Los Vegas Worth A Trip?

[BigDave]

Dargo,

Ask about a fountain view room at check-in. The rate varies for 0-$50 extra, but it's worth it.

NY,

I've stayed at the following and they are in order of my personal preference: Venetian ($$$$ Venezia concierge level - finally some decent service in Vegas), Bellagio($$ nice place), Luxor ($ great architecture), Monte Carlo($ nothing special), Marriott ($ non-casino - just a Marriott), Excaliber ($ lots of kids), Tropicana (0.5$ old hotel but cheap).

The price spread from my stays ranged from $40 to $400/night. Not a gambler myself, but the shows, site seeing, & people watching are worth the trip.

 

[RobertN]

Wow! I'll be the lone dissenter!

I finally went last November. We were there for a trade show at Mandalay Bay.

I found it to be crowded, over priced, and just not all that spiffy. All of the lights and noise and everything, that's why we moved from town towards the sticks.

I would much rather do Tahoe(although I part of that is I'm only 70 miles from Tahoe). Tahoe is much prettier. You can do a bit in the Casinos and shows, and then be just minutes from BEAUTIFUL landscapes.

My only reason for eventually going back to Vegas will be to attend www.frontsight.com.

 

[MF1455v]

If you make it to Hoover Dam, take the Hard Hat tour if possible. We took it back before 9/11 and it was great. It was stopped for a while after 9/11 but I think is back going now.

It was a much smaller group and you get to go into the tunnels, walk around on the floor next to the generators, and go outside down on the floor of the canyon and look up and the face of the dam. It's well worth the extra charge.

 

[goodoleboy]

I suggest walking around Las Vegas.You can see how sleezy the town can be on foot.All the people handing you cards for call girls and all the pin up advertising. Besides taxi rides are to exspensive. Its safe to walk as long as you stay on the crowded strip.
You can make the drive from LA to vegas in 4-5 hours depending on how fast you drive.

 

[Dargo]

Oh yeah, I did forget about all of the "snap, snap" and trying to hand you the obscene cards. What's with them snaping those cards anyway? Somebody made a good point about these cards; ignore the people who are trying to give them to you, and do not accept anything offered. It you take one of the cards, your face will look like this /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Tractors4u]

Just to echo what some of the others have said, catch a show, they are great. We wanted to see Cirque Du Soliel's "O" at the Bellagio but I didn't try to get tickets until a week before our trip. I was told by a resident of Vegas that you need to try to get them about 3 months ahead of time. We ended up seeing Mystere at Treasure Island. I would see it again given the chance. We also saw Penn & Teller's show. It was a good show but the guy who talks uses some really foul language so it isn't for kids! The Hoover dam is worth the ride out there. If you can afford it, take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. We took a ride with Maverick Helicopter. We actually landed in the canyon and had champagne. We aren't gamblers either, but there is plenty to do there and just going in the various casinos to see them is fun. We stayed at the Venetian.

 

[Tractors4u]

I almost forgot. I couple of freebies that you need to see are the Fountains of Bellagio. Their fountains do a show set to music about every 15 minutes. There is also a free pirate show in front of Treasure Island. It is done after dark.

 

[Dargo]

Okay, can you name what is special about this spot pictured that the helicopter pilot pointed out? Pictured is the spot where the infamous "Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson" home video was shot. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

If you can take the helicopter ride, it is well worth it. I can't find the literature on our trip, but it was over 4 hours and included breakfast and lunch landings at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I personlly don't gamble, but I love Vegas for the shows and sights. Take lots of film or extra memory chips for your digital camera!

 

[BB_TX]

I can't add much to what has already been said. My wife and I are not big gamblers either, but we enjoy going just to see it all. We have been there around 12-13 times in the last 15 years. There are a lot of great shows, but the best are fairly expensive (at least to me $100+/person is expensive). However, there is more than enough free entertainment on the strip and downtown that you could never see it all in one day. Also, the trip to the dam will take at least a half day and the grand canyon is pretty much out of the question for such a short trip.
We almost always stay at Harrah's. A smaller, older, but well refurbished casino/hotel. We like it for its location (directly in the middle of the strip), they have some really good rates if you watch their "hot deals" on their web site, and the mega-casino/hotels really turn me off. OK to visit but I would not stay there. If you look at a map of the strip, don't be mislead thinking it is an easy walk up and down. It is about 3 miles from one end to the other with casino/hotels lining most of both sides.
I don't think I would make a side trip to vegas for only a day visit. I would go back later when I could spend several days there. But all in all, I would definitely recommend a visit. It is really beyond belief.

 

[Docsknotinn]

We go every few years and my wife loves it. I'm not into gambeling but the shows, while expensive, are top notch. There is an enourmous selection of great restaurants. The hotels are the best part of Vegas for me. You can shop and go for a boat ride in the venetion, watch the pirate ships battle it out at treasure Island and the water show at Bellagio is not to be missed. I find the cabs in Vegas to be the best deal going. You can run the strip for about five bucks. A lot of the hotels on the strip are now connected with a enclosed moving sidewalk.
We did do the hoover dam but the sidetrip I liked best was a drive in the mountains. The roads are perfect ...not a pothole to be found ! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif