Las Vegas has long been known as one of the easiest places in the country to get married. All you need for a license is proof of your identity and enough cash to cover the costs. With license in hand, you can then choose from one of more than 50 chapels in the Las Vegas area. However, Las Vegas wedding chapels aren’t just for the kind of spur-of-the-moment marriage decisions that an exciting weekend in Vegas can inspire. You can make a Vegas wedding a romantic and playful start to your life together.

Things You’ll Need:

• Proof of identity Cash
• Proof of identity
• Cash

Step 1

Decide when you want to have your wedding. Vegas has the fewest visitors immediately after New Years, and in July and August. If you go in those off season times, you’ll find cheaper rates throughout Las Vegas. The weather is usually comfortable in January, but you’ll be battling extreme desert heat if you visit in the summer.

Step 2

Create your guest list well in advance so you can find a wedding chapel that seats everyone you want at your wedding. The Elvis Wedding Chapel of Las Vegas advertises itself as the largest chapel in town, seating 120 people. Of course, if you just want a handful of friends—or only the two of you—you can bypass this step.

Step 3

Book a chapel well in advance if you want a themed wedding or a package, such as a wedding that also includes limo service or an on-site reception. For a sampling of the types of themed weddings you can experience, check out the list at Viva Las Vegas Weddings. This chapel also offers more traditional wedding packages, which you’ll also find at other chapels throughout Vegas.

Step 4

Discuss payment, including tips, when you book your wedding. If you’re just going to do a walk-in service, you may want to call a few chapels ahead of time to find out expected tip rates. Generally, the minister’s fee is included in the wedding fee, but if you want a themed wedding where the minister doubles as an actor or character, such as Elvis, you’ll need to figure in extra money for the minister. If there are additional participants—especially characters—you should plan on tipping them. An average tip is about $25.

Step 5

Head down to the Clark County Wedding Bureau at 201 Clark Ave. with your intended and your identification. To speed things up, you can fill out your license application online, print it out, and bring that along. However, if you’re there during peak travel season, expect a line. As of 2009, the cost for the wedding license is $60 and must be paid in cash.

Step 6

Arrive at the chapel of your choice with your license, identification and payment for the wedding. If you’ve gotten a limo service, be sure to tip the driver. Prepare to enter your marriage in style!

Once a year, people of all stripes gather in a Jingletown warehouse in East Oakland to explore the treasures to be had at a huge White Elephant sale. You can find pretty much anything there. There are entire sections dedicated to art, furniture, electronics, clothes, jewelry, books, kitchen ware, and a host of other random doodads. In years past, there have even been cars and a pony for sale. You just never know what you’ll stumble upon.

The annual sale is a fundraiser quarterbacked by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board–a group of volunteers who founded a non-profit organization way back in 1955 in order to raise money for the Oakland Museum. The White Elephant sale is their only fundraiser each year, but they have raised over $19 million for the museum over the course of their esteemed history. Here’s how it works: People donate goods to the Women’s Board year-round, and then one weekend per year a huge sale takes place to sell this wide-ranging collection of items to the general public. Proceeds from every purchase go to the Oakland Museum to help pay for educational services, exhibitions, capital improvements, and more.

It’s a fine example of the age-old adage, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Only, in this case, there is secondary treasure to be had in the form of quality programming at the Oakland Museum. It’s a win-win-win!

This year the sale is March 1st and 2nd! That means, you’ve missed Saturday already and need to get your butt on down to the sale today (Sunday March 2, 2014)! Hoards of bargain hunters will be on hand to search through bed frames, lights, Christmas decorations, dining room sets, records, couches, clothes, and all sorts of bric-a-brac. To make the shopping and people watching even richer, listen to the P.A. announcer as he scolds husbands who have lost their wives, connects parents to missing children, and asks shoppers to answer their phones when family members are calling them!

Outside the Jingletown warehouse you’ll also find food stands, Girl Scout cookie slangers, and Zeva and Jeff inside the Get Goes coffee truck (Tell them we sent you). Also, don’t forget to thank the hundreds of volunteers to have helped collect, price, sell, and wrap your new treasures.

Event Logistics:

• Sale hours are from 10am-4pm
• The warehouse is located on the Oakland Estuary at 333 Lancaster Street, Oakland CA 94601.
• Parking is limited, so we recommend taking the free shuttle from Fruitvale Bart or parking on the frontage road to the East Oakland side of Fruitvale Ave. and then following the abandoned train tracks back toward the warehouse.
• Shoppers can pay for their White Elephant purchases using cash, checks with identification, debit cards and Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards. American Express cards are not accepted.
• All sales are final. Items are sold “as is? and returns or exchanges are not allowed.

Traveling by train is an excellent way to see Europe. You get to see more of the country than you would if you were flying from city to city. It’s also an excellent place to meet fellow travelers. A rail pass is often the best way to travel by train. Determining which rail pass is best for you is simply a matter of coming up with a travel plan.

Step 1

Plan your journey before you arrive in Europe. Most people tend to plan their journey beforehand, but this is particularly important if you intend to travel primarily by train. Decide what countries you want to visit, how long your journey will be for and how long you plan to travel through one specific country. You will also need to decide whether you will be traveling by rail continuously, or if you will generally stay in one location for several days.

Step 2

Determine which kind of pass you require. There are two types of rail passes that you can purchase for travel in Europe. One is designed for European residents for travel throughout Europe except for the country of residence. This is the Interail pass. The other is designed for all other overseas visitors and is called the Eurail pass. Depending on where you want to travel to, passes range from a pass that covers just one country to a Global pass, which covers six or more countries. You will also need to choose between a consecutive pass, which covers several consecutive days of travel, or a flexi-pass, which is good for a certain amount of travel days within a certain period, e.g. three days of travel in a one-month period.

Step 3

Order your pass or tickets. Passes are typically 20 percent more expensive when you purchase a pass in country, so it is much cheaper to buy it beforehand.

Step 4

Check train schedules. It is an excellent idea to purchase a copy of the “Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable,” which can be found at Rail Europe offices and also at bookstores in Europe. Otherwise you will have to check timetables at the railway stations or online at the Rail Europe website. Remember that a high-speed train or an overnight train does require a reservation, which will usually cost extra.

Step 5

Validate your pass at any railway station. On your first day of travel, take your pass to the ticket office and have them activate it. You will need to bring proof that you are not a resident of that country, such as a passport.

Don’t let the Vietnam war fool you: the country has amazing landscapes, a rich culture and respectful, civilized people. The beaches with fine sand, clean water and tropical nature surrounding them have made Vietnam popular. Historic sites speaking about its unfortunate past encourage cultural tourism. But maybe the most famous thing about Vietnam is its amazing nature, with undiscovered spots and wild animals inhabiting its forests.

Vietnam is a communist country, but don’t start pitying its people. The country has one of the highest employment rates (for second-world countries), and there is almost no illiteracy among its population. They value education and place a strong emphasis on work ethics. At the same time, once the work is done, they love drinking or wandering around in motorcycles. Millions of motorbikes can be spotted in Vietnam daily. You won’t encounter any traffic in the noon — after lunch break, Vietnamese rest a while. Accept their invitation to lunch or dinner: Vietnamese food is delicious. Pho, spring rolls, seafood and many, many vegetables constitute the healthy, exquisite Vietnamese cuisine. The country exports more cashews than any other country and only Thailand exports more rice than Vietnam.

If you have planned to pay it a visit, enjoy their lifestyle for a day and be the guest of a family in Sa Pa. You can’t miss Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) or the Old Town in Hoi An if you want to learn its history. Da Lat presents a fascinating mix of French and Vietnamese cultures. Phong Nha Ke Bang, Nha Thang, Cham Islands or Halong Bay will charm you with their breathtaking landscapes. Looking for a more spiritual experience? Add Keo Pagoda, the Caodai Great Temple and the Phuoc Kien pagoda on your list. Don’t forget to try their coffee, their coffee shops are the best! Most restaurants serve free ice tea — don’t be ashamed to ask! Attend their festivals, especially Tet, the buffalo-fighting festivals and their National Day, to get a complete image of their traditions.