Adventurous Las Vegans have an opportunity to take advantage of an offbeat, quick, and memorable road & rail weekend along the California coast aboard Amtrak’s Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner passenger trains. The road & rail weekend is not about getting anywhere fast, but rather focused on the “journey” as opposed to the “destination”—two forces…
Goss Channels Sinatra Through Twangy Telecaster
Inside The Gossy Room at Caesars Palace, I couldn’t help but notice that while Matt Goss wore a wristwatch on his left hand, his left wrist was bare. My thinking is that someone who generates such high levels of energy and exertion would want to record every calorie and footstep on a wearable fitness tracker….
Big Laughs From Little’s Voices
It’s the 1950s. Ottawa, Canada is the mise-en-scène. Imagine a middle school homeroom teeming with students when suddenly, the class clown rises and lampoons the teacher, who, of course, is facing the blackboard. Laughter from peers? Possible disciplinary action? Fast-forward a handful of decades to the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana Las Vegas where Rich Little…
Ohio Turnpike a Fair Deal
I merge into the eastbound lane at Stony Ridge-Toledo, a hundred miles west of Cleveland. The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission describes it as a ‘full interchange.’ A toll gate waits ahead. I stop and reach my hand through the window toward the machine and pull. A slip of card stock reads: “Ohio Turnpike Toll…
Coincidences Emerge From Twin Harbors Tragedy
Before arriving in Duluth, I only associated the name with the brand behind Men’s Buck Naked Performance Boxer Briefs. Little did I know, the Minnesota town positioned along the western edge of Lake Superior held a deeper significance. I delved into the area’s history at a local library in the twin city of Superior, Wisconsin….
Charo Churns and Charms With Fiery Talent
Charo is one of a few headliners whose name has adorned a Vegas marquee in one-word fashion, alongside Frank, Elvis, Wayne, and Cher. However, experiencing Charo’s high level of energy and enthusiasm in person might lead one to believe there are two performers on stage. Perhaps the marquee outside should read, Charo-Charo. She is a…
Miller’s Empire From Grain to Glass
Embark on an unforgettable journey through the heart of brewing history with a captivating tour of the Miller Brewing Company in Cream City, better known as Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As I recently discovered, this 90-minute excursion is a treasure trove of insights, blending the rich legacy of Frederick Miller’s immigrant story with the cutting-edge processes of…
Video Rental Store Tells a Tale of Tape
Rolling into Astoria, Oregon just before 9 pm, I found myself at the edge of U.S. Route 101. Fatigue clung to me like a heavy cloak, but my eyes remained alert, scanning the town for a place to rest my weary bones. Then, like a beacon in the night, a burst of neon light caught…
Going the Extra Mile
Journeying down the lonesome stretches of rolling prairie along U.S. Highway 2, I found myself enveloped in the tranquil expanse of Montana’s countryside. The clock barely nudged 9:30 am when I made a sudden pit stop at a random place along the side of the road. As I stood next to the van, the only…
Winnipeg Fringe Makes Vegas Connection
A road trip from Las Vegas took me along the Pacific coast to Vancouver, Canada then through the Northern Cascade Range of Washington, and the rolling plains of Montana and the prairies of North Dakota. After six-thousand miles, I arrive in Winnipeg. I parked in the downtown business and arts district and minutes later stood…