If you have read this blog before you probably know that I love Las Vegas. Having seen many of the great things that Las Vegas offers I thought I would share the top five things that I find are the "must see" things to experience besides sitting in a casino. Here goes....
1. Drive the Las Vegas Strip at night - Las Vegas Boulevard has got to be one of the coolest places on the planet. The people, the traffic (it's jammed on most nights), the lights, the beautiful casino facades a couple of runs up and down the Strip is well worth the time. It is likely something you will not forget.
2. Walk through hotels/casinos - I suggest visiting a number of hotels and really taking the time to observe the beauty of the buildings and the attention to detail. When doing this, really use your senses to observe the sights, the sounds, the smells. Enjoy the displays, the gardens, the paintings, the fountains, etc. It is extraordinary. By paying attention to all the exquisite detail and taking in the fact that the place just reeks of cash, you will understand why getting folks to gamble is so important to keeping the many places operating.
3. Go to a Vegas show - Now I am not a big fan of the shows, but it is well worth spending some money to see a full Vegas show. It is typically an evening extravaganza and the shows I have seen blew me away. These types of shows don't exist anywhere else.
3. Take the Hoover Dam tour - The Hoover Dam is the most incredible structure that I have ever seen, bar none. It is so massive that it is breathtaking every time I have seen the Hoover Dam......and I have been there 6 times. And the Dam tour is a must, it is worth the money, I think I paid $15 the last time I went. Promise....this will blow you away. It is about a half day trip, I suggest you go in the morning, especially in the summer.
4. Red Rock - The park is awesome to see, it is like being in the middle of nowhere, even though it is not far from Las Vegas. The rock formations are beautiful and the desert in itself is beautiful. Again, in the summer, go early and take a ton of bottled water.
Lastly....and this one might be weird but,
5. Go to the Hard Rock Casino and the Palms to people watch - These two places are the two greatest places on the planet to people watch. I think it is a scream to watch the party folks, the beautiful people, the not so beautiful people out and about enjoying themselves gambling, drinking, and partying. The music at the Hard Rock Casino is right in my wheelhouse so I prefer it just slightly over the Palms. However, both places are particularly crowded, especially on the weekends.
One last thing, make sure you spend a few days in Las Vegas to take it all in........or you might have to go back.......and that would be a REAL bummer. ;-)
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Favorite Vegas Hotels
It seemed as though the last Las Vegas post to my blog was a winner. I have good experience with Las Vegas hotels, bottom line, these are my favorites and why. These are by no means my order of choice. There are many different reasons people stay at a particular Las Vegas Hotel and this is my summary of the good and bad of my favorites. Enjoy.
1. Mandalay Bay - This hotel is excellent, clean, safe, gorgeous, great restaurants, buffet, pool, sports book. It is also at the southern end of the strip which is the best general area to be at in Vegas in my opinion. The only downfall that I see is the price, but if you are only going to go to Las Vegas once, Mandalay is well worth the money.
2. Rio Suites - The Rio is just fun and exciting. The gambling is not bad, the Mardi Gras show and the in-casino entertainment is excellent. It is a party atmosphere. They have a pretty cool pool as well. The seafood buffet is expensive but they have everything you could ever want from a seafood restaurant in a single buffet. The rooms are huge as all are suites. The location is on Flamingo west of the strip, but it is near two other great hotel/casinos, the Gold Coast and the Palms. You will need to rent a car to stay here and enjoy all of Las Vegas.
3. Sunset Station - This is in Henderson, which is about 6 miles east of the strip. If you are renting a car and you want a place that is less crazy, well appointed, and has almost all the amenities of the big casinos, this one is for you. The rooms are reasonable in cost, the hotel is clean and comfortable. Sunset Station has a great inexpensive buffet and a marvelous casual seafood restaruant, both worth the trip to Sunset. This is a hotel that the locals like and the gambling is not bad here. Quite regularly Sunset has national scale great live music acts as well. If you want to tone it down, relax, and enjoy the hotel/casino experience, this is for you.
4. Excalibur - If you want to be in the middle of the action, this is the place for you. You can stay at Excalibur fairly cheap and walk to New York New York, Luxor, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay. It is a perfect location. The croud is fun at night. The only downfall to Excalibur is that it is a family oriented casino hotel and it is strange seeing the little guys wandering around the place.
5. Gold Coast - The Gold Coast is a great value for the stay. The food and drink is very reasonable, I think the buffet at Gold Coast is the best value around for food. The location is great between the Rio and the Palms. The place is clean and the croud is a little older. An all around value for your dollar, but you will need to rent a car to stay here.
Go to Vegas at least once, it is well worth the trip. You may have to go multiple times to really see all you want to see and do.
1. Mandalay Bay - This hotel is excellent, clean, safe, gorgeous, great restaurants, buffet, pool, sports book. It is also at the southern end of the strip which is the best general area to be at in Vegas in my opinion. The only downfall that I see is the price, but if you are only going to go to Las Vegas once, Mandalay is well worth the money.
2. Rio Suites - The Rio is just fun and exciting. The gambling is not bad, the Mardi Gras show and the in-casino entertainment is excellent. It is a party atmosphere. They have a pretty cool pool as well. The seafood buffet is expensive but they have everything you could ever want from a seafood restaurant in a single buffet. The rooms are huge as all are suites. The location is on Flamingo west of the strip, but it is near two other great hotel/casinos, the Gold Coast and the Palms. You will need to rent a car to stay here and enjoy all of Las Vegas.
3. Sunset Station - This is in Henderson, which is about 6 miles east of the strip. If you are renting a car and you want a place that is less crazy, well appointed, and has almost all the amenities of the big casinos, this one is for you. The rooms are reasonable in cost, the hotel is clean and comfortable. Sunset Station has a great inexpensive buffet and a marvelous casual seafood restaruant, both worth the trip to Sunset. This is a hotel that the locals like and the gambling is not bad here. Quite regularly Sunset has national scale great live music acts as well. If you want to tone it down, relax, and enjoy the hotel/casino experience, this is for you.
4. Excalibur - If you want to be in the middle of the action, this is the place for you. You can stay at Excalibur fairly cheap and walk to New York New York, Luxor, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay. It is a perfect location. The croud is fun at night. The only downfall to Excalibur is that it is a family oriented casino hotel and it is strange seeing the little guys wandering around the place.
5. Gold Coast - The Gold Coast is a great value for the stay. The food and drink is very reasonable, I think the buffet at Gold Coast is the best value around for food. The location is great between the Rio and the Palms. The place is clean and the croud is a little older. An all around value for your dollar, but you will need to rent a car to stay here.
Go to Vegas at least once, it is well worth the trip. You may have to go multiple times to really see all you want to see and do.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Oh how I miss Las Vegas
Over the past 15 years or so I have made at least one visit to Las Vegas. I love the weather, the hotels, the food, the newness of everything, the shopping, the glitz, the glamor, the entertainment, the sports betting, even the cheezy-ness.....I could go on and on.
Of all the places I love in Vegas, I would like to share what I believe to the be very best of Vegas.
Food
Wow....the food in Las Vegas. Of all the buffets that I have had there were two that were the best. The buffet at Mandalay Bay is excellent, the breakfast food is wonderful and if you like seafood, the evening buffet with shrimp, crab legs, salmon, just great. Expect to pay a little though. If you like good food cheap, the buffet at the Gold Coast Casino (located on Flamingo next to the Rio) is good quality at a very affordable price all day. Actually, the Gold Coast is a pretty cool place to hang out and I enjoyed staying at the hotel as well.
For restaurant food, I would recommend the Wolfgang Puck restaurant in the MGM Grand Hotel, quite good. For a little more casual dining, try Lucky's in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Lodging
The finest place I was at was the Mandalay Bay when we got hooked up with a two bedroom suite. That hotel is wonderful. For value, the best bet is the Gold Coast, great rooms to put your stuff and it is inexpensive. If you need to be on the strip, the Excalibur is a great location and reasonable.
Hanging Out
The places that I have found to be the best for just having a good time are the Palms, the Hard Rock, and the Red Rock Hotel and Casino. They are equally exciting and great places to people watch. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in particular is a ROCKIN place. They play the greatest music there and it is the place to see and be seen. However, the gambling at the Hard Rock is always a disaster, I only go there to see the great displays.
Shopping
The two places to shop are the stores at Bellagio and the Mall at Caesar's Palace. They have all the coolest stuff and the stores do great business.
Gambling
This is where I do poorly. I am not a good gambler or am I lucky. The most fun is at the Sports Book at either the Mirage or at Mandalay Bay. At the Mirage, they hand out more free drinks which is cool. For other gambling, it is enjoyable at most casinos but expect to lose. The fun places are the Rio, Gold Coast, and Downtown at the Golden Nugget or at Lady Luck.
Sightseeing
You all have to go to the Hoover Dam once before you leave this planet. I have been there six times and I am blown away every time I see it. For hiking, go to Red Rock Canyon which is a state park. The plants and the lizards and rock formations. there is nothing like it in the world.
I love Vegas more than any city in the world. It is so exciting. The entertainment never stops. The food is exquisite.
Some Vegas travel tips and warnings.
Pay attention to your wallet, rumor is the pickpockets do real well there. Nothing worse than being somewhere without your money of ID. In the summer, it is HOT. If you go from April to October, be prepared for 90+ degrees, in July and August, it can be 110 degrees. Bring light colored, light clothing. Bring sunglasses, the sun is intense. Drink a ton of BOTTLED water whether you feel thirsty or not. The moisture is sucked right out of your body. Do not drink the water in Las Vegas. Avoid ice in your drinks, it may be made from tap water......trust me, you do not want the diarrhea. It will stick with you for weeks.
I can't wait to go back there, I miss it so much.
Of all the places I love in Vegas, I would like to share what I believe to the be very best of Vegas.
Food
Wow....the food in Las Vegas. Of all the buffets that I have had there were two that were the best. The buffet at Mandalay Bay is excellent, the breakfast food is wonderful and if you like seafood, the evening buffet with shrimp, crab legs, salmon, just great. Expect to pay a little though. If you like good food cheap, the buffet at the Gold Coast Casino (located on Flamingo next to the Rio) is good quality at a very affordable price all day. Actually, the Gold Coast is a pretty cool place to hang out and I enjoyed staying at the hotel as well.
For restaurant food, I would recommend the Wolfgang Puck restaurant in the MGM Grand Hotel, quite good. For a little more casual dining, try Lucky's in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Lodging
The finest place I was at was the Mandalay Bay when we got hooked up with a two bedroom suite. That hotel is wonderful. For value, the best bet is the Gold Coast, great rooms to put your stuff and it is inexpensive. If you need to be on the strip, the Excalibur is a great location and reasonable.
Hanging Out
The places that I have found to be the best for just having a good time are the Palms, the Hard Rock, and the Red Rock Hotel and Casino. They are equally exciting and great places to people watch. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in particular is a ROCKIN place. They play the greatest music there and it is the place to see and be seen. However, the gambling at the Hard Rock is always a disaster, I only go there to see the great displays.
Shopping
The two places to shop are the stores at Bellagio and the Mall at Caesar's Palace. They have all the coolest stuff and the stores do great business.
Gambling
This is where I do poorly. I am not a good gambler or am I lucky. The most fun is at the Sports Book at either the Mirage or at Mandalay Bay. At the Mirage, they hand out more free drinks which is cool. For other gambling, it is enjoyable at most casinos but expect to lose. The fun places are the Rio, Gold Coast, and Downtown at the Golden Nugget or at Lady Luck.
Sightseeing
You all have to go to the Hoover Dam once before you leave this planet. I have been there six times and I am blown away every time I see it. For hiking, go to Red Rock Canyon which is a state park. The plants and the lizards and rock formations. there is nothing like it in the world.
I love Vegas more than any city in the world. It is so exciting. The entertainment never stops. The food is exquisite.
Some Vegas travel tips and warnings.
Pay attention to your wallet, rumor is the pickpockets do real well there. Nothing worse than being somewhere without your money of ID. In the summer, it is HOT. If you go from April to October, be prepared for 90+ degrees, in July and August, it can be 110 degrees. Bring light colored, light clothing. Bring sunglasses, the sun is intense. Drink a ton of BOTTLED water whether you feel thirsty or not. The moisture is sucked right out of your body. Do not drink the water in Las Vegas. Avoid ice in your drinks, it may be made from tap water......trust me, you do not want the diarrhea. It will stick with you for weeks.
I can't wait to go back there, I miss it so much.
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