Travel Blog

Ok, Christmas and new Years are just around the corner. First we celebrate Christmas with lots of gifts, getting together with family. We enjoy that traditional Christmas dinner with all of the special foods we all love and enjoy. We don’t take a second to think about the calories we may be eating or drinking.

In fact this is the one meal next to thanksgiving that we actually indulge way over our calorie limits and not give it a seconds thought!. There are other events during the year as well were we over indulge, but you get the picture. Whatever holiday period we are celebrating, it is time to think about how much we enjoy the food and drinks and what it does to our weight loss plans! Diet and Losing Weight is far from our thoughts in these situations.

Diet and Losing Weight – New Years Resolutions

After that it is New Years and it is another party time, with lots to drink for some and more fabulous meals.  There are lots of calories in those drinks and we only start thinking about New years resolutions on the day of New Years, knowing full well that we will blow it that evening, and then start the year adhering to all of the rules we put in place for ourselves.  Really as if that is going to happen. The vast majority of us make these resolutions in good faith, however within a week or less, they are forgotten and have fallen by the wayside. We are quickly back to our old habits. So what can we do to make sure we stick to our resolutions, especially if it involves diet and losing weight?

• Make your resolutions public
• Make them with someone so that you have a team mate
• Use each other to help you stick to the plan
• Make realistic resolutions, those that you have a reasonable chance of keeping
• If you need to lose a large amount of weight, set goals for each month that re achievable
• Remove the enablers of weight gain
• Place things or people around you that will help you
• Write your resolutions and goals down
• Stick them on a wall were you see them everyday
• Read them everyday
• Make a conscious effort to work at them every day
• Focus on a few rather than a lot. Too many and you are overwhelmed

It Can be a Struggle

These are easy words to write, but the real struggle is in making them happen. Find out what works for you and do you very best! Save yourself some effort as well over Christmas and New Years by reducing the amount that you eat and drink.  We are not saying do not enjoy the holidays. We are suggesting that instead of that second plate at Christmas dinner, you limit yourself to one plate and the same thing with the drinks that you have.

There are a lot of calories in all of the alcohol that is consumed and you can have an effect on this as well. If you avoid gaining five or 10 pounds over Christmas, then that is five or 10 pounds you do not need to lose afterwords. Your focus at all times needs to be on diet and losing weight if that is really your objective.

More than half of Canadians (58 per cent) say resolution success or failure depends on what the resolution is and many are easier to keep than others. People  who resolved to travel someplace special, save money and spend more time with loved ones in 2011 will have the most success keeping resolutions. People who’ve resolved to drink less and quit smoking are the least likely to  succeed. Don’t be discouraged by these statements, but do be realistic in setting your objectives so that you can achieve them early in the year.

Good luck and Happy New Years! For information about diet and losing weight, click here.

The Texas Roadhouse chain of restaurants is one of our favorite places to eat and to enjoy happy hour. They are scattered primarily across the US Southwest , although we have seen them in some of the mid west states as well. We really like the one in Amarillo Texas. There is nothing better than arriving during happy hour, sitting at the bar enjoying a few cold beers, some peanuts in the shell and a nice steak with all of the sides at a reasonable price! Prices change, however draft beer can often be had for $2.00 during happy hour.

Texas Roadhouse Happy Hour

Our latest stop was at a Texas Roadhouse in Amarillo , Texas. We arrived at 5:30pm. Happy hour went from 5pm to 7 pm and you had to sit at the bar or in the bar area to take advantage of the happy hour prices. We had several 22 oz beers served in frozen mugs for $3 each. What a good deal!

They also had peanuts in the shell which you crack open and let the shells fall on the floor.  This is a great way to sit back and relax after a hard days work or in our case a long day of driving. As an aside we were traveling from California to eastern Canada and this was one of our stops along the way. Some people might think that this is messy and not very classy, but it just happens to be a very nice way to enjoy an evening. Of course if you do not want to eat the peanuts, then don’t, it is entirely up to you.
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Our last post discussed Penn State and Jerry Sandusky. This one is about a broader subject.  We wanted to discuss why there are so many people in power take advantage compared to other people who take advantage of the situation in a disgusting manner. Competition is one thing and that is just the way humans are. In fact probably all animals. However why do we as humans descend to the lowest kinds of treatment as we have seen in the past few months?

People in Power Take Advantage

To name just a few, there is :

• Penn State and Jerry Sandusky
• The Syracuse university basketball coach and his wife
• The Catholic priests
• Boy scout leaders
• and many, many more.

Many of these people are smart people, they often are well educated and many are well off. Many even have families with a wife and children and they appear to lead this double life that they must know will eventually catch up to them.
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Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. It is also the largest city in Northern Ireland.  Belfast is smaller than Dublin in Southern Ireland.  Although the city has a population of  267,000, it lies in a metropolitan area of 641,000 people.  In the past industries such as tobacco, linen, rope making and ship building were the main industries.  Today it is an industrial and economic power house. It has recovered from the set backs caused by what is know as the “troubles” . This is Ireland today with many new business opportunities.

Violence has Declined

There was a great deal of violence, shootings and bombings during the period from 1969 until 1990. This caused industry as well as people to move away from Belfast. Over 1500 people were killed in the period from 1969 until 2001. Especially with  the development of the waterfront area, Victoria Square and the Belfast City center.
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The Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino is located in Ottawa on Albion road. This is a combination race track, casino and sometimes exhibition and show venue.  The original post can be found by Clicking Here. We thought we would provide an update to this original post that we made about this particular casino. There have been some changes we wanted to make people aware of.

The Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino is still the same configuration, restaurant and bar area. However they have added three electronic tables for patrons to use. There is a blackjack electronic table, a Baccarat, Roulette and Sic-Bo! The black jack table has the usual video dealer that is a very shapely dealer for you to be amused by while you are gambling and possibly be distracted by.

Multi-line Slots

They have moved many of the slot machines around to accommodate these tables. The process has installed many new slot machines of various themes and denominations. There are many more 1 cents and 2 cent machines with multiple lines where you bet a maximum of $2 and $4 on a penny machine. These have become very popular all over North America and the Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino is following suit with these machines. Many of the popular traditional machines have had to make way for all of these new slots.

Very Busy

If anything this casino is becoming more and more popular. No matter what time you go there, there are always people there and it seems that even at 1 am in the morning it is crowded with people. If you want your favorite machine, you are going to have to wait until it is vacated before you can use it or you arrive at 9 am in the morning. Even then sometimes you have to wait until someone is finished.

Comp’s

Comp’s are still bad compared to other casinos, so no change there. Payouts are ridiculous. If you win more than $200 on one press of the button, someone has to come and pay you instead of just printing a ticket. Not sure of the reason, but the slot attendants still have their hands out looking for tips. Service is slow so most don’t bother tipping anymore. Why tip for bad service.

Slot Attendant Service

In fact we recently won a nice little jackpot which we wanted to have a check instead of cash. First I was able to get the attention of the attendants. It only took about 10 minutes to have a check printed. However, I had to wait at least 30 minutes before I could even get someone to come and process the win. I think they know that a check will be required and there will be no tip, so why stop and process the jackpot. Pretty bad service in my opinion.

Anyway it is still a great place to spend an evening, provided that you limit your losses and control your gambling. Have a drink , maybe something to eat and play a little bit for an enjoyable evening!

We recently had the chance to stay at the Encore Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas during  the month of Oct 2015. What a nice treat, especially when it was free.

For those of you who may not be aware, always obtain a free slot card when you are staying at any casino. The cards are free and if you use them when you are playing the slots or the tables, the hotels will often send you deals to get you to stay at their casino hotels. These deals will range from discounted rooms to free rooms Sunday through Friday, to also including free meals and free play. Free play is money that is available to you play on non progressive slot machines and potential win money. We have done this several times and made up to a thousand dollars on our free play.

Wynn or the Encore Hotel

We had a choice of staying at the Wynn hotel or staying at the Encore. They are sister casinos and hotels and they are connected by an atrium filled with restaurants and shops. You really do not have to leave the hotel if you don’t want to with the choice of restaurants, two casinos and many pools to spend your time at.

We chose the Encore, since we had never stayed there before. Also because the rooms were advertised as suites. We were not disappointed. We have stayed at the Wynn previously and these rooms at the Encore lived up to that reputation and more. The rooms are larger with a living room area and a bedroom area. The bathroom is large with both a large shower as a tub to soak in. There is a small TV in the bathroom and a large flat screen TV in the main area as well. The room also has a large couch and table for entertaining and a work desk if you must keep up with emails and office work while in Vegas. Note that you will pay $13.00 a day for internet access.

The Room was Great

We stayed on the 11th floor of the hotel which is not that high. There was some concern that the view would not be that great. We were wrong of course. I don’t think there is a bad view in the place. We looked out over the strip to the north with the Las Vegas Hilton and Circus Circus casinos in the distance.

If you are heading to Las Vegas, we can confidently recommend this hotel, however it may be a bit expensive if you have to pay for the rooms. For first time traveler to Las Vegas, you should go on a package deal, get a slot card and in the future you might be able to come to Vegas on some sort of deal. The hotels want their rooms full, so in slow periods they will mail out all kinds of offers to fill up their rooms. If there is a large conference taking place, chances are that the rooms are going to be very expensive.

Restaurants

We ate at the Switch restaurant one night and found it good but quite expensive. The neat thing about switch is that the walls and ceilings change every 20 minutes or so providing a different atmosphere in the restaurant. We also found the service good, but felt that they rushed us a bit as well. We wanted to take more time with our meal and felt that they were in a hurry. They were not even that busy.

At the other end of the scale is the food court across the street at the Fashion Show Mall on the 3rd floor. They have all of the standard fast food places in the food court and you can also sit at tables outside weather permitting to enjoy your meal.

Of the two hotels, Wynn and Encore, we would probably stay at the Wynn from now on. The Encore Hotel is very nice, but we like the Wynn Casino better and it is actually a long walk from the Encore to the Wynn even though they are side by side and joined.  These are 3000 room hotels with conference facilities, large pool areas and a golf course.

When you come to Vegas always bring good walking shoes. You are going to need them regardless of were you stay! For more information about Las Vegas, click here.

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Rafting Trip – White Water Rafting Shenandoah River

Description – 7 Mile excursion, 2 to 3 hours on the river. Spring and fall include white water rapids, while the summer provides more gentle rapids with lots of swimming opportunities. Pick your dates based on the type of excursion you would like to go on and book early, especially if there is a large group of people planning to go. Summer time rafting can be quite pleasant, especially once the river water warms up and the days are hot.

White water rafting on the Shenandoah river is near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and is located where Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia come together. White water rafting on the Shenandoah river is close to both Washington, DC and Baltimore – only an hour away.

River Rating – Spring and Fall – Class I-III, spring runoffs are generally higher and provide a more thrilling ride, while summertime trips are more tranquil. These summer time trips  are ideal for the novice and those who would prefer the more restful type of trip were you can enjoy the scenery. Spring and fall trips are for those people who had some experience and are also looking for a thrill.

Number of Rapids – “The Dam”, “The Needles Rapid”, “Wake Up Call” and the all time favorite “White Horse”.

Minimum Age – During spring and fall -ages 6-8 years (50 lbs)

Departure Dates – Daily March through November, book early if you want specific trips and dates

Boat Type – white water rafts, with all of the associated gear.

What to Bring – An extra set of dry clothes, swimming suit. The outfitters pretty much provide everything else, however it is a good idea to check with the outfitter you plan to use to see what they provide vs. what each person needs to bring with them. Most people will bring extra clothes and may bring extra snacks to snack on when the trip is over. Your outfitter may also provide snacks as well, although it is good to confirm. Sometimes for some people, the snacks might not be enough to satisfy your appetite and you will need to bring some of your own.

Reviews – None that we saw

Outfitters – yes, several

White water rafting is a great sport that you can have a lot of fun with. Always make sure you have a life jacket on and secured tightly in the proper manner. Your navigator and out rigger company should provide you with all of the appropriate safety gear and instructions. Listening and following these instructions could save your life.

We watched a special put on by CNN’s Dr Sanjay Gupta about how following a specific diet pretty much ensured that you would avoid having a heart attack.  This Heart Attack Proof Diet is at least for most people. If you have genes that suggest your family is prone to having heart attacks you may at least improve your chances by following this kind of diet.  The message in the interview with a variety of people who are following this particular diet is

• Eat vegetables as much as you can
• Avoid oils of all kinds or at least limit them
• Avoid Dairy, but do not forget to add calcium to your diet
• Reduce meat, at least red meat which is the kind that contributes most to heart attacks.

The people in  Papua New Guinea highlanders, rural Chinese, central Africans and the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico all follow this diet and heart attacks are virtually unknown in these cultures. There has to be something to this diet, however it is very difficult to change historical eating habits of North America were everyone eats some kind of meat and dairy everyday! In addition we eat lots of prepared foods which is high on cholesterol inducing chemicals and also very high in salt. Both of these contribute to heart attacks in our society.

Getting the Message Out

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. who is and was a surgeon is trying to get the message out that if we reduce or eliminate dairy and meat based products, we will suffer many less heart attacks and be able to lead a more healthy lifestyle well into our old age.

One study of 17 people who had had 40 cardiac events before going on the diet, had no events at all after being on the diet over a 12 year period. Pretty impressive. Is this for real, who knows, but it is worth checking out. Also from a common sense perspective, just consider that the oil and fat that you drain off even lean meat is going into your body and in small amounts and apparently it ends up in your arteries as plac that builds up and prevents the blood flow. Just let the oil cool and harden at the bottom of the pan and you will get the image of what can happen with this plac in your blood stream.

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. has written a book on the subject and sure this sounds like a money grab, however if CNN is promoting it, surely it cannot be all bad. If you have purchased the book or downloaded the CD , we would be really interest in your comments on the diet and whether it is for real or not?

Heart Attack Proof Diet – Partial

In the mean time, following this diet plan on at least a partial level is only going to help. Reducing salt intake and cholesterol is also only going to help and may add years onto your life. What have you got to lose other than a longer healthy life to spend with your family and friends. Giving up some of your favorite foods or at least reducing foods is only a small thing compared to living longer.

The worst mistake that consumers can make is to eat out all of the time at restaurants. The food will taste great, however it is loaded with salt and often is deep fried at some point which adds all kinds of fat and calories to your diet. deep fried food is definitely not friendly to your heart and should be one of the first things to be eliminated or at least significantly reduced.

Most people find this really difficult to do and will just fall back to their old ways. To start with consumers have to put more time in to preparing foods that are friendly to your heart and avoid the salt laden foods that are already prepared and frozen in the store. Just read the labels and you will quickly realize just how much salt there is in these foods. For more information on dieting, click here.

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We recently saw an article about extreme penny pinching and were intrigued by several of the ideas, however, some were clearly off the wall and well beyond what the average person would even consider. We wondered about, Penny Pinching While You Travel? We thought that a more interesting list of penny-pinching ideas that actually save you money while traveling would be interesting to a lot of people.

We put together a combination of our own list of things about penny-pinching while you travel to save money with a few of the items that were on the list of the article that we read. We tend to stay in hotels and rent condos while we travel, so our list is centered around this type of travel. Other people who go camping, travel in an RV, or stay with friends and relatives will obviously have other items to add. Please let us know your items in the comments section and we will add them to our list. Here is the list for penny-pinching while you travel and we follow up with an explanation of each later in the post.

Penny Pinching While You Travel

Saving Money While you Travel

• We belong to points clubs such as air miles and credit card points collection
• We ask for a seniors discount
• We watch for restaurant discounts for seniors
• We follow senior citizens at dinnertime
• I join birthday clubs so I can eat for free
• I hit up fast food dollar menus
• We eat at subway and share a foot-long sub
• We order one soft drink and share, refills are free
• I drink as much as I can during happy hour
• We eat appetizers during happy hour
• I pick up pennies wherever I go
• We eat a large lunch and lightly at dinner time
• Share Meals
• We stay at hotels that include breakfast and/or dinner and/or free drinks

Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital city, is approximately 100 miles (167 Km), and a 2½ hour drive from the city of  Dublin. Unfortunately there are no direct flights connecting Dublin to Belfast as of Sept 2011, unless you want to fly via London and take half the day to get there.

Fortunately there are alternatives which include; there’s a 24 hour bus service, take a train, or if you prefer total independence, you can hire a car, or drive your own rental car. Make sure you have an international drivers license if you do rent a car.

Dublin to Belfast – By bus…

The Belfast to Dublin route is well serviced by bus. There’s a joint cross-border bus service provided by Bus Éireann, the Republic of Ireland’s bus service. Also Ulsterbus for the Belfast to Dublin Airport or Dublin City route. Ulsterbus is operated by Translink, and is a division of Translink, Northern Ireland’s public transport operator, and the route to Dublin is operated by the Goldline Express. The departure point for bus travel from Belfast to Dublin is the Europa Bus Centre during the day and from Glengall Street at night. The Europa is a combined train/bus station, and is just a short distance from the Grand Opera House, and close to the Europa Hotel.

There’s an hourly service, day and night, from Belfast to Dublin Busaras or Dublin Airport, operated by Goldline Express or Bus Eireann. This is a pleasant journey where you can enjoy the fine scenery of the North East of Ireland. The trip takes about a 2½ hours
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Have you ever been stuck on the highway because of an accident. Most of us have and most of us have only had to deal with a delay of an hour or two. Well try 12 hours stuck on I40 with nowhere to go and no information about what you can do or when you are going to be allowed to proceed.  That was us on Nov 20th on a Sunday night just outside of Albuquerque.

It was on the west side along Interstate 40. In fact we were only 8 miles from our turn off when the traffic came to a screeching halt. Talk about frustrating. On top of that we also had a hotel reservation, which we could not cancel. It was less than 24 hours notice and hotels will not accept cancellations that close to the arrival time.

Stuck on I40 Heading East into Albuquerque

For those of you who may not be aware, I40 is a heavily traveled truck route that runs from the west coast , through Albuquerque, all the way to Memphis and beyond.  In this area were the accident occurred, it is pretty much desert with rolling hills and not many side roads and certainly no roads paralleling the highway.  So there we are stuck on the highway , 8 miles from our destination. We are stopped in a valley were unfortunately there is only weak cell phone coverage and also limited local radio coverage. It is impossible to get any information about what is holding us up ahead or how long it will be. I even asked a couple of truckers if they had CB radios and if they knew what was going on. Apparently truckers do not carry CB radios any longer, at least the ones I asked do not.

The weather was clear, there were no problems on the road so this apparently was someone not paying attention and involved a van and several trucks. Two people died in this major accident.
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The folks at Penn State University probably wish they never had anything to do with Jerry Sandusky and that the management team they had running the sports side of the business had better judgement. There has been thousands of words written on this subject and there will be thousands more.This will go on for many years between the legal case against Sandusky and also the civil suits against him. There will be a lot of pain for everyone for some time.

His Own Worst Enemy

Sandusky himself adds fuel to the fire every time he does an interview.  He has to be a lawyers worst nightmare as a client. He continues to speak to the media and get himself into more trouble. But that is not really the point of this post.

Instead, the subject is about the poor state of the moral ethics of this university. Possibly others although we will focus on Penn State for this post. What is really happening here is that the university puts sports and football in particular ahead of the personal rights of individuals. Apparently they thought that if they could hide this thing long enough it would just go away.

Unfortunately for them, in today’s media and the age of the internet and instant communications, these things rarely stay submerged for  very long. It is literally a firestorm of emails, posts, and tweets about the Penn State cover up.
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The New York New York Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas is truly spectacular. Emulating the New York skyline with a roller coaster ride that runs through the casino and outside as well there is lots to see and do in this casino hotel in Las Vegas. The picture on the right was taken from one of the bridges that crosses the strip from the New York Hotel to the MGM Grand Casino on the other side of the road. This is one of the best panorama views that I have been able to take of this hotel.

We have stayed here several times and although the hotel is not our favorite, it is a very nice hotel to stay at. Personally I like the casino more than others due to its action orientation and night life atmosphere. You can roam the streets of downtown New York, visit a bar with dueling pianos or visit a pub were they dance on the bar.  The casino is in and around of this and they also have some really great slot machines. I have won a few jack pots as well here on slots and on video poker machines.

An Exciting Win

One time we were just walking by and my wife needed to use the bathroom. We went inside and I decided to play a video poker machine. Before she returned, I had hit a royal flush and earned a cool $1000. Now this is the way I like to gamble.

The picture on the left shows the skyline of the hotel at night. Again taken from one of the bridges crossing the strip You can see the wire fence in the foreground.  It really is a spectacular view and as we have already mentioned there are lots to do at this casino. Read on for more details about our New York New York Casino and hotel review.

New York New York Casino and Hotel – Slot Machines

There are over 1,500 slots in varying denominations including:

• Wheel of Fortune
• Megabucks
• Jackpot Party
• Blazing 7’s
• Top Dollar
• Sex & the City
• Monopoly
• Goldfish
• Wizard of Oz

Table Games

There are 84,000 square feet of space with more than 67 gaming tables including:

• Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette
• Mini Baccarat
• Let It Ride
• Big Six
• Three Card Poker
• Texas Hold’em Bonus
• Crazy 4 Poker

Restaurants

• Nine Fine Irishmen
• The Sporting House Bar & Grill
• Gallagher’s Steakhouse – Great steaks here!
• II Fornaio
• Chin Chin Café
• Gonzalez Y Gonzalez
• America
• Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs
• New York Pizzeria
• Broadway Burger Bar
• Quick Bites

What We Liked

• Variety of slot machines
• Free drinks while gambling
• Free entertainment at the bar
• Dueling Pianos bar, you need to line up to get into this one
• Buffet is great
• Pool area and spa free to hotel
• Hotel rates are very reasonable, especially if you use an M-Life card while gambling
• Covered garage parking which is very secure
• Easy access from all highways including Interstate 15
• Safe environment in the casino, hotel and parking areas

What We Did Not Like

• It is a 4 star hotel in our estimation and quite adequate for our needs
• Rooms in the hotel are getting a bit dated as of 2011
• Getting to your room can be confusing, due to the many different elevator banks

Slot Player Card

They are part of the MGM Mirage 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 a number of benefits that many slot players should consider. Free or discounted rooms, 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.

Parking

There is ample parking at the New York hotel & casino in a large parking garage beside the hotel. There is no surface parking that we observed. You can access the hotel from the garage via an elevator from all levels. The parking garage is also patrolled on a regular basis and it also protects your car from the weather.

Directions:

Located across from the MGM Grand and at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard & Tropicana.

From McCarran International Airport

• Head east from Wayne Newton Blvd – go 0.5 mi
• Bear right at Swenson St and head toward Airport exit – go 0.9 mi
• Turn left at E . Tropicana Ave. – go 1.2 mi
• Cross Las Vegas Blvd, turn right into New York-New York off East Tropicana Ave

From Interstate 15

• Exit 1-15 and head east onto E. Tropicana
• Turn left into New York-New York off East Tropicana Ave

A nephew of mine and his wife are planing to go to Vegas for the first time and were asking were they should stay. I initially recommended they should stay at one of the following  hotels. They are all close to each other and in the center of everything. Unfortunately they can also be expensive as well and might be more than he wants to pay for a hotel room.

Fortunately, there is a great deal of competition in Las Vegas, and very nice hotels can be found that are less expensive. A major tip about finding cheap rates is to find out what conferences are in Las Vegas, how many people are involved, and which hotels are hosting the larger conferences. Staying away from hotels that are hosting large conferences can mean that you find rates that are much cheaper. Even some of the big-name hotels will give you cheap rates if they are having a slow week.

Where to Stay in Las Vegas – Nicer Hotels

• Mirage
• Treasure Island (TI)
• Wynn,
• Venation
• Paris
• Bellagio

They are prime locations and often a little more pricey than some of the other hotels along the strip. The price at any given time depends on what is going on in Las Vegas as well as in that particular hotel. If there is a major conference taking place, you can be sure that the prices for rooms is going to be much higher. My nephew is looking for something more affordable and sent the following note.

Where to Stay in Las Vegas – Cheaper hotels

• Luxor
• Rio All Suite
• New York, New York
• MGM Grand
• Mandalay Bay
• Aria

They are all 4 stars and are a couple of hundred dollars less than the Mirage, which we are looking into instead of these options. If you could let me know your thoughts

Our comments on these hotels are as follows:

They are all very good hotels, and we have stayed at MGM, NYNY, and Aria. It really comes down to location.

Rio– off the strip, and you cannot walk to the strip. I think they have a shuttle that you can take, or you can take a taxi. Apparently, they have a really good nightclub there if you can get in.

Mandalay Bay – very nice hotel, on the strip, across from the airport. But at the extreme south end of the strip, probably 2 miles from the mirage. Lots of walking to get anywhere, and you do not want to take taxis all of the time

Luxor

Better location, on the strip, at the south end, still a long way from the main hotels.

Aria – on the strip, between NYNY and Bellagio, across the street from the Mgm Grand, good location , brand new and very modern looking. we personally do not like it because it is all glass and steel, grey, not the desert tones, huge place and offers everything you will want.

MGM – on the strip, huge, (5000 rooms) can take the monorail to other locations from this hotel, across the street from the NYNY and Aria .

New York, New York– I like this place,my wife not so much, unique in that it represents the ny sky line, and streets of new york inside in the restaurant area, has a roller coaster going through it, has two neat bars – coyotes and also the dueling pianos.

For my money I would stay at NYNY or Mgm. and get a M-life slot card to use when I am playing the slots there. . You can still walk to the Bellagio fountains, the Mirage volcano and the TI pirate show ( about a mile) as well as many of the other hotels along the strip.

Take Good Walking Shoes

Remember these hotels are huge, just to get from your room to the street is a good walk, so make sure you take good walking shoes.

For free drinks, make sure you have some money in the slot machine, whether you are playing or not, tip $1 for a drink for each of you, and order whatever you want.

if you go downtown, take a taxi, do not walk. it is too far and there are some less than good areas on the way, especially at night.

What is a life changing event? We all have experienced life changing events of one kind or another at some time in our lives. For some people it can be getting married , having children or living through a major accident. There are many of these things that we live through and when we look back on them , we realize that our lives changed forever. This story is about one of mine that occurred when I was 17 and trying to decide what I was going to do with the rest of my life.

Life Changing Events – High School

I was in grade 12 in high school. This is typically the time when teens are deciding if they will go to university , college or try to find a job once they graduate from school. It can be a scary time and an exciting time for many.  Without really realizing it, you are deciding what you will do for the rest of your life, or at least set yourself on a course that will profoundly impact your lifestyle, your friends, your education and your future family although that is the last thing that many of us were thinking about.

In my case, I had good marks and was eligible to apply for and be accepted for university. My problem was that I did not have the money to attend university. My parents provided well for us. We never lacked for food and clothing, but extra money for university courses, books and a room with meals was out of the question. I had pretty much realized that I was destined to find a job when I graduated and that would be my life!

A Meeting With my Guidance Counselor

Well it seemed that fate, luck or just plain good work by my guidance counselor totally changed my life. He called me into the office one day and began one of those conversations that all teens hate. What are you planning to do with the rest of your life and what about going to university?  The answer was simple. I did not have the money to go and could not afford it.

He wanted to know what I was good at in school and what I liked. he already knew the answers to these questions, but wanted me to say them and think about them. The answer was math, physics and science. But what good are these going to do you when you look for a job in a small town with few job opportunities.

The Family Farm

I was destined to take over the family farm, since I was the oldest boy in the family.  My brother was faced with an even more uncertain future since if I took over the farm, what would he do with his life.

So my guidance counselor said to me, what about going to the University of Waterloo. They have a co-op program which means that you go to school for 4 months, then they find you a job for 4 months and then you head back to school. it takes an extra year to graduate! Five years instead of four years. However you have earned money, you have gained work experience in your profession and you have a good chance of having a job when you graduate with one of the companies you worked with. All of these things are huge benefits to people like me without enough money to go to university.

Can You Afford One Term

His next question to me was, did I have enough money to afford the first term?  Could I pay for tuition, books and room and board and last until my first paycheck? I had a part-time job and had saved a bit of money. I said that I felt that I could do that although I would be totally broke when I finished my first term.  Based on this single conversation I decided to give it a try. I saved as much money as I could, I applied for student loans and I continued working on the weekends while I went to university to make a enough money.  It is a long story, but I made it and graduated as a professional engineer in Canada!

Recognition

This wonderful story is not over. One of the things that I believe you should do is to recognize the people who have made a huge influence on your life. I did that about 30 years later, by going back to my home town  and talking to my old guidance counselor. He made a huge difference in my life and he deserved to know about what had become of me.

I knocked on his door one spring morning and he came to the door. Not only did he recognize me, he knew my name and welcomed me into his home. I met his wife and had a beer with him and told him the story of how he changed my life and what a great impact he had on me. Believe it or not we all had a good cry, it was so emotional.

His wife was so proud of him as I was and it made such a profound impact on him! I stayed for about an hour and then left promising to come back another time. I have not done that but I think I will now that I have written this particular true story.

Recognize Those People in Your Life That Made a Difference

This is what I mean when I say that there are singular events that can change your life for ever. I was extremely fortunate to have met this man and for him to have such a significant impact on my life! My brother took over the family farm and loves the work and the outdoor life. Everything worked out unbelievably great for everyone. Take the time to let those people in your life that have made a difference. They will treasure the recognition!

For more life changing events and other stories, click here.

Cities across the world are all under pressure to reduce their costs. They need to generate new revenue to pay for services that they offer to their residents. The last 3 years has really pushed this issue to the forefront due to the recession. foreclosures and many places are just being boarded up. In locations were the city gets a share of the sales tax, even this has fallen, since people are just not spending the same amount of money. Cities reduce services when the situation gets this bad.

Cities Reduce Services

Now you would think that cities across North America would reduce services to reduce their costs as they go through this painful period. And yes many are doing just that because they have so much pressure on their budgets. Read the rest of this entry »

This post is all about diet and avoiding eating more than you should, ie Diet & Will Power. My wife is constantly trying to lose weight. However she has no willpower and cannot avoid eating sweets as well as munchies that are available in our house most of the time.

In fact if there are deserts in the house, she will have a helping for breakfast instead of a regular breakfast. If we can avoid having some of these foods in the house then we cannot eat these things. We have found this is one of the most significant ways to help to manage our diets. Keep the snacks out of the house!

Food in the Home

Yes if there are desserts in the house,  guaranteed it will be eaten before the morning arrives or sometime shortly after. She would rather have dessert for breakfast instead of having a proper nutritional breakfast. In fact she does not even like breakfast, but will have dessert if it is in the house for breakfast. The only way that she seems to be able to have any control over what she eats is to avoid having the food in the house. We find that if we buy peanuts or chips, we both start snacking.

Couch Potato

She will sit down and eat them while watching a TV show or just munch on them during the afternoon. There’s no way that you can let them sit there. This is a terrible way to try to control your diet so we have found that the best way is to avoid buying all those kinds of things. If we’re having a party for some reason the people we have those kinds things in as the host of the party.

If you fall into this category and cannot avoid eating food that’s in the house the best approach is to have food that are low calorie can nature. Fruits and vegetables are a good example of the kinds of foods to have in the house. In fact weight watchers has recently changed their scoring system to include  most if not all fruits and vegetables to zero points. This means that you can eat as much of this kind of food as you want.

Get Out of the House, Go For a Walk

Another approach is to get out of the house even if it’s just for a walk or go to an exercise gym. Participate in something that gets you moving to start to burn calories. Sitting in the house watching TV eating high calorie food is just a recipe to gain weight.

So this is the season to maintain your weight or to lose weight, avoid having all of these high carb and calorie foods in the house.  Avoid foods such as peanuts chips, pretzels and other foods about type. Instead have lots of fruits and vegetables in your home to munch on whenever you have the urge to eat something. Also avoid any kind of dips that go along with these things unless it is zero  calories and zero carbs. Also avoid food that has a lot of salt in them.

Read the labels on every food that you can eat to avoid high salt content. Also to make sure that you’re eating low-carb  low calorie food if you’re on a diet and cannot avoid or do not have the willpower to avoid eating. Especially important while you’re sitting watching TV reading a newspaper or just quietly reading.

Get up and move around even if it is housework or going for a walk or going to the gym or biking. Anything that gets you away from the fridge away from getting any kinds of munchies. When you feel the urge to read something get out of the house and go for a walk. For more information on diets, click here.

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As we research articles for camping and white water rafting  to write and post on this website for our readers it occurred to us that many of our readers will encounter bears from time to time. Dealing with Bears while Camping as they are hiking, setting up camp or traveling down the river can be scary. We felt that it would be a good idea to post some basic guidelines on this website about how to deal with bears if you encounter them.

Bears are just about everywhere in the wild. You will see them on the road, along lakes and around camps and hiking trails.  If you do not see them always keep your eyes and ears alert and look for signs that they are around.

Dealing with Bears while Camping

These guidelines are taken from a number of web sites and merged to try to provide the best advice available. While we are trying to help our readers, it is understood that there is no guarantee that any of these guidelines will work when you confront a bear. The best advice is to avoid them in the first place.

Avoiding Bear Problems

The best way to avoid bear problems is to take precautions to not attract them in the first place.

NEVER FEED BEARS

If you encounter a bear while in the outdoors, remain calm. DO NOT PANIC! Leave the area.

• Store foods out of a bear’s reach, in a vehicle or enclosed trailer.
• Remove all garbage and store it in enclosed vehicles or trailers.
• Use airtight or bear-proof containers.
• Post watch for entire event for bear activity.
• Respect all bears – they all can be dangerous.
• Never approach a bear.
• Be defensive – never surprise a bear.
• Learn about bears. Anticipate and avoid encounters.
• Know what to do if you encounter a bear.
• Each bear encounter is unique. No hard and fast rules can be applied when
• dealing with a potentially complex situation.

The most dangerous bears are:

• Bears habituated to human food.
• Females defending cubs.
• Bears defending a fresh kill.
• Cute, friendly, and apparently not interested in YOU.

About bears:

• Bears can run as fast as horses, uphill or downhill.
• They can climb trees, although black bears are better tree-climbers than grizzly bears.
• Bears have excellent senses of smell and hearing, and better sight than many people believe.
• Bears are strong. They can tear cars apart looking for food.
• Every bear defends a “personal space”. The extent of this space will vary with each bear and each situation; it may be a few metres or a few hundred meters. Intrusion into this space is considered a threat and may provoke an attack.
• Bears aggressively defend their food.
• All female bears defend their cubs. If a female with cubs is surprised at close range or is separated from her cubs, she may attack. An aggressive response is the mother grizzly’s natural defense against danger to her young.
• A female black bear’s natural defense is to chase her cubs up a tree and defend them from the base. However, she is still dangerous and may become aggressive if provoked.

If you encounter a bear at the roadside:

• Remain in your vehicle. Don’t get out even for a “quick photo”.
• Keep your windows up.
• Do not impede the bear from crossing the road.
• If you park to view bears at a distance, leave your car well off the road to avoid accidents.

IF you come in contact with a bear:

• DO NOT PANIC! DON’T APPROACH IT!
• Make loud noises, bang pans, yell, honk the horn of a vehicle, wave arms.
• Back away slowly.
• Get inside a vehicle and wait for the bear to leave, if it becomes aggressive.
• Most bears fear people and will leave when they see you. If a bear woofs, snaps its jaws, slaps the ground or brush, or bluff charges: YOU ARE TOO CLOSE! BACK AWAY!
• Barking dogs, bright lights and noisemakers will sometimes discourage bears from coming into an area.

Children should not:

• Run or play in areas with dense bush.
• Play unsupervised in bear country.
• Make animal-like sounds while hiking or playing.
• Approach bears, especially bear cubs.
• Be encouraged to pet, feed, or pose for a photo with bears, even if they appear tame.

If the bear refuses to leave:

• Be sure you have allowed the bear an escape route.
• Make loud noises to scare it away.

If the bear is treed:

• LEAVE IT ALONE! The bear will usually go away when it feels safe.
• Have people leave the area near the tree.
• Remove dogs from near the tree.

Your food and garbage:

• Odors attract bears. Reduce or eliminate odours from yourself, your camp, your clothes, and your vehicle.
• Don’t sleep in the same clothes you cook in.
• Store food so that bears cannot smell or reach it. Don’t keep food in your tent – not even a chocolate bar.
• Properly store and pack out all garbage.
• Handle and store pet food with as much care as your own.

Dealing with allergies at hotels is getting better when you are staying at hotels these days. Many hotels have recognized that there is a large percentage of the population that is dealing with allergies at most times of the year and they are going after this market.

If you are a traveler and suffer from allergies, don’t forget to ask for the following when you make your reservation, depending on your personal allergy situation:

• Non smoking room
• No pets
• Foam pillows
• Hypo – Allergenic room ( some hotels are now offering this feature)
• Special foods
• Other items that are personal in nature

Dealing with Allergies at Hotels is Getting Better

Again, don’t forget to re-enforce these requests when you check in. On occasion, the original request will not get sent to the check in clerk from the reservation desk, or they are out of your desired room and they just put you in any old room.

Non Smoking Rooms

We have also been in situations were we had requested a non smoking room and found ourselves on a smoking floor in a room that had been smoked in. Obviously the clerk was not paying attention or not on the ball. We had to move rooms and we demanded a discount for our troubles. Many hotels will offer discounts on the room rate or a free meal in these situations.

The hotels are also seeing the advantage of going to non smoking rooms throughout the hotel due to the cost savings they receive on not having to clean the remains of smokers ashes and smells. Lets face it , smokers are not that clean, they leave their ashes and cigarette buts everywhere and it all becomes a filthy mess. If they are forced to smoke outside, at least it is outside and not inside a hotel room were the hotel has to pay for cleaning.

Hampton Inn 100% Guarantee

Hampton Inns also have their 100% satisfaction guarantee as well which is well worth taking advantage of if you are not satisfied. We have taken advantage of this on several occasions that were legitimate issues.

Pet Friendly Hotels

This is another market that the hotels are catering to, however for anyone with allergies to pet dander, it can be a night mare. You cannot tell if you have been in a room previously occupied by a pet, yet you are reacting to the dander and have a miserable night. We just stay away from these hotels and do not give them our business!

Hypo-Allergenic Rooms

Some of the larger chains are beginning to offer these kinds of rooms to travelers. They are charging more for the rooms, but it can be worth it to get a good nights sleep. No smoke, no pets, no perfume of any kind, no deodorizer and odor free cleaning agents. If you are allergic to any of these items you may want to consider this kind of room.

Unfortunately the smaller hotels and motels do not offer this type of room. Although they generally do offer non smoking rooms. Dealing with allergies at hotels is getting better. For more posts about hotel service, click here.

A friend who has never been to Vegas before is going for the first time and will be celebrating his 30th anniversary. This is a trip they have both been looking forward to for some time. He asked me what there is to do in Las Vegas. I sent them the following list of things to do, and hopefully, this will help other people going to Vegas for the first time as well.

What is there to do in Las Vegas

Here is a list of things you may want to consider as something to do while in Vegas, in addition to gambling and seeing all of the shows that are available, in no particular order

• Downtown Fremont experience at night
• Caesars Forum indoor mall
• Venation Indoor Mall
• Take a ride on a Gondola at the Venetian
• Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris hotel
• Bellagio fountains
• Bellagio-themed gardens off the main reception area
• Pool area Bellagio
• TI pirate show, weather permitting
• Tour the casinos, many are just plain amazing – Bellagio, Caesars, Wynn,
• The shopping center mall across from the Wynn

More Things to Do in Las Vegas

• Red rock canyons – 1 hour away
• Grand Canyon – 5 hours by car, can also take helicopter rides
• Trip into the desert if interested
• Pool time at your hotel
• Search shows playing and book in advance – Cirque de Soleil are spectacular
• Go to at least one good buffet – Wynn, Bellagio, Mirage
• Lots of inexpensive fast food places – at the mall, and some casinos
• Dueling piano bar at New York New York casino
• Tigers at the MGM Grand hotel
• Just walk the strip and take in the sights
• Sit at a bar in a casino, have a drink, and people-watch. Mirage Sports bar is good for this (if you are sitting at a bar with a 25-cent slot machine in front of you, stick a $20 bill in, play slowly, and your drinks should be free)
• Split your meals when you can; most are huge, and one person cannot eat everything by themselves.
• Visit the Apple store in the Fashion Center mall across from the Wynn Casino.
• Visit the Fashion Center Mall for all types of shopping. There is also a food court on the 3rd floor if you want a quick, inexpensive meal.
• Get a slot card and use it when you are playing. They are free, and you might get free room offers in the future.
• Sit at a slot machine, put $20 in, and play slowly. Ask a waitress for a drink of pretty much any kind, and tip a dollar each time to have a free drin.k

Make sure you take really good walking shoes. You will be walking a lot. Drink lots of water. You can be dehydrated quickly if it is hot.

Now this is really not hot news or any kind of news, however since I live in Ottawa, I thought I would share this with readers. A recent survey was just completed which showed a very positive report about the city of Ottawa.  I am providing a snap shot of some of the stats that are being reported. Here they are:

• 82 per cent of respondents have a “positive image” of Ottawa. Followed by 81 per cent for Victoria and 80 per cent for Vancouver.
• Toronto was Canada’s least liked city, with 73 per cent giving it a positive rating.
• Canadians also rated Ottawa more positively than other international leading capitals, including Washington, DC, Paris and London, England.
• 56 per cent of Canadians want to see more national celebrations and festivals in Ottawa. While 50 per cent want more museums/art galleries and heritage buildings.

Ottawa – Lot’s to do – Well Sort of

Ottawa is a nice city and I have always said that it is the only city in Canada, were you can see your tax dollars at work. You can maximize the use of your tax dollars. We have hundreds of miles of bike paths. Miles of parkway along the Ottawa River and we have several nice museums. Skiing in the winter is close by and there is lots of fishing and boating in the summer time. You can also skate on one of the world’s longest outdoor skating rinks, in the winter time.

The Rideau canal is converted to ice skating in the winter time and boating in the summer. And don’t forget the tulips in the spring that dominate the cities many gardens. These were sent to us from the Queen of the Netherlands after the 2nd world war in recognition of our help during the war.We are close to Montreal were we can get a little culture and visit better restaurants and stores.
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Hotels in Belfast & Accommodation:

As befitting a major European destination, a full range of accommodation options are available in Belfast.  We cannot confirm that all of these hotels etc are in fact still in business, so please check each one out separately. Confirm they are open and have the type of  accommodations that you are looking for. Location is also important as well if you want to be near the city center for example or close to one part of the city vs. another. Location is also important from a safety perspective. In any large city, there are areas that are typically better than others. Especially if you like going out for a walk or are dining out in the evenings.

Visitors can chose from cozy, family run bed and breakfast establishments, a variety of self catering options and luxury five star hotels to suit every taste, set of requirements and budget. Check out their web sites and also review comments about each of these locations to make sure that they are at the level in terms of luxury that you are looking for. Comments about each location are important. Check the hotels web site, but also check independent travel sites for comments. Sometimes these will be a little more objective about the location you are interested in. You can also enjoy a little bit of history by picking one of the older historic hotels.

Hotels in Belfast – Dublin

Having stayed in similar hotels in Dublin, we are confident that the accommodations in Belfast will be equally cozy and meet all of your needs. I gained almost 10 pounds in two weeks from all of the fabulous restaurants and pastries that they offer. There were numerous coffee shops with all kinds of pastries to try and it was really difficult to resist them. We enjoyed our time in Dublin Ireland very much and are quite sure that Belfast, Ireland offers the same opportunities to tourists.

There are lots of things to see in Belfast. We have always found that checking with the concierge is a good idea to find out what the best sites to visit are and how much things will cost. If there is a city tour, take the tour and make note of those places that you may wish to return to when you have more time on your own.  City tours are also very good since you will learn about local places and some of the history that abounds almost everywhere. These countries go back many hundreds of years and there is always lots to learn. Tourists can also find out when various venues are open and when there are discounts on entry fees etc.

Hotels in Belfast – List of Hotels

Here is our current list of hotels in Belfast , Ireland.

• Ravenhill Guest House
• The Crescent Townhouse
• Europa Hotel
• The Malone Lodge Hotel
• Tara Lodge
• The Park Avenue Hotel
• The Stormont Hotel
• The Chimney Corner Hotel
• Culloden Hotel
• Days Hotel
• Jurys Inn Belfast
• Ramada Belfast
• Parkview Lodge
• Ten Square

These hotels may change over time due to the economy as well as due to sales and acquisitions. Please check directly with the hotel before making any final plans for your trip. You may also want to confirm the location of the hotel to make sure that it is in the area that you prefer. A final check of past reviews would also be a smart thing to do to confirm that other guests were satisfied with the level of service at the hotel you are planning to stay at.

For more posts about Ireland including both Belfast and Dublin, click here.

This web site is about a series of funny stories and events that have happened to my family over the last few years. Hopefully you will enjoy them as we add a new story from time to time. This particular story is about the time that a family of raccoons found their way into our attic over our living room with the intention of making our attic their home. They only stayed for a short while, however the experience is not something I would want anyone to have to deal with.

Raccoons as we found out are very curious and very smart. They climbed up a 10 foot brick wall on the side of our home onto the garage roof and then pushed up the soffit to gain access to our attic. This is pretty common in urban areas and many people every year have to deal with this kind of situation. In fact over half the houses on our street had the same problem. I did not know this until I had to deal with them and did some research on the topic of raccoons in urban areas.

They raised their young in our attic before we realized what was happening. I started trying to take steps to get them out. I tried loud noise, I tried moth balls, I tried music turned up high . I found all of these solutions on the internet and only one of these work  so don’t waste your time.

I also tried trapping them and this is where it started to get interesting. Picture a humane trap up on our garage roof next to the opening in the soffit were they get into our attic. They cannot miss it and all they have to do is walk inside the trap to get some food and bingo we have a raccoon in a trap!

Trapping Raccoons

Well it turns out that trapping the young ones was no problem. Young children no matter what species do not listen to their parents. They paid the price and found themselves in a new home in the bush. The parents have seen this before and knew enough to not go inside the trap. We put peanut butter, jam, cheese, raw meat, cooked meat and a bunch of other things to entice them into the trap. Not only did they not go in the trap. They would reach through the side of the trap to reach the food and ate almost all of it without setting off the trap!

Well one day, late in the evening, I had just finished having a shower and decided to go outside and see if there was anything inside our trap. It was near dusk and this is typically the time they come out. They are nocturnal and like to hunt for food at night. I had a pair of shorts on, bare feet and no shirt. As I come out side the door of the house is blown shut by the wind and it locked automatically so I cannot get back into the house.

The Raccoon Attacks Me

As I am standing on the front step,  looking up at the trap on the roof, a huge raccoon comes walking around the side of the house across the driveway towards me. He is obviously planning on climbing the wall beside the front step to go back to his nice warm den.

When he sees me , he is half way across the driveway and he is quite surprised as am I. He stops and looks at me for a moment and then stands on his hind feet and hisses at me. Then takes a few steps forward and does it again. He is trying to intimidate me into leaving so he can get to his home.  I am defenseless and standing in my bare feet. What can I do?

Now I am not normally afraid of small animals. However when you are in your bare feet and a raccoon is advancing and hissing at you and they have taken you by surprise , what would you do?

What Do You Do

Well a story I had heard about a guy encountering a bear in the wild came to mind. He made himself as big as possible, waving his arms and making loud noises. The bear thought better of it and decided to back off, as did the guy in the story.  So I decided to try the same thing. I am a lot larger than a raccoon and so I must have looked really big to him. Can you imagine his surprise! He stopped hissing immediately, hesitated for a second while h thought about what he should do next. I hissed again and that was enough for him. He quickly scrambled around the side of the garage, not to be seen again!

I was able to ring the doorbell and get the attention of my wife who came and opened the door. When she heard my story she could not stop laughing at me. What a wimp! No sympathy at all and every time I retell this story, I get lot’s of laughs and guffaws. No one can really believe it.  I tend to act it out a bit as well when I am telling the story so it is funny. Hopefully the written word conveys in your mind a picture of what I felt as that huge raccoon was deciding to attack me or not!

For more posts about hiking and all topics associated with hiking, click here.

One of the great things to do in the Palm Springs area is hiking. There are many trails, most are groomed, but not monitored. Nor do they have guides and maps. The White water canyon area just outside of Palm Springs is different. There are guides and programs that you can take advantage of if you wish or you can just go hiking on your own and follow the trails.

White Water Canyon Location

This location is unique. The mountain water is diverted from the mainstream into 3 large pools of water where rainbow trout are stocked. There are literally hundreds of fish in these pools and they are reserved for fishing by children. Let’s face it there are not many places to fish in the desert.

This is one of the few places you can take your kids to fish and try out a new rod. Note: adults are not allowed to fish and the kids are asked to use barbless hooks so that the fish can be thrown back in without being harmed.

Another neat thing about this area is that there are actually mountain goats in the area. I have only seen them once and this was early in the morning when we arrived. Once it warms up they seem to seek cover from the sun so they are really hard to spot. Early in the morning, they are usually out and about.

Picnic Tables

There are picnic tables for anyone who wants to have a picnic with their families. There is lots of shade as well this is a really nice spot to spend an afternoon away from the heat of the desert. It is usually 10 to 20 degrees cooler in this area because of the elevation.

There is also limited camping in the area. Campers need to reserve a campsite, otherwise it is first come first serve.  There are not many sites so it is a good idea to call ahead. There are also volunteers at the site along with park wardens. They have lots of information about the area.

There is a large topographical map where you can view the roads, and the hiking paths and get an orientation of where you are. When we look at this map we were impressed with just how large the entire area is around the white water canyon and the overall drainage area of this particular stream.

This is one of the locations where you can also link up with the Pacific Coast trail which runs from the Mexican border all the way to Canada. The writer has not hiked on this particular trail, however, many people do every year and enjoy the scenic vistas that it presents. This is really for serious hikers only.

Canyon Formation

The White Water canyon area was formed and is still being formed by water runoff from melting snow caps in the mountains above the canyon as well as storm runoff. Everywhere you look you can see the results of the strong floods that have shaped this area.

These pictures show the wide swath the stream takes when it is at flood stage. At this particular time when we were there, which was Oct, the stream is fairly small and just dealing with snow melt from the nearby mountains.

There are small bridges built across the stream to make crossing easier. In most cases, though you just jump from rock to rock to get across any water areas. The park wardens are constantly monitoring the runoff and will make repairs whenever they are washed away by floods.

For more hiking places to consider, click here.

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We cannot help but be drawn to the Kardashian mess. It is just so outrageous that the news channels and the gossip columns just cannot get enough. They do not even have to make it up , the Kardashians provide it for free. The latest of course is the wedding and the subsequent divorce which is now making the rounds. Lately she is pregnant with another man and still married to Chris Humpfries. The Kardashians are simply white trash who unfortunately made it big.

Kim Kardashian’s Marriage

We think that Saturday Night Live got it right with their skit, when her ex-husband was quoted as saying, ” When you are living in Minnisota and raising kids, you will not need to worry about your reality show and clothes lines” or something to that effect. That line would scare almost any women away, let alone someone like Kim. We do not know if he actually said that or not, probably not. However it is pretty close to reality and something similar probably went through Kim’s mind and she suddenly realized that this marriage was not for her.
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Well, Conrad Murray has been convicted and is currently waiting to be sentenced as we write this post. Many people are rejoicing that the guy who allegedly killed Michael Jackson was convicted and will be punished. Conrad Murray was convicted. He paid the price for someone who refused to get help to deal with his many other issues.

But there really is another issued here that we would like to bring up. The concept for this idea was taken from an impromptu interview that we saw on TV of a fan of Michael Jackson.

Para phrasing, he said that he was happy that Murray was convicted. But he also recognized that Michael Jackson had issues and needed help. As a population we are satisfied that some one has been blamed for his death. For example he will bear the ultimate responsibility.
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There are all kinds of diet plans out including High fiber diets out there. And most make claims that they just cannot deliver. They have lots of disclaimers so even if you wanted to, you would never be successful at making a claim against them. So what about High fiber Diets and weight loss? Is this another fad? We are from the old school that you do not get something for nothing, you need to work at it and you need to exercise some control. That means exercise and watching what you put in your mouth. But what about a high fiber diet, will it help with weight loss?

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There is lots of equipment available to white water enthusiasts and one of the pieces of equipment rafters may want to consider is a rafting dry box. In addition to bags that will keep your gear dry there are also rafting dry boxes. They seal up tight to keep your food, clothing and other gear dry. It is so important to have something you can count on to keep your gear dry if you are staying over night in the forest along a raging river.

Fortunately there are lots of solutions to keep things dry. In an earlier post we discussed Dry Bags and you might want to take a few minutes to read that post as well before you decide that buying a dry box is the solution for you. Both dry boxes and dry bags  have their advantages. However depending on your situation and your raft one solution can be better than another.

Rafting Dry Boxes

A typical dry box that is used by rafting companies and individuals  is shown on the right. This particular one measures 13.5 inches wide by 15 inches  deep by 26 inches long. It is not a large box. However it can store all of your essentials that you need to get your camp site going at night. Besides the larger the box, the more things you will likely take with you. Small is often better!

Even if everything else is wet, emergency matches, flashlights a quick change of clothes can be stored in this box to get you going. Once that fire is going, you can quickly dry out and more importantly get something hot to eat and dry your clothes out. It can be extremely important to have a warm fire at night to avoid hypothermia setting in.

Rafting dry boxes come in a variety of sizes to meet all of your needs and can be tailored to the size of raft and the number of people who you have in your group. Sometimes it is better to have a number of small boxes than one large rafting dry box. They are just easier to carry and certainly not as heavy. Even if you have several small boxes, they will be extremely appreciated at the end of the day.

Bring Your Lunch

Forgot about lunch! You may be only on a day trip with a pick up at the end of the day. You plan to lunch along the river somewhere. If it gets wet, it is going to be a long day and everyone hungry at the end. A dry box packed with your lunch and snacks is the answer for many rafting companies or individual teams.   There is nothing better after a mornings rafting than pulling up along a beach in a bit of calm water  and arranging for a picnic along the river. Make sure that you enjoy yours by being prepared. Use a dry box to pack your lunch and other things in such as electronics, matches and an extra set of clothes.

White water rafting can be a lot of fun. However like many sports, they can easily be ruined if you are not properly prepared and have the right equipment. In this post we have focused on dry boxes. While in an early one we focused on dry bags. Which ever you use, make sure that you have all of the right gear to make your trip enjoyable. Plan your trip in advance including the raft you will use. As well as the gear you take along to be comfortable both on and off the river.

If you have a piece of white water gear that you find particularly useful, why not let our readers know about it. We will even write a post about it if it is something you feel pretty strong about.

Back in Sept of 2011, we wrote a post about receiving an invitation from the Encore and Wynn Casino in Las Vegas to stay free at either hotel. You can read this post by clicking here.   Well we went to Las Vegas and stayed in a suite at the Encore Hotel , which is part of the Wynn chain of hotels that were designed and built by Steve Wynn. He is a leader in Las Vegas.

We were only on the 11th floor, however even with this view we were more than satisfied. The picture on the right shows you what we saw of the strip and also the mountains in the distance.

Circus Circus and the Las Vegas Hilton hotels are not far away and all in all we were very satisfied with this view.

Our room was also grand. It was a two-room suite with a work area, large couch to recline on and a flat-screen TV that rotated between the bedroom and the living room. Everything was elegant and the bathroom provided a shower as well as a tub to soak in. There was also another small flat-screen TV in the bathroom to allow you to keep up with the news or your favorite soap TV show.

Encore Casino Hotel Rooms

I added a couple of pictures at the bottom of this post to show you what the room is like. Hope you enjoy them. When you are staying free at a hotel like this you really appreciate just how nice they are. This is a 5 category hotel for sure.

We were very impressed with the hotel. The only negative and really all of the hotels in Las Vegas suffer from this is the size of the place. They are huge and that means a lot of walking. When you consider that there is probably 3000 rooms in the Encore and another 3000 rooms at the Wynn, these places get really large.

Gambling Encore

We tried gambling at Encore and it just did not work for us. So we would walk over to the Wynn casino, all indoors of course and play at the Wynn Casino. We did far better here and I must say that the waitresses were always around with free drinks for us. We tipped a dollar every time. They made sure we had whatever we wanted.

We also ate at the Switch restaurant located at Encore. This is the second time we have dined at this restaurant. My wife had Alaskan King Crab legs and I had the 9 oz filet Mignon steak. I was very satisfied with the steak, however, my wife was disappointed with the crab legs. They were not very large and not very many for the price.  Overall we felt a bit rushed and the meal was very pricey.  With a glass of wine each and the meal it came to over $200 for the two of us and I think that this is really too much considering the service we received and the quality of the food.

For those of you who may not be aware of the restaurant walls at Switch along with the ceiling change every 20 minutes or so. There are about 3 or 4 different designs that are displayed while you are dining. They change automatically and give you a different atmosphere each time. We saw 3 changes and it does get a bit boring the second time around. I would suggest you dine once to see this and then try another place.

Encore Casino Hotel Rooms

Here are the pictures of our room that I promised earlier in this post. If you have stayed at the Encore and would like to leave comments, please do so at the bottom of this post.

History and background

Belfast Waterfront opened for business in 1997 and has played a key role in Belfast’s economic and social development since then. Many jobs were created as part of this development as well as ongoing operation. The city is now recognized as a major European destination for conferencing, culture and business investment. This is the premiere facility in the city with many shows, restaurants and bars coming to the area as a result. This entire area is an example of what can happen when a city follows a revitalization of its core downtown area. It takes commitment by city leaders as well as consumers to make these types of things a success, and the Irish certainly have demonstrated this commitment.

Waterfront Hall – Belfast – What They Offer

They advertise that they are an  award-winning, purpose-built conference, arts and entertainment center offering a variety of facilities including:

• Main Auditorium
• Studio
• 14 meeting rooms
• gallery space
• gift shop
• restaurant
• two bars.

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