GET IN THE SWIM OF THINGS with the Dophins at the Mirage
CLAIRE SINCLAIR
PLAYBOY’S MISS OCTOBER IS RIDING HIGH IN MGM GRAND’S CRAZY HORSE PARIS
CRYSTALS AT CITYCENTER Has New Things in Store
THE SPA THAT LOVES YOU in Las Vegas
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CONTENTS
2
9
Shopping
She’ll Turn You On
Playboy Playmate Claire Sinclair rides the “Crazy Horse” into Vegas By Bobbie Katz
4
11
Restaurants
Capo’s is a dining experience you can’t refuse
8
Haute Couture: Crystals brings in six new designer boutiques By Susan Stapleton
12 Night Heat
The Day of the Dolphins
6
Las Vegas Quick Bites
Barbara J. Nosek lets you in on where the beef is — and the beverages are — in Las Vegas
10
By Lark Ellen Gould
13
Attractions
MGM Grand’s Mane Attraction & Valley of Fire—a Natural Site with No Match
14
Borderline
The Spa that Loves You
The Spa at ARIA is pure bliss and there’s no fooling Mother Nature here
Tao takes nightlife to new levels
Fashion
The runway comes to the Forum Shops By Susan Stapleton
Editor Bobbie Katz (bobbie@vegasinsiderdaily.com) Associate Editor Ginger Tafoya (ginger@vegasinsiderdaily.com) Writers Barry Berlin Lark Ellen Gould Bobbie Katz Barbara J. Nosek Susan Stapleton Ginger Tafoya Cozy Stone Photographers Jeff Green Photography (jeffgreenphoto@mac.com) Design Attention Media Group (grant@attentionmediagroup.com) Web Implementation Grant Dunmire, Attention Media Group (grant@attentionmediagroup.com) Publisher Vegas Insider Daily, LLC (www.vegasinsiderdaily.com) Member/Advisor Ron Slay
Just outside of Vegas, you can bathe in the glorious wonders of Tecopa Hot Springs By Barry Berlin
Vegas 365 is published monthly. Reproduction of any portion of Vegas 365 is prohibited without prior authorization in writing from the publisher. Vegas 365 is not responsible for the views of contributing journalists. All editorial correspondence should be addressed to bobbie@vegasinsiderdaily.com For advertising inquiries for Vegas 365, Vegas Insider Daily or Mobile Vegas Insider Daily, please contact: Barry Berlin at barry@vegasinsiderdaily.com 702.271.4541 Tom Raspanti at tom@vegasinsiderdaily.com 702.528.0718 Judy Robinson at judy@vegasinsiderdaily.com 702.308.3633 Vegas 365 assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions appearing herein. All Rights Reserved. Vegas Insider Daily, LLC, Copyright 2010.
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COVER STORY
She’ll Turn You On Playboy Playmate Claire Sinclair rides the “Crazy Horse” into Vegas By Bobbie Katz
C
ome October 21-28, “MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse Paris” is going to present a new act that’s guaranteed to have audiences “chafing at the bit.” The new kid in the “neigh”-borhood, albeit just for a week, is 19-year-old October 2010 Playboy Playmate of the Month, Claire Sinclair. The young beauty will be performing four numbers in the famed show that depicts “the art of the nude” – its sister production, the original “Crazy Horse Paris,” is still going strong in that city after 60 years. Sinclair is a charming addition to the stable of guest stars that has been recently instituted in the show and includes Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Dita Von Teese, and Princess Clotilde Courau of Savoy. Anderson and Electra both performed in the MGM Grand show; Von Teese appeared in both the MGM Grand Show and in the Paris production, and Princess Savoy appeared in the Paris show in September. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Sinclair enthuses. “I’ve loved burlesque since I was a kid and this show is a throwback to the 30s. It is classic and classy and has great costumes, music, makeup and moves. It’s almost like posing and has its own brand of
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poses. Plus, the lighting’s incredible. I love everything about it. I think it’s the most beautiful show on the Strip.” Sinclair’s guest appearance in “Crazy Horse” coincides with the publication of the October Playboy containing her layout, along with her Olivia De Berardinis Pin-Up, which ran in August and September as well. She initially was supposed to be on the October cover also but had to forfeit it because she’s not 21. “I was always surrounded by pin-up,” says Sinclair. “I have always loved the paintings of Olivia, who took over for Vargas and paints the pin-up artist every month for Playboy. It was my dream to be painted by her. My dad knew her husband and he had a meeting at her house and wanted me to come. He told me to dress up like a pin-up doll and see if she would be interested in painting me.” “So I did, even though I felt ridiculous,” she continues. “I was dressed like I was going to the prom, with the hair and makeup, too. Olivia and her husband answered the door in their pajamas and were looking at me like, what the hell? I was embarrassed and the two hours we were there were excruciating for me. Before we left, Olivia asked my dad how old I was. He said 18 and she responded that she had never painted anybody that young because a girl that age wouldn’t know how to pose in front of a camera.” “But she called the next day and asked me to do a test shoot,” she continues. “That night, she told me she was going to paint me and invited me to Movie Night at the Playboy Mansion, which takes place every Sunday. It was there that Hef approached me with a pen and paper and asked for my name and number. The next day, I got a call from Playboy asking me to do a test shoot.” Two days later, Sinclair received the call that she would be a Playmate of the Month. The shoot was done in early November of
last year, after which she moved into the Bunny House across the street from the Playboy Mansion, where she currently lives. She says that about seven Playmates live in the house, although there are usually only three or four there at one time. Sinclair enjoys living in the Bunny House and says that she has no curfew and the only requirements are that there are no boys allowed in the house and that the rules of the house have to be respected. She has a car and her freedom and she visits her parents about once a week and spends time with her boyfriend. She notes that the Playmates are all expected to participate in the Mansion activities, such as parties and game nights,which occur roughly about four times a week. Hef (Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner) and chaperones accompany the girls to all the events. “Hef is like a father figure because he gives me a lot of guidance,” Sinclair admits. “He helps my career immensely – without him, I wouldn’t know what to do. I’m striving to be a big name in pin-up. I want it to take me to all different angles of entertainment – voice-overs, hosting, acting. Hef is opening all those doors for me and it’s up to me to run through them.” Hef almost didn’t let Sinclair walk through the one at “Crazy Horse” because he mistakenly thought it was the off-the-Strip strip club by that name. However, after the show sent him a package and he remembered that he had actually attended “Crazy Horse” in Paris, he agreed to let Sinclair do it. “He has to approve everything,” Sinclair acknowledges. “We can’t do anything seedy or anything against our girl-
next-door image. As for posing for the magazine, I’m comfortable posing nude. But ‘Crazy Horse’ is the art of the tease. I’m not totally nude and that’s what made it very attractive to me..” Although Sinclair has never performed dance before and there is a lot of ballet incorporated into “Crazy Horse,” the show is cutting some of that out for her and focusing more on her posing. The numbers she will appear in are “Champagne Taste,” a new act from Paris called “Upside Down,” “Le Lecon,” and the finale, “You Turn Me On.” “I’m used to posing and burlesque is a series of poses,” she sums up. “I’ve always been curious about other eras and have wanted to explore them – I almost feel nostalgia for those eras. I’m ecstatic about being in ‘Crazy Horse.’” Dancer or not, at 19, Sinclair is a young woman very much on her toes. VID
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The Day of the Dolphins Trainer for a day puts you in the swim of things By Bobbie Katz I must admit that Las Vegas was the last place I expected to find myself awe-struck by a bolt of Lightning. But then, a 450-pound male dolphin by that name had never made such a quick move to lift himself out of the pool and slide to my land-planted feet before. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I’d ever have the opportunity to be up close and personal with one of these beautiful creatures, having him respond to my hand-signal commands. But from the people who first brought marine mammals to the desert – The Mirage Dolphin Habitat – now comes the Trainer For a Day Program. The truly incredible hands-on experience allowed me to train Lightning, including having him rest his massive body on my feet in the water, as well as observe the entire Mirage dolphin family and meet the alpha female, Duchess, on an up-close-and-personal basis, 004 VEGAS365
even getting into the pool with her. For the dolphins, it must have been a version of ‘Guess Who’s Coming To (Fish) Dinner’, since I not only had an unforgettable day of training, petting, kissing and doing hand-to-fin shakes with these incredible mammals, but I got to feed them, too. Along the way, I learned things about them that I never knew. “Dolphins are incredible mammals that are a very important part of nature,” explains Jim Hudson, Curator of Dolphin Care for The Mirage Dolphin Habitat, who stayed by my side throughout the TFAD program and taught me the training signals. “They are what they are and we don’t try to show people anything other than what they are. We respect them and love them for what they are. People tend to anthropomorphize, that is to give animals human characteristics. The relationship between dolphin and trainer creates a bond and from there we are able to train husbandry behaviors that enable us
to observe them throughout the day and make sure they’re healthy. Dolphins are driven by some of the same motivations we are – their basic needs have to be met and their social structure has to be understood. If you show a dolphin respect first, it will give it back.” While visitors like myself can experience great wonderment and joy from observing or interacting with these animals in this intimate setting, the purpose of the nearly 20-yearold habitat is to provide a healthy and nurturing sanctuary for the dolphins and to educate the public about marine mammals and their environment. With it also being a research and breeding facility, it is providing valuable information about the reproduction of these animals that is sending waves of excitement throughout the scientific community. “The grand scheme is to keep these animals healthy and content so that they’ll reproduce readily and have healthy calves,” says Dave Blasko, the Mirage’s Director of Animal Care. “We’ve learned more about dolphins in 20 years than what had been learned about them in the last 200 years. Through our research in dolphin reproduction, the Mirage has been successful in artificial insemination with dolphins in both the U.S. and Europe. One of our current research programs is chemical communication between dolphins.” The Dolphin Habitat is definitely a Las Vegas attraction of a different species – Tursiops Truncatus, to be exact, otherwise known as Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. There are eight of these beautiful gentle creatures currently residing there, including three generations of one family. Each one has a name, its own physical characteristics and its own distinct personality. The males can reach weights of 500-700 pounds; the females 400-500 pounds. They can reach lengths of 10-10 ½ feet. Though this species is not endangered, none of the original dolphins were taken out of the wild for this project, which opened on October 19, 1990. All were relocated from other
marine mammal projects. Constructed at an initial cost of $20 million, the Mirage facility is rated as one of the top in the world. It is located in a tropical setting behind the hotel and encompasses four connecting pools holding approximately 2.5 million gallons of manmade salt water – four times larger than government regulations require – measuring 22 feet at the deepest point and 120 feet across at the widest point. The pools have been designed with irregularly shaped contours to allow freedom of movement for the dolphins and to minimize sound reverberation. To ensure good water quality, the 2.5 gallons of manmade sea water is cycled and cleaned every two hours. A team of Life Support Specialists maintain the Mirage Dolphin Life Support System. So just who are the residents of the Dolphin Habitat? There is 33-yearold 470-pound Duchess, the “queen” of the habitat and the only one of the original dolphins at the Mirage. Her daughter, Huf N Puf, born March 7, 2000, is the mother of Bella, who was born in September 2008 weighing in at 20 pounds. Duchess is also the mother of Maverick, 6. Then there is Lightning, 30, who was brought to the Mirage from Florida four years ago and is the father of Bella. At the end of March, by a cooperative agreement with Sea World as part of the ongoing breeding program at the Mirage Dolphin Habitat, the habitat welcomed three new males – Cosmo, 6, Beetle, 6, both from Sea World in Orlando, and Osborn, 4, from Sea World in San Antonio.” One thing is for certain. The more that Blasko, Hudson and staff learn about the dolphins -- and something new is learned on a daily basis -- the more questions that arise. In the end, it’s only the animals that know the answers. After all, it’s their day. And it was mine, too. VID The Trainer For a Day program gives you an opportunity to work side-by-side with an official Mirage Dolphin Habitat trainer. You’ll get to feed the dolphins, learn to train the dolphins, dine with the dolphins, learn about the dolphins and receive a complimentary T-shirt and photos of yourself with the dolphins. Call 702-792-7889. 005 VEGAS365
THE SPA THAT LOVES YOU
The Spa at ARIA is
Pure Bliss There’s no fooling mother nature here By Lark Ellen Gould
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ARIA comes up large in just about every category. It’s the largest hotel
meditation music flowing through private earphones for that extra Planet
in the CityCenter bunch; it’s certainly the largest LEED-focused casino
Vegas effect. Across the hall, a room of Ganbanyoku stone beds—literally
property ever built, and its rooms—all automated by bedside consoles—
hot slabs of granite marble—invites guests to relax via another detoxifying
are certainly among the coolest in Vegas. But when it comes to spas, this
process taken from ancient Far East traditions.
place rocks! Think waters, woods and walls of rock, be they salt, marble or sand.
You can end the spa journey in a hot steam room or don a bathing suit and step into the co-ed super Jacuzzi pool on the balcony, which is a
Spa ARIA spreads a notable 80,000 square feet through 62 treatment
geometrically alluring wedge of warm water pouring over an infinity edge
rooms (with a treatment menu to match). A best bet treatment is the
that overlooks CityCenter’s stunning landscape and beyond. Relax, pre
Scalp, Hand and Foot Bliss massage that blends acupressure in just the
or post treatments, in the fireside lounge.
right spots with gentle Swedish-style strokes, capped by the sensations of a hot oil scalp treatment and followed by a cold marble face massage for
The $30 daily facilities fee takes care of all amenities (waived with treatment). Three-Day Facility Passes are available for $80. VID
a clean tingling all over. Then follow that bliss to the Shio Salt Room, where walls of salt and
The Spa at Aria
filtered light do a detoxifying dance down to the very DNA of the dermis.
877.312.2742
Immerse in Zero Gravity loungers that vibrate in sync with the
www.thespa@arialasvegas.com
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LV QUICK BITES
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e’ll drink to that. New on the menu at “Havanatone,” RHUMBAR’s Latin alter ego that appears every Wed. night, is the “Muchachita,” a 100-calorie margarita created by the restaurant’s mixologist Kristen Schaefer, named “Las Vegas’ most inspired bartender.” Her innovative libation of aloe vera, pomegranate, lime and Milagro Silver tequila is a great companion to the lively dancing and dj spins. At the Mirage www.rhumbarlv.com. Forget parking lot dining, bleacher seating, and single team venues. The Tailgate Party as crafted by Society Café at Encore celebrates all televised NFL games with seven flat-screen TVs, a great mix of imported and domestic brews, and, yum, exec chef Kim Canteenwalla’s party menu that includes lollipop chicken wings, Kobe hot dogs, sloppy Joseph sliders, mac ‘n’ cheese “bites,” grilled pepperoni flatbread, and all-American pot stickers in several tasty incarnations. www.encorelasvegas. com. Where $2 rules. That would be at nu sanctuary in Town Square during “2 for $2 Tuesdays’” featuring $2 tacos and $2 Coronas from 4 p.m. until close. And there’s a tasty new taco option every week, perhaps with salmon ceviche, Kobe beef, crispy crab or another delectable filling. With the purchase of that taco, enjoy the $2 Corona or $5 house margarita or $4 tequila shots. www.nulounge.com. It’s not every high profile restaurant that will share the secrets of its signature dish, but – yay! – Rao’s will. So here’s the recipe from the legendary centenarian for the sauce used in its Rao’s Famous Lemon Chicken: Whisk together 2 cups fresh lemon juice, 1 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and salt & pepper to taste – this is used to baste the broiled chicken, and then reduced for a serving sauce. Full instructions in Rao’s cookbook, or Recipes at the “CCC” link below. The original Rao’s is in NYC, its younger sibling here at Caesars. www.raos. com. High on the A-list of LV chefs is Michael Mina, now offering two new ways to sample his renowned fare. At MGM Grand, SEABLUE’s happy hour, Sun.-Fri. 5:30-7, features $1 oysters and $1 shrimp, plus half-priced salt and pepper calamari and lobster corn dogs. Meanwhile, daily 4-6 at his StripSteak in Mandalay Bay, all lounge menu items are half price. Sipping deals at both places too. www.michaelmina.net. Cinco de “every month.” Party-minded chef Jerry Linch plans to decorate his El Segundo Sol restaurant on the “Cinco” of not just “Mayo,” but all the other months too, for celebrations marked by day-long drink specials, food specials, djs, and live music that will start at 7p. This taqueria and margarita bar is in Fashion Show mall, right on Las Vegas Boulevard. www.elsegundosol.com.
For more foodie delights, Barbara Nosek’s blog, Celebrity Chef Connection, can be found on the bottom right of this homepage. VID
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NIGHT HEAT RESTAURANTS
Who’s the “Boss?” By Bobbie Katz
Granted, with its famed history, there may be no more appropriate place than Las Vegas to experience some true “family”-style dining. Still it has taken the creativity of restaurateur Nico Santucci to turn his two locations of the mob-themed Capo’s restaurant into bona fide culinary “hits.”
Mobster-chic décor meets “to die for” Italian cuisine in venues that collectively speak to the fact that Santucci has gone to the wall with the special touches that are the mark of an era. At the Tropicana Avenue Capo’s (which means “mob boss”) are the “family” pictures of “Uncle Al” (as in Capone), “Uncle John” (Gotti), and other G-Men and Rat Pack figures that peer down at you. Also featured are private booths with curtains that close, an upstairs “gaming” and smoking/ cigar lounge and a real Tommy gun hanging over the bar. There are also pictures of some of Santucci’s relatives, who, according to urban legend, were descendants of the Genovese family from Chicago, where Santucci was raised. The second Capo’s, located on Sahara Avenue and which opened in January 2009, continues the theme with plush red, leather banquettes, chandeliers, a bar, a private “roulette room” that seats 10 hidden behind a huge picture of Al Capone as well as a private theater/dining room that seats 20 and an outdoor smoking/cigar lounge It is softly lit and very intimate and sexy. Larger than Capo’s on Tropicana, which seats 75, it seats 110. At both locations, guests enter by ringing a buzzer
and are “checked out” by the maitre d’, who slides open a speakeasy-style window in the disguised door. “The menu is all authentic Old World recipes from my family,” Santucci says. “My father’s family, all of whom cooked, was from Abruzzi, Italy, and settled in New York and Chicago and my father’s brother owned a restaurant called Santucci’s in Chicago. It’s central Italian cooking, which combines a little of the northern and southern Italian cooking. But it’s not as heavy as either of those and it consists of a lighter and sweeter red sauce. The food is from the heart and is what I grew up with in Chicago.” Santucci describes his food as “straight-up authentic East CoastItalian comfort cuisine” and cites the meatballs, Chicken Parmigiana, and Shrimp Scampi as three of his signature dishes. The creative menu is a four-page tribute to the mob theme with headings such as Temptations (appetizers), Bathtub Gin Soups, Syndicate Salads, Made Man Pastas, House Specialties You Can’t Refuse and “The Last Ride” (desserts). There are similarly named items such as Chicken Luchese, Spilatro Spiedini, Nathan Nails New York Strip and so on. Both venues also have old-style Las Vegas entertainment. It’s an evening you can’t refuse. VID
Mobster-chic décor meets “to die for” Italian cuisine
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FASHION
Tim Gunn’s Saturday Project The runway comes to the Forum Shops By Susan Stapleton
Y
ou love his mannerly way of speaking and the dapper way he dresses. You adore his expert eye for fashion. It’s Tim Gunn, the co-host of Bravo’s Project Runway. And on Saturday, October 2, you saw him at the Forum Shops at Caesars hosting a fall fashion show on behalf of Lucky Brand Jeans. If you were present, you were also treated to men’s and women’s fashions for fall while getting style and fit tips. “Nothing makes me happier than working with real women in the real world,” Gunn says. To get ready for the event, which was free and open to the public, all folks had to do was head over to Lucky Brand Jeans and spend $100 or more to receive a personalized and signed copy of Gunn’s latest book Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making It Work. Guests even had the chance to be professionally photographed with the style guru while enjoying music and refreshments. The fashion show began at 1 p.m. near “Reflecting Pool” on ground level, with a book signing and after-party at Lucky Brand Jeans at 1:30 p.m. Gunn is also the author of Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style and has written articles for Marie Claire, Elle, Seventeen, People and US Weekly. He serves as honorary chair of fashion design at Parsons: The New School for Design. Since beginning his career in 1983 as assistant director of admissions, he has risen to become an associate dean at the school, which he repositioned to be the indisputable leader in fashion design education in America. In March 2007, Liz Claiborne snatched him up to become the chief creative officer, in charge of reinvigorating the gigantic fashion company, whose 40 brands include Kate Spade, Juicy Couture and Lucky Brand Jeans.
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SHOPPING
Haute Couture
Crystals brings in six new designer boutiques By Susan Stapleton
D
esigner shopping is about to add more depth to Las Vegas. Crystals at CityCenter announced that six new designer boutiques are about to open at the retail center. By the end of the year, Prada and Gucci will have flagship stores while Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Donna Karan, Emilio Pucci and Harry Winston open new boutiques. The announcement comes on the heels of the opening of new additions Ermenegildo Zegna, Christian Dior, Brunello Cucinelli and Social House at the shopping mecca this summer. Balenciaga debuted at Crystals with a full line of women’s and men’s ready-to-wear clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories. Balenciaga showcases its extensive collection in a 4,100-square-foot space located on Crystals’ second level near the Las Vegas Boulevard entrance. Prada’s new three-level flagship store will offer men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections along with shoes, handbags and accessories in the 21,000-square-foot store. Gucci plans to offer men’s and women’s apparel as well as leather goods, shoes, watches, jewelry, sunglasses, textiles and accessories in the 15,000-square-foot flagship boutique.
Yves Saint Laurent plans to carry women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and accessories collections in the 4,000-square-foot boutique. British designer Stella McCartney opens her first Las Vegas boutique, where she will carry Stella McCartney readyto-wear, shoe, bag, sunglass, fragrance, lingerie and Adidas collections. Donna Karan marks her 25th anniversary with her first Vegas location, a 3,000-square-foot boutique consisting of Donna Karan head-to-toe, 7-Easy-Pieces lifestyle of ready-to wear, cashmere, evening, accessories, shoes, intimates, hosiery and fragrances. Emilio Pucci brings iconic prints to women’s apparel, shoes, sunglasses and accessories within 1,800 square feet of shopping space. Harry Winston brings Hollywood’s glamour and scintillating style to its 1,800-square-foot store. The retailers of Crystals are open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight. For more information, visit www.crystalsatcitycenter. com or call 1.866.754.2489.
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NIGHTLIFE
Paves a Path to Nightlife
There are a lot of “stories” in the Neon Jungle, as Las Vegas is often called. But TAO’s four-level presence at the Venetian is truly multi-faceted, bringing to life, an “Asian City” that shines with a restaurant, lounge and nightclub, and banquet facilities in 44,000 square feet. Since its celebrity-filled opening in September 2005, TAO has become one of Las Vegas’ hottest spots, as its sister venue has long been in New York City. Meaning “The Path” or “The Way,” TAO leads guests into an illuminating experience, from the stars that come out to play to the nightclub with hundreds of hand-carved monks and candles and the plates filled with luminous culinary delights from China, Japan and Thailand in the 400-seat restaurant. Lush velvets and silks, waterfalls and century-old woods and stones transport
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guests to the Pacific Rim where an extensive collection of Buddha statues watches over every corner of the $20-million, designdriven venue. Included in the collection is TAO’s signature 20-foot Buddha that “floats” peacefully over an infinity pool containing Japanese koi. There is also a unique reclining Buddha while, upstairs, the nightclub is highlighted by a moat bar adorned with red chandeliers and a Monk Bar decorated with a wall of almost 300 hand-carved monks and candles. Executive Chef Mark Andelbradt is responsible for TAO’s Pacific Rim menu items. Signature dishes include offerings from sea, sky and land, including Chilean Sea Bass Satay with Wok Roasted Asparagus, a preparation of Peking Duck that consistently receives accolades, and Kobe Beef Shabu Shahn, along with a full sushi bar. TAO also offers an extensive menu of delicious specialty cocktails including the Tao-tini, Tao Love Potion #9, the Fiji Apple Martini and the Tiger Lily, as well as sake
flights, specifically designed to complement Tao’s menu or to be enjoyed on their own. Managing partners of the Tao Nightclub, Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg of New York City’s Marquee fame, ensure that nightlife and celebrity-filled events reign supreme at TAO. Downstairs, a chic lounge serves as a gathering spot for cocktails and conversation, with DJs spinning eclectic beats nightly. For those craving a high energy, DJ-driven atmosphere, the 10,000-square-foot TAO Nightclub is the place to see and be seen, with three full-service bars, two main rooms playing a variety of hip hop, house and rock ‘n’ roll music, and state-of-the-art audio and lighting systems. The ultra-VIP treatment is also available at the nightclub, which offers eight private skyboxes, each featuring European bottle service, a mini-bar, an espresso machine and banquettes with secured purse drawers. The nightclub also boasts a 40-foot outside terrace with awe-inspiring views of the famed Las Vegas Strip. VID
ATTRACTIONS
MGM Grand’s Mane Event
Just in case life has been too tame for you lately, you can get your lion’s share of excitement at the MGM Grand where the Lion Habitat offers a rip-roaring good time—right in the middle of the casino. Located next to Studio 54, the Lion Habitat showcases up to six African lions daily for public education and appreciation. The venue is a true surround-soundand-sight experience. There are lions up, down and all around as they romp throughout the three-story glass-enclosed structure with a see-through walkway tunnel. Encased with skylights, the habitat has walls reaching heights of 35 feet to allow guests the opportunity to watch these animals’ every move. The glass is bulletproof safety glass, 1.5” thick, and can take the weight of an adult lion running at 25 mph. The lions are owned by Keith Evans, a trainer of exotic felines for more than 35 years. All have been raised from birth by him and his wife, Beverly. Comfortable in front of a camera, the cats are very much at home with the public. There are two or three trainers inside the habitat at all times, and, in general, there is one trainer per animal. There are between one and five lions in the habitat at any given time; no group is in there for more than six hours. The females are not spayed, so they are kept apart from the males. There is usually only one male in the habitat at a time because they fight—the exception being when they are brothers. It’s a wild experience. VID
Valley of Fire is a Natural Site with No Match
If you’re looking for an experience that is truly out of this world, you only have to travel about 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas via I-15 to see the first signs. Follow them and you might think that you have landed on Mars in your car when you first gaze upon the jagged limestone mounds of fiery scarlet, vermilion and mauve that rise out of the Mojave Desert to comprise the Valley of Fire State Park. Dedicated in 1935 as Nevada’s first state park, the 56,000-acre Valley of Fire takes its name from its distinctive coloration. The red sandstone formations that make up this surreal scene were formed by great sand dunes during the Jurassic period. Complex uplifting and faulting in the region, followed by 100 million years of erosion, have carved this 6-mile-long and 4-mile-wide, crimson-hued valley in the desert. In the process, water and wind have shaped the land into arches, domes, spirals and serrated ridges. Many of the area’s rock formations have been weathered into unusual shapes resembling elephants, beehives, ducks, cobras and even people, pianos and more. Valley of Fire is famous for its petroglyphs, ancient rock art left behind by the prehistoric Basketmaker people and Anasazi farmers—believed to be North America’s earliest inhabitants—who lived along the Muddy River between 300 BC and AD 1150. At Petroglyph Canyon and Atlatl Rock, visitors can see the rock art up close. Another point of interest is Mouse’s Tank, named for a local Native American who hid from the law there at the turn of the century. The large rock catchment, or tank, at the trail’s end, catches and preserves rainwater, providing an oasis for wildlife. VID
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BORDERLINE
Bathe in the Wonders of Tecopa Hot Springs A delight just /outside of Las Vegas By Barry Berlin When Tecopa Hot Springs is mentioned to local Las Vegans, there is one of two reactions: a blank stare and a “huh?” or “I love that place! What a great weekend getaway.” It all began when Spanish explorers discovered Native Americans— Paiute and Shoshone tribes—utilizing the hot springs. After World War II, Harry Rosenberg, a site foreman for T&T Railroad, developed the property where Tecopa Hot Springs Resort now sits. He used railroad ties to erect the original building. Following Rosenberg’s death in a flash flood in 1969, two couples bought the resort, expanded the RV space, bathhouse and more. After the death of one of the owners, the place lay dormant until Amy Noel, a former art student with an interest in geology, took it over July 2001. Today, there is a “new face” on this intimate historic resort with 12 remodeled rooms,four rustic cabins, three private baths in the main building, two more on the hill, full RV hookups, an exhibit by local artists and more. Aside from the silky baths (high magnesium content pulls toxins out of muscles), there is a gourmet restaurant on the premises. Pastels Bistro can compete with any fine dining establishment in Las Vegas. The chef,
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John Muccio, not only graduated first in his class from the Culinary School in Manhattan but was head chef at Ferraro’s as well as at Mama Jo’s and the now defunct Romeo’s. Pastels’ menu highlights seasonal food with dishes changing each week. All this while eating outside on the bistro’s patio and marveling at the sky that rivals a planetarium! In fact, the resort usually has a stargazing event once a month, normally on a weekend close to the new moon. There is an 11-inch Celestron telescope with a computer that allows you to see into deep space and images can be projected onto a monitor or screen. The sky’s the limit when it comes to relaxing fun. Call 760-852-4420 or visit the Web site at www.tecopahotsprings.org.
DIRECTIONS: Take Route 160 (Blue Diamond Road) west and after you come down the mountain, go a few miles and look for a sign on your left that says Tecopa. Take this road about 34 miles until you come to a “Y” in the road at the town of Tecopa. Take the road to the right (sign says Tecopa Hot Springs Resort) and you will see the resort on your right. There is one stretch of hair pin turns on the way, so slow down when approaching. VID