Viva Las Vegas!
Written: Apr 21 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Never a dull moment; great for kids, cheap food!
Cons: Can spend lots of money; long lines for food and checking in at hotels.
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| hem207's Full Review: The Strip |
I have been to Vegas three times in two years and love every minute of it. I could go back three more times and STILL not do everything there is to do.
The first time was a spur of the moment trip from Phoenix, AZ. I went there with a friend who lived in Vegas for 12 years and we decided to make the drive up there. As we drove into town from the highway, I couldn't believe all the tall buildings, rising up against the snow capped mountains (we went in winter)...especially the Stratosphere. There was no way I was going on the rollercoaster on the very top of that building!
We found our hotel, a simple Holiday Inn right down the strip from MGM. We only made reservations for one night, and in the 10 hours we were out, we gambled (and lost money!), ate at the All Star Cafe (where we got to see Arnold Schwarzenegger in person. He was doing some charity work for inner city children...we had no idea he was going to be there!!!)We also went through NY NY, Mirage, Ceasar's Palace (a favorite) That was definitely a highlight! Lots of neat shops, gorgeous hotel. They have recently added another building. We walked through, then under construction, the Star Trek Casino in the Hilton...peeking in between dividers to get a glimpse of the Bridge. MGM was under construction too, so we didn't even go in there. Circus Circus had a great show in the middle of the hotel.
We also managed to go see Hoover Dam, which was truly magnificent. We didn't take the tour b/c the line was very long, so we visited the shop, which was still very informative. After a busy day and night, the next morning we got up and had a great breakfast at the legendary IHOP and went on our way back to Phoenix.
The second time I went was also in winter with the same friend and our significant others. This time, Paris was under construction and the much anticipated Bellagio was done. That was the most beautiful casino and hotel that I have ever been in. There wasn't a BJ table for under $200 when we walked through. The buffet, steak and lobster was "only" $18.95 per person. We ended up eating at the Monte Carlo buffet. The line was long but, boy, was the $9.95 buffet worth it!!!! EXCELLENT food, made to order pasta, cheesecake for dessert. (When I went back the 3rd time, for a wedding, the reception was held there b/c it was such great food.)
During the 2nd visit, Star Trek was OPEN!!!!! We went through the casino and paid a small fee to read the history of Star Trek which was VERY informative and fascinating to read. We ate dinner at Quark's and were very impressed with the food, the serving staff (everyone dressed up like a character.) and most of all I highly recommend, if there are at least 4 of you, to get the drink called WARP CORE BREECH. It has dry ice in it, which was a first for me...drinking something with dry ice! It had 7 liquors in it and was very tasty! The onion rings were great too.
We all saw a comedy show that night, one of 100's, which was very funny, and got two "ok" free drinks on top of the show. We spent 2 fun filled nights there, staying overnight in The Excalibur, which I liked, but my friends didn't. They thought it was too old....the theme is Medevil, mixed with Fantasy, so it's supposed to look old. The lines to check in, though, took forever!!!
Along the gambling circuit, I found I only took as much as I wanted to gamble with me and left the rest in my room, so I wasn't tempted to lose ALL my money. I found a $5 table to learn BlackJack, but if you go off the strip, you can find $2 tables. There are also Non Smoking tables around too!
The 3rd time was for a wedding and we stayed at the MGM which I fell in love with. We had a view of the Strip, stayed in a Queen Size Room, had very friendly staff, nice casino and nice dealers that helped someone like me who doesn't know that much about gambling. T
he shops were a bit expensive, but if you go off the strip a bit, then you can find deals in t-shirts and such. We visited Red Rock and that was beautiful. Allow at least an hour for that. We also walked through Paris and went to the top of the Eifle Tower for a gorgeous view of the Strip. I don't recommend this for people that are afraid of heights. I also had lunch along the canal in Paris at a great Mexican restaurant, the name escapes me. We paid $10 for a plate full of great food!
I would love to go back and do Fremont Street, see Pirates of the Caribbean at Treasure Island again and see the new Aladdian casino that they are building. The wedding I went to (everyone flew out there from Maryland) had children and they loved the lions at MGM, tigers at Mirage and so many other things. Kids would love the Vegas experience too!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
hem207
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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