Las Vegas Vacation Picks

Open Top Sightseeing in Las Vegas

2011-08-20T21:12:00.000-04:00

An Open Top Sightseeing Bus on the Las Vegas Strip

A fun, convenient and affordable way to get around Las Vegas on vacation is the Open Top Sightseeing bus. They cover a lot of territory and are reasonably priced. As of summer 2011 ticket prices were $33 for adults and $17 for kids ages 4 - 12, and the tickets are good for two days. Tickets good for five were priced $60 for adults and $30 for kids. Special family tour packages are also available. Tickets are available onboard, at visitor information desks, at select hotels, and online. Tickets can be purchased online for a discounted price.
We think Open Top Sightseeing buses compare well to other modes of travel in Las Vegas, and they are a definite Las Vegas vacation pick.

Open Top Sightseeing bus in front of the Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip.

Open Top Sightseeing bus at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino.

New York-New York Hotel and Casino

2011-08-09T20:39:00.003-04:00

The Statue of Liberty at the New York-New York Hotel Casino

Las Vegas can be a real roller coaster ride
with plenty of ups and downs and thrills galore.

It is an incredibly audacious concept. Take the New York skyline with some of its most famous landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State building and the Brooklyn Bridge, scale it down and drop it on the Strip in Las Vegas, and presto! Big Apple in the desert. The New York-New York Hotel Casino features twelve facsimile skyscrapers that are one-third the size of the originals. Also on view are Ellis Island and the New York Public Library. Stroll across the one-fifth scaled replica of the Brooklyn Bridge and enter the Hotel Casino where inside awaits a recreated Central Park, Park Avenue, Times Square and Greenwich Village.

Looking up at the faux New York-New York skyline the top foreground of this picture shows part of the roller coaster track. The roller coaster cars are designed to look like yellow cabs which is a nice touch.

Lady Liberty can be seen through
the Brooklyn Bridge in front of the
New York-New York Hotel Casino
in Las Vegas.

Looking up at the (other)
Brooklyn Bridge.

The Flamingo Las Vegas

2011-05-29T12:13:00.000-04:00

Flamingo Falls

Want a little Miami in your Las Vegas experience? Do you find Art Deco and Streamline Moderne architectural features appealing? Want to feel a little connection to old-school Las Vegas? The Flamingo Las Vegas might be just the spot for your Las Vegas vacation. The overall look is definitely reminiscent of Miami and South Beach. While it was the third resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip, it is now the oldest still in operation.

The Flamingo has its roots in a project dreamed up by Billy Wilkerson, owner of the Hollywood Reporter, in 1945. He quickly ran into financial trouble during construction and was bailed out by Bugsy Siegel, the legendary mobster. Wilkerson remained a minority partner while Seigel took over supervision of construction. The Flamingo opened in 1946 with a price tag of $6 million dollars, really big bucks in those days! Seigel named the resort The Flamingo after his girlfriend Virginia Hill. Virginia had long, skinny flamingo-like legs which had inspired Bugsy to nickname her Flamingo. In 1947 the resort's name was changed to The Fabulous Flamingo. When Seigel first opened the Flamingo all staff at the luxury resort were required to wear tuxedos. Unfortunately, for Bugsy Seigel, the Flamingo had a rocky financial beginning and there were allegations of his having skimmed money during construction. This was not taken well by his mobster investors in the property, and in 1947 he was gunned down in true gangster fashion at his Hollywood home. Hilton Corporation bought the property in 1972 and changed the name to Flamingo Hilton. In 1999 the resort was renamed the Flamingo Las Vegas, and Hilton was no longer an owner.

This is a view of one wing of the Flamingo Las Vegas at dusk, viewed from the gardens and wildlife sanctuary.

X Burlesque

Nathan Burton's show is kid friendly.

Donnie and Marie are booked through 2012.

Laugh!

Chilean Flamingos in the Wildlife Habitat

The Miami/Art Deco themed resort's current profile includes 3,999 units, a 77,000 square foot casino that includes a race and sportsbook, a wildlife habitat primarily populated by Chilean Flamingos, a fifteen acre tropical retreat pool area, and entertainment including comedian George Wallace, magician Nathan Burton, the X Burlesque entertainers, and headliners Donny and Marie Osmond who are booked through 2012. The Flamingo Las Vegas's central location on the strip at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road makes it an excellent choice for a Las Vegas vacation if your plans including walking the strip to explore and enjoy the variety and visual spectacle of locations and action going on all around.

Shopping for fun at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

The Flamingo Las Vegas is home to one location of the Sin City Brewing Company.

Sin City Brewing Company at The Flamingo

2011-05-16T21:38:00.000-04:00

Sin City Brewing Company at The Flamingo

Las Vegas' own micro brewery, the Sin City Brewing Company, is an up and coming business with a lot going for it. Particularly, its four hand-crafted small batch brews: Sin City Amber, Sin City Light, Sin City Stout, and Sin City Weisse. The company has three beer-pouring outlets including the original location at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, the most recent location at the Grand Canal Shoppes in The Venetian, and their largest facility at The Flamingo. The Sin City Brewing Company at the Flamingo is definitely a Las Vacation Vacation pick. In addition to the great beers, it has an open and airy location with indoor and outdoor patio seating. Outdoor seating includes heating for colder nights, and it is located right next to the resort's wildlife habitat populated by, I'm sure you guessed it, pink flamingos!

Pink Flamingos at the Wildlife Habitat at The Flamingo

The Las Vegas Monorail - Alternative Transportation on the Strip

2011-05-07T14:59:00.002-04:00

The Monorail Station at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino

The Las Vegas Monorail provides a unique and very 21st century method of traveling the four miles from one end of the strip to the other. It goes from the MGM Grand at one end to the Sahara at the other with stops along the way at Paris/Bally's, Flamingo/Caesar's Palace Station, Harrah's/Imperial Palace Station, the Las Vegas Convention Center, and the Las Vegas Hilton. Free shuttle rides out to the Rio Las Vegas and Sam's Town are available from Harrah's/Imperial Palace Station. A monorail ride from the MGM Grand at the south end of the strip to the Sahara at the north end takes only about fifteen minutes. Rides are not cheap at five dollars a pop, but a day pass can be purchased for twelve dollars, and a three day pass for twenty-eight dollars. The Las Vegas Monorail operates Monday - Thursday from 7:00am to 2:00am, and Friday through Sunday from 7:00am to 3:00am. Tickets can be purchased online at lvmonorail.com.

While the Las Vegas Monorail does provide convenient, environmentally friendly, and safe travel up and down the Las Vegas strip, it has not turned out to be a winning bet. According to a report in the Las Vegas Review Journal, the non-profit monorail has filed for bankruptcy reorganization to deal with $658.8 million in debt.

The Venetian

2011-04-23T15:06:00.000-04:00

Visiting the Venetian on a Las Vegas vacation, it is possible to forget you are in the middle of a desert while you are socializing in the bustling Marketplace, strolling past the Grand Canal Shoppes, or better yet enjoying a gondola ride on the canal. Your mind won't exactly be tricked into thinking you are actually in Venice, but it won't matter because you will still be enjoying the beautiful architecture and distinctive atmosphere of this very grand resort.

St Mark's Square at the Venetian

The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino is conveniently located mid-strip at the site of the old Sands Hotel. The Sands was imploded in November, 1996, and by May 3rd, 1999, the 1.5 billion dollar Venetian was being opened with grandiose fanfare. Trumpets blared, whites doves soared into the sky, gondoliers sang, the slot machines rang, and Sophia Loren christened a motorized gondola.

View of the Front of the Venetian

Outdoor Gondola Docks the the Venetian

The Venetian is a marvel of a themed Las Vegas vacation destination. It is an expansive resort with 4,049 large and airy suite-styled rooms that feature sunken living rooms. Upgraded rooms and a wedding chapel are available in the Venezia tower along with some glitz and a separate entrance. The casino is 120,000 square feet of themed fun with Venetian art on the ceilings. The Venetian has a lot worth seeing, even if you are just visiting for the day rather than staying there. There are great shops to visit along the faux Grand Canal including Jimmy Choo, Mikimoto, Valentino, and Kenneth Cole, and a slew of others. A gondola ride with a singing gondolier on the same faux Grand Canal is a kick in pants. The replica of St. Marks Square offers a Venetian stew of things to see and do: dine, drink, shop, have yourself painted or get a mini-bust made of your face. Roaming characters in colorful period costumes are everywhere, walking on stilts, singing and performing and enthusiastically interacting with guests. It really makes for a robust and entertaining environment.

A Costumed Character at the Venetian

The Human Statue, Very Cool but a Little Creepy!

Mini Busts Made on the Spot

Featured entertainment at the Venetian includes the Blue Man Group performing in the Blue Man Theatre, men in blue paint pounding on PVC pipes making raucous riffs. A shortened version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera is also featured. And for entertaining yourself at the other end of the artistic spectrum, the Venetian is home to the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum which opened there on October 7, 2001. The museum features exhibits displaying masters from Picasso to Renoir as well as more contemporary artists.

This is an incredibly life-like display of the Blue Man Group.

Additional highlights that make the Venetian a Las Vegas vacation pick include some fine restaurants, interesting bars and clubs, and Madame Tussauds. Bouchon is the bistro owned by Chef Thomas Keller and featuring regional French cooking. The Tao Nightclub is considered one of the best in Las Vegas. Rich woods and gorgeous stone are used in presenting an Asian theme. Remarkable details include a twenty foot tall Buddha statue whose serene contemplation marks a counterpoint to club energy, an infinity pool filled with Koi fish, artful lighting, a forty foot outdoor terrace with views of the Las Vegas strip, private sky boxes with mini-bars, great audio and two dance rooms.

Breathe...! What else are you gonna do at an oxygen bar?

For something really different and typically only found in larger metropolitan areas, the Venetian has Breathe, one of the many oxygen bars that can be found in Las Vegas. Breeze on in and inflate yourself with the finest of o2! These oxygen bars seem to floating on a cushion of popularity and are well patronized.

Yet another element of the variety to be found at the Venetian is a branch of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Some of the wax figures are so life-like it is spooky. Touching of the freestanding exhibits is actually allowed which can add great fun to a visit and provides unique photo opportunities.

Entrance to Madame Tussaud's in the Venetian

The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas

2011-04-13T21:12:00.002-04:00

The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas is like a shiny new toy for the Las Vegas strip. It's bright and clean, fresh and energetic, and it does seem to appeal to those of a youthful state of mind. It has original and striking decor and a lively atmosphere. Call it cool, call it chic, call it the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, just don't call it plain old Cosmopolitan. It was originally going to be called just the Cosmopolitan, but the folks at Cosmopolitan Magazine did not like that and so the hotel ended up with the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas moniker.

Cool and Chic, Everywhere You Look

The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas is part of the Marriott International Autograph Collection, which is a collection of independent hotels that utilize the Marriott reservations and rewards system. It is currently the newest hotel resort on the strip having just opened on 12/15/10 at a cost of 3.9 billion dollars. It features two towers and 2,995 rooms. While the original plan called for a mix of hotel rooms and condominiums, the condo units were canceled and were apparently a victim of the weak economy. This hotel resort includes an 1,800 seat theater and 150,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.

Like all of the big Las Vegas hotel resorts, the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas can be a self-contained Las Vegas Vacation with shopping (15 shops serving eclectic tastes), pools and a spa, a casino (but no poker room), and a gluttonous assortment of fine dining and casual restaurants, and numerous bars. Of the thirteen restaurants, two highlights are the China Poblano fusion of Chinese-Mexican, and Jaleo with its featured Tapas. One stunning option is The Chandelier with three unique bar experiences to accommodate a variety of tastes and moods: high energy hot spot, sophisticated cocktailing, and an inviting lounge. Another great spot is the Book and Stage, described as "polished and comfortable", it combines entertainment with the sports book. Bund is a unique mix of LED light art, live performances and upbeat music. There is also the Nightclub and Dayclub with over 60,000 square feet for "clubbing", and it features a fifty foot ceiling. Three pools again provide for a variety of tastes and moods, including the Bamboo pool which offers discreet havens and a degree of seclusion if the guest is so inclined.

Another distinctive feature of the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas is the parking garage. Other than the Palazzo, it is the only hotel in Las Vegas to feature an underground parking lot.

The Bellagio

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It's big! It's bad! It's bella! One of the most remarkable hotels on the Las Vegas strip is without a doubt the Bellagio. It has a huge presence that to some may even seem overwhelming. While it is a resort with some seriously significant substance, it is not necessarily everyone's cup of tea...uh, espresso. But, of course, in the end that depends on your personal taste and what it is you are looking for in terms of your home away from home for your Las Vegas Vacation.

The Bellagio is modeled after the municipality in the Province of Como in the Italian region of Lombardy, and it even includes an eight-acre reproduction of Lake Como that fronts Las Vegas Boulevard. The lake is the site of the Bellagio Water Fountains. These fabulous and free shows feature lights, undulating and dancing fountains that shoot as high as 250', and a variety of operatic, classical and broadway music. The shows go off every half hour from from 3:00-8:00pm and every fifteen minutes after 8:00 until midnight Monday through Friday, and every half hour from noon until 8:00pm and every fifteen minutes after 8:00 until midnight on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Shows may be canceled if there are high winds.

Lobby Decoration

Bellagio Lobby

The Bellagio was opened in 1998 at a cost of 1.6 billion dollars, and it began the new era of modern luxury resorts in Las Vegas. It has a definite Euro flavor, with a European-styled pool area and spa, and European-styled casino. It has a presence to it that shouts "Big!" but it also strikes some visitors as being less personal than some competitive hotel resorts such as the Paris Las Vegas, which is directly across the street. The hotel has 3,993 rooms, and it is vast and ideal for people who like to walk.

Lobby With Dale Chihuly Glass Sculpture

The lobby area has a botanical theme and is an incredible sight to behold. It features the Fiori di Como, a ten million dollar Dale Chihuly glass sculpture of 2,000 handblown flowers. The sculpture is thirty by seventy feet and was the largest glass sculpture in the world when it was made.

Another notable feature of the hotel is the Bellagio Conservatory which continues the botanical theme. It is a 14,000 square foot indoor garden with a glass ceiling. The plant and flower displays get freshened every day and arrangements vary and reflect the seasons and holidays. Just like the Bellagio Water Fountain shows, the Bellagio Conservatory can be enjoyed free and makes a great draw for frugal Las Vegas vacationers, regardless of where you are staying. The reported cost of maintaining the conservatory reportedly runs well into the millions of dollars every year!

Not surprising for a fancy and posh resort, the Bellagio has extensive options for wining and dining. In addition to more casual choices, there are five fine dining restaurants: Michael Mina, Jasmine, Prime Steakhouse, and the AAA 5 Diamond award winners La Cirque, and the Picasso which features paintings and ceramic works by the great artist. Guests can also wine, dine and feel fine with themed wine and cooking experiences at the Epicurean Epicenter. And for people looking to give in to the desires of their sweet tooth, the Jean-Philippe Patisserie should provide everything you need. It has a very cool twenty-seven foot tall chocolate fountain, and an even more cool Flying Saucer manned by giant chocolate space-bunnies.

Chocolate Bunnies From Outer Space at the Jean-Philippe Patisserie

Another excellent stop on a Las Vegas vacation is the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Okay, this one's not free, but it has some really great retrospective shows featuring all kinds of art from photographs to Monet paintings. The gallery originally showed off artworks owned by Steve Wynn, the original owner of the Bellagio. The Bellagio Conservatory and the Bellagio Art Gallery offer a nice counterpoint and respite from the standard high energy-charged activities of the Strip. The gardens are free to experience, and the gallery is practically free with an entrance fee of less than twenty dollars, about the cost of one typical hand of blackjack in the European-styled casino. The casino is a big one, and yes there is sports betting as well as two poker rooms along with typical table games and an endless sea of slot machines.

Scenic Ceiling of Umbrellas Hanging Like Bats in a Colorful Cave

The Bellagio is a Las Vegas vacation pick for visitors looking for big, elegant and posh, but who do not mind an environment that can lean toward impersonal.

Las Vegas Weddings

2011-04-01T22:49:00.001-04:00

Top quality shows, partying and gaming are all popular reasons to vacation in Las Vegas, but more than 100,000 couples choose to come to Las Vegas every year to bet on each other with a marriage license from Clark County. Las Vegas is one of the world's most popular destination wedding locations, and for good reasons. The process here is quick and easy, there are countless wedding chapels serving up every conceivable kind of wedding ceremony, and Las Vegas is a premier vacation destination and an exhilarating honeymoon spot.

Getting hitched in Vegas can be accomplished in just about any style and manner, whether it be quick and simple or lavish and formal with a gazillion guests. Of course, when it comes to weddings, Las Vegas is most famous for all those dozens of little stand-alone chapels where kitsch and the King (as in Elvis) rule. A wedding at a landmark chapel such as the Little White Wedding Chapel can be managed in less than an hour, but it sometimes helps to have a reservation. If you are in a real hurry you can take advantage of the drive-up window! Drive-thru and outdoor weddings are quite popular at dedicated chapels.

If you are really in a hurry.....

Entertainment often blends with ceremony at Las Vegas weddings, and the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel is a good example. Theatrical weddings can be arranged with themes from Star Wars to James Bond and everything in between. Channel the spirits and your cash in the right way and Elvis will be happy to make an appearance at your wedding.

Some popular Las Vegas wedding chapels are:
   Chapel of the Flowers
   Cupid's Wedding Chapel
   Graceland Wedding Chapel
   Little White Wedding Chapel
     A Special Memory Wedding Chapel
   Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel
   Wee Kirk O' the Heather

Should a betrothed couple be more interested in a traditional, fancy or formal wedding, one of the big hotel chapels makes a better choice. Here is a list of some of the big Las Vegas hotels with wedding chapels:
   Bellagio JW Marriott Riviera
   Caesar's Palace Las Vegas Hilton Stratosphere
   Circus Circus Luxor Texas Station
   Excalibur Mandalay Bay Treasure Island
   Flamingo MGM Grand Tropicana
   Four Seasons Mirage Venetian
   Golden Nugget Monte Carlo Wynn
   Hard Rock Paris
   Imperial Palace Planet Hollywood

The Forever Grand Wedding Chapel MGM

The Clark County Marriage License Bureau is located at 201 Clark Ave. (702-671-0600). It is open daily from 08:00am to midnight, including holidays. Fridays and Saturdays are their busiest days. Currently, your ticket to wedded bliss will set you back $60.00. Of course, there are some strings attached: You must be 18 or older and have proof of age and a social security number, and you must be a male-female couple.

JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort

2011-03-27T12:01:00.004-04:00

The J.W. Marriott Las Vegas Resort seems to be frequently overlooked in Las Vegas vacation guides. This is a shame as a lot of people remain unaware of this quiet and classy luxury resort located not far from the Strip in Summerlin and very close to the rugged mountain walls of Red Rock. The J.W. Marriott hotel resorts are named after John Willard Marriott, the founder of Marriott International, and they are the best of the best of the Marriott properties. No two J.W. Marriott properties are alike. Each and every one is intended to have understated elegance that reflects the authentic art, architecture and cuisine of its locale. There are more than forty-five J.W. Marriotts located all around the world, and the one in Las Vegas certainly seems to achieve the intended goals. Rooms are available with scenic views of the mountains, golf courses, or the strip. The beautiful resort blends in with rugged desert surroundings, and fine local cuisine is available in addition to Asian and Mediterranean fare amongst the eleven onsite dining options.

The gorgeous grounds at the J.W. Marriott are meticulously kept.

The J.W. Marriott Las Vegas resort may have a relatively quiet and peaceful air about it in contrast to the centers of action like the strip and downtown, but that does not mean you can't have any fun there. For starters, what self-respecting Las Vegas resort would not have a casino? The J.W. Marriott Las Vegas has the European-styled Rampart Casino with over 1,200 slot machines, 40 table games, and sports and racing betting. There are a number of bars with live music to get the blood pumping. Rather than spilling drinks in the bar, you might want to spill some sweat at the Aquae Sulis Spa where you can have an aerobic or weight workout. There are free fitness classes for resort guests. There is a Bocce ball court as well as a sandpit volleyball court, and an 11,000 square foot oasis of an outdoor pool with a cascading waterfall. The pool is open from March 18th through November 28th. If you do find at any point that you are in need of a little sensory overload, the resort does have regular shuttle runs to the Strip, which is only a fifteen-minute ride away.

The Rampart Buffet Chocolate Fountain

The J. W. Marriott Las Vegas is an excellent destination for golfers. There is an executive golf desk to help set up duffers as well as pros with tee times or anything else they might need, and resort guests enjoy preferred tee times at eleven nearby courses. They also have a formal partnership with Tournament Players Club at the Canyons, home of the Frys.com Open. At this pro course there is a complimentary caddy option available.

A crustacean-craving diner's dream! All-u-can-eat crab legs that are perfectly cooked and endless in supply! The Rampart buffet is not the biggest or the best in Las Vegas, but it is still quite good and easy on the wallet for a Las Vegas buffet.

If you are interested in coming to Las Vegas for a wedding, but you want elegant and tasteful rather than Elvis kitsch, the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas has a lot to offer such as all-inclusive wedding packages, and they have a professional wedding specialist to assist with planning and facilitating events. One helpful feature we like is the Honeymoon Registry.

Ordinary view of indoor fountain at the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas.

Hunter Thompson-eye view of indoor fountain at the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas.

Overall, the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas is a classy option if you want to experience serene luxury as well as wild action on your Las Vegas vacation. Traveler reviews of the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas have been overwhelmingly positive.

Paris Las Vegas

2011-03-22T22:27:00.002-04:00

A perfect mid-strip location right in the middle of the Las Vegas Boulevard action, and a touch of old world Parisian charm in a clean and tidy Disneyesque environment, make the Paris Las Vegas Hotel a great vacation pick. This hotel boasts a two-thirds scale replica of the Arc de Triomphe and a half-scale Eiffel Tower that stands 540 feet tall and makes a striking visual landmark, especially at night with its vivid yellow lights.

The interior of the hotel is finished in a Disney Pirates of the Caribbean fashion with an artificial sky on the ceiling, walls and shops with Parisian building facades, and walkways finished like cobblestone streets. The deep blue sky sprinkled with stars and the subdued lighting make it feel like perpetual twilight. Very pleasant on the eyes. Le Boulevard, the main cobblestoned indoor walkway, runs from the main entrance past the registration desk and then past a series of shops and restaurants and eventually leads down a promenade to Bally's, a sister property located next door.

Fountain on Le Boulevard

The Paris Las Vegas has a number of notable features that set it apart from other hotel casinos. Not only does it have that half-sized replica of the Eiffel tower, but for a small fee you can ride to the top and enjoy magnificent views of the Las Vegas Strip and the Bellagio water fountain shows right across the street, as well as the entire Las Vegas Basin. The Eiffel Tower Restaurant is one hundred feet above the base of the tower and Las Vegas Boulevard and offers some of the best French cuisine in the city. Along with the Eiffel tower replica, the Montgolfier tribute balloon sign at the front of the hotel offers a knockout visual punch at night.

The Eiffel Tower replica viewed through the Bellagio water fountain show.

Paris, Palms and People

Paris Las Vegas also has the recently opened Sugar Factory. As a bit of counterpoint to the rest of the Paris/French themed hotel, the Sugar Factory is an American Brasserie serving traditional American dishes. It also boasts the Sugar Factory Chocolate Lounge where visitors with a hardcore sweet tooth can find nirvana with a huge selection of fine chocolates from around the world. There is also a chocolate fondue experience than can be paired with Champagne, cognacs, port or desert wine. This sugar head's experience can set you back from under $30 up to $1,000, depending on your hedonistic needs. Above the Sugar Factory is the Chateau Nightclub and Gardens where visitors can put their sugar rush into action.

One of the best and most affordable of the twelve dining experiences available at the Paris Las Vegas is Le Creperie. Located on Le Boulevard where you step up to an open window to order, Le Creperie offers a broad variety of main course and dessert crepes of nice proportions and reasonable prices. Once your belly is full of crepe it is just steps away to shops offering French imports such as Yves Saint-Laurent and Christian LaCroix, food and wines.

Entertainment highlights at Paris Las Vegas include a modest but attractive casino with all the usual games and typical stakes available. However, poker players will need to take the short stroll through the promenade to Bally's if they want to Hold 'em. The hotel also is home to the 1,200 seat Le Theatre des Arts where Barry Manilow is currently the featured long-term performer.

Paris at night...Man, oh, Manilow!

The Montgolfier Balloon Tribute Sign

To sum up our experiences at Paris Las Vegas, faux France was fine and it is a top Las Vegas vacation pick. Tres magnifique!!!

Be sure to look up every once in a while to catch some beautiful artwork!
This is a ceiling shot on Le Boulevard.

Arriving in Las Vegas

2011-03-19T13:30:00.003-04:00

Las Vegas is a long drive from anywhere. So, unless you are coming from another place in Nevada or neighboring Arizona or Southern California, the odds heavily favor that you will be arriving by air into McCarran International Airport. McCarran International sees more than thirty-five million passengers pass through its terminals every year. That's like having the entire population of Canada parade through this portal to the City of Lights! McCarran has an incredibly convenient location being situated right next to the southern end of Las Vegas Boulevard, a.k.a. The Strip. Because of the typically clear and sunny weather, the views of The Strip are almost always fantastic as you make the final approach to McCarran and touch down. While taxiing to the terminal passengers are treated to early and good looks at the big hotel casino resorts at the southern end of The Strip.

The MGM Grand can be seen in the background.

View of the Mandalay Bay and Luxor resorts from inside the McCarran International Airport terminal.

It is immediately obvious that you are not in Kansas anymore when you disembark your plane, walk through the passenger chute and enter a terminal filled with slot machines. There are more than 1200 slot machines located at McCarran. If you came to Vegas to gamble, no need to waste any time! But be sure to pace yourself, you wouldn't want to burn through your bankroll before even setting foot on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Numerous major airlines serve McCarran International Airport which is a real plus when planning a Las Vegas vacation. McCarran is an easy airport to navigate with most flights going in and out of terminal 1 and its four concourses with 96 gates. International flights and most charters go through terminal 2 and its 8 gates.

Ground transportation is easy to get at McCarran with numerous limousine and shuttle services. Rental cars benefit from the brilliant idea of centralizing all major car rental fleets in a single location at the McCarran Rent-a-Car Center. Dedicated shuttles run directly from the airport terminals to the center which is only a five minute ride away. Like the airport, the McCarran Rent-a-Car center is open, spacious and well organized making the process a typically easy and pleasant experience. Another transportation option are the buses run by Citizens Area Transit (CAT). Buses run from the airport, along the strip, and to the downtown area, and the cost can't be beat at just a couple of bucks.

Once you have your wheels, whether a taxi, shuttle, or rental car (Maybe a nice droptop to enjoy the sunny days or make you feel oh so cool when cruising Las Vegas Boulevard with the top down?) it is a very short trip to most hotels and resorts because of McCarran's great location. Having a rental car is a great way to see a lot of Las Vegas and the surrounding attractions. If you do have one, we highly recommend that rather than going directly to your hotel you cruise the Las Vegas Strip once to wet your appetite for what is in store. Day or night, the sights and sounds can quickly ring the stimulus overload bell!

In Las Vegas, Elvis is everywhere.

Viva Las Vegas!

2011-03-16T22:00:00.002-04:00

Palm Trees and Neon

Las Vegas sits in the middle of the Las Vegas basin like a big, ripe and juicy cherry sitting in the center of a bowl waiting to be gobbled up. A bite of Vegas for your vacation will have all of your taste buds fired up on stimulus overload. The lights! The shows! The weddings! Throngs of fun and fortune seekers on the teeming streets. Endless indulgence in fine dining. Glittery opulence in every direction. Countless casinos, from small laid back venues to mega hotel resorts, all offering the possibility that today could be the day, the day you hit it big! No matter the long odds, at least you're in the game! And if you don't win enough money to swim in your own cash-filled bank vault like Scrooge McDuck, you will at least come away with a wealth of memories. Don't like to hand your hard earned cash over to the god of chance? Well, Las Vegas is so much more than just casinos. There are enough shows, rides, sporting events, day trip excursions, museums, art venues and shopping to easily fill a dozen vacations.

The energy in Las Vegas is BIG, and so is the FUN. So come along on a virtual tour of our Las Vegas Vacation Picks for samples of the smorgasbord of places to see and things to do in a fabulous and favorite vacation destination. Viva Las Vegas!

This is a picture of the Bellagio's dancing water show, a free to see extravaganza of fountains, lights and music. Click on the picture for an expanded and dramatic view.