Vegas Baby

[ErieBear]

I'm heading to Vegas for a business conference soon.

 

Any suggestions on places to go, things to see, people to do?

[+ azdr0710]

one of my all-time favorite things in Las Vegas is the well-known Bellagio Fountains...out front on the Strip....free show every 15 or 30 minutes depending on time of day - about 4pm to 11pm or so....some songs are lame, but others are "WOW - holy cow!!" as they sync the song to the fountains....the concierge once gave me a song schedule, but it isn't always correct....I often hang out for three or four in a row, people-watching between songs....

 

otherwise, just walk the Strip - the west side of the road (Las Vegas Blvd.) between the TI on the north and Tropicana Blvd on the south is pretty concentrated with stuff to see....the Mirage volcano, the TI pirate show (chicks and dudes getting wet in this), and all the lights, etc....the huge CityCenter development, with a few hotels, shopping, a big casino is worth a walk-thru....lots of great art, too, down hallways and around corners...explore the whole place....

 

if you want to go for a hike/walk/drive, check out Red Rock Canyon (fee area) on the west side of town out Charleston Blvd........or drive up Mt. Charleston, highest point in southern NV, for some snow and scenery action....

 

Hoover Dam is well-known and should be visited if you haven't seen it...pay to park and sign up for a tour....and you can check out the new-ish bridge just below the dam, a spectacular structure....access the sidewalk for it along the dam access road on the NV side....no access to either dam or bridge sidewalk from the AZ side....

 

if you have time, think about an overnight bus tour to the Grand Canyon or a helicopter ride....many areas and choices for these options....

 

the drivers in LV are often near-crazy...be careful with that!.....if you're renting a car, all self-parking is free at the casinos....I like to park and just walk everywhere (in the Strip area) as it is much easier than driving.....

[down_to_business]

A lot of the suggestions above are great advice so I won't repeat them all.

 

Go see a show- like the Cirque shows at several MGM Mirage casinos ( O, Ka, Zumanity, Love, Mystere, Zarkana etc.) or, if you don't mind fun, raunchy, and sexy- the awesome Absinthe in front of Caesar's Palace.

 

Eat at a Buffet (Caesar's Palace , Planet Hollywood, Paris, Aria, Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, or the seafood buffet at Rio are recommended). Main Street Station (downtown) is best if cost is your deciding factor.

 

Have a drink ( I recommend a Cosmopolitan or a Verbena) at the Chandelier Bar in the Cosmopolitan.

 

For free -- some mentioned above- Bellagio including the fountain show plus the conservatory and incredible large Chihuly glass flowers ceiling in the lobby of the Bellagio, the Mirage volcano, the campy TI Pirate show, the moving statues at Caesar's Forum Shops, the light show on the canopy in downtown (freemont street experience), getting your picture taken with 1 million dollars in the Binion's (formerly Binion's Horseshoe) Casino, eat for free (only if you are 250 pounds or heavier- scale on site) at the Heart Attack Grill, tour Cranberry World, Kidds Marshmallow Factory and Ethel M Chocolate Factory / Cactus Garden, or the Laser Light show at Sam's Town.

 

Gamble. Have a blast.

[Guest]

A lot of the suggestions above are great advice so I won't repeat them all.

 

Go see a show- like the Cirque shows at several MGM Mirage casinos ( O, Ka, Zumanity, Love, Mystere, Zarkana etc.) or, if you don't mind fun, raunchy, and sexy- the awesome Absinthe in front of Caesar's Palace.

 

Eat at a Buffet (Caesar's Palace , Planet Hollywood, Paris, Aria, Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, or the seafood buffet at Rio are recommended). Main Street Station (downtown) is best if cost is your deciding factor.

 

Have a drink ( I recommend a Cosmopolitan or a Verbena) at the Chandelier Bar in the Cosmopolitan.

 

For free -- some mentioned above- Bellagio including the fountain show plus the conservatory and incredible large Chihuly glass flowers ceiling in the lobby of the Bellagio, the Mirage volcano, the campy TI Pirate show, the moving statues at Caesar's Forum Shops, the light show on the canopy in downtown (freemont street experience), getting your picture taken with 1 million dollars in the Binion's (formerly Binion's Horseshoe) Casino, eat for free (only if you are 250 pounds or heavier- scale on site) at the Heart Attack Grill, tour Cranberry World, Kidds Marshmallow Factory and Ethel M Chocolate Factory / Cactus Garden, or the Laser Light show at Sam's Town.

 

Gamble. Have a blast.

 

Some of your info may be a bit dated. Cranberry World West is now closed, and you have to weigh 350# to eat for free at the Heat Attack Grill, according to their website. Apparently their reputation lives up to their name:

Not this again. A Las Vegas woman in her 40s collapsed at the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas while dining on a double bypass burger, smoking cigarettes and drinking a margarita. She was found unconscious at the restaurant.

 

Two months ago, a customer at the same restaurant suffered a heart attack while eating a triple bypass burger. Incidentally, one year ago, the Heart Attack Grill's 575-pound, 29-year-old spokesman died.

 

This bout of unfortunate events has had little effect on the restaurant's business, in which people remain drawn to the monstrous burgers. The quadruple bypass burger clocks in around 10,000 calories -- Guinness World Records has crowned the burger the most caloric sandwich on Earth.

 

The Heart Attack Grill has signs that read "This Establishment is Bad for Your Health." "Unlike cigarettes, I have had warnings labels since Day 1 when we opened in 2005 telling people how bad our food is for you," owner Jon Basso tells the Los Angeles Times," I think that skirts any liability we might have."

 

The woman is currently in recovery.

 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef0168e76a9a50970c-pi

 

My personal favorite activity in Vegas is the Fremont Street Experience. It's awesome! Don't miss it.