Courtesy of: Hyatt Regency Waikiki

Anyone who has visited Oahu knows that a stroll down seafront Kalakaua Avenue, Waikiki’s main drive, can find a wide array of shopping.

There are more than 500 boutiques along Kalakaua Avenue. The allure can cause Hawaiian visitors to indulge in a strenuous regimen of retail therapy. The result is often a tired body with sore and achy muscles.

Na Ho’ola Spa, at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa in Honolulu, has recently introduced a new, totally unique spa treatment called, The Shopaholics Treatment to help you relax and rejuvenate.

The Shopaholics Treatment is he ultimate “retail therapy” and was specifically created for the shopper extraordinaire.

Courtesy of: Hyatt Regency Waikiki

This vigorous massage concentrates solely on those muscles that are used the most while shopping. They include feet, lower back, shoulders, neck and head.

The Shopaholics Treatment features moist heating blankets rather than wet towels. This provides consistent deep penetration of those targeted areas.

The treatment also integrates various stretching techniques to help alleviate your muscles used to carrying those heavy shopping bags.

The Shopaholics Treatment is attractively priced at only $140.

Na Ho’ola Spa
2424 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815-3289
(808) 923 1234

Courtesy: BW Dining

The Country Club at the Wynn Hotel and Resort, is also known as both the “Country Club Grill” and “A New American Steakhouse.”

This restaurant offers an innovative and uncluttered menu of American cuisine – the traditional dishes from various parts of the country. Chef Rene Lenger pays homage to the classic American steakhouse.

The Country Club Grill offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The scenery is gorgeous and includes the golf course fairways and amazing 18th hole waterfall. About half the seating is on a terrace, and the other half is inside, with air conditioning.

Mainly a steakhouse, the Country Club Grill: A New American Steakhouse has a contemporary accent. Poultry and seafood specialties are also available and very delicious.

As with most upscale steakhouses, the beefy size steaks at The Country Club come with steak and steak alone. The restaurant proudly offers “the best steak in town.”

The wine list is quite long, and is carefully matched to the menu. The impressive wine list features only wines produced in the United States.

The Country Club
The Wynn Hotel and Resort
(702) 248-3463
(888) 352-3463

Bellagio Hotel and Casino Resort

Bellagio is one of the most dramatic and awe-inspiring resorts in all of Las Vegas.

Located on the heart of the famous Las Vegas Strip, the Bellagio luxury hotel includes 3,933 Guest Rooms and Suites. The Bellagio is a AAA Five Diamond award winning hotel and casino resort that first opened on October 15, 1998.

The magnificent Bellagio features an incredible eight-acre lake that is located between the hotel and The Strip. The design of the Bellagio was inspired by the Lake Como resort in Bellagio in Italy.

The Bellagio was built by Las Vegas casino magnate Steve Wynn and sold later on to MGM Mirage. The land the Bellagio was built on was originally the home of the Dunes hotel, on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Flamingo Dr.

When you first walk into the Bellagio, guests will immediately notice the beautiful display of 2000 colorful, glass hand-blown flowers that cover the vaulted ceiling of the lobby. The sight is definitely one to behold.

If there is one must-see show in Las Vegas, it would be “O”, by Cirque Du Solei. The entertaining show performs twice a night (7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.) from Wednesday through Sunday.

“O” translates to “water” in Italian. The Bellagio show centers around an incredible 1.5 million gallon water tank and includes an international cast of about 85 world-class acrobats, synchronized swimmers, divers and characters. They gracefully perform both in the water and above it.

Anybody who walks along the Las Vegas Strip can’t resist stopping to watch the famous Fountains of Bellagio water show. The Fountains of Bellagio is a display of water fountains and cannons choreographed to various pieces of modern and traditional music.

Back inside, the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art features art from several of the most prominent artists of all time (e.g. Van Gogh, Picasso, and Monet). The masterful exhibit is a must for art lovers.

Two other popular amenities are the Conservatory and Botanical Garden. The Conservatory is an enormous, climate-controlled glass dome that showcases various exhibits throughout the year. The garden is a sanctuary to more than 7,500 flowers, and maintained by an army of talented horticulturists. The garden is an amazing and colorful display of flowers, bridges, water fountains, ponds, and gazebos.

The Bellagio also offers gamblers a world-class casino to try your Lady Luck. The casino includes a wide variety of games and betting limits.

Other amenities to enjoy include: luxury shopping at Via Bellagio and Via Fiore, more than 20 fine dining restaurants such as Jasmine, Circo, Le Cirque, Michael Mina, Picasso and the Prime Steakhouse.

Guests can also treat themselves to a world class spa, a spectacular pool, and popular nightclubs like The Bank, Caramel and Fontana Bar.

For more information, please visit: Bellagio

Yum Cha Asian Fusion Eatery, winner of Honolulu Magazine’s coveted Hale ‘Aina Silver Award for Best New Restaurant. Here …. East meets West.

Yum Cha translates into “drink tea” — a healthy and habitual aspect of Chinese cuisine.

Yum Cha offers a captivating mix of food and drink. Delight in a blossoming tea or sip a ginger infused martini.

Located at the Poipu Bay Golf Clubhouse, next to the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa on the island of Kauai.

The head sous chef, Romel Begonia, brings a pioneering and approachable spirit to the current trend in Asian fusion cuisine.

Popular “small plates” include Dim Sum, Vietnamese-style lettuce wraps, Kalua pork spring rolls. “Large plates” feature moo-shu pork, wok fried lobster and prawns, steamed Hawaiian snapper and more.

Try an eclectic dessert such as Jasmine TeaRamisu – a twist on Tiramisu.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30-9:30pm.

Yum Cha Asian Fusion Eatery
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
1571 Poipu Road,
Koloa, Hawaii, USA 96756
Tel: (808) 742 1234

Holy Shroud

Torino in Italy, is known around the world for its art and culture. Many know this city as Turin, but locally known as Torino, the city of extraordinary historic and artistic wealth, including fabulous museums and Baroque buildings.

Torino, Italy will be exhibiting The Holy Shroud for the first time in ten years. The Holy Shroud is said to be the linen cloth that Jesus Christ’s body was wrapped after the Crucifixion.

This Spring, all of Italy is preparing for this exciting event. The public exhibition of the Holy Shroud, will be held in Torino’s St. John the Baptist Cathedral, located in Piazza San Giovanni (San Giovanni Square).

The 2010 Holy Shroud Exhibition will be an event of worldwide importance. Historians and religious figures are looking forward to this once in a lifetime event.

The importance from a religious point of view cannot be overstated enough. Even Pope Benedict XVI has plans to visit the Shroud exhibition on May 2nd.

The Holy Shroud is one of the world’s most sacred of religious artifacts. The Shroud is well preserved and kept away from public view.

But occasionally, the Holy Shroud is put on display for public viewing. The last time this occurred was ten years ago.

According to historians, the linen cloth that’s kept in the Cathedral of Torino, is the same Shroud that is mentioned in the Bible’s New Testament. The cloth was used to wrap the body of Jesus Christ in the sepulcher, after his Crucifixion.

In 1578, the Shroud first arrived in Torino based on the request of the Savoy family. It’s been preserved inside the Cathedral of Torino since 1589, and studied for years in order to better understand its origin and authenticity.

The 2010 Holy Shroud Exhibition will be held from April 10th to May 23rd, 2010. Church viewing hours are from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm, daily.

For more information go to: Holy Shroud (Official Site)

Glasgow Cathedral

Scotland is such an incredible and popular place to visit. One of the most exciting cities anywhere to visit is Glasgow.

Glasgow has such a wide array of attractions for visitors to enjoy. Although there are numerous modern attractions to see, most visitors come to Glascow to take in the sights of the city’s spectacular architecture. View the many works of designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the famous Art Nouveau architect.

Glasgow born (in 1868) Mackintosh worked as an apprentice to the architect John Hutchinson from the age of 16. In 1890 he took a tour of Italy, financed by the prize money he gained from winning the Alexander Thomson Travelling Studentship. In 1893 Glasgow returned from Italy and began work on the Glasgow Herald Building which was his first large scale project.

While visiting Glasgow, visit many of the places that showcase the work of Mackintosh including the House for an Art Lover and the stunning Glasgow School of Art.

A short distance away, in Helensburgh, is Hill House which is also well worth visiting as it is considered one of his finest works. Two additional buildings associated with Mackintosh are the Lighthouse and Queens Cross Church.

The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse is Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, and opened as part of Glasgows status as UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999. The renamed building, originally housed the offices of the Glasgow Herald newspaper, and was remodeled by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1893-95. This was Mackintoshs first design, for a major public building. One of the most stunning features of The Lighthouse is the view over Glasgow City from the Mackintosh Tower, which is accessible via a helical staircase from the third floor. There is also another modern viewing platform, which forms the buildings sixth floor, and is only accessible via a lift.

Queens Cross Church

Glasgow’s Queens Cross Church, though no longer an active church, is famous for being the only church ever designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh that was completed. Many people know it as the Mackintosh church and it first came into use in 1899 and was decommissioned in the 1970s. It is now open to the public and home to the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society.

Another must see building in Glasgow is quite possibly the most important the Glasgow Cathedral, the only medieval cathedral to survive complete during the destruction of the Scottish Reformation. One of the more recent elements are the stained glass windows which are the finest example of 20th century stained glass in Scotland.

You take a vacation to a tropical paradise like Hawaii but so many people spend all their time researching where to stay and finding the best resorts.

If you are planning to visit the beautiful Hawaiian island of Maui, and need to learn about the best restaurants Maui has to offer, then this new book is for you.

The 2010 Top Maui Restaurants book is the latest version, written by Molly and James Jacobson.

Anybody who has traveled knows how difficult it is to find a nice restaurant. We all have our own budgets and preferences. The 2010 Top Maui Restaurants restaurant guide has them all covered.

Don’t be fooled by other inferior tour books that write short reviews. They’re too generic and often way off the mark.

The 2010 Top Maui Restaurants restaurant guide is a must have for any visitor to Maui.

Whether you prefer romantic waterfront dining, a quiet lunch over looking a tropical garden, or a memorable sunset dinner, you’ll find it all in this “must-have” Maui restaurant guide.

The book is in paperback form and covers 248 pages. Married couple James and Molly Jacobson are respected food journalists and dine out approximately eleven time a week.

The Jacobson’s primary goal is to present a fair and well balanced review of Maui’s restaurants.

Previous versions of this highly acclaimed book have been read by tens of thousands of satisfied readers.

In the new 2010 edition, you will discover:
* The best romantic restaurants that worth your money.
* Discover the hot spots where the locals eat.
* Inexpensive restaurants offering the best value.
* A handy reference to help you find the dining nationality you desire.

There are detailed reviews for almost 200 Maui restaurants, which represents about half of all restaurants on Maui.

Each restaurant review contains a table with the restaurant’s address, location, types of meals served, hours, parking, phone number, and website.

The authors use a graphical “Star” rating system (from 1 to 5 stars) that makes it very simple to quickly identify how a particular restaurants ranks. There are five major categories (Food, Ambiance, Service, Love and value) along with an Overall Star rating.

Another nice feature is an iconic representation of the restaurant’s Cost, Amenities and type of payment accepted.

I like the variety of restaurants reviewed, in addition to the balance of the writers’ opinions. Another important fact is each restaurant in the guide, has been personally reviewed at least twice, and most either three or more times.

In summary, the 2010 Top Maui Restaurants book offers readers excellent overviews and detailed reviews of the various cuisines of the Hawaiian island of Maui.

So don’t take a chance with a bad meal at some over-hyped restaurant. Trust the personal expertise of Molly and James Jacobson. It could very well be the best money you ever spend.

Purchase your copy now:

Consumers are still reaping the benefits of a price war among the many luxury hotels in Las Vegas.

Visitors can often find deep discounts and package deals on four- and five-star properties.

Las Vegas built many mega-resorts over the last decade and now has a glut of empty rooms. For example in 2008, Sin City added about 9,000 to its already large base of 133,000 rooms.

Say you wanted to live the “life of luxury” in Las Vegas and indulge in a huge luxury suite? How about a nice 900 square feet room, where you can watch a flat-screen TV and talk on the phone while you were in a custom Jacuzzi? Although a high-end room like that may go for $900 per night, that doesn’t mean that’s what you need to pay for it.

How do you get a great discount on a luxury Vegas room? Well just ask ……

Tourism is down all around the world and even ritzy Las Vegas is not immune to the economic recession. Because of that, luxury Vegas hotels & resorts such as the Wynn, Four Seasons, Caesars, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio and more, are heavily discounting rooms to attract visitors to their properties.

Here are a few tips to get the best luxury Vegas hotels, for less.

1) Phone call:
Call the resort directly. Ask them what their best rate is and you may get lucky if they just had a cancellation or are running a special promo. If you have already found a great deal, ask them if the will beat it.

2) Internet:
Go to the resort’s own website where often great deals can be found. Also try one of the many travel sites such as Priceline, Orbitz, Hotels.com, Expedia, etc……

3) Front Desk Walk-Up:
Many people hate this method because they want their reservation in hand before flying to their destination. But you can get great deals by walking up to a resort reservation desk with luggage in hand and see what kind of a great deal you can get.

Not only are the luxury Vegas hotels dying to get your business, so are the numerous, fabulous restaurants and incredible stage shows.

The strategy remains the same. Try to call directly looking for deals, search the Internet and also go directly to the desk and tell them you are looking for the best deal they have.

In addition, be sure to check with the hotel’s concierge desk. Even if they can’t always get you a direct deal, many times they are in the know and can refer you to somebody else. A nice little tip for show tickets and restaurant discounts is Tix4Tonight.

We all know the recession can’t last forever. Before you know it, Las Vegas resorts will once again be packed with tourists and at full occupancy. But until then, enjoy the bargains galore and treat yourself to a little Sin City luxury, for much less.

You’re standing in a crowded line, waiting for up to two hours for the incredible buffet at the Bellagio. It seems every time you glance over, there’s another “VIP” guest walking on in ahead of you. Now learn how to get top perks during your Las Vegas stay.

You can get mad or do something about it. Start cashing in on one of Las Vegas’ best kept secret – the perks.

You hear the stories about preferential treatment at the Las Vegas casinos, and free meals at the many fine dining restaurants. But where do you start to begin receiving your Sin City comps?

The key is to join a specific casino’s players club. Every casino in Las Vegas has a different players club program. Be sure to stop at the casino’s information desk and ask them what they have to offer you.

You’ll be surprised at what you hear and how the top perks very from casino to casino.

Once you have found a particular casino that you enjoy, it’s best to keep playing to maximize your top perks.

Now the key is once you obtain your casino players card, you need use it every time you gamble. Whether it’s at a slot machine, poker table or even Keno.

The casino will track and monitor how much you use your player’s card and how much you spend in their casino. You will be give a “rating” depending on what your spend.

It’s not rocket science here. The more money you spend with a particular casino, the better the comps you receive.

It doesn’t take along accumulate some nice casino comps – free restaurant meals, stage show tickets, spa treatments, and even hotel suites.

So be sure to get your players card and start gambling your way to some nice comps.

The Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge is an amazing architectural and engineering feat. The massive 2,000-foot bridge is part of a much larger project – the 3.5-mile corridor that starts in Clark County, Nevada, and ends in Mohave County, Arizona.

The bridge is inching along and moving ever so close to completion. The Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge rises about 900 feet above the mighty Colorado River. The two sides of bridge at the Hoover Dam are slowly take shape.

When completed, the bridge will carry a new section of US Route 93 around the frustrating bottleneck of the old road. The traffic jammed road currently winds around and across awesome Hoover Dam.

Link Nevada and Arizona together, the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge is truly an incredible feat of engineering. The bridge will be supported by the two massive concrete arches which climb out of the canyon rock face.

When complete, the arches will measure greater than 1,000 feet across.

At the moment, the structure looks like a traditional suspension bridge. Once the arches are complete, the suspending cables on each side will be removed. Extra vertical columns will be installed on the arches to carry the bridge road.

Although the bridge is generally called the Hoover Dam bypass, the official name is the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. The bridge is named after the former governor of Nevada and an American Football player from the NFL Arizona team who served in the U.S. Army, but was sadly killed in Afghanistan.

Step back into the time when dining was an elegant affair at William B’s, a chophouse appointed in dark, rich colors in the Stardust Hotel.

No other fine dining room in Las Vegas offers such an inviting assortment of steaks, chops, chicken, seafood and pasta as William B’s at the Stardust.

Comfortable furnishings, tasteful decor and matchless service provide a completely satisfying dining experience in this highly acclaimed restaurant, a favorite gathering spot for local residents and visitors since 1987.

Entering William B’s is like stepping into a bygone era, a treasured time that valued gentility, congeniality and sociability, a time when good meals were leisurely savored in the friendly confines of cozy, richly appointed dining rooms.

Guests who enjoy a beverage before dinner can relax in a gracefully appointed sitting room, complete with plush sofas and chairs and decorated with glorious floral arrangements and unique paintings.

Nearby is a fully stocked bar and lounge, the kind of dignified hideaway usually found in the smartest private clubs.