Hoover Dam and other Las Vegas, NV Things to Do Tips

If you come all the way to Las Vegas you owe it to yourself to also take the time to see the Hoover Dam, about a 30 min. drive away. I have an entire photo album dedicated to the Dam on my homepage. If you've seen it on tv, as most of us have, the real thing will really make an impression on you. It's sheer size alone is awe inspiring. From the Dam's top it is a mile down to the canyon. It is also an amazing feat of engineering. Our tour guide told us that the concrete in the Dam's center was still not yet fully dry because it is so thick! Though what impressed me even more than these things was the Dam's beauty. One of America's greatest landmarks, the entire structure is a gorgeous piece of art deco architecture, a virtual work of art.

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Directions: Directions and maps are available at most hotels as is information on guided bus tours.

Hotels in Vegas are not only places to stay, but attractions. The Luxor Hotel is a giant Egyptian-style pyramid. Even I, a skeptic and self-proclaimed expert detector of cheesiness, had to admit that this place was pretty damn cool. To enter the hotel you walk through a giant Sphinx and are immediately greeted by fountains and ancient looking statues. Look up and you will see the inside of the pyramid and the neat elevators that travel on an angle to accomodate the hotel's structure. The sheer size of the building is awe inspiring.

Inside the Luxor is a to-scale reproduction of King Tut's tomb. For a small fee you can take a self-guided tour of this with a tape recording that you conrol. All of the artifacts have been recreated here exactly as they were found in the real tomb. It was a lot of fun as well as educational!

For families with kids the Luxor would also be a great place to go because they have an IMAX theatre as well as inexpensive and kid friendly food options such as Pizza Hut and Burger King.

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Phone: (800) 288-1000
Address: 3900 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Directions: South end of the strip between Excalibur and Mandalay Bay
Website: http://www.luxor.com

As far as we know the Flamingo is one of the few remaining "original" hotels on the strip. For this reason it is worth checking out, as well as that from 4 to 7 they have 2 for 1 drinks (Ok, this is the real reason we went there in the first place). While we were there we discovered their outdoor habitat of real, live flamingos, swans, ducks, fish, and turtles which was very nice if a bit smelly. They also have one of the coolest hotel logos in Vegas so we were sure to check out the gift shop where my husband bought a t-shirt that he still wears almost weekly.

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Phone: (702) 733-3111
Address: 3555 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Directions: The Flamingo is located on the East side of Las Vegas Blvd., between Barbary Coast & Imperial Palace.
Website: http://www.parkplace.com/flamingo/lasvegas

"But they are just fountains," you might say. Well, I am here to tell you that these are the most spectacular fountains that the Southwest desert has ever seen. Thousands of jets of water are syncronized by computer with pieces of classical music to create a show so stunning it can bring a tear to your eye. At night the show happens every few minutes, so if you miss one, stick around for a bit and you will see it again. Viewing areas can get quite crowded, so I recommend the view from the footbridge which connects the Bellagio to the strip. Oh and the best thing? The show is free!

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Phone: (888) 987-3456
Address: 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Directions: In Front of the Bellagio Hotel
Website: http://www.Bellagio.com

Arrrrghh. This is probably the coolest free show I have ever seen. Performed 6 times a night, this show is so realistic that you feel instantly transported to the 19th Cen. Caribbean or onto a Hollywood film set. You can actually feel the heat from the cannon fire during the fierce battle between the pirates and the British Royal Navy. As an extra bonus, ladies, the pirates are all very easy on the eyes. Makes you happy that they win!

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Phone: (702) 894-7111
Address: 3300 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Directions: It is found on the west side of Las Vegas Blvd., between the Mirage and Fashion Show Mall.
Website: http://www.treasureisland.com

Oh, the Paris. This was a cool place to be sure and the closest thing I've seen to an adult version of a Disney Theme Park. The casino has a funky 19th Century Moulin Rouge-type flair to it and all of the employees speak with hard-won French accents. Upon entering you are greeted by a friendly, "Bon jour, Madame."
They also have a ride here that can take you to the top of their 50% scale Eiffel Tower. We didn't take it, but I imagine the view up there is great.
We found the food here to be some of the best on the Strip. The buffet here is great, especially for breakfast when they have their pastries fresh from their own French bakery. One of our favorite restaurants is also in the Paris, Le Provencal, as well as my very favorite bar, the Napoleon Bar. (I love Napoleon, so you may think this is biased, but it is a beautiful room.)
If nothing else, browse through the shops here. There are some cool things to see, even if no one can afford them!

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Phone: (702) 946-7000
Address: 3655 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Directions: Center Strip next to Aladdin's Hotel and Casino
Website: http://www.paris-lv.com

The best thing about Harrah's is their outdoor bar. It is a circular structure with the bartenders working in the center. Part of the coolness of this bar is the bartenders themselves. For tips they do amazing juggling acts with bottles while mixing the drinks. At first I thought it was a bit too Tom Cruise in "Cocktail", but they were actually pretty talented and fun to watch. They also have live music here. The day we were there there was an all-white band wearing afro wigs playing funk at 11 AM. (Don't ask me why I was there at that time; it's Vegas!)

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Phone: 702-369-5000
Address: 3475 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Directions: Across from the Mirage
Website: www.harrahslasvegas.com

If you come all the way to Las Vegas you have to come to the Venetian. It's gorgeous for one thing, and for another it's the only hotel, or building for that matter, that has an indoor/outdoor canal. You can take a gondola ride in the canal (if you don't mind becoming the center of attention for 100's of people) or you can just watch other people taking thier rides. Either way, you get to enjoy the gondoleer singing love songs in Italian at the top of his/her lungs.
The ceiling inside of the Venetian is painted to mimic the sky with clouds, etc. and every 15 minutes or so the "sky" turns from daytime to nightime just like that! It's cool to see.
The Venetian has a sort of Medieval Renaissance theme to it and throughout the hotel you will find actors dressed in Renaissance garb performing various tricks faithfull to the time period. Though I have to say that the guys in the Venetian carnival masks were sort of creepy looking.
The shopping here in their Grand Canal Shops is also great, even if no one can afford to buy anything. It's great to look. I fell in love with a handbag shaped like an eggplant and covered with jewels--don't ask.
Also, the Venetian is the home of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum as well as The Guggenheim Las Vegas, though we did not have a chance to visit either.

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Phone: 702-733-5000
Address: 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Website: www.venetian.com

If you get tired of the strip--and sometimes it happens--the Liberace Museum is a fine place to spend a surreal hour or two checking out a wide selection of the flamboyant pianist's shimmering personal effects. And if you don't have a car you can begin your Liberace adventure on the museum's free shuttle bus, which conveniently stops at several of the larger hotels on the strip (we picked it up at the Paris). Once on the bus you will be treated to a video of some of Liberace's more famous appearances, including performances at Carnegie Hall and the Las Vegas Hilton.

When you pull up to the museum on East Tropicana, some distance from the strip, you immediately notice that it is is divided into two sections, each on an opposite end of--you guessed it--a strip mall.

The first part of the museum contains Liberace's car collection, most of which he used on stage. This includes a rare Rolls Royce covered with tiny mirrors and an antique Roadster dressed up in Rhinestones. Also in this section is some biographical information on the Maestro, quite interesting if you are not familiar with him and his life. He was perhaps the most famous person in the world during his prime, often performing for Royalty, but began his life as the son of poor European immigrants.

After taking a look at Liberace's collection of rare and priceless pianos, you go outside and take a walk along the strip mall past a wedding chapel and liquor store to the other half of the museum which houses Liberace's outrageous stage costumes, jewelry and some of his furniture and dishes. This part of the museum also contains a gift shop and a small cafe. I recommend visiting the gift shop before you leave because where else can you buy a baseball hat covered in pink sequins?

Admission to the museum is $8 for adults with a slight discount for seniors. Your admission price is tax deductible, as all proceeds from the museum go to the Liberace Foundation's Music Scholarship Fund, so save your receipt!

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Address: 1775 East Tropicana
Website: www.liberace.org