Yeah, I know it's called "Sin City" but that doesn't mean believers can't enjoy themselves here if they know what to do and where to go!
Rhonda’s parents moved from Sterling Heights Michigan to Las Vegas in 1998, so we visit frequently. So much so that we feel like we
live there! OK, here's my recommended list of cool stuff to do in LAS VEGAS !!
UPDATE - Rhonda & went checked out the brand new "Wynn Las Vegas" on May 1, 2005. Our opinion? It's very much like the Bellagio inside
with lots of ruffled, flowing fabric dangling here and there. It's very elegant and classy ... and yet ... well, pretentious. Especially the mall with
nothing but pricey, ultra-high end shops. Many walked by and marveled, but nobody actually went into any of the stores to shop.
Wal Mart shoppers (like myself) could feel a little out of place! On the other hand, the floor tile is spectacular and the "mountain" is something
to behold. I think the standard for ultra-hip and classy casinos is already so high with the likes of the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay and Venetian,
that's it's a little hard to get the "ooh-aah" reaction anymore. As amazing as the Wynn Las Vegas is, it already feels sort of like "been there,
done that", to invoke an horrendously overused pop culture cliché'. But go anyway. It would be the crowning jewel in any other city in the world.
FREE SHOWS:
Definitely go to the Bellagio and enjoy the Fountains of Bellagio, but I recommend going at night for the full effect. Shows are every
15 minutes. Get as near to the center of the lake as you can for the best view and get there 15 or 20 minutes before the show starts so that you'll
have an unobstructed view. We just love this attraction, it's emotional even! See this for sure, then go in and check out the Botanical Garden too.
The Pirate Show in front of Treasure Island is history and is now called The Sirens of TI, featuring scantily-clad women in pirate get-up.
Haven't see this yet but hear it's fairly entertaining. Be aware that you need to get there 20-30 minutes before showtime in order to see anything
other than the back of people's heads. In the meantime, go inside Treasure Island anyway and see Mystere, the excellent Cirque de Soleil
production.
Go downtown & witness the Fremont Street Experience, where four city blocks are covered with this super hi-tech canopy of lights. Shows are every hour on the hour from dusk till midnight. They show a 3 or 4 minute presentation of spectacular visuals synced to music, and it always wows the crowd. Plus Fremont Street has a great atmosphere. Play some craps or blackjack at Binion's Horseshoe for that real "old Vegas" vibe. Fitzgerald's casino has an "all-you-can-eat filet mignon" dinner buffet for 7 or 8 bucks if you're so inclined. And definitely go into Mermaids and get yourself an $8.00 monster banana daiquiri. This massive
adult beverage in the huge plastic container is delightful, but be warned, it may alter your reality a tad. Please imbibe responsibly!
Go into the Mirage and see the White Tiger Habitat. You may catch them playing, but more than likely they'll be stretched out sleeping on a rock. After dark, hang outside the Mirage and watch the Volcano, which erupts every 15 minutes after the sun sets. Also the Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand is pretty cool.
GOOD EATS:
Romantic Dinner? We love Blackstone's Steak House inside the Monte Carlo. Great food, awesome service and real nice atmosphere (especially if you get a booth). It's a little pricey, but not insane.
Killer Buffets? The Village Seafood buffet at the Rio is all the seafood you could ever hope to cram down. We're talking endless fish, oysters, crab legs, sushi lobster tails and plenty of non-seafood items as well, all you can eat for $35.00 or so. We ate here again in July of 2004 and it was heavenly! The best buffet in town in my opinion. Yeah, it's a bit pricey, but totally worth it! Do not confuse this with the other buffet at the Rio called the "Carnival World Buffet". That one enjoys the reputation of being the world's best buffet, and yet we weren't all that impressed with it. Rhonda & I much prefer the buffets at the Suncoast or The Orleans to the Rio. All three have "food stations" that serve food from all over the world, including Chinese, Mexican, Italian and even Mongolian Barbecue! The days of the $1.99 buffet are over folks, most good one are at least 8.99. Also killer is the buffet at Mandalay Bay, a bit more money but very high quality. Da & I did the "Spice Market Buffet" at the Aladdin in June 2004 and loved it! We're doing it again when we go next time.. Rhonda and I met my family in LV back in October of 2002 and we all ate at the "Le Village Buffet" at Paris. It rocked.
Cheapskate's Buffet? The Sahara's buffet for 7 or 8 bucks is hard to beat. . If you do hit the Sahara buffet, you can go back in the casino and play blackjack for a buck! If you can find a table…Other great buffets are to be had at the Mirage, Monte Carlo , or any of the off-strip Station Casinos. Really, any buffet in Vegas is a good buffet with the exception of the Flamingo and the Excalibur, both of which blow. And never, ever set foot in the San Remo for any reason. To avoid huge lines at the buffet, try to get in line before 5:30 PM. Usually there will a line at any given buffet, but they move fairly quickly.
Non buffet eats? We like The Caribe Café inside the Mirage, and also the Courtyard Café inside the Orleans. Both are open 24 hours and are yer' standard restaurant sort of like Chili's or Coco's but better. Great when you're hungry at around midnight and you just want to chill and have a soup and salad, (they have great sandwiches and entries too...) Actually, almost all of the in-casino café’s are darn good. Tommy & I had lunch at the café inside the Tropicana in Feb 2003, and they served up the best club sandwich I’ve ever had in my life.
Generally, you'll always get a good meal in Vegas no matter where you go.
GNARLY THRILL RIDES:
The Big Shot at the top of the Stratosphere. Like a garlic thief, it'll steal your breath away! I did it in 2000 and I still regret it.
If being shot up in the air till your stomach traverses down to your shoes is not your idea of fun, then definitely go up there anyway and enjoy the view from either the indoor or outdoor observation deck. I highly (no pun intended) recommend having a drink at the Stratosphere lounge. It's a great, relaxing hang and the drinks are reasonable too. Tom Saloka & I have made it an annual tradition to hoist a single malt scotch up there. Don't bother riding the "High Roller" roller coaster. The fact that it's so high up there is notable, but in every other way, it's a dog. Now they have two new rides, The "Insanity" and "Scream". No way, man. No way am I riding these things. I'm too old and wise to pay good money to have the crap scared out of me for no reason.
The "Speed-The Ride" coaster at the Sahara looks pretty intense… I haven't checked it out yet but plan to soon. If you like state-of-the-art video games and life size race car simulations, check out "Speed World" also at the Sahara. The Sahara is also the only place in town with dollar blackjack all the time. The Sahara is a cheapskates paradise! (Pair-a-dice ??)
You can Bungee Jump in front of Circus Circus. But that's the only reason to go to Circus Circus. The rest of it is as tacky as it gets, (unless of course you enjoy tackiness as I do...)
SHEER SPECTACLE & SHOPPING:
You must see the Grand Canal Shoppe's inside the Venetian .. Unreal. In fact, you have to see the Venetian period. Probably the most spectacular casino there is inside. Check out the ceiling murals and marble floors. Many great world class restaurants too. Tom Saloka & I ate at the Pinot Brasserie back in July 02 and it was great. It better have been great for $70.00 a person! We paid $6.00 just for water. One obscene restaurant indulgence a year is all I allow myself.
The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace are awesome. Observe the fake sky above, pretty cool!
For sheer spectacle it's pretty hard to top Caesars Palace. There is an amazing aquarium at the end of the Forum Shops.
Hippest interior design? Mandalay Bay, hands down. Go have a chilled vodka at Red Square. Right next to Red Square is the worlds coolest nightclub, Rum Jungle with it's amazing firewall.
Paris is really cool, especially the shops which look exactly like a Parisian street (says the man who's foreign travel experience consists only of Canada and Mexico). The casino is a little cramped but cool nonetheless. The "Le Village Buffet" is excellent and often wins best buffet awards.
One of the very coolest "simulated city street at night" interiors is inside New York, New York, complete with steam coming from the sewers (don't worry, it's odorless). Go there and have lunch at their food court. You'll love it! NY, NY also has a great roller coaster, though I personally have yet to try it.
The Luxor has the largest interior space in the world, (so I'm told). I've always liked the Luxor. If you have time, the In Search of the Obelisk virtual reality ride is definitely worth doing! Anyone intent on committing suicide could certainly do it in style by taking one final plunge from the top floor hallway.
The Hard Rock Casino is small, but very hip with lots of interesting rock & roll memorabilia. A little too hip for me though. NEWS FLASH !!
In June 2004, I hit my very first Royal Flush at a video poker machine here at the Hard Rock! I won about $80.00. Yahooooo !!
GAMBLING (or AGaming@) as the casino CEO=s like to call it:
Is it sinful to gamble ? I think as long as you're not gambling away your rent money or your child's college
fund, then it's on par with any other money you would spend on entertainment. That's my two-cents.
In all honesty, I don't think it matters one iota where you gamble. Your chances of losing your
butt on any given game at any given time are uniformly excellent no matter where you play.
However, for what it's worth (and that would be nothing...):
I've had nice blackjack wins at the Excalibur, Barbary Coast, Mandalay Bay and the Luxor.
For some reason, I like playing at the Stratosphere. I'm not even sure why. They have 3 stooges slot machines there, which is reason enough to go!
My brother Dave had nice craps wins at Harrah's and the Stratosphere.
When playing blackjack, the downtown casinos tend to play with single decks and deal your cards face down. The strip casinos tend to deal from a 5 or 6 deck shoe and deal your cards face up. You can lose handily with either method.
Don't know how to play casino games? Most of the casino offer free lessons every day. (Of course they would...).
Or check out this site, "The Wizard of Odds."
PRODUCTION SHOWS:
You absolutely cannot go wrong if you see any of the following 3 shows:
"O" at the Bellagio. Tickets are $100 bucks a pop, but it,s a show like nothing you've ever seen.
I don't want to say too much about it other than go and be dazzled.
"Mystere" at Treasure Island. Another engrossingly original and enchanting show that will keep you totally entertained.
"Danny Gans" at the Mirage. This guy has the crowd in his hand from the moment he opens his mouth to sing. He mimics everyone from Frank Sinatra to Prince, and about 77% of his imitations are convincing. We found him very entertaining and his band kicks butt. I have literally never read a bad review of his show. He always wins the "best Vegas entertainer of the year" awards. Tix are $67.50 and the show starts at 8:00.
THAT'S ABOUT IT! HAVE A GREAT TIME YOU GUYS AND DON'T TRY TO DO EVERYTHING, JUST ENJOY WHAT YOU DO!!
OTHER HELPFUL VEGAS WEBSITES ARE:
