blvds "travel" april/may 2013

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MAKING lAs veGAs HOMe

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4 TRAVEL BLVDS Las Vegas blvdslv.com

Jan Craddock President & PublisherSherri Kaplan COO & Co-PublisherPat Marvel EditorVictoria Hart Creative DirectorGreg Warden Senior Photographer

EdiToRiAL BoARdBrian Paco Alvarez

Mauricia Baca

Durette Candito

Lisa Chasteen

Chris Cutler

Jeanne Hamrick

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LuAnn Kutch

Dawn LaBonte

Rob McCoy

Julie Murray

Jillian Plaster

Willie Robinson

Dana Satterwhite

Rick Sellers

Eric Strain

Kimberly Trueba

Stephanie Youngblood

ConTRiBuTing WRiTERsBrian Paco Alvarez

Jack Chappell

Laura Coronado

Chris Cutler

Christina Gibson

Tony Illia

Jarret Keene

Jillian Plaster

Jill Rasler

Randall H. Walker

Lissette Waugh

ConTRiBuTing PhoTogRAPhERsTalbot Snow

My sister and I caught the travel bug from our mother, who caught it from her dad. Every summer she and her parents would pack up the car and set out for the vast openness that was the American West of the 1930s. In 1942, at the age of 18, she left her small West Virginia hometown and moved to Washington, D.C., and spent the ensuing years satisfying her wanderlust.

My mother’s travels took her to every country in Europe, to St. Petersburg and Moscow, Scandinavia and the British Isles, Egypt and China. She retired from traveling toward the end of her 70s—post 9/11 changes made international travel just too hard—and besides, she said, she had seen every place she wanted to see.

But seven years ago, at the age of 82, mom renewed her passport for another ten years. “You never know,” she said. And when it comes to travel, you never do.

In this issue of BLVDS, we spotlight two intrepid travelers whose adventures will leave you itching to pack up and go. You’ll learn about strategies to increase medical tourism and about the efforts of our fellow residents who travel to give to others. You’ll follow the sun on a solstice road trip in the desert Southwest and get a peek inside a traditional Turkish bath in Istanbul.

Veteran writer Tony Illia briefs us on the Getty Center’s “Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940-1990,” an exhibition exploring the architecture and urban planning of Los Angeles. Sounds like a fantastic day trip! Fashion blogger Laura Coronado makes sure we know what essential travel clothes to pack for any trip.

Finally, you’ll read a profile of internationally-renown chef Wolfgang Puck, and get some great advice on Internet travel resources and how to keep looking and feeling your best while on the move.

Whether you’re traveling this spring from your arm chair or have something a little more exotic on your itinerary, we hope you enjoy BLVDS’ annual travel issue.

And I hope that all of us, like my mother, have the good fortune to visit all of the places we want to see.

Happy traveling,

Pat Marvel, Editor

Copyright 2013 by BLVDS, Inc., all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form without written permission from BLVDS, Inc. Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of the

information in this publication, however, BLVDS, Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions.

BLVDS, Inc. accepts editorial and photography submissions. Send all submissions to: [email protected].

Letter from the editor

MAKING LAS VEGAS HOME

BLVds fans follow us! email : [email protected] call : 702.386.6065 see : blvdslv.com like : facebook.com/blvdslv follow : twitter.com/blvdslv mail : 509 S. 7th Street Las Vegas, NV 89101

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blvdslv.com BLVDS Las Vegas TRAVEL 5

FLAVOr 48 Wolfgang PuckLearn more about this master chef who has been pleasing palates in Las Vegas for more than 20 years.

50 London Food sensationsFood writer Jillian Plaster recently returned from a trip to London. She shares some tips that might make your next trip to London a little tastier.

52 internet Travel ResourcesA plethora of online resources makes it easier than ever to book flights, ground transportation and accommodations. We share the top 10 sites for booking your next trip completely online.

54 L’s Beauty and Wellness TipsLissette shares tips for looking and feeling your best.

56 iMhoRandall H. Walker muses about McCarran International Airport’s growth and the current opportunity to reflect on what’s next.

what’s insideISSUE 37: TRAVEL

on the CoverRoy’s is a defunct motel, café and gas station in Amboy, CA.

COMMuNIty 10 Brenda hughesFrom meeting the Maasi in Kenya to mingling with penguins in Antarctica, this passionate traveler has made memories on seven continents.

12 samantha o’BrienMeet an adventurous spirit who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and ran a marathon up the side of a volcano.

14 have heart, Will TravelWith hearts as vast as the distances they travel, Las Vegans are touching lives in all corners of the globe.

18 Medical TourismLas Vegas is positioning itself to be a leading destination for medical conventions, training and treatment.

CuLturE24 Turkish delightFind out what happens behind the closed doors of a traditional Turkish bath as our writer describes her experience in soapy heaven.

28 My solstice Jaunt into America’s outbackFrom sunrise in Death Valley to sunset in Joshua Tree National Park, Brian Paco Alvarez recounts his memorable one-day road trip.

32 upcoming Events

DESIGN38 L.A. story: southern California’s Architectural RevolutionAn exciting new exhibit at theJ. Paul Getty Museum looks at the transformation of Los Angeles through its built landscape and aesthetic evolution over five decades.

42 it’s in the BagFashion blogger Laura Coronado reveals the essential items to pack to stay fashionable and comfortable on your next trip.

< Palms House by Kevin Daly, Daly Genik Architects, 2011. Photograph Jason Schmidt.

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Laura Coronado is known for her collection of cute shoes and her passion for bargain hunting. With a vast knowledge of the Las Vegas shopping scene, not only does she write for local publications, but she also has her own fashion blog and over 18,000 followers on Twitter.

Chris CutLer holds an MFA in creative nonfiction and is the founder of The Las Vegas Memoir Project. When she’s not traveling, she teaches through DEO at UNLV, writes, and tries to keep her dog away from her iPad. She’s currently spending two months in Europe writing a book about her Italian grandmother.

tony iLLia is a journalist, writer and critic specializing in design and development related topics. His work has appeared in Architectural Record, BusinessWeek.com and Engineering News-Record, among other publications. Illia holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno. He currently lives in Las Vegas with his wife and their unruly black cat.

JiLL rasLer has an MFA in creative nonfiction. Her work has appeared in primarily small, regional publications. When she’s not traveling, she can usually be found with her nose in a book and a cat on her lap.

Brian PaCo aLvarez has dedicated his life and career to enriching the lives of everyone in Southern Nevada through the Humanities. Paco has been the curator of the Las Vegas News Bureau Archives, Neon Museum and Liberace Museum. He is also the Chairman of the Liberace Foundation for the Creative and Performing Arts.

Christina GiBson has an MPA, a BS in business, and many years of management, marketing and government experience. Her writing ranges from poetry to professional reports. Finding personal passions, giving back and being genuinely entertained by life are very important to her. She finds that never losing the ability to reach out, love, touch and share with others is essential.

Jarret Keene is the author and editor of several dodgy books about Las Vegas. He teaches creative writing and ancient literature at College of Southern Nevada and screams and plays guitar in the underground rock band Dead Neon. He doesn’t sleep.

JiLLian PLaster is a foodie. She loves to cook, but she loves to eat even more. While attending Le Cordon Bleu in her hometown of Las Vegas, her passion for food lead to writing reviews of local restaurants. Plaster also developed her own line of fresh dog food which she sells at her unique pooch boutique, The Dog House, located at Town Square.

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ICE CREAM FESTIVAL What makes this year’s ice cream festival extra sweet? Two words. Pony rides. And the all-you-can-eat root beer fl oats, sundaes and cones are the cherry on top.

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people + places

< “TTYL,” Single continuous cut paper collage, by Jow. See more work by this artist at tastyspacelv.com.

IN THIS SECTION

10 Brenda HughesFrom meeting the Maasi in Kenya to mingling with penguins in Antarctica, this passionate traveler has made memories on seven continents.

12 Samantha O’BrienMeet an adventurous spirit who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and ran a marathon up the side of a volcano.

14 Have Heart, Will TravelWith hearts as vast as the distances they travel, Las Vegans are touching lives in all corners of the globe.

18 Medical TourismLas Vegas is positioning itself to be a leading destination for medical conventions, training and treatment.

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10 TRAVEL BLVDS Las Vegas blvdslv.com©

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BRENDA HUGHES

A Passionate Traveler

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Some people record their travels by the number of countries visited. Brenda Hughes just keeps track of the continents. She’s been to all seven, including Antarctica.

It could be an unexpected accomplishment for a kid raised on an Iowa farm. But the desire to travel and a lifetime passion for it sprouted there when, as a youngster, Hughes tagged along with her aunt and uncle on a trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Now a senior economic development officer at the Las Vegas City Department of Economic and Urban Development, Hughes fosters tourism for the city, the flip side of doing what she loves to do. She has spent her career in the travel industry.

“Travel is an absolute passion of mine,” she says as she recounts trips to Iceland, all over the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, the length and breadth of the United States and, of course, Antarctica.

On that trip she attended lectures by scientists investigating the continent’s mysteries, including a researcher from the University of Nevada Desert Research Institute studying climate change. At one point aboard a small inflatable Zodiac boat, killer whales approached and swam beneath the tiny craft. Another time, she found herself in a crowd of penguins. “They tell us to stay at least six feet away from the penguins, but the penguins don’t follow the rules.”

Still on the list of places to see: Cuba, Turkey and the Baltic.

Hughes usually goes on her own, eschewing group travel and, in contrast to her tightly-wrapped professional bearing, she goes with minimal planning. “It is interesting, sometimes most interesting, when things don’t go as they are supposed to.”

Is there a particular place, country or region you visited that you would describe as “life-changing”? If so, where? And, in what way?

Although life-changing may be an exaggeration, there have been two experiences that made me re-examine my life:

Spending time with the Maasai in Kenya supported the theory that money (and the latest electronic gadget) cannot buy happiness. Although the Maasai live a primitive lifestyle with few possessions, they find great pleasure in their music and dance while being stoic about life, death and other natural occurrences.

My latest trip to Antarctica showed our planet to be both fragile and resilient at the same time. Humans continually find ways to impact our world. Meanwhile, the earth does its best to adapt, change and “roll with the punches.”

What is the most dangerous, exhilarating or profound activity you have experienced in your travels?

In all my travels, I have not had any experiences I would consider dangerous, unless you would put skydiving in that category. The most exhilarating and profound was a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti with the quiet of the early morning, the tranquil beauty of the Serengeti and nature in action with an occasional lion disturbing the peaceful migration of wildebeests and zebras.

What would you tell someone about the value of travel who has never been outside the U.S.?

Travel teaches us that people are basically alike regardless of their nationality, language or religion. We share a similar urge to protect our families and loved ones. We face many of the same concerns such as health care needs, educational opportunities and other social issues. We can learn from each other as we observe the variety of ways in which people throughout the world address these concerns.

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Finding Herself on Kilimanjaro

SAMANTHA O’BRIEN

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Samantha O’Brien’s life changed two years ago. She climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.There in Tanzania, Africa, at 19,000 feet on the world’s tallest free-standing mountain, she found herself. Physically exhausted and sick from the extreme altitude she pushed on to continue the climb. “I found out how far the body could go with just your mind pushing it. It is just this thing I found for myself; a satisfaction, a very personal experience,” she said. She had combined the Tanzanian trip with a fund-raising enterprise benefitting the American Foundation for Children with AIDS.

If there is a stereotype of a Las Vegas hairstylist, O’Brien, who works at the Globe Salon in downtown Las Vegas, is not it. Interviewed in late February, she’d just returned from her second 25-km marathon run through the wilds of Ometepe, a volcanic island rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua in Central America.

A news account of the event describes the course as follows: “The vast changes in geography ensure runners will face all elements: hot sun, strong winds, high humidity, rain showers, and a lot of mud. Temperatures in a single day can range from mid-50s on a volcano peak to upper 90s in low-lying forests. The toughest sections of the course are the steep climbs (with no switchbacks) that head straight up over the two volcanoes, gaining approximately 3,000 feet over Maderas and 4,300 feet over Concepción.”

“Last year, I went to Nicaragua on a whim. I was looking for something I didn’t know I was looking for,” she said. What she found was entrée into the world of ultra running. “We’d race up and down volcanoes. This year, I felt like I was coming home. Nicaragua is kind of a summer camp for running nerds.”

O’Brien travels on her own and shrugs off the obvious questions of safety. “I grew up in New York City and I grew up with street smarts. I’ve never had a bad or scary experience,” she said.

Coming from New York, O’Brien says she’s drawn to smaller and rural communities. Before settling in Las Vegas, she embarked on a road trip, camping out and sleeping in her car. She travelled through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, northern California and the Pacific Northwest. “I thought it was important to see something of your own country before going internationally,” she said.

What is the most dangerous, exhilarating or profound activity you have experienced in your travels?

The Kilimanjaro climb. It’s changed everything. It’s something I didn’t know I wanted to be part of until I was there.

Where would you like to travel that you haven’t yet had the opportunity to see?

I definitely have a love for Central America and I’d like to travel through South America. I’d love to see Patagonia, definitely. I’d love to return to Africa with a backpack and just explore. My father keeps saying, “Don’t you just want to see Europe, France or England?” No! I want to do this while I’m young and my body will still hold up.

What would you tell someone about the value of travel who has never been outside the U.S.?

You won’t know what you’re looking for until you find it.

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Travel as a means of giving back to the world is taking off. Much of the impulse stems from a growing awareness of global needs and issues. Thanks to the Internet and cheap airfares, you no longer have to be a zealous missionary, a wealthy do-gooder or a Peace Corps member to effect change in less fortunate areas of the planet. These days you can simply be a Las Vegas resident with a big heart.

HAVE HEART, WILL TRAVEL

Las Vegans Make a Difference in Other CountriesBy Jarret Keene

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Dr. Stephanie Davidson always knew she wanted to make a difference. As she worked to complete a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Denver Children’s Hospital, Davidson searched for an opportunity to go abroad. She ended up joining Operation Smile, an international medical charity that heals children born with facial deformities. Davidson went to Nicaragua in 2003 with a team of surgeons and nurses, repairing cleft lips and palates.

After treating hundreds of kids and watching them smile the way they were meant to, she went on to provide anesthesia for children’s cardiac surgeries in the Yucatan. Four years ago, Davidson was invited by the World Pediatric Project to fly to Panama with various teams of medical professionals. This summer she returns there to continue repairing congenital heart defects.

“I love what I do,” says Davidson, after finishing a bike ride in Red Rock Canyon. “My Spanish is less than perfect, but I know enough to get my questions answered.”

There’s no language barrier when it comes to saying thank you. When Davidson sees the parent’s eyes as they watch their child eat his or her first bite of food following heart-correction surgery, she herself is nearly moved to tears.

“Some patients are babies,” she says, “so we don’t instantly see an improvement. But knowing they can go on to play soccer is so satisfying for us on the medical team.”

You don’t need to be a doctor or nurse to assist nonprofits overseas, says Davidson. There are typically many nonmedical people on staff—translators, educators, oral hygienists, students from UNLV. It’s never been easier and more rewarding to be a voluntourist, someone hoping to see the world by offering humanitarian assistance.

“Doing this is a gift people give to me,” insists Davidson. “I feel so honored to have a chance to touch people’s lives in this specific way and to improve things for them.”

You don’t even need to be an adult to be travelanthropist. Chandler was 15—not even old enough to drive a car on his own—when he traveled with his father, a pediatric doctor, to the West African country of Ghana to deliver schoolbooks and medical equipment. What Chandler saw there—specifically a very dire lack of educational and health-centered resources—moved him to action.

“The trip was life-changing,” confesses Nielson, who turned 18 in January. “I said to my father, ‘Dad, we need to help those people. What else can we do?’”

The answer was simple yet deeply challenging. Start your own nonprofit.

As part of his Eagle Scout project, Nielson and his friends put up a website and launched Reaching Africa Foundation, with a threefold mission: support hospitals and clinics with modern equipment, provide educational supplies to the youth and bring in medical professionals to improve general well-being in Africa.

Chandler Nielson in Africa as part of his Eagle Scout project. Nielson and his friends put up a website and launched Reaching Africa Foundation.

Children receiving supplies like tooth brushes and wash cloths. The basics we so often take for granted are treasures to these children.

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Reaching Africa’s impact extends every year. Last summer, Nielson somehow shipped to Ghana 150 discarded yet sanitized hospital beds on a container ship. Earlier this month, he and his family loaded another orphanage-bound container full of clothing and books before flying with his entire family and a 27-member medical team (dentists, hygienists, nurses and a surgeon) to Ghana. They’ll live and work there until the end of June, after which Nielson begins his Mormon mission. (The irony being his tenure as travelanthropist will be longer than his two-year missionary stint.)

That’s not all. In its short three-year existence, Reaching Africa has secured therapy tables and equipment for newborns and transported hundreds of orthopedic braces—donated from the patients of Children’s Bone and Spine Surgery—for the children of Ghana. Not to mention the thousands of articles of children’s clothing, bed liners, toys and school supplies.

Plus, the foundation has already allowed 10 other kids Nielson’s age to complete their Eagle Scout projects. Like Nielson, they have visited a place they wouldn’t likely have experienced without an urge to impact the world for the better.

In other words, Reaching Africa’s mission doesn’t end where Nielson’s begins. Its ambitions are only beginning. In a time when the Internet makes it much easier to simply donate cash with the click of a mouse, it seems people like Davidson and Nielson are beginning to feel compelled to help others in a more hands-on way.

What better way to do so than by traveling to areas in need?

“Our dreams are big,” says Nielson. “We want to continue for years to come. We have plans in place to construct a permanent medical clinic, plus an adjoining dental clinic, as well as supporting a children’s orphanage in Ghana.”

For info on Children’s Heart Foundation Nevada, go to ChildrensHeartCenter.com. For info on Reaching Africa Foundation, visit ReachingAfricaFoundation.org.

Photo by Brian Paco Alvarez

In 1938, founder Roy Crowl opened Roy’s as a gas and service station along the legendary U.S. Highway 66, in Amboy. At the time, Route 66 was “The Mother Road” and “Main Street of America” - the primary east-west highway artery crossing the nation from Chicago through the Southwest to Los Angeles. The construction of Roy’s coincided with a Route 66 realignment through Mountain Springs Summit, bypassing Goffs to directly connect Needles and Essex, and west to Amboy.

The actors Harrison Ford and Anthony Hopkins, with autographed photos on the restaurant’s wall, visited when schedules allowed. Ford frequently flew in, landing his plane on a nearby landing strip, one of the first in California.

The historic site is an example of roadside Mid-Century Modern Googie architecture.

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Las Vegas Promotes Itself to a New Kind of Visitor

Las Vegas has experienced significant growth and changes, most notably in the past 30 years. This 24-hour town, best known for neon lights, showgirls and gaming, has also begun to attract other businesses which, at first view, may not seem complementary to Sin City. However, the diversity of industries and professionals moving to and visiting the Las Vegas area every year is continuing to expand.

Performing arts, fine art, sports programs, a law school and the largest consumer electronics show in the world have been added to Las Vegas’ resume. Another field, medicine, is

also on its way to making Las Vegas its premiere destination, as medical professionals pursue Las Vegas for resources, conventions, training and treatments.

In 2010, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority identified international travel for medical purposes and wellness as an emerging trend. Cheryl Smith, Medical and Wellness Tourism Manager, explains the agency is taking a multi-faceted approach using a broad definition of medical tourism to promote and support several medical programs.

The LVCVA is increasing medical partnerships, adding medical conferences and promoting the existing wellness and leisure services provided locally. Smith points out that world inspired services are offered, from Japanese reflexology to Moroccan Rhassoul and Turkish Hammam, and the treatment menus are expanding.

The Southern Nevada Medical Industry Coalition is also backing medical tourism. Working with local facilities, the Coalition facilitates and promotes meetings, conferences, lectures, training and treatments. CEO Doug Geinzer discovered the many benefits of medical tourism when he began voyaging across the country several years ago for medical treatments which were not sufficiently available in Las Vegas. Geinzer traveled to Florida with his family several times, combining the trips with visits to Disneyworld and spending thousands of dollars each time. He is very excited now to be supporting this type of travel to Las Vegas.

Geinzer says the interest in bringing more medical tourism to Las Vegas began when the recession hit. “Several years ago, a large hotel with 5,000 rooms could have

By Christina Gibson

MEDICAL TOURISM

Demonstrating the latest in medical and wellness equipment at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

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sold 6,000 rooms many weekends. The economic decline allowed the conversation to happen.”

That conversation led the Coalition to explore the existing local resources. Las Vegas has the tourism infrastructure: hotels, restaurants, entertainment and 50 destination resort spas attracting tourists exclusively for their services. It also provides more spa treatments than anywhere else in the world—1,000 per hour.

“Imagine being able to screen people for skin cancer and orthopedic problems during these procedures,” Geinzer says. “We have a referral system to provide earlier diagnosis which can reduce treatment costs and improve outcomes.”

A little attention and support instigated rapid increase in world-renowned professionals and treatments.

Dr. James Atkinson has renovated the lap sleeve surgery, the number one reducer of type two diabetes, to a 23 minute procedure, and his surgery facility is ranked in the top 5% of bariatric surgery centers in the United States.

Orthopedic surgeon Mike Crovetti has modified the standard knee replacement surgery to be done on an out-patient basis, with return to work in as few as six weeks and rehabilitation provided at the nearby Green Valley Ranch Resort.

Both established and emerging facilities and institutes include the

Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health; the Oquendo Center; Roseman University for Health Sciences; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of Nevada School of Medicine and Touro University. These campuses are now offering many services, certificates and degrees in the dental and medical fields. Using state-of-the-art resources such as medical simulation labs, students can perform clinical trials, observe surgeons operating and practice actual procedures themselves.

Local resources make the Las Vegas area the perfect destination for medical purposes. With an international airport, 150,000 hotel rooms, 10.5 million square feet of convention space and a wide array of restaurants, visitors are provided convenience, variety and affordability.

Increasing medical tourism benefits the community as well, providing more local jobs, higher quality health care and better access to services. The new community partners are bringing many treasures to our local economy, further expanding the landscape and definition of Las Vegas.

Orthopedic surgeon Mike Crovetti consults with his patient on the road to recovering from knee replacement surgery.

FACT: Nevada is one of the most dangerous states for pedestrians.You've told us you're tired of pedestrians, especially our children, dying and being injured on our roads.

WHEN YOU DRIVE:WHEN YOU DRIVE:Pay attention! Respect pedestrians. Slow down near cross-walks.

WHEN YOU ARE A PEDESTRIAN:Pay attention! Look both ways before crossing. Always stay focused on the traffic while you are crossing the street. Don't assume all cars will stop for you. Wear bright clothing. Don’t wear dark cloths at night.

For the rules of the road regarding pedestrians go to KTNV.COM and click on CROSSWALK DANGER in THEBIG BLUE BOX.

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HERE , it ’s just an average day.

DiscoveryKidsLV.org

The new DISCOVERY Children’s Museum, located at the Donald W. Reynolds Discovery Center, adjacent to

The Smith Center. NOW OPEN.

1:15 p.m.: Painted a masterpiece.

2 P.m.: Built a dam.

3:15 P.m.: Sailed on a pirate ship.

4 P.m.: A sip at the water fountain.

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photo by Virginia Trudeau

Saturday, May 11 & Sunday, May 12, 2013The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

Artistic Director James Canfield has an unseen talent for transforming text into dance. Now, for an unforgettable season

finale, he will bring one of the Bard’s most beloved tales to life just in time for Mother’s Day weekend.

Tickets: (702) 749-2000 or visit NevadaBallet.org

I M A G I N E .

Closer than you think!

2013 SeasonJune 24 — October 19

King John • Love’s Labour’s Lost The Tempest • Anything Goes

Peter and the StarcatcherTwelve Angry Men • Richard II

The Marvelous Wonderettes

Cedar City

800-PLAYTIXwww.bard.org

enter-tainment + activities

culture

IN THIS SECTION

24 Turkish DelightFind out what happens behind the closed doors of a traditional Turkish bath as our writer describes her experience in soapy heaven. 28 My Solstice Jaunt into America’s OutbackFrom sunrise in Death Valley to sunset in Joshua Tree National Park, Brian Paco Alvarez recounts his memorable one-day road trip.

32 Upcoming Events

< “Gulf Gas Pump,” Acrylic on canvas painting, by Erica Hauser. See more work by this artist at tastyspacelv.com.

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By Jill Rasler

I read a lot. Somewhere, sometime, I’d read about a Turkish bath and I wanted to try it. My sister was amenable. We had an extra day in Istanbul before the start of our group tour, so we asked our guide to recommend a traditional hamam. Himself an aficionado, Aydin directed us to a bath not far from our hotel, one that he said was frequented more by locals than by tourists and so would be more “authentic” than, say, the hamam at the Four Seasons hotel.

An Afternoon at the Bath

TURKISHDELIGHT

A traditional Turkish bath, Hamam, or (steam), and Gommam (scrub), involves spending 10-15 minutes in a steamy room, before having a special cleansing solution applied all over your body and then scrubbed off. Most Turks have at least one Hamam per week, and claim that it helps them to stay young!

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Galatasaray Hamami was built in 1481 (the women’s side was added on in 1963 but conforms to the original design). The central dome of the hamam is, like a mosque, its most distinctive architectural feature. Daylight filters in through small glass portals in the dome, giving the place an underwater feel. Beneath the dome is a raised stone platform kept toasty by a heat source (boilers or wood or coal or maybe magic). Lining the walls around the platform are individual niches containing deep stone sinks with ornate brass taps. The entire space is constructed of marble.

The hamam experience hasn’t changed much since the 15th century (according to historical accounts), including the color and style of the little cotton tea towel you wrap around your naked body and the wooden clogs you wear on your feet to keep from slipping on the wet marble. Men and women are segregated, either with separate sections or by gender-specific times for hamam use. Men wash men and women wash women.

Here’s how it works: You decide what type of service you want (anywhere from do-it-yourself to pasha), pay your fee, and are then directed to a private cubicle where you disrobe, cover yourself with your little tea towel, and put on your clogs. You lock up your personal items and the experience begins in earnest.

My sister and I were shooed by an attendant (different from the one who took our Turkish lira and got us started) through a heavy wooden door. We stood in a small antechamber between the door to the lobby and a second identical door. The attendant opened the inner door into the bathing area, gestured to the platform, waited until we crossed the threshold, then literally plucked our tea towels off us and shut the door.

Once we recovered from the shock of being naked (not having bathed together since we were children), my sister and I made our way carefully across the slippery floor to opposite sides of the stone. The idea is to sweat out toxins, like in a sauna or steam bath.

And so we did, beneath the dome in the afternoon half-light, water dripping occasionally from the taps in the niches, the quiet notes of a traditional instrument coming from somewhere. We had the place to ourselves.

Antique Turkish bath clogs with silver handmade top attached to wooden bottom.

Writer Jill Rasler in a state of post-bath bliss.

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After we had sweated for 20 minutes or so, two entirely new attendants entered through the wooden doors. The brochure shows toned young men and women (and maybe that’s the case at the Four Seasons), but I was bathed by a woman I just came to think of as Grandma. Grandma took off her cotton robe and hung it up. She wore large black lace underpants and nonskid beige plastic sandals. She stood in front of me, bound her pendulous breasts with a long strip of unbleached linen, and got to work.

Grandma began by rinsing me with a bucket of tepid water from one of the sinks. She then put her hand in a rough mitt and proceeded to brush my entire body with it, long strokes from armpit to palm, thigh to sole, shoulder to buttocks. My eyes were shut, so I can’t vouch for the skin other bathers have claimed to see sloughing off like fruit leather, but I can believe it.

Another sluicing with the bucket and then the soaping began. There’s a mesh pillowcase sort of thing that contains the soap. It gets wet and squeezed and the result is a massive foamy bubbly cloud that literally obscures your entire body (I took a peek at my sister). Grandma soaped me with a washcloth, avoiding my lady parts; one can do those themselves later, in private, giving me a little slap with the back of her hand on the hip when she wanted me to turn over, tending to me gently and thoroughly. And then more rinsing.

Grandma helped me to sitting, took me by the wrist and led me carefully over the wet marble to one of the niches were she sat me down on the marble curb in front of her, positioned herself behind me on her upturned bucket, and washed my hair. She dipped a hammered metal bowl into the water in the sink a few times to rinse the shampoo. Finally, she led me by the wrist back to the stone, indicated that I should again recline, and was gone. I lay there, endorphins going off in the pleasure center of my brain like fireworks. “Wow,” my sister said. “I could do this every day,” I said.

You can relax on the stone for as long as you like, but eventually life calls. As I handed Grandma her tip, I leaned in to give her a little hug. She gave me a partially toothless smile and pecked me on each cheek. Thanks, Grandma.

Ceiling of Turkish hamam in Dolmabahçe Palace, Istanbul.

1. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

2. Drift Spa & Hammam at Palms Place

3. Sahra Spa & Hammam at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Three places to get a Turkish-style hamam experience in Las Vegas...

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

DIAMOND RIOFRIDAY, APRIL 12

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SATURDAY, APRIL 13

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OCT 25, 11:55 PMOCT 26, 28 - NOV 1

ThE FAb FOUR -ThE ULTIMATE

TRIbUTE (MUSIC OF ThE bEATLES)

SATURDAY, NOV 2

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(A SALUTE TO ThE EAgLES)SATURDAY, NOV 9

bRIAN REgANTHURS - SAT, MAY 2 - 4

ThE bEACh bOYSFRIDAY, MAY 10

JAMES SEWELL bALLET

SATURDAY, MAY 11

Concerts under the Stars

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Tuacahn Amphitheatre is surrounded by the red cliffs of Southern Utah,

just two short hours from Las Vegas.

Tanner Amphitheater 2013 Summer Concert Series

Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m.

Ticket Price: $10 adult, $5 youth

Call [email protected]

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Springdale, Utah

Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m.

Ticket Price: $10 adult, $5 youth

Call [email protected]

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Springdale, Utah

MAY 18SOUTHWEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAChuckwagon dinner 6:00 p.m.

JUNE 1THE RANDY ANDERSON BAND�is concert only begins at 7:30

JUNE 15CHOIRS OF JOHN SOTO

JUNE 29ERIC DODGE AND THE JOHNHOUSTON GOSPEL CHOIR

JULY 13MOST WANTEDCountry, disco, classic rock andeverything in between

JULY 27DAVID CORREA & CASCADA Latin Guitar World Fusion band

AUGUST 10REID FAMILY BANDOld Time Rock and Roll and Classic Country songs

AUGUST 24MIKALENESinger-songwriterwith her backup band

A stunning 2000 seat outdoor amphitheater surrounded by the clis of Zion National Park

Dixie State University

AUGUST 24 MIKALENE

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MY SOLSTICE JAUNT INTO AMERICA’S OUTBACK

A Desert Rat Follows the Sun

Everybody who knows me knows that I love the deserts of the American Southwest. I guess you could call me a bit of a desert rat. No matter how many times I drive away from Las Vegas I am in absolute awe of the big clear skies and arid landscape before me. The Southwest is raw earth where the spirits of the past roam freely without obstruction, and only the hardiest of living things can survive. If you can survive the Mojave you can survive anywhere.

On December 21st I woke up exceptionally early, well before sunrise, to get in my trusted little MINI and venture out into America’s Outback. I knew well in advance that I wanted to see the sunrise in the desert on the solstice. This solstice was going to be different, a time of great reflection and of change, both spiritually and emotionally. I knew the coming era that the Mayan’s call the 14th Baktun would be a time of great spiritual growth and a time for new and exciting beginnings, and not the end of the world as the media and Hollywood portrayed it.

I pointed my car north and headed to my favorite national park, Death Valley.

The best way into Death Valley is through Beatty, Nevada, at Hell’s Gate. It is by far the most dramatic of the entrances into the park. Once you get through the mountain pass and pull over at the pay fee station, this spot will present you with your first glimpse of the valley. It is one of the most dramatic vistas you will ever encounter.

The valley floor is below sea level despite the fact that you are at about 3,000 feet above looking down. It’s simply breathtaking. For me it was the best place

By Brian Paco Alvarez

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to see the sunrise just shortly after 7 a.m. at a brisk 29 degrees. The best time of the year to experience Death Valley is during late fall through early spring when temperatures are cooler. I would not recommend a visit here in the summer months. With temperatures reaching 125 degrees, you travel at your own peril.

After exiting the park I kept following Route 127 which eventually turned into Kelbaker Road which leads directly into the Mojave National Preserve. I had wanted to visit the preserve since I was a little boy. It was one of those places that my parents and I would often drive past on our way to Los Angeles, so my childhood curiosity about the area was still strong. I was also interested in the fact that the preserve is home to the historic Kelso Train Depot.

As I made my way deep into the park, I was astonished by the huge, extinct lava fields and cinder cones that popped up out of nowhere, a testament to the area’s very active and very recent geological past. Cognizant of the time and the fact that I had only so many hours of sunlight on the shortest day of the year, I wasn’t able to stop for long. With the preserve just two hours from Las Vegas, this is a place I can easily return to any weekend.

There is little doubt that the historic Kelso Train Depot is a treasure of the high deserts of Southern California. Built in 1924 by the Union Pacific Railroad as one of several whistle stops between Salt Lake City and San Pedro, California, the depot provided a much-needed respite from the hot desert summers.

It was originally part of the Salt Lake, San Pedro and Los Angeles Railroad that was built in 1905 by Montana Senator William Andrews Clark. Clark is credited as the founding father of Las Vegas and is the namesake for Clark County, Nevada. Though the original depot was moved and later demolished, the new Kelso Depot, built 19 years later, still stands as a testament to the importance the railroad played in the American Southwest.

When you arrive in Kelso it is a bit of a challenge to find the depot since it faces the railroad tracks, away from the road. Once you walk up to the depot, however, you are immediately mesmerized. Built in the Mission Revival style common in the Southwest, the depot is a handsome building. The entire ground floor is surrounded by an arched portico and the

Mojave National Preserve Visitors Center is located in the Mojave Desert within the Mojave National Preserve on Kelbaker Road in Kelso, California.

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second floor windows have awnings. The grounds are covered in grass, date palms and several other kinds of trees.

Today the depot is no longer used by the railroad. It has been fully restored to its former glory and houses the preserve’s visitors center, a museum and a cafe’. My time at the depot exploring its galleries, talking to the park rangers and having lunch was a great experience. The Kelso Train Depot and its amazingly friendly staff, great exhibits and good sandwiches make it a must-see when in Southern California. Best of all, it’s free!

Upon leaving the Mojave Preserve I headed south towards Twentynine Palms, home of the Joshua Tree National Park. The hour or so drive to the park was pleasant with lots of desert and architecture to enjoy. If you are a Mid-Century Modern architecture aficionado you will definitely enjoy So-Cal’s back country.

Along the old National Trail Highway, a.k.a. Route 66, you will find some great examples of this architectural vernacular that has been seeing a resurgence in popularity over the past several years. Since many of the communities in the Southwest were built during the 1950s and ‘60s, there is plenty of Mid-Century to go around, especially in places like Palm Springs and Las Vegas.

With barely an hour and a half of sunlight left I finally made it to the Joshua Tree National Park visitors center in Twentynine Palms. I knew I’d never make it to the beach in time for the sunset, so I chose to stay in the park. The park that borders just north of the San Andreas Fault is a dramatic landscape with every hue imaginable. From Joshua

Roy’s Motel and Café is a defunct motel,

café, gas station, and auto repair shop on

the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route

66 in the Mojave Desert town of Amboy

in San Bernardino County, California.

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trees and cholla cactus to ocotillos and natural rockpiles, there is plenty of visual stimulation to entertain you for hours.

Most of the easily accessible areas of the park are to the west, although the area south towards I-10 is a great drive and the dramatic drop in elevation with eye popping vistas makes it a tantalizing candyland.

Sadly, my brief time in the park did not afford me much time to enjoy it and, by the time I hit the park’s exit, it was already dark. As night descended in the desert, I knew that I would be back. Only a few hours away from Las Vegas, it would be well worth the drive to explore the park further and to really absorb its beauty.

This was one of the most fulfilling road trips I have ever taken. I hit two amazing national parks and a national preserve, I drove the back country of Southern California and Nevada, and came within a hop, skip and a jump of Arizona. In the end I covered 759 miles in 18 hours traversing the high deserts of the Mojave.

When thinking about your next road trip, consider making your destination America’s Outback, the Mojave Desert. It’s a land of contrasts that will leave you spiritually and emotionally fulfilled.

This story is an excerpt from the author’s December 21, 2012, blog posting. Check it out for the full story and links to the places he visited: http://lvartsandculture.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-solstice-jaunt-into-americas-outback.html

Jumping cholla cactus in Joshua

Tree National Park, California.


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April 2013fresh52 Farmer’s Market Every Fri. Town SquareEvery Sat. Tivoli VillageEvery Sun. Sansone Marketplacefresh52.com

Bet on the FarmFarmer’s MarketEvery ThursdaySprings Preservebetonthefarm.com

Sculptures in GlassNow-May 23, 2013 Las Vegas CIty Hall702.229.5256artslasvegas.org/listings/ 110.htm

Spirit JourneysNow-May 5, 2013 Charleston Heights Performing Arts Center 702.229.5256 artslasvegas.org/listings/ 75.htm

The Mystery of Irma VepMarch 29-April 15, 2013 Las Vegas Little Theatrelvlt.org

Day Out With Thomas the Tank Engine 2013April 6-15, 2013 Nevada StateRailroad Museum866.468.7630tktwb.tw/1225cG4

Trevor GreenApril 12, 2013 Henderson Events Plazahendersonlive.com

Michael Franzese: The Definitive Guide to the MobApril 12, 2013Mob Museum702.229.2734themobmuseum.org

Julie Budd “Show-Stoppers”April 12-13, 2013 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

The Learned LadiesApril 12-21, 2013UNLV Performing Arts Center702.895.ARTSpac.unlv.edu

Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’OleApril 13, 2013 Historic Fifth Street School702.229.5256artslasvegas.org/listings/ 177.htm

Art at the MarketApril 13, 2013 Bruce Trent Parkartmarketlasvegas.com

Ian WattApril 13, 2013 UNLV Performing Arts Centerpac.unlv.edu

Summerlin Half MarathonApril 13, 2013 JW Marriott Las VegasResort & Spa702.862.8141desertskyadventures.com/summerlin2013

Drop-In Art at the Neon MuseumApril 13, 2013 The Neon Museum702.997.3350neonmuseum.org

23rd Annual AIDS Walk Las VegasApril 14, 2013 University of Nevada Las Vegas702.383.8095afanlv.org

Young Artists ConcertApril 14, 2013Henderson Pavilionhendersonlive.com

Cadillac Through the YearsApril 13-14, 2013 Town Square Las Vegascadillacthroughtheyears.org

Disney’s “Beauty andthe Beast”April 16-21, 2013 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Esteban “Music fromthe Heart”April 18-19, 2013 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

VioletApril 19-28, 2013 CSN Performing Arts Center702.651.LIVEcsn.edu/pac

Vegas Artwalk Anthem HighlandsApril 20-21, 2013702.245.6077vegasartwalk.com

Project Dinner TableApril 20, 2013 The Neon Museum702.997.3350projectdinnertable.com

Sergio & Odair Assad with Special Guest Clarice AssadApril 20-21,2013 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Our Las Vegas Project Exhibit April 25-July 18, 2013 702.229.5256artslasvegas.org

5th Annual New WorksCompetition WinnerApril 26-May 13, 2013 Las Vegas Little Theatrelvlt.org

Death of a SalesmanApril 26-May 20, 2013 Cockroach Theatreflavors.me/cockroachtheatre#c92/custom_plain

Opera Workshop: I Feel PrettyApril 26, 2013 UNLV Performing Arts Center702.895.ARTSpac.unlv.edu

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May 2013Rapunzel, RapunzelApril 26-May 6, 2013 The Rainbow CompanyYouth Theatreww.rainbowcompany.org

Jazz Roots: The American SongbookApril 26, 2013 The Smith Center702.749.2000thesmithcenter.com

National Rebuilding DayApril 27, 2013Rebuilding TogetherSouthern Nevada702.259.4900rtsnv.org

Vegas Artwalk Vista Commons in SummerlinApril 27-28, 2013702.245.6077vegasartwalk.com

Las Vegas Science FestivalApril 28-May 4, 2013 Various Las Vegas and Henderson Locationslasvegassciencefestival.com

Good PeopleMay 3-20, 2013 Las Vegas Little Theatrelvlt.org

J. Canteloube “Chants d Augeregne”May 3, 2013 Henderson Pavilionhendersonlive.com

First FridayMay 3, 201318b Arts Districtfirstfridaylasvegas.com

Camp Solari Helps Young Hearts HealMay 3-5, 2013 Mount Charleston Lodge877.795.8760solarihospicefoundation.org

CSN Spring Dance - “Karpay Diem”May 3-4, 2013 CSN Performing Arts Center702.651.LIVEcsn.edu/pac

UrinetownMay 3-12, 2013 UNLV Performing Arts Center702.895.ARTSunlv.edu/event/urinetown-0

Clint HolmesMay 3, 2013The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Art at the MarketFloyd Lamb State ParkMay 4-5, 2013702.245.6077

Las Vegas Philharmonic – Celestial BodiesMay 4, 2013The Smith Center702.749.2000thesmithcenter.com

An Afternoon of JazzMay 5, 2013 CSN Performing Arts Center702.651.LIVE csn.edu/pac

CSN OrchestraMay 6, 2013 CSN Performing Arts Center702.651.LIVE csn.edu/pac

CSN Concert Band & Mariachi BandMay 7, 2013 CSN Performing Arts Center702.651.LIVE csn.edu/pac

CSN Big Band & Steel Drum BandMay 8, 2013 CSN Performing Arts Center702.651.LIVE csn.edu/pac

CSN Spring Choral ConcertMay 9, 2013 CSN Performing Arts Center702.651.LIVE csn.edu/pac

Roseman University Scholarship GalaMay 11, 2013Caesars Palace(702) [email protected]

Romeo & JulietMay 11-12, 2013 The Smith Center702.749.2000thesmithcenter.com

Ice Cream FestivalMay 11, 2013Springs Preservespringspreserve.org

Art Festival of HendersonMay 12, 2013Henderson Events Plazahendersonlive.com

Billy Elliot the MusicalMay 14-19, 2013 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Red Rock RamblersMay 17, 2013 Lloyd GeorgeU.S. Courthouse702.229.5256artslasvegas.org/listings/128.htm

Golf 4 The KidsMay 17, 2013 TPC Las Vegas702.732.0232golf4thekids.org


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Sign up for Our Bi-Weekly Events Newsletter by Emailing [email protected] with SUBSCRIBE in the Subject Line.

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For more details on these and other exciting events use this QR code to go to our events page of our website. You can even list your own event!

June 2013

July 2013

A Night of Arias and DuetsMay 17, 2013 Clark County Library Theater702.449.7022swmetro.com/Upcoming.html

Lisa Hilton: American Impressions and MoreMay 17-18, 2013 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Southwest Symphony OrchestraMay 18, 2013Tanner AmphitheaterZion National Parkdixie.edu/tanner

Jeff Hamilton TrioMay 18, 2013 Clark County GovernmentCenter Amphitheaterclarkcountynv.gov/Depts/parks/Pages/jazz-inthe-park.aspx

Celebrating Life! 2013 Main Exhibit May 24–July 14, 2013 Charleston HeightsPerforming Arts Center702.229.5256artslasvegas.org/listings/167.htm

A Motown Extravaganza Starring Spectrum & RadianceMay 24-25, 2013 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Bluegrass Celebration & Lonesome Otis PerformanceMay 25, 2013 Charleston HeightsPerforming Arts Center702.229.5256artslasvegas.org/listings, 20139.htm

Straight from the Bayou Crawfish FestivalMay 25, 2013 Henderson Pavilion702.267.4TIXhendersonlive.com/tickets

Tom ScottMay 25, 2013 Clark County GovernmentCenter Amphitheaterclarkcountynv.gov/Depts/parks/Pages/jazz-inthe-park.aspx

Mary PoppinsMay 30-Oct. 25, 2013Tuachan Amphiteater800.746.9882tuacahn.org

Geographical DividesMay 30-Sept. 9, 2013 Las Vegas CIty Hall702.229.5256artslasvegas.org/listings/ 95.htm

Karla BonoffMay 31-June 1, 2013The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

The Randy Anderson BandJune 1, 2013Tanner AmphitheaterZion National Parkdixie.edu/tanner

Neon BazaarJune 1, 2013El Cortezneonbazaarlv.com

Earl KlughJune 1, 2013 Clark County GovernmentCenter Amphitheaterclarkcountynv.gov/Depts/parks/Pages/jazz-inthe-park.aspx

Starlight ExpressJune 6 - October 24, 2013Tuachan Amphiteater800.746.9882tuacahn.org

First FridayJune 7, 2013 18b Arts Districtfirstfridaylasvegas.com

Clint HolmesJune 7, 2013 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Pete EscovedoJune 8, 2013 Clark County GovernmentCenter Amphitheaterclarkcountynv.gov/Depts/parks/Pages/jazz-inthe-park.aspx

American IdiotJune 11-16, 2013 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

The Piano GuysJune 13, 2013UNLV PACpac.unlv.edu

Choirs of John SotoJune 15, 2013Tanner AmphitheaterZion National Parkdixie.edu/tanner

Catch Me If You CanJune 18-23, 2013The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Utah Shakespearean FestivalJune 24-Oct 19,2013Cedar City, UT800.PLAYTIXbard.org

Disney’s MulanJune 27-Aug. 10, 2013Tuachan Amphiteater800.746.9882tuacahn.org

Fourth of July CelebrationJuly 4, 2013 Mission Hills Parkhendersonlive.com

Thoroughly Modern MillieJuly 4-Oct 22, 2013Tuachan Amphiteater800.746.9882tuacahn.org

Neil Simon FestivalJuly 10-Aug. 10, 2013Cedar City, Utah866.35.SIMONsimonfest.org

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design

archi-tecture + styleIN THIS SECTION

38 L.A. Story: Southern California’s Architectural RevolutionAn exciting new exhibit at the J. Paul Getty Museum looks at the transformation of Los Angeles through its built landscape and aesthetic evolution over five decades.

42 It’s in the BagFashion blogger Laura Coronado reveals the essential items to pack to stay fashionable and comfortable on your next trip.

< “L8TER,” Single continuous cut paper collage, by Jow. See more work by this artist at tastyspacelv.com.

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By Tony Illia

Photography J. Paul Getty Trust

L.A.’s rapid transformation from desert dustbowl to dynamic destination is the subject of a new exhibit at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Brentwood, California, running from April 9 to July 23, 2013. Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940-1990, considers Southern California’s built landscape and aesthetic evolution over five decades. The brief but brilliant show uses photographs, drawings and models, as well as films, oral histories and animations to cross-examine the convergent economic forces and socio-cultural fabric that forged one of the world’s most populous, diverse and influential metropolises.

“The title Overdrive refers to the extraordinary pace, global impact and periodic setbacks resulting from L.A.’s impressive growth. It is a city that continues to grow and foster architectural

L.A. STORY: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S ARCHITECTURAL REVOLUTION

Getty Museum Exhibit Examines L.A.’s Dynamic Development

Department of Water and Power Building, 1965. Building by A.C. Martin.

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exploration,” said curator Wim de Wit, head of the Getty Research Institute’s Department of Architecture and Contemporary Art. “Despite its infamous reputation as a chaotic, unplanned accident, Los Angeles has long been a laboratory for cutting-edge innovation and planning in architecture and design.”

L.A.’s lab-like experimentation stems from a soup of eclectic ingredients, including car culture and freeways, urban networks and commerce, media and entertainment, among other things. As a result, the show has a sweeping scope that surveys public squares and private residences, corporate high-rises and coffee shops. Mid-century masters A. Quincy Jones, John Lautner and Paul Revere Williams are represented as well as contemporary star-architects like Frank Gehry, Thom Mayne and Eric Owen Moss.

Some exhibit items are unlikely but crucial examples of Southern California design like Edward H. Fickett’s Port of L.A. Passenger Terminal, the Santa Monica and Harbor Freeway interchange, and Frank Ehrenthal’s Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. However, other items are instantly recognizable such as Welton Becket’s scalloped 13-story Capitol Records tower, A.C. Martin & Associates’ 1965 Department of Water and Power Building, Gehry Partners’ 2003 Walt Disney Concert Hall and Pierre Koening’s 1960 Case Study House No. 22, made famous by photographer by Julius Shulman.

Several iconic Shulman images appear throughout the exhibit, courtesy of the Getty Research Institute which acquired a 260,000-piece trove from the photographer four years before his death in 2009. They are some of the show’s most sumptuous treats. Shulman skillfully

LAX Theme Building by Pereira & Luckman, Welton Becket & Associates, and Paul R. Williams, construction completed 1961.

Shoreline House for Orange County Home Show by Whitney Smith and Wayne Williams, Smith and Williams, 1957.

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chronicles Southern California’s urban metamorphosis with clear, graceful images that showcase architectural designs within a natural setting. His photos narrate an idealized vision of postwar L.A. life that fueled its widespread popularity. Shulman was known for his sense of space and uncanny ability to capture buildings in the right light. More importantly, architects entrusted Shulman to understand their design philosophy, thereby properly representing their aesthetic intent.

“This landmark exhibit highlights Los Angeles’ important role in the development of modern architecture,” said J. Paul Getty Museum director Timothy Potts. “It also confirms Los Angeles as a major center of artistic accomplishment in post-World War II America.”

Indeed, L.A. architecture’s pervasive design ethos for geometric, structural and spatial clarity has spread well beyond its borders. Southern California’s sun drenched days

inspired open design schemes that blur the boundaries between indoors and out, which has since become a staple of contemporary architectural practice. The region’s active lifestyle is captured in those unfettered transparent moments.

L.A. underwent a residential explosion between 1940 and 1990 aided by the glamorous lure of Hollywood and Pacific Ocean beach weather, but, more significantly, facilitated by the construction of the Mulholland Aqueduct and Eisenhower Interstate Highway System. Architects responded to the need for affordable housing by using industrial wartime techniques for economic mass-production and pre-fabrication. It enabled them to accommodate the region’s building boom while simultaneously exploring new design possibilities with advanced materials.

The exhibit casts a critical eye beyond exalted cultural institutions to

commonplace architecture that forms the backbone of daily life, including shopping malls and gas stations, churches and movie theaters. Simple mundane structures can often resonant the most. Overdrive, for instance, features artist Ed Ruscha’s photographs of gas stations that were instrumental in celebrating an emerging roadside culture synonymous with Southern California life.

Freeways provided a new sense of liberation, adventure and freedom. They also fueled urban sprawl and the birth of the suburb. A new national freeway system empowered people to explore and migrate west, spurring a network of roadside diners, motels and car washes built with the streamlined dynamism of car design. The results, known as Googie architecture, gave birth to a decentralized metropolis.

The Googie movement, which took place in Southern California from the 1940s to

Sunnylands by A. Quincy Jones, 1963 - 1966.

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mid-1960s, stylistically meant upswept roofs, curvaceous and geometric shapes built with glass, steel and neon. Space-age atoms, parabolas and other free-form attention-grabbing designs are recurring Googie motifs, coupled with over-sized, whimsical, sculptural displays that Tom Wolfe once called a “staple design of the American landscape.”

Several seminal Googie buildings appear in the exhibit, including, most famously, the LAX Theme Building completed in 1961. It resembles a flying saucer suspended in mid-air by two crossed arches. Designed by William Pereira and Charles Luckman, with Paul Revere Williams and Welton Becket, the distinctive white obelisk with four spider-like legs houses a 360-degree stucco-and-glass restaurant. In 1992, the Los Angeles City Council designated the building a cultural and historical monument.

Overdrive is the first major museum show surveying L.A.’s built environment. The exhibit will resonate for Las Vegas visitors since both communities share similar histories of explosive population growth, urban sprawl and freeway-inspired development, as well as year-round sunshine and recreation-based economies. Many notable L.A. architects featured in the show have worked in Las Vegas, including William Pereira (Nellis Air Force Base), Langdon Wilson Architects (Tahiti Village Resort) and Frank Gehry (Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health). Their work has played a pivotal role in changing the complexity and visualization of Las Vegas. In short, L.A. laid the stylistic foundation for Southern Nevada’s architectural genesis.

Overdrive is a fascinating and insightful look at L.A. that sheds new light on the origin of a complex and artistically divergent megalopolis. Las Vegas visitors willing to undertake a short road-trip are likely to find many engaging parallels that lend new perspective on the mosaic-like composition of Southern Nevada. Overdrive, in summary, is a carefully prepared and sensuous delicacy well worth consuming, time and time again.

Top: Samitaur Tower by Eric Owen Moss Architects, 2008–2010. Bottom: Walt Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry, 1987–2003.

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IT’S IN THE BAG

Travel Essentials for Your Next TripBy Laura Coronado | Photography Talbot Snow

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A change in the weather is bound to conjure up some wanderlust. When you live in Las Vegas, others find it difficult to believe anyone would ever feel the need to escape, but a vacation is all about a change in scenery, new experiences and establishing unforgettable memories in a faraway land.

The perfect vacation requires the perfect planning, and that especially includes packing. It’s a common conundrum, isn’t it? You want to make sure you pack all that you need, but you don’t want to over pack and be forced to pay a ridiculous amount of baggage fees for additional or overweight luggage. How do you find the balance? First and foremost, you focus on the essentials, and only the essentials. Packing anything beyond that is a luxury. Start at the bottom, and work your way up. Nothing will ruin your vacation more than tired feet, or, if you’re a fashionista, ugly shoes. No matter where you’re traveling to, you’re destined to do a lot of walking and dining out. It’s important to tend to your tootsies.

“I always pack one pair of flats and one pair of heels,” says Las Vegas-born Melissa Akkaway, owner of the Beckley Boutique at Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. Between her shop here and storefront in Los Angeles, the entrepreneur is always on the go and always traveling. Her chosen pairs of travel shoes are Yosi Samara flats and Christian Louboutin nude heels. “Both can be paired with everything I own as they’re basic staples, but totally chic,” she adds. Of course, labels don’t matter as much as comfort, durability and versatility do. Just make sure that your selected pairs feel as good as they look. And follow Akkaway’s example: one pair of each is enough.

Two ways are better than one. Nothing will save room in your luggage more than convertible apparel and bags will. Consider shopping for women’s handbags that can be converted from a clutch to a crossbody bag or any other easy-to-wear silhouette. Handbag brand Ellington features a backpack that can be converted into a shoulder bag. At outdoor retailer REI, a plethora of convertible apparel can be discovered, including pants that convert into shorts and jackets that convert into vests.

Akkaway agrees with packing multi-use items. She says, “No matter the season, I never travel without a cozy cashmere scarf. I love the thicker scarves from the line 360 because they’re huge and can double as a blanket on the plane.”

Travel expert and owner of Island Girl Travel, Lori Herren, who specializes in island and tropical destinations, recommends sun protection, good sunglasses, water-friendly shoes and a new bikini for getaways that include a lot of sun. Her favorite store for travel fashion is Everything But Water. “No matter what time of year, I can always find a swimsuit,” the travel advisor confirms.

Akkaway encourages travelers to opt for travel fashion that does not wrinkle. Her best pick is a pair of leggings. Akkaway’s own boutique and label, Beckley by Melissa, offers trendy leather leggings which are designed to keep any jetsetter looking like a trendsetter.

But going beyond fashion, Herren suggests other essentials that go beyond style and just make good common sense. For example, if you’re traveling to a foreign country and expect your laptop, phone charger, hairdryer and flat iron to work, you had better pack an adapter. Herren recommends gift shop Brookstone for essential travel gadgets.

Lastly, secure the joy of your trip with travel insurance. Explains Herren, “In general, I believe that travel insurance is an essential for most trips, unless you can afford to walk away from the investment you are making,” she explains.

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dining + retailIN THIS SECTION

48 Wolfgang PuckLearn more about this master chef who has been pleasing palates in Las Vegas for more than 20 years.

50 London Food SensationsFood writer Jillian Plaster recently returned from a trip to London. She shares some tips that might make your next trip there a little tastier.

52 Internet Travel ResourcesA plethora of online resources makes it easier than ever to book flights, ground transportation and accommodations. We share the top 10 sites for booking your next trip completely online.

54 L’s Beauty and Wellness TipsLissette shares tips for looking and feeling your best.

56 IMHORandall H. Walker muses about McCarran International Airport’s growth and the current opportunity to reflect on what’s next.

< “Maxwell House,” oil on canvas, by Vicki Richardson. See more work by this artist at leftofcenterart.org.

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A skilled dancer makes difficult moves seem effortless and a professional golfer makes the game look simple. Wolfgang Puck makes running restaurants seem easy. Without a frazzled hair anywhere, he successfully operates over one hundred restaurants across the globe. Having worked in one and dined in more than I can count, I feel comfortable saying this is no small feat.

Each restaurant offers unpretentious and well-executed fare served with a smile and unparalleled consistency. When asked how he maintains this incredible consistency in his restaurants, the culinary icon compares it to designing a suit. You can’t start a beautiful suit without the finest fabrics, and you can’t sew it without the best of tailors. Then do excellent ingredients brought in from California daily and talented chefs make a

WOLFGANG PUCK

Master Chefand Host Extraordinaire By Jillian Plaster

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restaurant run successfully day in and day out? If only it were that straightforward.

Wolf, as he is affectionately and efficiently called by his peers, knows that ingredients and chefs aren’t all it takes. He has built his empire on the principle that a restaurant’s hospitality is just as important as the food. It makes sense, then, that he would pioneer the fine dining movement in Las Vegas, a city that has the reputation for offering the kind of customer service that makes people feel great about opening their wallets. Think about the free drink with your slot machine “investment” and the complimentary buffet tickets for your table play. A host remembering your name when you dine at Spago is intended to have a similar effect.

Undoubtedly Wolf’s “golden child” is the 30-year-old Beverly Hills Spago, but it is his commitment to hospitality and that connection to our city that has made the Forum Shops offshoot a beloved second. Though located in the Strip’s busiest mall and overcome by domestic and international “passers by,” Wolf considers the Caesar’s Spago to be a local’s restaurant. After celebrating 20 years in business at that location late last year, it is no surprise that a strong local clientele has helped support its longevity.

Perhaps this is why his empire didn’t fall with the country’s economic collapse. Certainly they felt the impact, but he responded by expanding the number of less expensive menu options rather than lowering prices. He said he would never downgrade the quality of ingredients, so instead he created dishes that highlighted fresh vegetables and smaller portions of meat for a lower cost. When the conventions are in town he makes up for

the income loss by serving steaks galore.

Wolf is down to earth and welcomes people from all walks of life to his restaurants, including the NFR cowboys who, on opening day of Spago, thought the open kitchen was a buffet. It was an innocent mistake, certainly, but one that had him seriously questioning whether his fine dining concept would work in our city.

Obviously it did, because what Wolf has done better than any other chef in the world is to master the business of running restaurants. While other chefs are busy being celebrities, Wolf lives in the kitchens and dining rooms of his restaurants far more than he appears in front of the camera.

Yes, he’s cooked on TV and sold things on QVC, but never has he faltered in his role as a master chef and host extraordinaire. Call it old school or call it acumen, but whatever you call it there is no questioning his ability to warm his way into your heart via his delicious food, exceptional taste and endearing accent.

To learn more about Wolfgang Puck and his fine and casual dining establishments, visit www.wolfgangpuck.com.

MayorCarolynGoodmanhonoringWolfgangPuckwithakeytothecity,celebrating20yearsinLasVegas.

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LONDON FOOD SENSATIONSFood writer Jillian Plaster recently returned from

a trip to London. Here she shares some tips that

might make your next trip to London a little tastier:

Reservations are recommended, but not necessary

It’s easy to find yourself scrambling last minute for a highly coveted dinner reservation, but if you’re in a small group and flexible you can still dine at the hot spots. Amaya in London is an exceptional restaurant with a cherry wood communal table where a couple can grab seats, even on a Friday night. The modern Indian restaurant’s careful use of pin spot lighting accentuates each beautifully presented dish, but surprisingly everything tastes even better than it looks. The black pepper chicken made with a marinade containing cheese is the juiciest you’ll ever have, but everything on the menu is cause for excitement.

Don’t knock it ‘til you try it

You might think a meal at Cut in London would be redundant after dining at the same restaurant locally, but you’d be wrong to scratch it off your list. The understated but comfortable dining room at 45 Park is as classy as it gets, and makes the perfect backdrop for a celebration of anything. Steaks and service are superb, and each dish on the menu outshines its stateside counterpart. Mac ‘n’ cheese and tuna tartare are evidence of how annoyingly trendy dishes got popular in the first place, and retro Baked Alaska makes you wonder why some classics ever went out of style.

Eat your vegetables (or don’t)

A simple dish of veal bone marrow accompanied by an acidic parsley salad and crusty grilled bread surpasses any carnivore’s expectations when it is served at its birthplace St. John. Fergus Henderson specializes in all animal parts at this converted smoke house permeated with an intoxicating smell that seems to have taken years to build. The trotter and pheasant pie for two is perfect and sophisticated English comfort food, and baked to order madeleines can be packed up for the tube ride back to your hotel.

Pheasant and Trotter Pie at St. John in Smithfield, London.

Black Pepper Chicken at Amaya in London.

Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad at St. John.

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INTERNET TRAVEL RESOURCES

Book Your Next Trip OnlineBy Chris Cutler

Over the past nine months, I’ve spent more hours than I want to admit planning a two-month adventure to France and Italy. I researched and booked everything—airlines, trains, cars, and accommodations—myself online.

It’s not the first time I’ve done it. The Internet has exploded with a plethora of travel sites over the past 10 years, and I’ve used them to plan everything from an overnight stay in St. George to cruises to this current trip.

I frequent the following sites more than any others. I find them reliable, objective and full of useful information.

About 10 years ago, I stumbled across Tripadvisor and it’s been my go-to site ever since. Like the other two, Fodors.com and Lonelyplanet.com, it helps travelers gather information, read reviews of hotels, restaurants, activities and more. Most of the content is user-generated, and I never stay anywhere without checking the reviews first and writing a review myself later.

The Fodor’s and Lonely Planet sites are web-based travel guidebooks where you can find information on everything from where to find the best baguette in Paris to the top 10 travel scams.

tripadvisor.com

fodors.com

lonelyplanet.com

Trying to find the best deal for airfare or hotel or car rental? Try Momondo and Kayak. These two sites search hundreds of travel sites simultaneously to find you the best prices. Unlike Hotwire, Priceline and others, Momondo and Kayak don’t sell the tickets themselves but send you to the site with the best deal.

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kayak.com

When we stay more than a few days in one city, I search for apartments instead of hotels. We prefer having a larger space where we can cook, relax and wash clothes. Since most of the places we stay are owned by individuals, I always check reviews first. And, as with any travel, you have to be careful with deposits and payments.

homeaway.com

vrbo.com

flipkey.com

Greenberg is travel editor for CBS News, and he has a wealth of travel news, tips, videos and more. I found Momondo through Greenberg.

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This site is a service of the United States Bureau of Consular Affairs. In addition to listing travel warnings, it also promotes international exchange and cultural understanding. In addition, if you travel outside of the country, you should register your trip via this site so they can help you should you run into problems overseas.

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Lissette Waugh is owner of L Makeup Institute & Agency 241 W. Charleston Blvd.Las Vegas, NV 89102702.685.9298 Lmakeupinstitute.com

Whether you’re traveling by plane, train or automobile, it’s not hard to look your best with the following tips.

Go on a beauty shopping spree – An upcoming vacation is a good time for you to go through your beauty products and take inventory of what items you may need specific to the climate where you’re headed, such as facial moisturizer with sunscreen. Being prepared is essential for a successful trip.

Condense your makeup – Makeup compacts take up so much room and are very inconvenient. I have the perfect solution for you: depotting! This is a term used when you remove eye shadow or blush pans from compacts. Z Palette has created a convenient way to choose several different colors of eye shadow and blush by depotting them and adding them to one convenient magnetic palette. For more information, visit www.zpalette.com.

Eat chocolate – Studies show that cacao is said to hydrate your skin due to its high levels of flavonoids, a potent type of antioxidants. It also contains caffeine which temporarily reduces puffiness. Keep the quantity to a couple of small squares a day and make sure it’s cacao.

Keep it natural – When traveling on a plane I recommend not worrying so much about your physical appearance but focusing on what will make your flight a comfortable and relaxing one. I recommend keeping your makeup light and natural by using a tinted moisturizer such as Ko Ghen Do sold at Sephora.

Wrap it up – If you have hair past your shoulders, I recommend carrying a Scunci (an elastic hair band that will not damage your hair) in your bag. Once you are settled in your seat you can wrap your hair in a bun and tie your Scunci around it. This is a great way to keep your hair out of the way and create fullness once it’s taken out.

Take your vitamins – We all know that traveling in a confined space like an airplane cabin can leave you vulnerable to catching a number of viruses such as the common cold. I recommend you start taking vitamin C to help boost your immune system. Emergen-C packets are a great product to add to your packing list and are easy to store.

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IMHO Travel in TransitionIf there’s a single word that best summarizes the current atmosphere at McCarran International Airport, it’s undoubtedly transition.

Over the past two decades, airport management and staff operated in almost nonstop growth mode to stay ahead of the surging number of travelers drawn to Las Vegas as a result of our community’s increased profile domestically and abroad. “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” became a catchphrase that resonated the world over.

By 2007, McCarran’s passenger count approached 48 million, which greatly strained its infrastructure even after the debut of major expansions like the D Concourse. In June 2007, ground was broken on Terminal 3—at $2.4 billion, McCarran’s largest and most expensive expansion ever. Following five years of construction, the demand for T3 was apparent almost immediately after T3 opened its doors in June of 2012, as evidenced by the simultaneous use of each of T3’s seven international gates on the terminal’s first full day of operations.

With T3 now in place and capable of supporting years of future growth, the rush to continue building has finally subsided. We’re now faced with a new, and frankly, unfamiliar, challenge: how to refine and best operate McCarran as it currently exists.

It’s nice to have this opportunity to take a step back and review how things operate,

to ask ourselves, “Is there a better way?” In our prior rush to get things done quickly, before the next wave arrived, we were rarely afforded the opportunity to reflect in such a manner.

I’m proud of what our team has accomplished. Despite great challenges, we have achieved our ongoing goal of never allowing McCarran to become an impediment to this community’s economic growth. Still, past success does not guarantee future excellence, and it’s time to take a deep look inward to determine how we can refine our procedures and practices to serve our customers’ needs going forward.

One thing that has never changed is our firm understanding of McCarran’s role in this community. We provide the first and last impression of Las Vegas for tens of millions of visitors each year. While we’re just one component of a traveler’s experience in Las Vegas, we want to make sure we provide a positive impression.

Travel is still an adventure and, after 65 years, McCarran is still proud to serve as this community’s aviation gateway. We look forward to evolving, though not necessarily growing, even further in the years to come.

Editor’s note: Clark County Director of Aviation Randall Walker plans to retire on June 3, following more than 22 years with Clark County, including serving in his current role since May 1997.

By Randall H. Walker

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