Las Vegas Air Show

Last weekend was the Aviation Nation airshow at Nellis AFB.  BB hadn't been to an airshow before and C loves airplanes, so we packed up and went to the show on Sunday.  I've never felt part of this community, but at least for an afternoon I sort of did. 
 

ps.  We saw a couple of Thunderbirds pilots.  They are so young.  Young and beautiful and lovely, with everything in front of them.  It reminded me of just how much our young servicemen and women are sacrificing for us.  Also of how pathetic it is that this country has turned Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran's Day into reasons for sales and time off work, rather than times of thankfulness and reflection.

Pumpkin Patch, Las Vegas Style

Last weekend, BB, C, and I met one of C's classmates and her parents for some fun at the "pumpkin patch."  As always, Las Vegas does things in its own way.  In eastern Nebraska, when you mention a "pumpkin patch," this is what comes to mind:

All photos from valaspumpkinpatch.com

These pictures are from Vala's Pumpkin Patch, probably the most widely-known - and biggest - pumpkin patch in the area, but there are dozens of similar pumpkin patches around Nebraska (smaller versions of Vala's).  They have corn mazes, hay rack rides, haunted houses, food of all kinds, games, rides, campfires, flowers, produce, pumpkins galore, etc, etc.  It really can be an lengthy event, and so much fun.  Here, it's different.  It was 95 degrees, for starters (I bet those overpriced pumpkins are all cooking inside).  Anyway, I'm not saying the Vegas pumpkin patch isn't fun, but it shouldn't be considered a pumpkin patch.  However, it was pretty great for entertaining an under 2 year old for an hour.  We went to Stu Miller's patch at the corner of Rainbow and Warm Springs.  They were very very nice there.  C and his buddy enjoyed the petting zoo (the parents loved the free hand sanitizer for afterwards!), and played a pumpkin game, but mostly just ran around and had fun.  There are a few rides and bouncy things for older kids (one looked like so much fun - it had a climbing wall and slides), but the parents were too old and the kids too young).  Anyway, once I shed my idyllic notion of a pumpkin patch, I had a great time.  Besides, it's kind of nice to not have to worry about mud, bugs, or bundling up the kids.  So go to the "pumpkin patch," eat cotton candy, pet goats, jump on a bouncy, and enjoy autumn, however it comes. 

Bite of Las Vegas 2011 Schedule

Main Stage

10:30 a - 100 Monkeys
12:00 p - Colbie Caillat
1:30 p - Imagine Dragons
3:00 p - The Cab
4:30 p - Michelle Branch
6:15 p - Mat Kearney
8:00 p - OAR

Restaurant List
Develop your plan of attack people!!

Bite 2011 Excitement

Are you ready??

Bite of Las Vegas 2011

The Mix 94.1 Bite of Las Vegas line-up is complete!  Band Battle for Bite resulted in a pretty great day of music.  In no particular order, you will see O.A.R., Michelle Branch, Mat Kearney, Colbie Caillat, Imagine Dragons, The Cab, 100 Monkeys, and local bands The English Channel, Avalon Landing, Play For Keeps, and Offset Season.

Of course, don't forget the fantastic offerings of more than 40 Las Vegas restaurants.  All items will be under $5.  Awesome, right? 

See it all on October 15 from 10a to about 10p at Desert Breeze Park.  Tickets are $9 (those under age 5 are free), but if you bring a canned food item for City Mission of Las Vegas you'll get $1 off the ticket price!

Chairs and coolers are NOT permitted, but you are allowed bring a blanket and ONE unopened bottle of water.  One more thing to note - there is NO re-entry.  If you leave, you must pay again to come back in, but there's no reason to leave anyway.  Port-a-potties are all over (including those big, nice ones with running water), there's food and drinks a-plenty, there are designated smoking areas (just make sure you use one of them - the event is smoke-free), the entertainment will thrill, and you'll have plenty of company.

More information here, from KMXB.

Band Battle for Bite 2011

Mix 94.1's Band Battle for Bite will be held September 15, 2011 at the House of Blues.  Bands making the top 8 of all entries will compete to be among the top 4 who get to play for thousands at Bite of Las Vegas in October 15!  Local bands, it's not too late.  You have until August 31, 2011 to enter.  Go here for details.  Everybody else, go see the Battle and root on your favorite local band.  Who knows, in a couple of years you might have to pay $150 to see any one of these bands in concert.  Why not see them as they get their big chance?

Stay tuned, the line-up for Bite, with the exception of the local bands, will be announced on Monday morning (08/29/11)!  I hear it's a good one.   

Summer activities for toddlers

We desert dwellers are starting the long stretch of almost unbearable heat, and I've been racking my brain to think of activities for C that will take his mind off the torture of being kept inside and out of the heat.  Here's what I've come up with so far...

- build or buy a water table to play with in the garage in the relatively cool morning hours
- visit the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay
- have "pool" parties in the tub with toys, bubbles, and bathtub paint
- blow bubbles
- make musical instruments
- color, scribble, and paint
- visit the lion habitat at MGM Grand
- story time at the library
- "paint" with water and old paint brushes and rollers on the garage floor
- make a fort out of the dining room table and chairs and a sheet or two
- make shadows with flashlights
- make a sensory box out of dry beans (anticipating a huge mess!)
- "hide" little objects amid rice in big Ziplock bags or plastic bottles for C to find
- make a quiet book
- collect leaves, etc, on a early-morning walk and help C glue them to paper later
- go for rides in the laundry basket or empty diaper boxes.  then help C give rides to his teddy bear
- practice sorting objects
- sing silly songs with C's name in them
- watch airplanes take off and land at the airport
- 1st baking lesson
- make homemade popsicles
- dance party
- visit the animals at the pet store
- read, read, read
- play dress up
- attend an equestrian show at South Point


Anyone have additional ideas??

Las Vegas Zoo

You've heard of The Happiest Place on Earth, but perhaps you haven't heard of its antithesis, The Most Miserable Place in Town.  Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but the Southern Nevada Zoo is no place to go when you need the warm fuzzies.  C had never been to a zoo, so a few weeks ago we took him to the LV zoo, knowing it was small and probably well-suited to a first-timer, age 15 months.  Not so.  Not so.  This is one instance where you can accurately judge the book by the cover. 

On display, many birds you might otherwise see in a pet store, such as a cockatoo, etc., two ostriches, an emu, one sad and lonely lion, one sad and lonely chimpanzee in a tiny room, one seemingly depressed lynx, fossas, one alligator, a pair of otters, some goats, peacocks and peahens, a family of Barbary apes (the last in America per the sign), wallabies, etc.  The enclosures were for the most part extremely minimal and devoid of interest, entertainment, or natural-like surroundings for the animals.  Some birds were basically in a wire cage with a few bare branches. 

We exited through the building, which smelled of cigarette smoke.  That's no way to entice me to buy my kid a stuffed toy.  If I want a smokey stuffed toy, I can always get one from the crane machine at a bar or from a carnie. 

I've long felt that zoos can be horrible places for the animals, but can be done well and thoughtfully, too.  They can bring awareness to the plight of animals on the verge of extinction, be used as a platform for animal rights, and can be used for research and breeding.  This zoo did none of the above, and I was left wondering about their mission.  Perhaps in this situation, the humane choice would be to close the zoo and gift the animals to better equipped zoos.  It's not that we expected a world-class zoo here in the desert, but the facilities were inadequate, the enclosures were at times scrapped together (in one instance rocks were piled on the bottom of a fence to keep the turtles from escaping), and even desert-dwelling animals were underrepresented. 



the entrance, in all its glory





the poster monkey for depression



I'm torn between feeling the need to donate to the zoo to try to help them out and feeling that I shouldn't support a zoo in that condition, thus helping it hobble along longer than it should.  We shook off the experience the best we could and look forward to going to the San Diego Zoo or the Henry Doorly Zoo.

**UPDATE 07/09/2011**

I found out some additional information on the zoo from the Las Vegas Sun that fills in the gaps.... 

"Informally known as the Las Vegas Zoo, the 3-acre park and garden features more than 150 animals, including a variety of endangered cats as well as the last family of Barbary apes in the United States. Privately owned, the zoo started as a pet store more than 20 years ago by a retired North Las Vegas homicide detective, who has since turned it into a nonprofit corporation. Animals are lent from other zoos.
The park is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tickets cost $9 for adults, $7 for children and seniors."

Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend

Easter weekend was also the Rockabilly Weekender at the Orleans Hotel and Casino here in Vegas.  It's possibly the only rad weekend to stay at the Orleans in the whole year (disclaimer:  I've never stayed at The Orleans.  It might be fantastic.  I'm just saying "rad" is not a word oft-heard in conjunction with The Orleans.).  Unfortunately, we forgot about it until the last day (Easter Sunday), so we didn't see much.  Basically all you can see for free is a few rooms of vendors, but the people-watching is highly entertaining.  I agree that it's sort of lame to just go to the free events, but while we'd love to hear the bands and check out the car show, competitions, and fashion show, they do not sell one-day passes.  They only sell passes to the whole event (4 days).  Since they sold out on the 4-day passes, their policy is unlikely to change in the future.  That doesn't really work for me with my work schedule, the holiday, and my son being so young, but next year we plan on going to the car show (that event, alone, does have a 1-day pass). 

Anyway, I'm totally in awe of the ladies who can pull off the various Rockabilly looks.  Let's be frank.  My body isn't curvy in the right places to rock those dresses (although maybe I could do more of a Rosie the Riveter thing).  Then there's the hair and makeup.  Yowza.  I'm utterly incompetent in that arena.   I failed at the two curls up, one curl down bangs of the eighties (though in retrospect, I'm thankful for that). 

Here are a few pictures.  The yellow booth in the last picture was a pomade booth, and those guys had the best mustaches I've ever seen collectively. 

Another awesome Vegas event is the High Rollers Weekend scooter rally.  BB wants nothing more than vintage Vespa.