Las Vegas

Inside Circus Circus

The Mirage and its volcano show

Large aquarium in a casino lobby to view

Inside the Mandalay Bay Casino

Well fellow travelers, just got back from Sin City and here is my observations plus a few tips to save you some money & headaches. Now Vegas for me is the best and worst of America, first the good things are the locals showing their entrepreneurial skills, technology everywhere, engineering & architectural marvels, etc Then to the dark side.......on the strip it seems like everyone smoking or drinking no matter what time of the

Getting ready for the free fountain show at the Mirage

day, the hustlers who keep coming at you and of course the gambling with all its noise, no clocks and lack of daylight.  But look beyond that and you'll find some wonderful shows to attend and be in awe. I witnessed Elton John at Caesars Palace w/ his 8 piece band, one word.....magical.  Then at the Mirage took in Cirque du Soleil  production of the Beatles Love Songs ( winner of three Grammy Awards) a must for any fans of the Fab Four.  There is so much going on with these talented performers as they put their spin on the lyrics of Lennon & McCartney it almost takes you into their world of make believe. Finally to the other end of the spectrum, went and saw Motley Crue who played at the Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel. What a great arena for anyone who likes this genre of music as there is lots of floor space, seated areas or even balcony table sections with bar service. Now i picked up some of my tickets through StubHub to be sure to get a seat, but if undecided what you want to see (as every Casino has shows) you will find on the strip legit vendors that sell the half price/sameday tickets for most of the events.

Everything BIG in Las Vegas hahahahha

Also just walking into the lobbies of most hotels or casinos you will find lots to see and do, some examples; Bellagio art collection, Caesars Palace fountains and aquarium, Excaliber's fun dungeon, Mirage and it's volcano show and so on and the best part? It is all for free.

Now when using taxi's find out from your concierge approx. how much to your venue as you don't want to be "long-hauled" (lol) as the locals call it. For example when i went to the Hard Rock it was under $10, but when i tired to return the driver said $20 flat rate! (so found a car who would use his meter) Also with hotels anything off the strip will be much cheaper and your "only" in most cases 1 to 2 blocks away from all the action so keep that in mind when booking. As for fine dining/shopping everyone has different tastes and spending limits, but i always check the local feed into your hotel TV and then the free literature available in the lobbies. Remember there is lots of sellers competing for your dollars and hey half the fun is sniffing out the deals!     KeyTip.... Finally because of the ebb and flow of so many people to the area any credit card purchase you do will need proof of  ID, so perhaps a drivers license which is much safer than your passport. In closing, enjoy your time in the desert and take advantage of what it has all to offer

Looking up.......on the ceiling of my hotel, way cool stuff

The strip from my helicopter returning from the Grand Canyon

Everything is easy to do in Vegas with money lol

Walking the Strip