For some buying an island will only ever be a far off dream, but for others that dream can become a reality. Buying an island with limited access and less development in a lesser known area can make your island owning dreams a reality. For those with a bigger budget there are fully developed islands with runways and all the modern amenities in dream locations. For those who are still unable to afford purchasing an island, there is always renting.
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It’s no secret that a large part of what we love about Las Vegas is its history. Las Vegas, however, is a town that respects its history by tearing it down and replacing it. Few casinos from The Strip’s early days are still around and those that are barely resemble their former selves. It’s always fun to look at the archives of old Strip pictures to see how things used to look, but pictures can’t put the whole Strip in perspective. Luckily we have YouTube. YouTube has tons of home videos of the Las Vegas Strip throughout its history. Here are three of our favorites:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/BTcdHjvSBvk]
If you believe the title, this video is from 1959. That’s right, 1959! There is tons of great footage here.The Hacienda Horse and Rider (which now sits on Fremont Street) appears gigantic with nothing in the background. The Silver Slipper is shown rotating in all its glory and there’s even a quick glimpse of the Royal Nevada, which would end up being annexed by Stardust. Our favorite part is the vintage Texaco gas station, which is a reminder that The Strip was once a highway. It really speaks to The Strip’s growth.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/nNssYVjjhAM]
No Vegas post would be complete without some neon beautifully lit at night. This video starts out with some great nighttime shots driving down Fremont Street. As the video rolls on and starts moving down The Strip, it becomes striking how much different the signage is these days. Neon is a dying art in Las Vegas, and these neon signs really were quite beautiful. Sure LEDs are more efficient and electronic signscan show so much more, but there’s definitely something to be said for the beautiful display of lighting created by a well-designed neon sign.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/NbOCNbAd6Gc]
The last YouTube video is from 1992. It is so amazing how much has changed in almost 20 years. The north Strip looks so vibrant with the Stardust, Frontier, and Westward Ho. Even Slots-A-Fun had itsoriginal signage that has since been replaced with a Circus Circus sign. We love Harrah’s with the showboat theme, it’s tough to believe it was seen as an improvement to make it so generic. The video fasts forward to 1995 about halfway through and it’s pretty cool to see the MGM Grand Lion entrance again. The video ends at the Las Vegas sign. That might be the most incredible shot that demonstrates how much the city has expanded in just 20 short years.
[Photo: PhotosLasVegas.com]
By Scott Carmichael via gadling.com
[youtube=http://youtu.be/lNEyvJgfKfM]
In 1969, Hugh Hefner was the king of the world. His magazine empire was at its peak, and he was about to expand Playboy to 37 different countries. At the time, one quarter of all American college age men were buying his magazine – every single month.
So – what is a successful and flamboyant magazine publisher to do? Well, in the case of Mr. Hefner, he purchased himself a jet – a big jet.
On January 27, 1969, the McDonnell Douglas company finished production on a DC-9-32, and one month later, Hugh Hefner took delivery of N950PB, nicknamed “the Big Bunny”.
This was no normal jet – despite the wild 60’s, not many business owners had the creativity – or the money to invest in their own flying home away from home.
Shower, private entry and a movie theater
Even by today’s private jet standards, N950PB was a very luxurious jetliner. A rear folding private entrance took Hefner directly to his private quarters with an elliptical bed. After a long flight, he could take a shower or get some work done in his conference room.
Passengers were also treated well!
Fellow passengers could relax in the bar or enjoy a movie on the big screen. Once everyone was in the mood, they could even dance in the “discotheque” complete with lights and an 8-Track deck.
Indeed – the DC-9-32 really was a bit of Playboy in the skies. The only thing missing was a swimming pool and bowling alley.
Hugh Hefner never made a secret about his love of beautiful women- and admitted that his many, many mile high club endeavors were just like they are on the ground – albeit with “better memories”.
N950PB’s flight crew members were obviously selected for their looks – but these were real professionals. The Jet Bunnies were all trained at Continental Airlines in LA where they’d learn inflight safety and food preparation.
From party plane to retirement
Originally, his plane was based at Purdue and was maintained by the aviation department of the University. Sadly, things started to go downhill for the magazine in the mid 70’s, so the party plane was sold to Venezuela Airlines and reborn as “YV-19C“. She then spent several years in storage.
In 1989, Aeromexico renamed her “Ciduad Juarez“, repainted her and used her for domestic Mexican routes. The era of The Big Bunny came to an end in 2004 when she was finally retired for good.
[Photos from: Playboy.com]
How To Travel Through Europe And Not Break The Bank
With the weather beginning to warm up, now is as good of a time as any to treat yourself to a holiday away from home. The European countryside is filled with enough art, history, and architecture to last several lifetimes, so you’ll want to get to soaking it all in while you can. Of course, there’s a bit of a catch – the prospect of paying for travelling expenses can be quite intimidating, especially if you’re at a loss for where to start. So how do you reconcile your desire to see the sights with the reality of your bank account? That’s where we can help.
Filed under travel
Four Ways to Beat Pre-Trip PanicBy Sarah Schlichter via Independent Traveler
Countdown to departure: three days. Before I board a flight to Vancouver on Thursday, I have to finish packing, call my credit card company, do laundry, print boarding passes, clean out the fridge, confirm my reservations … so many details, so little time!
Am I curled up, knees to chest, in a stress-induced stupor? Not exactly. I’ve adopted a few strategies for handling the pre-trip panic phase:
1. Make a list — or several.
This weekend, I jotted down a clothing inventory for each day of my trip, a more general packing list (medications, umbrella, etc.) and a list of everything I had to do before I left. Having everything laid out in writing helped me get organized … and gave me the satisfaction of whittling down my mountain of tasks one by one. (Our handy interactive packing list can help with this step.)
2. Start early.
Dumping drawers on the floor in search of your passport hours before your departure is, to put it mildly, poor planning. I headed off last-minute panic attacks by starting the packing process several days before my flight. As it happened, I discovered that my passport was indeed where I left it — score! — but that I was missing a few other odds and ends. Luckily, I still have a couple of days to run to the store. Crisis averted.
3. Have a plan.
As Ed Hewitt points out in 10 Things to Do Before You Travel, the first day of a trip is often the most nerve-wracking as you figure out how to get around an unfamiliar new place. He suggests making a plan before you leave: “Sketch out a walk near your digs, which can help you get oriented as well as shake off travel fatigue and jet lag. Also, check out any nearby amenities — like a rooftop lounge nearby, a balcony with a choice view or a heated pool for maximum chill-out at the end of a harried travel day.”
As for me, I looked up public transportation options from the airport to where I’m staying, so I know exactly where to go once my plane touches down. And I’ve scribbed down a few yummy-sounding neighborhood restaurants for that first night’s dinner.
4. Let go.
Once you’ve taken care of all the important stuff (the passport is packed now, right? RIGHT?), try not to waste too much energy on the rest. Slow down, take a deep breath and focus your fevered brain on how much fun you’ll have on your trip, rather than all the tiny little details you might have forgotten.
If you’re looking for me on Thursday, I’ll be in one of those airport massage chairs — having my last few twinges of travel tension gently rubbed away.
(FYI it says i am a light weight packer. hmmm – not too sure that’s the whole truth!)
By Dave Dean via journeywoman.com
Born and raised in the South Island of New Zealand, Dave Dean started travelling over a decade ago and hasn’t quite figured how to stop yet. His degree in Political Science and History was obviously the perfect preparation for a career in IT, which has given him the freedom to work around the world and enough internet access to book his next plane ticket. Dave isn’t quite sure what he wants to do when he grows up but suspects it may involve sun, beer and a large body of water.
We asked Dave to offer some tips for a traveller’s first extended backpacking adventure. At the end of his article we also linked backpacking tips from a woman’s point of view. We all can learn from both the male and female ways of looking at this topic.
Here’s what Dave suggests…
About to head off and see the world but feeling a bit daunted by the whole thing? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. The great thing is that it really doesn’t have to be that hard – a little knowledge goes a long way. Here’s a few useful tips that I wish I’d known before I went travelling for the first time. Want more of Dave’s tips. Go to http://www.whatsdavedoing.com/
1. If you’re not sure if you need it, you don’t.
2. If you’re pretty sure you need it, you don’t.
3. If you’re absolutely certain you need it, you probably still don’t.
4. Take more money.
5. Take more pairs of underwear.
6. Take fewer pairs of shoes.
7. If it can’t be worn for three days then washed and dried in a hostel laundry room, don’t bring it.
8. Your airline’s baggage allowance is a limit, not a challenge.
9. Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel. Pack small sizes.
10. If you can’t carry your luggage up a flight of stairs easily by yourself, it’s too heavy. See hints 1, 2 & 3.
11. Make sure your passport has enough pages and validity (> 6 months) to last your entire trip.
12. A little planning is good. For example, accommodation in Europe can be hard to find in peak season.
13. A lot of planning is not. The best experiences are often spontaneous – detailed itineraries don’t allow for that.
14. Aspirin, Band-Aids and Imodium. The traveller’s trifecta.
15. Contraceptives are not the stupidest idea in the world either.
16. Take another memory card for your camera. You’ll need it.
17. Arrive early. Airports suck, but missing your flight sucks a lot more.
18. Jokes about security are hilarious. Spending time in jail is less so.
19. The only thing worse than the taste of airport food is the price. Eat beforehand.
20. Getting drunk on the plane is not fun. Being hungover on the plane is horrific. Your call.
21. Earplugs are your friend.
22. So is an eye mask, even if it makes you look like a dork.
23. Learning to eat using plastic utensils, with your elbows tucked in and your knees bumping the table is an essential flying skill. Start practicing now by sitting in a cardboard box during your next meal.
24. Take something that can entertain you for several hours. A novel. Playing cards. An ipod. A ball of twine. Whatever. Just take something.
25. Set your watch to your destination timezone as soon as you get on the plane, and use that time when deciding when to sleep. It’ll help with the jetlag. Maybe.
26. Get up and go for a walk now and again when you’re in the air. It’s good for the circulation and helps relieve the crushing boredom of a long haul flight, even if only slightly.
27. After 20 hours in planes and airports, toothpaste will change your life.
28. When it comes to conversations with border officials, less is more. Answer questions truthfully but don’t volunteer too much.
29. Distinctive luggage is a good thing. Surprising as it might seem, yours will not be the only black bag on the conveyer belt.
30. Having a change of underwear in your carry-on will be the smartest move you’ve ever made when the airline loses your bags.
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