Off The Strip, Las Vegas

Henry Moore – “Reclining Connected Forms” 1969-1974, Roman travertine marble, 10 x 17 x 7 feet

The Park between ARIA Resort & Casino and Crystals retail and entertainment district

3730 LAS VEGAS BLVD • LAS VEGAS • NEVADA 89158

Guests happen upon “Reclining Connected Forms,” 1969-1974, a sculpture by English artist Henry Moore, one of the most celebrated sculptors of his time. Inspired by the fundamentals of the human experience – the primary theme of his life’s work – the sculpture measures approximately 10 feet tall and 17 feet long by 7 feet deep, represents a baby wrapped in its mother’s embrace. The graceful outer shell of the sculpture depicts the changing shape of a pregnant figure as it protects the new life growing within. Moore’s work was traditionally inspired by the human body, organic shapes found in nature and the sculpture of ancient and exotic cultures such as Egypt, Sumeria, Africa and pre-Columbian Mexico. Surrealism, the modern European art and literary movement with a tendency toward abstract forms, also was a major influence. Moore was given his first major retrospective abroad in 1946 by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He won the International Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennale in 1948.

Maya Lin – “Silver River” 2009, Cast reclaimed silver, 84 feet long, approximately 3,700 lbs

Suspended over ARIA’s registration desk

3730 LAS VEGAS BLVD LAS VEGAS NEVADA 89158

Considered one of the most important artists of the 21st century, Maya Lin’s remarkable body of work maintains a careful balance between art and architecture, including large-scale, site-specific installations, intimate studio artworks and architectural works and memorials. Perched high above ARIA’s reception desk against a panoramic window is Lin’s first work of art in Las Vegas: “Silver River,” inspired by the boundaries and topography of the Colorado River as it carves the desert landscape of the United States. In the spirit of CityCenter’s commitment to sustainability and in light of Nevada’s standing as “The Silver State,” Lin used reclaimed silver to develop her creation. Lin’s work reflects a strong interest in the environment; she has made many works of art inspired by waterways and natural forms sculpted by the presence of water, including other river works. She also created a pin river, which hangs in the U.S. Embassy in China. Lin has served as an advisor on sustainable energy use and as a board member of the National Resources Defense Council. Lin, whose highly acclaimed body of work includes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., also has become a celebrated architect. Her life and work were detailed in the Academy Award-winning documentary, Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision. Lin is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2005.

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Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen – “Typewriter Eraser, Scale X” 1998-1999, Stainless steel, fiberglass and acrylic polyurethane paint, 19 x 11 x 11 feet, 3rd edition with one Artist’s Proof –

City Center Entrance from the strip, nearest 3752 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89158

Adjacent to Mandarin Oriental, features “Typewriter Eraser, Scale X,” 1998-1999, a legendary piece by Oldenburg and van Bruggen. Designed with the pair’s classic approach to creating large-scale outdoor sculptures of popular commercial objects, the four-ton, 19-foot stainless steel and fiberglass sculpture depicts a giant blue and red typewriter eraser with the bristles of the brush turned upward in a graceful, dynamic gesture. This edition is the largest of three sculptures created of the form, beginning in the 1970s. Oldenburg is most widely associated with the beginnings of the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. His capricious and – at times – deconstructed forms of everyday objects transform the notion of how sculpture is viewed and made. Throughout his career, he collaborated with his wife Coosje on more than 40 monumental projects throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. Their most recent work is the 144-foot-long, 64-foot-high “Cupid's Span” for Rincon Park on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

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Nancy Rubins – “Big Edge” 2009, Stainless steel and aluminum water vessels, 51 x 75 x 57 feet

Located at: Vdara’s main drive

Vdara, 2600 W. Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89158

Nancy Rubins created one of the most visually stunning commissions at CityCenter with a large-scale installation: “Big Edge.” Cantilevered over Vdara’s main drive and measuring approximately 57 feet wide and 75 feet long, Rubins’ work of art at CityCenter is a colorful composition of numerous aluminum rowboats, canoes and other small river and ocean vessels finessed into an eye-catching, gravity-defying form the artist calls “a blooming flower.” The boats are connected with thousands of pounds of stainless steel wire cable forming a web-like structure, where compression and tension create what Buckminster Fuller referred to as “tensegrity,” making the whole stronger than the parts. Each boat was precisely placed according to Rubins’ direction based on its color, shape and structural contribution to the whole. Rubins maintains the look, shape and feel of her chosen objects, so each reclaimed craft showcased in the piece is exactly as originally found. The commission is located on the exterior of Vdara Hotel & Spa and is one of Rubins’ few works with a permanent home. Rubins has designed amazing works of art from mattresses, trailers, hot water heaters, airplanes and small appliances since the 1970s. For more than 25 years, Rubins has exhibited extensively around the world in major solo and group exhibitions.

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You can see these at the City Center shopping mall called the Crystals. It was created by WET Design (the company responsible for the Bellagio Fountains and The Volcano at Mirage), these water scultpures are really neat to see in person. The colors change and they are quite beautiful for being so simple.

Hours of operation: Sunday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Friday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - midnight.

Crystals
At CityCenter
3720 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 590-9299
(866) 754-2489

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As we wondered through Outdoor World, we wanted to checkout the Silverton Casino and we came across the beautiful huge aqarium. The whole family enjoys these a lot. The colorful decorated tanks with the beautiful assortment of salt water fish. The aquarium is 117,000-gallons reef aquarium with 4,000 tropical fish, and three species each of stingrays and sharks. They have interactive feeding shows daily at 1:30pm, 4:30pm and 7:30pm.

3333 Blue Diamond Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89139

My hubby and my oldest son wanted to try this, so off we went to another adventure. Well, I was apprehensive once they started to explain some of the rules and dangers. So they showed a video and had me sign waiver forms incase of an injury. So I swallowed my fear some and let them move into getting there skydiving suits on. They fitted them all properly with suits, helmets, gloves and made sure they were not wearing anything that would get them hurt or anyone else.

A training instructor is with you at all times and make sure to thank them verbally or with a tip, because they get a work out keeping you safe.

They're indoor skydiving went wonderful and everyone had fun. I must have taken a ton of pictures. Not an easy thing, but they will always have some wonderful memories.

Vegas Indoor Skydiving
200 Convention Center Dr.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Toll Free: 877.545.8093

Current Hours Of Operation
Mon-Sun
9:45 am - 8:00 pm

Summerlin is a well-to-do, dare I say "normal" town just a few miles west of Las Vegas. Home to the spectacular hotel resorts, Summerlin is an extension of casino-loving Vegas but offers a more tame environment and plenty of golf terrain. If you like to do the slots and card games and shop but don't like huge crowds that Vegas draws, come to Summerlin.

To get to Summerlin, travel west on Sahara Ave from the Strip (about a 20 min drive) or take the 95 North, exit Rampart Blvd.

When you get off the Deuce, you will be on 4th, just in front of Fremont. When you get to the crosswalk at Fremont, instead of crossing to left and starting your walk on Fremont, go right toward the theatres. You will see an overpass that connects a carpark. There is an elevator that will take you up to the third floor where the theatres are. Instead of going to the theatres, go to the other side of the level and you will get to the overpass. From there, you have great views of Fremont street in both directions.

Crown & Anchor is, by far, one of my favorite bars in Las Vegas. It's located just a couple miles away from the strip and the University (Tropicana, east of Maryland Pkwy), which means you can expect a weird mix of students, adventurous tourists, and locals. You can easily miss it because it's not very big and, at times, it seems as though the few parking spots they have are not enough to accommodate the public, but all in all, it's for quite an entertaining experience.

There is both an indoor and outdoor seating area (considered its restaurant), seats around the bar with two dartboards nearby, an upstairs on one side with a pool table and a couple arcade games, and another upstairs area with more seating. If you come for the food, don't expect great service from the servers. They take forever to even realize you're sitting there waiting, and then even longer when you tell them you need a couple minutes to decide. If you want another beer, you better order it while your current one is still full in order to get it when you want it. Basically, if you plan on being there for a couple hours, you won't mind the slow service.

As for just going for the drinking, the establishment carries a variety of beers (They're all listed at its website under Bar Menu), and for a decent price, unlike what you will find at most of the bars on the Strip. My personal favorite is the Hefeweizen Apricot at $4 a glass - I suggest you try it if you're into Hef. The bartenders are all very attentive and nice, so tip well :)

There's also live music there every Saturday, which can be entertaining if you're into that, otherwise go on a Friday night instead for all the bustling of a busy night, minus the additional racket from a local band.

During soccer season, it gets pretty busy in there and both the crowd and staff get into every game, so it's a great way to watch them!

I've been here on many occasions, whether to celebrate a friend's birthday or merely hang out and talk for a while with some friends, and it hits the spot every time!