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It’s not difficult figuring out the best place to see a show or gamble in Vegas. We all know about Caesars and MGM and Bellagio and all the rest from TV or the movies. But what about eating? Where do you go for the best restaurants in Vegas?

Well, depends on what you want in a meal, really.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they say, and the best place for breakfast in Vegas is The Cracked Egg on Cheyenne Avenue. You can tell this is the best place for breakfast because more than likely you’ll have to wait in line. It’s very, very popular. You’ll find a wide variety of skillet dishes and coffee cake served with all breakfasts. Start your day here, but start it early.

After you’ve worked off your breakfast and you’re in the mood for lunch, take a chance at the Wildfire Casino on Rancho Drive. In addition to great food, you can get a different bargain special every day of the week, so you’ll never get tired of eating here. At least not for the first week. And if you don’t want the bargain special, you can’t go wrong with the ribs. The ribs are always there and always great.

When it comes to dinner, you’ve got to decide what you really want in a restaurant. For instance, if you’re in the mood for a romantic night out, try Andre’s French Restaurant. Yeah, a French restaurant for a romantic rendezvous is tres overdone, but Andre’s pulls it off with intimate alcoves and other little chateau-like touches. It may not be the most original idea, but it’s still guaranteed to instill that starry-eyed ambience.

If you’re already done that romantic thing and you’ve got the offspring to prove it and are looking instead for a great family restaurant, then head straight for Buca Di Beppo on Flamingo Road. The restaurant is as goofy as its name, featuring year-round Christmas lights and a definitely off-the-wall atmosphere as well as heaping portions of ravioli. The kids will love the pizza and you’ll love the linguini with clam sauce.

Of course, Vegas never closes. When you’re in a 24/7/365 town, you’re bound to find yourself hungry in the wee hours of the morning. Where does one go for a nice, juicy T-bone at 2:00 AM? In Vegas, there are lots of choices, but then again there’s really only one: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. If you can put aside the tongue-numbing name of this restaurant long enough to put in your order, you’ll be enjoying the finest in premium beef any time of the evening as long as it’s before closing time at 3:00 AM.

Should your late-night craving involve animals with tentacles rather than udders, then bypass Ruth’s Chris’ and take a chance at the Osaka Japanese Bistro. Nothing says living wild in Las Vegas like eating squid after midnight. Oh, and by the way, you can also get some really great steak here, too.

Bob writes for EZTicketSearch providing Las Vegas Concert Tickets, Las Vegas Motor Speedway Tickets and Las Vegas Show Tickets! Visit my blog =>http://www.eventoutlet.com to read more on Las Vegas Shows.

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Even though the sport of rodeo has been around almost forever, the National Finals Rodeo, or NFR as it is commonly called, has a much more recent history. The first National Finals Rodeo was held at the Dallas State Fair Grounds in 1959, and since then, the NFR has gone through many interesting changes including a name change in 2001 to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Said to have been the brain-child of South Dakota legend Casey Tibbs, the idea behind the first ever National Finals Rodeo was to bring together the bets rodeo athletes and the toughest livestock in the world. Many now-famous cowboys competed at that first NFR including Tibbs, Jim Shoulders, Jim Bynum, Jack Buschbom and Dean Oliver. No one quite knew what to expect but hoped for the best since this was the first ever world championship of rodeo. The cowboys who entered competed for the first NFR purse of $50,000!

Shoulders, still considered the most successful cowboy ever with 16 world titles, placed in six bull riding rounds in 1959, walking away with the NFR prize money and the world championships. In 1979, Jim Shoulders was honored in the inaugural class of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Placing sixth in the rankings, Tibbs rode in his final saddle bronc riding world championship during that 1959 National Finals Rodeo. Today Tibbs is remembered as the first cowboy to capture the hearts and attention of the media. Tibbs was also inducted into the Hall of Fame, with the additional honor of being depicted in the museum’s signature statue a 20-footer of Tibbs riding a bronc named Necktie.

Jack Buschbom won in the first round of the 1959 National Finals Rodeo’s bareback riding and continued on to claim the NFR average crown and world title. Twenty years later, he, too, was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

For many years the NFR flourished, spending a few years in Los Angeles and then another 20 years in Oklahoma City. Cowboys still worked toward the what became known as “the Last Rodeo,” but the media attention and purses did not really grow until the NFR moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1985. The NFR always appealed to those cowboy athletes as a culmination of that year’s hard work. With the move to Las Vegas, the appeal doubled in the form of a total of $1.8 million in prize money.

The performance of rookie calf roper Joe Beaver was arguably the most unpredictably exciting event in that first Las Vegas Finals. Very few had heard of him before that week, but with a roll of Vegas luck Beaver took the world championship and became one of the best known cowboys in rodeo. In that very same 1985 Vegas NFR, roughstock sensation Lewis Field of Elk Ridge, Utah, easily captured the world bareback riding title in what became his first of three world all around championships. The 1998 National Finals Rodeo counted Ty Murray as the new champion when he won an unprecedented seventh world all-around title while Dan Mortenson garnered his fifth world saddle-bronc riding title, falling just one short of Tibbs’ long-standing record.

Many rodeos have come and gone since then and world titles can be won and lost in less time than the 8 second buzzer but the excitement never dims at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, and the lights never go down even after the cowboys go home.

J Cobb is the Vice-President of Team One Tickets & Sports Tours, Inc., an independent ticket and travel broker specializing in tickets to the National Finals Rodeo as well as premium seating in the secondary market to sports, concerts and theatre worldwide since 1979.

Official NFR website

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Las Vegas is one of the most stimulating cities in the world and there is something to do that appeals to each and every one of us. Whether you’re into gambling or night clubs, or prefer golf outings or sightseeing, you can do it on a grand scale in Vegas.

It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or fifth visit, there’s nothing more exhilarating than making that initial decent through the Rocky Mountains. Looking out the window of your airplane, you’ll see the spectacular Las Vegas valley with its countless number of homes, many of which border right up against the mountains. As you continue your decent, the homes, swimming pools and roads grow closer and closer. You’re now only minutes away from an experience of a lifetime!

Just before touching down, you’ll be able to catch your first glimpse of the famous Las Vegas strip. On the far end of the strip you can’t help but see the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States (the Stratosphere) and on the other end, right across from the airport, is an impressive 43 story gold tower which is home to the luxurious Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

After you’ve landed and picked up your luggage, it’s only natural that the first thing you’ll want to do is take a trip through the heart of the city. Whether it’s a car, shuttle or limo, your first drive down the strip will leave an ever lasting impression. Can you imagine seeing a scaled down version of the New York City skyline (including the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge) on one corner, and right across the street, a sparkling white castle complete with moat and drawbridge? These mammoth themed hotels are found all along the strip.

Most of us go to Las Vegas for entertainment. It is, of course, the “Entertainment Capitol of the World.” Since Las Vegas was originally created as a gambling oasis, if you enjoy the slots or playing the tables, there is plenty to go around. If gambling isn’t your forte, there’s an abundance of other activities that can fill your time. If you enjoy golf, for example, you can visit one of the many championship courses in the area.

Las Vegas is also blessed with beautiful, natural surroundings. Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Red Rock Canyon, the Grand Canyon and Death Valley aren’t very far away. Many of these attractions can also be visited in one day. If you prefer not to drive to these destinations, you can choose from a variety of guided tours that are available. Many of the tour companies will even pick you up from your hotel.

When you return from your day long journey, you’ll be ready to satisfy your hefty appetite. For this, you can can eat at one of the over 50 buffets in the area. Or, if you want to treat yourself to a gourmet meal, try one of the many upscale restaurants with well-knows chefs such as Emeril Laggesse, Wolfgang Puck and Bobby Flay.

Don’t forget that Las Vegas is also known as a city that never sleeps and has an extraordinary night life. You can visit one of the over 40 night clubs in town and be treated as a VIP as soon as you walk through the doors. You can dance the night away at Studio 54 in the MGM Grande or stop by the popular VooDoo Lounge at the Rio. The night life in Vegas is non-stop.

There are so many things to do and see that it’s impossible to experience it all in one, two or even three trips. Lets face it, we haven’t even talked about all the shopping or shows! Because Las Vegas is continuously growing and changing its landscape, there’s always something new and exciting happening.

If you haven’t already, you should try and visit Las Vegas at least once in your lifetime. After you’ve been there and experienced what Las Vegas has to offer, you’ll be wanting to go back again soon.

John Purdy operates web sites offering resources to discounted Las Vegas flights and other Las Vegas information. Visit his site today at: http://www.las-vegas-flights.com

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