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By rocky | May 24, 2008
We all love the King of Rock and Roll but there’s so much more to Memphis than Elvis, and there’s plenty of other great music. One place where you can find it is B B King’s Blues Club on Beale Street. B. B. King is one of the legends of the Blues and he now has three of these amazing clubs, the original here in Memphis, another in country music capital Nashville and the other in the home of theme parks Orlando Florida. There’s three things to do at B.B. Kings- Eat, Drink and Dance. The menu is great Creole Cuisine and plenty of it- ribs, steaks, bbq and fried chicken and gumbo- just what you need to build up your energy to dancing to the best music Memphis has to offer. Many big names play at the club and the resident bands are sensational, it’s one of the best nights out you could ever have.
Topics: Food, USA, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
By rocky | May 23, 2008
The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood would have to be the most famous and most recognisable theatre in the world. Opening in 1927 on Hollywood Boulevard the theatre still today is used by many huge blockbuster opening screenings, even it’s first film was a opening screening Cecil B DeMille’s The King of Kings. The theatre has even been a host of 2 Academy Award ceremonies. Many tourists flock to the court in front of the theatre to see the dozens of celebrity cement blocks which have signatures, feet and hand prints of many of Hollywood’s biggest names. Today the theatre is owned by the huge Warner Bros and Paramount Picture companies and recently was restored to its former glory.
Topics: Americas, USA | No Comments »
Queen Mary Hotel
By rocky | May 14, 2008
The Queen Mary sailed the seven seas from 1936 to 1967 and has had a very interesting life both at sea and docked at Long Beach California. The vessel had served in World War II and even accidentally sank one of her escorts the HMS Curacoa. Adolf Hitler even had the equivalent of $25000 bounty on her for anyone who could sink her. She was just about on her way to Japanese scrap merchants in when a bid for her to be parked at Longbeach California was approved. In 1971 she opened to the public as a hotel and tourist attraction and didn’t fare to well. Disney took control of her during the 80’s with plans for turning her and the site into a new theme park which would have been similar to Tokyo’s Disney Sea, this didn’t go a head and a few later owners went bust trying to come up with new plans. Today the Queen Mary open as a hotel and function centre and various tours, there are plans are drawn up to turn the area into a large entertainment complex similar to Universal Studio’s city walk with cafes, small attractions and a tourist precinct. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Ships / Boats, USA | No Comments »
The Creole Queen
By rocky | May 7, 2008
The Creole Queen is one of the delights of New Orleans, chugging up the mighty Mississippi bringing back memories of a bygone era, no trip to the city would be complete without a ride on one of the city’s beautiful steamers. The paddle steamer was introduced into service in 1983 and is one of the largest paddle steamers on the river. The vessel is 200 feet long, 40 feet wide and has three decks and can handle 1000 passengers. The Creole Queen is an authentic paddle wheeler she has two 24 foot diameter paddlewheels and is fueled by a diesel electric engine. The interior of the craft is absolutely beautiful bringing all the beauty of the past with some modern comforts. The lovely Victorian draperies and fittings and parquet cypress floors help you step back in time.
Topics: Ships / Boats, USA | 1 Comment »
Lincoln Park Zoo
By rocky | May 4, 2008
Lincoln Park Zoo is as the name suggests in Lincoln Park in the heart of Chicago and dates back to 1868 when a pair of swans joined a bear cub. Today the zoo is home to about 1250 animals which popular exhibits include gorillas, monkeys, seals, birds of preys and reptiles. The zoo also has a huge children’s area where kids can get up close to farm animals. The zoo has a large conservation duty and also carries out an extensive school program where the young can learn about the animals and the challenges they face in their natural habitats. One of the highlights of the Lincoln Park Zoo is the Robert R McCormick Bear Habitat where you can see Andean Bears, Malayan Sun Bears and the beautiful Polar Bears. The Polar Bear exhibit features one of the largest exhibits in the world with a quarter of a million gallon tank for their pleasure. Visitors can see these massive and graceful creatures behind glass frolicking in the water. The zoo is open every day and best of all its free. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Animals, USA | No Comments »
The Liberace experience
By rocky | April 28, 2008
Liberace was one of the pioneers of entertainment in Las Vegas, he brought a new type of glitz and glamour to the strip with the most over the top and lavish stage shows ever seen. He arrived on stage in jewel encrusted vehicles and had rhinestone covered pianos and his costumes were the most amazing and outrageous with sequins, jewels and diamonds. Stripped away from all the flamboyance Liberace was one of the world’s greatest performers and his classical piano playing was second to none, but it was the glitz and glamour for what this mega celebrity will be remembered for. Today Liberace is no longer with us but his legend lives on in Vegas with a huge collection of his pianos and vehicles including a mirror tiled Rolls Royce and rhinestone laden roadster are on display with many of his costumes, the amazing jewelry and the entire story of his performing life. The museum itself is larger than life just like the superstar with huge neon piano on the roof. There’s a great gift shop and the trust which runs the museum puts the money into the Liberace Foundation which invests in performing arts scholarships for the young, a cause Liberace was so deeply involved in. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Kitsch Stuff, Museums, Must see, USA | 1 Comment »
El dorado fins, whitewalls and skirts
By rocky | April 16, 2008
Cadillacs are one of the motoring icons of America and in Amarillo Texas they are a tourist icon. Cadillac Ranch is a project by a San Francisco art collective called Ant Farm who have buried 10 Cadillacs halfway into the ground back in 1974. The Cadillacs are buried nose first and are some of the more classical models from 1949 to 1963 and look like a metal Stone Henge or something. Cadillac Ranch has been embedded into American culture, you might remember seeing them in the Pixar Disney classic Cars and even features in one of American rocker Bruce Springsteen’s 1980’s hits and plenty of other places in the US are jumping on the band wagon and making their own version. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Kitsch Stuff, USA | No Comments »
Walmart Visitors Centre
By rocky | April 10, 2008
On May 9 1950 Sam Walton opened a variety store in Bentonville Arkansas, 50 years later Sam became the richest man in the world and now his three sons are in the top 10 richest people in the world owning the huge Walmart variety stores. Exactly forty years after opening the Bentonville store the WalMart Visitors Centre was opened by then Governor of Arkansas former President Bill Clinton. The visitor centre attracts in the vicinity of 60,000 people a year and traces the amazing story of the Walton family and their stores. The centre has thousands of pieces of history from the retail giant’s history and quiet an insight into the Family including Mrs Walton’s wedding dress.
Topics: USA | No Comments »
A hotel as quiet as a library
By rocky | March 23, 2008
The Library Hotel in New York is kind of a theme hotel based on the dewey decimal system where each of its 10 floors is catergorsied into one of the standard library catergories with each room devoted to a particular subject. An example is that the room one on the seventh floor would have an “architecture” theme while the second room would have a “paintings” theme as the seventh floor is part of “the arts” catergory. The book Lemony Snicket’s The Penultimate Peril had a hotel in it called the Hotel Denouement that was modeled after the Library Hotel. Interestingly the owners of the Dewey Decimal System trademark once sued the Library Hotel for trademark infringement, now the Library Hotel is allowed to use the system in its hotel and marketing in exchange for making a donation to a nonprofit organization promoting reading and literacy among children. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Americas, Hotels, USA | No Comments »
Huge Elvis Museum
By rocky | March 22, 2008
You might remember we did a story on Dolly Parton’s Dollywood themepark at Pigeon Forge a few days ago, well we found another great attraction at Pigeon Forge- The world’s largest private collection of Elvis memorabilia. Founder Mike Moon has been collecting Elvis stuff since the king himself gave him a belt. The museum is jam packed full of great Elvis memories, theres cars, clothing, jewellery even Elvis’s guns and a orange toilet seat cover which Elvis once owned. The guy has everything, he even has his swim trunks and a set of Elvis’ bibles and encyclopedias and even some bottles of his aftershave and cologne plus his final set of sunglasses and even his last tube of toothpaste. There’s hours of kitsch fun here and guess what the exhibition has a great gift shop where you can buy your very own Elvis memorabilia. The Elvis Museum is at 2638 Parkway, Pigeon Forge in Tennessee.
Topics: Kitsch Stuff, Museums, Must see, USA | No Comments »