Library1900 and I are going to Vegas! We’re going right after Thanksgiving. We’ll have four days to see the sights. Any tips or suggestions of what to do or what to avoid?
We’re not big on gambling. (I’m a blackjack dealer and I know the only sure way to win is to be one with the deck shoe.) He wants to see the Pinball Museum and I want to see the Mafia Museum. And of course we’d love to meet any local Dopers!
Vegas is so weird it may as well be on an alien planet. Weirder in the daytime when you can see what holds up all the purty neon and other lights. Only urban place I’ve ever been where vacant lots are really, really vacant - not a weed or bush; just lunar landscape. I’ve always like Thomas Perry’s assessment: “It’s the biggest practical joke that’s ever been played on the American people.”
I’m not sure it has four days worth of doings if you don’t gamble.
Be prepared for big crowds. I’ve heard the Thanksgiving weekend (from Thur to Sun) is one of their busiest weekends.
The Mob museum downtown is fun. I’d recommend it. There is one room, but surprisingly very little about the mafia in Las Vegas. I was a bit disappointed in that aspect.
I also thought the Atomic Testing Museum (a few blocks east of the strip) was really interesting as well.
If you want to get away from the crowds, casinos drive west on Charleston pretty much to the “end”, and you will find yourself in Red Rocks (state ?) park. Beautiful scenery, and some nice hikes.
While the poor people sleepin’
With the shade on the light
While the poor people sleepin’
All the stars come out at night.
Bring some good walking shoes. I am a great walker and even I got sore. Even if you stay indoors, the casinos/attractions on the strip are HUGE and far apart. I made a reasonable estimation that I walked over 20 miles most days because I wanted to see inside and outside of everything I could but even that was futile in just 4 days. There are hop on/hop off buses that you can use for a fee but I never used one myself.
I don’t know where you are staying but go to downtown Las Vegas if you can. It is completely different than the Strip (and not very close either). The Golden Nugget has been redone but some of the other casinos seem like something straight out of the 60’s. I enjoyed the stench of desperation. Even if you don’t like to witness impending suicides, the street entertainment is good and there is plenty to see and do. You can also get discount tickets to shows and attractions (often half price or less) so even a cab ride might be worth it.
One practical tip is to use Walgreens on the strip. It is a miracle that a very large pharmacy/convenience store exists there (one is across the street from TI). You can buy liquor, beer, food, medicine or just about anything else for semi-normal prices. That can save you a ton of money over anything the casinos and hotels charge.
My advice , as a non gambler spend one night seeing the strip , that’s all you need. Then get the hell out of dodge. Go see red rock canyon , Hoover dam and the Grand Canyon, much more interesting than Vegas.
Do you like roller coasters? Las Vegas has some good ones.
List and review of Las Vegas coasters :eek::eek::eek:
If you think you might want to take in a show, got to the Tix4Tonight booths and get half off.
I won a whole lot of money in Las Vegas my first two hours that I was there (if I never gamble again, I may be one of the only people ever to honestly claim they made money on there). Gambling was out after that because losing money that I have in hand isn’t my idea of a good time so I had to come up with other stuff to do the rest of the time.
I picked jumping off of the Stratosphere at night and found someone to go with me (that I sponsored). It wasn’t cheap at about $120 a piece if I recall correctly but well worth it. You can jump off an 800+ foot tall building in lots of places but the Stratosphere gives you the bonus that you might not die at the end if you give them money. I took someone else on the X-Scream at at the Stratosphere. It is basically a really tippy roller coaster that takes you right to the edge of the building and looks like you are going to fall to your death but somehow hangs on. Also highly recommended.
For more cerebral exhibits, I liked the Titanic exhibit at the Luxor although I got seriously discounted tickets for it downtown. I am not sure if it would have been worth it at full price. I also went to the Pawn Stars pawn shop early on a Sunday morning. It is a complete tourist trap but I liked it and walked to downtown through some very sketchy neighborhoods from there (bonus - my cab driver was a recovering drug addict and felon that knew them well and ranted about the whole family on my way there). I hear the crowds and lines are too much if you don’t go in off times like Sunday mornings when everybody else is hung over. They don’t put pawn shops in nice neighborhoods so prepare for the hood if you go.
Las Vegas has excellent magic and music shows, especially Penn + Teller and Cirque du Soleil.
You come up with this nickname on your own, or did you play Leisure Suite Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards? Because I couldn’t help but think about that game when I saw this thread.
Where are you staying? We will be leaving just as you are arriving. I can probably answer just about any questions you have.
Since you’re going in the fall it won’t be as hot as it can get in Vegas, but if you’re planning on walking around outside, it’s a pretty good idea to bring some water with you and wear sunscreen and a hat. If you’re on the southern end of the Strip, you can walk all the way from Mandalay Bay to MGM Grand without having to spend much time outside - Mandalay, Luxor, and Excalibur are connected by indoor walkways, and from Excalibur there are pedestrian bridges going to NYNY and MGM. The central Strip is easier to get around on by foot, but the northern end of the Strip, roughly from the Venetian to the Stratosphere, is pretty unwalkable.
When it comes to getting around the Strip, you have a lot of options - there’s a 24-hour bus that goes the length of the Strip and connects to Fremont, which is pretty inexpensive ($20 for a 3-day pass), but can take awhile during peak traffic. There’s the monorail that runs along the east side of the Strip from the MGM Grand to SLS (formerly the Sahara), which is a little pricier but doesn’t have to deal with traffic. Uber is also in Vegas now, and their fares are pretty reasonable compared to taxi rates.
I can personally recommend the Mob museum and the Titanic exhibit at the Luxor. Luxor also has the Bodies exhibition, a collection of dissected human bodies preserved in plastic, which is very educational if a bit grotesque. The Madame Tussaud’s at the Venetian is fun, since you’re allowed to get right up next to most of the sculpture and take selfies with them. If you like animals, the shark reef at Mandalay Bay is great, as is the Siegfried & Roy dolphin and big cat habitat at the Mirage, and the flamingos at the Flamingo are free to see. As far as shows go, I’ve seen Penn & Teller and David Copperfield and loved them both.
When it comes to dining, I’ve greatly enjoyed the Heart Attack Grill and Binion’s steakhouse (both on Fremont), the secret pizzeria in the Cosmopolitan, the Peppermill diner across the street from the giant pile of rubble that used to be the Riviera, Tacos El Gordo a block south from that, and the Carnegie Deli at the Mirage. There’s a Shake Shack at NYNY and a White Castle at the Casino Royale, which can be a fun outing if you live in a part of the country that doesn’t have those chains. And you can really never go wrong with the breakfast buffet at any of the Strip casinos.
All very good ideas, thank you. In my younger days, I would have jumped at the chance to ride that coaster but now…not so much. My husband has a pacemaker so he’s out as a partner on the wilder stuff. Maybe I can get him on that giant ferris wheel.
The Titanic exhibit sounds good and I’ve always wanted to see the visible bodies. I’ll put those on the list. Thanks for the tip about the cheap ti kets, too!
Silenus, we’re not yet sure where were staying. I don’t want too seedy or too expensive. Being on the Strip would be a bonus.
Get a flu shot or you’ll be sick for two weeks. Ask me how I know this…
Not Silenus, but I’ve had beers with him :D. It’s been 10 years now, hard to believe.
I actually like The Flamingo. Great central strip location - right across from Caesar’s, across corner from the Bellagio, way less expensive than either. The street behind it goes right to the big Ferris wheel, there’s a liquor store on the corner of that street and Flamingo. Easy to get in/out of either driving or taxi. Not derelict, nice little pool area out back. Monorail station there, too. Short walk to the Paris, Venetian, Mirage, City Center, just walking through some of these cathedrals of excess, even if you don’t gamble, is worth a little portion of your time IMHO.
There are a lot of restaurants in Vegas - all the cool chefs have one there, all different sorts of food. But there are a lot of decent little places all around, have a look at This NYTimes piece for inspiration.
It’s hokey, but I still like going to the top of the Stratosphere at night. It’s at the north end of the Strip, looking back down the strip at night, is a great view. And there’s a bar at the top.
There are a couple of places to rent machine guns, you can take a Ferrari for a spin at the Speedway (it’s like $750 for 6 laps or something), indoor sky dive. Stuff we don’t have in Podunk.
Just my $.02
Duke’s a great guy, but…a big no on the Flaming O. The rooms stink, and not just metaphorically. The place has turned into what the Imperial Palace once was. :eek:
On the Strip, I’d go for Mirage, TI, NYNY, or Paris. Personally we live at Palazzo, but that’s just us.
As for Smapti’s recs:
It ain’t that hot at the end of November. In fact, it can get downright chilly outside at night.
There are more world-class restaurants in Vegas than anyplace else in the world. Don’t limit yourself. Eat at least one dinner at someplace you’ll talk about for a decade.
2a. Hit Chinatown too. Great little hole-in-the-wall joints with food that will make you swoon.
For that “old school Vegas” vibe, try the Golden Steer.
Shows abound. I recommend Penn & Teller, Human Nature, Jersey Boys before it closes and the Cirque d’Soliel show of your choice - Love is the best, but most like Ka and O as well.
The Druidess and I were there on Labor Day weekend. Vegas really ain’t my kind of town. The stip is pretty much Times Square cranked to 11. Crowded, noisy, and expensive. I paid $18 for a hamburger at Mandalay Bay, and I think that scarred my soul.
That said, if you’re going to see a show, I highly recommend KA. This show is the most amazing theatrical experience I’ve ever had.
I want the Steely Dan T-shirt!
Dang, it’s been a little over a year since I stayed there, and the room I had was freshly remodeled and pretty nice for less than $100/night. Didn’t know it was in a down slide. That said, we stayed at NYNY maybe 10 years ago and I remarked that it’d probably be torn down the next time we came to town - it was a mess. Guess they fixed it up.
Looking at Yelp reviews, they seem to bounce between 1 and 5 stars with nothing really in between. I’ve stayed there twice in the last couple of years, and once at Harrah’s when the Flamingo was booked, and evidently got the “nice” rooms.
But you go to Vegas a lot more than I do, I defer to your recommendations.