It would be difficult to argue that the idea of luck began anywhere. Although it may seem to have reached its pinnacle, or at least found its center, in a Las Vegas hotel room , the idea of luck is of course much older. But finding a place in history when the notion of luck, or even the contemporary notion of luck, started, is somewhat impossible. Today, people tend to lean toward an idea of luck that’s really based on probability. It is very common among any professional or would-be pro gamblers to find a lot of thought put into statistics, and this is, in large part, beneficial for gamblers and casino owners.

There may be more to the contemporary notion, however, that goes back to a more mystical school of thought. Ideas from the medieval times, particularly in regard to the wheel of fortune , has a place in the social structure, whether its acknowledged or not. Here, luck is rather blind, and whether or not someone gets a turn at the top or the bottom is a matter of random chance. Or dumb luck .

Although the most hardened gambler will surely deny it, insisting that their playing is based on pure logic, there are holes where the old times leak through. Because even these pros will admit that everyone deserves a lucky break now and then, and time at the table can make this lucky break more likely. But it is still based on an unquantifiable element, one that bridges science and mysticism, which has origins at least as far back as the Middle Ages.

Las Vegas and the History of Fortune is a post from: Surfing The Channel

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Which one of the fifty states is commonly known as being the mother of presidents? That’s not a trick question, and with a little bit of consideration it can probably be figured out. Virginia has been the birthplace of more Presidents of the United States than any other state in the nation. Eight of the country’s presidents were born in Virginia, and the state is known for being an essential contributor to the early establishment and development of this great nation. So, who were the presidents? Our nation’s first president, George Washington, starts the list and is followed by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, John Taylor and Woodrow Wilson.

When you look at that list you notice there are some pretty major names on it, and while all presidents play an essential role in the country, names like James Monroe, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are major symbolic personalities. And while we have all learned about them and their contributions to this country, what about the others? How much do we know about John Taylor and Zachary Taylor and what all happened during the course of their presidencies?

John Taylor was president from 1841 to 1845 and was nicknamed the accidental president because he assumed the position after the death of the incumbent. He was born in Charles City and studied at William and Mary College . He served on the Virginia legislature earlier in his career. Zachary Taylor was president for only a little over a year, dieing from Cholera while still in office. He was born in Orange County and his father had served with George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The best hotels Virginia are full of enthusiastic tourists and many of them contain pictures and information on these early presidents. It frequently comes as a surprise to tourists that so many presidents were born here, though it’s definitely a point of pride for the state.

Presidents Zachary Taylor and John Taylor Born in Virginia is a post from: Surfing The Channel

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The Liberty Hotel, a gorgeous Boston hotel , didn’t start out as a luxury hotel. This historical building was originally designed as a prison. It operated as a prison from 1851 until the early 1970′s over a century later when the prisoners revolted due to poor living conditions. Over the years, the jail has housed a number of famous inmates including James Michael Curley, Malcolm X , Sacco and Vanzetti, and World War II prisoners from the German submarine Unterseeboot 234. When President Woodrow Wilson visited Boston in 1919 there were suffragists imprisoned for protests.

The transformation of the site into a hotel began when the building was bought by the Massachusetts General Hospital. The Liberty Hotel is the result of historians and conservationists collaborating with a team of designers and architects to grantee that the end result is a historic building that combines and maintains a careful balance between preservation and its dynamic new use.

The Charles Street Jail’s granite exterior and expansive interiors remain largely unchanged from it’s original design. the core of the hotel is formed by the jail’s central atrium which was beautifully preserved and soars 90 feet above visitors surrounded by the cat walks and soaring windows the jail was known for. The jail cells are most visibly preserved within the hotel restaurant and through the wrought-iron work visible on the windows. The exercise yard has been cultivated into a beautifully landscaped, private courtyard that is expected to one day take its place among the Beacon Hill neighborhood’s beloved hidden gardens.

Given the task of infusing the hotel with a distinctive personality that honors the building’s rich history while providing visitors with a feel of contemporary vibrancy and comfort. You’ll discover they succeeded admirably just by glancing at their lobby. There is exposed brick of the original walls and an eye catching wrought iron chandelier above that add visual elements to the lobby express commitment to historic materials in an elegant and understated manner.

Boston’s historic Liberty Hotel is a post from: Surfing The Channel

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While traveling in Missouri, from St. Louis to Kansas City, you’ll find great places to stay by going to any number of Anniston hotels , then head out to enjoy some equally great sights:

In St. Louis, of course, there’s the famed St. Louis Gateway Arch , 630 feet tall (in fact, the highest man-made monument in the U.S.), where visitors may take a tram car to the top, viewing the city from the windows, and feel the gentle sway of the gigantic structure.

The tram cars fit about four to five people each, and travel upward at a rate of four miles per hour, departing every ten minutes. The last tram leaves at forty-five minutes before the monument closes; however, if you’d like to miss the crowds, then arrive before ten a.m. in the morning. Four million people visit the riverfront area and the arch each year, and it’s open each day with the exceptions of Christmas, New Year’s and Thanksgiving. In the winter, the arch is open from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon; during the summer, you’ll find the arch available from eight in the morning until ten at night.

In Kansas City, you’ll find a lesser known but fascinating attraction regarding the Steamboat Arabia. The Steamboat Arabia Museum is dedicated to an incredible find in 1988, a side wheeler steamboat buried in a field half a mile from the Missouri River, uncovered 132 years after it sank in 1856.

At the time of the sinking, the boat was three years old and had made a number of trips on the Ohio, the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In September of 1956, the boat hit a walnut tree which tore a hole in the hull. The ship was evacuated, although a forgotten mule died in the incident. The Arabia filled with mud and in a handful of days all signs of the boat were gone. Salvage attempts were made in the 19th Century, but failed. Eventually, the river changed course, rolling a half mile east of the sinking. In 1987, a research team found the spot and used heavy equipment, including a 100 ton crane and 20 irrigation pumps. The boat emerged out of solid ground. Its cargo was surprisingly intact.

At the museum, you’ll be able to see much of the cargo and how people lived in the 19th Century: Hundreds of detailed buttons for clothing, china plates, wooden planks for pre-fabricated homes for the Old West. There are even jars of preserved food, kept so well by the mud, that it’s still edible; although only a few people have tried them.

Gateway Arch and Steamboat Arabia in Missouri is a post from: Surfing The Channel

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Darmstadt hotels are very hospitable and located in some interesting history of Germany. The city is located in the Hesse area of Germany in the southern section of the Rhine Main Area. It was founded by the counts of Katzenelnbogen some time in 1330. However, there was some settlers here already dating back to the eleventh century. The area grew slowly because the land was  not really good for agriculture because of the sandy soils.

The city really gained its prosperity in the twentieth century when the industrial age kicked in. The business of modern day chemicals was what this town could contribute to. There was a chemical element named after the city called Darmstadtium. It is atomic number 110. Germany and Europe as a whole love to name there products by the towns they are created in. Science, electronics and now the information technologies have made this important and prosperous. This town is also the home of three major universities.

As far as its location, Darmstadt is not built along a river, lake or ocean which is unusual for a German town. But what it does have is more sunshine than any other city in the Hesse state. During Nazi Germany, Darmstadt took a few firsts. It was the first city to force Jewish businesses to close early. They were some of the first Jewish people to be sent to concentration camps. However, some of the main members of the German resistance who went against the Nazis were from Darmstadt. Wilhelm Leuschner and Theodor Haubach were in the resistance and were killed for it. The British bombed this city and it lost much of its old downtown but it has now been rebuilt and is contributing greatly to the modern technologies of today. So get on a local tram and stop at some of the sites left to rediscover.

Sunny City is a post from: Surfing The Channel

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