Visiting Las Vegas

I lived there 10 years ago and it was the best place! I learned how to play that town and eat for free, gambled for free and then some! I don't want to tell you the bad ways it has gone, as you might like them, not knowing what it used to be. My husband is there now working on consturction of the new high rise spa/resort comglomerates. They aren't hardly even called casinos anymore, it is spas and resorts - and they are expensive! The casinos have gone coin-less -no tantalizing sound of the nickles falling into the aluminum buckets - you get a paper receipt to turn into the cashier cage. The dollar eats are mostly gone and it is so centered to the spas, resorts, beach style parties, and you can even buy a condo on Las Vegas Strip - literally you can live on the strip! Casinos are hardly even emphasized anymore. Get off the strip and you will find more of what las vegas used to be - Arizona Charlies, all the Palace Station casinos (not resorts or spas!) Silverton as you go into town from the south is still good, Barbarby Coast is still good (on the striP). Then the newer ones - The Rio, MGM, Ceasers Palace, Luxor, Excalibar, they are mostly coinless, I hear, but still have the casino theme as opposed to the spa/resort like the new ones going in now. There is tons of construction going on. My husband is working on the new Cosmopolotian - 56 stories, 39 pools/spas within those 56 stories (yes, inside pools) and it has a european themed BEACH on about the 14 floor - yes a beach 14 stories up - outside, with real, growing palm trees and actual sandy beaches around the pool. Still under construction but this is just one of the towers. THe other one is condos for sale. I miss the lights -you know - one of the things vegas is famous fo r- the multi colored lights literally lighting up the street - they have gone more for solid kind of lights - where's the funin that. But the shopping is great - pricey but you can find deals. ALl the hotel/casinos have amazing shopping "malls" inside them. THe Venitian has gondola rides through the center of hte shopping area! People can get married on the gondalas rides@ Ceasers Palace is mythological related - all the gods and things like that. PRetty nice there. New York, New York is really cool - has I believe it is 5 or 6 New York landmarks made to smaller scale - the statue of liberty of course, the brooklyn bridge, ferry boats, condy island roller coaster - an actual ride, part of the inside looks like waling on new york streets! PRetty nice. Luxor - used to have the "nile river" running from the registration desk to the elevators to ge toyou there, but htey took that out. , Excalibar - Knights theme - lots of things to do there, arcades and such. But the buffets are the best! The Rio has the "world's best buffet", When we lived there it was $8, now it is nearly $20! But still a great bargain. They have"stations" for different kinds of food from all over the world and you just go take what you want! IT is really the best. SHows? Dont know about them as I never went to any. COuldn't afford them! But they have them, just ask at the registration desk for info. Also ask for any complimentary coupon books nad things like that. THey all have them. There is a monorail train along the back side of both sides of the stip - you get it at the MGM and it takes you all the way to the end of the strip on that side which is Treasure Island. You get off where ever you want - it stops at all the casinos - no car needed! The other side, starts at Luxor I beleive it is and goes up to the Venetian. Then there is Paris and Treasure Island (pirate theme) and the Mirage (Live animals on display and dolpins!) Check out the Ethel M's chocolate factory in Henderson, the FIreside Marshmellow Factory in Henderson, and they used to have a clown museum - where they made pewter clowns and most anything else! THe OceanSpray Cranberry muesuem used to be there - really nice to learn how they do that and samples at all these places! Don't know if it is still there but probably is - was a rather major attraction - near henderson. Lake Mead and Hoover Dam - great things to see! Get info from AAA if you are a member. Ask at the info desk of each casino you visit for info. Pick up newstand papers and things like that and they have coupons. Then there is Fremont Street - at the south end - the ORIGINAL LAs VEgas - Vegas Jack standing way up in the air waving at you, the Fremont, 4 Queens, Binions HOrseshoe, the Mint and more. This is where LV started. It is now enclosed - yes totlaly enclosed - they just built a cover over the main street! And then it has light shows every hour or so. PRetty amazing too! Good luck, have fun!

I forgot - - on the strip near MGM there is the M&M's mueseum - TONS of M&M's to choose from and lots of things to do (and buy!) Really fun if you have kids. Used to be a Coca COla muesuem but they took it out - it was really cool too! YOu can do a dinner nad show at Excaliber - watch the knights joust on horses and all while you eat a customary "knights" meal - with no silverware! Reallly fun! The Flamingo has a display of REAl flamingos and penguins in the middle of the hotel courtyard. LIve white tigers and dolphins at The Mirage, a Pirate Ship Battle at Treasure Island after dark - that is questionable. It used to be really good - two ships come together, fight and one side wins (sometimes the good, sometimes the bad) but the one ship that is destroyed, literally sinks into the water! IT is in front of Treasure Island and used to be so much fun, but my daughter was there about a year ago and took her daughter to see it, and they had changed it to a bunch of scantily clad, beachbunny type women doing the battleing instead of pirates or maybe they were fighting the pirates and of course win so they can jump up and down and put on the show. Might want to check that out before you spend the time getting there. The Mirage has a volcano that erupts every hour at night - like 8pm till 11pm. That is right in front of it too. Paris, I believe it is, has a shopping mall (They all do) but in theirs they havea rain forest - literally rains as you shop! There is next to that a holllywood wax muesuem - forget the name Mrs...something or another. I never saw it but I hear it is quite the show. The Stratesphere - a really high tall tower casino/hotel - has a roller coaster at the top of it so you roller coast around how ever many feet above the ground and see LV in all its glory! It also used to have a sling chair ride up there to - you get hooked into a chair, pulled up, time to look around nad then it slings you very rapidly back to start! Also the top of this tower is a resturant that spins as you eat! Hard Rock Cafe - if you like rock and roll and all. Is decorated inside with things from famous music people, but I hear this place also has the best pool bars - where you just swim up to the bar, sit on a stool (in the pool) and drink your drink! Lots of water falls and things like that too. I've seen the pictures, but that isn't my style of entertainment! Circus Circus is a fun one - great for kids - has circus acts in there and lots of arcade style games and things. Don't plan on winning any at slots at these big hotels. Go to the ones that aren't so event run - Barbary Coast (I always won there) The Rio, Arizona Charlies, Palace Station, Texas Station and those - they are off the strip I'll let you know if I think of anything else - oh yeah. dont forget to stop at the largest souveigner shop in the state! Corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Sahara (I believe) You can't miss it as you drive the strip! Oh, there is a NASCAR muesuem at the Imperial Palace, car museum too - has one of Elvis cars, gangsters car (forget the name!) and I beleive the car JFK was shot in.. can't remember all them but it was pretty cool place. Red Rock Canyon is just as you enter if you are going north on I15 - if you like rockclimbing, and things like that.