Michele

The Space exhibit flyer we had gotten in the mail sparked my interest and it became my mission to finally visit the Springs Preserve. It was the day after Valentines and the weather was unusually cold for Vegas. What better day to go. When we arrived at 333 South Valley View there was hardly anyone there. Happily we were greeted and given a map of the 180 acre site. Overwhelmed with the size of the park, we started down a path between a man-made canyon (complete with sounds of the wilderness) towards the Origen Experience where the Space exhibit was being displayed. A lovely man pointed us toward the viewing room where we were to watch an introduction film about the history of the Las Vegas Springs and how the preserve came to be. Once the video was finish we noticed there was art displayed on the walls from local students. We spent about an hour admiring the talent of these young artist before entering the Space exhibit.

Space: A Journey to Our Future

Spinning in the space “ride” was dizzying. After we experienced how it would be like to exercise in space, we played with some of the interactive exhibits. I learned about the different types of light used in telescopes and I tried to build a spaceship to Mars.

The Space exhibit will not disappoint you and will be at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve until May 13, 2012.  If you want to miss the crowds try going on a weekday, but remember that if you want to go to the Nevada State Museum it is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Dutch and I spent a great deal of time exploring the Space exhibit and when we saw how much more there was to seewe knew we couldn’t do it all in a day. Thankfully, we were given a map at the beginning of out expedition… otherwise we would be completely lost in the huge complex. I couldn’t believe how wonderful of a place this was and how inexpensive it was. Once we were finished with Space: A  Journey to Our Future, we stumbled across the outdoor living animal collection. I didn’t realize how much life was out in the desert!  It is mostly rodents, lizards and scary venomous bugs, but it’s very fun to explore.

Back inside we discovered the Natural Mojave Gallery. We learned about flash floods, geological formations, and about the vegetation of the Mojave desert. The Flash Flood exhibit demonstrated the dangers of flash floods by having you in a room with the flood!  It’s not to be missed.

Sustainability Gallery

The Sustainability Gallery was my favorite of all we saw. I really love the idea of children learning about recycling and saving valuable resources. I really don’t see why we all can’t live sustainable lives. Get your kids involved.  This exhibit is inspiring!

The Gardens features “junk art” by David Thompson. We didn’t know what to expect when we finally reached the Gardens. We were not disappointed. It was really fun to make out all of the “garbage” the artist used to make art.

A library for visitors is located in the gift shop. We didn’t get the chance to visit the Spring Cafe this trip, but it looks promising and the view of the strip looks great. The Spring Cafe’s hours are Monday through Friday 11am to 3pm, and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm. I was so happy to finally make my way to the Springs Preserve. I look forward to going back during the Summer! If you would like to share your story about the Spring Preserve contact Michele@Localvegas.com and become a featured storyteller on our Local Vegas website!

If you haven’t been to a Renaissance Fair you are truly missing one of the most fulfilling experiences in life.  The Age of Chivalry is celebrated every year in October, usually at Sunset Park, but this year it was held at Silver Bowl Park by Cashman Center. The turkey legs were great and the entertainment was exquisite. Bravo knights and knaves, looking forward to next year.

Live blacksmith who told us stories of yore while making stuff.

Ahoy there matte, a ship in the grass! The ship was “shooting” at another!! Very loud and really fun.

My magical tennis shoes and staff ;).

Funny story…

The Romans

Jesus was even there.

Belly dancer who play with fire!

And there was the “Posh” experience.

The “Posh” potties are on the left.

The Bellagio conservatory is a must see. Every season or when there is a special activity such as Chinese’s  New Year, the Bellagio’s horticultural staff creates a wonderland of botanical beauty.

It was really busy but we managed to take a few pictures.

Me and my dad looking off into the distance. We are admiring the giant butterfly on display…

After the visit to the garden we went around the corner to admire the yummy chocolate fountain.

David and Lisa are having a great time.