Best Places in Vegas to Dance the Night Away

Looking for a place to pick up a few dance steps to sweep your sweetheart off her feet? Wish you knew how to actually dance? Too cheap or too scared to take lessons? Never fear. Free (or nearly free) dance lessons are here. Vegas offers free Keno lessons, but if you want to make like James Bond, learn to line dance, swing, cha cha, tango, two-step-, rumba, hustle or do the salsa. Lessons typically take place a half-hour or so before the club opens. Nightclubs are typically 21 and older,...

December 31st, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, all ages, best of week, club dancing, deal, free, free dance, great deal, Just a Bit Weird - Fun & Quirky Places, learn to dance, line dancing, People - Interesting Local People, salsa, Sound Like a Local - Local "speak", Sports & Recreation, vegas, Vegas dance lessons

American Idol winner Kris Allen plays Vegas

Join American Idol winner Kris Allen at B.B. King’s Blues Club after midnight on Wednesday. The 2009 Idol contestant secured his victory with his original arrangements and memorable performances of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” and Kanye West’s “Heartless.” Since securing the title, Allen has had multiple songs appear on the Billboard charts including his finale song “No Boundaries” that hit No. 1 on the iTunes chart. Earlier...

December 29th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, music, Vegas blues, vegas concert, Vegas lounge, Vegas music

Review: Vegas’ 2nd King opens Blues Club

As Cirque du Soleil prepares to open its newest show based on Elvis at the new City Center, 30-year Vegas resident B.B. King held an opening night party of his own at his new club at the Mirage. The blues legend celebrated the opening of B.B. King’s Blues Club with a toast as the audience exploded in applause. “May I live forever. And YOU live forever and a day,” he said as he raised his glass. Then he launched into “The Thrill is Gone” accompanied by a stage packed with lead guitarists...

December 15th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 1
Filed under: 50+, all ages, BB King, club, dancing, restaurant, Vegas blues, vegas concert, Vegas food, Vegas lounge

Get out and Get Dirty: Vegas’ Spectacular Winter Wonderland

There is a secret club of Vegas visitors who eschew the glittering lights to take advantage of the great outdoor offerings just beyond the neon. Vegas is less than a our hour drive from the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce National Park, Grand Staircase Escalante, Brianhead Ski Resort, Mojave National Preserve, King’s Canyon, Death Valley, as well as Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Red Rock National Conservation Area. Many locals don’t come out of summer hibernation until the...

December 13th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, all ages, best of week, family, featuredarticle, outdoor adventures, Southern Nevada outdoors, Vegas outdoors

Vegas Lights the Nation’s Tallest Christmas Tree

In the first of what it hopes will become an annual tradition, M Resort Spa and Casino lights the tallest tree in the nation while supporting a handful of key annual charities. The event will feature special performances by local school choirs, hot chocolate, Christmas cookies and Santa’s Helpers who will support Three Square Food Bank, Catholic Charities and Toys for Tots. Guests are invited to bring new and gently used coats, and new unwrapped toys to donate. Clark County, home to Las Vegas,...

December 10th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, Vegas charities, Vegas Christmas tree lighting, Vegas event, vegas family

Review: Vegas’ “O” Still the Best Theatrical Production in the World

The hottest ticket in town would be even hotter if it were not for the air conditioning in every fifth seat that cools the auditorium to a comfortable 68 to 70 degrees. While that may not seem as impressive a technical accomplishment as, say, adding little sticks and stones to the clouds of billowing smoke in the latest big budget movie explosion, since the stage area is kept at a sweltering 88 degrees, it is the kind of detail and innovative problem solving that makes “O” at the Bellagio a technical...

December 10th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 1
Filed under: 50+, all ages, best show, top 5, top-feature, Vegas show, Vegas theater

City of Las Vegas rolls out Holiday Parties

... cast members from Phantom, Neon Boneyard tours, free holiday music concerts and old-fashioned popcorn stringing. With events planned for families, 50+, and teens the city hopes to alleviate some of the holiday stress from this Dickensian Christmas season by returning to the community values of generosity, love and kindness that brought Scrooge back from the brink of despair. December to Remember (all ages) Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Events are free unless otherwise noted. Cultural...

December 4th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, best of week, christmas, family, featuredarticle, free, holiday, holiday concert, vegas family, Vegas holidays

Review: Ventano Italian Grill & Seafood

Executive Chef and Owner Arnauld Briand is one of those chefs who paid his dues before venturing out on his own. Briand became a culinary apprentice at the Paris Hilton while studying at the French Culinary Institute, L’Ecole Hoteliere, before he perfected his classic French cooking at Societe Lenotre, the largest pastry shop in Europe and later as the private chef for General Simon, France’s last five-star general. He was only 24 when he became the executive chef at Cellar in the Sky, the gourmet...

November 11th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, celebrity chef, Family Friendly, featuredarticle, food & wine, neighborhood restaurant, Vegas top chef

Review: Smothers Brothers Burn Bright

When the two brothers, still slim and fit in their early 70s, walk onto a blank stage lit only by two spotlights highlighting a guitar and a bass fiddle, one wonders if the fire that burned The Smothers Brothers’ careers 40 years ago still flames. When I saw their show a nearly a decade ago, they were still very, very funny; still fought over which brother Mom liked best; but stayed away from any commentary about the current president in power, the two wars we were fighting or the growing economic...

November 6th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 1
Filed under: 50+, all ages, comedy, featuredarticle, television icon, Vegas shows

Review: Milo’s Best Cellars

Las Vegas has become a wine destination, attracting a quarter of the master sommeliers in the country. Not many of them are women, however. Cameron Sisk, who creates the wine program for Milo’s, became the eighth female out of 90 master sommeliers in the world. Far from stuffy, the unpretentious sidewalk café has become the place to meet and greet friends in Boulder City while sipping on wine from around the world. Cheese plates, sandwiches and creative salads (almost all under $10) round out...

November 4th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, all ages, dog-friendly Vegas, food and wine, outdoor dining, Top Five, vegas, wine

Learn to Cook Mexican, Vegas-Style

Dos Caminos Corporate Executive Chef Scott Linquist and Roberto Hernandez, Executive Chef of Dos Caminos Las Vega, invite guests to join them for a cooking demonstration featuring signature dishes from the acclaimed Mexican restaurant. The chefs will start with two classic drinks: the El Caminos Margarita and Pomegranate Sangria served alongside Guacamole & Salsa Roja. The main course dishes include Roasted Plantain Empanadas (Plantain Masa Turnovers), Arrachera (Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak),...

October 19th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, all ages, food and drink, food events, top chefs, vegas, Vegas culinary, Vegas epicurean

Bob Dylan in Vegas

The Joint got the big kahuna. Bob Dylan plays Vegas on October 18. The information about his concert is minimal and I haven’t been privileged to have seen him in concert, but despite his equally legendary incoherence, Bob Dylan remains one of the most influential musicians of the last century (the Beatles wore out their copy of his second album, Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan). But I don’t have to tell you that, because there is most likely no one in the U.S. over fourteen years old who doesn’t...

October 15th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, all ages, Bob-Dylan, concert, icon, John Mellencamp, music, tour, Willie Nelson, Woodstock

Vegas Dead BODIES Help Dispel Cancer Myths

As the Day of the Dead approaches, it may be the perfect time to view BODIES…The Exhibition, the fascinating and slightly creepy exhibit that lets you wander among 13 real human bodies that have been meticulously dissected and preserved and then modeled into various forms. The bodies let you see the skeletal, muscular, respiratory and circulatory systems of humans in action – well, as if they were in action. The exhibit includes bodies that were fit while alive along with those that are damaged...

October 14th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 3
Filed under: 50+, all ages, exhibitions, health, Just a Bit Weird - Fun & Quirky Places, vegas

Dueling Pianos for the Vegas Casino-Fatigued

Head on over to Town Square to enjoy four of the area’s best piano players in nightly rock & roll keyboard competition. Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar is part of a Texas-based entertainment chain that pits top-notch piano players in against each other to see who can best beat their keyboard into submission. The Texas-based company hires top keyboard players who rotate throughout the night, sometimes coming together in a four-person grand-piano concert frenzy that gets patrons energized, clapping...

October 13th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, concert, Just a Bit Weird - Fun & Quirky Places, music, musicians, People - Interesting Local People, rock&roll, Sound Like a Local - Local "speak", Vegas club, Vegas musicians, Vegas piano bar

Vegas Top Chefs Compete at Poolside Gala

The Epicurean Charitable Foundation hosts the 8th Annual Fundraising Gala poolside, tonight, at the M Resort Spa Casino . The event features the area’s top chefs and mixologists “competing” to outshine each other in order to raise funds for the foundation. The money goes to food-related causes, but its core mission is to keep students with an interest in the culinary field in Nevada. In May of this year, they awarded eight local high school students with $40,000 each in scholarships ($10,000...

October 9th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, scholarships, top chefs, Vegas culinary, Vegas epicurean, Vegas food, Vegas students

Vegas Wi-Fi Wednesdays Business Networking

Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology hosts a number of events that help bring business people together in a social setting. The organization helps entrepreneurs and wannabe entrepreneurs with contacts, help getting small business loans, mentoring and resources. But one of the most fun efforts may be the weekly networking events. Wi-Fi Wednesdays features a breakout speed networking activity where attendees are encouraged to polish their elevator speech and meet new people. ...

October 6th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, business leaders, Food & Beverage, Just a Bit Weird - Fun & Quirky Places, networking, People - Interesting Local People, small business, Sound Like a Local - Local "speak", Vegas business, Vegas freelancer, Vegas small business, young entrepreneurs

Ten Very Vegas things to do

It isn’t too late to hit Vegas’ hot spots and highlights before the year ends. While a few shows have closed since I first posted my Very Vegas list, new ones have opened, as well. Let me know your favorite Very Vegas venues. Brian May Jams at a Show Opening Party Catch Bette Midler’s local show, a classic broad who celebrates life through bawdy humor, exquisite singing and heartfelt stories that have made her the favorite superstar for a legion of loyal fans (that would be me!)...

September 24th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, all ages, best shows, Just a Bit Weird - Fun & Quirky Places, music, nevada, outdoor, Performaning Arts - Theater & Dance, rock climbing, Scenic & Short Trips, Sound Like a Local - Local "speak", top ten, vegas

Vegas Sings the Blues

Don’t miss the 2009 Las Vegas Blues Festival this weekend. Presented by the City of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Blues Society, the afternoon of blues in the park helps fund The Las Vegas Blues Society’s Las Vegas Scholarship Program. Las Vegas finest blues players include: The National Anthem to be performed by recording artist, Lady "J " Huston The Lucky Cheats at 12 Noon Glenn Patrik at 1:15 PM Ronnie Rose at 2:30 PM The Andy Walo Trio (Los Angeles) at...

September 24th, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 1
Filed under: 50+, all ages, blues concert, local bands, local concerts, music, Music Festival, Performaning Arts - Theater & Dance, performers, Scenic & Short Trips, Sound Like a Local - Local "speak", Vegas blues, Vegas blues festival

Review: Best Chicken Wings in Vegas – And Beyond

Hidden in a Smith’s strip mall on the outskirts of old Henderson is a gem of a neighborhood restaurant for the proletariat. Johnny Mac’s is that old type of pizza place that has pasta and other fare, but specializes in great family deals, oversized pizza and heavenly wings. While multiple large-screen televisions broadcast a variety of sports games, patrons sit down to white tablecloth, close-knit dining (you better enjoy getting to know your neighbor)at barstools and booths. A small stage...

September 23rd, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, all ages, best local restaurants, chicken wings, Family Friendly, food and wine, Just a Bit Weird - Fun & Quirky Places, neighborhood restaurant, pizza, Sound Like a Local - Local "speak", Vegas neighborhood

Cheap Eats — Vegas

Who doesn’t love a deal? A friend of mine turned me onto a restaurant site that lets you purchase certificates that discount your final price at selected restaurants. Typically, you pay $3 for a $10 certificate and $10 for a $25 certificate. The restaurants are good ones. We’ve dined at Steak (before it closed); Half Shell Seafood and Gaming; Milo’s Best Cellars; Johnny Mac’s; Ventano Italian Corner & Oyster Bar and more. You stick in your zip code, let...

September 22nd, 2009 | Lynn Goya | Read More | Comments: 0
Filed under: 50+, all ages, bargains, dining, discounts, eat, Food & Beverage, great deals Vegas, Restaurants & Bars, savings, Sound Like a Local - Local "speak", vegas