Posts Tagged ‘entertainment’

Breckenridge Tops the Best Plus More

Breckenridge Ski Resort

I stand by my belief that anyone looking to find the best dining, golfing and a lot of recreational experiences in Summit County will find them in Breckenridge. The claim is without any prejudice, as it is supported by facts, like the choice of the residents of Summit Country, expressed through a survey conducted by Summit Daily News. Breckenridge ranked on top in the following categories:

Top Choice Ski Mountain No Doubt About It. If the ski lifts are open, do not fail to bring your ski gears with you. According to the county residents, the best destination is Breckenridge Ski Resort. Why are they proud to suggest Breck?

To start with, in Breckenridge Ski Resort there is appropriate terrain for all skiers, from the greenhorn to the experts who want to put to the test their hard-earned skills. Offering the best attributes of a ski resort, like a choice of the gentle or difficult runs, being thrilled by the amazing vista at 12,998 ft, the new highest chairlift in North America, the title is definitely well deserved.

As you would expect, the locals are proud of the Best Ski Mountain award and they welcome guests to join in them in celebrating whether over some drinks or a cup of coffee.

Best People Watching Site: Begin and cap your day in Summit County with a visit to Breckenridges Main Street, considered the best spot for relaxing, being in a crowd, or shopping. Whatever your activities are during the day or at night, you can take a good look at the surroundings and you will see that its not just the mountains that look fantastic. What kind of people have flocked to Breckenridge? When you are in Main Street, take the time to watch them.

Finest Hiking Trail: Should you visit the Summit County when skiing is off season, do not fuss because there are many other activities you can enjoy, like the 7 mile Mohawk Trail hike. So, bring enough food and hit all seven miles of the trail that will bring you past the ruins of an old mine, the Continental Falls and the Mohawk Lake. As you turn north, you will see a fantastic view of Breckenridge

Best Park for Everyone: While Breckenridges Carter Park is popular among dog owners, there were many other reasons why Summit County residents considered it their best park. The idyllic Breckenridge Park on High Street is the multi-purpose setting for those enjoying a picnic, playing tennis, volleyball, soccer, or just running around as a form of excise. Carter Park is everyones park.

Best Golf Course: It should not come as a surprise that the 27-hole Breckenridge Golf Course constructed based on Jack Nicklaus design is the best in Summit County. Playing at an elevation of 9,234 feet from sea level is truly a unique experience you wont get at any other golf course. That Breckenridge Golf Course is the best is not just the opinion of the locals. The magazine Colorado Golfer, named it the Toughest Mountain Course.

You should realize that this is just a partial list of the bests that Breckenridge offers its visitors. When you plan to visit Summit County, contact one of the best in offering the ideal accommodations for you – Breckenridge vacation rentals. You cannot go wrong when you go with the best.

Why dont you visit Breckenridge and verify my list? I expect you will find more to make a longer list.

[youtube:Ygt7d3x6bV8;[link: Breckenridge] for the Party Animal;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygt7d3×6bV8&feature=related]

Monique Mertandes is a long-time resident of Breckenridge Colorado and is a constant source of information on the area. She gives practical advice on planning a ski trip, such as how to find the best Breckenridge condos. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Clemson Upsets Miami In Overtime

The Clemson Tigers used a touchdown pass on their first possession of overtime to upset the Miami Hurricanes 40-37 on Saturday night to cap a back and forth game. Miami kicked a field goal on their first possession of overtime to take the lead, but Clemson responded with a seldom used play on third and 11 to get the victory as quarterback Kyle Parker completed a 27 yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Ford.

College football betting devotees who backed Clemson as +4 road underdogs eventually cashed their tickets, but they definitely earned their money in a game that saw twelve lead changes and two ties. Clemson improved to 5-2 against the spread with the cover, while Miami dropped to 4-3 against the money.

After the game, Jacoby Ford explained the logic for the surprise play:

“We knew this game was going to come down to who made more plays. And we did.”

Miami has a history of winning when their offense is clicking-this loss was only the second in 115 games when the Hurricanes score 37 or more points dating back to’85.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was just glad this one is over:

“I have a birthday next month and I think I’m going to turn 50 instead of 40. We had to put on Superman capes. We made plenty of mistakes that could have lost us the game, but they played with poise and confidence. We just kept battling.”

CJ Spiller was also a big factor for the Tigers as he set a school record with 310 all purpose yards including a 90 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He also added 81 yards rushing and 104 yards receiving with a 56 yard touchdown catch.

Clemson QB Parker suggested that last week’s win over Wake Forrest was a turning point for his team:

“I think last week we realized that we could be really good and this week we acted on it. I thought we really got some explosive plays and we played well.”

Miami’s quarterback Jason Harris sounded a markedly different tone in his postgame comments:

“This has to be my toughest loss here. We fought so hard throughout the game as a team and didn’t come out with the victory. We let Clemson outwork us, we turned the ball over too much — little things that made us get to this point.”

Clemson will host FCS foe Coastal Carolina next Saturday before resuming ACC play the following week at home against Florida State. Miami plays two of their next three on the road, starting next weekend at Wake Forest. They’ll face the University of Virginia at home the next week before traveling to Chapel Hill for a game against North Carolina on November–.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer specializing in mixed martial arts, NHL hockey and NHL hockey and NBA basketball betting. He serves as a consulting handicapper for Sports-1 Sportsbook and is a noted authority on Internet sportsbook betting of all forms. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and several pet iguanas.

Del Mar: Southern California’s Horse Racing Capital

Horse Racing CapitalThough it is sometimes overshadowed by more famous tracks back East like Churchill downs and Belmont Park, Del Mar Racetrack in Southern California has a rich and fascinating history. Located 20 miles north of San Diego and known for its iconic slogan “Where The Surf Meets the Turf”, Del Mar has not only hosted the best horses and jockeys on the planet but a ‘who’s who’ of show biz elite.

The Del Mar Race Track was founded in the late’30’s by a group of business and show biz elite, including Bing Crosby, Oliver Hardy and Jimmy Durante. During much of the pre WW II era, horse racing ran a close second to baseball in mainstream popularity, so these racing enthusiasts were clearly at the right place at the right time in terms of market forces.

Additionally, the star power involved with the project also provided a trendy cachet that the tonier race courses back East lacked. Bing Crosby himself greeted patrons at the gate on opening day, and during the late’30s and early’40s it became a place to be seen for Hollywood A-listers and those who aspired for celebrity. In addition to known gambling enthusiasts like W.C. Fields, Edgar Bergen and Red Skelton, the Del Mar patrons during that time also included some of the top female stars of the era including Ava Gardner, Paulette Goddard and Dorothy Lamour.

Del Mar was the site of the’38 match race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti. Seabiscut won the $25,000 winner take all challenge by a nose, and this race set Del Mar betting and attendance records and remains one of the most famous races in history. The racing at Del Mar continued to flourish until the start of WWII, when the track went ‘dark’ for racing. It was used at times by the military for, among other things, a training ground for Marines and later a production facility for bomber parts.

After the war, Del Mar reopened with a bang. Following the surrender of Japan, President Harry S. Truman declared a national holiday for August 15,’45 and on that day Del Mar attracted over 20,000 fans through its gates who wagered what at the time was a record $958,476. The postwar prosperity was also a boon to Del Mar, which also benefitted from the Santa Fe Railroads daily Racetrack Special that brought bettors down from Los Angeles to enjoy a day at the track. During the latter part of the decade a new crop of Hollywood glitterati would flock to Del Mar, including Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Mickey Rooney and Jimmy Durante. Durante would become such a regular that the turf course at Del Mar would later be renamed in his honor.

Del Mar remains a viable part of the thoroughbred community to this day. Theyve updated their facility, with a state of the art grand stand and most recently a synthetic polytrack surface that was installed in 2007. The racing season at Del Mar begins in mid July, and hosts crowds of 20,000+ on a daily basis throughout.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

The Mapes Hotel: Reno’s Lost Art Deco Jewel

On a cold, gray morning in late January 2000, the historic Mapes Hotel in Reno was imploded by 75 pounds of explosives tucked into the art-deco structures support columns. The controlled demolition came despite years of effort by a number of groups within the community and nationally to preserve the building with lawsuits, redevelopment proposals, and grass roots lobbying efforts.

While the logic and necessity of demolishing the Mapes is very questionable, one thing that is certain is that the hotel was an important part of Northern Nevada history. The opening of the Mapes in’47 ushered in a new era in casino gambling, and changed the economy and way of life in Nevada forever. The Mapes was actually the first property in the country to combine a hotel, casino and live entertainment under the same roof. It also became the hotel of choice for celebrities staying in Northern Nevada. Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe stayed at The Mapes during the filming of ‘The Misfits’. Joseph McCarthy, America’s famed anti-Communist crusader, admitted to a reporter over cocktails in the Mapes Lounge that he really didn’t have a list of Communists in the US despite his frequent and vitriolic insistence to the contrary.

In the 50s and 60s it became, along with Lake Tahoes Cal-Neva Lodge the place to be seen in Northern Nevada. The top floor, window-walled Sky Room showcased performances by the legends: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jackie Gleason, Louis Prima, Mae West, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the Marx Brothers among others. Subsequent years were not kind to downtown Reno but the Mapes continued to do well during the 60’s and 70’s. The hotel finally closed in’82, due more to financial difficulties experienced by the Mapes family caused by one of their other Northern Nevada gaming properties than anything else.

Reno has yet to experience the sort of growth that has been seen in Southern Nevada, and for that reason the destruction of the Mapes is more open to debate than the hotel demolitions to the south. Even the demolition of The Sands–perhaps the most historically significant casino in the state–is hard to argue against given the inability of such a small property to compete in the current Las Vegas marketplace and in light of the value of the mid-strip real estate.

That’s not the case in Reno, where vacant land and/or buildings ripe for redevelopment are abundant downtown and in the other casino areas of the city. The official reason that the Mapes had to come down was that the city needed the land to expand its vision for downtown redevelopment. While this is certainly a much needed effort, to suggest that the existence of the Mapes was a barrier is absurd. In fact, many of the proposals rejected by the city would have gone a long way to enhance the revitalization of downtown Reno and included artists lofts, office space and other mixed used properties. Despite receiving a number of viable concepts for the Mapes Building, the City Redevelopment Authority rejected all of them and the Mapes was destined for demolition.

The role of the City Redevelopment Authority was questioned throughout the process. Overlooking the Truckee River, the hotel was on a prime location between the downtown casino area and the riverfront district. A number of sound financial proposals were presented that would preserve the integrity of the structure including condominiums, office space, and perhaps most viable, upscale senior apartments. Oddly, all of these proposals were turned down by the citys Redevelopment Agency which continued to maintain that demolition was the only viable option despite copious evidence to the contrary.

Following the 2000 demolition, the lot remained vacant for over a year until a temporary ice skating rink was hastily constructed the following winter. The site now houses a permanent ice skating rink which, while not a bad use for the land, isn’t the sort of game changing improvement suggested by the City Redevelopment Agency and their adamant insistence that the building be demolished. To the contrary, it appears they had no specific plan or even general idea of what to do with the land but for some reason wanted to see the hotel come down. This has led to all manner of speculation, ranging from financial self interest to a rumor that the structure was ‘haunted’ and needed to be destroyed to forestall future paranormal activity in Washoe County. Whatever the reason, the city of Reno lost a valuable landmark that played a significant part in the economic growth of the entire state.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and widely regarded sports betting expert. He is also a consulting handicapper for Sports-1 Sportsbook and is in charge of setting NFL lines. He has written extensively on sports handicapping theory along with a wide range of other topics including fencing, self defense and falconry.