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Las
Vegas
You don't have to love gambling to
have a great time in Las Vegas. There are so many fun things to do
these days, Vegas has truly changed in the last 10-20 years.
When to go:
Las Vegas is, as most everyone knows, in the
middle if the desert. This makes for extreme temperatures, particularly in
the summer. You can expect temperatures to top 100 degrees pretty much every
day in the summer. If you're a golfer, tennis player, hiker, etc., you will
want to be particularly aware of this, as heat exhaustion and 3rd degree sunburn
are not things you want to experience on your vacation. If you want to do these
things, schedule them in the morning, or make your Vegas trip in the spring
or autumn. Las Vegas can be raw and windy in the winter, although it rarely
goes below freezing,
Where to Stay - Needless
to say, there are many great hotels to choose from, both on and off the strip.
If you've never been to Las Vegas before, you should most definitely stay in
one of the gargantuan, newer hotels on the strip. The most posh would be the
Bellagio, the Venetian, or Paris Las Vegas. Most locals would probably agree
that the Bellagio is the most over-the-top (and in Las Vegas that's a good
thing). The Venetian is known for having the largest rooms, if that's what
you're into. But you can't go wrong with any of the big Hotels on the strip
for that totally bodacious Las Vegas experience. Included in this list would
be Caesers Palace, Circus Circus, the Mirage, Treasure Island, the Luxor(very
cool place), New York New York, the Stratosphere, the Tropicana, Harrah's,
Bally's, the Monte Carlo, MGM Grand of course, Mandalay Bay(one of the newest),
and the one to choose if you're bringing the kids is the Excalibur. It definitely
has the best arcade, and has the most stuff for kids to do. Circus Circus is
pretty good for kids too, being that it has an indoor amusement park in the
Hotel.
If you've been to Vegas before and want
to avoid the traffic congestion of the strip, while staying at a nice Casino
Hotel, your best bets are the Orleans on Tropicana (very nice rooms), the Palms
(one of the newest Casinos, and very trendy), or the Rio (one of the best
buffets in town - this critic's favorite - try it out whether you stay there
or not). All three of these are very convenient to the strip without being
on it.
Then there's the downtown Hotels. If
you like a taste of old Las Vegas, stay at the Lady Luck, The Golden Nugget,
Flanagan's, Binions or one of those. Even if you don't stay downtown, you should
come one evening to experience the totaly cool light show called the Fremont
street experience.
Things to do:
Gambling? Everyone's got their opinion
on their favorite places to gamble. In my experience, most people wind up doing
most of their gambling at the Hotel Casino they're staying at. But it's lots
of fun to go to different places and Casino-hop.
Sports - Vegas has lots
of cool desert-style golf courses, a la Palm springs. Your Bell Captain or
front desk clerk should be able to guide you to all of the local courses. If
you want an ultimate Vegas- golf vacation, check out the Rio's affiliation
with the Butch Harmon school of golf. He's Tiger Wood's coach, and knows a
few things about the golf swing.
If you'reinto tennis, some Hotels have tennis courts available,
you'll have to ask.
Eating - The battle
of the buffets! All the big Casinos have all-you-can-eat buffets. The most
extravagent is the Bellagio, my favorite is the Rio, but you should try as
many as you can and decide for yourself. There is no shortage of great eating
in Las Vegas, check the local tourist papers for specials.
Shows - You've got to
see at least one Vegas-style show while you're in town, whether it's Blue Man
Crew at the Luxor, Cirque du Soliel, Tom Jones at the Mirage, or any big name
in town. One tip - if you know when you're traveling, get your tickets for
the show online as early as possible. Many Hotels charge the same price whether
you're in the first row or the last row, so the earlier you buy, the better
your seats will be! You'll be able to see exactly where you're sitting before
you purchase.
Day Trips - Hoover Dam,
Red Rock, even the Grand Canyon is drivable for a day trip from Las Vegas.
You should do at least one of these.
Other Cool Stuff to Do:
