Vegas... My favorite place to be...
It all depends on how long you're going for, but for me, some of the neat things to see are:
- Shows: My favorite is "Love" at the Mirage. If you like Beatles music - you'll love the show they put on in this theatre with over 6,000 speakers - the music sounds live. My 2nd favorite show would be "O" at the Bellagio. It's an amazing water based show. Words can't describe what happens. You've just got to see it.
- Casinos: My favorite place to game is the Wynn Las Vegas. It's a classy place. I haven't been there since City Centre opened up, so I haven't been to Aria, etc... I hear it's pretty nice.
- For resort attractions - check out the Shark Reef at the Mandalay. It's an enormous aquarium which you go on a walking tour through. You start off at surface level and end up 30' or so underwater in a ship wreck... It's pretty amazing. Features include up-close-and-personal views of jelly fish, petting sting rays, and coming face to face with various species of sharks. It was $16 per person to get in though, but worth it if you're looking for a good two hour experience.
- The Fountains at Bellagio. Stand on the strip in front of the Bellagio. It's a music-sync'd fountain show. Pretty amazing to see, actually. Check it out in the daytime, check it out with lights in the night time. If you're at all energetic - check it out at night from across the strip from the observation deck in the Paris's 1/2 scale version of the Eiffel Tower.
- Speaking of observation decks, travel to the north side of the strip and take the elevator up to the top of the Stratosphere. If you're a wild one, take the rides, but if not, try to get up there before sunset, and watch the strip lights come alive as the sun goes down. Check out the view towards the northeast through those 25c telescopes, and you'll see what's going on in Nellis Air Force Base. Just to the left would be Las Vegas Speedway, where the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series will be racing in three weeks from today.
- Do definitely at least go out to hoover dam. It's less than an hour's drive from the Strip, and it's an amazing piece of history. Also - the bridge as alluded to above is supposed to be pretty impressive - (I've not seen it since it's been finished - they were just about to complete the arc the last I was there...)
- On the way to or back from the Dam, stop off at Lake Mead. It's a pretty nice place to hang out for a while, and the carp are amazing as they come beg for food as you're walking up and down the docks.
- Can't tell you how many times I've been through Madam Toussaud's Wax Museum at the Venetian. It's definitely worth the cost of admission.
If you're into travel books, I recommend
The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas. The reason for this is that they are brutally honest. If something is good - they'll tell you. If something sucks - they'll tell you that too. Sometimes with those words too.
- Don't forget about going over to the Palms and the Rio. They're pretty cool casino's too. They're not far in a cab - or you can take a free shuttle (tip the driver) from the Paris (I think). You can also jump in a cab and go out to the Red Rock casino. It's a pretty nice place, that is away from the party atmosphere of the strip.
- The Freemont Street Experience is definitely something to see. It's the 'Original Strip'. Years ago they covered it with a 4 block long TV which they play music coordinated theme visual presentations on every 30 minutes or so at night. Also - on the weekends they have free concerts in two squares that used to be street intersections. I've seen a few good shows there before - notables include John Anderson (of Seminole Wind fame) and the Georgia Sattelites.
If you're into shopping, (which I'm not, but these places are kind of neat) check out the Las Vegas Premium Outlet Mall - it's in the city and not far from the Freemont Street Experience. A 10-15min cab ride. Another suggestion would be the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, the mall at Planet Hollywood and also the mall at the Venetian.
Have fun. Walk around. People watch. Eat. Drink. Be merry.
Game suggestion: Rapid Roulette at the Wynn or Cosmopolitan. Play these numbers: 3, 9, 11, 17, 20, 21, 29, 31, 33, and 35. Don't move off these numbers, Don't split, don't play outside. If it works - have a white rum and coke for me. If not - you shouldn't be taking gambling advice from strangers on the internet anyway!
Have fun. This is Disneyland for grown ups!
heading to vegas!!
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