Las Vegas Archives - Jen is on a Journey

Enjoy Your Take A Break Travel Las Vegas Excalibur Stay

June 18, 2018 by The Mom Jen Leave a Comment

If you’ve never heard of Take a Break Travel before, it is a vacation service that brings you promotional travel deals. Take a Break Travel takes the hassle out of planning your vacation for you. With experienced and knowledgeable travel agents, planning your vacation can be effortless. There are various all-inclusive deals that customers can also take advantage of. So if you’re looking forward to a vacation in the United States, you should consider booking it through Take a Break Travel.

One of the advantages of booking your vacation through Take a Break Travel is the fact that you can plan well in advance. After registering for a vacation, a travel agent from Take a Break Travel will contact you and have your vacation planned out within 30 days. This also means that you can plan your summer vacation while your kids are still in school. Conveniently, it’s also one of those times when you have ample time to plan anything.

Every family that registers for a vacation is assigned a travel agent. Your travel agent will work closely with you and your family to plan the most suitable and enjoyable vacation for you. It is imperative that you let your travel agent know what budget you are working with, what destinations you would like to visit and what activities you would like to participate in when on vacation.

The Take a Break Travel Las Vegas Excalibur package is one of the most popular travel deals. It usually includes a two-night stay at the Excalibur Hotel, however, if you’d like to spend more time at the hotel it can be arranged for an additional fee. This package may also include all-inclusive services and certain discounts. Speak to your travel agent to find it exactly what incentives come with this specific package.

Like any other vacation service, they are drawbacks to using Take a Break Travel. One of those drawbacks is that none of the promotional vacation deals is applicable during major holidays. This pertains to seven days immediately before a major holiday and seven days after a major holiday. So these vacation packages can only be enjoyed during off-peak seasons. The vacation packages usually just cover the hotel room fees. In most cases, you will still need to your own meals, surcharges, room taxes and of course your own transportation. However, given the fact that there are dozens of different vacations to choose from in the United States, having the convenience of a travel agent booking an entire holiday for you, is definitely worth the investment.

This is a collaborative post provided to Jen is on a Journey.

Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas: A Little Bowling, A Few Drinks, and a Primus Sound Check!

June 17, 2014 by The Mom Jen 5 Comments

Bowling is one of my favorite past times! In high school I loved the opportunity to opt into a physical education course for a weekly trip to the lanes in town. Though my score never made it past 152, I just loved the game and was saddened when the establishment was shut down. Now every chance we get, our family enjoys heading to the lanes together and having some friendly competition to get that first strike on the scoreboard.

On our recent media tour to Vegas, I think I may have squealed a little in delight when I saw bowling on our itinerary. The lanes at Brooklyn Bowl are right in the heart of the strip in a newer section at the LINQ and near the infamous High Roller observation wheel. This area is cool and kinda reminds me of a ‘grown up’ Downtown Disney!

Following in the footsteps of the original Brooklyn location, noted as “one of the most incredible places on earth,” according to Rolling Stone, and their recently opened outpost at the O2 in London, Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas will feature live concerts, 32 lanes of bowling and food by celebrated restauranteurs, Blue Ribbon. With three levels spanning nearly 80,000 square feet, it will be one of the largest music venues in America, and will offer programming throughout the day and late into the night, with concert headliners that will include Elvis Costello & The Roots, The Avett Brothers, Jane’s Addiction, Phil Lesh & Friends, The String Cheese Incident, Cake and Primus.

Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas: A Little Bowling, A Few Drinks, and a Primus Sound Check! Bowling, live music, nightlife and gourmet dining fuse together here at this popular venue and while we visited during the afternoon the atmosphere was exciting as the concert area prepared for an evening with Primus!With room for 2000, concert goers can get a great view from 3 levels and on some nights enjoy more than one show with the purchase of one ticket! Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas: A Little Bowling, A Few Drinks, and a Primus Sound Check! Bowlers can take up one of 32 lanes that offer luxurious couches and tables for eight with access to local craft brews, cocktails, and amazing comfort food. The noise level was great during the day, mid-game conversation was audible yet the background music was enough to sing along to!Televisions with news, sports, and events surround the lanes as does great music playing during non-concert times. Our waitress was always available and kept our drinks filled and out lanes running!

The atmosphere is fun and exciting and while our friends bowled, we strolled around and got to experience Primus’ sound check!Brooklyn Bowl is open to all ages up to 8pm each day then it’s 21 and over.

My hubby and I fell in love with this place and it’s one that we will come back to for sure to bowl, and possibly catch a great concert! I didn’t beat my all-time high score of 152 yet, but I did get a strike so I was thrilled!

For the concert line up, check out their music schedule here, http://vegas.brooklynbowl.com/calendar.

Our bowling and drinks were hosted as part of our LVCVA media tour, all opinions our own.

Visit Las Vegas: 3 Unique Experiences at The Bellagio

June 5, 2014 by The Mom Jen 5 Comments

Private Cabanas at the Pool, Women in Art, and Night Clubbing at The Bellagio, Las Vegas, Cypress Pool, Hyde Lounge, Painting Women, The Bellagio, #lasvegas What is the first thing you think of when hear the words, “Bellagio, Las Vegas?” I bet it’s the dancing fountains out front that have been awing guests and even locals alike for years in the heart of the strip. Whether you watch it front row on the street, from your nearby hotel room, or from atop the Eiffel Tower, the fountains are indeed a spectacular and popular event to the resort. On a recent visit we were honored to experience three really unique activities at the Bellagio that made us fall in love with resort even more beyond the beautiful water show!

Private Cabana Experience at the Cypress Pool
The Bellagio has 5 pool courtyard settings open to guests surrounded with luxurious Mediterranean style. Private Cabanas at the Pool, Women in Art, and Night Clubbing at The Bellagio, Las Vegas, Cypress Pool, Hyde Lounge, Painting Women Our group donned our bathing suits and sunscreen and made our way through the Star Jasmine arches (it smelled amazing!) to the Cypress Pool, Cabana 15. Here we were treated to snacks, a refrigerator full of water and non-alcoholic drinks, a living room with couch and dining table, personal pool floats to enjoy, fruit plates, and a patio with lounge chairs for our sunning enjoyment. Private Cabanas at the Pool, Women in Art, and Night Clubbing at The Bellagio, Las Vegas, Cypress Pool, Hyde Lounge, Painting Women The piece de resistance…a cabana boy, make that two or three cabana boys. These guys greeted us with orange slices, took our drink orders, refreshed our towel supply and served our lunch. It was an amazing few hours, the sun was hot so we strolled over and dipped in the pool and enjoyed the spray of the fountain to cool us off. There’s even a dressing room in the cabana, but you’re only steps away from a bar and restrooms if needed. The heat, the drinks, the pool, the atmosphere all exuded romance to me and we soaked it all in as much as possible!

Painting Women: Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Now on display through October 26, we toured this exhibit with a museum curator and saw some amazing pieces of work!

The exhibition features paintings portraying female artists as confident practitioners of their craft, as well as a survey of work by women artists including Mary Cassatt, Georgia O’Keeffe and Berthe Morisot. A portrait by French painter Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, a predecessor and role model to the artists showcased, will introduce the series. The works will be arranged thematically from the 1870s, the era when fine arts training programs first became available to women, to the mid-20th century when women (like their male counterparts) adopted more abstract, modern styles.

Questions such as “What does her facial expression suggest?” “What do you think about the color choices?” and “What do you notice about her attire?” were offered to the group to think about the mindset of the artists and how they wanted to portray their subjects. It isn’t often that we stroll through and admire art, but this exhibit was fascinating and a tour with someone studied in art history is helpful.
Drinks and Dancing at Hyde Lounge
An expansive 10,000 square foot venue, Hyde Bellagio features a terrace overlooking Las Vegas’ most celebrated landmark, the Fountains of Bellagio. Floor to ceiling windows showcase the fountains and the spectacular Eiffel Tower across the street at the Paris hotel at this indoor/outdoor hot spot. Following dinner and a show, we made our way over and immediately started moving to the music from inside. The party really amps up about midnight (the location opens at 5pm) and goes well until 4am certain nights of the week. The night we attended, actor Mario Lopez was in the house and Hyde was jam packed. We maneuvered shoulder to shoulder with people about the room to snap a shot out the window and make our way to the bar. A procession of men and women, lights, and extravagant costumes made their way through the room as the beats blasted and the base thumped through our bodies! Without a doubt, this was an amazing place to dance and party. Slightly feeling our age (40’s), we ducked out about 45 minutes and chalked it up for a neat experience and a little sad we did rub up to Mario Lopez (Slater!).

What are some unique experiences you’ve had in Las Vegas?

Experiences were all hosted as part of our LVCVA media tour, opinions completely our own.

Visit Las Vegas: Bally’s Hotel & Casino and Veronic Voices Review

June 3, 2014 by The Mom Jen 5 Comments

I’ve stayed in resorts on and off the strip but nothing compares to being right in the heart of the action! Bally’s Las Vegas has prime property right across the street from the Bellagio and next door to the Paris Hotel. Prime showrooms, attractions, fine dining, and shopping surround the resort within walking distance and we recently took advantage of it all with a stay in their newly remodeled Jubilee Tower.

When possible, checking in early is an option if your room type is clean and available. Being a guest of Allegiant Air, our flight arrived early in the day and unfortunately our room wasn’t quite ready. No need to rush though, signing up for a Total Rewards Player’s Card allowed us time to do a little gambling as well as take advantage of their two for one drink coupons. I tweeted @BallysLV prior to our stay and they gave me a texting code to use for additional offers such as drink specials and show offers, talk about great social media service! My husband and I found a nearby bar and ordered up our drinks and found some fun gaming in the casino. The front desk had my cell phone number and let me know a phone call would come when my room was ready which I loved. I sat down in front of the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory penny slot and my husband wished me luck. He isn’t much of a gambler so he sat with his newspaper and crossword puzzle at the bar which was within view of my machine and we awaited the call. Luck was on my side and when we were informed our room was ready I was up about $40, great start to our trip!

Elevators to the Jubilee Tower are adjacent to Nosh café, poker room, and the Jubilee showroom. Our set for our floor were to the right and we headed up and I noticed right away that from the smoky casino, the elevators were a breath of fresh air with ventilation. On the 19th floor, we exited and walked down a long hallway with new bright red and black carpet. Again, the ventilation works well in this tower, the clean air carried into our non-smoking room. Drapes open we walked into a bright, wide space, and we made bee line to the window for this amazing view!The Paris Hotel’s Eiffel Tower stands grand outside the window with views of their lovely pool, tower restaurant, and my husband even caught these few angles of the Bellagio’s fountains. Having also stayed at the Paris, our views weren’t this good!

You can imagine the view is just as spectacular at night!The big space allows for stretching out on other spots aside from just the bed. The desk has a great chair and then there is a great lounge chair to watch in. The red, tan, and white colorswent well with the contemporary theme of the room and it’s freshness was appealing. I loved the unique cylindrical and spherical pillows that added to sitting and sleeping comfort.The bed was amazing, with just the amount of pillows, it was the perfect softness. We appreciated the bed most on the late mornings where we slept in thanks to our perfectly arranged itinerary!

Late mornings also meant room service breakfasts. The calls were placed and delivered each of the 3 mornings we stayed within 30 minutes and often within 20! With just a few drink substitutions, we ordered the same thing each morning and the freshness was spot on each time while our hot food was just that, hot!

The bathroom was large, the shower a great size (for two!) and with plenty of room for two people to get ready at the same time.

Housekeeping was efficient each day, we always had plenty of towels, shampoo, soap, and in-room coffee amenities. The room comes with a safe for your valuables, iron/ironing board, and mini-fridge for drinks and leftovers!

Our itinerary had us dining elsewhere, but there are many options to eat within Bally’s like the Sidewalk Cafe for breakfast and lunch, The Tequila Bar and Grill, SEA: The Thai Experience, BLT Steak, and for something familiar and delicious, Sparro and Nathan’s hot dogs!

We enjoyed Veronic Voices in the Jubilee Tower on first evening. Veronic caught her break in Canada as the opening act for the legendary Celine Dion before arriving in Vegas, Dion also co-produces her show. An amazing vocalist impersonating over 50 female artists from Judy Garland to Taylor Swift, it was literally like the jackpot of concerts where we heard songs from so many of our favorite singers in one showroom! Humble and sweet, in between sets, Veronic engages the audience with stories of stardom and her admiration for all the singers she impersonates. Her personality, impressive vocals, and accompaniment of dancers made for a great show! I found myself singing along most of the songs and especially enjoyed her tribute to the 80’s. About 90 minutes long, the show has you begging for more and also inspired to continue singing in the shower and the car because you never know where it will lead!

Veronic’s show is family friendly and is offered Thursday-Sunday. For more information on the hotel and ticket prices for Veronic Voices visit http://www.ballyslasvegas.com/.

Our stay was hosted in conjunction with the LVCVA media tour, all opinions 100% our own.

Visit Las Vegas: The Neon Museum and Boneyard

May 29, 2014 by The Mom Jen 5 Comments

If you want to get rich, make small people feel big!–Benny Binion, Texas gambler who bought the Horseshoe Club back in 1951.

At the intersection of Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard you’ll find a unique spot that houses a piece of Nevada history you won’t find just anywhere. The Neon Museum and Boneyard makes me immediately think of where something goes to die, but on the contrary, here you’ll find an amazing collection of treasured and world-famous signs of Las Vegas history that include the Moulin Rouge, Binion’s Horseshoe, the Golden Nugget and the Stardust! Though the lights don’t shine as bright as they once did, the location fascinates and attract historians, collectors, students, artists, newlyweds and tourists on this outdoor hidden gem.

Tours begin inside the old La Concha Motel. The lobby was moved to this location and now serves as a visitor’s center, gift shop, and starting point of the guided tours. Our tour guide is a volunteer and also happens to be a neon sign lover and avid Las Vegas history buff so I knew we were in good hands. The walking tour lasts about an hour and early morning would be the best time to do the stroll during the warm spring and summer months, pack you sunscreen and hat anyway!

150 signs are displayed about the 1.5 acre gravel paths of old casinos, hotels, restaurants, and wedding chapels while some of the restored pieces can be seen on nearby streets like the Silver Slipper. Unique items like a metal statue of a pool player and the skull of Treasure Islands’ past can also be seen. Neon lighting has waxed and waned from the early 1900’s where in essence gas vapors (different gases making different color) carries electric current. Steve Wynn’s remodel of the Golden Nugget in the 80’s began the serial abandonment of neon in Las Vegas and was replaced with computerized LED signs and even the structure of the building representing it’s sign as you can now see as the Luxor.

The rust combined with missing or broken bulbs adds to the already spooky feel some have while on this tour. One person in our group spoke on how she felt the presence of ghosts about the yard, spirits of old gamblers, mobster, or of failed marriages past. Even in that 90 degree dry heat, a cold shiver can indeed be felt, well if you believe in that kind of thing.

One of my favorites, the Sahara sign.

The largest sign of it’s time, the Stardust. Guided tours are mandatory at this museum, not allowing to walk freely keeps visitors safe from possible broken glass and rusted metal. Night tours are also available to view the signs under spotlights and even catch a few illuminated signs refurbished! As a matter of fact, we traveled to Vegas with our neighbors who attended a wedding during the weekend and the bride and groom did a photoshoot at night with their professional photographer!

As a gambler, I didn’t win much money on this recent trip to Vegas, but I did explore a valuable location as far as a memorable history is concerned and that’s a win to me! This spot is a must visit when in Vegas, it pays homage to a cultural history of the city and when you have a great guide like we did, you’re left craving more! For more information and to reserve your tour, visit www.neonmuseum.org/.

Our tour was courtesy of LVCVA and part of our media tour, a donation and our opinions are 100% our own.