On January 31, 2000, the historic Mapes Hotel in Reno was imploded by 75 pounds of explosives tucked into the art-deco structures support columns. The destruction of the Mapes put an end to years of efforts to preserve the building via lawsuits, redevelopment proposals, and grass roots action. The National Trust for Historic Preservation took up the cause of the Mapes, and challenged the destruction in a suit that eventually reached the Nevada Supreme Court.

While the logic and necessity of demolishing the Mapes is very questionable, one thing that is certain is that the hotel was an important part of Northern Nevada history. The Mapes opened in’47 and with it ushered in a new era for casino gambling and the state of Nevada. Despite some historical revisionism that suggests that the modern era began in Las Vegas with Bugsy Siegel’s famed Flamingo, the Mapes was actually the first building in America to have a hotel, casino and live entertainment under the same roof. The Mapes attracted countless celebrities who’d make it their home when business brought them to Northern Nevada–this included movie stars like Clark Gable, TV stars like the cast of ‘Bonanza’ and political power brokers like infamous anti-Communist crusader Joseph McCarthy.

During the ‘Rat Pack’ era of the 50’s and 60’s it became along with the Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe the place to be seen in Northern Nevada. The 11th floor, window walled Sky Room Lounge hosted performances by a roster of entertainment legends including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Louis Prima, Keely Smith, Milton Berle and Mae West. Downtown Reno struggled during the’60’s and 70’s but the Mapes continued to prosper. The hotel finally closed in’82, due to financial problems experienced by the Mapes Family brought about by their other Northern Nevada casino holdings.

While the last twenty years brought an amazing boom in the population and economy of Southern Nevada, the Northern part of the state didn’t see much of it at all. For that reason, the urgency of destroying the Mapes is even more questionable. In the Las Vegas area, its easy to justify the demolition of older hotels with simple economics–the older properties simply can’t compete in the current mega-resort dominated marketplace. Furthermore, the insane valuation of the land on which they sit makes it financially unfeasible to preserve them as pop culture museums.

This is not the case in Reno, where land and buildings for development in virtually every casino area are abundant. The official reason that the Mapes had to come down was that the city needed the land–which sits along the banks of the Truckee River–to expand its riverside district of art galleries, restaurants and shops. The revitalization of downtown Reno is definitely needed and a legitimate goal, but at the same time it is hard to think that the Mapes was a barrier to this. Indeed, a number of proposals for redevelopment including office space, artists lofts and upscale senior housing would have probably served to enhance the livability of the downtown area. For whatever reason, the City Redevelopment Authority wouldn’t approve any of the proposals and the fate of the Mapes was sealed.

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

After the demolition of The Mapes Hotel, the lot remained vacant for almost a year until a temporary ice skating rink was constructed in the winter of 2001. The site now houses a permanent ice skating rink which, while not a bad use for the land, brings into question the insistence by the City Redevelopment Agency that none of the proposals to preserve the building were viable. Clearly, they had no specific plan or even general idea of what to do with the land but for some reason wanted to see the hotel come down. This has led to all manner of speculation, ranging from financial self interest to a rumor that the structure was ‘haunted’ and needed to be destroyed to forestall future paranormal activity in Washoe County. Whatever the reason, the city of Reno lost a valuable landmark of a more civilized era.

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

Sa Coma is a resort in the eastern Majorca, the largest of the Balearic islands. Although the purpose built resort dating from the 1980s, it offers a far more relaxing holiday opportunity than some of the other resorts in Majorca. Apartments Sa Coma will offer you all your accommodations needs.

You’ll be able to find all the facilities you could possibly need in most of the resorts in the island. However, if you’re looking for a good family holiday without being in the midst of them particularly crowded and rowdy resorts such as Magaluf or Palma Nova, Sa Coma is a great alternative.

It an ideal place for a family holiday and also boasts some of the finest beaches in the island. However, accommodation is the most important issue and finding the right sort of accommodation can make or break a holiday.

There are plenty of hotels on offer but you may find it better to rent an apartment. Your travel agent should be able to organize an apartment rental for you and there are various advantages that you get if you rent an apartment over staying in a hotel.

Renting an apartment has other advantages too. There is typically more choice available and something to suit every budget. You may even have your own swimming pool. Alternatively, if you want complete privacy and you have a higher budget, renting a villa is a great idea.

Prices vary considerably, but you will spend more on in season. This is always the case in Majorca; summer is considerably more expensive than September and beyond. Also, Majorca gets very hot in the summer and not to mention very crowded so if you want to avoid this, going in September or later is a great idea.

Many people like to take holidays in Sharm El Sheikh because of the breathtaking sights. It is a great place to relax and spend time with your family. It is also beautiful for people that dive. If you have never dove before then you need to start here.

Being by the Red Sea, there are a lot of exotic marine life to look at for divers. If you’d rather look at sunken ships then there are many here for you to see. It is amazingly beautiful.

One of the most fun things to do is to rent a boat with a glass bottom to view all of the sea life easier. There are a lot of water activities to participate in. After a day on the sea there are great places to go shopping. For a fun evening out go to a casino or nightclub.

You can’t leave Sharm el Sheikh without going on a camel trek. It is so much fun. You can even visit a lot of the historical sites by camel.

Whether you want to swim, lay by the beach or go diving- the Red Sea offers a lot of fun things to do. If you are a golfer than visit one of the many golf courses. It is just a very impressive area to visit.

Make sure that you stay in a hotel that is close to where the action is. You can find packages to Sharm El Sheikh that make the vacation much more affordable. If you are thinking about going on vacation in Sharm El Sheikh then you are in for a treat. It is a wonderful place to visit and just lay out and relax.

There’s no question why Mexico is such a popular vacation destination. This place is much more than just sunny beaches, it’s incredible. Tulum is one of the hot spots that lets you see history as well as nice beaches on your vacation.

Tulum has both a historical spin and a beautiful beach coast. It is located just south of Playa del Carmen and Akumai. Perched on the breathtaking limestone cliffs that overlook the Caribbean ocean you’ll find Tulum.

Tulum is a nice mix of history and the beaches Mexico is well known for. You will get to experience both of them right in the same area where you can focus on having a good time instead of traveling about the country to see all the different types of sites.

History is important in Tulum. The archeological site here was built between 1200 and 1450. It is clouded in mystery, as are all Mayan ruins.

It was a trading post due to its location off the water. The city’s skyscraper El Castillo is used as a lighthouse to help and direct travelers through the reefs.

The city which was surrounded by walls in its three sides is its distinct feature. This wall is seven meters thick and up to five meters tall. Warriors could defend against attack from a walkway on the city wall. The remaining side of the city is protected by the sea.

Now, sixty buildings are still at the scene, those are all open for visitors. There are information panels on the walls to help visitors on their self-guided tour of the site.

There are amazing beaches in Tulum, just like the ones you have in mind from Mexico’s coastline. Visitors from all over the world are attracted to these beaches, as they are rated among the world’s most beautiful beaches.

The beaches feature turquoise water and white sands. It is the typical beach you would expect in paradise.

The reef at Tulum, the Great Mayan Reef, goes from Cancun, Mexico to Roatan, Honduras making it the second largest in the world. It is 1000 kilometers with 120 kilometers at the Tulum beach.

Like to provide opportunities in the sea off the beach and see eighty four types of people, fish and other sea creatures of more than 450 varieties of coral. It is a true adventure.

Tulum is without a doubt one of the most amazing places in Mexico and has so much to offer. You will always remember your visit to this place, so rich this place is.

In ancient years, it was Xel-Ha that was quite important to all the Mayan people. It was where they would all come in order to offer respect to their various Mayan gods by doing rituals and many dances. Of course much has changed since those days.

These days, Xel-Ha is one of the biggest aquariums around and a marvelous snorkeling spot. Most people come here to snorkel because it offers such an amazing experience.

Xel-Ha, also called Xelha, is an archaeological site that is quite popular and you can find it in Quintana Roo, which is on the Yucatan Peninsula. This area has a very lovely tropical style beauty to enjoy.

The sea has a lovely color of blue and green, enticing you to dive on in to the beautiful waters. Everyone would want a swim if all of the seas out there had this great look to them.

The city of Cancun is only about seventy five miles away to the south of Xel-Ha. If you want to go to Cancun, you can get there by car, you can take a taxi, or rid the bus. If you are going to take public transportation, the ride to the park is available for free. This way you don’t have to worry about trying to get the park on your own.

For both children and adults, there are many great water activities that are available in Xel_ha. You can enjoy going over to Aquaventura, you can kayak, enjoy time snorkeling, or even check out Sea Trek. Not only can you enjoy activities in the sea, but there are plenty of on land activities to enjoy too. Great covers, lagoons, caves, and other activities are out there for you to enjoy.

If you enjoy taking a walk, there are many paths and exciting bridges that will taken you around. Of course if you enjoy sitting back and relaxing, you can also go on the train ride that will ride you around so you can enjoy all the beautiful sights as well.

You’ll find a variety of interesting sites along the way that you’ll definitely enjoy. This will allow you to enjoy some great history and you’ll learn a whole lot about Xel-Ha.

Interested in knowing a bit more about Xel-Ha and it’s past? Well, according to legend the city was first started at a time when the Mayan gods brought together shrewdness, love, and fantasies in order to make this place to bring together the beauty and greatness of nature. Supposedly this is the reason that the entire area is so amazingly beautiful, since it is thousands of years old. While some only think this is a myth, there are others that truly believe that this is true.

To get into this park, you will have to pay some kind of fee. The fees will differ depending on what you do, but they are not too pricey. Kids are cheaper than adults are. It’s definitely worth the price to enjoy the lovely park. With all the great sites available, you’ll be happy to pay to get in.

If you enjoy beauty and you love history, then you definitely will want to take the time to visit Xel-Ha. Make sure you have your camera too. You’ll want to take plenty of pictures to remember the beautiful area by.