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Las VegasLas VegasImage:Las-vegas-nv.250px.jpg|frame|250px|Looking south along the Strip from the Venetian casino-hotel '''Las Vegas''', Nevada, is known as ''Sin City''. Situated in the midst of the southern Nevada desert landscape, Las Vegas in many ways epitomizes American excess. Giant mega-casino hotels are built almost overnight, decorated with lavish care and attention to create a fantasy-like atmosphere. The casinos have names that evoke romance and mystery - Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Rio, The Excalibur, the Flamingo. Las Vegas is a playland for people from all walks of life. ==Understand== Compared with other cities in the West, Las Vegas is a relatively recent arrival. It was founded in 1905, and for many years was merely a small settlement in the middle of the desert. However, several pivotal events would come together in less than twenty years to make Las Vegas what it is today: * The construction of Hoover Dam in 1928 brought thousands of workers to the area. * Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, and what is now downtown Las Vegas became an entertainment center for the dam workers, with casinos and speakeasies. * Finally, in 1941, the luxurious El Rancho Vegas resort opened on what would later become the Las Vegas Strip. Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel later opened the Flamingo Hotel in 1946, starting the building boom and one-upsmanship that would continue largely unabated for the next 50 years. ==Get in== ===By car=== Southern Californians crowd Interstate 15 every weekend going back and forth to Vegas. Expect this drive to be crowded and frustrating, unless you can come and go at off-peak hours. However, many find the 280-mile drive along the I-15 restful and scenic. Attractions along the I-15 include the towns of Barstow, California; Baker, California; the Mojave Desert; and small hotel-casinos at Stateline (Primm), Nevada and Jean, Nevada. Those who traverse the I-15 should remember that they are crossing a desert, and should carry (and drink) ample amounts of water, especially on hot summer days where temperatures can reach 120 degrees F. ===By bus=== Greyhound operates buses from Salt Lake City, Utah, Kingman, Arizona, and Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas. ===By air=== McCarran International Airport (LAS) is served by many domestic and international air carriers. Discount air carriers serving LAS include America West, JetBlue, and Southwest. As at most US airports, you can rent luggage carts for $3. A very few hotels offer check-in desks and luggage transfers at LAS. Getting from LAS to your hotel is accomplished by airport shuttle (Bell Trans, $3.50-$10); rent-a-car; taxi ($10-20); or limousine ($35). The taxi line is well organized, the city taxi dispatcher will direct you to a numbered space along the curb. You need not tip the taxi dispatcher. As in any city, you can be taken advantage of if the cab driver thinks you are naive or new to the city. Do not allow the cab driver to take you through the I-15 tunnel (an extra $10) or tell you the story about the "big accident" enroute to your hotel, if either of these happens take down the driver's hack license number and call the Nevada Taxi Commission. ===By "rail"=== A daily bus route from Needles, California to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, with a stop in Laughlin, Nevada, is operated in concert with Amtrak's [http://www.amtrak.com/trains/southwestchief.html Southwest Chief]. Amtrak California's [http://www.amtrak.com/trains/sanjoaquins.html San Joaquins] route operates 2 buses daily to Las Vegas from Bakersfield, California as part of its service. ==Get around== ===By public transit=== The '''Las Vegas Monorail''' runs on the east side of the strip behind the hotels with stops at several of the hotels. It costs $3 one-way and $5 round-trip. Do the math before boarding, it could be cheaper for a small group to take a taxi. The city bus line, '''Citizens Area Transport''' or '''CAT''', operates 49 routes thoughout the valley. Most routes operate 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. seven days a week. Some routes operate 24-hours a day. The fare is $1.25; $2 for the 301 and 302 routes on the strip. There is a bus line traveling up and down the Strip, but you may find it overcrowded to the point of unavailability -- a taxi is usually a better idea. For more information: *Las Vegas Monorail, telephone (702) 699-8200, http://www.lvmonorail.com/. *Citizens Area Transport, telephone (702) 228-7433, http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/cat/. ===Taxi=== One of the easiest ways to get around is by taxi. It is relatively cheap to go from hotel to hotel. The cab driver is required to turn on the meter and to take the shortest route to your destination. There is a surcharge for rides originating at the airport, but not for extra passengers. Taxi lines (queues) are typically found at the front of hotels. You would be unwise to attempt to hail one on the street, especially on the Strip. It is customary to tip the hotel taxi dispatcher $1, and to tip the cab driver 10-15%. ==See== * '''Hoover Dam''' * '''The Grand Canyon''' - numerous companies offer flights to and from the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. * '''The casino-hotels''' along the strip. * The volcano in front of the '''Mirage'''. * The free pirate show in front of '''Treasure Island'''. (Get there early, as it is hard to get a good spot, hotel guests get first priority though.) * The fountain show in front of the '''Bellagio'''. * '''Fremont Street Experience''' * '''Star Trek: The Experience''' in the '''Las Vegas Hilton''' - though frankly, unless you're a big Star Trek fan, it looks a little dated now. * '''Guggenheim Las Vegas''' in '''The Venetian''' * '''Red Rock Canyon''' * '''Mount Charleston''' is the local ski resort. ==Do== * '''Cirque du Soleil''' at Bellagio, TI, MGM Grand, and New York-New York. * The '''Stratosphere''' has a lot of fun stuff to do in the top, you can see the whole city from there. * '''Blue Man Group''' at the Luxor * Indoor sky diving at '''Fly-a-way''' 200 Convention Center Drive (877) 545-8093 http://flyawayindoorskydiving.com/ $50 and up * Shoot a machine gun at '''The Gun Store''' 2900 E Tropicana Ave 9am–6:30pm 7 days. (702) 454-1110 http://www.thegunstorelasvegas.com/ $25–$40 * Learn to handle any firearm like a pro at '''Front Sight''' http://www.frontsight.com/ * '''Gamble''' ===Gamble=== Be advised that it is state law that all gamblers must be 21 years of age. If you are under age and found gambling or loitering in a gaming area, hotel staff will ask you to leave, and could ask the metro police to issue you a citation. There is a curfew for anyone under the age of 18 and metro police are comfortable transporting violators to a juvenile center. If you are going to gamble in Las Vegas, it would behoove you to learn and study the games before you arrive. One reason to gamble -- aside from the hope of winning money -- is that, by doing so, you could receive complimentary ("comp") rooms, meals, and even airfare depending on your play. Most casinos issue free "player cards." It is generally to your advantage to show or insert your player card every time you play a table game or slot machine. At the end of your trip, you can ask the hotel if you are eligible for any comps, you might be pleasantly surprised. Always play the games with the lowest house advantage, such as craps (dice) with full odds, and blackjack (if you are a skilled player). Bets which have the highest house advantage include slot machines, roulette, and some craps bets (hardways and propositions). ==Buy== * Forum Shops at '''Caesar's Palace''' * '''Grand Canal Shoppes''' in '''The Venetian''', including the tacky ''objets d'art'' shop featured in Martin Bashir's interview with Michael Jackson. * More affordable (and arguably more tasteful) gift shops in the '''Aladdin'''. * '''Fashion Show Mall''' which is on the strip * '''Mandalay Place''' between Luxor and Mandalay Bay ==Eat== Food in Las Vegas is good, but sometimes a little pricey. * Roman Court at Caesars has good food as well as good icey drinks. * Cafe' Lago at Caesars is elegant and has very good food. * Cypress Street Marketplace is interesting and good for the family, it has every cuisine and is mostly cheap. ==Drink== In Las Vegas, free drinks are offered to all players, even those playing 5-cent slot machines. It is customary to tip the cocktail waitress at least $1 per drink (unless you like going thirsty). But remember you could lose money, perhaps more than the same drink would cost you at the bar, while waiting for your "free" drink! The bar will happily serve you wonderful signature drinks. Some examples of the hundreds of bars and nightclubs in Las Vegas include: *'''Cleopatra's Barge''', at Caesars Palace. *'''Nefertiti's Lounge''', at the Luxor. They specialize in 36-inch Sphinx margaritas and glasses made in the shape of mummy cases (they make nice vases after the fact). *'''Venus Lounge''', at the Venetian. Pricey but enjoyable for a couple of quick cocktails. *'''Double Down Saloon''', 4640 Paradise Road, 791-5775. A bit out of the way but plenty of atmosphere and out of the casinos if that's your thing. *'''Ghostbar''' at '''The Palms''', located on the hotel's roof, features a section of floor that is made of thick glass with nothing beneath it -- the glass is the only thing between your feet and the ground 35 stories below. ===Nightlife=== *'''Rain in the Desert''' at '''The Palms''' *'''Rum Jungle''' at '''Mandalay Bay''' *'''Seven''' on '''the Strip''' opposite '''Aladdin Casino''' ==Sleep== ===On The Strip=== *'''Bellagio''', 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd, (702) 693-7111, [http://www.bellagio.com]. *'''Circus Circus''', 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. South, (877) 224-7287, [http://www.circuscircus.com]. *'''Las Vegas Hilton''', 3000 Paradise Rd., (888) 732-7117, [http://www.lv-hilton.com]. *'''Luxor Resort and Casino''', 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. So., (702) 262-4100, [http://www.luxor.com]. *'''Mandalay Bay'''. 3950 Las Vegas Blvd South, (702) 632-7777, [http://www.mandalaybay.com]. *'''Mirage''', 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd, (702) 791-7111, [http://www.mirage.com]. *'''Quality Inn Las Vegas Hotel, Key Largo Casino''' 377 East Flamingo Road, (702) 733-7777, [http://qi-lasvegas.chidirect.com]. *'''Treasure Island (TI)''', [http://www.treasureisland.com]. *'''The Venetian''', 3355 Las Vegas Blvd South, (702) 414-4100. *'''Wynn Las Vegas''', 3131 Las Vegas Blvd South, tel. (702) 770-7000, [http://www.wynnlasvegas.com]. Built at a cost of $2.7 billion, this is the most expensive resort in the world, with the money plowed into (among things) a private golf course, an artificial mountain with a 5-story waterfall and a million-gallon water tank for the nightly show. Rooms from $250. ===Off The Strip=== *'''The Palms Hotel''', 4321 W. Flamingo Road, 1-866-942-777, [http://www.palms.com/]. A bit off the strip this hotel offers gambling and also a great view of the strip from the Ghostbar. *'''Rio Hotel''', 3700 West Flamingo Avenue, 1-800-PLAY-RIO, [http://www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/rlv/]. Home to the world famous buffet. *'''San Remo Hotel''', 115 East Tropicana Avenue, (702) 739-9000, [http://www.sanremolasvegas.com/]. Located right behind the Tropicana and quick walk to the strip or monorail, this is a perfect hotel for the cheap traveler. *[http://www.goldcoastcasino.com '''Gold Coast Hotel & Casino'''], 4000 W. Flamingo Road, 888-402-6278. A full service hotel with a casino, eight restaurants, a seventy lane bowling alley, 711 hotel rooms. Free shuttle to the strip, free valet parking, fitness center. The hotel has views of the strip and great value. ==Contact== ==External links== *[http://www.ci.las-vegas.nv.us/ The City of Las Vegas] WikiPedia:Las Vegas, Nevada Dmoz:North_America/United_States/Nevada/Localities/L/Las_Vegas {{stub}} First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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