Mermaid Show - Silverton Casino/Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

We heard about a water attraction in the desert and it is located in the Silverton Casino/Hotel. The reef aquarium holds more than 117,000 gallons of water, and its home of hundreds of tropic fish, three species each of stingrays and sharks.

117,000 gallon aquarium

There are an interactive feeding shows daily and a Mermaid swims on the weekends. We didn't see the interactive feeding of stingrays, but we did experienced live Mermaid swimming in the aquarium, interacting with us.

Mermaid Show

They swim underwater in handcrafted, glittery tails. We watch an underwater trick, and play patty-cake with the mermaid and even get bubble kisses! We found out that all the mermaids are scuba-certified and most come from synchronized swimming backgrounds.

Playing Patty-Cake

Bubble Kiss

Five oxygen hoses hidden in the coral help the mermaids breathe underwater. Along with their fishy friends...and enchanting tails...these performers are keeping the mermaid trend going strong. It is to see that some Casinos do their best to make the hotels family friendly in Las Vegas.

Oxygen Hose

Connected to the Silverton Casino is the Bass Pro Shop. There we saw a 18,000-gallon water feature simulating Red Rock Canyon's beautiful rock formations. This aquarium is filled with spectacular live Koi. Three additional aquariums at Bass Pro Shop feature trout, channel catfish, carp and bass and includes a flowing canyon river featuring ducks.

Bass Pro Shop - Outdoor World

And of course, a wildlife replica from a professional artists and taxidermists produces lifelike game mounts in meticulous detail and vibrant color.

Thank for reading. Blessings!

Calico Ghost Town Regional Park, Yermo, California

During California's largest silver strike in 1881 people flocked to Calico. The region once boasted 500 mines, but when silver lost its value in the mid-1890s, all of Calico's inhabitants left. By the mid-1930s, only four residents were left. 

Readsign to Calico

In 1951, Walter Knott (the very man who brought Knotts Berry Farm) reinvented the town from his uncle who made his fortune with a Calico mine, bought the collection of dilapidated shacks and mines. 

Above left: Walter Knott, on one of his frequent trips to Calico During the early reconstruction days, Plotting the town, in order to recreate it as near like the old Calico as possible. Below left: Knott's Theme Park, and right: Walter Knott. Source: Mojave Desert. 

In 1966, Walter donated the town to the county of San Bernardino.

The town is pretty big, and my favorite part about visiting is the mountain behind that show's the name of the city, it is excellent for framing pictures of the old unique buildings. The town is a great representation of what life in the time period was like.

Calico name on the mountain

Here are some of our favorite spots.

Bottle House: It is built entirely of bottles and is an excellent place to take pictures.

Bottle House

Maggie Mine: We spent sometime exploring this old mine. They had mannequins showing where people slept and worked in the mine. 

Maggie Mine

The "glory hole," where they pulled out $65,000 dollars' worth of silver.

Glory Hole - $65k worth of silver

When we exited, we were at the base of the scenic view. A short little hill walk gave us a great view of the town below.

The town below

School House: 

The Calico School House, built 1885 and restored in 1955

The town itself:

Calico Town

The most compelling area for us was the Calico Graveyard, where mountaineers and prospectors from Calico's past - and modern-day boosters and cowboys - are buried under handmade markers, their graves covered in desert rock. 

Calico Cemetery

One faux-aged wooden marker reads; Here lines Jeremiah Mountain Man 1928-2005.

Jeremiah Mountain Man

Calico Ghost Town is a great place to at least go once. Thanks for traveling with us and reading, safe travels!

Today's Thought - Forgiveness

Luke 6:27b-28, “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”

Marie de Medicis, the Italian-born wife of King Henri IV of France, became the regent for their son Louis after her husband's death in 1610. In later years her relationship with Louis soured and they lived in a state of ongoing hostility. Marie also felt a deep sense of betrayal when Cardinal Richelieu, whom she had helped in his rise to political power, deserted her and went over to her son's side. While on her deathbed Marie was visited by Fabio Chigi, who was papal nuncio of France. Marie vowed to forgive all of her enemies, including Cardinal Richelieu. "Madam," asked Chigi, "as a mark of reconciliation, will you send him the bracelet you wear on your arm?" "No," she replied firmly, "that would be too much." (Source: Daily Walk, May 27, 1992).

Notice these three verbs from our text: “do good,” “bless,” and “pray for.” A big part of forgiveness is responding your hurt with good.

How do you know when you’ve genuinely forgiven somebody? You can pray for God to bless that person. You also start seeing that person’s hurt. When people are hurting inside, they take it out on others. Hurt people hurt people. When you learn to forgive, you not only see your own hurt but you see their hurt, too. Then you start to understand why they acted in such evil or selfish or hurtful or abusive ways. You can pray for them, and you can even pray for God to bless them.

You say, “But you don’t know how they’ve hurt me.” No, I don’t. And I’m sorry for every hurt you’ve experienced. But I do know this: You’re never going to get on with your life unless you forgive and let it go. That doesn’t mean you have to forget. True forgiveness is hard to extend because it demands that people let go of something they value – not a piece of jewelry, but pride, perhaps, as sense of justice, or desire for revenge. Leave that to the Lord and move on. 

Have a blessed day!