I'm so glad you could stop by. This is my personal blog of daily life and my journey through life. You will find a strong emphasis on family and friends as well as finding my ancestors through genealogy. Unlike my other blogs this blog is more of a catch-all so any topic is fair game.
The Roller Coaster
(New York New York, Las Vegas)
May 10, 2011
We knew before arriving in Las Vegas that the Sahara Hotel & Casino would be closing during our stay. The Sahara has been operating in Las Vegas since 1952. Many of the casinos on the strip have attractions, some of which are free. The Sahara Hotel & Casino had a lovely roller coaster that the guys wanted to take a ride on knowing they would not be able the next visit. When we arrived at the Sahara, operations were pretty much shut down looking like a ghost town. It was sad to see. We couldn't get a player's card as a memento and the roller coaster was closed down. I bought a drink at the bar to get a souvenir Sahara glass only to find out the almost bare gift shop was selling them two for $3.
The guys were on a quest to find a roller coaster ride. We stopped at New York New York on the strip where they were able to ride the roller coaster there. This roller coaster rises 203 ft with a drop of 144 ft giving a coasting speed of 67 mph. The heartline twist simulates a jet fighter's barrel roll. The guys road the roller coaster twice! The women being of sound mind kept their feet firmly planted on the ground.
Garden Gnome
©2006-2011
Spiderman
May 9, 2011
You just never know who you are going to meet on the Las Vegas strip or Fremont Steet. Many of the rich and famous were out and about greeting visitors. The Superheros were out as well. I had a friendly chat with Spiderman. He is every bit as handsome in real life as in the cartoons :)
Garden Gnome
©2006-2011
St. Pete Forum Arena Pre-Game Time
December 20, 2010
Our kids gifted us and one of their sibs with significant other that were visiting us at our vacation home with tickets to see a Tampa Bay Lightening vs Carolina Hurricanes hockey game. I love the look of the hockey rink when it is freshly coated before game time while the arena is still fairly quiet. It just evokes anticipation of what is to come!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2011
Hollis Park (Lakeland, Florida)
January 14, 2009
Our friends took us sightseeing in the Lakeland, Florida area. We stopped for a stroll through Hollis Park. This is a 1.2 acre park that was donated to the city of Lakeland. The day was warm as the sun kissed our skin while soaking in the beautiful surroundings of the park. This is a must stop at attraction when in the Lakeland, Florida area!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2009
Joker Marchant Stadium
January 14, 2009
The next sightseeing trip we stopped at Joker Marchant Stadium again. They were really nice and let us in to take pictures. My husband was elated so took a lot of pictures. It was a bright, sunny and warm day offsetting the gorgeous setting of the stadium. The ball diamond was simply beautiful! They had recently put all new seats in the stadium which was quite impressive. Everything was so neat and clean looking. Anyone who has been to sports games can attest to the fact that they are anything but neat and clean after a game. This is a gorgeous stadium to while away a few hours watching a game! Hopefully there will be a game we can take in our next visit.
Garden Gnome
©2006-2009
Joker Marchant Stadium
January 12, 2009
Back to our Florida vacation. Our friends took us touring around the Lakeland, Florida area. One of the stops was at Joker Marchant Stadium, Florida home to the Detroit Tigers. The first day we stopped only for pictures of the outside but later in the week we went back to take pictures of inside the stadium. It was quite impressive and very much designed like Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Now this brings up a very good point about our traveling.
My husband is into sports especially golf and he is likely the biggest Detroit Redwings fan you have ever met. His sports room is decorated in mainly Redwing collectibles. He would go over and above to see the Wings play! We made one trip to Montréal just to watch them play. I was elated because I had the opportunity to do some much needed genealogy research at the Salle Gagnon. A side trip while vacationing in Las Vegas was to Phoenix, Arizona to watch a Wings game. Then there was the Florida vacation where we went to a football game, the football games we get to each year in New York and the various sports stadiums we manage to get to each year. It is amazing the number of stadiums we have had the opportunity to see!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2009
July 21, 2008
edited: Sep 12, 2008The Star Line Ferry service is
privately operated
by the MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) to transport people from the mainland to Mackinac Island. What makes these ferries distinctive is they are hydro-jets shooting an impressive 35 foot roostertail spray. It can be a bit pricey at $25 per adult (13 and older), $12 per child (5 - 12), and $7.50 for bike or cart rental but it is a pleasant way to spend the day. Mackinac Island prohibits the use of personal motorized vehicles. You can enjoy carriage rides, fishing, biking, hiking, shopping and special events on the island. There are over 40 places to stay and many places to dine. During the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August a sunset cruise under the Mackinac Bridge is offered as well. Reservations for the cruise can be made by calling their
reservation line.
Garden Gnome
©2006-2008
Basilica of Holy Hill
July 19, 2008
On the way back to the kids' house we made a detour up a long and winding road to Glacier Hills County Park. From the top of the road there is a good view of the
Basilica of Holy Hill in the distance. Holy Hill is located on 435 acres of scenic land in southeastern Wisconsin on the highest elevation in the area. The Basilica is undergoing repairs as seen by the scaffolding in the picture. The view of southeastern Wisconsin is said to be spectacular from the scenic observation tower making the climb of 178 stairs well worth it! The tower is closed until the repairs are finished in September so we should be able to go up the tower our next trip to Wisconsin.
Garden Gnome
©2006-2008
Miller Brewing Company
July 20, 2008
Our next stop for sight seeing was the
Miller Brewing Company that first began brewing beer in 1855 where we took in the tour. Now I have to say with being very much into genealogy and family history, I love old architecture. I also love spending time in museums, cemeteries and other archival repositories. The tour itself was nice even though we didn't get to see much in action but in fairness it was getting late on a Saturday so the lines were likely shut down for the weekend. Oh we saw the mixing tanks and fermenting tanks, where the beer was bottled or canned and where it was stored but other than a couple of fork lifts, nothing was moving. There was that nice aroma of fermenting beer about the premises. After the tour they took us to a lovely indoor room where we enjoyed free samples. These rooms are not licensed to the general public which is a pit because the are absolutely gorgeous! They are used mainly for the tour groups but can be rented for special occasions like weddings.
The Miller Brewing Company is located in Miller Valley in Milwaukee at 4000 West Street. Tours start at 4251 West Street and conclude at the historic Miller Inn. Tours last an hour but figure a good hour and a half if not more if sampling. You must be 21 years of age or older to sample but children are welcomed. Even if the factory is not operational this really is a must stop at tour. The architecture of the buildings is very impressive. There is the original cobble stone in one portion of the road that goes through the factory. The Miller house near the Miller Inn is simply a replicate facade, unfortunately. It would have been nice to be able to go through the Miller house just to see what it was like back then. I was a bit disappointed in that aside of the 10 minute introductory video there was little more on the actual history. Still it was a very enjoyable tour.
Garden Gnome
©2006-2008
