Las Vegas -- where to go, what to see

In My Humble Opinion
21

Didn’t get to see the whole city of course, but here’s some of what I thought was good. . and some things I’d avoid, based on my trip:

GOOD

FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE.
My wife and I actually enjoyed this better than the Strip! Seedy, smaller casinos. Our favorite was Fitzgeralds. There’s a free Elvis impersonator there who does shows Thur-Sun at 7, 8, and 9, it’s only a 40 minute show and was a total hoot. Stay away from the booth in front of the dining area near the card center. There’s a high-pressure time share salesman there! Overall, of all the casinos, this was the most fun. The $1.75 beers at the bar were not a bad deal if you don’t feel like hanging around waiting for a waitress to bring you drinks.

Another fun place is the Bayou. It’s a little tiny grind shop where you can play nickel blackjack machines and get served free beer. Hours of fun on the cheap if you can put up with the barker. I also liked the Binion because of it’s interior.

VENETIAN
For reasons stated above. If you want to get laid guaranteed, buck up and take your honey on a canal boat ride. Book in advance (same day only, starting at 9am) if you want it solo for $100+, or share and get on sooner for $27.50 a head.

HOOVER DAM
Nuff said. More of a guy thing though. If you drag your chick here, make sure you take her on the Venetian canal ride later! Also, I can’t remember where this is, but in Boulder City on bus. Rte 93 there’s this little grayish-blue cafe on the right that serves some killer French toast! I wish I could remember the name . . .all I know is the place has bathrooms in the kitchen, that’s how you’ll know its the right one. Theres a diner right after it, but thats not the restaurant im talking about.

RED ROCK CANYON
Probably a joke to people who live in the SW, but a good intro to the desert if you are an easterner like me. Bring lots of water, and make sure your gas tank is full for the 13 mile scenic drive. Bring binoculars so you can get a close look at the wild burros. Great hiking, but be in shape, esp. in summer.

HOLY COW!
Brew pub on Sahara and Vegas blvd. Awesome cheese fries, and one of the few places on the strip that was a real belch n’ beer. Pass on the wings.

QUARK’S BAR, STAR TREK EXPEREINCE, HILTON
Got to try the Mind Melt. Clingons come in and insult you. Very pricey though.

IMPERIAL PALACE SPORTSBOOK
Offers the best odds.

WHITE TIGERS, THE MIRAGE
You can see Siegfreid and Roy’s white tigers close up at the Mirage- for free (it’s $10.00 to see the Dolphins)

BEST SHOPPING MALL ON THE STRIP: CAESARS PALACE

AVOID

EL CORTEZ
I actually wanted to see this casino on Fremont Street because I heard how seedy it was. We drove by it and my wife forbade me from stepping a foot into it because of all the characters wandering around. In hindsight, I think she made the right choice.

CIRCUS CIRCUS AND TREASURE ISLAND IF YOU HATE KIDS
Nuff said. Actually saw two kids sleeping on the floor at 1 am outside the casino so their parents could gamble. During the day, it is almost impossible to get from one end of the casino to the other without these little bastards running in front of you. Good news is the rooms are nice and the rates are cheap.

SLOTS O’ FUN AFTER 1 AM
I wandered outside CC over here to play some 10-cent blackjack Sat night. There was a fight, and a lot of characters walking around who looked like they belonged in a rap video. I got the hell out of there quick.

WORST SHOPPING MALL ON THE STRIP: FASHION SHOW MALL
Though the art galleries are incredible.

BUFFETS
Unless there is no line. The food usually is not worth the 30-minute wait, in my opinion.

SHEAS
Crooked video machines, and during the day you get harassed with high-pressure salespeople outside the casino.

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THUMBS IN THE MIDDLE
Cirque de Soleil at Treasure Island. Incredible performers, but not sure if it was worth $80. I guess it could have been longer. I saw the Producers for 1/2 that in New York.

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Trent Carlini - Elvis impersonator like none other. A Vegas must see!

If you like elvis that is… who doesn’t like elvis?

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Actually the guy at Fitzgeralds is Michael Kennedy, he doesn’t do the best singing impressions, but he’s a great showman.

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Vinnie, you just blasted two of my favorite spots! Slots of Fun had the fastest waitresses in town while I was there, and Sheas had a decent Guinness and plenty of open BJ seats.

But $1 craps at Silver City is something I will miss.

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Thanks for the additional suggestions. However, Vinnie, Spouse and I are probably the only two people alive who DON’T like Elvis. No particular reason, we just don’t enjoy listening to his music or watching him.

Meanwhile, if anyone else has a suggestion of what to do and see, or to avoid, please post it here. And Thanks!

27

I caught the Blue Man Group show when I was there last year… worth every penny. If it’s anything like when I was there though, skip the Luxor buffet.

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If you win big, or just fancy a hoity-toity blowout feast, be sure to hit the restaurant at the Four Seasons. (Adjacent to the Mandalay Bay and on the lower level – the first time we went it was merely the Four Seasons, the second time it was called “Steak” so who knows what it is now.) It’s one of those places where you practically get your own personal waiter who tops off your water after every sip and scrapes the table of crumbs after each course. A real treat! (Oh, and the food is out of this world, of course.)

I agree the Fremont Street Experince is delightful, but be sure you have a ride lined up back to your hotel because the street pretty much rolls up after the last show, and then it starts to get way scary.

The Orleans (a bit off the strip, but there’s a shuttle that departs from the Barbary Coast) has a theater and bowling alley, and is set up so that, unlike most of the casinos, there is absolutely NO REASON for kids to be on the casino floor. All the restaurants are along the perimeter and all the stuff like the arcade, etc are on the second level and accessable directly from the hotel. They tend to have some decent, less flashy shows too, we saw the Smothers Brothers a couple years ago and I got to chat with Dick a few minutes before the show while he signed my program.

“Forever Plaid” (Flamingo) is a really cute and fun show, if you’re into doo-wop type music.

Avoid like the plague – Circus Circus and the lower level of the Excalibur, which is also kid oriented.

I thought “Lord of the Dance” (not sure if that’s still running or not) was the most horrible waste of time and money in known existance, but I’m guessing I’d hate the Blue Man Group too. (I hate their commercials, at least, haha.)

If you plan on ever visiting a second time, be sure to sign up and use all the casino cards you can. These will be used to send you enticing deals throughout the year. (Ranging from free birthday breakfasts to $19 a night rooms.)

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For the ADULT minded

Little Darlings is a Great strip club with some fantastic looking chicks and most have a theme (vampire, baby doll, leather bitch). Bring a truckload of friends and request one of them to get the special treatment for guys getting married. Hilarious and something you can torture him with later. Very Very nude and fun fun. Just make sure to bring your money in with you…the ATM costs 4 bucks to use.

And damn fine lapdances. Hell request 2 at once!

Other stuff:

Emiril’s place is great to eat at in the MGM and if you need a buffet, the best one I have found is at the Rio off near the freeway. Delicious!

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I live right down the road from Vegas and get there 3-4 times per year, in fact, I’m going up there next week. For anyone going to Vegas for the first time, I would definetly recommend Hoover dam. It’s an awe inspiring sight, and tours inside the dam are free. You should be able to catch a bus from Vegas to get to Hoover dam, just ask around. They also have plane trips to Grand Canyon, however these will cost hundreds of dollars per person. As far as Vegas, Its very crowded on weekends and holidays. Traffic is terrible, room rates go up, and table minimums go up as well. If you visit, try stay in town between Sundays and Thursdays. You will save a lot of money on your room rates. If you dont want to spend a lot of money, I would recomend the Imperial Palace casino. It’s inexpensive, and located near the busiest part of “The Strip” . Several major casinos are within a 5 minute walk from Imperial Palace, such as Ceasers Palace, Harrahs, Treasure Island, Mirage, and the Venetian. As far as buffets, most of them are the same quality. However, the cheap buffets are crap, the expensive buffets are good, and everything else is in the middle. The Rio has a very good buffet, but expect to pay for it. The Rio also has a very surly negro cook that works the breakfast shift, making omlettes, so watch out for him if you eat there.

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By the way, can anyone tell me how to start and seperate paragraphs? How do you put a space in between sentences and paragraphs? I’m a new computer user and I dont know how. See above post.

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No more than “Star Tours” at Disney, and it’s a very similar ride. It’s the effects before the ride that are worth the trip.

You can probably ask to view the timeline/museum part and go through the ride up to the point where you board the shuttlecraft, and then duck out. You might want to ask the Hilton about that, but I’m sure they have a way to get around the actual ride itself.

Esprix

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For a moment there, I thought our latest troll was actually posting something intelligent. Silly me.