Edge Of The Las Vegas StripSo, I am not going to bore you with the standard promotional photos that you always see of the Las Vegas strip. Everyone has seen those and there are more than enough to go around. If you would like one of those photos, buy a postcard.
But I would like to show you, throughout this commentary, some of the things that you may NOT have seen in, and around Las Vegas.
I will admit, visiting this city was one of the best trips I have had in a long time. The city is absolutely beautiful. In fact, it is probably the nicest US city I have visited. This, of course, excludes the awesome, yet gaudy spectacle of The Strip itself.
The weather was pleasant the entire time I was there, which made sightseeing and photo taking all the more enjoyable.
While in Sin City, I stayed at The Orleans casino resort. This hotel is about a $6 taxi ride away from The Strip. In fact, you can even walk to The Strip if you prefer. Although not as glitzy or glamorous as some of the other Hotels I visited, I found The Orleans to be the most comfortable and home-like. The rooms were very nice, every amenity you could want was provided. The staff, with the occasional exception were very friendly. I found this place more relaxed, and there seemed to be less pressure to constantly SPEND exorbitant amounts of money. I highly recommend staying there.
The Orleans Hotel & CasinoOf course, like a true tourist, I had to visit some other must-see resorts. Some of these included the world famous Ceasar's Palace, The Bellagio, The MGM Grand and the New York, New York.
Ceasar's Place is truly a work of art. The lobby alone is an attraction to see. Marble and plaster is abundant here. The hotel is elegant without being overdone. It is definitely worth spending a few hours to tour this resort. If your interested in shopping, there is a plethora available, but bring the Platinum card, as there is not many middle class stores.
The Bellagio Hotel, (directly across the street from Ceasar's) Was somewhat less spectacular. But this resort is still a must see simply for the show the hotel puts on every 15 minutes in the front lake. The lake has a choreographed fountain and light show, placed to music. It runs about 5 minutes in duration, but really is quite beautiful. If photo taking is a goal here, I recommend bringing one without a shutter delay, and id possible, one where you can change the shutter speed. The fountains can often be quicker than your camera.
The MGM Grand is definitely one of the larger resorts I visited. Clearly this place has had some major renovations in the recent past. A large segment of this hotel felt more like a trendy ultra-lounge rather than a casino or hotel. But the ambiance left me feeling cheap even though I had spent several hundreds of dollars here. I felt an overwhelming pressure to spend, spend, spend, for fear that security would toss me out on my ass if I didn't. Unless you plan to bring all of your piggy banks to this building, I would steer clear of it.
And that leaves us with the New York, New York. I personally don't have much good to say about this one. I did find the exterior of this hotel one of the more appealing. It looks so massive, as it is cleverly designed as a series of New York highrises. They even managed to work the Empire State Building into the architecture. But the inside is shamefully tacky. It's almost impossible to put into words how much I disliked this place. I left within an hour of arriving, and never considered going back.
While out and about on my sightseeing tours, I had the pleasure of meeting many of the 'locals'. I use the term loosely, since not once on my entire stay did I manage to meet someone who had actually resided in Las Vegas for more than 5 years. But I found this actually improved the atmosphere. These folks seemed to have a little bit more worldly knowledge, and were incredibly interesting to speak with. Almost everyone I encountered was exceedingly friendly. And to them, I say thanks for making my visit so hospitable.
My favorite part of Las Vegas however, was actually 20 miles west of the city. Here you will find a great place called Red Rock Canyon. At the Canyon, you will find expansive desert, incredible rock hills, and fantastic hiking. If you are not a hiker, never fear, you can take a 13 mile scenic drive around the Canyon, and still see lots of the good stuff. The colors are unreal, and the vegetation is incredibly unique. I implore any traveler to rent a car and spend a few hours out here. It is definitely worth it.
Red Rock CanyonRainn
