Experiencing America
5000 Miles of Beauty, Wonder, and Fun
Page 4 - (July 1, 2007) |
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David Bancroft with wife and grandson in front of Harrah's
in Las Vegas before attending Wayne Newton's show.
| | Las Vegas and Wayne Newton
There were many reasons to visit Las Vegas besides it being on the way from the Great Salt Lake to Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.
One very important reason was being able to meet Wayne Newton and present him with a framed signed printing of my poem, Danke Wayne Newton.
This genuinely nice man is truly a great American patriot and one of America's all time best entertainers. Like Bob Hope, Wayne Newton has unselfishly devoted countless time supporting our brave troops through USO tours and other patriotic endeavors. |
| | And while I will not bore you with the details of arranging to meet
Wayne Newton, I want to thank Wayne's manager and publicist for
their efforts that led to Wayne readily agreeing.
It was especially nice being able to first see Wayne Newton's performance at the Harrah's showroom., which brought fond memories of seeing him for the first time 33.5 years ago while on our honeymoon. Wayne still has the same energy, stage presence, and great talent that goes beyond just singing. He really bought the audience to their feet at the end of the show when he honored the troops and veterans who were in attendance, asking them to stand and then saluting them. He then sang God Bless America before saying goodnight. (Hats off to Wayne's talented back-up singers and accompanying musicians, as well.)
| | Wayne Newton even surprised my wife, grandson, and me with a lasting memory when he graciously dedicated his performance to me. It was totally unexpected, as I was there to honor him on behalf of USA Patriotism! along with being the father of a son who served with the Marines in Iraq.
We met shortly after his show. Wayne was very appreciative of receiving Danke Wayne Newton. We also shared other heartfelt thoughts about each other, our troops, and more that will remain between us.
Now, I have to say that my wife's feet took about a day to find the ground again after being kissed twice by Wayne. The first kiss came after she showed him the picture of our
Marine in his dress blues, which was preceded by Wayne saying, “You
must be one proud momma!” . . . I am not sure | | 
David Bancroft presenting Wayne Newton with his poem, Danke Wayne
Newton, in honor of what Wayne has done for the troops and the USA.
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why Wayne kissed her the
second time (grin). Semper Fi
Wayne Newton! |
| Needless to say, being in Las Vegas provided us an opportunity to experience all the wonderful changes that have occurred since our last visit many years ago. I believe we visited almost every major hotel on the strip, which resulted in walking several miles each day . . . and similar to the walking we did at Yellowstone and possibly more at least one day.
We were very impressed with each hotel's uniqueness starting with the design with most being theme oriented. I am refraining from mentioning any particular hotel besides the reference to Harrah's in association with Wayne Newton, as each one needs to decide for themselves where to stay relative to their visiting interests. Nor will I recommend to see other entertainers for the same reason. |  | | Hmmm . . . I would like to recommend eating at the America restaurant (photo on left) just to see its American design theme that includes a 120 x 90 foot three dimensional map of the USA hanging from the ceiling. Every patriot will also enjoy seeing each waiter wearing a flag tie. (Its barbeque half chicken and baby back ribs dinner is great too.)
Moreover, there are many family-oriented |
| attractions (including lions,
white tigers, and sharks); activities; free shows (including
pirates), rides, and events; great hotel swimming pools; and, video
gaming places. All are what children would enjoy. |
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In fact, our 12 year old grandson had a wonderful time in Las Vegas and especially liked the magic and multi-act shows that we saw. (He also enjoyed Wayne Newton and was amazed at all the instruments Wayne played and thought he was funny... telling jokes and involving the audience.)
Oh yeah, gambling still remains a major Las Vegas attraction, but you already knew this fact. | | Continued... Return to... | David G. Bancroft
Founder / Owner
USA Patriotism!
Copyright 2007
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