Things to Do in North America

Nothing says laid back quite like Flamingo Las Vegas’ 15,000-square-foot Margaritaville Casino. Located within the resort at Flamingo, this marriage between a Las Vegas casino and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville brand creates a uniquely fun energy. The casino includes 22 gaming tables, 220 slot machines and the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar.

Elsewhere in the resort are more than 1,600 other slot machines, including a multi-line two-cent progressive game that is a favorite with guests. The first craps roll on the Las Vegas Strip happened in the Flamingo casino, and tossing a pair of hot dice is a popular pastime here. Blackjack, mini baccarat, Caribbean stud, roulette, Pai Gow poker and other table games are also found on the casino floor. A comfortable poker room lures gamblers as well.

When the casino becomes a bit too much to handle, step out into Flamingo’s wildlife habitat. This open-air courtyard is a relaxing, popular and free attraction that many visitors overlook. In the wildlife habitat, guests wander among a flock of Chilean flamingos, swans and ducks. Several turtles and koi splash around the water fixtures. All of the critters are well cared for by a team of experts that are employed by the resort.

While Niagara Falls is justifiably famous for the force of nature that is the falls themselves, the Floral Clock is one of several other impressive attractions in the area. Comprising thousands of colorful plants and flowers, the clock blooms from spring to fall. It’s a fun photo opportunity, especially for nature lovers and avid gardeners.

The Basics

The Floral Clock was built in 1950 and is one of the largest of its kind in the world, with a diameter of 40 feet (12 meters). It’s planted with over 15,000 plants and flowers twice a year, with different plants and designs for the spring and fall. The 24-foot (7.3-meter) tower behind it sends out the Westminster chime every 15 minutes. If the door to the tower behind the clock is open, you can take a look inside and see the clock’s mechanisms.

Private and group tours of Niagara Falls combine a visit to the clock with other area attractions, such as the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and regional wineries. There is accommodation in Niagara Falls, but many visitors day trip from Toronto.

Things to Know Before You Go

• The Floral Clock is a lovely photo op for all visitors to Niagara Falls.
  
• Admission to the clock is free.
  
• It doesn’t take long to see the clock and take a few photos. The Floral Clock is best visited as a short stop on a longer day of sightseeing.
  
• The Floral Clock is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
  

How to Get There

The Floral Clock is on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) from the falls, just south of the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge. If not visiting with a tour, it’s necessary to drive to the clock.

When to Get There

The Floral Clock is in bloom from April to September. You can visit the clock 24 hours a day, but it’s best to see it during daylight hours.

Visit the Centennial Lilac Garden 

The Floral Clock is located next to the sweet-smelling Centennial Lilac Garden, which was built in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s centenary. The 10-acre (4-hectare) garden contains over 1,200 plants. May and June are the best times to visit, when nature bursts back into life after the bitterly cold winter and the lilacs are in full bloom.

The perfect place to take the entire family for an afternoon, the Florida Aquarium offers exciting views of nature within the comfort of an air-conditioned building. Home to more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals, the aquarium offers 200,000 square feet (23,000 square meters) worth of fun and adventure.

If just walking around the expansive building and enjoying the amazing wildlife isn't enough, the aquarium also has additional opportunities for more in depth exploration. Some of these family friendly attractions include a Swim with the Fishes Tour, Penguins : Backstage Pass opportunity, and a Wild Dolphin Ecotour.

If you ever want to head outside, the 2-acre "Explore a Shore" water adventure zone provides opportunities for the kids to cool off with water games while parents can relax under the shade of the Tampa Tribune Cantina bar and grill.

Spanning from just north of Washington Square to 142nd Street in Harlem, Fifth Avenue is often touted as one of the world’s most expensive shopping streets. This is particularly true when walking between 49th and 60th, where stores like Armani, Tiffany & Co., Bergdorf Goodman and the iconic Saks Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue is also home to many of New York’s essential attractions and museums, including the Museum Mile which runs from 82nd to 105th and features 10 museums, some of which include The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Jewish Museum and the Museum for African Art. Rockefeller Center, a famous shopping, restaurant and office complex that is also home to NBC Studios, as well as the Flatiron Building, Central Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and The Empire State Building are also attractions found on Fifth Avenue. And for a bird’s-eye-view of the city, grab a cocktail at one of the avenue’s rooftop bars like 230 Fifth and Eataly’s La Birreria.

Located in Manhattan at 175 Fifth Avenue and Broadway, the Flatiron Building is a groundbreaking skyscraper. Built in 1902, it encompasses 22 stories and 307 feet. While not the tallest skyscaper in New York, it’s dramatic Beaux-Arts facade makes it a popular attraction, especially with photographers. What also makes it unusual is, unlike other early skyscrapers in New York that looked like rising towers, the Flatiron building showcases a concept from the Chicago school that divides the facade into a base, shaft and capital, which makes sense as it was designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. The name of building stems from its resemblance to a cast-iron clothing iron. Interestingly, back then the building’s unique shape was thought to create intense updrafts that would lift women’s skirts passing on 23rd Street. If a man tried to sneak a peak, police should shout “Hey! 23 skidoo!” This is thought to be where the phrase comes from. The Flatiron Building is so iconic, the neighborhood, Flatiron, was named after it, and now attracts design buffs and creative consumers looking to browse its art and design-related shops. Don’t forget to take in the skyline from behind the adjacent Madison Square Park, as it’s one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the city.

With more than 20 million artifacts, the Field Museum of Natural History is an engaging museum filled with both interactive and imaginative displays. The big attraction is the Tyrannosaurus rex named "Sue," a 13 foot (4 meter) tall, 41 ft (13 m) long beast who menaces the grand space with ferocious aplomb. The most complete T-Rex ever discovered, it takes its name from Sue Hendrickson, the fossil-hunter who found the 90 percent complete skeleton in South Dakota in 1990.

Dinosaurs loom large in the Field Museum. At the Evolving Planet exhibit, you can also watch staff paleontologists clean up fossils, learn about the evolution of the massive reptiles, and even learn about Homo sapien's evolutionary ties to the extinct beasts. Away from the prehistoric giants, the “Inside Ancient Egypt” exhibit recreates an Egyptian burial chamber on three levels. The mastaba (tomb) contains 23 actual mummies. The bottom level, with its twisting caverns, is especially worthwhile. Those reeds growing in the stream are real.

Other displays worth your time include “Underground Adventure,” a vast exhibit exploring the habitats of animals and insects that live underground, and the “Pawnee Earth Lodge,” which allows visitors to explore a complete dwelling of the Great Plains tribe.