![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
woops! Lol
OK so go me! now i am feelin a bit stupid! hahaha! the "guy" I was emailing all along being my future room mate, was, is, has always been a female! haha! I called before and thought "wow!" and then I told her and she laughed! I do feel a little better though! I'm gunna have to snag someone elses space til I get my room free cos i get there at 7 or something! but DW and I are gonna meet for breakfast so that will be kinda coool! then I am presuming he'll be busy so I can go hang around Rich and his friends for a while.
Waynette was saying she got her convention packet already so I guess I'll be getting mine soon but if not guess I better call them just incase they need more info! but waynette use to live in LV and also knows the president of the NCB so she knows I'm coming which is a good thing I reckon!
I was sooo excited! I read this updated page yesterday.
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
2005 CONVENTION INFORMATION
REVISED 5/24/2005
2005 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND NATIONAL CONVENTION
Date: July 2-9, 2005 at the Riviera Hotel
Las Vegas, Nevada
For reservations call, 1-800-634-6753
702 734-5110
AT 108 IT WILL STILL BE GREAT!
AN EARLY LOOK AT THE 2005 CONVENTION
by Cynthia Towers, ACB Convention Coordinator
I am of course talking about the temperature. I visited the site of the 2005 convention, Las Vegas, Nev., the last weekend in July and yes, it was hot!!!
But don't let that stop you from making your reservations for the 44th annual convention of the American Council of the Blind.
Ask yourself: Do you want to be in a facility where the ACB offices and all meetings, including general sessions and exhibits, will be located down a single
hallway? Do you want to be in a hotel with six restaurants, one of which is a food court, another a buffet and yet another open 24 hours? Do you want to
have endless options for entertainment and food just outside your hotel door? Do you want to go on unique tours of roller coasters, casinos and places
such as the Elvis or Liberace museum? Do you want to be just 3 miles from the airport to the hotel? If the answer is yes to all or some of these questions,
then you want to be at the Riviera Hotel and Casino the week of July 2-9, 2005.
The hotel has five towers and ACB will be primarily in the two closest to the meeting space. It also has a swimming pool, several ATMs, a barber and beauty
shop, several gift shops and three entertainment venues, including a comedy club, plus an arcade and oh yes, there are a few bars. If you are so inclined,
you can even get married in the Wedding Chapel! And what about the gambling? There are gaming tables and slot machines galore -- but no Ray Charles machines.
Many of them, however, are the traditional kind, with some being the ones that have tickets. When I met with the hotel on July 30th, I was informed that
the Riviera has no plans in the near or distant future to convert any more of their machines to the paper format.
I also met with Carol Ewing, president of the Nevada Council of the Blind, and the 2005 host committee that weekend. She and her committee are so excited
to have ACB come to their state. They have been given a list of things to do to begin the work of making this convention a great one for all who attend.
I want to thank Carol and the Nevada Council for stepping up to the plate to do what is needed locally -- volunteer recruitment, obtaining door prizes,
securing entertainment for each general session as well as an opening invocation and having a group on hand to assemble nearly 1,200 convention bags to
be ready for distribution by the time you arrive are just a few of the tasks assigned to them.
So how do you get in on all the fun? Well, you begin by calling the Riviera at 1-800-634-6753 and stating that you are making a reservation for the American
Council of the Blind's July 2005 convention. Then you start watching those airfares and snag the one that is right for you. I am so looking forward to
seeing you in Las Vegas. If you have never been to the town, you will find a wealth of things to do -- but only after you have attended the general session
and the afternoon meetings (smile). Las Vegas is a 24/7 town -- it operates the same at 3 p.m. as it does at 3 a.m. Families are welcome; the city has
really endeavored to be family-friendly.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the upcoming convention, please feel free to contact me. I can be reached at ctowers@acb.org or on
my toll-free number at 1-800- 474-3029, extension 0. Whether you spend your off times at the blackjack table or wandering the Las Vegas strip, just remember
to set your clock so you won't be late for each day's opening session door prize. Viva Las Vegas!!!
ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!
A LOOK AT THE UPCOMING 2005 VEGAS CONVENTION
by Cynthia Towers, Convention Coordinator
Elvis may not be around anymore, but don't you be missed at the 2005 convention to be held July 2-9 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Before
I go into any more details about the convention, I thought I would give you a little history of the city you will be visiting. In 1829 Spanish explorers
discovered the city and in 1905 the town of Las Vegas was established by the auctioning of land; the city was incorporated in 1911. The first commercial
flight was in 1926 via Western Airlines. Today some 980 flights a day come into Las Vegas, 58 of which are direct flights from U.S. cities.
Las Vegas means "the meadows" in Spanish. It currently has a population of 478,000. There are some 122,000 slot machines to choose from and over 3,800 gaming
tables. You have a choice of nearly 1,000 cabs to get you around to all those casinos. Do you feel lucky? Well, in 1997, Sue Henley, a Las Vegas construction
inspector, won over $12 million on a Megabucks slot machine. It is the largest slot machine jackpot in history to date. And by 1998, annual gross gaming
revenue in Nevada hit the $8.1 billion mark.
Well, the American Council of the Blind hopes that you will take one of those cabs to transport yourself to the 44th annual convention of this great organization.
There are just a few details I want to advise you of at this time. Margie Donovan is in charge of dealing with the guide dog relief areas. She has recently
returned from Las Vegas and has scoped out a few places that she feels might work. When you make your room reservations, if you are a guide dog user, you
might want to request that you be placed in the Monaco Tower to give you the best vantage place for relieving your dog. There will be other relief areas
as well. The other tower we will be in is the Monte Carlo. Both towers are in easy reach of the convention area where our meetings will be held.
By the time this Forum reaches you, we hope that the online reservation process will be in place. By going to the ACB web site, you will be able to reserve
a room and place a deposit. This is a great convenience to our members, and the convention committee thanks the Riviera and ACB webmaster Earlene Hughes
for making this possible. Until then, you can call the hotel directly at 1-800-634-6753. The room rates are $77 for singles and doubles, $87 for triples
and $97 for quads with a 9 percent tax.
All of the usual plans for convention are coming along well. We hope to have over 100 vendors, the children enrolled in the YAC (Youth Activity Center)
will have a wealth of places to go for amusement, and the tours will be comprised of some interesting venues, such as the Liberace museum, comedy clubs
and our ever-popular city tour.
I wish you all the best that the holiday season can bring. As always, if you would like to reach me for convention-related questions, comments and/or concerns,
you can do so at 1-800-474-3029 extension 00 or via e-mail,
ctowers@acb.org.
Viva Las Vegas!
TIME TO MAKE PLANS TO MAKE TRACKS TO THE U.S. SOUTHWEST
by Berl Colley
The operative word for ACB convention 2005 tours is HOT!!! Temperatures in the Las Vegas area in July quite often exceed 100 degrees.
It is time to start planning for what looks to be the largest ACB convention ever, in Las Vegas, Nev. Although it hasn't been finalized yet, the agenda
for ACB tours may be one of the largest ever.
Tours will start on July 1, 2005 with another all-day trip. You will be leaving early in the morning and heading to Arizona, partner. Your tour will follow
the Colorado River to Lake Havasu. We may travel the last 60 miles to Havasu on the Colorado River in a jet boat if we can get a workable price. In the
1960s, Robert McCullock, of McCullock oil fame, developed several planned communities around the Southwest. His developments were usually built around
some signature landmark. In the case of Lake Havasu, his first development, the landmark is the London Bridge. "But that's in England, crossing the Thames!"
you say. No, the old London Bridge is in the Arizona desert, bridging a small canal of Lake Havasu. McCullock purchased the bridge, had it shipped to Arizona
and reassembled it in his new community more than 40 years ago. Today, Lake Havasu is a thriving community of 50,000 people, and the London Bridge is still
its chief attraction. You will be having lunch at an internationally known eatery, then you will explore the many little shops on and below the bridge.
We are also looking into a boat trip on Lake Havasu for those wishing to spend time away from buying stuff. From Lake Havasu you will board a bus and go
up to Oatman, Ariz., an old mining town that produced millions of dollars in gold from 1906 through 1942. Oatman is on Highway 66, not the Route 66 of
TV fame, but the original Route 66 that was built in the 1920s. After hearing about the history of this area, you will have a chance to visit some of the
businesses on the town's boardwalks: places like Fast Fannys, the jail and gift shop, the old hotel, post office, Judy's saloon and several other candy
and ice creameries.
After the mines were shut down during World War II, many of the burros that were used in the mines were turned loose to roam the countryside. The area is
now a federally protected area for burros. There are photo opportunities for visitors, but visitors are warned that these burros are wild and may bite
or kick. Note -- parts of this town are not very accessible for those using wheelchairs. The evening will be filled with some great food and entertainment,
before heading back to the Riviera in Las Vegas.
On Saturday, July 2, there will be an opportunity to float on a portion of the Colorado River below Hoover Dam. This three-and-a-half-hour float is in Black
Canyon, a protected area along the river that can only be visited by permission of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. This is a narrated trip, where you will
learn about geological formations, the area's fauna and other general information. Lunches will be provided. No littering, please! This will be a morning
tour, as it can get very hot in the canyon in the afternoon.
Tours of the cities where ACB conventions are held are always popular, but Las Vegas is so different that we will be scheduling more than two city tours.
We will have the Saturday and Sunday morning tours. Later in the week, we are trying to put together a late evening, open air tour of the Las Vegas strip,
with all of its glitter and theme architecture and shows.
Saturday afternoon, ACB tours will be visiting the Liberace museum. He was a collector of cars and pianos. There is one whole building devoted to these
collections. In another building, you will learn about many of the fantastically elaborate costumes that he wore. You won't be able to touch them, because
of the expensive jewelry on them, but there will be knowledgeable description. The museum is going to try to have someone on hand who will play some of
his music. This tour will be repeated on Tuesday, July 5.
ACB tours is working with the Riviera to provide some informational training on their gaming activities. Current plans are to do this for a couple of hours
late in the afternoons of Saturday, July 2, Sunday, July 3, and Monday, July 4. Look for more information in upcoming Forums.
On Sunday afternoon, music afficionados will want to tour Elvis-A- Rama. This is a museum of Elvis memorabilia and an Elvis impersonator who will do a 15-minute
show. After leaving Elvis-A-Rama we will go over to Ethel M's candy factory. This internationally known candy maker produces a large variety of candy,
including their signature line of alcohol-laced chocolates. This tour will be repeated on Wednesday, July 6.
In future Forums we'll talk about: the blind services tour on Tuesday; the visit to Mormon Fort on Monday; a fun time at Bonnie Springs Ranch where Old
West melodramas, shootouts and hangings could happen on Tuesday; a visit to have tea?-- at a brothel? -- on Wednesday; a tour of Hoover Dam on Thursday;
a return of the popular Wednesday night cruise, on Lake Mead; going to the Clark County museum on Thursday; and Saturday evening dinner and entertainment.
Other possibilities being looked at: a roller coaster tour; an upscale shopping trip; a visit to the Liberace house; the home of a doctor who has collected
some very unusual things; and a Las Vegas 51s Pacific Coast League baseball game.
Kudos go to Carol Ewing, Rick Kuhlmey and all of the ACB folks in Las Vegas for their tireless work to make the 2005 ACB convention one that ACB attendees
from all over the world will always remember.
It's not too early to call the Riviera at (702) 734-5110 and make your hotel reservations. ACB tours is looking forward to touring southern Nevada and northwest
Arizona with you.
TOUR TALK
by Berl Colley
I have had several questions regarding the cost of our ACB tours in Las Vegas. Prices are not set yet, but there are three tours that will be more costly
than we have had in past years. I mention them because those who like to plan for their convention tour costs can include these tours, if they choose.
The pre-convention tour to see the London Bridge in Lake Havasu, Ariz., will be in the $120 to $130 range. The float trip on Saturday morning, July 2, will
be in the $80 to $85 range. The Wednesday evening, July 6, cruise on Lake Mead will be in the $75 to $80 range. The city and museum tours will be in the
same range as they have been in for the last three years, $20 to $40. If we have any show tours, they will be more costly. Most shows in Las Vegas these
days are running between $40 and $100 per performance.
If you are going on the pre-convention tour on July 1, or the float trip on the Colorado River on July 2, you should fly in to Las Vegas the day before.
Both trips will be leaving around 7 o'clock each morning.
In my last article we talked about the tours during the first weekend of the 2005 ACB convention. Let's look at some of the tour opportunities on the afternoons
of Monday through Thursday. We are looking to add another tour or two, but here is what is in place at this time.
Mormon Fort
This is the meadow where the first settlers who came to the Las Vegas area first stopped. The staff of this historical site is in the midst of a large upgrading
of the site and plans to have a grand re-opening in May of 2005. We will have a guided tour of new facilities with lots of hands-on displays.
Bonny Springs
The folks at Bonny Springs will provide us with a re-creation of an old Nevada mining town. There is a small railroad that goes from one area of the ranch
to another. Tourists are treated to a humorous melodrama, like residents of mining towns of the Old West used to have for entertainment when a drama troop
came to town. There may be a shoot-out on Main Street and, if the crime is serious enough, a hanging, right there in town. Of course, all of the town's
buildings sell things to the tourists. There is a petting zoo at the ranch that some may want to visit.
Liberace and Elvis
ACB tours will be repeating the tours to the Liberace museum and the Elvis-a-Rama museum. The Elvis-a-Rama tour will be combined with a stop at the Ethel
M candy factory. The Liberace museum tour will be on Saturday afternoon, July 2, and Tuesday afternoon, July 5. The Elvis-a-Rama tours will be on Sunday
afternoon, July 3, and Wednesday afternoon, July 6.
Blind Services
We have put together some great folks to talk to us while visiting the Las Vegas Center for the Blind. We will be touring this facility and hearing from
its director. The head of the bureau for the blind and someone from Clark County Library, who handles talking book distribution for southern Nevada, will
be speaking to us.
Lake Mead Cruise
After a couple of years hiatus, the ACB Wednesday night cruise is back. We will be cruising around a very low Lake Mead. The cruise will consist of a sit-down
dinner and dancing. Or, if you choose, you can go out on the deck of the Desert Princess and enjoy the night air. There will be a lounge on the upper deck.
When I visited the owners of this ship in October of last year, Lake Mead was 95 feet lower than normal.
Cherrie's Ranch
This is the largest legal brothel in the state of Nevada. That probably makes it the largest in the U.S. This is an adults only, 21 years and older, tour.
It is located 55 miles outside of Las Vegas and is a destination resort. We will be hearing about the world's oldest profession as it exists in the 21st
century. After touring the resort, we will have high tea before returning to Vegas.
Hoover Dam
Built on the Colorado River in the 1930s, the huge dam in Black Canyon is what creates Lake Mead. It provides power to much of the U.S. southwest. Because
of the events on Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, its oversight agency, has discontinued giving tours, but ACB has been working with the
USBR to have a guided tour for us. You will be amazed at the amount of manpower that it took to complete the Hoover Dam project.
Clark County Museum
This fascinating tour will be an indoor/outdoor viewing of many of the items and machinery used by the early settlers of Clark County. Mining, gaming and
homesteading are some of the subject areas displayed at this museum. You will see several small town replicas at different locations on the museum grounds.
As I mentioned in my last article, it will be hot in early July and ACB conventioneers should always keep this in mind when touring, particularly if you
use a guide dog. Las Vegas and Clark County are celebrating their 100th birthday in 2005, so we can expect some surprise tour opportunities during our
visit this summer.
A reminder: This year's Las Vegas ACB convention looks to be our largest convention ever. Tours will fill up fast and we are already planning to limit the
number of people for some of them.
TOUR UPDATES
by Berl Colley
A New Tour
After visiting Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and seeing what it had to offer, we have added it to our tour schedule. We will be visiting this wonderful site
on Monday, July 4. Madame Tussaud's has 100 wax characters on display. There are sports figures, actors and actresses, politicians and a few other notables.
We will be able to touch some of the wax figures to get some feel as to how the real person must have looked. This is a little over a two-hour tour. While
there, I saw Princess Di, Marilyn Monroe and George Bush. I am not sure which of the Bushes was represented there. A Change
We were unable to put together a strictly roller coaster tour, but we are working on an events tour for Monday night, July 4. This tour will visit several
of the Las Vegas properties to see the special events they offer. There are things like the several-block-long light and sound show in Old Las Vegas, and
the Stratosphere (which currently has three rides on its top, some 1,149 feet off of the ground; they claim that they will have a fourth ride by the time
of our convention). Just riding the elevator to the top is a thrill, as it goes 21 miles an hour, which is three floors a second. Other places that may
be included on this tour are the Eiffel Tower at the Paris, Star Trek exhibit at the Hilton, the fountain show at the Bellagio, the volcano at the Mirage,
the forum at Caesar's, etc. We will have a person on the bus to give us a little history and description of each property that we visit.
About Those Slot Machines ...
On Thursday, July 7, we are putting together a tour of the Bally slot machine manufacturing plant. We haven't received clearance yet, but the company's
marketing department is working on it. What has changed this gaming device from an old pull-the-handle real spinning box to a computerized interactive
machine? We will learn this and a lot more while touring the Bally plant.
All tours will leave the Riviera from the main convention lobby where the registration office, the information counter and the quick meals will be located.
It is five or six steps down to the bus loading area after coming through the lobby doors. There is a wheelchair ramp to the left of the stairs which also
leads to the loading area.
The hotel is filling up, so please call and reserve your room. Call the Riviera Hotel and Casino at (702) 734-5110. Be sure to let the reservation person
know that you are attending the convention of the American Council of the Blind.
THE ISLE OF CAPRI -- JUST FOUR MONTHS TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION
by Cynthia Towers, ACB Convention Coordinator
It is hard to believe that in four short months we will be in Las Vegas for what is shaping up to be one of ACB's biggest and best conventions ever. It
will be held July 2-9, 2005 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino. The Riviera was the first high rise on the strip when it arrived in 1955. The board of directors
along with the convention committee, some members of the BOP and several guests converged on Vegas the weekend of Jan. 20-23. The weather was great and
we were treated to a wonderful welcome on that Saturday evening in the president's suite by Nevada Council of the Blind President Carol Ewing and members
of the Nevada Council.
The board and staff were given a tour of the meeting space that ACB will be using this summer. The Capri meeting rooms are either numbers or letters --
no meeting room names. Meeting rooms 103 through 116 are located on the right as you enter the hallway past where registration and information will be.
That is where 95 percent of our activities will be housed. The general session and exhibits as well as lettered meeting rooms are on the left side of the
hallway. This prompted second vice president Mitch Pomerantz to call this oasis of meeting rooms the Isle of Capri!!! There are no turns in this area.
Those candidates running for an office this year will not have to run to their caucuses at all because rooms are close to one another.
There is a second floor of meeting rooms, called skyboxes, accessible via stairs or elevator. There are just 12 of these rooms upstairs numbered in the
200s and will mainly house some of ACB's fixtures such as the Youth Activity Center, resolutions, constitution and bylaws and the like. Some receptions
and other meetings will be placed there too.
Capri 101 and 102 are two large rooms located just before you arrive at the other meeting rooms. They will be great for larger meetings and luncheons. We
will once again offer quick meal service for breakfast and lunch only. Breakfast items will be priced individually; boxed lunches will vary each day. In
between times you can go to that area for snacks, coffee or use it as a meeting place. We plan to locate quick meals in a meeting room in the center of
the Isle of Capri to make it easy to grab and go to your next session.
The Riviera has many restaurants, but with so many conventioneers planning to attend and with the hotel housing several other non-ACB guests (we will have
about 850 of their 2,000 rooms), the board felt it would be good to offer this service once again. I personally would not make it through the week if it
weren't for quick meals. However, the Riviera is not the largest hotel in Las Vegas. The MGM Grand is one of the world's largest hotel/casinos, with more
than 5,000 rooms. It would take a person 13 years and eight months to sleep in every one of them and it would take 288 years for one person to spend one
night in every hotel room in Las Vegas.
Speaking of sleeping, the rates for the Riviera are $77 per night for singles and doubles, $87 for triples and $97 for quads, plus a 9 percent tax. Those
rates will be in effect from June 24 to July 13, 2005, so you can stay a good long while. Howard Hughes stayed at the Desert Inn so long the owners asked
him to leave. He offered to buy the hotel and the owners sold, thus beginning his casino-buying spree. There will be plenty of slot machines that you will
be able to use. Yes, the Riviera has converted some of its slot machines to the paperless type, but this amounts to about 30 percent. In the early days
of the strip, the slot machine was initially a diversion for the women companions of male gamblers who were busy at the tables. Now slot machines typically
earn 60 to 70 percent of a casino's take.
There will be so much to do in the evenings. Besides the great mainstays of ACB such as DVS movie night, the Showcase and the banquet, outside the Riviera
is the world at your feet. The strip is very safe at night, but just as with any city, you need to take the same steps to keep yourself safe as when you
are traveling anywhere.
ACB and its affiliates are in the process of setting their programming, speakers, times and events. Keep checking the web site at www.acb.org for up-to-date
convention information. I am so excited about this coming convention as I am sure you are as well. I have heard from many of you with suggestions and questions.
I look forward to making this convention one that will be favorably talked about for years to come. As always, if I can be of service, you can reach me
at ctowers@acb.org or call me on my toll free line at 1-800-474-3029 extension 00. So, start checking those airfares and saving your quarters for the slots.
I'll be seeing you soon.
NO REST FOR THE WEARY!
A LOOK AT THE UPCOMING 2005 NATIONAL CONVENTION
by Cynthia Towers, ACB Convention Coordinator
A lion at the MGM Grand Lion Habitat sleeps up to 20 hours a day -- although the constant tapping on the windows keeps them up on busy weekends! You won't
be sleeping much when you attend this year's national convention July 2-9 in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel and Casino.
By the time this issue reaches you, the convention will be just three short months away. Plans for youth activities, exhibits, meetings, tours and the like
are fast approaching the finalization stage as ACB prepares to have one of its largest conventions ever. Affiliate agendas have been pouring in as program
chairs work to make certain that they provide their members with fun, fulfilling and fabulous information. If the e-mails I have been receiving are any
indication, this convention will host many new attendees from around the country as well as the world. I have received e-mails from Canada, Japan, England
and Australia, inquiring about everything from A to Z.
The Riviera has 2,136 rooms and 150 suites. Conveniently located on the Las Vegas Strip, the hotel features one of the world's largest casinos. It offers
five unique specialty restaurants, Mardi Gras Food Court with 10 food outlets, full service wedding chapel, recreational facilities, show lounge and more
than 30 specialty shops and services. I almost forgot -- it also has a huge outdoor pool. While there are still plenty of rooms in the ACB reservation
group, you do not want to wait until the last minute to ensure that you are placed in either the Monaco or Monte Carlo Towers. The Monaco Tower is 24 stories
high and has a selection of larger comfortable rooms featuring 942 deluxe guest rooms. The Monte Carlo Tower is 15 stories high and has 229 deluxe rooms,
14 petite suites and two floors of penthouse suites. This is the tower in which President Gray will reside. These are the two closest towers to the meeting
room areas.
As in past years, ACB will offer a quick breakfast and lunch service. It will be grab-and-go type meals with items priced separately. You will need to pay
cash for these items, but it will be conveniently located in the midst of the ballroom and other meeting rooms and can serve as a location to catch up
with someone or just sit and enjoy your meal. It will remain open after breakfast and a bit past the lunch rush to serve soft drinks, hot beverages and
snacks. The ballroom will once again be set with tables so attendees can more easily take notes, bring in food and generally have more space per person.
Speaking of meals, the hotel does have a buffet and other restaurants. More than 80 percent of visitors to Las Vegas indulge in buffets -- that's 29 million
buffets per year! Once outside the hotel there is a plethora of eateries. Do you like shrimp? Well, shrimp consumption in Las Vegas is more than 60,000
pounds a day -- higher than the rest of the country combined. That's 22 million pounds per year! Any type of food that exists can be found in Vegas and
at any time of the day or night.
So there you have it. All you need now is a plane ticket and you will be set to be a part of what is shaping up to be an exciting time, one not to be missed.
Carol Ewing and the local host committee are in constant contact with me to guarantee that they do not overlook any detail that could make your stay more
enjoyable. Thank you, Carol and the Nevada Council of the Blind!!!
Before I end this article, I would be remiss if I did not mention the tremendous loss ACB has experienced in the recent passing of Jim Olsen. From my days
as assistant convention coordinator, to national secretary to convention coordinator, Jim was the one person I could count on for answers to all those
millions of questions that I had to have answered. He was not only of great service to ACB but was a great husband, dad and granddad. I think what I will
miss most are those silly Norwegian jokes he would tell almost every time I would call his office. Jim is now watching over us and probably glad he does
not have to do one more budget report. Keep an eye on us, Jim, and we will see you again soon.
But long before then I hope to see many of you in Las Vegas this summer. To make your reservations, you may call the hotel directly at 1-800- 634-6753.
Be sure to mention that you are with the American Council of the Blind to receive the $77 rate. If you would like to contact me, you may do so by e-mailing
ctowers@acb.org or by calling me on my toll-free line at 1- 800-474-3029 x00. You must hit the 0 twice. Have a great beginning of spring. Viva Las Vegas!!!
MORE TOUR INFORMATION
by Berl Colley
This is turning out to be a very fluid year for ACB tours. Since my article last month, we have lost a tour, added a tour and made a change to a tour.
What Tour Have We Added?
For those coming early to Las Vegas, we will be going to Cashman Field to see a baseball game. The Las Vegas 51s will be playing the Portland Beavers on
Friday night, July 1, 2005. ACB tours has managed to obtain seats about 50 feet behind home plate. These are front row seats where the umpire's calls,
the ball meeting a bat or hitting the catcher's glove, and some other things that you might want to hear, or not hear, can be heard. The seats are also
very close to the food services for those that like to snack during a game. This will be a capped tour, first come first ticketed, because we only have
20 tickets. The Las Vegas 51s are a AAA franchise of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Portland Beavers are a AAA franchise of the San Diego Padres.
What Tour Have We Lost?
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have lost the Monday night, July 4, events tour. ACB tours is looking at a couple of options to replace this
tour. Please look for the next Forum or Convention Scope for more information.
What Change Have We Made?
The folks operating the jet boat services from Laughlin to Lake Havasu have decided not to run their boats on the 4th of July weekend. As a consequence,
our pre-convention tour, on July 1, will be altered a bit. Current plans are to go to Oatman, an old gold mining town, in the morning. From there we will
go to Lake Havasu for a great lunch and to see and learn about the London Bridge. This will give us a little more time to spend in Havasu. We will be stopping
in Laughlin for supper, then returning to Las Vegas.
For Those Seeing Las Vegas Sites on Their Own
Here are some tips that hopefully will make your time a little more enjoyable. Do NOT jaywalk. Jaywalking fines often can exceed fines of car owners who
run red lights. If you want a cab, don't step to the curb and try to flag one down. It is illegal for a cab to stop along a curb to pick up passengers.
Cabs can be obtained at hotel and casino properties, the airport, restaurants and other places when called in.
Do not expect to see named entertainers when deciding to see their show at the last minute. You should make arrangements and purchase your show tickets
before going to Las Vegas. Ticket prices will run between $40 and $100 per person.
Do not expect to find a large variety of inexpensive food. The days of cheap buffets to bring customers into gaming establishments are gone. Las Vegas is
rapidly becoming known as a food connoisseur's destination. A number of the top chefs in the world have moved to Las Vegas and if you are willing to pay
the price, there are numerous opportunities for very fine dining.
When you plan to play the slots or any of the table games, get a Player's Club card for that casino. This is one way a visitor can earn free perks while
there.
Be prepared to tip. Many gaming property employees are paid minimum wage and rely on tips to get by.
In general, be very selective with sidewalk vendors. There are gift shops in the hotels. You may pay a little more for items, but you probably have a much
smaller chance of getting ripped off.
Do not give to beggars, whether inside or outside of the properties. The hotels and casinos do not like to have beggars bothering their guests. The more
money given to people at a given location, the more folks seeking a handout will return.
Women, when playing the slot machines, do not put your purses on the area next to your machine. It is best to have a fanny pack or something that you can
attach to yourself. Men, place your wallets in your front pockets. In both cases you are making it more difficult for unscrupulous people to steal from
you.
Be very skeptical of any person who wants to sell you something for pennies on the dollar. There is a good chance that the object is not theirs, or when
you get back to your room, you will find that you didn't receive what you thought you purchased.
The convention dates are July 2 through 9, 2005. To reserve a room, call the Riviera at1-800-634-6753, and make sure you tell them that you are with the
American Council of the Blind.
RIVIERA 101
by Cynthia Towers, ACB Convention Coordinator
By the time this reaches you, your plane ticket may already be in your hands, and you may be signing up for tours, affiliate meetings and other special
events. Well, let me give you some information that will make your trip before convention, as well as the convention itself, an enjoyable one.
Before getting on the plane, please make sure that you have current identification. Do not lock your suitcase, only take two carry-ons and please, please,
please make sure that you can tell someone how to spot your personal luggage. Las Vegas is a town like no other. Planes land 24 hours a day from all over
the world bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors daily. Therefore, help someone help you by putting something on your luggage that is unique. Just
saying "it's a black suitcase" is not sufficient. A large decorative ribbon, not a tiny string, an ACB luggage tag or even a brightly colored scarf will
assist the volunteers and airport personnel in finding your items among the sea of suitcases that will be revolving around the carousels.
When you arrive in Las Vegas, you can get to the Riviera Hotel and Casino via cab, which will cost about $15 each way and take about 15 minutes, or shuttle,
which costs $5 one way and $9.75 round-trip and can take up to 30 minutes depending on how many other passengers are on board with you. Just say that you
are going to the Riviera or "The Riv" as it is more popularly known. You do not need an address -- the cab drivers go by names of hotels, not numbers.
The Riviera has multiple transportation entrances. The Convention Center entrance is where tours will leave. Do not go to this one. There is an underground
cab, guest parking and limousine area known as "the dungeon." Do not go to this one either. What you need to instruct the driver to do is to take you to
the Riviera South entrance. This is the entrance that is just a few steps from the front desk where you will check into your sleeping room.
It is the plan to have a hotel description when you arrive rather than in your packets. You can read it in the relaxation of your room and take some time
to try to orient yourself to the hotel. The Riviera has 2,000 guest rooms and ACB will have approximately 800 of them. You will probably be in the Monte
Carlo or Monaco towers. These are the two closest to the meeting rooms. The hotel has three other towers for a total of five. Since there are five towers,
the room numbering system is such that there are no duplicate room numbers. Rooms 1501 to 2920 are in the Monte Carlo and there is ice and soda on every
floor. The Monaco is numbered 4201 to 6407 and also has ice and soda on every floor. If for some reason you are placed in one of the other towers, they
are numbered: San Remo, 3100 to 3644; Mediterranean North, 227 to 939, and Mediterranean South, 358 to 1173. This is where the health club is located on
the 12th or top floor. The Riviera has 42 ADA rooms, some in each of the five towers. There is also an outdoor pool.
Volunteers will be on hand to assist you to the elevator. No ACB volunteer may come to your sleeping room, on tours, to the meetings, in the buffet and
possibly in the casino. ACB cannot guarantee that someone will be there each and every time you need help. So, keep this in mind as you make your travel
plans.
H is for hoagies, hot dogs and hot buttered popcorn. H is also for the room where the ACB Caf‚ will be located. Come there every day from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast items will be available from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and lunch foods will be on hand from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
In between times you can go there for snacks, coffee, soft drinks and the like, or to get recharged, literally. There will be tables on the right side
of the room with power strips for recharging low batteries on equipment such as Braille Notes and laptops. ACB will not be responsible for items left for
recharging. Please stay with your stuff.
Stay tuned, there will be other surprises from the Caf‚!! There will be tables for sitting and eating. Or you can take your food with you in the handled
bag it will be placed in. The caf‚ will only take cash. The hotel has several other restaurants, but it will be nice to have a place only for us. With
the smell from the popcorn machine, the sounds of soft music being piped in and the buzz of a hungry and happy crowd, Room H will be the place to be. It
is located among the meeting rooms and is a perfect location to grab something on your way to your next get-together.
Tours will leave from the convention entrance doors, which are located directly across from where registration will be. The general sessions will be located
in the Grand Ballroom and will once again be set with tables. You will walk through a wide corridor that will open up into the main seating area. When
you enter the general sessions, you will be facing the podium and there will be seating to the right and left. Dave Williams will once again be doing the
audio streaming of the general sessions over the Internet.
You'll want to make sure you are on time for the general sessions each day, because the Nevada Council of the Blind has some sets of silver dollars to give
away as door prizes. Carol Ewing and company have been hard at work to ensure that things are running smoothly and that everything will be in place for
your arrival. If you and/or your affiliate bring door prizes, please see Pam Shaw at the Information Services Desk, located to the left of registration.
Exhibits will be down the hall from the Grand Ballroom in an area called the Royale Pavilion. I have received tons of calls from folks wanting to be exhibitors
this year. You will have a lot of selection as you go through this year's aisles, so bring your credit card and shop till you drop.
I hope I have covered the basics of what you'll need to get started. I have had the pleasure of speaking to many of you and am looking forward to a large
and fun convention. If you still need to make a reservation, you may do so by calling the Riviera Hotel directly at 1-800-634-6753. Be sure to mention
that you are with the American Council of the Blind to receive the $77 rate. As always, if you would like to contact me, you may do so by e- mailing me
at ctowers@acb.org or by calling me on my toll-free line at 1- 800-474-3029 x00. You must hit the 0 twice. In just a few weeks it will all commence, so
start practicing your best Elvis impersonation and rest up because sleeping is not an option (just kidding). I will see you in July.
NEW TOUR WILL THRILL SCIENCE FICTION FANS
by Berl Colley
Make your plans to beam into the worlds of Star Trek! The science and science fiction fans group has put together a tour to the Hilton Star Trek Experience
that will take place on Thursday, July 7.
You will encounter the alien worlds of Star Trek when you beam into this special tour. You will immerse yourself in the Star Trek Universe as you tour the
museum, board a shuttlecraft and aid the crew in fighting the Klingons. You will celebrate the commissioning of the Shuttle Moontype, the first Starfleet
fan club dedicated to people who are blind or have low vision and their families and friends. You will also have the opportunity to walk through the museum
with a tour guide, ride on a shuttlecraft defending the Enterprise from the Klingons or prevent a Borg capture in the Borg Encounter 4D.
Shopping at the Promenade shops just like on DS9 is a must because you will find a galaxy of Star Trek, science- and space-related merchandise to purchase.
We will have our lunch at Quark's Bar, where you will be fascinated with the decor, from the large-sized model of the Enterprise that hangs from the ceiling
to the numerous closed-circuit TVs throughout the bar. You can watch and listen to your favorite Star Trek episodes from closed-circuit TVs while you eat
at Quark's or tour the exhibits throughout the Star Trek Experience itself. We will dine on a variety of foods named for foods served on DS9 at Quark's.
A cash bar will be available. You may see a Ferengi, Klingon or Romulan strolling around the Promenade or serving your food at Quark's Bar.
The Star Trek Experience also has a variety of other attractions, such as having your picture professionally taken in the captain's chair on the bridge
of the Enterprise, or you may want to pose with a Ferengi, Klingon or Romulan. Bring your camera so that you can take pictures of the museum displays and
at Quark's Bar. Be prepared for surprises as you never know who you might encounter at the Star Trek Experience. Guide dogs are welcome. They will be allowed
to accompany you throughout the Star Trek Experience; however, they will not be allowed to remain with you during the motion part of the two rides. Attendants
will wait with your dog and return him or her to you immediately after you depart the motion part of the ride, so you might want to bring your cane to
use during this short period of time. This tour includes admittance to the museum, two rides (The Klingon Encounter and Borg 4D), lunch at Quark's Bar
and bus transportation to and from the Hilton.
Expenses that are not included: alcohol purchased at Quark's, shopping, and your picture in the captain's chair or other novelties sold at the experience.
If you have any questions about the Star Trek Experience, the tour, or the use of your guide dog while at the experience, contact Kathryn Johnson via e-mail,
kathrynkj@earthlink.net.
Liberace Museum
ACB tours will be visiting the Liberace Museum twice during convention week. The first time, Saturday, July 2, there will be a concert of some of his music.
The second time, Tuesday, July 5, there will not be a concert.
Wednesday Night Dinner Cruise
And now for a little bit about the Wednesday night dinner cruise on Lake Mead. The Desert Princess is a double-decker ship that can hold up to 150 people
if they are squeezed in. We will have 110 people on our cruise, including volunteers and a tour representative. The eating area is on the lower deck; the
lounge is on the upper level. Dancing will take place on the lower deck after eating. Dinner is a sit-down meal and will be conducted in two shifts so
that everyone can eat comfortably. The lower deck is wheelchair-accessible, but there are only stairs to the top level. There will be narration about some
of the areas of the lake, but with people talking and dancing it probably will be difficult to hear. It is about a 45- minute bus ride from the Riviera
to the loading docks.
Seven Pre-Convention Tours
The seven tours that will occur on the weekend prior to this year's convention are:
1. July 1 trip to see the London Bridge;
2. July 1, an evening baseball game;
3. July 2, float trip through lower Black Canyon;
4. July 2, Las Vegas city tour;
5. July 2, visit to the Liberace museum;
6. July 3, repeat of Las Vegas city tour;
7. July 3, go to Elvis-a-rama and Ethel M's candies.
Pre-registration forms will be out shortly. Be certain to get your form filled out and sent back before the deadline to give yourself the best chance to
get on whatever tours you want. Also make sure you have a room at the Riviera! To make room reservations, call the Riviera Hotel and Casino at 1-800-634-6753.
Be sure to tell them that you are with the American Council of the Blind.
Oh OK did they mention "candy"? Lol better make sure of that one!
so I'm excited. and yesterday I was starting to listen to the 2004 open ceromony! it sounds sooo overwhelming and exciting! and a bit anxiety-driven Lol! big place, volunteers not allowed to the rooms? i mean what? how am I meant to be certain I'm not gunna walk into the wrong room! big hotel, Big place! Losvegas, big and scarey! what if I get lost? ah well! guess as Nan always says "I've got a tongue in my head" Lol but apparently I have an "accent" and I don't wanna be different ah well! my anxieties kicking in!
29 days! yeah yeahyeahyeah! :)
Til Next Time, RdFreak
Waynette was saying she got her convention packet already so I guess I'll be getting mine soon but if not guess I better call them just incase they need more info! but waynette use to live in LV and also knows the president of the NCB so she knows I'm coming which is a good thing I reckon!
I was sooo excited! I read this updated page yesterday.
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
2005 CONVENTION INFORMATION
REVISED 5/24/2005
2005 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND NATIONAL CONVENTION
Date: July 2-9, 2005 at the Riviera Hotel
Las Vegas, Nevada
For reservations call, 1-800-634-6753
702 734-5110
AT 108 IT WILL STILL BE GREAT!
AN EARLY LOOK AT THE 2005 CONVENTION
by Cynthia Towers, ACB Convention Coordinator
I am of course talking about the temperature. I visited the site of the 2005 convention, Las Vegas, Nev., the last weekend in July and yes, it was hot!!!
But don't let that stop you from making your reservations for the 44th annual convention of the American Council of the Blind.
Ask yourself: Do you want to be in a facility where the ACB offices and all meetings, including general sessions and exhibits, will be located down a single
hallway? Do you want to be in a hotel with six restaurants, one of which is a food court, another a buffet and yet another open 24 hours? Do you want to
have endless options for entertainment and food just outside your hotel door? Do you want to go on unique tours of roller coasters, casinos and places
such as the Elvis or Liberace museum? Do you want to be just 3 miles from the airport to the hotel? If the answer is yes to all or some of these questions,
then you want to be at the Riviera Hotel and Casino the week of July 2-9, 2005.
The hotel has five towers and ACB will be primarily in the two closest to the meeting space. It also has a swimming pool, several ATMs, a barber and beauty
shop, several gift shops and three entertainment venues, including a comedy club, plus an arcade and oh yes, there are a few bars. If you are so inclined,
you can even get married in the Wedding Chapel! And what about the gambling? There are gaming tables and slot machines galore -- but no Ray Charles machines.
Many of them, however, are the traditional kind, with some being the ones that have tickets. When I met with the hotel on July 30th, I was informed that
the Riviera has no plans in the near or distant future to convert any more of their machines to the paper format.
I also met with Carol Ewing, president of the Nevada Council of the Blind, and the 2005 host committee that weekend. She and her committee are so excited
to have ACB come to their state. They have been given a list of things to do to begin the work of making this convention a great one for all who attend.
I want to thank Carol and the Nevada Council for stepping up to the plate to do what is needed locally -- volunteer recruitment, obtaining door prizes,
securing entertainment for each general session as well as an opening invocation and having a group on hand to assemble nearly 1,200 convention bags to
be ready for distribution by the time you arrive are just a few of the tasks assigned to them.
So how do you get in on all the fun? Well, you begin by calling the Riviera at 1-800-634-6753 and stating that you are making a reservation for the American
Council of the Blind's July 2005 convention. Then you start watching those airfares and snag the one that is right for you. I am so looking forward to
seeing you in Las Vegas. If you have never been to the town, you will find a wealth of things to do -- but only after you have attended the general session
and the afternoon meetings (smile). Las Vegas is a 24/7 town -- it operates the same at 3 p.m. as it does at 3 a.m. Families are welcome; the city has
really endeavored to be family-friendly.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the upcoming convention, please feel free to contact me. I can be reached at ctowers@acb.org or on
my toll-free number at 1-800- 474-3029, extension 0. Whether you spend your off times at the blackjack table or wandering the Las Vegas strip, just remember
to set your clock so you won't be late for each day's opening session door prize. Viva Las Vegas!!!
ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!
A LOOK AT THE UPCOMING 2005 VEGAS CONVENTION
by Cynthia Towers, Convention Coordinator
Elvis may not be around anymore, but don't you be missed at the 2005 convention to be held July 2-9 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Before
I go into any more details about the convention, I thought I would give you a little history of the city you will be visiting. In 1829 Spanish explorers
discovered the city and in 1905 the town of Las Vegas was established by the auctioning of land; the city was incorporated in 1911. The first commercial
flight was in 1926 via Western Airlines. Today some 980 flights a day come into Las Vegas, 58 of which are direct flights from U.S. cities.
Las Vegas means "the meadows" in Spanish. It currently has a population of 478,000. There are some 122,000 slot machines to choose from and over 3,800 gaming
tables. You have a choice of nearly 1,000 cabs to get you around to all those casinos. Do you feel lucky? Well, in 1997, Sue Henley, a Las Vegas construction
inspector, won over $12 million on a Megabucks slot machine. It is the largest slot machine jackpot in history to date. And by 1998, annual gross gaming
revenue in Nevada hit the $8.1 billion mark.
Well, the American Council of the Blind hopes that you will take one of those cabs to transport yourself to the 44th annual convention of this great organization.
There are just a few details I want to advise you of at this time. Margie Donovan is in charge of dealing with the guide dog relief areas. She has recently
returned from Las Vegas and has scoped out a few places that she feels might work. When you make your room reservations, if you are a guide dog user, you
might want to request that you be placed in the Monaco Tower to give you the best vantage place for relieving your dog. There will be other relief areas
as well. The other tower we will be in is the Monte Carlo. Both towers are in easy reach of the convention area where our meetings will be held.
By the time this Forum reaches you, we hope that the online reservation process will be in place. By going to the ACB web site, you will be able to reserve
a room and place a deposit. This is a great convenience to our members, and the convention committee thanks the Riviera and ACB webmaster Earlene Hughes
for making this possible. Until then, you can call the hotel directly at 1-800-634-6753. The room rates are $77 for singles and doubles, $87 for triples
and $97 for quads with a 9 percent tax.
All of the usual plans for convention are coming along well. We hope to have over 100 vendors, the children enrolled in the YAC (Youth Activity Center)
will have a wealth of places to go for amusement, and the tours will be comprised of some interesting venues, such as the Liberace museum, comedy clubs
and our ever-popular city tour.
I wish you all the best that the holiday season can bring. As always, if you would like to reach me for convention-related questions, comments and/or concerns,
you can do so at 1-800-474-3029 extension 00 or via e-mail,
ctowers@acb.org.
Viva Las Vegas!
TIME TO MAKE PLANS TO MAKE TRACKS TO THE U.S. SOUTHWEST
by Berl Colley
The operative word for ACB convention 2005 tours is HOT!!! Temperatures in the Las Vegas area in July quite often exceed 100 degrees.
It is time to start planning for what looks to be the largest ACB convention ever, in Las Vegas, Nev. Although it hasn't been finalized yet, the agenda
for ACB tours may be one of the largest ever.
Tours will start on July 1, 2005 with another all-day trip. You will be leaving early in the morning and heading to Arizona, partner. Your tour will follow
the Colorado River to Lake Havasu. We may travel the last 60 miles to Havasu on the Colorado River in a jet boat if we can get a workable price. In the
1960s, Robert McCullock, of McCullock oil fame, developed several planned communities around the Southwest. His developments were usually built around
some signature landmark. In the case of Lake Havasu, his first development, the landmark is the London Bridge. "But that's in England, crossing the Thames!"
you say. No, the old London Bridge is in the Arizona desert, bridging a small canal of Lake Havasu. McCullock purchased the bridge, had it shipped to Arizona
and reassembled it in his new community more than 40 years ago. Today, Lake Havasu is a thriving community of 50,000 people, and the London Bridge is still
its chief attraction. You will be having lunch at an internationally known eatery, then you will explore the many little shops on and below the bridge.
We are also looking into a boat trip on Lake Havasu for those wishing to spend time away from buying stuff. From Lake Havasu you will board a bus and go
up to Oatman, Ariz., an old mining town that produced millions of dollars in gold from 1906 through 1942. Oatman is on Highway 66, not the Route 66 of
TV fame, but the original Route 66 that was built in the 1920s. After hearing about the history of this area, you will have a chance to visit some of the
businesses on the town's boardwalks: places like Fast Fannys, the jail and gift shop, the old hotel, post office, Judy's saloon and several other candy
and ice creameries.
After the mines were shut down during World War II, many of the burros that were used in the mines were turned loose to roam the countryside. The area is
now a federally protected area for burros. There are photo opportunities for visitors, but visitors are warned that these burros are wild and may bite
or kick. Note -- parts of this town are not very accessible for those using wheelchairs. The evening will be filled with some great food and entertainment,
before heading back to the Riviera in Las Vegas.
On Saturday, July 2, there will be an opportunity to float on a portion of the Colorado River below Hoover Dam. This three-and-a-half-hour float is in Black
Canyon, a protected area along the river that can only be visited by permission of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. This is a narrated trip, where you will
learn about geological formations, the area's fauna and other general information. Lunches will be provided. No littering, please! This will be a morning
tour, as it can get very hot in the canyon in the afternoon.
Tours of the cities where ACB conventions are held are always popular, but Las Vegas is so different that we will be scheduling more than two city tours.
We will have the Saturday and Sunday morning tours. Later in the week, we are trying to put together a late evening, open air tour of the Las Vegas strip,
with all of its glitter and theme architecture and shows.
Saturday afternoon, ACB tours will be visiting the Liberace museum. He was a collector of cars and pianos. There is one whole building devoted to these
collections. In another building, you will learn about many of the fantastically elaborate costumes that he wore. You won't be able to touch them, because
of the expensive jewelry on them, but there will be knowledgeable description. The museum is going to try to have someone on hand who will play some of
his music. This tour will be repeated on Tuesday, July 5.
ACB tours is working with the Riviera to provide some informational training on their gaming activities. Current plans are to do this for a couple of hours
late in the afternoons of Saturday, July 2, Sunday, July 3, and Monday, July 4. Look for more information in upcoming Forums.
On Sunday afternoon, music afficionados will want to tour Elvis-A- Rama. This is a museum of Elvis memorabilia and an Elvis impersonator who will do a 15-minute
show. After leaving Elvis-A-Rama we will go over to Ethel M's candy factory. This internationally known candy maker produces a large variety of candy,
including their signature line of alcohol-laced chocolates. This tour will be repeated on Wednesday, July 6.
In future Forums we'll talk about: the blind services tour on Tuesday; the visit to Mormon Fort on Monday; a fun time at Bonnie Springs Ranch where Old
West melodramas, shootouts and hangings could happen on Tuesday; a visit to have tea?-- at a brothel? -- on Wednesday; a tour of Hoover Dam on Thursday;
a return of the popular Wednesday night cruise, on Lake Mead; going to the Clark County museum on Thursday; and Saturday evening dinner and entertainment.
Other possibilities being looked at: a roller coaster tour; an upscale shopping trip; a visit to the Liberace house; the home of a doctor who has collected
some very unusual things; and a Las Vegas 51s Pacific Coast League baseball game.
Kudos go to Carol Ewing, Rick Kuhlmey and all of the ACB folks in Las Vegas for their tireless work to make the 2005 ACB convention one that ACB attendees
from all over the world will always remember.
It's not too early to call the Riviera at (702) 734-5110 and make your hotel reservations. ACB tours is looking forward to touring southern Nevada and northwest
Arizona with you.
TOUR TALK
by Berl Colley
I have had several questions regarding the cost of our ACB tours in Las Vegas. Prices are not set yet, but there are three tours that will be more costly
than we have had in past years. I mention them because those who like to plan for their convention tour costs can include these tours, if they choose.
The pre-convention tour to see the London Bridge in Lake Havasu, Ariz., will be in the $120 to $130 range. The float trip on Saturday morning, July 2, will
be in the $80 to $85 range. The Wednesday evening, July 6, cruise on Lake Mead will be in the $75 to $80 range. The city and museum tours will be in the
same range as they have been in for the last three years, $20 to $40. If we have any show tours, they will be more costly. Most shows in Las Vegas these
days are running between $40 and $100 per performance.
If you are going on the pre-convention tour on July 1, or the float trip on the Colorado River on July 2, you should fly in to Las Vegas the day before.
Both trips will be leaving around 7 o'clock each morning.
In my last article we talked about the tours during the first weekend of the 2005 ACB convention. Let's look at some of the tour opportunities on the afternoons
of Monday through Thursday. We are looking to add another tour or two, but here is what is in place at this time.
Mormon Fort
This is the meadow where the first settlers who came to the Las Vegas area first stopped. The staff of this historical site is in the midst of a large upgrading
of the site and plans to have a grand re-opening in May of 2005. We will have a guided tour of new facilities with lots of hands-on displays.
Bonny Springs
The folks at Bonny Springs will provide us with a re-creation of an old Nevada mining town. There is a small railroad that goes from one area of the ranch
to another. Tourists are treated to a humorous melodrama, like residents of mining towns of the Old West used to have for entertainment when a drama troop
came to town. There may be a shoot-out on Main Street and, if the crime is serious enough, a hanging, right there in town. Of course, all of the town's
buildings sell things to the tourists. There is a petting zoo at the ranch that some may want to visit.
Liberace and Elvis
ACB tours will be repeating the tours to the Liberace museum and the Elvis-a-Rama museum. The Elvis-a-Rama tour will be combined with a stop at the Ethel
M candy factory. The Liberace museum tour will be on Saturday afternoon, July 2, and Tuesday afternoon, July 5. The Elvis-a-Rama tours will be on Sunday
afternoon, July 3, and Wednesday afternoon, July 6.
Blind Services
We have put together some great folks to talk to us while visiting the Las Vegas Center for the Blind. We will be touring this facility and hearing from
its director. The head of the bureau for the blind and someone from Clark County Library, who handles talking book distribution for southern Nevada, will
be speaking to us.
Lake Mead Cruise
After a couple of years hiatus, the ACB Wednesday night cruise is back. We will be cruising around a very low Lake Mead. The cruise will consist of a sit-down
dinner and dancing. Or, if you choose, you can go out on the deck of the Desert Princess and enjoy the night air. There will be a lounge on the upper deck.
When I visited the owners of this ship in October of last year, Lake Mead was 95 feet lower than normal.
Cherrie's Ranch
This is the largest legal brothel in the state of Nevada. That probably makes it the largest in the U.S. This is an adults only, 21 years and older, tour.
It is located 55 miles outside of Las Vegas and is a destination resort. We will be hearing about the world's oldest profession as it exists in the 21st
century. After touring the resort, we will have high tea before returning to Vegas.
Hoover Dam
Built on the Colorado River in the 1930s, the huge dam in Black Canyon is what creates Lake Mead. It provides power to much of the U.S. southwest. Because
of the events on Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, its oversight agency, has discontinued giving tours, but ACB has been working with the
USBR to have a guided tour for us. You will be amazed at the amount of manpower that it took to complete the Hoover Dam project.
Clark County Museum
This fascinating tour will be an indoor/outdoor viewing of many of the items and machinery used by the early settlers of Clark County. Mining, gaming and
homesteading are some of the subject areas displayed at this museum. You will see several small town replicas at different locations on the museum grounds.
As I mentioned in my last article, it will be hot in early July and ACB conventioneers should always keep this in mind when touring, particularly if you
use a guide dog. Las Vegas and Clark County are celebrating their 100th birthday in 2005, so we can expect some surprise tour opportunities during our
visit this summer.
A reminder: This year's Las Vegas ACB convention looks to be our largest convention ever. Tours will fill up fast and we are already planning to limit the
number of people for some of them.
TOUR UPDATES
by Berl Colley
A New Tour
After visiting Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and seeing what it had to offer, we have added it to our tour schedule. We will be visiting this wonderful site
on Monday, July 4. Madame Tussaud's has 100 wax characters on display. There are sports figures, actors and actresses, politicians and a few other notables.
We will be able to touch some of the wax figures to get some feel as to how the real person must have looked. This is a little over a two-hour tour. While
there, I saw Princess Di, Marilyn Monroe and George Bush. I am not sure which of the Bushes was represented there. A Change
We were unable to put together a strictly roller coaster tour, but we are working on an events tour for Monday night, July 4. This tour will visit several
of the Las Vegas properties to see the special events they offer. There are things like the several-block-long light and sound show in Old Las Vegas, and
the Stratosphere (which currently has three rides on its top, some 1,149 feet off of the ground; they claim that they will have a fourth ride by the time
of our convention). Just riding the elevator to the top is a thrill, as it goes 21 miles an hour, which is three floors a second. Other places that may
be included on this tour are the Eiffel Tower at the Paris, Star Trek exhibit at the Hilton, the fountain show at the Bellagio, the volcano at the Mirage,
the forum at Caesar's, etc. We will have a person on the bus to give us a little history and description of each property that we visit.
About Those Slot Machines ...
On Thursday, July 7, we are putting together a tour of the Bally slot machine manufacturing plant. We haven't received clearance yet, but the company's
marketing department is working on it. What has changed this gaming device from an old pull-the-handle real spinning box to a computerized interactive
machine? We will learn this and a lot more while touring the Bally plant.
All tours will leave the Riviera from the main convention lobby where the registration office, the information counter and the quick meals will be located.
It is five or six steps down to the bus loading area after coming through the lobby doors. There is a wheelchair ramp to the left of the stairs which also
leads to the loading area.
The hotel is filling up, so please call and reserve your room. Call the Riviera Hotel and Casino at (702) 734-5110. Be sure to let the reservation person
know that you are attending the convention of the American Council of the Blind.
THE ISLE OF CAPRI -- JUST FOUR MONTHS TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION
by Cynthia Towers, ACB Convention Coordinator
It is hard to believe that in four short months we will be in Las Vegas for what is shaping up to be one of ACB's biggest and best conventions ever. It
will be held July 2-9, 2005 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino. The Riviera was the first high rise on the strip when it arrived in 1955. The board of directors
along with the convention committee, some members of the BOP and several guests converged on Vegas the weekend of Jan. 20-23. The weather was great and
we were treated to a wonderful welcome on that Saturday evening in the president's suite by Nevada Council of the Blind President Carol Ewing and members
of the Nevada Council.
The board and staff were given a tour of the meeting space that ACB will be using this summer. The Capri meeting rooms are either numbers or letters --
no meeting room names. Meeting rooms 103 through 116 are located on the right as you enter the hallway past where registration and information will be.
That is where 95 percent of our activities will be housed. The general session and exhibits as well as lettered meeting rooms are on the left side of the
hallway. This prompted second vice president Mitch Pomerantz to call this oasis of meeting rooms the Isle of Capri!!! There are no turns in this area.
Those candidates running for an office this year will not have to run to their caucuses at all because rooms are close to one another.
There is a second floor of meeting rooms, called skyboxes, accessible via stairs or elevator. There are just 12 of these rooms upstairs numbered in the
200s and will mainly house some of ACB's fixtures such as the Youth Activity Center, resolutions, constitution and bylaws and the like. Some receptions
and other meetings will be placed there too.
Capri 101 and 102 are two large rooms located just before you arrive at the other meeting rooms. They will be great for larger meetings and luncheons. We
will once again offer quick meal service for breakfast and lunch only. Breakfast items will be priced individually; boxed lunches will vary each day. In
between times you can go to that area for snacks, coffee or use it as a meeting place. We plan to locate quick meals in a meeting room in the center of
the Isle of Capri to make it easy to grab and go to your next session.
The Riviera has many restaurants, but with so many conventioneers planning to attend and with the hotel housing several other non-ACB guests (we will have
about 850 of their 2,000 rooms), the board felt it would be good to offer this service once again. I personally would not make it through the week if it
weren't for quick meals. However, the Riviera is not the largest hotel in Las Vegas. The MGM Grand is one of the world's largest hotel/casinos, with more
than 5,000 rooms. It would take a person 13 years and eight months to sleep in every one of them and it would take 288 years for one person to spend one
night in every hotel room in Las Vegas.
Speaking of sleeping, the rates for the Riviera are $77 per night for singles and doubles, $87 for triples and $97 for quads, plus a 9 percent tax. Those
rates will be in effect from June 24 to July 13, 2005, so you can stay a good long while. Howard Hughes stayed at the Desert Inn so long the owners asked
him to leave. He offered to buy the hotel and the owners sold, thus beginning his casino-buying spree. There will be plenty of slot machines that you will
be able to use. Yes, the Riviera has converted some of its slot machines to the paperless type, but this amounts to about 30 percent. In the early days
of the strip, the slot machine was initially a diversion for the women companions of male gamblers who were busy at the tables. Now slot machines typically
earn 60 to 70 percent of a casino's take.
There will be so much to do in the evenings. Besides the great mainstays of ACB such as DVS movie night, the Showcase and the banquet, outside the Riviera
is the world at your feet. The strip is very safe at night, but just as with any city, you need to take the same steps to keep yourself safe as when you
are traveling anywhere.
ACB and its affiliates are in the process of setting their programming, speakers, times and events. Keep checking the web site at www.acb.org for up-to-date
convention information. I am so excited about this coming convention as I am sure you are as well. I have heard from many of you with suggestions and questions.
I look forward to making this convention one that will be favorably talked about for years to come. As always, if I can be of service, you can reach me
at ctowers@acb.org or call me on my toll free line at 1-800-474-3029 extension 00. So, start checking those airfares and saving your quarters for the slots.
I'll be seeing you soon.
NO REST FOR THE WEARY!
A LOOK AT THE UPCOMING 2005 NATIONAL CONVENTION
by Cynthia Towers, ACB Convention Coordinator
A lion at the MGM Grand Lion Habitat sleeps up to 20 hours a day -- although the constant tapping on the windows keeps them up on busy weekends! You won't
be sleeping much when you attend this year's national convention July 2-9 in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel and Casino.
By the time this issue reaches you, the convention will be just three short months away. Plans for youth activities, exhibits, meetings, tours and the like
are fast approaching the finalization stage as ACB prepares to have one of its largest conventions ever. Affiliate agendas have been pouring in as program
chairs work to make certain that they provide their members with fun, fulfilling and fabulous information. If the e-mails I have been receiving are any
indication, this convention will host many new attendees from around the country as well as the world. I have received e-mails from Canada, Japan, England
and Australia, inquiring about everything from A to Z.
The Riviera has 2,136 rooms and 150 suites. Conveniently located on the Las Vegas Strip, the hotel features one of the world's largest casinos. It offers
five unique specialty restaurants, Mardi Gras Food Court with 10 food outlets, full service wedding chapel, recreational facilities, show lounge and more
than 30 specialty shops and services. I almost forgot -- it also has a huge outdoor pool. While there are still plenty of rooms in the ACB reservation
group, you do not want to wait until the last minute to ensure that you are placed in either the Monaco or Monte Carlo Towers. The Monaco Tower is 24 stories
high and has a selection of larger comfortable rooms featuring 942 deluxe guest rooms. The Monte Carlo Tower is 15 stories high and has 229 deluxe rooms,
14 petite suites and two floors of penthouse suites. This is the tower in which President Gray will reside. These are the two closest towers to the meeting
room areas.
As in past years, ACB will offer a quick breakfast and lunch service. It will be grab-and-go type meals with items priced separately. You will need to pay
cash for these items, but it will be conveniently located in the midst of the ballroom and other meeting rooms and can serve as a location to catch up
with someone or just sit and enjoy your meal. It will remain open after breakfast and a bit past the lunch rush to serve soft drinks, hot beverages and
snacks. The ballroom will once again be set with tables so attendees can more easily take notes, bring in food and generally have more space per person.
Speaking of meals, the hotel does have a buffet and other restaurants. More than 80 percent of visitors to Las Vegas indulge in buffets -- that's 29 million
buffets per year! Once outside the hotel there is a plethora of eateries. Do you like shrimp? Well, shrimp consumption in Las Vegas is more than 60,000
pounds a day -- higher than the rest of the country combined. That's 22 million pounds per year! Any type of food that exists can be found in Vegas and
at any time of the day or night.
So there you have it. All you need now is a plane ticket and you will be set to be a part of what is shaping up to be an exciting time, one not to be missed.
Carol Ewing and the local host committee are in constant contact with me to guarantee that they do not overlook any detail that could make your stay more
enjoyable. Thank you, Carol and the Nevada Council of the Blind!!!
Before I end this article, I would be remiss if I did not mention the tremendous loss ACB has experienced in the recent passing of Jim Olsen. From my days
as assistant convention coordinator, to national secretary to convention coordinator, Jim was the one person I could count on for answers to all those
millions of questions that I had to have answered. He was not only of great service to ACB but was a great husband, dad and granddad. I think what I will
miss most are those silly Norwegian jokes he would tell almost every time I would call his office. Jim is now watching over us and probably glad he does
not have to do one more budget report. Keep an eye on us, Jim, and we will see you again soon.
But long before then I hope to see many of you in Las Vegas this summer. To make your reservations, you may call the hotel directly at 1-800- 634-6753.
Be sure to mention that you are with the American Council of the Blind to receive the $77 rate. If you would like to contact me, you may do so by e-mailing
ctowers@acb.org or by calling me on my toll-free line at 1- 800-474-3029 x00. You must hit the 0 twice. Have a great beginning of spring. Viva Las Vegas!!!
MORE TOUR INFORMATION
by Berl Colley
This is turning out to be a very fluid year for ACB tours. Since my article last month, we have lost a tour, added a tour and made a change to a tour.
What Tour Have We Added?
For those coming early to Las Vegas, we will be going to Cashman Field to see a baseball game. The Las Vegas 51s will be playing the Portland Beavers on
Friday night, July 1, 2005. ACB tours has managed to obtain seats about 50 feet behind home plate. These are front row seats where the umpire's calls,
the ball meeting a bat or hitting the catcher's glove, and some other things that you might want to hear, or not hear, can be heard. The seats are also
very close to the food services for those that like to snack during a game. This will be a capped tour, first come first ticketed, because we only have
20 tickets. The Las Vegas 51s are a AAA franchise of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Portland Beavers are a AAA franchise of the San Diego Padres.
What Tour Have We Lost?
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have lost the Monday night, July 4, events tour. ACB tours is looking at a couple of options to replace this
tour. Please look for the next Forum or Convention Scope for more information.
What Change Have We Made?
The folks operating the jet boat services from Laughlin to Lake Havasu have decided not to run their boats on the 4th of July weekend. As a consequence,
our pre-convention tour, on July 1, will be altered a bit. Current plans are to go to Oatman, an old gold mining town, in the morning. From there we will
go to Lake Havasu for a great lunch and to see and learn about the London Bridge. This will give us a little more time to spend in Havasu. We will be stopping
in Laughlin for supper, then returning to Las Vegas.
For Those Seeing Las Vegas Sites on Their Own
Here are some tips that hopefully will make your time a little more enjoyable. Do NOT jaywalk. Jaywalking fines often can exceed fines of car owners who
run red lights. If you want a cab, don't step to the curb and try to flag one down. It is illegal for a cab to stop along a curb to pick up passengers.
Cabs can be obtained at hotel and casino properties, the airport, restaurants and other places when called in.
Do not expect to see named entertainers when deciding to see their show at the last minute. You should make arrangements and purchase your show tickets
before going to Las Vegas. Ticket prices will run between $40 and $100 per person.
Do not expect to find a large variety of inexpensive food. The days of cheap buffets to bring customers into gaming establishments are gone. Las Vegas is
rapidly becoming known as a food connoisseur's destination. A number of the top chefs in the world have moved to Las Vegas and if you are willing to pay
the price, there are numerous opportunities for very fine dining.
When you plan to play the slots or any of the table games, get a Player's Club card for that casino. This is one way a visitor can earn free perks while
there.
Be prepared to tip. Many gaming property employees are paid minimum wage and rely on tips to get by.
In general, be very selective with sidewalk vendors. There are gift shops in the hotels. You may pay a little more for items, but you probably have a much
smaller chance of getting ripped off.
Do not give to beggars, whether inside or outside of the properties. The hotels and casinos do not like to have beggars bothering their guests. The more
money given to people at a given location, the more folks seeking a handout will return.
Women, when playing the slot machines, do not put your purses on the area next to your machine. It is best to have a fanny pack or something that you can
attach to yourself. Men, place your wallets in your front pockets. In both cases you are making it more difficult for unscrupulous people to steal from
you.
Be very skeptical of any person who wants to sell you something for pennies on the dollar. There is a good chance that the object is not theirs, or when
you get back to your room, you will find that you didn't receive what you thought you purchased.
The convention dates are July 2 through 9, 2005. To reserve a room, call the Riviera at1-800-634-6753, and make sure you tell them that you are with the
American Council of the Blind.
RIVIERA 101
by Cynthia Towers, ACB Convention Coordinator
By the time this reaches you, your plane ticket may already be in your hands, and you may be signing up for tours, affiliate meetings and other special
events. Well, let me give you some information that will make your trip before convention, as well as the convention itself, an enjoyable one.
Before getting on the plane, please make sure that you have current identification. Do not lock your suitcase, only take two carry-ons and please, please,
please make sure that you can tell someone how to spot your personal luggage. Las Vegas is a town like no other. Planes land 24 hours a day from all over
the world bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors daily. Therefore, help someone help you by putting something on your luggage that is unique. Just
saying "it's a black suitcase" is not sufficient. A large decorative ribbon, not a tiny string, an ACB luggage tag or even a brightly colored scarf will
assist the volunteers and airport personnel in finding your items among the sea of suitcases that will be revolving around the carousels.
When you arrive in Las Vegas, you can get to the Riviera Hotel and Casino via cab, which will cost about $15 each way and take about 15 minutes, or shuttle,
which costs $5 one way and $9.75 round-trip and can take up to 30 minutes depending on how many other passengers are on board with you. Just say that you
are going to the Riviera or "The Riv" as it is more popularly known. You do not need an address -- the cab drivers go by names of hotels, not numbers.
The Riviera has multiple transportation entrances. The Convention Center entrance is where tours will leave. Do not go to this one. There is an underground
cab, guest parking and limousine area known as "the dungeon." Do not go to this one either. What you need to instruct the driver to do is to take you to
the Riviera South entrance. This is the entrance that is just a few steps from the front desk where you will check into your sleeping room.
It is the plan to have a hotel description when you arrive rather than in your packets. You can read it in the relaxation of your room and take some time
to try to orient yourself to the hotel. The Riviera has 2,000 guest rooms and ACB will have approximately 800 of them. You will probably be in the Monte
Carlo or Monaco towers. These are the two closest to the meeting rooms. The hotel has three other towers for a total of five. Since there are five towers,
the room numbering system is such that there are no duplicate room numbers. Rooms 1501 to 2920 are in the Monte Carlo and there is ice and soda on every
floor. The Monaco is numbered 4201 to 6407 and also has ice and soda on every floor. If for some reason you are placed in one of the other towers, they
are numbered: San Remo, 3100 to 3644; Mediterranean North, 227 to 939, and Mediterranean South, 358 to 1173. This is where the health club is located on
the 12th or top floor. The Riviera has 42 ADA rooms, some in each of the five towers. There is also an outdoor pool.
Volunteers will be on hand to assist you to the elevator. No ACB volunteer may come to your sleeping room, on tours, to the meetings, in the buffet and
possibly in the casino. ACB cannot guarantee that someone will be there each and every time you need help. So, keep this in mind as you make your travel
plans.
H is for hoagies, hot dogs and hot buttered popcorn. H is also for the room where the ACB Caf‚ will be located. Come there every day from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast items will be available from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and lunch foods will be on hand from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
In between times you can go there for snacks, coffee, soft drinks and the like, or to get recharged, literally. There will be tables on the right side
of the room with power strips for recharging low batteries on equipment such as Braille Notes and laptops. ACB will not be responsible for items left for
recharging. Please stay with your stuff.
Stay tuned, there will be other surprises from the Caf‚!! There will be tables for sitting and eating. Or you can take your food with you in the handled
bag it will be placed in. The caf‚ will only take cash. The hotel has several other restaurants, but it will be nice to have a place only for us. With
the smell from the popcorn machine, the sounds of soft music being piped in and the buzz of a hungry and happy crowd, Room H will be the place to be. It
is located among the meeting rooms and is a perfect location to grab something on your way to your next get-together.
Tours will leave from the convention entrance doors, which are located directly across from where registration will be. The general sessions will be located
in the Grand Ballroom and will once again be set with tables. You will walk through a wide corridor that will open up into the main seating area. When
you enter the general sessions, you will be facing the podium and there will be seating to the right and left. Dave Williams will once again be doing the
audio streaming of the general sessions over the Internet.
You'll want to make sure you are on time for the general sessions each day, because the Nevada Council of the Blind has some sets of silver dollars to give
away as door prizes. Carol Ewing and company have been hard at work to ensure that things are running smoothly and that everything will be in place for
your arrival. If you and/or your affiliate bring door prizes, please see Pam Shaw at the Information Services Desk, located to the left of registration.
Exhibits will be down the hall from the Grand Ballroom in an area called the Royale Pavilion. I have received tons of calls from folks wanting to be exhibitors
this year. You will have a lot of selection as you go through this year's aisles, so bring your credit card and shop till you drop.
I hope I have covered the basics of what you'll need to get started. I have had the pleasure of speaking to many of you and am looking forward to a large
and fun convention. If you still need to make a reservation, you may do so by calling the Riviera Hotel directly at 1-800-634-6753. Be sure to mention
that you are with the American Council of the Blind to receive the $77 rate. As always, if you would like to contact me, you may do so by e- mailing me
at ctowers@acb.org or by calling me on my toll-free line at 1- 800-474-3029 x00. You must hit the 0 twice. In just a few weeks it will all commence, so
start practicing your best Elvis impersonation and rest up because sleeping is not an option (just kidding). I will see you in July.
NEW TOUR WILL THRILL SCIENCE FICTION FANS
by Berl Colley
Make your plans to beam into the worlds of Star Trek! The science and science fiction fans group has put together a tour to the Hilton Star Trek Experience
that will take place on Thursday, July 7.
You will encounter the alien worlds of Star Trek when you beam into this special tour. You will immerse yourself in the Star Trek Universe as you tour the
museum, board a shuttlecraft and aid the crew in fighting the Klingons. You will celebrate the commissioning of the Shuttle Moontype, the first Starfleet
fan club dedicated to people who are blind or have low vision and their families and friends. You will also have the opportunity to walk through the museum
with a tour guide, ride on a shuttlecraft defending the Enterprise from the Klingons or prevent a Borg capture in the Borg Encounter 4D.
Shopping at the Promenade shops just like on DS9 is a must because you will find a galaxy of Star Trek, science- and space-related merchandise to purchase.
We will have our lunch at Quark's Bar, where you will be fascinated with the decor, from the large-sized model of the Enterprise that hangs from the ceiling
to the numerous closed-circuit TVs throughout the bar. You can watch and listen to your favorite Star Trek episodes from closed-circuit TVs while you eat
at Quark's or tour the exhibits throughout the Star Trek Experience itself. We will dine on a variety of foods named for foods served on DS9 at Quark's.
A cash bar will be available. You may see a Ferengi, Klingon or Romulan strolling around the Promenade or serving your food at Quark's Bar.
The Star Trek Experience also has a variety of other attractions, such as having your picture professionally taken in the captain's chair on the bridge
of the Enterprise, or you may want to pose with a Ferengi, Klingon or Romulan. Bring your camera so that you can take pictures of the museum displays and
at Quark's Bar. Be prepared for surprises as you never know who you might encounter at the Star Trek Experience. Guide dogs are welcome. They will be allowed
to accompany you throughout the Star Trek Experience; however, they will not be allowed to remain with you during the motion part of the two rides. Attendants
will wait with your dog and return him or her to you immediately after you depart the motion part of the ride, so you might want to bring your cane to
use during this short period of time. This tour includes admittance to the museum, two rides (The Klingon Encounter and Borg 4D), lunch at Quark's Bar
and bus transportation to and from the Hilton.
Expenses that are not included: alcohol purchased at Quark's, shopping, and your picture in the captain's chair or other novelties sold at the experience.
If you have any questions about the Star Trek Experience, the tour, or the use of your guide dog while at the experience, contact Kathryn Johnson via e-mail,
kathrynkj@earthlink.net.
Liberace Museum
ACB tours will be visiting the Liberace Museum twice during convention week. The first time, Saturday, July 2, there will be a concert of some of his music.
The second time, Tuesday, July 5, there will not be a concert.
Wednesday Night Dinner Cruise
And now for a little bit about the Wednesday night dinner cruise on Lake Mead. The Desert Princess is a double-decker ship that can hold up to 150 people
if they are squeezed in. We will have 110 people on our cruise, including volunteers and a tour representative. The eating area is on the lower deck; the
lounge is on the upper level. Dancing will take place on the lower deck after eating. Dinner is a sit-down meal and will be conducted in two shifts so
that everyone can eat comfortably. The lower deck is wheelchair-accessible, but there are only stairs to the top level. There will be narration about some
of the areas of the lake, but with people talking and dancing it probably will be difficult to hear. It is about a 45- minute bus ride from the Riviera
to the loading docks.
Seven Pre-Convention Tours
The seven tours that will occur on the weekend prior to this year's convention are:
1. July 1 trip to see the London Bridge;
2. July 1, an evening baseball game;
3. July 2, float trip through lower Black Canyon;
4. July 2, Las Vegas city tour;
5. July 2, visit to the Liberace museum;
6. July 3, repeat of Las Vegas city tour;
7. July 3, go to Elvis-a-rama and Ethel M's candies.
Pre-registration forms will be out shortly. Be certain to get your form filled out and sent back before the deadline to give yourself the best chance to
get on whatever tours you want. Also make sure you have a room at the Riviera! To make room reservations, call the Riviera Hotel and Casino at 1-800-634-6753.
Be sure to tell them that you are with the American Council of the Blind.
Oh OK did they mention "candy"? Lol better make sure of that one!
so I'm excited. and yesterday I was starting to listen to the 2004 open ceromony! it sounds sooo overwhelming and exciting! and a bit anxiety-driven Lol! big place, volunteers not allowed to the rooms? i mean what? how am I meant to be certain I'm not gunna walk into the wrong room! big hotel, Big place! Losvegas, big and scarey! what if I get lost? ah well! guess as Nan always says "I've got a tongue in my head" Lol but apparently I have an "accent" and I don't wanna be different ah well! my anxieties kicking in!
29 days! yeah yeahyeahyeah! :)
Til Next Time, RdFreak
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Lol
XOXOOXOXXXOX,
Caitlin
Re: Lol
Re: Lol
Your'e sweet too. heehe
Caitcait 333333
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