A Week in Las Vegas

Here are some pictures from our latest trip to Las Vegas... www.zanything.net

This may be my 5th or 6th or 7th time to Las Vegas, I'm not sure. We come here once a year for 7 nights. To go anywhere for 7 whole days is a luxury, but one that I highly recommend. Not many things can relax you like 7 days of sun, pool time, sightseeing and no responsibility.

A few pointers and warnings while in this destination- Vegas isn't a place I would bring children. They have pretty much abandoned their campaign to make Vegas a "family-friendly" destination. While there are still roller coasters, and a few kid-friendly shows, there is much more that I personally would not want a kid to see- including just the ads that are all around on the cabs, the top of the escalaters and on billboards. As many people know, the new(?) Vegas slogan is "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" and I'm not fond of that or the hoards of "Girls Direct To You" people that stand along the strip everywhere to hand out cards with pictures of girls on them that I certainly don't want to look at. The other thing to watch out for is the "friendly" people along the strip, in front of hotels and some even inside hotels, who ask you where you are from, how long you are staying. As rude as it seems, you have to just ignore these people and continue walking. They are trying to sell you a timeshare or something else and its never worth your time while on vacation. I am able to come to Vegas and ignore these seedier parts, though they do exist, and focus on what is fun and nice to see and do here.

Many people ask how much we've gambled, and usually it is not much. Believe it or not, there are so many things to do in Las Vegas that you don't really need to gamble. If you like gambling, obviously there is opportunity at every hotel. If you want the experience of gambling, without the loss of any money of consequence, opting for the 1 and 2 cent slot machines is a good choice to get some of the thrill of winning. However, after this many years returning to Vegas, slot machines in a smoky environment have really lost their charm on me.

So what else is there to do in Las Vegas? I'm sure there are a million websites out there telling you about what to do in Las Vegas. Here are our favorites:

1. Spending a day outside Las Vegas is a change of pace from the lights and sounds of the strip- renting a car for the day is not too expensive and you can rent right from the hotels. This year, we happened on Death Valley and were amazed by the salt flats and mountain peaks. In other years, we have visited Red Rock Canyon (where Chris and I got engaged 3 years ago), Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, and the Valley of Fire. The mountains here are so pretty and taking a side trip makes for two very different vacations in one.

2. Going to see the animals. There are a couple of free animal exhibits, including the Lions at MGM Grand (go early when they open the see the Lions more active), Bird show at the Hawaiian Marketplace and Flamingo and Penguin habitat at the Flamingo hotel. I also think the $15 per person is well worth the visit to Sigfried and Roy's Secret Garden in the Mirage hotel. You get to see white lions, white tigers, a cute snow leopard named Manchu, and dolphins up close. This year they even had 5 new tiger cubs and a baby dolphin! Adorable! :) The habitat is not huge, so it is not like visiting a zoo- you can see everything in an hour, but if the animals are active or you want to see the dolphins doing some tricks with the trainers, you may want to hang out for a couple hours. What I don't think is as worthy is the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. The jellyfish and sharks were neat to see, but the cost was pretty high per person and it wasn't very big.

3. See a Cirque du Soleil show. The first time someone told me to go to a Cirque show at at about $100 per ticket, I thought they were crazy to suggest seeing a Vegas show that was that pricey. But, after seeing a show, and I recommend Mystere at Treasure Island if you want to go, it is well worth the cost. It is an amazing set of talented acrobatic and one of a kind performers, in strange, artsy themes, that I have never seen anything like. Other shows are good in Vegas as well, I am sure- comedian acts, magicians, etc. But, if you want to see one good show, see a Cirque show (of which there are several to choose from).

4. Go see the hotels and free exhibits. Every year we come to Vegas, they are changing things. Old shows go away, like the old Pirate show at Treasure Island, and new ones are created, like the big movie show over the lake at the Wynn hotel. There is always plenty to see that will amaze you, especially if you are a newcomer to Vegas. Just go "sightseeing" at the hotels, from the sky-painted ceilings at Ceasar's Palace, to the actual moat inside the Ventian, to feeling like you stepped in Paris at Paris Las Vegas, complete with Effiel Tower replica. You can go to New York New York and feel you are really there and go to the top of the Stratosphere, a replica of the space needle in Seattle. Besides just the magnificence of things like the Luxor hotel shaped like pyramid, there are little free exhibits (for lack of a better word) at most places. For instance,
-The Rain Showers from the ceiling at the Planet Hollywood
-Ceasar's Palace's statues talk and boom during a laser light show
-A volcano erupts at the Mirage
-Treasure Island has replaced their Pirate show with a more adult "Sirens" dancing and acting show which still involves the ship in front of the hotel
-And the coolest free exhibit, which you should see multiple times in daylight and at night, are the Bellagio Fountains, in which the fountains light up and dance to music.

5. In Las Vegas, you can dine at some great gourmet restaurants. One of our favorites has been Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico steakhouse. The food is pricey, but superb. With a ton of gourmet food in Las Vegas, you should never have a bad meal, but I have. If you're hungry while next to a deli, you decide to eat there, with mediocre results. If you're a foodie like I am, do your homework and look up some of the great restaurants here, (Lawry's is off the strip, but another place for a good steak), and plan a few nice dinners out. There is even a gourmet burger place at Mandalay Bay for the less pricey side. I would recommend not eating at the top of the stratosphere, which is very pricey and not very good food. Instead, I've heard you can find coupons in some of the local coupon books for getting to go to the observation deck for free with purchase of a drink. That sounds slightly cheaper than the $18 or so that it costs to go up to the top and see the magnificent view, and MUCH cheaper than the hundred dollar meal we had, which was relatively cheap for that restaurant. Also, there are buffets to go to- which is what people always think of when going to Vegas, but the ones on the strip aren't cheap anymore. We tried Spice Market at Planet Hollywood, which I would not recommend at all- however, I've heard that these ones are good, though I can't say from personal experience: Bellagio, Paris, and the Mirage.

These are just some of the fun things that we enjoy doing while here, while of course visting the pool daily and soaking up the sun. It is a fun place to be with friends or as a couple, and of course, don't forget your camera to commemorate the outlandish sights of Vegas! If you're planning to go to Vegas and have questions or want more info on anything, feel free to email me.