I stayed at the Hard Rock in December; based on their in-room videos, they seem to think that their pool is the center of the universe and source of All That is Hip. Certainly wasn’t true in December…
Dittos for Bellagio fountains. I enjoyed Penn & Teller, and was also impressed by their post-show accessibilty. Very cool. Jeez, Penn is one big dude, too.
O and **Mystere ** are both good; I think I enjoyed Mystere a bit more. The most impressive thing about O is the stage, and like they say about Broadway – nobody leaves the show whistling the scenery.
My wife had her wallet stolen while we were gawking at the volcano outside The Mirage. Just saying…keep your purse/pants pocket buttoned up.
Best meal I’ve had in Vegas was at Emeril’s Fish House at the MGM Grand. Weird about reservations, though…we called and were told that they were booked solid for the next 6 months (slight exaggeration); we dropped in anyway, hoping just to get a snack at the bar or something. Found it half-empty, and were seated immediately.
On Wednesday and Thursday there are some guided hikes that sound good:
Check Wildflower Watch to find out whether to go on the 19th or 20th.
I took a simple afternoon walk up Lost Creek late one summer afternoon. That memory is one of my lifetime natural activity highlights – and that’s saying a lot.
Hoover Dam is only about 30 miles away and the tour is interesting, if you like that sort of thing. You’ll be shown around the outside as well as some of the interior passages of the Dam.
Okay, DMark, I sent you an email to the one listed in your profile. If that isn’t for you, there’s going to be one confused person at the other end of it.
I got your email and wrote back…hope we can all get together for a mini Vegas DopeFest.
BTW…too bad you are not in town this coming weekend. From a local newspaper column:
“More than 500 finalists for the Rock Paper Scissors International World Championships are competing this weekend at The House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. The grand prize is $50,000, and A&E is taping a one-hour special.”
I guess it is for people who think poker is too complicated.
Gonna second (third, fourth, whatever) Bellagio’s fountains. Quite impressive, and set to Ennio Morricone’s “The Ecstacy of Gold” from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which, as a Metallica fan, is pretty cool. (and if the relation between western soundtracks and thrash metal doesn’t make sense to you, don’t worry about it) Also, as long as you’re at the Bellagio, check out the casino itself. The foyer has absolutely gorgeous glass flowers hanging from the ceiling, and the rest of the place is pretty cool as well.
I haven’t seen Blue Man Group, but everyone I’ve talked to who has says that they are an amazing show, and I plan to see them next time I’m out there.
Dinner at the Stratosphere is nice. The view is great, the food overpriced. There are a lot of rollercoasters around town, and they can be ridden for a few dollars each. The Star Trek thing is great, if you are into it. It features a motion ride and some cool stuff I won’t spoil. Hoover dam is awesome. Avoid driving on the strip. Take the paralell road (kobol?) or the freeway. Avoid slots placed along buffet lines. Gambling in smaller off-strip casinos will give you better odds. Eating in smaller off-strip casinos will give you better odds of getting food poisoning. Downtown still sucks, but it is worth a trip just for the light show. “The World’s Biggest Gift Shop” is fun and cheap if you don’t go overboard and buy too many things.
STAY AWAY FROM THE EVIL MAN DANGLING THE HUGE LOBSTER. One of the worst dining experiences in my lifetime and very expensive. Stay away. Unless dried up lobster served in a restaurant that smells like a 20 year old ashtray is to your liking. :eek:
I just went this weekend and saw Mystere. Definitely go if you’ve never seen Cirque live. I can’t quite get it through my head that real people were doing the things they did. Not a strip club, but they did do an amazing “pole dance” at one point. We got the cheap(?) $75 seats. You probably need to reserve seats more than a week in advance.
The Bellagio fountains (every 15 minutes at night) are very Vegas, baby.
Also, if you play blackjack in the late morning / early afternoon, the dealers are nicer.
One of the best things about the high-end mega-resort Strip hotels are the monstrous 5-acre registration lobbies. My personal faves are Venetian, Bellagio and Luxor; worth the trip just to walk through.
Okay, emails away to DiosaBellissima and RandMcNally regarding meeting for drinks in Vegas. If there are any other Vegas area Dopers who want to come out, please consider yourselves invited.
(Rock/Paper/Scissors tourney, eh? I wonder how you train for that. )
Absolutely a good show, nudity or not. Lots of humor, much of it sex realted, but not nasty or over the top. The performances are Cirque standard, i.e. very well done acrobatics and gymnastics, with a few things thrown in to shock you a tad.
Count me in for a mini Vegas dope! DMark… it will be good to see you again Send me an email and let me know when.
Things to see and do in Vegas well stuff I like anyway…
On Strip:
The Guggenheim museum at the Venetian
The Fine Art museum at the Bellagio
Bellagio fountains
the Wynn hotel/casino
Forum Shops at Ceasars
Downtown:
Fremont Street Experience, I like all the shows but the area 51 show.
Donna Marias Mexican Restaraunt, located on Las Vegas Blvd just North of Charleston… really fabulous Tamales and more
Off Strip:
Hoover Dam
Red Rock
Mount Charleston The Atomic Testing Museum Located Near Maryland Parkway and Flamingo at DRI (Desert Research Institute)
It is late and I am kind of tired…so this is all I could come up with right now.
I don’t know much about the shows, I have heard great things about that Avenue Q that has been mentioned (prices start at 55 according to vegas.com) or fru fru clubs (I don’t think you can get in without being one of the “beautiful people” )
The Pink Taco at the Hard Rock Hotel had really good Mojitos and the food is “OK”.
I usually go to Fado’s Irish Pub at Green Valley Ranch Casino in Henderson, Great food and rockin music (Irish cover band) on Friday and saturday nights.
Anyway… Have a great time visiting Las Vegas… remember to DRINK LOTS OF WATER It is starting to get warmer here, but it is very dry. If you have allergies be prepared. Pine pollen is just winding down and mulberry is getting ready to go.
LVgeogeek, talk about reading minds…I had just emailed Ms. featherlou with the same Green Valley Ranch Casino suggestion for that Saturday night when they are in town! Hope to see you again too…
P.S. To featherlou: I promise neither LVgeogeek nor I have any financial/shareholding interest in Green Valley Ranch Casino - although I am sure I speak for her when I say we wish we did! It is simply one of the best, if not the best, locals’ casino in Las Vegas. But location is up to you…we live here, so if it is more convenient to meet on the Strip, let us know!
Hey, you guys are from the host city - we’ll take your word for where is a good place to go. That’s part of the coolness of meeting people over the internet - you can pick their brains like this. The only snag is that DiosaBellissima and RandMcNally are underage for a licensed place (so, you can’t even go into a place that sells booze if you’re under 21?)
Hmm…one of the biggest complaints about Las Vegas is that, contrary to popular belief, it is NOT kid friendly, and by kid, I mean anyone under 21. No, you cannot set foot in a casino gaming area or bar if you are under 21.
Sticking to the Green Valley Ranch concept, there is “The District” right next door that has some cafes and restaurants for those under 21 that are pretty nice. But perhaps DiosaBellissima and RandMcNally have better suggestions - my guess is they know places other than Chuckie Cheese (just kidding) that might be more fun to go to and are under-21-friendly.
I actually just looked into it and I don’t think I’ll be able to go for work that weekend! (Maybe I’ll just head over for fun? :)) We’ll see for sure.
Well, although Rand and I totally rock the skee ball, perhaps a casual restaurant? We can’t really sit at bars or gamble, but he and I always find bunches of stuff to do around Vegas. Anyway! I think a nice casual restaurant would be nice. You know, something like $10 a plate or whatever. I’d be willing to pay a bit more if that’s what everyone wants to do, but whatever the group wants.
