Lynn Goya: Lynn Goya is a freelance writer based in Vegas, the Entertainment Capital of the World -- or is it the City of Lights? Sin City? Family Friendly? No matter what the name, we cover Vegas for those who like to get to know a city, not follow the crowd. We promise to uncover the corner restaurant serving five star food; the upcoming music festival showcasing the next Killers band; the food festival where locals hang out; and the Strip shows that are worth the ticket price. Consider us your local friend; you are always welcome to spend some time on our sofa.

Vegas Welcomes Bill Cosby

I remember when Bill Cosby first starred in I Spy with Robert Culp. I think Culp was supposed to be the star and Cosby the sidekick because Culp was white and cool and Cosby was black and funny, and it was 1965. But from the beginning, it was Cosby that people watched and turned the television on to see. When the show first aired, Cosby would have been 28, and navy veteran and graduate of Temple University. He was smart, and handsome and funny and charming. The natural camaraderie between...

August 21st, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Get Out and Get Dirty: Volunteer to Scrub the Las Vegas Wash

Want a chance to get out in the fall sunshine, meet a couple of thousand friends and neighbors and get your hands dirty? The Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee is planning the largest Wash Green-Up in its history. The wash drains urban runoff, shallow groundwater, reclaimed water, and stormwater from the Las Vegas Valley into Lake Mead and is one of Vegas’ great hidden natural attractions. This critical wetlands habitat is part of the Clark County Wetlands Park and the Henderson Bird...

August 20th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Vegas Musings: “I took the Road Less Traveled” and other Travel Thoughts

Colette, “The true traveler is he who goes on foot, and even then, he sits down a lot of the time.” Paul Theroux, “Travel is only glamorous in retrospect.” J.R.R Tolkien, “Not all those who wander are lost.” Susan Heller, “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” Oscar Wilde, “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” Cesare Pavese, “Traveling...

August 19th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Vegas’ Luxury Hotel offers Free Stay –– for a price

One of our favorite new all-suites resorts, The Palazzo, is offering an enticing package for those who book by the end of the month. Stay at one of the $159 rooms, and receive $150 in discounts to dining, entertainment and slot play. Room upgrades are also available. The $159 per night package includes over $150 in savings and coupons: A Luxury Suite at The Palazzo® Complimentary upgrade to Blue Zone seating when purchasing a Red Zone ticket to Blue Man Group ($40 savings)* $25 off at Dos...

August 18th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Contra Lessons Dance into Vegas

Learn the joy of contra dancing with lessons and then a old-fashioned community dance to show off your newfound skills. The event, co-sponsored by the Southern Nevada Old Time Contra Dancers and the City of Las Vegas, features lively reels, waltzes other classic dances to live fiddle music accompanies by an acoustic band. In the tradition of New England and frontier barn dances, the dance steps are called out as dancers whirl around the room. Singles, couples, retired and families are all...

August 14th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Out of Vegas: Cozumel Seas

One of the main reasons visitors come to Cozumel, Mexico is to snorkel or dive in the Mesa-American reef system. The barrier reef is the second largest in the world and runs 175 miles along the Mexican coast between the Gulf of Mexico and Honduras. When Jacques Cousteau came to the region in 1961, Cozumel was mostly deserted. The island had had a vibrant Mayan community before it was discovered by Cortez. But the population was soon decimated by disease and nearly abandoned. For many years...

August 11th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

REVIEW: Equestrians’ Home Away from Home in Vegas

August 10th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Mystere Celebrates 25 Years in Vegas

Cirque du Soleil® has a host of shows in Vegas, but its first may still be its most charming. Mystère™ is pure fun with whimsical, colorful characters, silly clowns and breathtaking acrobatics. Mystère has an international cast of 72 performers featuring dancers, singers, musicians and champion-caliber acrobats. The Chicago Tribune called Mystère, "one of the most innovative and exciting shows to be seen anywhere". Be sure to get there at least 30 minutes early to enjoy...

August 7th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Babytime Expo

Join Chuck E. from Chuck E. Cheese, Elmo, Blue from Blues Clues and more at the Babytime Expo. The event features local magicians, games, a diaper derby and a Daddy derby and dozens of baby- and parent-centric exhibitors and experts that will help make you a better parent. The first 50 pregnant women who attend each day will receive a free Bump Bay, sponsored by the Bump and valued at $250. Babytime Expo 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. August 8, 2009 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. South Point Hotel 9777 Las...

August 5th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Trekkies Beam into Vegas

I love any excuse to chirp, “Beam me up, Scottie!” which shows you my Star Trek preference. My step-father and I have vigorous debates over which Star Trek is the best, but I can’t resist the low tech camp of the original. Whatever type of Trekkie you are, you shouldn’t miss The Official STAR TREK Convention 2009. Celebrating 38 years of adventure, the convention hits Vegas later this week. The highlight may be the chance to get your photo taken with your favorite Enterprise...

August 4th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

2009 Youth Basketball Signups Begin in Vegas

Registration for the fall youth basketball league begins this month for youth ages 9 to 11 and teens ages 12 to 14. The two leagues take place at the Hollywood Recreation Center. The youth leagues foster teamwork, sportsmanship, safety, fair play and fun in a positive sporting environment. Players are given the opportunity to learn and build upon the basic skills of basketball while having fun in a relaxed but competitive atmosphere. A mandatory parent orientation will take place on Sept. 11...

August 4th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Green Vegas: Booking your Trip

Vegas is more sustainable than most people realize, so this is the first in a series of postings about how you can or Vegas is dealing with environmental issues like global warming, water sustainability and resource management. Our bright city in a desert seems like an oxymoron of sustainable development. Yet, Vegas has actually reduced its water consumption (not just the percentage of water used) over the past decade, despite its growth. CityCenter may be the largest green commercial...

July 31st, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

REVIEW: Favorito is a Vegas Favorite

Rude, crude and politically incorrect, Vinnie Favorito follows in the footsteps of Don Rickles. The charm of insult humor is often difficult to fathom until one sees it live. Vinnie Favorito, winner of numerous comedy awards around the country, forgoes a standard routine in favor of interviewing his Vegas audience members thus asking them to deliver the sword with which he spears them. Instead of leaving us flayed alive, however, the Boston Italian’s sharp, quick-witted barbs hilariously expose...

July 30th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Hou Knew that Magic could be Dangerous

Houdini famously died during a magic trick, onstage, and that dangerous element to magic is still one of its greatest draws. Why else do we love to watch a beauty being sawed in half, or Penn and Teller draw blood, someone stick a meat hook up his sinus or a white tiger jump through a flaming hoop or suddenly startle and drag its trainer off stage? Although we don’t really want something awful to happen, it is the risky side of magic that chills and thrills. Steve Wyrick does dangerous magic,...

July 29th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

REVIEW: Buddha and the Band

There is a strange disconnect to the spectacular collection of ancient Buddhas lovingly displayed at Tao Las Vegas and the overly loud techno music that takes over as the dinner hour wanes and star gazing begins in earnest (celebrities seem to flock here). Open for dinner only, the food and setting beg to be shared with a romantic partner. Rose petals fill bathtub-size basins, candles flicker throughout, hundreds of serene Buddhas – including the 20-foot Buddha floating on an infinity pool–...

July 28th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

More Vegas Beatles to Love

The Beatles weren’t only influential, they were beloved and their music changed and inspired a generation. When a new Beatles album was released, it was a cultural phenomenon that took over radio stations, high school study halls and Friday night pizza parlors where intense discussion about the music, the lyrics, mindset of the band were held. For many, Sgt. Pepper was transformative. We’d never heard anything like it and the musical sophistication of the album blew down the walls that...

July 27th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

REVIEW: Lotus of Siam

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of Vegas’ best kept national secrets. Lotus of Siam nests in an old strip mall in a relatively unknown part of town. Just to get there, one needs to wind through back alley corridors. Yet, somehow, this little gem of a restaurant has been written up in magazines and reviews across the country. Jonathon Gold, Gourmet Magazine, calls it “the single best Thai restaurant in North America.” The best deal is the buffet lunch which may include...

July 23rd, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Review: First Food & Bar

Although the recession has lowered the exit charge at celebrity chef restaurants to as low as you are likely to ever see again, eating on the Las Vegas Strip can still cost a pretty Sacagawea dollar. Up steps FIRST Food & Bar to fill the budget gourmet hole. This unpretentious restaurant overlooks the Strip where the famous battle of The Sirens of TI occurs nightly. Its concept is simple: create fabulous food for people to share that is interesting enough and inexpensive enough that...

July 22nd, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Get Out and Get Dirty: Vegas Birds Await

While most of us hole up during the summer, if you can stay in the shade, most summer mornings can be very pleasant until almost 11 a.m. Then, head indoors until way after sundown. If you have exhausted the pleasures of your own yard, one of the best places to head out with your family is the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Las Vegas is on the Western Flyway, that migratory freeway birds use to get in their summer vacations. Lake Mead, the Colorado River and the Las Vegas Wash are all premier...

July 21st, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More

Out of Vegas: A Gem of an Isla

The plane flies over vast expanses of deep green , mostly unbroken, as we cross the Yucatan Peninsula south of Cancun. The little-over two-hour flight from Dallas is taking us to Cozumel, Mexico’s largest island and one of the premier scuba destinations in the world. From the sky I can’t tell whether I am looking down on trees or bushes, but bits of smoke waft up from the greenery, showing that whatever it is, it needs to be burned in order to make the land arable. Soon the plane flies over...

July 20th, 2009 | Las Vegas | Read More