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.

If you have just purchased your first bowie knife, or even if you have been an avid collector of these blades for a number of years, it can be difficult to determine exactly what all the different parts of the blade are supposed to be used for. Part of this confusion stems from the myriad different styles of blade out there. For instance, you’ll find modern bowies that have saw-tooth edging on the spine, while historically accurate models do not include this feature. What are the different parts supposed to do?

Blood Groove – A deep (relatively) groove that runs from near the back end of the blade to near the point, the blood groove serves a very specific purpose. This groove is used to allow blood to flow out from a stab, ensuring that the blade does not become trapped by suction. However, not all bowie knife models feature this groove, as it is a recent, modern development.

Another element of bowie knife design is the clipped point. In fact, if a knife claims to be a bowie, but does not have this distinctive feature, it is not a bowie knife. The clipped point was one of the original innovations that helped to cement this knife’s reputation in the Western world. It allows immense control of the point during general use or during combat, and provides greater penetration when using the knife for stabbing. A sharpened false edge on the clipped point offers extra cutting power, as well.

Your bowie knife might also include a runnel or blood groove. These are not found on all bowies, but serve a purpose nonetheless. The runnel, or blood groove, serves to release blood pressure from around the blade of the knife when the knife is inserted into an animal. This ensures that the blade does not become trapped and can be easily free on the reverse motion of the stroke.

The Tip – The tip of bowie knives is quite unique. Called a clipped point, it provides better punch-through power in stabbing motions, but also provides better tip control, as well. You will find that this unique tip is actually one of the defining elements that sets bowie knives apart from other large, fixed blade sheath knives on the market today. If a knife does not have such a tip, it is not a bowie knife.

Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring the jim bowie knife as well as lighters for camping.

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.

When I hit the beach to surf I usually head down to Mermaid Beach. Though the waves are not among the best of the Gold Coast’s offerings, I choose this spot because of the ability to dodge the swelling crowds. Crowds and surfing: they’ve got a funny relationship. No serious surfer out there will tell you that they enjoy surfing in a tightly packed spot, yet nonetheless we all tend to exacerbate the matter by obeying certain sheep-like behavior (i.e. the “follow the pack” mentality).

A typical day at Mermaid Beach offers surfers roughly 3 or 4 peaks, though usually only one is being ridden, and by a ton of surfers. Before jumping in and paddling to a certain spot, I always have a good look to make a smart choice. My ultimate decision is always influenced both by how good the waves are and by how many surfers are already there. Usually, I’ll sacrifice a bit of quality to have more room for myself, but that’s a personal preference not everyone shares.

I’ll also often walk up to a kilometer in either direction to find the wave I’d like to surf. As soon as I catch a wave though, someone from the pack surfing the other wave will paddle over to join me. Heaven knows why they were not there already, the wave had been breaking all day. Obviously they just didn’t have the imagination or intelligence to realize the wave was there, until they saw me catch one.

I’m constantly amazed by the number of surfers who arrive at the beach and do not look for a wave. Rather they just paddle out to the closest group of surfers assuming that will be where the best waves are.

There have been days when I was the only surfer getting wet on days with excellent conditions all along the beach. Yet when another surfer gets in, they come sit on my tail instead of taking advantage of the ample space. In such scenarios I simply paddle over to the next wave to keep surfing, wondering the whole way there about the other surfer’s intelligence.

In the end, this prevalent behavior obliges me to wonder: what ever happened to the exploratory spirit that used to be so essential to surfing? Where has it ended up? When did it get substituted by this sheepish behavior where everyone just follows the rest? Perhaps I am peculiar now in my eagerness for uninterrupted surfing; maybe the crowd dynamic is what most people enjoy now? It’s beyond me, yet I can’t help thinking this type of behavior is odd.

Here is a thought. Every time you go to the beach for a surf, spend some time on the beach observing the waves before you paddle out. You may find a better wave if you look, you’ll definitely catch more waves if you find a less crowded one.

When you visit Queensland there is no reason to miss the Gold Coast beaches. In fact, the beaches here are the sole reason many travelers head to this part of Australia. Blessed with a virtually endless stretch of sand, all under sunny skies with an ocean, a swimming every day is no tall order. Water temperatures are almost never uncomfortable here, bottoming out around 20 degrees C. The beaches on the Gold Coast continue to draw amazing crowds.

Here are the big reasons why.

The Surf

From Duranbah in New South Wales through to The Other Side (TOS) at South Stradbroke Island, we have beach after beach of world class waves to surf. We have some of the most famous reef breaks in the world, with Snapper Rocks and Burleigh Heads constantly producing amazingly long right handers. And it is at these point breaks that we host the first ASP World Championship Tour event, during February – March every year.

Then again, if you’re the type of surfer who will happily compromise on wave quality for a greatly reduced crowd, just make your way to the beach breaks. An amazing, virtually endless stretch of beach breaks cover the Gold Coast including places like Kirra and Surfers Paradise, which are justifiably famous. Then there are the lesser known spots like Main Beach, Tugan, Mermaid Beach, Miami and Nobby’s Beach. While crowds fill the point breaks and you wait in line for a wave, the beach breaks just sit and glisten in the sun, unridden waves crashing on shore all day long.

This part of the coast is a laboratory for surf champs, producing guys like Dean Morrison, Parko and Mick Fanning, guys who are in the running for world champion.

For the Swimmers and Tanners

The Gold Coast Weather combined with the temperate water temperature makes our beaches ideal for swimming and tanning all year round. Sure, sometimes it gets a bit “nippy” here in winter, but only in the mornings. It is a rarer July and August day (June – August are winter in the Southern Hemisphere) not to see people tanning on the beach, than to see them there. The beautiful 20 – 24 C days of sitting in the sun in the middle of winter are the rule, not the exception.

As for the water, it’s so pleasant you can even take a swim most nights on the Gold Coast! The air was much more of a threat to my comfort level when I jump out of the water one night and run back to the car.

Considering there are about ten to twenty meters of sand from ocean to street on almost every Gold Coast beach, the tanning, surfing, swimming, running and kite surfing are truly a pleasure. Usually, there are spots for picnics, barbecuing or a little beach volleyball, too. It’s not surprising that the beaches are one of the biggest tourist attractions themselves.