Carsten "Roy/SAC" C.'s Profile

Nice Park for Jogging, Hiking, Dog Running, Family Picnics, BMX Tracking, even Horse Riding and much more. Unfortunately not totally free like the Central Park in New York City, but at least does it not cost an arm and a leg to get in.

$5 for onetime admission with a Car or $30 for an annual pass. If you go there by food or bicycle, no admission must be paid. The park can also entered free with a car when it is closed during the night. The park is open April through October, 6am to 10pm and November through March, 6am to 7pm. There are several points where only pedestrians and bikes can enter the park.

If you live too far away to get there on foot or bicycle, but don't mind to walk a little, park your car at the public and free parking lots of the commercial area at Friant Rd / Ft.Washington Rd at the Northeastern End of the park and walk across Friant Rd. to enter the park on foot and free this way.

Another nearby and free parking area is located at the southern end of the park at Audubon Drive right on the Eastern Side, before the Bridge over Highway 41 if you come from Friant Rd (using Friant Rd. Exit of HWY-41 and turned left on Friant Rd.)

The park is located in the far North of Fresno, CA and stretches along N.Friant Road (North-South) to the very outskirts of the city. The park is the starting point of the Lewis E. Eaton part of the San Joaquin River Parkway trail which extends further north to Copper River.

Its a great location to spend family weekends in the open. Nice lawns, Barbecue "Pits" or Grills at Tables under Pavilions / Shelters are available at 6 locations for $30/Day per Table (25-30 people, with max capacity of ca 210 people for an entire shelter), so all you need to bring is Charcoals and the Meat. Electricity is also available (for music etc.). A smaller 7th shelter for 60 people ("Gazebo") is also available for $72 per day.

Free tables without cover, BBQ and electricity are available too on a first come first served basis.

Also perfect for Kids Birthday parties. Playgrounds for the little ones are also available.

BTW. Woodward Park is the largest regional park in the Central Valley of California.

Here is a link to a Map of the park in PDF-format
http://www.fresno.gov/...

Extreme Pizza's used to be extreme and I would have rated them 5 stars without hesitation, if this would still be the case. The quality is still good and the speed of service usually too (delivery), but there is nothing "extreme" about it anymore. The dough used to be thicker and the amount of toppings proportional too (more dough = more toppings to hold without falling apart. That makes sense, right? )

The Yard Sale (everything in the house) is still the best and recommended Pizza to buy. The "all meet" Pizza "Everest" is also not bad, if you want something different once in a while.

They also have more than just Pizza. They also have good warm and cold Sandwiches. I like myself the "Shredder with Cheddar", which is a Ham and Cheese Sandwich baked. The "Crux" sandwich (BBQ Pork) is also one of my favorites.

If you get the chance and if you are not on a special diet, also try their really big cookies. The oatmeal/raisins cookies are juicy and the chocolate chip (chunk hehe) cookies are yummy too.

Good food, nice atmosphere, above average price, but the food quality justifies it. It also seems to be the only place, except for the Fresno International Airport, where you can get a cab in Fresno. Seriously, I have never seen any cabs waiting anywhere else.  The patio is nice, but inside might be better for couples. The patio is adjacent to a bar and they have a TV to watch ball games. The wine selection is also top notch. I am not a wine drinker myself, but if a VP from Beverages and More! says that the list is good then I trust that statement :).

Top of the line, for no reason listed under the top restaurants in the whole United States. European chefs, one meal every day, not a menu to select stuff from (except drinks from their selected wines and beers list). The service is beyond excellent. I know now how King Louie the XIV must have felt during his dinners 200+ years ago in Paris, France. FULL business attire is a must for the gentlemen and a special evening dress for the ladies. Men also should wear a tie or bow tie.

If I propose to somebody one day, it will probably there (they have a nice and cosy table for two with Wine kegs and decoration somewhere aside from the main restaurant area for privacy). I think it would be hard for anybody to say no, after such a dinner.

Good food, not cheap, but the quality justifies it IMO. Great service and good atmosphere. During the night on Fridays and Saturdays does the restaurant turn into a night club, which is nothing special (same is true for all night clubs in Fresno, which makes it "good" I guess). Sometimes they have Karaoke, but I don't know if they have that on a fix schedule or not. Worth checking out.

Best Pastrami Sandwiches in the world, hot or cold, it does not matter. They bake their own bred, which is not from this world. I heard the other sandwiches are good too, but I tried the Pastrami first and never ordered anything else since then :).

Good food but expensive. Save the money, add a few more bucks and go to Elderberry's, which is 30 minutes from Fresno in Okhurst, CA.

The Wynn Hotel, Resort and Casino are from the price very similar to the luxury hotel Bellagio, which is owned by MGM. The Wynn is one of the few individual owned properties on the strip. Steve Wynn sold his other Las Vegas properties to the giant MGM, who owns half the Strip today.  

The hotel layout is different from any other Vegas Hotel and Casino. You will appreciate that they are not hitting you with the casino aspect of the hotel over the head. They did not create a casino jungle patrons have to pass before they can get to important locations within the hotel. The casino is located in the middle of the 1st floor and there are straight walkways that go right through it and all around it.

You can get from virtually any point to the other at the main floor in less than 5 minutes, including the lobby, restaurants, shops, show theaters, special meeting rooms, the night club Tryst, the Lake of Dreams and the Ferrari dealership and show room.

The rooms are what you would expect from a first class establishment. Everything you need is there, from Internet access, a mini stereo system, a safe to store valuables, a mini fridge and a gorgeous view either across the strip or the huge (full size) golf course that is adjacent to the casino property and only available to Wynn patrons and their guests.

The bed sheets (the upper one of course) are changed after each stay, something that is not typical in this industry, including first class hotels. The bedding is made of special material. I forgot the name of it, but you will sleep in it like a baby.

They have numerous top notch restaurants on the property, but for the general occasions I suggest the "Terrace Cafe", which overlooks the pool area. They serve full meals there. I have a special insider tip for you. If you look at the menu, ignore the headline "dinner", "breakfast" or "lunch". You can order what you like at any time as long as they have the ingredients available. Cook time will be a bit longer, but even with special orders did I always get my food quickly and faster than in many restaurants where I just ordered the daily special.

The shows at the Wynn are great too. You should not miss to see "Le Reve", which means "The Dream" and is French. The working name for the Wynn project was actually "Le Reve" and the show was one of the first things that were organized before the hotel was even build. Creator of the show is Franco Dragone and anybody who has some interest in Cirque Du Soleil shows will know this name. Dragone is the mastermind behind the vast majority of CDS shows, including the shows "O" and "Mystere", which are also running in Las Vegas. The show is much like a Cirque du Soleil show and this should not come to a surprise, considering who created it. The music is fantastic too. I bought the soundtrack right there after I saw the show the first time. I do not recommend the VIP pass, which includes Champagne and fruits; because you will be seated at the top most rows in the venue and that is not the best spot to sit for the show. The first three rows are also only for folks who do not mind to get wet (this is not an IF scenario, you will get wet there). About 5th row is probably the best location. Trust me on that one, I have seen the show already twice and done the VIP thing myself.

The other show is "Spamalot", which is a spin-off the famous Monty Python movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". If you know the movie, then you will recognize many things from the movie in that show, including the famous song "Bright Side of Life". If you don't like British humor, this show is probably not for you.

There is much more, but you can explore this stuff yourself. The atmosphere of the place invites to take a little stroll through the property. If you book a room off season, you can get a resort room for a price that is less than half of their regular rate of $300+ per night. It is well worth the money and a good place to spoil your better half and enjoy a weekend away from your children.

I wrote a three part review with my detailed experiences in April 2006 at a blog of mine. You might want to check it out as well.

Part 1
http://www.consumermat...

Part 2
http://www.consumermat...

Part 3
http://www.consumermat...

... and some more details, including the restaurant and about the golf course.
http://www.consumermat...

The Sahara Hotel and Casino is an older property that is located at the heart of the Las Vegas strip. Its room prices are at the lower end of the price range for Las Vegas Strip locations and only slightly above the price of the MGM properties Excalibur and Circus Circus.

For the slightly higher price are you getting a nicer room, elevators that come within fractions of a minute rather than minutes and LAN and Wireless high speed Internet access rather than just Wireless. The Buffet is also excellent in quality and price and the Room service is cheaper than you might think. I used it several times and it was fast, not much more expensive than paying at the restaurant and good quality.

The Monorail station is right next to the hotel, which provides a great alternative to using a cab without the need to walk a long distance to the station itself, like it is the case for several other Las Vegas Strip properties.

Overall are you getting a very good deal. I stayed at the Sahara already three times and prefer it over the Excalibur, Luxor, Flamingo and Circus Circus.

The Wynn is much nicer, true, but you also have to pay for a single night almost the same what you have to pay for a whole week stay at the Sahara.

The rooms are spacious, but not fancy and only equipped with the essential stuff. The A/C control lags some precision and a bit more lights would also not hurt. I was only staying in the room to sleep and to work a bit on my computer on the Internet, so that those short-comings did not bother me too much.

I also do not gamble and can't say anything about the quality of the Casino itself. I always ask for a room in the tower that is close to the Lobby entrance, so I do not even have to see anything of the Casino at all.

Authentic Mediterranean food. Home-style made what does not surprise, because the mom is the cook. Tabbouleh, Babaganush (or Baba ganoush), Hummus, pita bread, rice pilaf, lulu kebab and more are on the menu every day. On special days are they having Okra what is a specialty and very traditional, but not my thing.

If you are asking nicely, they might let you use their original water pipes with fresh and fruity tobacco. Dinner (later at night) would be the appropriate time for that. Not too late though, they usually close at night.