tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65307386899514653822009-09-16T21:22:31.757-07:00lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-69352777522124175692009-08-24T17:32:00.000-07:002009-09-16T21:22:31.842-07:00

It may be centrally located in today's U.S.A., but South Dakota is still the 'Wild West' at heart.We spend a week in the old gold mining town of Lead, renting a one-bedroom basement apartment in what used to be miners' accommodations. Our house, like most of the town, was once the property of the Homestake Mining Company, whose Homestake Mine was the largest and most productive gold mine in the

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-46777189806814035442009-08-17T22:55:00.000-07:002009-09-14T13:20:34.861-07:00

In Yellowstone National Park, the earth truly does appear alive.Spanning nearly 9,000 square kilometres of forest, lakes, canyons and grassland, the park is home to hundreds of wildlife species and half of the world's geothermal features.The park features eleven villages, each located for proximity to certain attractions. We camp near Canyon Village, which boasts an impressive new visitor centre,

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-41368975991462082302009-08-13T01:47:00.000-07:002009-08-21T02:02:46.125-07:00

Our week in Seattle is spent doing not much at all.We rent a two-bedroom apartment somewhere between the International District and Beacon Hill, which provides us with a comfortable base that is also reasonably close to the city.Not much of note takes place during the week. Aside from spending a lot of time online, we get much needed haircuts, drink too much coffee, have a couple of home-cooked

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-10919108006944044042009-08-06T00:30:00.000-07:002009-08-21T01:45:30.829-07:00

At first glance, the little town of Forks seems awash with cheesy reminders of the currently popular teen book/movie series in which it features."Edward Cullen did NOT sleep here", one motel boasts. Others cling proudly to the town's status as the 'home of Twilight', hawking themed pins, stickers, chocolates, and posters of sun-starved adolescents looking a little too serious about nothing at

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-16032723650460106362009-08-02T18:14:00.000-07:002009-08-07T19:04:28.579-07:00

The first night of our 800-mile-long journey from central California to Portland, Oregon is a relief. We spend the night at Crescent City, and are greatly comforted by the jacket-worthy temperatures wrought by the coast and a layer of thick clouds overhead.The stretch of highway from Eureka to Crescent City is particularly pleasant. We encounter a dramatic sunset while passing by moody beaches,

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-55677973873016814842009-07-27T16:11:00.000-07:002009-08-07T17:28:34.681-07:00

On the afternoon of July 24, we leave San Francisco's cloud cover and are plunged instantly into the heat of Summer.Our first few moments in the Sun are glorious; we happily shed fleece jackets while we drive southward on the US-101.But it's not long before things start getting too warm. To make matters worse, our car's air-conditioning system seems to be malfunctioning, so it only circulates air

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-21697678200264691672009-07-24T23:06:00.000-07:002009-08-01T05:22:45.640-07:00

Our month in San Francisco is spent soaking up city life at its best: brunches at trendy Fillmore cafes; sushi, Mexican and Thai dinners; functional public transportation ... and high-speed Internet.We sublet a studio apartment in Lower Pacific Heights. The centrally located studio affords us room to sleep, but little else. It's quite a change from spacious suburban living in Las Vegas, and it

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-71832564242444459122009-06-18T09:27:00.000-07:002009-08-07T17:33:29.415-07:00

Under the summer sun, our northward drive from Bakersfield to the Lassen Volcanic National Park is almost unbearably warm. However, when we arrive at the park, which is located near on the Californian side of the California-Oregon border, we see snow.It's just after 6pm when we enter the park, so the grocery store and ranger stations have already closed for the day. Compared to the Grand Canyon

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-67513939844811989282009-06-14T17:04:00.000-07:002009-07-10T10:48:05.155-07:00

Saturday, June 13 doesn't quite go as planned.First, our tent set-up proves itself a little too comfortable. We sleep in, barely making the 11am check-out time.We have our hearts set on hot showers before the day's long drive to Bakersfield, California. Sadly, we arrive at the shower blocks just minutes after it is shut for cleaning, and spend the next hour at the cafeteria while we wait for the

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-3684072698426550212009-06-13T16:47:00.000-07:002009-06-23T16:58:24.489-07:00

At 10.30am on Wednesday, we leave the Las Vegas strip.Following directions from Google Maps on our iPhone, we head East on the I-515 toward the Arizona border.The first hour and a half of our drive is pleasant and uneventful. The road takes us out of the city and into the flat, lonely desert. We contemplate stopping for morning tea, but decide against the few small, run down diners that we

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-7468594120284337232009-06-10T16:44:00.000-07:002009-06-23T18:22:49.606-07:00

For a themed venue in Las Vegas, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino comes across as surprisingly genuine. Hotel and bar staff sport just about as many tattoos as guests, and waitresses somehow manage to appear cool -- and not just tacky -- when addressing customers as 'baby' instead of the usual 'sir' or 'madam'.Decor is typical of Hard Rock joints: paraphernalia such as clothing, instruments and

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-85446511531071506862009-05-31T04:32:00.000-07:002009-06-23T19:18:57.550-07:00

When we first moved into our too-comfortable two-bedroom condominium on the outskirts of Summerlin, we resolved to visit at least one new casino each weekend. That resolution died out rather quickly, thanks to the Red Rock.Of all the casinos I've visited -- whether in Europe, South America, Australia or the U.S. -- the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa takes the cake. Opened in 2006 at an estimated

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-90812152559800255122009-05-07T12:40:00.000-07:002009-06-04T14:23:43.026-07:00

When I first glimpse MGM Grand's pool complex, I can hardly believe my eyes. Five good-sized pools are surrounded by rows upon rows of deck chairs that are as meticulously arranged and under-utilised as pews in a church. It is barely Summer, and already the Las Vegas Sun casts a blanketing warmth on the few who dare venture outdoors. And for those faithful, sunbathing seems almost a ritual for

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-64327455650725555202009-04-06T16:37:00.000-07:002009-04-23T16:43:32.585-07:00

Anyone who has salivated over the circus scene in the 2007 stoner movie Knocked Up would not be disappointed by Cirque du Soleil's mind-bending LOVE.The show is based loosely on the biography of 60s rock band The Beatles. It takes place in a US$100 million purpose-built theatre within the Mirage, and uses prerecorded samples of 130 songs from the band's catalogue.Rich with phantasmagorical

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-54703972903105212142009-03-30T16:43:00.000-07:002009-05-09T14:10:51.550-07:00

Lights flicker. Cymbals crash. A collective gasp spreads from the theatre's rear, and I follow my neighbour's gaze to the ceiling -- just in time to see a crystal chandelier come crashing down into the crowd.My heartbeat quickens, even if only for a few seconds. Soon, the theatre's five-piece chandelier swoops back into place, and as the manufactured pandemonium subsides, the cast begins to

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-73298650842479354112009-03-07T04:37:00.001-08:002009-04-06T15:49:21.277-07:00

Since its $6 million opening in December 1946, the Flamingo has remained a Las Vegas classic.Themed after South Beach, Miami, the 15-acre hotel casino illuminates central Las Vegas Boulevard with its kitschy, neon pink glow.We visit the Flamingo for a late dinner on Friday night. Keeping our eyes trained forward as we enter, we barely avoid being overwhelmed by the building's nauseatingly pink

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-22053797481063658252009-03-02T21:26:00.000-08:002009-03-17T10:14:35.683-07:00

A half-scale replica of the Statue of Liberty stands tall and proud by a backdrop of New York City skyscrapers. In and among the buildings, thrill-seeking visitors whizz by in the Big Apple's time-honoured yellow checker cabs. With screams surpassing even those of true NYC commuters, they dive, twist and race along a bright red roller coaster track at speeds of up to 108 km/h.Dubbed 'The Greatest

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-10479052263712220692009-02-26T20:16:00.000-08:002009-03-05T00:19:02.459-08:00

A 540-foot-tall replica of the Eiffel Tower protrudes from the gaudy Las Vegas strip, struggling to arouse some measure of Parisian romance amid the pizazz.And if the French national icon isn't enough to attract the attention of passers-by, a neon-lit version of the historic Mongolfier balloon hovers atop flashy LED screens, advertising Paris Las Vegas in the manner the city knows best.We visit

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-56639807740205243832009-02-20T13:22:00.000-08:002009-03-10T05:08:53.300-07:00

Standing a whopping 1,149 ft, the Stratosphere towers over Las Vegas Boulevard from the strip's northernmost end. Founder Bob Stupak may not have achieved his goal of making the Stratosphere the world's tallest building, but he certainly has set new records for Nevada.The Stratosphere is the tallest observation tower in the USA and boasts observation decks on the 108th and 109th floors with 360

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6530738689951465382.post-8159914866860576232009-02-11T15:06:00.000-08:002009-04-27T11:43:22.330-07:00

We arrive on Las Vegas Boulevard after six hours on the Interstate 15. As I extend a road-weary leg out of the rental car and onto solid ground, I am hit by a wave of heat and the startling sound of a nearby explosion.It is 8pm, and the volcano outside the Mirage has just erupted.With a construction cost of US$630 million, the Mirage was said to be the world's most expensive hotel/casino when it

lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228574007468385394liz.tay@gmail.com0