Things to do in Las Vegas?

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 9:05am

So, I'm pushing 50, and next month I'll be in Las Vegas for the first time. Travelling alone on business, arriving Sunday and leaving Thursday. I know where to find the popular shows and attractions, but I was hoping that folks could provide a little more advice. Any recommendations for off-the-beaten-path things to do or places to go is appreciated.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 11:13am

I was just there in October for the first time and loved it. Definetly walk through as many hotels as you can. Check out The Venetian's Grand Canal Shoppes and the Bellagio's gardens. Ceasars has 2 fun lobby shows. Check out the Atlantis show (I think it is called Atlantis). It has an aquarium behind it. I would also suggest purchaing a bus pass. There is a bus that travels the strip all the way down to Freemont Street. You buy the pass on the bus, you have to have cash to buy it. The strip is a little longer than it appears so the bus can be a blessing at times. Although, you are going to want to walk the strip. Cabs aren't cheap so take the bus to Freemont Street. Freemont is a must see. Go in the evening so you can see the show on the roof covering the street. It is a lot of fun.

If you want to see a big show, check for tickets now. We made the mistake of not doing that (I wanted to but my friend thought we could just get tickets there). So we didn't see "O"! We did see "KA" and it was quite the show! Also, you must see the "dancing waters" in front of The Bellagio. Crowds tend to gather for the shows outside of the hotels so get there a bit early if you want a good spot. The Treasure Island show has changed into some "MTV" kinda show so we just looked at it for a minute from across the street and moved on.

We took a shuttle to our Hotel from the Airport. (We stayed at The Venetian). You will most likely find 2 magazines on your seat. Grab them! The Vegas2Go booklet is good to have as it has a nice pull out map in it and lists just about everything in Vegas. You will most likely find a magazine or two in your hotel room also. You can find coupons in these magazines for different attractions if you are looking for deals. They also have a few discount ticket booths along the strip for shows called "Tix 4 Tonight". (We got our "KA" tickets there)

We hopped a bus and went to the "Liberace" museum. Had a blast. We found out after we got there that they have a free shuttle from a few of the hotels out to the museum and back (Which is about a ten minute ride from the strip on the shuttle).

We had to do a buffet so we tried the MGM Grand Buffet after the show. It was OK. There are better ones.

You can PM me if you have any more questions. I could go on and on! But have a great time! I hope to get back there again this fall. I had a blast!

Updated On: 4/19/10 at 11:13 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 11:13am

Rent a car for the day and visit Hoover Dam. A very impressive sight. Le Reve and Love are the best shows I've seen in Vegas. My favorite buffets are Wynn and Mandalay Bay. For shopping and strolling, I prefer the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace (lunch at Stage Deli is always nice) and the Venetian/Palazzo. If you want to enjoy a quieter and elegant, yet low-key casino that isn't mobbed with tourists, head to the Wynn and walk through the main casino, continue to the Encore, through the shops, to the Encore casino. It's absolutely gorgeous and nowhere near as crowded and smoky as the main casinos along the Strip. If you're closer to the south end, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio or Planet Hollywood are my casinos of choice. I haven't seen City Center, but it looks impressive.

And speaking of Bellagio, be sure to check out the terrace at the Fontana Bar for the most amazing view of the fountains. Best time to grab a good table is just before sunset. Order a drink and watch the show. Another cool sight is the Parasol Down patio seating around the infinity lake at the Wynn. At night, the lake transforms into a variety of spectacular images, but it's not popularly advertised. We stumbled upon it completely by accident and it was really amazing.

Updated On: 4/19/10 at 11:13 AM

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 11:23am

Matt, was the Encore Casino busy when you were there. It was deserted when we went. We were a bit shocked as it was the newest hotel at the time City Center hadn't opened) Also we had a good lunch at The Strip Burger. It sits on a corner at that big mall and you can look out on the strip.

Matt suggested the Hoover Dam. I really wanted to do that but we didn't have time. If you do have the time you can also do a full day trip to the Dam and to The Grand Canyon. They have bus trips. They include lunch but you will be gone from very early in the morning until about 9:00pm in the evening.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 12:04pm

We were there last August and the Encore casino was not busy at all, which is why I suggest it if you want something quiet. The Wynn casino is the first casino you hit from the Strip, so it gets the main traffic. The Encore casino is basically the final stop if you are checking out the Wynn/Encore complex before hitting the Encore hotel-only area and it is mainly used only by hotel guests. And I loved the scent they pipe into the lobby areas of the Wynn and Encore. It's called Asian Rain and my partner and I both bought diffusers to take home. I need to order refills.

We reserved a car very cheap (around $30/day) and went to Hoover Dam and back in about 3-4 hours. With traffic, Hoover Dam is only about 45 minutes to an hour each way. We didn't go as far as the Grand Canyon, which we want to reserve for a longer trip when we can spend a few days there. Personally, I don't care for being trapped on bus tours with a bunch of strangers, especially for 8 hours or more.

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 12:13pm

Thanks for all the advice, more is appreciated. A little more info from me: I'm staying at Mandalay Bay, I will have a rental car, and I love to play blackjack, although I MUCH prefer low minimum tables.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 12:28pm

I saw the Bodies exhibit last year at the Luxor and really enjoyed it -- if that kind of thing doesn't put you off. But it's actually quite respectful, clean, and probably won't bother you if you're the squeamish type. We got discounted tickets at the Tix 4 Tonight booth.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 12:40pm

You can usually find low minimum tables at the smaller and older casinos along the strip like Bill's Gamblin' Hall or some of the vintage casinos on the north end of the strip or on Fremont Street. The closest place to have low minimum tables to Mandalay is probably the Tropicana.

There is a free monorail that connects Mandalay, Luxor and Excaliber. And another that connects Mirage and Treasure Island. On the east side, there is a city monorail (not free) that runs from MGM to the Sahara, but it's really not convenient for anything between Harrah's and Sahara. It's also important to note that taxis are only available on the Strip at the hotels. You cannot hail cabs from the street.

Honestly, I hate Fremont Street. The overhead show is interesting for about 2 minutes, but that's the only thing worth seeing other than a couple of neon signs, perhaps. The casinos are older, dirtier and smokier. Since you're going to be there a few days, you will probably have time to check it out, but I wouldn't put it high on my list of priorities. After an hour, I couldn't wait to get out of there. If you already have a rental car, you can probably find parking around Fremont Street. Otherwise, you can take the bus, but it can be a looooooong wait.

Seriously, the Mandalay Bay has my favorite buffet. I'm totally jealous.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 1:13pm

Matt, they do the scent thing at the Venetian also. It hits you right at the front doors. We spent time at the casino bar and asked the bartender about it. He said they wouldn't tell them what the scent was or why they do it. We found that to be strange since I am sure people ask.

We really enjoyed Freemont Street. It was right before halloween and they were preparing for the big celebration they do there and on the strip. The little sideshows were fun. Had to stop in the Golden Nugget as I have seen it on tv for years along with the cowboy Vegas Vic sign. (I actually won a bit at the Golden Nugget) Plus, madbrian, I think they still have $5.00 blackjack tables down there. We loved the overhead show (They did the "Queen" show). Just very cool how all of the lights went out and the show went on. And the sound was great.

I agree, and forgot to mention, that there can be a long wait for the bus, especially in the evening when people are headed to Fremont. We had two full busses pass us by. But it was worth it. We actually walk a bit to see what was down in thar barron area between the strip and Fremont while we waited for a bus. Also there is a souvenier "pavillion" down towards Fremont. Don't bother! My friend HAD to go there and we went and it is a total bust!

Being gay, we HAD to check out gay a bar! An intersting thing is that the bars, mostly off of the strip, have doorbells. When we asked why we wete told that since the prostitutes were banned from the srip, they wait for "clients" off the strip and were using the bars to go into to wash, change, etc. so the bars installed doorbells to stop the prostitutes from using their bathrooms. We also found that the cabs, with the economy, will drop you off right off of the street at hotels instead of at the front doors. The reason being so they don't have to go sit in the line of cabs in front of the hotel. Drivers told us it is a waste of time and gas at times. They have not been making money as ridership dropped last year.

I didn't get to Mandalay Bay but friends say they love it there. Also ask at the desk for any specials or coupons they have when you check in. We actually only used one coupon when we were there. But that's because we luckily didn't really need them.

[jasonf]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 1:15pm

If you like seafood, check out the seafood buffet at the Rio...it's awesome!

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 1:21pm

jason, that is the buffet we wanted/planned to go to. It has been featured on travel shows and friends said they go there but we were too lazy (And our feet were too tired!) to walk down there!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 2:05pm

I've heard good things about the Rio buffet, but it is definitely off the beaten track and as of last summer, was getting a bit ragged. You can walk there, but it is close to a mile away (though looks deceptively closer). There used to be a free shuttle to and from the Strip, but I can't remember where on the Strip you catch it. The rooftop view of the Strip from the Voodoo Lounge is a nighttime must if you happen to make it over to the Rio during your stay. We also went to the top of the Stratosphere and while the view is impressive, it wasn't worth the time or the money in the end. The whole place is a run-down crappy tourist trap and the staff is intolerably rude (if not entirely absent other than to collect your money). Circus Circus is an opulent palace by comparison. Hell, I'd sooner spend time at Imperial Palace or Casino Royale. I encourage everyone to avoid Stratosphere in the hopes it will either get sold to a company that actually cares or gets demolished completely.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 2:17pm

Matt, thanks for the confirmation on the Stratosphere! We thought about it but looking at it, it just didn't look too "appealing"! We toyed with riding the coaster up there but the place just doesn't look stable, or something! I was really disappointed.

And you are right about that trek to the Rio. When we saw how far off the strip is was, our feet said "Oh, hell no"! I also wanted to ride the rollercoaster at the Sahara but again, it didn't look appealing.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 2:41pm

The shuttle for Rio is from the side entrance to Bally's. I prefer the Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood.

[broadwayboy101]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 2:45pm

If you're into headliner shows (and if she's even playing when you're there), I'd definitely go see Cher at Caesar's. My mom and I went to see her in August of '08 and had a blast

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 3:01pm

She's still there. Bette was there when we went but we couldn't get tickets. Her show has closed. They do like 4 nights and then they are off for a while and come back. Looks like Cher is doing Tues, Wed, Sat and Sundays.

[Capt_Fluellen]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 3:15pm

I've been going to Las Vegas for 15 years, so I'm happy to add a few thoughts.

General Recommendations: The length of your trip is about right for a first time. Since you are staying at the Mandalay Bay, you may want to consider renting a car. It will probably end up costing a bit more, but its much more convenient and the good news is everywhere you go has free parking. McCarron Airport has a shuttle service to and from the car rental building, where all the car rental companies are located.

If you do rent a car, understand that unlike Manhattan, where lights are geared to move traffic north/south more quickly than east/west, Las Vegas is geared to move traffic east/west quicker. That's why you never want to be stuck in any type of vehicle on the Strip, which runs north/south. For your first trip, you're going to be tempted. The Strip is certainly pretty to look at at nighttime as you slowly drive past, but the Strip is a traffic nightmare and slow is the operative word! Expect long waits in traffic on the Strip. If you rent a car, you have to learn to use Frank Sinatra Drive and Industrial Road, both of which run behind the casinos on the west side of the Strip. The view sucks (mainly backs of parking garages,) but there is less traffic and fewer stoplights on these two roads, so you can get to where you are going in a hurry.

The Mandalay Bay is at the extreme southern end of the Strip. While there is a free monorail between Mandalay Bay and the Excalibur, which also basically gets you easy access to Luxor, NYNY, MGM Grand and Tropicana, it is rather slow and sometimes the wait for the train seems excessive. Also, if you want to get to the north end of the strip to the Mirage, Treasure Island, Venetian, Wynn, etcetera, you will not be able to walk from either Mandalay OR Excalibur. DO NOT take the Clark County public transit bus that goes up and down the Strip! I cannot stress this enough. It stops at every block. At every stop, twenty to thirty seniors get off the bus, and twenty to thirty seniors get on the bus. Inevitably, every tourist getting on has a question for the driver. Which means it can take over almost two hours to get downtown to Fremont Street on that bus.

Cabs are an option if you limit your trips to maybe two cab rides a day. For longer cab trips, make sure the driver uses Sinatra Drive and Industrial Drive mentioned previously.

Hotel recommendations: Mandalay Bay has both a wave pool and a lazy river. Take advantage of these. Remember, pool drinks are expensive regardless of where you stay.

Also, check out the Flower Conservatory at the Bellagio. Always beautiful. The inside of Luxor is interesting, even if they got rid of the animatronic talking camels (they were always breaking down.) Paris and Venetian are nice, as well.

Restaurant recommendations: The Mandalay Bay property has plenty of exceptional restaurants to choose from. My two favorites are "Aureole" in the Mandalay and "Verandah" at the Four Seasons, which is a seperate hotel tower attached to the Mandalay Bay. Both are a bit pricey (Aureole more so) but very convenient and well worth it.

If you are arriving early enough on Sunday, try the Champagne Brunch Buffet at either the Paris, Mirage, Bellagio or Wynn (Wynn is the best, but also the most expensive.) I do not recommend the buffet at the MGM. I think someone previously said they were unimpressed, and I second that. Do not eat on the plane if you are going to do the Sunday Champagne Brunch. At around $40, it is the only meal you will need that day.

Other recommended retaurants are Kerry Simon at the Palms Place (off strip,) where the food is truly divine; and Stratta at the Wynn.

Entertainment recommendations: Without a doubt, the best show in Las Vegas is Cirque's "Beatles Love" at the Mirage. Better than the original Cirque show "Mystere" at the Treasure Island and much better than "O" at the Bellagio, which put me to sleep. Use the many Tix 4 Tonight booths to try and get discounted tickets.

Wayne Newton, a Las Vegas legend, is performing at the Tropicana. I saw his show at the MGM Grand six or seven years ago, and it was outstanding. Unfortunately, I saw his new show at The Trop last month, and there has been a substantial drop off in quality. Now, the show consists more of video clips from his past than actual live performance. At around $40, it's a fairly inexpensive ticket at the discount booths, so if you want to be able to say 'I saw Wayne Newton in Las Vegas,' then go. But you may be disappointed, and that's unfortunate.

Other recommendations: Get an MGM/Mirage Player's slot card at Mandalay Bay -- good for all MGM/Mirage properties including Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, NYNY, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, City Center, Bellagio and Mirage. They don't own Treasure Island anymore - had to sell it to get the cash needed to make debt service payments on City Center. The card will get you discount offers if you want to go back to Vegas, but remember that you points expire if the card goes unused for 18 months.

The Liberace Museum, located near a strip mall on East Tropicana, is great fun. Ask if you can try on one of his coats (seriously)! The Pirate ship battle at Treasure Island used to be better when it was the Pirates versus the British Navy. They tried to sex it up a bit, so now, its the Pirates versus the "Sirens" of Treasure Island. Not as good, but free, so worth checking out. Shows are every 90 minutes starting around 4:30 PM I think.

The free white tiger display at Mirage is gone, but MGM Grand more than makes up for it with a free Lion exhibit that is outstanding. (All the white tiger did was sleep all the time, anyway.) MGM usually has either two male lions or three female lions in the exhibit, and handlers try to get them to "play" with large balls, etc. Don't miss this!

Get downtown one night to see the 4 block long overhead light show. It's every hour on the hour. Stay for two shows, that's enough. While downtown, I would avoid most casinos except the Golden Nugget, Binion's and Four Queens. Some of the others are pretty shady.

They ruined the "Masquerade Show in the Sky" at the Rio (off strip.) Don't waste you time. Also, there's really nothing special to see inside Bally's, the Monte Carlo or Planet Hollywood for that matter (including the Miracle Mile Shops.) better shopping experiences are had at the Venetian/Palazzo, Caesar's and Fashion Show Mall.
Updated On: 4/19/10 at 03:15 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 3:20pm

Our last visit, we saw Bette, Le Reve (for the second time) and Love. Bette was not in her finest form and we preferred the other two shows. Bette was obviously exhausted and she took the ending of her songs down a bit as her voice was clearly tired. We had seen O, but having seen Le Reve the night before, O was a big letdown. The clown scenes were relentlessly slow and ground the show to a screeching halt. Le Reve is simply mind-boggling and Love was quite unexpected. It's less circus than it is dance and performance compared to other Cirque shows. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds was worth the price of the ticket alone. If I were going back, I'd probably try and catch Cher's show just for fun, though I'm not a huge fan or anything.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 4:35pm

I was upset that the tiger display was gone at MGM. And the Coat that you can put on at the Liberace Museum is not actually one of his. it was made by volunteers at the museum. I asked as I was putting it on. So I was tempted to grab a real one from the displays! The museum is not to be missed if you are interested in Liberace. My favorite was that jewel encrusted tool box at the car exhibit. ONLY Liberace would have this!

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 6:28pm

My favorite buffets were the Paris Hotel Buffet and the Rio Seafood Buffet.
My entire party (12 people of all ages) hated "KA" and loved "O."
Make sure to catch the water show outside of Bellagio and walk through that hotel, the Venetian, and Caesar's forum shops.
When I was there (about 4 years ago), we used the Deuce bus for which we bought weeklong passes and were able to take everywhere on the Strip.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/19/10 at 6:45pm

"KA" wasn't your typical Cirque show and didn't feature the "acrobatics" we are used to until the end, but it was a huge show and visually stunning. I am sure some of the other Cirque shows are better but we really enjoyed it. I loved the stereo speakers in the seats and the whole theatre setup.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 8:38pm

Try the dinner buffett at the Wynn. As far as shows, La Reve @ the Wynn is one of the better Cirque shows. Love (Beatles show) at the Mirage is absolutely stunning.

Barry Manilow when he was at the Hilton put on a fantastic show so check out his show which is now at the Paris .

Updated On: 4/20/10 at 08:38 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 10:16pm

Le Reve is not a Cirque show. It is, however, directed by Franco Dragone who has directed Cirque du Soleil shows. Two of which are playing in Vegas ("O" and "Mystere"). One might think it is from the "trailer" they run on the jumbotron outside of the hotel.

Updated On: 4/20/10 at 10:16 PM

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 4/20/10 at 11:44pm

i've never had the Rio Seafood Buffet... only their regular Buffet and i freaking LOVE that one!!! I'm also fond of the Paris buffet... hmmm... so the Mandalay Bay and the Wynn are good?? i don't think i've ever been to their buffets... i may have to try it... how expensive is it? i've been so so many of them on the strip!! haha


oh and I will second KA... i LOVE that show! you could also check out Mystere... i believe it was the original Cirque in Vegas and it's pretty good...

and when you're bored and little cash... just pretend like you're gambling and get free drinks!! haha..

and don't take flyers from people off the street... cuz if you take just one then ALL of them are gonna go after you!

[ArtMan]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 12:35am

As already mentioned, The Freemont Experience is cheap fun. Take the bus on the strip and it will take you right there. There are bands there and if you are a people watcher...really stupid drunks doing stupid things. You can go to the Grand Canyon by bus but it is all day. You can also do it by plane in a half day. Views over hoover dam are quite the sight. You do the same thing either by bus or plane once you arrive at the canyon(South rim), but time and money play a factor. Hey your turning 50. Go for it. I went to Egypt by myself on my 50th. You can do a half day tour to Hoover Dam and a boat ride on the Lake. Its not very expensive. You have to see a Showgirl revue. The one I saw was at Baily's I think. Spectacular costumes, tits and showboy asses. If you are arriving to Vegas during the day, Vegas is a ****hole. It only looks fantastic at night. The rollercoaster ride at New York, New York is fun. At night. go up to the top of the Stratosphere Hotel (I thinks its still there) for spectacular view of the lights. Go watch the different free shows the hotels put on. Fountains at Bellagio, shipbattle at Treasure island. And if you want to get drunk for free, play the slots and order drinks. Then go out to the clubs.