone sleeping with me or even in the next room.

Another side effect is that you are always very tired. In fact after my sleep study, I was informed that I had a sleep disturbance 39 times on average every hour during the night. How can you ever get a good sleep under those conditions? Well when it came to driving, I would frequently have to pull over and take a nap or get out and walk around until I was re-energized enough to continue driving. This was the result of extreme fatigue from not sleeping enough and not soundly enough. I never even got to the point of dreaming.

This was dangerous since falling asleep at the wheel was a constant worry. But it turns out that I was not as bad as my friend. He apparently has sleep apnea far worse than I do. This guy would fall asleep at the wheel on a regular basis. He would even fall asleep at stop lights and his wife would have to wake him up when the light turned green! Hard to believe, but it is a true story. Now that he has a CPAP machine, he rarely falls asleep at the wheel. Or even during the day any more. CPAP for travel is one of the best things that you bring with you.

Traveling Over Night with your CPAP Machine

As you can see from the picture this particular machine comes with a handy travel case which is easy to pack up and carry. My friend takes him with him wherever he goes. If he happens to forget it for a night, he knows that he is trouble and will have a very difficult time driving.

Most machines have a humidifier built in. Humidity makes it much more comfortable for patients since it keeps your nasal passages open and moisten. If you happen to be a mouth breather it is even more important since your mouth will become extremely dry and uncomfortable. You are supposed to only use distilled water in these machines to prevent calcium build up and other impurities that might be in your tap water from getting into your lungs.

Traveling by Plane

Traveling by plane these days with any kind of liquid is a problem. You can travel with your CPAP machine. However most people should be prepared to purchase distilled water at their final destination to fill their CPAP device. Once you get used to sleeping at night, having a full nights rest and getting used to the machine itself, most people will never be without their machines.

The noise of the CPAP device is very low. In fact it is much lower than even the noise from a small fan set a low speed. Patients will take some time to get used to wearing the mask. Which may take a week or as along as month depending on how adaptable they are. But once you become comfortable with wearing the mask, we are sure you never will be without one of these devices.

I have one now for the past 6 weeks and I am already convinced that I will travel everywhere with it to avoid losing sleep, not to mention other possible side effects such as heart attacks and strokes. If you have been prescribed a machine, don’t hesitate, get one right away. You will be so happy with getting a good nights sleep! If you need more information about CPAP for travel or CPAP in general, click here.

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This is our first post about Atlantic city and some of the casinos we visited recently. We have not been to the Atlantic city area for some time, but always have fond memories of biking along the boardwalk and visiting various restaurants in the casinos and on the boardwalk. We titled this post as our Atlantic city casino guide, since it is our first post and we thought it would be nice to include a few general pictures and some information about the casinos. Here we go. This is our Atlantic city guide.

Atlantic City Casino Guide – The Boardwalk

The boardwalk is really the center of the action as far as we are concerned. It stretches for approximately seven miles we are told and the casinos are along the north end of the boardwalk. You have a beautifully wide sandy beach with the Atlantic ocean on one side and the casinos, shops, restaurants and homes on the other side. The picture above is an excellent early morning picture when there are not many people around.  You can rent bicycles on the boardwalk and ride them from 6:30 until 10:30 in the morning. After that there are just too many people strolling along the boardwalk to make it safe.

We noticed that there were lots of Atlantic city staff cleaning, emptying garbage, watering plants and maintaining security along the boardwalk. We felt very safe while strolling along. There are also three wheeled buggy style push carts that can be rented if you do not want to walk. They start at $5 per 5 city blocks and go up from there. You can find these in front of every casino entrance along the boardwalk. Watch a video of the boardwalk on YouTube, click here

The Casinos

Here is a list of the casinos in Atlantic City that we are aware of:

• Revel (brand new and just opened – April 2012)
• Showboat
• Taj Mahal
• Resort International
• Caesars
• Ballys
• Atlantic Club
• Harrahs (at the marina)
• Borgata (at the marina)

There are shuttle buses to take from the hotels at the marina to the boardwalk, although sometimes you have to wait quite a long time for them. If you plan to walk from hotel to hotel along the boardwalk, take good walking shoes. The distance is pretty long and the casinos are actually quite large themselves.

The Beach

The beach is really great. Great sand that is kept clean and it is large. They have lifeguards as well and most days the swimming is also great. As with all ocean beaches, waves and under tow can become a problem as do jelly fish. check with the life guard before you go swimming if you are concerned.

We walked for a mile along the water one day. The tide was out, people could easily wade a 100 feet out onto sand bars and several ladies were searching for metallic items using metal detectors.  A beautiful day when it is sunny and warm.

Getting to Atlantic City

Getting to Atlantic city is pretty easy. There are all of the usual modes of transportation, however we will focus a bit on traveling by car to this ocean side city. If you want to get their quickly, the Atlantic City Expressway, the New jersey Turnpike and the Garden state Parkway are the major routes leading into the city from new york and Philly.

Be prepared to pay tolls along all of these roads to the tune of up to $10 or $15 depending on where you are coming from. In addition, you get to pay $5 for parking and if you stay at any of the hotels there is also a $13 state tax even if your room is comp’d! New jersey is bound to get some of your money either through the casino taxes or via tolls and taxes that are levied on tourists. Sorry to be so negative on taxes like this, but it really does make you think twice about going back to Atlantic city with all of these taxes.

The Outlets

Atlantic City has become a lot more modern in the past few years, cleaning up the downtown and making it much more attractive to families and tourists. There are now 250 outlet stores within walking distance of the casinos. In fact if you are staying at Bally’s, just walk 3 blocks up Michigan avenue and you are in the middle of all of these outlets. All of the popular stores and chains are there as well. Starbucks and McDonalds offer free WiFi, which is about the only place I could find that offers  this service. The Casino hotels charge ten or eleven dollars for this service per device.

Watch for more posts with lots of pictures in the coming weeks about Atlantic City.

Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure or  CPAP for short are small quite machines that significantly improve a persons quality of life. Apparently 4% of men and 2% of women have sleep apnea. They all can benefit from using a CPAP machine.

The picture on the left is a typical machine that comes as two separate units. It contains the CPAP or Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure machine. There is also an attachment that provides humidity to the air as it passes through the machine.

Humidity is very important from a comfort perspective. What it does is adds water vapor to the air as it passes through the machine and into your airways. This water vapor prevents your nasal passages and your mouth from becoming extremely dry during the night. I use a CPAP machine and strongly recommend the humidifier model for your personal comfort. Every night, distilled water should be added to the reservoir. In the morning it should be rinsed out and cleaned. Then left to dry during the day to prevent any possibility of mold developing in the reservoir or in the tubing. Mold is ugly looking. But if you have allergies to mold, then you will want to really make sure the unit is clean. Make sure that no mold is allowed to grow in this environment.

How Does a Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure CPAP Work

And why do you need one in the first place? First of all I am not a doctor, but I am a user of one of these machines and cannot say enough positive things about it. So after reading this material, check with your doctor to see if you even need a CPAP machine. The only way to properly know if you need one is to have a sleep study completed and then the results will quickly tell the doctor what is required.

In my case, I snored very loudly, I stopped breathing and I gasped. I was also very tired almost all of the time because I was not getting enough sleep. In fact my sleep was being disturbed an average of 39 times an hour during my sleep study which lasted all night.

Adding Air Pressure

The Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure machine works by adding air pressure to your airways, which opens them up allowing air to easily pass through them. But more important at the back of your neck, the flesh around the airway relaxes and closes the airway while you are sleeping causing you to stop breathing until the CO2 levels build up in your body and causes the brain to issue a panic mode command causing you to move and begin breathing.  With a CPAP machine, this airway does not collapse and you will continue breathing easily all night.

In addition, I also have asthma and my nasal passages are always a bit swollen. The positive air pressure causes my airways to expand like a low pressure balloon and I can actually take a full breathe easily. For those people who always breathe easy,  try breathing through a straw all of the time and then breath normally and you will get the picture. It makes a huge difference in comfort as well as my sleep!

Keep the CPAP Clean

One of the most important things you can do is keep your Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure machine clean, especially the mask and the hoses. Oils from your skin will build up on the mask or nasal pillows if you are using nasal pillows. Not only is this yucky it also causes the plastic to deteriorate over time as well. I have only had mine for 2 weeks, but apparently they only last about 6 months if you take good care of the mask and the hoses.

Also mold can build up in the mask and the hoses if you do not wash them every week with mild soap and water. If you are allergic to mold, this can be a significant additional problem to avoid.

Reluctance of Patients to Use a CPAP

I have talked to five or six people about CPAP. They were all reluctant to use one of these machines, including myself. However they all tell me as well, that once they started using the machine, they were so happy with the benefits, that will never stop using the machine, even when they travel. My friend takes his CPAP every where he goes on business trips and vacation.

It can take a little time to get used to wearing the machine. There is some discomfort with having this thing on your head and the hose that goes with it. But after a couple of weeks of use, you will quickly find that when you do not wear it, you are so tired etc, that you wonder why you resisted. Your partner will appreciate it from the beginning. NO MORE SNORING! That’s right you stop snoring whenever it is on which most partners really appreciate. The machine is very quiet and causes no more noise that a small fan at low speed!

If you think you might need one of these machines, check with your doctor today and have a sleep study completed. For more information about CPAP machines, click here.

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An Irish story is always fun to read and we thought this one would be interesting to many people, so we included it on our blog.  It is not based on real people, just something we heard from a friend and we thought our readers would enjoy it.  The email it arrive in claimed that it was based on a true story, but who really knows. These kinds of stories become urban legends that get embellished over time and just get better and better over time. People telling the story love to embellish the story so that it sounds better when it is being told. Sometimes there is an element of truth to the story, but most of it is so embellished that it does not compare to what really happened in the first place.  Hope you enjoy this one:

This story happened a while ago in Dublin , and even though it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, it is apparently true. You be the judge of whether you think this story is true or not. Whether it is true or not, it is fun to read and imagine the looks on everyone’s faces if it were a true story.

An Irish Story

John Bradford, a Dublin University student, was on the side of the road hitchhiking on a very dark night and in the midst of a big storm.

The night was rolling on and no car went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him.

A Ride in the Storm

Suddenly, he saw a car slowly coming towards him and stopped.

John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got into the car and closed the door…. Only to realize there was nobody behind the wheel and the engine wasn’t on. The car started moving slowly. John looked at the road ahead and saw a curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life. Then, just before the car hit the curve, a hand appeared out of nowhere through the window, and turned the wheel. John, paralyzed with terror, watched as the hand came through the window, but never touched or harmed him.

Rescued From Driver less Car

Shortly thereafter, John saw the lights of a pub appear down the road, so, gathering strength; he jumped out of the car and ran to it. Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and started telling everybody about the horrible experience he had just had.

A silence enveloped the pub when everybody realized he was crying… And wasn’t drunk.

Feeling Foolish

Suddenly, the door opened, and two other people walked in from the dark and stormy night. They, like John, were also soaked and out of breath. Looking around, and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, one said to the other….

Look Paddy….there’s that fooking idiot that got in the car while we were pushing it!!!!’

Well you can draw your own conclusions about whether this story is true or not. It is hard to believe that someone would be this foolish, but then you never know about people and how observant they are. Some just do not have any clue at all and could easily fall into this kind of situation. They get caught up in the moment and do not really think about their situation. Next thing you know they have fallen for a joke of some kind. There are lots of shows on TV that do this sort of thing all of the time and consumers fall for whatever situation is being portrayed. LOL

More posts about Dublin and Belfast, click here.

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We just got back from Atlantic city and with a couple of exceptions really enjoyed our stay in the area. We decided to stay at the Showboat casino, which is right on the Atlantic city boardwalk with full access to the beach and all of the other hotels and casinos. For those of you who have never been to the Atlantic city area the attractions include: Seven miles of boardwalk with a combination of shops, restaurants, casinos and homes; miles of sandy beach with lots of sand bars to wade out on; bars on the beach beside the boardwalk; bike riding on the boardwalk, and for us beautiful weather!

We will discuss each of these in a bit more detail, and we will provide a link to a YouTube video that we shot which really shows how large the beach and the boardwalk really is. Unfortunately Atlantic city is going through some tough times right now due to government overspending and imposing taxes and tolls on visitors. They also have a lot of competition from casinos in other states.

Atlantic City Outlets

If you like to shop, Atlantic city has seen a huge change in this environment. For many years it really was not even safe to leave the boardwalk and go into the downtown area. Now if you head down Michigan Ave, which is just beside Bally’s Casino, past the hospital for 3 blocks, you have over 250 outlet shops, McDonalds, Starbucks and Subway to choose from. This is upscale, safe and the deals are there just like any other major outlet mall and it is in easy walking distance of the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

Atlantic City Boardwalk

The picture we have at the top left of this post shows a section of the boardwalk early in the morning. We took this picture when there were not many people around. It stretches for approximately seven miles and it is all in good condition, safe for bike riding which you can do from 6:30 am to 10:30am every day. After 10:30am it just gets too crowded with people. On the right of the picture is the beach which we show in another picture in the next section. Watch a video of the boardwalk on YouTube, click here

The Beach

This is one of the most beautiful sandy beaches anywhere. Miles and miles of sand with a large area between the sand dunes and the water to catch the sun’s rays. The picture we took was near the time when the low tide was at its maximum so the beach area was almost doubled. People were just coming out to suntan, stroll along the water and look for rings etc with metal detectors. We spent a very enjoyable two hours just strolling along the water’s edge taking in the sights, sounds and the smell of the ocean.

The Atlantic City Casinos

As we mentioned we were staying at the Showboat Casino hotel. It is located at the north end of the boardwalk, beside the Taj Mahal and the new Revel Casino which just opened in April 2012. We have stayed there before and enjoy this hotel, however next time we will stay at Bally’s or Caesars which are in the middle of the casino action and closer to the outlet shop area. You can walk from the Showboat to the outlets , however it is a long walk and some people might find it just too far. Here is a list of the casinos in Atlantic City that we are aware of (some of these are now closed or going through bankruptcy hearings):

• Atlantic Club Casino
• Bally’s
• Borgata
• Caesars
• Golden Nugget
• Harrahs
• Resorts
• Revel
• Tropicana
• Trump plaza
• Trump Taj Mahal

All but the Borgata, Harrahs and the Golden Nugget are on the boardwalk. There are shuttles to these hotels to and from the boardwalk. If you plan to go to Atlantic City to gamble, sign up for a slot card and use it while you are there. You may receive future comp’s for rooms and meals which makes it a much less expensive vacation.

What Do We like About Atlantic City

The boardwalk is our favorite along with the beach areas. We really enjoy strolling along the boardwalk and also renting bikes to ride the boardwalk in the morning. We play the slots a bit and obviously try different restaurants, but we spend the majority of our time strolling along the boardwalk, taking in the sights and sounds and people watching.

What We Do Not Like About Atlantic City

Well it is the tax grab that the state applies to people coming to and staying in Atlantic City. We spend ten or fifteen dollars alone on tolls just getting there by car. Then we had to pay five dollars to park our car at any of the casino parking garages. We had to pay thirteen dollars a day in state taxes for each night we stayed at the hotel.

Now if that is not a rip off of tourists, I do not know what is. We would probably go back to Atlantic City every year if it was not for those taxes. There are just so many other places to go, why would you go to some place were you are taken advantage of by all of these taxes?

For more details about Atlantic city, click here.

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Your CPAP machine comes with a CPAP travel bag which for some people is a life saver. I just spoke to my neighbor about it. As it turns out he has a CPAP machine similar to the one that I have and he takes it everywhere with him.

Now there is no problem missing your machine for one night for many people. However that is one night you do not get a good nights sleep. That is why my neighbor travels with his CPAP machine all of the time.

CPAP Travel Bag

Depending on the system that you purchase, there will be various bags provided. I have the one on the left in the picture. It holds everything I need, including the machine , the power supply, the hoses and of course the mask. Some people will go with a full mask, however I am using a nasal pillow type of mask which fits over your nose with straps that go over your head to hold it in place. Every thing fits inside the bag and it has a handy carrying strap as well to fit over your shoulder for easy transport.

Sleeping Well While You Travel

Do you remember what you felt like prior to getting a CPAP machine. You may recall how tired you were all of the time and how tired your partner probably was. Personally I would fall asleep every afternoon because I was so tired. This really created a problem when I was traveling on a driving trip. I would have to pull over multiple times during the day to take a nap, because I was so tired. Now with my CPAP machine, I am getting a full eight hours of sleep every night and I am no longer needing that nap during the day!

Driving is much easier as well. I do not get that drowsy feeling settling over me at various times of the day due to fatigue.  As a result, I always will be traveling with my CPAP travel bag and CPAP system.  It only takes a few minutes to set up and presto, you are off to sleep. I cannot believe how well I now sleep with the CPAP machine.

CPAP Mask

Personally I use a nasal pillow type of mask. If you look at the previous post,  CPAP Mask Nasal Pillows, you can see a picture of this type of mask. It is soft and fits comfortably to my nose and is held in place by the straps that go around your head. It is a very small unit and takes little room inside the travel bag.

For me, I much prefer this type of mask compared to the one that covers your nose and mouth. Personally I would find that too restrictive, but it really is a personal preference as to which one you use. A friend of mine is a mouth breather and he requires a full face mask to cover his mouth and nose when he is running the CPAP machine.

Why Should You Consider a CPAP Machine

If you snore loudly, if you stop breathing, or gasp for air, then you probably need a CPAP machine. I did all of those things and was very surprised to learn that my sleep was interrupted on average 39 times an hour. The only way to really tell if you need one of these machines is to arrange with your doctor for a sleep study assessment to determine if you need it and what pressure that you are required to set the machine at.

One night’s sleep test could significantly improve your quality of life and it could also save your life. Apparently people with sleep apnea suffer heart attacks and strokes much more often than people who do not have sleep apnea. If you also have asthma, then there is a a significant increase in those probabilities.  My doctor did not hesitate at all to schedule a sleep apnea test once she correlated asthma with snoring and gasping.

Results of Using MY CPAP Machine

I have only used my CPAP machine for 2 weeks at the time of writing this post, however I can already say that it has made a huge difference in my quality of life. I am sleeping better and longer and my asthma has not bothered me at all. Still it is only 2 weeks, so will need to wait longer to really see all of the benefits, but I would say to anyone reading this post that you should see your doctor right away and get a CPAP machine immediately if you are diagnosed with Sleep Apnea.

The improvement in quality of life is phenomenal and I now feel a lot more rested. In fact I will make sure that I always carry my CPAP in my CPAP travel bag where ever I go. It is just too important in my life. I actually love to go to bed now for a good nights sleep! For more information about CPAP machines, masks and travel considerations, click here.

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The Wynn Hotel & Casino is by far the best hotel and casino from almost every aspect including the Wynn Casino Shops. We try to stay at this hotel every time we go to Las Vegas.

Pictured on the left is the corridor that leads in from the strip past all of the high-end shops. They are nice to look at, however way beyond our price range. I am not sure why all of the hotels do this, the Wynn hotel is no exception, but they all have these shops that the average person cannot afford to shop in. They have beautiful clothes, purses, diamonds and even cell phones that you would never even look at because of the price. Great place to window shop.

Wynn Casino Shops – Casino Entrance

As you near the end of this corridor of shops, you will be approaching another really beautiful area just before you reach the casino.  Wynn has designed a garden area were many people take pictures and spend time admiring the plants during the day and the flowers and lights at night. This is near the Wynn Casino Shops.

These flowers are constantly updated and kept flourishing by perfect care each and every day. Since we are easterners, we get up early when we are in Vegas and often are down stairs by five or six in the morning. The gardeners are still there working on the flowers making sure they are looking perfect for the coming day. They have probably been there all night working on the flower beds, trimming flowers that have matured and even changing plants that need to be recycled. Many people stop at these gardens every day to have pictures taken with their families.

Gardens are Beautiful

We will show one more picture that we really enjoyed. These flower gardens run the length of the casino along the front of the hotel facing towards the mountain with its cascading waterfall and lake. There is also a bar in the middle of the gardens which looks out onto the casino on one side and on to the gardens on the other.

All of these pictures were taken during the day, however can you imagine how beautiful this area is at night with all of the lights etc. We find that this is such a beautiful area to stroll through. The only thing missing are benches were people can sit and taken in everything around them. They really should have benches for people to sit on. The Casino of course does not want you to sit among flowers, they would rather have you sitting in the casino and playing the slots for a while to help make them some money and pay for all of the beautiful things in the hotel.

More to See at the Wynn Hotel

There are many other features to take in while visiting the Wynn casino. for example there is the championship golf course, there are many restaurants to dine at, bars to visit and even a Ferrari store. You have to pay to get into the latter, if you want to visit this particular store. I guess they really want to keep kids and the riff raft out of the store. You have to be really interested to want to pay to see this particular store.

The hotel is also well situated along the strip. Across the road is the fashion show mall. On the other the corners are the Venation hotel  and TI or Treasure island. These are all great places to visit . Spend some time at either going to shows, watching free entertainment or playing in their casinos.

The Wynn hotel and casino is a must see if you are spending time in Las Vegas. Even if you are just visiting and staying at another hotel take some time to visit this hotel. It is definitely worth the walk. We actually go to Starbucks every morning across the street at the Fashion Show Mall. Coffee is a little less expensive and you get out for a walk. It is approximately a 20 minute walk to get from your room, walk through the casino and the hotel, across the street and over to the Starbucks store.

Imagine and it is just across the street. Always take good walking shoes when you are in Las Vegas. You will need them even if you just stay within your own hotel. They are huge and designed to keep you on their property instead of staying to other hotels. Have fun and enjoy Las Vegas.

If you snore a lot, stop breathing during your sleep, snort or gasp while sleeping or feel really tired during the day, then there is a chance that you have sleep apnea. I now have a CPAP machine and chose the CPAP Mask Nasal pillows approach. Which has worked out very well for me over the past year.

I had just been diagnosed with sleep apnea and wanted to share what I have learned about this health problem with other people who might have the same problem. I had all of the above symptoms and my wife would routinely poke me in the middle of the night when I would stop snoring, because she knew that I had stopped breathing. Sounds pretty severe and it turns out that it was. I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea after having completing a sleep test at a local hospital.

If you have any doubts about this at all, get a doctors opinion as to whether you should go for a sleep test. It could save your life and also improve your quality of life significantly. Turns out that sleep apnea patients are prime candidates for heart attacks and strokes as well as other problems. Don’t fool around get that sleep test today.

CPAP Mask Nasal Pillows

I will talk about my sleep test and diagnosis in future posts, however I wanted to discuss the nasal pillows which is what I have opted for. The picture above shows what the mask looks like. It actually is not really a CPAP mask. Instead it is a small device that fits on the front of your nose with two outlets, one for each nostril. they are soft and flexible and fit comfortably on the front of your nose.

The entire nasal pillows are held in place with straps that go around your head to hold it in place. A hose connects the CPAP machine with the nasal pillows. I found the first night I had the straps too tight and it hurt my nose a bit. After loosening the straps I settled into a comfortable position as far as the straps were concerned.

There is a bit of getting used to having this contraption strapped to your head. However for me, right from the first night I had a better sleep than I have had in years. My wife tells me that I do not snore at all, which she likes very much. There is no gasping at all or snorting and I can breath really well.

I have used the CPAP mask now for 10 days and although I am still adjusting to using a CPAP every night, I find that I am really comfortable with the mask, the hose and the machine. I am sleeping the best I have done in years and feel much more rested than ever before.

New CPAP Machines are Quiet

One of the things we were concerned about is whether the CPAP machine would be noisy and keep my wife awake at night. We usually have a fan running in our bedroom at night to keep the air moving to provide some circulation.  Turns out that the CPAP machine is quieter than the fan. In fact it is so quiet that we barely hear it even when the fan is turned off.

Today’s CPAP machines are very quiet and comfortable. They also come with humidifiers to keep your mouth and nose hydrated as well. They have a little chip that records a lot of information about your sleeping habits, how well you are doing from a sleep apnea perspective and much more. We will talk about this in future posts, but it is safe to say that I am amazed at how much information they can learn about how well you are doing relative to how well you are sleeping.

Monitoring by Your Therapist

It is important to stay in touch with your sleep therapist who will adjust the pressure to match your condition properly. They will also discuss the nasal pillow approach vs. a full mask which are necessary for some people. I choose the nasal pillows, because I did not want to have a mask and it turns out that for me the nasal pillows are working out very well.

Some people will need a full mask because they breath through their mouths from time to time or they are uncomfortable with the nasal pillows. It is all about comfort so select something that works well for you and that is comfortable. Some people will apparently require a chin strap to help them keep their mouths closed while using the nasal pillows. So far I have not had to go to this approach, since I generally keep my nose closed.

Weight Is not an Issue

I wanted to end this post by saying that weight does not seem to be an issue. I am told that people who are thin can have problems with sleep apnea, however if you are overweight there is a higher probability that you will have problems with snoring and sleep apnea. Your throat and nasal passages will be that much thicker which can cause snoring.

Please do not hesitate. If you have a sleep apnea problem, see your doctor and have a sleep study completed to see if you have a problem. You could have avoid a stroke or heart attack! For more information about sleep issues, click here.

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We always enjoy going to Ruby’s Diner Palm Springs. This is an old fashion diner with the chrome tables and red leather seats that you used to see back in the ’50s. They even have a small model train, actually, two of them running on separate tracks suspended from the ceiling.

Breakfast is a bottomless cup of coffee and there are many fantastic breakfast meals available. In fact, the meals are often so large that my wife and I will split a meal. I sometimes will order some side dishes to go along with the main meal, but rest assured there is ample food on one plate for two people on most meals.

Ruby’s Diner Palm Springs

We get to save money and we get to manage our waistlines as well by splitting a meal. We talk to a lot of couples throughout our travels and find that many people are doing just that. Ordering one meal and splitting it because of the amount of food they serve. The restaurants do not seem to mind. They are happy to get your business and even will bring an extra plate, sometimes with the meal already split for you. Ruby’s Diner is one of those and if you receive great service like that, make sure you leave a decent tip for the waiter. He or she was thoughtful enough to split it for you so it makes sense to tip them properly.

The Food at Ruby’s Diner Palm Springs

The food they serve is classed as American fast food, with hamburgers,  and many other menu items. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late takeout. We love going there for breakfast and they have a huge menu. Traditional eggs any way you want them, pancakes,  fruit meals, cereal, toast, and bagels. There are lots to chose from and they also provide various combinations of the above. If you cannot find something good to eat at Ruby’s we would be very surprised.

What do Other People Think about Ruby’s Diner

We are obviously very satisfied with Ruby’s, but we were wondering what other people seemed to think about Ruby’s so check on some of the various agencies that provide review ratings and also on Ruby’s site as well. What we found was no surprise. The majority of people going to Ruby’s had great things to say about the food, the service, and the overall experience. We saw a couple of comments from people who received poor service. This is to be expected from time to time. But when over 90% of your ratings are excellent or very good, we can see that they are obviously doing something right.

It Can be Hot in Palm Springs

The sun hits the outside area of Ruby’s Diner in the mornings, so it can get a little hot unless you sit under an umbrella or around the side where you are in the shade. Most mornings in Palm Springs are more than comfortable enough to sit outside and enjoy the scenery. Occasionally it will be cool enough that you need to move inside in the winter months.

When the summer months arrive, actually even in April, sometimes the temperatures require misters to be started. The Picture above shows the misters running on both patios to keep you cool. If you have never experienced this, you should know that it really makes a difference and will keep you cool in the hot temperature weather.

The location of Ruby’s is Perfect

Ruby’s Diner is located at 155 S Palm Canyon Dr, in Palm Spring, California. They are right in the middle of the main street of Palm Springs with ample free parking in the back. You can sit on one of their patios, have dinner and also watch the people strolling by along the sidewalk. On Thursdays, there is the Palm Springs street fair and this is an excellent location to watch the thousands of people strolling along looking at the many vendor’s products available in their booths.

We are great fans of Palm Springs and think that it is one of the best places to spend the winter. There are many snowbirds who spend their winters there from January through to the end of April. The busiest times are February and March. After March 31, it gets warmer and there are fewer people around.

We particularly like the April time period. There are fewer crowds and line ups, less traffic and it is a chance to get to mingle with some of the locals instead of the snowbirds from all over the US and Canada. Either way, breakfast or dinner at Ruby’s is a great deal, good food, inexpensive and great service. We recommend that you try it.

For more information about the Palm Springs area, click here.

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A previous post talked about joining Goodlife Gyms and how important it was to go with a partner and just get out their and do it.  Well I wanted to spend a bit more time on my chosen exercise training program to give people a feel for what is possible for pretty much everyone.

Exercise Training Program – My Goals

Your trainer will start off by trying to ascertain your goals or reasons for joining the gym. You may want to build muscle, improve your cardio, or strengthen your respiratory systems. In my case my goals or preferences were ; 1) improve my respiratory system ; 2  Improve my endurance and cardio and 3) lose 20 pounds.

Now if I do not lose the weight, but have a lot more stamina and respiratory functions in 3 months time, I will feel that I have succeeded. You always must have goals so that you can focus your training program accordingly. This is a starting place and it is expected that you will improve over time. Do more rep’s, go faster, lift heavier weights and in general improve.

Broad Exercise Training Program

In my case, I am doing a 40 minute cardio exercise training program to start with. My warm up is part of this 40 minute cardio program. Basically my plan is to do 20 minutes on the treadmill while keeping my heart rate in the 70% zone for my age and then do another 20 minutes on the stair master machine.  Then I am focusing on some muscle toning and development which involves the arms and shoulders as one group , the torso as another area and finally the legs as another basic group to focus on.

Let’s get Down to the Details of My Training Program

• Each day do 40 minutes of warmup and cardio
• Day 1 should include chin ups and push ups along with sit ups to work the arms and the torso along with the circuit of 9 machines that focus on the upper body.
• Day 2 should include squats, lunges and more chin ups or sit ups along with the circuit of 9 machines that focus on the lower body.
• In addition, the number of reps should be in groups of 3, with 8 reps each time. By number eight you should be just able to complete the last rep before your muscles give out. Take a rest and then repeat the 8 reps 2 more times.
• Allow your muscles to recover from the strain by alternating between upper body and lower body.
• Lastly only add weights when you find yourself doing 10 or more reps easily.

This is a pretty good program if I can keep it up. It should take about an hour each time, not including travel time. Also in my case I should only be exercising no more than 4 or 5 times a week so that my body has time to recover.

As I get stronger, I will do one or more of the following:

• Increase the speed of the treadmill
• Increase the speed of the stair master
• Add more weight and continue with the same number of reps

For exercises such as push ups, sit ups, etc, doing more reps is the only answer in this case. Hope this helps our readers. Don’t forget to tailor your program to you body conditioning level and follow your trainers suggestions.

Can I stay With the Program

This is really the tough part. I have outlined a pretty good program for me personally. But the real test is whether I can stay with this program. I was pretty good up until the end of June of this year and then fell off the wagon so to speak. I caught a bit of a cold which developed into a bad asthma attack and pretty soon I had broken the habit of going every 2nd day to the gym. After two months I am not going at all which is not a good thing. As i sit here and write this post, my wife and I have decided that as of Sept 1st, we are going to restart our exercise program and go every 2nd day.

It has not been a total loss however. I recovered from the asthma attack in mid July. Then I began a lot of the outside work around the home that I do every year. I do not believe in hiring someone to do the work. I can do all of the landscaping myself just as well as the experts and I get some great exercise as well from doing it. Cutting the lawn, trimming trees, planting shrubs and the big project building a fence.

But as of Sept 1st, all of the major work will be done and it is time to go back to the gym and renew my exercise training program. I will let you know how it goes on a future post. For more information about exercise and how good it is for you, click here.

We stayed at the Aquarius Casino in Laughlin, Nevada again this spring for four days. The picture on the left shows the Aquarius in the far distance. There is another hotel shown here on the right, both are on the Colorado River. This particular picture was taken along Casino Drive. We really enjoy staying in Laughlin for a couple of days every year.

We always stay here for free, the meals are very good at the buffet and we enjoy the free drinks as well. There is a Starbucks in the casino, however, you do not get to enjoy the benefits of having a Starbucks membership at this location i.e free refills. Instead, you need to pay 50 cents for a refill which is not too bad, but still, this is one of the few areas the casino does not offer a good deal.

Aquarius Hotel Casino

We enjoy getting a coffee in the morning and then heading out to the river. There is a nice area to sit, watch the boats on the river, enjoy the sun, and just relax. There is also a sidewalk that runs along all of the casinos except for Harrahs at the far south end. It is a nice walk any time of the day with lots to look at.

We particularly like the contrast of the mountains in the distance, the desert, and the rolling Colorado River. The river in this area is fast and cold and swimming anywhere along this stretch is definitely not recommended. We have seen some people swimming on the Arizona side along a shallow stretch, however, the current is very strong and you need to be very careful.

Location of Laughlin, Nevada

Laughlin is in Nevada and on the border with Arizona, Cross the river and you are in Arizona and also in a different time zone as well.  Laughlin is 90 miles from Las Vegas and roughly 60 miles from Searchlight, Nevada. We headed on to Las Vegas for two nights at the Wynn hotel and then on to Palm Springs after that. We spent 2 months in Palm Springs this spring which was delightful and we will write more posts about our time there as well. For more posts about Laughlin Nevada, click here.

The picture on the right is also of the Aquarius showing one of the towers. There are two towers and they often place families with children or large groups in the north tower, leaving the other tower for couples without kids. This is a great way to make sure that one group does not bother the other since they are there in Laughlin Nevada for different reasons altogether. Some are there for gambling, others for the pool and boating and many just to get a weekend away.

Restaurants at the Aquarius

There are a number of restaurants that you can enjoy while at the Aquarius. We have already mentioned Starbucks. Besides, it is a Subway which is really great for an inexpensive nutritious meal. We often buy a sub and eat in Starbucks. There is also a Panda, which is another fast food location with seating where you can look over the casino.

There is a full restaurant run by the casino and then of course there is the buffet with huge floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the Colorado river. This is a good deal, yu receive discounts with your slot card and it includes unlimited beer and wine. Finally, there is the Outback Restaurant. We have yet to eat there, but it seems to be very popular.

RV Parking

There is a large parking lot just north of the north tower that is usually full of RVs. There are no services and we are not sure if it is owned by the Aquarius or owned by the casino next door.  These folks pull in and set up, using their generators for power and their satellite dishes to pull in TV signals. We have actually spoken to a number of people in Starbucks who stay in RVs. They love the lifestyle and they use the hotel washroom as needed and eat at the restaurants.

Parking at the Aquarius

There is ample parking in front of the casino which you can also see in this picture. There is also a parking garage with at least 6 floors for parking. It is patrolled on a regular basis as well. We have always found everything to be very safe at the Aquarius hotel.

For more information about the Aquarius Casino and Laughlin in general, click here.

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Is drinking lots of water good for you? We recently saw this following note in an email and decided to include it on this blog as a post. Turns out that drinking water is good for you, it is even better if you drink water a certain times of the day as well.  As with everything, do it in moderation, however you can obtain improved efficiency for your mind and body, by drinking water, in this case, at certain times of the day. We can optimize our performance by paying attention to these issues and make us more competitive too! This is one of the reasons, why should we drink water and regular amounts of it.

We do not know if it is true or not, however it does make a lot of sense. I like water even better than drinking a can of cold pop. It is far more refreshing and a lot less calories as well. Turns out it is much better for your body  as well.

Why Should We Drink Water

Here is his advice.

A doctor was asked why do we and other people urinate so much at night time.

Answer from this cardiac doctor was gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright. When you lie down and the lower body (legs and other things) seeks level with the kidneys it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier. This then ties in with the last statement!

You need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body!

Correct time to drink water… Very Important. From A Cardiac Specialist!

These are added reasons to answer the question, why should we drink water. Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:

2 glasses of water after waking up – helps activate internal organs

1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal – helps digestion

1 glass of water before taking a bath – helps lower blood pressure

Also 1 glass of water before going to bed – avoids stroke or heart attack

The physician said that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.

Drinking Before Bedtime

Well I am not sure about that last one. Drinking a glass of water before you go to bed, also means that you have to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night if your bladder is full as a result. For middle aged guys and older this can be a real problem since our bladders shrink and we have to get up a lot more often to go to the bathroom.  Which is worse, the leg cramps or getting up 2 or 3 times to go to the bathroom.  Just getting up might cause a heart attack!

Since I added this original post I came across another comment that suggested that we wake up for a variety of reasons during the night. It might be a bad dream, it might be something our partner did, it might be from snoring or a some other issue. Regardless as soon as the mind realizes that you are awake, it sends us the message that it is time to void and we get this full feeling in our bladders. Time to go to the bathroom regardless of what time it is. When I do not wake up in the middle of the night, I find I have a very full bladder. If you are getting up a lot during the night, it might be from some other related problem which you need to deal with.

For more information about general health issues, click here.

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One of our favorite things to do every time we visit Las Vegas is to go to the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio hotel. The gardens are located just off the main lobby and you can also access the restaurant as well by walking thought the gardens. The Bellagio changes the gardens to coincide with the seasons so there is always something new to observe.

We have included several pictures of the conservatory at various times of the year. There is always something different  to see and I would recommend at least half an hour to really see all of the gardens. There are usually lots of people taking pictures and looking at the flowers and arrangements of flowers etc in the gardens. This is definitely a must see while you are in Vegas regardless of whether you are staying in the Bellagio or not.

Bellagio Conservatory – Imagination and Originality

You have to really give the designers of these gardens credit. They have a lot of imagination and they definitely are original in their designs.  While the Bellagio does not encourage children at this hotel, this is a place you can bring your children and we are sure they will enjoy the Halloween and Christmas designs and decorations. They really pay attention to detail.

All of the flowers are real and they are watered and manicured every day. Any flower that is not doing well is replaced and any that grow too fast are trimmed. There is a lot of work to maintain these gardens and the folks at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens do a fantastic job. Again we encourage you to visit and enjoy these gardens.

Other Things to See at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino

This is one hotel everyone has to visit and spend some time at, even if you are not a gambler. As you walk along the strip in front of the hotel you cannot miss the lake in front of the hotel. During the afternoon and evenings, they run regular shows playing beautiful music which the water fountains follow in sync.  Definitely something to see while in Las Vegas.

Inside the hotel there are at least 5 pools that customers can visit and spend relaxing afternoons at. There are several viewing areas for people to step out on to observe the pool area if you are not staying at the hotel. Guests of the pool area must show a valid hotel key in order to enter the pool area.

There are many restaurants at the hotel spread all over the property. This is a 5000+ room hotel plus a large conference center area so there is a lot of walking involved and many restaurants spread around the hotel. One that we enjoy and try to visit every time we go is the little coffee shop just down from the guest elevators. They have really great muffins and coffee among other things and fantastic jam to go along with them. Windows look over the pool area as well so you can enjoy your coffee with a view.

Getting to the Bellagio

If you are driving to the Bellagio, the entrance can be found off the Las Vegas Strip. Use the same entrance for the valet parking or to the parking garage. There is ample parking. It is very safe with an entrance from the garage directly into the hotel lobby area. They now charge for parking in the publich parking garage. If you are walking,  it is a bit of walk. However you can enter from the strip and walk through the shopping area from one side. Or along moving walkways from the other end of the lake.

Both are very enjoyable and there is lots to see as you enter the hotel and the casino. We really like the Bellagio and stay there every chance we get. If we are staying somewhere else at another hotel we always take the time to go to the casino, the gardens and the coffee shop as a minimum. It is almost a tradition now for us to visit the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, the Bellagio Casino. We think you should too even if you do not spend any time gambling, it is well worth the visit.

Other pages on our web site that you may want to visit about the Bellagio hotel can be found by clicking here.

We have been to Borrego Springs in California several times on day trips and have enjoyed every visit. We stay in Palm Springs and drive south along I10 until you come to Cal 86. Take this highway and stay on it until you come to Borrego Salton Seaway. Turn on to this road, you will see the signs. The scenery is truly fantastic with lots of spots to stop along the way. Observe the huge vista’s as well as the ravines where off road vehicles race each other along the bottom of the ravines.

As the picture shows on the left, traveling to Borrego springs allows you to see huge vista’s that are very impressive. Whether you are renting a home, staying in a motel or camping in the Borrego Springs campground you will enjoy the scenery, the solitude, the hiking and the fresh air! We like to go to the Borrego Springs museum or visitors center. You can learn all about the area, how it came to be and the local wildlife that exists in the area.

Borrego Springs Campground California – Hiking

Hiking Path

There are short paved hiking paths were you can walk into the desert. Experience the feeling of being in the dry desert without actually having to hike too far. This is suitable for those people who may not be able to walk that far. Or need paved surfaces for wheel chairs and motorized chairs. The entire visitors center is set up so that people who have difficulty with steps can see the entire indoor and outdoor exhibits. We really enjoyed the exhibits and learning about the area and how it originally got started.

What to Bring to Borrego Springs

If you do plan to go to the area, always take along a hat, sun tan lotion and a bottle of water. It can get pretty hot on some days. You do not want your trip curtailed because you forgot to bring a hat or water to drink while hiking in the area. The trail that begins at the visitors center winds its way through the desert for about 1 mile. It ends at the Borrego Springs Campground. It appears to be suitable for both camping in tents as well as  it can accommodate RV parking as well.

There is also a golf course in the area with homes that back onto the golf course. We have driven through the area and found them well manicured in terms of landscaping and watered lawns. There is a grocery store and several restaurants in the area. Visitors should be aware that this is a small village that does not have all of the things that you might expect to have in a larger community.

Driving to Borego Springs

The picture below is an example of the pristine desert that you walk through. Hikers are asked to stay on the walkway to avoid damaging the environment. They also avoid encountering snakes and other wildlife.

The drive to Borrego Springs as we already mentioned is spectacular.  There are many ravines that crisscross the desert. These ravines are washed out areas that have been formed by flash floods that occasionally occur in the desert. They have flat sandy paths that are now used by off road vehicles. They are for people who are looking for some excitement and to get a taste of a different part of the desert.

Visit the area in the spring time. The flowers are spectacular. If you can time your visit in the March time frame or just after a winter rain storm there is a good chance you will see lots of flowers. Also some years are better than others in terms of flowers. However as always the desert is beautiful in it’s own way with very different plants and fauna that you do not see anywhere else.

We plan to go back to this area again in the spring of 2013 and will provide another update . For more information about Borrego Springs California, click here.

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We just got one of the best Windsor Casino Hotel Deals ever. We belong to the Harrah’s Total Rewards slot card program which is good for over 30 properties across the US and Canada. The Caesars casino hotel in Windsor is part of this chain, so we decided to call them to see what kind of deal they could provide to us. We were traveling though Windsor and needed to stop for the night, so why not stop at a nice hotel, have dinner and play the slots a little bit before going to bed.

Well when we called and gave them our Total Rewards number, they quickly came back to us and gave us two nights free at their hotel! This was much to our surprise since we have never stayed at this particular property. although we have stayed at many other Harrah’s properties in the US. This is one of the benefits of belonging to a slot card program, particularly one that is good at over 30 properties across the US and Canada.

Windsor Casino Hotel Deals – Review

We reviewed the casino and hotel in a previous post, “Caesars Casino Windsor”, so we will not repeat all of what we covered in that post here, however we do want to mention one thing that is so far unique to Harrah’s casinos. On their slot machines, you can order all of your beverages right from the slot machine, including beer, wine, mixed drinks, juice, and coffee and have it delivered. You have to pay for any alcoholic drinks, however having this service makes it so convenient. Note that in the US most of the casinos offer free alcoholic drinks, but not in Canada.

If you are looking for a Windsor casino hotel deal, call your slot card host at the casino for reservations. If you do not have a slot host, just call the number located on the back of your Total Rewards card and select the correct property and make your reservation. Make sure you give them your Total Rewards number so they can look up your playing record and make a decision to comp you or not.

Get a Total Rewards Card

If you do not have a Total Rewards card and want a Windsor Casino hotel deal, you are going to have to make a reservation at what ever the going rate is, however there is still a chance you might get the room comp’d. before you start playing the slots or the tables, register for a Total Rewards card and then use it at all of the slots you play at. before you leave and before you check out, call your slot host and ask if they can do anything for you regarding your room or meals that you have charged to the room. Depending on your play they might comp you for your room charges. If not there is always next time and they will definitely want you back so watch your email to see what deals you may get.

Click the following link for to see a short video of the  Windsor Casino.

Hotel Description

The hotel by the way was great. There are two towers and we recommend that you sty in the new tower. Ask for a view of the river and the Detroit sky line. Also use the valet parking. The parking garage is just too far away to drag your bags etc from the garage to the check in counter. You will have to navigate the casino floor. You will have to go down escalators just to get from the parking garage to the hotel check in counter.

In our minds this is the best way to get a great Windsor casino hotel deal. Why pay for a room and why pay for the Ontario 13% tax plus city tourist tax when you can stay for free. We probably saved over $200 for our two nights that we stayed at the Harrah’s Caesars Windsor casino hotel. We will definitely go back sometime this year for a another mini vacation in the Windsor area.

 This is the Windsor casino in Windsor, Ontario Canada, right on the border across from the city of Detroit. There is a lot of competition now between several casinos in Detroit and this one. Since it has been taken over by Harrah’s, the casino and the hotel have been spruced up, and the comps have improved. We tried staying at the hotel a few years ago before it became part of the chain and they wanted almost $200 a night for a room. Now that they are part of the Harrah’s chain and we have a Total Rewards slot card, we get the room for free!

The official name is Caesars Windsor, and overall, this is a lovely place to stay. The rooms in the new tower are fresh and clean with the latest in amenities. We had a great view of Detroit, the river and parts of Windsor.

The following are some of the details about the hotel and the casino in Windsor, Ontario.

Caesars Casino Windsor – Slot Machines

We did not find any information about the number of slots at this casino. However, there are slots of every kind on two floors available for your pleasure of all denominations. They have many of the traditional slots as well as the newer machines that include many of the penny machines that seem to be the trend these days.

Caesars Casino Windsor – Table Games

There are blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat and pai gow poker games available at the Windsor casino. Again we could not determine how many tables there are. However, there seemed to be lots of tables available when we were there.

Caesars Casino Windsor – Restaurants

There are six areas where you can grab something to eat as part of the casino. These include the Artist Cafe, Legends Sports Bar, the Market Buffet, Neros Steakhouse, Pronto Cafe and the Taza Mediterranean Cafe. We ate in the Artists cafe and were not overwhelmed by the food or the service. Nothing wrong about it, but it did not impress us.

Caesars Casino Windsor – What We Liked

• Variety of slot machines on two floors
• You can drink while playing the slots or tables, but you must pay for the drinks
• Buffet
• Hotel rates are very reasonable, com’d if you are a Total Rewards member
• Covered garage parking
• Easy access from Detroit via the tunnel
• A safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas
• Great stopover point on your way to points west in the US or east in Canada

Caesars Casino Windsor – What We Did Not Like

There are no real complaints about the Caesars Windsor hotel & casino, other than the parking. If you do not want to use the valet parking service, you will have a rather long walk with your suit cases to the check-in counter.

It is a 4-star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for our needs

Caesars Casino Windsor – Slot Player Card

They are part of the Total Rewards slot players card system. Slot members can take advantage of benefits at many Las Vegas hotels,  as well as sister hotels in Tunica, Biloxi, Laughlin, and Reno.

If you have not taken advantage of slot player cards, there are several benefits that many slot players should consider. Free or discounted rooms, the email mailing list of promotions, free or discounted meals, access to entertainment, and a tax report outlining your losses and wins for tax claim purposes. We are Harrah’s Total Rewards members, and although we have not been to this casino for many years, we were comped for the rooms while staying in the Windsor area.

Click the following link to see a short video of the Windsor Casino. Windsor Casino Hotel Deals

Parking

There is ample parking at Caesars hotel & casino in a large parking garage beside the hotel with a walk way directly into the casino on the second floor. There is no surface parking that we observed. Once in the casino, you have a long walk to the check-in counter for the hotel. If you are just going to the casino, there is no problem. We suggest you use the valet parking service if you are staying at the hotel. It is a free service and much more convenient. Parking was also free.

Directions: You can follow the signs when you get to downtown Windsor, which is probably the easiest way. If you have a GPS, just do a search for casinos, and your GPS will point the way. Access is accessible from both the 401 in Canada, the international bridge or the tunnel from Detroit. The Casino is located on Riverside drive right along the river between Windsor and Detroit.

As a Canadian, I just cannot believe the number of Americans that apparently carry guns or keep guns in their homes. It is really foreign to us and I worry that too many innocent people are being killed every year  due to someone having a gun when they really do not need one. What is gun control anyway? We did not add a picture of a gun to this page simply because we cannot promote guns in general.

I really do not care about the right to bare arms. That was set back in a time when it was important to be able to defend yourself against marauding Indians  and many criminals that just felt they could take what they wanted.  If you feel that you need a gun to protect yourself, what is wrong with a pistol. If you feel you want to go hunting, what is wrong with a single action rifle of some kind? When would you ever use an assault rifle? This is what we need to discuss when it comes to gun control.

So let’s be really clear. This is not a rant against guns in general. This is a question about why we should be able to buy assault rifles or some other automatic action gun. There is just no need for one of these guns in our society. Rifles are ok for hunting, pistols are ok for self defense. we just need to be really careful about how we store them so our kids cannot get at these guns in the home. That is gun control in our mind.

Why Do we need Gun Control?

If people are that worried about defending themselves against marauding armies or even your own country, then we have far worse problems. There are just too many people being killed every year by guns that are purchased legally.  This is what apparently happened in Colorado in July of 2012. Why did this guy need and why should he even be able to buy an assault rifle  and all of the ammo for it? It just does not make any kind of sense at all.

Then are the people who feel that if someone also had a firearm while in the theater, this could have ended before so many people were killed. That’s just great, now you have bullets flying around from multiple guns, going through walls and probably killing others in adjacent rooms. Can you imagine the carnage? In the confusion, people would not know who the good guys were and who the bad guy was. People would shoot at anyone with a gun in this kind of situation and the death toll would have been a lot higher from so called friendly fire.

How Do We Solve The Gun Problem

The United States needs to get this problem solved. If gun laws are no good, or cannot be changed, then another solution needs to be found. It must start with a profound culture change from many people wanting to have guns to many people not wanting to have guns. How you change the culture of a nation were the use of guns and the ownership of guns is such as excitable issue for many people and embedded in the culture is really difficult. Most politicians on either side just do not want to attack it. They may find their political careers over.

Even if you try to limit guns with some kind of automatic action, many gun enthusiasts will fight this. It is considered and encroachment on their rights and the first step towards abolition of guns all together. I think we are so far from that latter scenario, that they need not worry at all.

We seriously need to try to do something about this major problem. We are no longer in the old west were you needed a gun. This is the 21st century!

Some readers might wonder why a Canadian is so concerned about this issue. Well the reality is that what goes on in America, pretty soon begins to affect Canada. We have already seen more killings from guns in some of our major cities. This problem is on the up tick in Canada. We think it will only get worse here too unless something is done in both countries.

Your comments are welcome on both sides of the argument. Let’s keep it civil and constructive and maybe we can move this issue ahead somewhat to better understanding on both sides. For more thoughts on this interesting subject, click here.

The Harrah’s Caesar casino hotel offers great casino Windsor hotel deals to their Total Rewards customers. We are Total Rewards slot car members and as we have indicated many times on this site, it is valuable to have these cards since the casinos offer great comps. We were on a driving trip when my wife suggested that we give them a call to see what rate the casino might offer us for a 2-night stay at their hotel. I did not expect a lot since we have not been to this particular casino in Windsor Ontario for some time.

Casino Windsor Hotel Deals

Much to our surprise they offered us two nights free in their new tower which is attached to the casino. Basically, there are two towers one on either side of the casino with a parking garage on the side away from the river. The Casino and the hotels face onto the Detroit River with a great view of downtown Detroit and its towers.  We have already written a post about the hotel and the casino, their restaurants, etc, so if you need more information about Harrah’s Casino Hotel, we invite you to read the post-Caesars Casino Windsor.

Confusing Parking

We liked just about everything about the casino and the hotel except for the parking. Parking is free in a parking garage, however, it is a long walk through the casino up and down escalators to get to the check-in counter at the hotel. I suggest that you use the valet parking and let them also look after your bags. With your total rewards cards, it is free anyway, although they do expect a tip of course.

Rooms are Great at this Casino Windsor Hotel

The deal was really great especially when you consider the room was free. We stayed in the new tower which was very clean and modern with a brand new flat-screen TV. We had a great view of the cities of both Windsor and Detroit across the river. Although you do not spend much time in your room it is very nice to have a  nice clean room with a separate glass shower as well as a soaker tub. Everything of course is nonsmoking.

We walked around the area a little bit during the daytime and had no problems whatsoever. Three blocks away there are several coffee shops, where you can get a decent coffee etc and four blocks away is effectively downtown Windsor. The area is pretty safe however it is like any downtown area, there are people around that you may want to be careful about. We would not suggest that you go walking around at night in the downtown area or down by the water.

There are many hotels in Windsor, especially along the main road from the bridge, however, why would you stay over 2 miles away when you can get such a great casino Windsor hotel deal right at the casino? Not only do you have the distance to travel to get to the casino, but you would also have to pay for your room, which they are often comped for you when you stay at the casino hotel as part of your Total Rewards package.

Get a Slot Card

We will emphasize this again as we have many times. Always get a slot card and always use your card when you are playing the slots. When you receive two nights free and maybe some food or free play with the package, it is similar to winning a small jackpot! A room that costs maybe $90 plus tax per night, plus a meal and pretty soon it would add up to $250 for two nights. Why not stay free when you can you might just get lucky and win a jackpot besides!

That’s why we use slot cards and that is why we get free rooms when we have never even visited this particular casino hotel. You cannot get a better deal than free for a casino Windsor hotel deal! Harrah’s has hotels and casinos in all of the major gambling areas in the US. Chances are that you will be able to stay for free if you gamble in one of their casinos. I look at it from the perspective that I generally have to pay for a hotel room anyway, so the money I save using my total rewards card is available for gambling and I may also win a jackpot which has happened many times. For a video of the casino Windsor, click here

This is a picture of the Rideau Carleton Raceway casino located about 20 km’s from down town Ottawa. It is associated with the race track that has been at this location for many years and effectively kept the race track alive. Many people no longer go to the races for dinner and betting, preferring to spend their time in the casino. Apparently the race track venues were gradually succumbing to other forms of competition and the casino is the only thing that has kept them alive across Ontario.

The Rideau Carleton Raceway transfers money to both the race track group as well as the city of Ottawa every year as part of the agreement for being located on this property. For a complete review of this casino and links to other pages and casinos, click on Las Vegas Hotel Casino Reviews.

Rideau Carleton Raceway – dinner

Many people come to the Rideau Carleton Raceway for dinner 7 days a week. You can order off a menu, however most people will enjoy the buffet. There are a lot of choices, however we have found that the presentation and quality is not what we enjoy and as a result we personally never go to the buffet. It is crowded every weekend so there are many that do enjoy it.

The grounds of the Rideau Carleton Raceway are perfect for many venues, such as the Ottawa Fair and various musical events. They have lots of parking which is free and there are is a great deal of space for flea markets, for food markets etc.

The casino is run by the OLG or the Ontario Lottery Group. They run all of the casinos and lotteries across Ontario.  They do an ok job, however like any government organization they are slow and bureaucratic in terms of making changes. We have been to many casinos across North America. We have found that these casinos are just plain slow when it comes to making changes or updating machines. However they are the only game in town, they really do not have to worry about competition so why should they make an effort to improve service and be competitive.

Dinner at the Bar

We have occasionally ordered a sandwich at the bar inside the casino. The bar tenders can only work with what they are given. However the quality of the sandwiches are not the best. They are made hours before, stored in a fridge, wrapped in saran wrap and served on a plastic plate. You would think they could do better. Most of the  time they do not have the full advertised selection available. There is also soup and hot dogs available. The hot dogs are warmed up in the microwave and the soup is not bad, but very salty.

On Saturday nights at the Rideau Carleton Raceway casino they also have a wing night. In fact it is one of the best things they have available and they are reasonably priced.

They are now talking about locating a casino in downtown Ottawa. Or out at the Scotia bank place were they play hockey. Personally we would like to see another casino in Ottawa to provide more competition. We would like to see the Rideau Carleton Raceway casino remain open. It is easy to get to, and there is free parking. Patrons do not have to deal with traffic down town. For those people who have a problem with gambling, it might be too easy for workers down town to slip into the casino at lunch to play . At least with the Rideau Carleton Raceway casino , you have to drive to the casino. This takes some thought , effort and time.

There are no hotels near the Windsor Casino. They are all several miles away on the road that heads to the international bridge and the United States. The picture on the left is of the Detroit skyline taken from the steps of the entrance to the Windsor casino. It is called Caesars Windsor. This is a two-level casino with two towers, one on either side of the casino. There is also a parking garage located behind the hotel. Unfortunately, although the garage is close to the casino, it is a long walk to the check-in counter for the hotel which is in the new tower.

We have stayed in the new tower and strongly recommend this hotel. It is modern, very clean and well-appointed with everything that you can possibly need. We were very satisfied with the new tower. Although we did not stay in the older tower, it is likely of the same caliber, just perhaps a little more tired due to it being several years older.

Hotels Near Windsor Casino

We mentioned that there are no other hotels close to the Windsor casino. There are several chain motels and small hotels in Windsor, however, they are located along the main road from the international bridge which is where most traffic enters or exits the US. you can easily drive to the casino, but why bother when you can stay right there? If you come across from Detroit via the tunnel the Windsor Casino is only a few blocks from the tunnel exit. The international bridge is several miles from the hotel.

Also, you may even be able to stay for free if you have a Total Rewards card with the Harrahs chain. The Caesars hotel and casino is part of the Harrah’s chain and you can use this card to make your reservations using your slot card.

Casinos in the US

There are casinos in the US, however, there are several great advantages to staying at the hotel-casino in Windsor. There is a lot of concern about safety in Detroit. Windsor has its share of people who hang around the downtown area, however, during the day we experienced no problems and did not feel unsafe at all.

When you stay at the casino hotel, you have another advantage that other hotels near the Windsor Casino cannot offer. That is the view from a high floor in one of the towers. You can look to the North West and see a view similar to the one shown in the picture above or look to the Northeast and see a view of the river and the urban areas of Detroit and Windsor. And yes, Detroit is north of Windsor. if you do not believe me, just look at a map!

We hope this post helps you find a great deal at the Windsor casino. Stay there instead of a hotel near the Windsor casino. For more information about hotels near Windsor casino, click here.

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We are reporting this message here on our website since it is such an inspiring and thought provoking story. It is about What are we missing? We are not sure who the original writer was, since it came to us on written paper from a friend of ours who send us inspirational stories from time to time. We liked this one and decided to add it to our web site.

Hope you like it. If it happens to be yours, leave us a message and we will add a link to your web site.

What Are We Missing?

In Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk..

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

A little while later …..

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

Read the rest of this entry »

These pictures were taken at the bottom of the Rideau Canal locks were the canal meets the Ottawa River. In the distance on the left of the top picture you can see the Chateau Laurier hotel. In the foreground the doors to the next lock is shown. At the top of the locks is Rideau street, which is right in the middle of downtown Ottawa.  Within a couple of blocks you have lots of hotels, shopping and of course the parliament buildings.

Ottawa Rideau Canal Locks

These locks continue to operate for pleasure boats that wish to traverse from the Rideau River system into the Ottawa river system and vice versa.

Bicycle Paths

There is a bike path that runs from Sussex drive on the west side, down the hill and along the river out to the west end of Ottawa. Once you cross Sussex and follow it east, you will eventually pick up another bike path that will also follow the Ottawa River all the way to Orleans. In total about 40 KM’s of paths on this one stretch alone.

There are also bike and walking paths along side the canal and also along side the Rideau River that run up to hogs back and Moneys bay. There is another set of locks at Hogs back rapids as well.

Mooney’s Bay Ottawa

Mooney’s bay is sometimes open for swimming, although there are many days when the bacterial counts in the water test negative and swimming is closed

This picture shown on the right is from the same spot as above. Only looking north to the Ottawa river and also across the river to Hull Quebec. There are another network of bike trails that wander into Gatineau park. Many people ride these trails every summer and ski in the winter time.

It is very pleasant to walk or bike along the river at these locations. There are places were you can sit and enjoy the scenery from the waters edge on park benches.

You will often see office workers taking a lunchtime walk along these paths to get some fresh air and some exercise. A truly beautiful spot in the heart of the city of Ottawa.

For more things to do in Ottawa, click here.

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I have asthma and I was also fortunate enough to participate in asthma research studies recently at the local Ottawa hospital. The purpose of the study was to assess patients who have been diagnosed with asthma and confirm that they actually have asthma. There seemed to be some doubt as to whether patients were actually being diagnosed properly or not with this problem.

In my case I was pretty sure that I had it. But then you never know, so I thought I would at least get another opinion. Even if they confirmed that I have asthma, I was sure that I would learn something. This is really why I am writing this post. I would like other people to learn what I learned. But first the details of how the study was run and whether it was really scientific enough.

Asthma Research Studies

When I first got a call from the hospital, they arranged for an appointment for me to come in. They also arranged for a complete a questionnaire as well as several airway tests to confirm my baseline breathing capability. I was on medication and I was doing a good job at managing my asthma as it turns out. Once they reviewed these baseline results, they called me back for a second test.

The second test involved the application of what I call an irritant to see how my lungs would react. If I have more than 20% degradation in lung capacity, then I was deemed to have asthma. turned out that I only had a 17% degradation in lung capacity and confirmed that I was managing things well. Apparently the doctor had some doubt as to whether I actually had asthma, so he asked me to go to the next stage which was to stop all medication and record my lung capacity using a flow meter and also any symptoms I had, which I did.

No Medication and Asthma is Back

Well that was all it too. Over the weekend I was exposed to cut grass , humid weather and I went down hill fast. I had to use my emergency Ventolin puffers many times and they retested me on Monday morning. My lung capacity was down to 70% from 100% and when the finally gave me Ventolin, I improved by 17%. I have a way to go but I was feeling much better, once I had a treatment of Ventolin.

This confirmed I had asthma, so no big surprise. Was it all worth it, definitely and here is why.

What Did I Learn from this Clinical Asthma Research Study

First of all apparently 23 % of patients are misdiagnosed with asthma. These people may have had a small problem and were put on Ventolin and told they had asthma when they don’t

Second, I have always had trouble telling when my puffer was empty. What you need to do is shake it beside your ear and if you can still hear something sloshing around inside then there is still medication inside. Even when the medication is done, there still can be compressed air coming out of the puffer when it is depressed. Do not rely on this indicator for checking your puffer. Some manufacturers are now placing counters on them which is a great idea.

Third, I learned the proper way to use a puffer. As the picture above shows, you should be using a proper tube, press the puffer, then begin to breathe in at a regular rate. This is the best way to get all of the medication into your lungs. Otherwise much of it ends up on your tongue and the back of your throat were it will not do any good at all. Don’t breathe too hard or the same thing will occur with medicine on your tongue and the back of your throat.

Not COPD!

Lastly they also told me that COPD and asthma are very different. Most people who smoke end up with pockets of dead air in their lungs were the lung tissue has died. This is caused 99% of the time by smoking! If you are smoking, try to stop immediately. Snce getting COPD is a terrible problem to have even worse than asthma.

they paid me for the parking and for the gas my car used, so I really was out of pocket at all. I am really glad that I participated in this asthma research study! For more information about asthma, click here.

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We went to the  Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Buffet on June 30th, just one day after they re-opened in their brand new updated restaurant area. We snapped a quick picture to give readers a look at the newly revamped restaurant and buffet area. The entire restaurant and food area gets a real thumbs up. We love the decor and we love the layout of the buffet. This is a huge improvement over the previous buffet both in terms of comfort as well as the food. It is organized in a much better manner. You are not tripping over other people or waiting in line. The food continues to be excellent!

The only complaint we had was that the air conditioning was working overtime. It was overly cold in the buffet area and also in certain areas of the casino as well. We spoke to one of the managers who said they were definitely aware of the issue. Technicians were on the roof working on the problem. The casino is known to be cold with drafts in some areas. But you sure do not want that when you are trying to enjoy your meal in any of the restaurants.

Akwesasne Mohawk Casino – Updated Buffet Menu

Menus do change depending on whether you are eating on the weekend or during the week. This was a Saturday night and we found that there were lots of items on the menu, with high quality as well. The salad area and the desert area are now separated from the main food items, providing a much better traffic management flow for people to get their food. They had the standard salads, peeled shrimp, meatloaf, pork, salmon, battered fish, mashed potatoes, and gravy. There was also prime rib and turkey, along with pizza and sever Chinese dishes.

All of the food was hot and well-presented. This is definitely a thumbs up for the new buffet at the Akwesasne Casino, considering it was only their 2nd day after opening.

The Rapids restaurant which had been temporarily used for the buffet has also been converted back to its original configuration. This is a place where you can purchase fast food quickly and also sit at tables in the restaurant to enjoy your meal. Burgers, pizza, salads, muffins, etc are included in this area of the casino.

Update On the Construction of the new New Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Hotel

We also spoke to another manager who gave us an update on the status of the hotel. We could definitely see progress in the construction of the hotel. It turns out that the additional casino floor should be open in Oct – Nov time frame of 2012, while the hotel will not open until March 2013. The entire casino floor is going to be updated with new paint, wallpaper, carpets, and probably new machines. We find that they have all of the latest machines in their current casino, although they are a bit limited due to space.

New Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Buffet Schedule

We also have to congratulate the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino management team for meeting the schedule that they advertised. The construction workers should also be congratulated as well.  Many renovations of this type experience many delays, however, this private industry not only met the schedule, restaurant area was fully completed and operational on the 2nd day of operation. Not many places can boast about that kind of performance. They did a great job and deserve to be congratulated. It also bodes well for meeting the schedule that has been outlined for the other areas that are currently under construction.

Hotel Rates

The Comfort Inn is still the only place to stay near the casino. We have not confirmed if rates are still high, however, we do expect the rates to come down once the new Akwesasne Mohawk hotel opens next year. let’s keep our fingers crossed. We look forward to the hotel opening and spending a night or two at this location next year.

We decided to write about slot machine etiquette after a recent experience that we encountered in a local casino near were we live. Over the years we have seen many different casinos with  many different situations . Which one might question regarding the appropriateness of how people act while they are in a casino.We have noticed some very bad behavior of late. It is bothering us so much that we will not be returning to this particular casino. People need to get a life.

In this post we will focus in on etiquette while playing slot machines or waiting to be able to play a particular machine that you might like. We will not be discussing etiquette in general at a casino or etiquette while playing table games. There are some very specific rules for these topics, but that is for another post.

Slot Machine Etiquette – Waiting for a Slot Machine

In markets were there is only one casino, the casino floor often becomes very busy. There really is no where else to go nearby. In addition, there are many people who have become regulars, playing at the casino every day for hours on end. We all have our favorite machines that we like to play and these people are no different. In fact they are some times even worse, preferring to play only one machine and sometimes waiting hours to get the machine they want.

The situation we ran into was interesting in that a man wanted a particular machine and made a request to us that if we left the machine, could we let him know so that he could get it. There is absolutely nothing wrong about this request, provided that it is done in a friendly manner and not in anyway intimidating. What he did wrong in our situation was sit on a stool about 5 feet away and stare at us to the point that it made us uncomfortable.

It was as if he was trying to make us leave the machine with his mind. After about 10 minutes there was another tap and he wanted to let us know that he was going to the bar to get a drink and could we hold the machine for him. We had also told him that we would, but we were not leaving the machine for some time.  Sitting and staring is definitely bad slot machine etiquette.

Standing Too Close

Another situation developed later on in the night on another machine we were playing. Someone was literally standing one foot behind us as we played, waiting for our money to run out. They again wanted that machine, but did not know if we were going to put another $20 in the slot machine or leave. I do not want anyone standing too close to me anytime, let alone a stranger in a casino.

We already talked about staring at the person playing. This is a no no, and very uncomfortable. sometimes in this case and the above case were they stand too close, I will just stop playing for awhile and if that does not work , I will turn around and stare at them until they leave.

We have seen two seniors racing to a machine and then fighting over it. This is totally ridiculous and uncalled for. If someone wants a slot machine that bad let them have it. First of all it is not worth it and secondly I think that it is bad karma to fight someone over a machine and besides it is really bad slot machine etiquette.

All of these things usually occur more often on a very busy night when the casino is really crowded and all of the regulars are there as well.

Reserving a Machine

Sometimes you need to go to the bathroom, get a drink , go for a smoke if you smoke or just take a brief break. this is totally normal and expected by other players and the casino. But sometimes people will go to dinner leaving their machine reserved, they will go to the bar and come back 30 minutes later and so on. Generally the casinos do not accept this and will not condone it.

If you suspect this to be happening and you would like the machine, just ask the casino to monitor the slot machine and they will remove the money and reservation token for you. Do not do this on your own. This is equally bad etiquette and just might get you in a spot of trouble.

Players will use coin cups, a napkin or piece of  paper on the screen of the slot machine, or leave their  jacket on the chair with their slot card in the machine to reserve it. They may leave a small amount of money in the machine as well. Never leave large amounts in a machine and walk away. There are actually people who wander around the casino looking for this type of situation to take advantage of.

Even with all of the above, I often ask the person next to me to keep an eye on the machine and let anyone know who might want to play it that it is reserved. You would be surprised at how many people just do not get it that the machine is reserved when someone’s jacket is on the chair and there is a napkin placed across the scree, even with money in the machine.

Playing Multiple Machines

During slow times, most casinos will allow you to play multiple machines. If someone requests one of the machines you are playing you should be willing to give it up with out any concern. During busy times when the casino is crowded and there are limited slot machines available, the general rule held by many casinos, is that you should only play the machine you are sitting in front of.

We have seen players make a request of the casino to allow them to play multiple slot machines with casino approval. The best example we ever saw was Chinese couple with their daughter had reserved eight dollar slot machines. They were playing them all as fast  as they could go with the maximum in the machines. The casino agreed to this, roped the area off so people could not get too close and even provided guards to tell onlookers to move along since the family really did not want to be watched.

Players Cards Left in Machine

Lot’s of people leave their players cards in the machine. They tend to forget them, however caution should always be used before you sit down and begin playing or remove the players slot card.  We always look to see if there are  credits still in the machine and will ask players siting near by if they know whether the machine is reserved or not.

If there is any doubt, move on or ask the casino to monitor the slot machine. There is no reason to ruin your day or vacation by getting into a useless confrontation.

Smoking

Many people smoke, which we just do not understand due to the health issues. That is another subject all together. Many  casinos are beginning to not allow smoking in their casino. It is a much cleaner environment for the employees and the slot machines as well. The cleaning and maintenance bill goes way down when you eliminate smoking. The casino will provide smoking areas for patrons to go for a cigarette. This is perfectly acceptable. They will reserve their slot machine using one of the approaches outlined above. They are usually be back in five minutes or less.

If someone is smoking beside you, I often will request the person to hold the cigarette on the side away from me. If the smoke is bad or they do not cooperate, I just move on to another area of the casino. They are applying bad etiquette, but then I am not going to make an issue out of it. After all they are in a smoking area of the casino and have every right to be there. Most smokers are quite cooperative and some will even put their cigarettes out.

Tipping

Tipping for drinks while playing the slots has always been a given. You should always tip, usually 50 cents for soft drink and a dollar for an alcoholic drink. If you do, then you will have the waitress around you whenever you are ready for another drink. I have seen people not tip at all which in my opinion is the wrong thing to do. These waitresses and waiters work hard and in most cases do not receive anything more than the minimum wage.

We typically do not tip for payouts. Some people do. However now in most cases it is not necessary. The majority of casinos now use ticket in – ticket out machines. Unless you win a jackpot of more than $1200, you will just take your ticket out and away you go. For jackpots larger than $1200, in the US, you must pay taxes and will receive a tax form for this. If you are not a resident of the US, you will pay the taxes on the spot.

In Canada, there are no taxes on lottery winnings or casino winnings, so no taxes to pay when you win a jackpot at the Canadian casinos.

There is a bike path that runs along the Ottawa River below the Canadian parliament buildings. It runs along the river from the arts center heading west for roughly 15 kilometers. This is a very scenic spot that is also peaceful away from traffic and the tourists.

The first picture on the right is looking east along the river towards one of the bridges that cross the river. You can just see the top of the library of parliament on the upper right hand side of the picture.

Ottawa River – Rideau Canal

This picture shows the same area with a zoom in on the art center. Although you cannot really tell, from this picture, there is an inlet on the right had side which is were the Rideau Canal locks are. Boats wishing to go from the Ottawa river system into the Rideau river system and late into the St Lawrence and Lake Erie can traverse these locks. An earlier post shows the Rideau canal locks. This is a beautiful spot and we really enjoyed biking along this particular path. There were a number of people walking and a few sitting along benches along the river.

City of Gatineau

Across the Ottawa river is the city of Hull, now renamed Gatineau. The buildings shown here are most likely a set of government buildings that are occupied by thousands of government workers.

Apparently there is also a walking / bike trail on that side of the river as well. Access to these trails from the Ottawa side by traveling across one of three bridges that span the river of Ottawa.

These pictures were taken on a week day at the beginning of September. There are not many boats out on the water. During the summer on the weekends there are literally hundreds of boats out on the river.

Access to the Hull casino, Lac Leamy can also be reached from the Ottawa river by boat. Head up the Gatineau river a short distance and then into the Lac Leamy area. If you are a day tripper boater this is an excellent area to own a boat and spend time on the river.

These pictures of the Ottawa area and the river were taken with my phone and uploaded to this web site. Quality is not too bad considering they are from a mobile phone!

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There are really a lot of luxury resorts in the Palm Springs area that snow birds can visit over the winter, the fall and the spring. They range from exquisitely private hotels and motels to the mega golf resorts that dominate the area. Did you know that there are 115 golf resorts in the area, many that are public and cater to the snow birds that come to the Palm Springs area every year. Many of these resorts are behind gated communities with homes and condos that back onto the golf course. These places are spectacular and you may need to be invited before you can play at some of these courses.

Luxury Resorts Palm Springs

Palm Springs has a great deal to offer the snowbird regardless of whether you golf or not.  There are of course the luxury resorts in the Palm Springs area with fantastic pools and tropical surroundings. These luxury resorts in  Palm Springs will cater to all of your needs with happy hour bars and fantastic restaurants that will cater to your every taste.

With so much to do in the Palm Springs area, it is a wonder that the luxury resorts in  Palm Springs are able to do a lot of business. Many people will opt for lower cost motels and hotels leaving valuable funds available for many other activities.

List of things to do in Palm Springs

here is a broad list of things to do in the area, some which will cost money while others are entirely free.

• Golf at one of the 115 courses in the area
• Play at one of the 10 or more casinos in the area
• Dine at one of the hundreds of restaurants in the Palm Springs and surrounding area
• Hike on one of the many hiking trails
• Go biking around the area on the bike trails that dominate the area
• Visit one of the many happy hours that are available
• Swim in the pool at one of the  luxury resorts in  Palm Springs
• Play tennis at one of the luxury resorts in  Palm Springs
• Shopping at El Paseo
• Shopping at the Cabazon outlet malls
• and more and more

If you have not caught the message by now, we really endorse the Palm Springs area because there is so much to do in the area, the weather is fantastic and we love the outdoor desert environment.

Great Place for Snow Birds

If you do not really believe this post or perhaps you think that is is just blatant adverting for the Palm Springs area, think again. We are snowbirds and really love the area and plan to spend a lot of time here as we enjoy the overall environment. In fact, we would prefer that people stay away from the area so that it does not get really crowded. it is not crowded at the moment, although business is picking up.

Check out Palm Springs and some of the other desert communities in the area and come here for a week or even a month to get to know the area and all that it has to offer as well as the luxury resorts in  Palm Springs.

For a list of more things to do in the Palm Springs area, click here.

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My wife and I have recently been to the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino and they are under construction in a big way. We had not been to this particular casino for several months. We were really surprised to see how much was completed and what the big plans are all about. The picture on the left is of the current casino complex in early 2012. It does not reflect what is planned.

Here is what we know so far. They are adding a 140 room hotel to the west of the casino. It will also house an expanded casino. When we talked to one of the security guards, he said that they decided to build the hotel because the Comfort Inn next door was charging too much for their rooms! Hopefully, he is right and rates will drop compared to the $100+ that the Comfort Inn currently charges. They are often full and can charge what they want. I suspect even with these additional rooms, both hotels will both be full. Rates will gradually creep up. What will be good is that the casino will now be able to award free rooms as part of their slot card comps which will be great for all casino players.

Other Changes

The second major change that we found out about is the current Native Harvest Buffet area is being totally redesigned. The buffet has been temporarily moved to the rapids area which had fast food. It is not a great place to have a buffet, but it is only temporary and the new buffet area will be much better. We had a glimpse of the new area and it will no doubt be the nicest buffet restaurant in a 100-mile radius.  Better than even the casino buffet area at Lac Lemay in Gatineau. Now we only had a glimpse, but the decor is a huge improvement and will be a huge compliment to the Akwesasne Mohawk casino.

Akwesasne Mohawk Casino – Updates

The casino itself is being updated as well. We are not sure how this will change, but it will be for the better. The current casino has lot’s of great machines. However, it is getting to be a bit tired looking. We are anticipating a much more glitzy casino as a result. We can only hope for a large nonsmoking area. It would save them so much money in operating costs if they band it all together, but we really do not expect them to do that.

The casino is currently in the tent area. It has been there for some time in addition to the main casino. We understand that the bingo palace is moving over to the tent, once the main casino in the hotel area is completed. This is a multistage multi-year project so it will be some time before this section is completed.

All of these construction changes are moving this casino from being a 2nd rate casino location into a 1st rate casino-hotel complex. We did not hear anything about entertainment, however, I would not be surprised if they added a venue for entertainment as well. Lots of customers already come from Canada, from Cornwall, Ottawa, Montreal and surrounding areas. With the hotel added, customers will not only come for one day, they will stay for a couple of days at either the Akwesasne hotel or the Comfort Inn next door.

Comps Are Great

The picture on the left came from the site IndianTime.net. It was taken sometime in late May or June of 2012.  The buffet is scheduled to open in late June 2012, while the hotel is scheduled for March 2013

Right now we are receiving lots of comps in terms of free play, free buffets, and other free stuff. They are going through growing pains and construction pains so customers are being compensated for some of the disruption. We really enjoy the Akwesasne Mohawk casino and expect to like it even more once the construction is completed.

Once the construction is completed we will post an update to this blog to give you our comments and opinions about the new venue. The buffet is to reopen in the new location during the month of July. We will add another post about the casino buffet at that time. For up-to-date information on the Akwesasne Hotel and Casino, click here.

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