This is a national known chain of restaurants that started in the South. They plates are bountiful and large. We went to the one that is located in Summerlin here in Las Vegas on a Sunday afternoon.

When we got there we were seated promptly. Their booth seating is for a size 12 at max but they do have seats with no handles in the middle of the room so it wasn’t a problem. The service was a bit slow however and we were only 1 of 5 tables in the whole place. There were at least 3 servers and good thing because by the time we left the place was packed.

The most stunning aspect of the place, besides their Vegas related memorabilia, was the ample salad bar. For 7.99 you could make it your main course or for 2.99 you could have unlimited trips tacked on to your meal. Well worth it. Everything was very fresh and great selection of fresh fruit and vegetables along with several types of add ons like ham, cheese and yogurt (for the fruit).

The food was typical chain fare of burgers, steaks and chicken with very little variety or imagination. I thought compared to Fridays or Chili’s it was right in line. Our total bill was 59.00 plus the tip, about what I’d expect to pay for brunch plus drinks.

I’d say the biggest drawback is getting to Ruby Tuesdays. If you happen to miss the turn, there isn’t another one for about a mile, including a harrowing experience of the “wrong lane syndrome”

All in all the Summerlin Ruby Tuesdays get a 2 Double Chin Rating.

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I recently went to see “Blue Man Group” here in Las Vegas at their new theater in the Venetian. Unlike when I first saw them in NYC off Broadway maybe 18-20 years ago. I’ve also seen them when they were in the Luxor here in Vegas so I pretty much knew what the show was about. My main concern was the seating. Unlike movie theaters, live theater seems to have stationary arm rests and lets face it..I’m pretty “Hippy” I posted a query in the BBW Vegas Admirers group and was pleased to see some others had attended with the same concerns.

So it was with great trepidation that I went. I wear a size 20-22. 18 on top, 20-22 on hips. About a 54″ and those seats were tight. We had seats 11 rows back, dead center. I would say THE best seats in the house. And our row was pretty empty. Out of 18 seats only 8 were taken. But since the arm handles didn’t rise, it was pretty uncomfortable after the 1st 30 minutes. PLUS if you are tall, forget it. I’m 5′8″ and my knees were about 2 inches from the chair in front of me.

Here is a pic of the back of the seats. You can see how the normal sized guy is squished in.

I spoke with the box office manager the next day and he said they can accommodate people in wheelchairs if they have 24 hours advance notice but there is no accommodation for those with ample hips or long legs.

Dateline: Tampa Bay Florida

The local Renaissance Festival, Bay Area Ren Fest, kicked off with a beat this week. A drum beat that is. OMG resident photographer Ms. Chris attended and captured some awesome pictures of a St. Petersburg based dance troop called the Demzarah Gypsies

Belly dancing is a fun way to get moving. It’s like doing Cardio for fun.
Here she shakes it up while making her coins jingle.

Her costume she made herself with scraps of silk. The coin girdle was found in a thrift shop. Her fairy necklace she purchased from Ebay at Whimsical Notions.

Adventure World in suburban Washington DC (Largo, MD)
A ride called the Rainbow featured slides of different colors and heights. “About 2/3 of the way up the narrow stair, a sign was posted with a weight limit. By the time one is in a position to see the sign, one has already climbed a large part of the way up, and the people in line behind one have also ascended, blocking the stairway. There is no escape stair. I didn’t want to inconvenience all the people in line behind me — and I wanted to ride the big slide. So I said to my husband “I’m sure it will be fine” and continued up. There had to be some leeway in the weight limit, right? I mean, lots of men don’t even know their weight… Anyway, you’ll be happy to hear that the slide didn’t break under my weight - no one was injured or even embarrassed. BUT my weight meant that I got quite a great deal of MOMENTUM going on the way down the slide. It would have been much better, more responsible policy to post the weight restrictions at the entrance to the ride itself. The park has been renovated and expanded since our visit - the rainbow slide may not even be there any more. But I did learn that weight limits are posted for a reason.”

Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA
Of the three coasters, Big Bad Wolf is probably the roomiest, followed by the Loch Ness Monster, and then the Drachen Fire. The Drachen Fire is not very friendly to people over 5′6″ tall. The Alpengeist has a maximum girth of 48″; the Apollo’s Chariot has a maximum girth of 52″. They have a sample car sitting at the entrance of the Alpengeist so that you can see if you will fit before you get into line. The operators are helpful and do not rush you.

Six Flags Over Georgia-Austell GA (Atlanta Suburb)
A size 28W-30W woman had problems fitting in the safety devices of some rides, but always fit and was able to ride without too much discomfort

Paramount’s Carowinds-Charlotte NC
A size 28W-30W woman had problems fitting in the safety devices of some rides, but always fit and was able to ride without too much discomfort.

Disneyworld in FL
A size 28-30W woman fit on all the rides without any problem. One 28-30W person found the inner tube rides (other than the Lazy River) a bit difficult — the inner tube kept sinking down into the water, and she found herself scraping the bottom a lot — she still found it fun. They have scuba jackets for the Shark Reef in sizes up to 28-30W. Star Tours and Body Wars were a little snug. Clothes in gift shops go up to size 4X.
One poster reported that at 6′7″ and 400 lbs, height was more of a problem than weight and recommended the second row of most rides as having more leg room. “On the water rides be sure to seat in the middle (left and right), we had a boat full of couples all seating on one side, and started to fill with water.

Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, CA
One person was asked to get off a roller coaster in front of everybody because the bar would not go down. Another person (5′3, and around 300 lbs) tried to ride the Big Dipper rollercoaster, was asked to get off the ride, and was refused a refund.

Disneyland in CA
300+, 410lb, 310lb, and 3X people fit through all the turnstiles and fit on every single ride without problems. One woman complained that the rocket jets were uncomfortable and some of the gates were smallish, and recommended not sitting in the front car of Space Mountain. Disney did not complain that she needed to take a whole seat meant for two. Many of the rides are accessible for much larger folks as well (i.e., Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mount, Jungle Boat, and Matterhorn). Star Tours may not be entirely comfortable; it has theater-type seats. One person needed a seatbelt extender for Star Tours and they provided it without a fuss. And on Main St., the Clothier store, the Disney Emporium, and Tomorrowland all have large-size clothing (some up to 8X). The seats in MGM Studios were somewhat uncomfortable for one person. One person couldn’t fit through the turnstiles and ended up lifting himself over them.
Disneyland is very accommodating to people with physical limitations and will assist people in getting on and off the rides. They have wheelchairs available for a small deposit.

Knott’s Berry Farm in Orange County, CA
A super sized woman had no problem on any of the rides she went on.
Another person warns that many of the rides, with the exception of the log flume and the California River Country Raft Ride, are not size friendly, including the three major roller coasters. One of the roller coasters (Montezuma’s Revenge?) may be bad for people with back or neck problems. (”Starts on a short section of track, catapults you forward, through a loop to a near vertical incline at which you fall and reverse the process passing through the start station and going to another near vertical incline and you then fall back forward and stop in the station”) The fried chicken dinner at the restaurant is recommended.

Lagoon in Farmington, UT
One person had a bad experience with a roller coaster — the bar went down but the person was pinned very uncomfortably and had a hard time getting the bar to release.

Great America in Napa County, CA
One woman didn’t fit on one of the rides, and they gave her and her partner passes to go to the head of the line on any other ride (to make up for the fact that she waited all that time for the first ride). A 5′4″ 220-lb size 18-24 woman fit on all the rides, but just barely on the wooden rollercoaster. A 5′7″ 340 lb. person could not fit on anything, except one rollercoaster (not the wooden one, presumably).

Six Flags Magic Mountain
Two people reported bad experiences. One concerned the roller coaster. Nothing was posted about a size limit, but the safety bar would not lock and the person was asked to leave the ride. One person commented that the amusement park is very hilly. One 300 lb. person fit onto the Batman and Superman rides.

Wild Bills at Stateline, NV
Roller coaster is reported to be a very tight fit. Operators were snickering and giggling. Too young to be safe (the operators) and rude.

Cedar Point in OH
People over 6′5″ or having over a 50 inch waist or a very large bust or chest may have problems with the Raptor. People with over a 50 inch waist may have problems with the Mean Streak, the Corkscrew, and the Magnum 200XL. People with over a 60 inch waist may have problems with the Iron Dragon, the Blue Streak, and the Gemini. All the water rides and standard rides should accommodate folks with less than a 60″ waist.

Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, PA
One reader was humiliated by ride staff.

King’s Island in Cincinatti, OH
A size 20W-22W woman visited here and found all of the coasters comfortable. The roomiest was Top Gun, and one coaster was a little snug. The Flight Commander ride had a sign saying that “especially large people” might not be able to ride, but our intrepid tester had no problems. On the other hand, another woman (size 18W or so) couldn’t fit on several of the rides. A 400+ pound man was comfortable in the Skylab and short log flume water rides.

Six Flags Over Texas
Two mid-sized people had trouble getting into the Texas Giant ride. However, one person who is approximately 280 lbs and 5’8″ girth did not have a problem here except for “occasionally a tight fit.”