discover las vegas - lonely...
TRANSCRIPT
IContents
Discover
Experience the best of Las Vegas
Las Vegas
This edition written and researched by
Sara Benson
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This is Las Vegas .......................6
Highlights Map ..................................8
Las Vegas’ Top 15 Highlights .......10
Top Days in Las Vegas .................... 24
Month by Month ........ 32
What’s New ................. 34
Get Inspired ............... 35
Need to Know ........... 36
LuxorLuxor ........................ ........................7171Luxor’s Best ................72Map ................................73Sights.............................74Eating.............................74Drinking & Nightlife ......75Entertainment ..............75
New York–New York–New YorkNew York ................. .................7777New York–New York’s Best .........78Map ................................79Sights............................ 80Eating............................. 81Drinking & Nightlife ..... 82Entertainment ............. 83Shopping ...................... 83
Spas & Activities ......... 83
The StripThe Strip .................. ..................3939Highlights ..................... 40Walking Tour ................ 42LINQ ............................. 44Sights............................ 46Map ............................... 48Eating............................. 51Circus Circus .............. 54Drinking & Nightlife .....55Flamingo ..................... 56Entertainment ..............57Stratosphere .............. 58Shopping .......................59Tours ..............................59
Mandalay BayMandalay Bay ......... ......... 6161Mandalay Bay’s Best .............................. 62Map ............................... 63Sights............................ 64Eating............................ 64Drinking & Nightlife ......67Entertainment ............. 68Shopping ...................... 69Spas & Activities ......... 69
ContentsContentsPlan Your TripPlan Your Trip Discover Las VegasDiscover Las Vegas
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MGM GrandMGM Grand ........... ...........8585MGM Grand’s Best .............................. 86Map ................................87Sights............................ 88Eating............................ 89Drinking & Nightlife ..... 90Entertainment .............. 91Spas & Activities .......... 91
CityCenter & CityCenter & CosmopolitanCosmopolitan ......... .........9393Highlights ..................... 94Cosmopolitan’s Best .............................. 96Map ................................97Sights............................ 98Eating............................ 98Aria’s Best ................. 101Drinking & Nightlife ....102Entertainment ............102Shopping .....................103Spas & Activities ........103
Planet Planet HollywoodHollywood ............. .............105105Planet Hollywood’s Best .... 106Map .............................. 107Sights...........................108Eating...........................108Drinking & Nightlife .... 110Entertainment ............. 111Shopping ...................... 111Spas & Activities ......... 111
Paris Las VegasParis Las Vegas .... .... 113113Paris Las Vegas’ Best .............................114Map .............................. 115Sights........................... 116Eating........................... 116Drinking & Nightlife .... 118Entertainment ............ 118Shopping ..................... 119Spas & Activities ........ 119
BellagioBellagio ................... ...................121121Bellagio’s Best ..........122Map ..............................123Sights...........................124Eating...........................125Drinking & Nightlife .... 127Entertainment ............128Shopping .....................129Spas & Activities ........129
Caesars PalaceCaesars Palace ...... ...... 131131Caesars Palace’s Best ............................ 132Map ..............................133Sights...........................134Eating...........................134Drinking & Nightlife ....136Entertainment ............136Shopping ..................... 137Spas & Activities ........ 137
Discover Las Vegas
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ContentsContents
Venetian & Venetian & PalazzoPalazzo ................... ...................155155Maps ............................156Sights...........................158Venetian & Palazzo’s Best .......... 159Eating...........................160Drinking & Nightlife ....162Entertainment ............163Shopping .....................163Spas & Activities ........164
Wynn & EncoreWynn & Encore ... ...167167Wynn & Encore’s Best ........... 168Map ..............................169Sights........................... 170Eating........................... 170Drinking & Nightlife .... 174Entertainment ............ 175Shopping ..................... 175Spas & Activities ........ 175
Downtown & Downtown & Fremont StreetFremont Street ..... ..... 177177Highlights .................... 178Walking Tour ...............180Mob Museum .............182Sights...........................184Map ..............................186Eating........................... 187Drinking & Nightlife ....189Golden Nugget’s Best ........................... 190Entertainment ............192Shopping .....................193
East of the East of the StripStrip ......................... .........................197197National Atomic Testing Museum........198Sights..........................200Eating..........................200Highlights ....................201Map ............................. 202Drinking & Nightlife ... 202Entertainment ........... 203Shopping .................... 203Hard Rock’s Best .....204Spas & Activities ....... 205
MirageMirage .................... ....................139139Mirage’s Best ...........140Map ...............................141Sights...........................142Eating...........................143Drinking & Nightlife ....144Entertainment ............145Shopping .....................145
Spas & Activities ........145
Treasure IslandTreasure Island ..... .....147147Treasure Island’s Best ............................ 148Map ..............................149Sights...........................150Eating...........................150Drinking & Nightlife .....151Entertainment ............152Shopping .....................153Spas & Activities ........153
Discover Las VegasDiscover Las Vegas
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Las Vegas Today .......................... 232History ........................ 234Family Travel .............. 239Dining in Las Vegas .................... 241Drinking & Entertainment ........... 244Shopping .................... 250Gambling .................... 252Sports & Activities .................... 256
Sleeping ..................... 260Transport ................... 270Directory .................... 273
Behind the Scenes ....................... 278
Index .......................... 279
How to Use this Book ........... 287
Our Writer .................288
West of the West of the StripStrip ......................... .........................207207Springs Preserve .....208Sights...........................210Eating...........................210Map .............................. 211Highlights ....................214Drinking & Nightlife ....214Entertainment ............214Palms’ Best ................215Rio’s Best ...................216Spas & Activities ........ 217
Day Trips 219Day Trips 219Red Rock Canyon .......................220
Hoover Dam, Lake Mead & Boulder City ..............................221
Grand Canyon National Park ..........225
Survival GuideSurvival GuideIn FocusIn FocusDiscover Las Vegas
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It’s three in the morning when you spot an Elvis look-alike sauntering by arm-in-arm with a glittering showgirl. A bride in a miniskirted white dress shrieks ‘Blackjack!’ as a stoic blue-haired granny feeds nickels into a slot machine while tossing back a gin and tonic. It’s a surreal, Technicolor-tinged fantasy straight out of the movies – and there’s only one place you could be.
Vegas, baby: it’s the ultimate escape. This is the only place you can spend the night partying in ancient Rome, wake up in Egypt and brunch under the Eiffel Tower, watch an erupting volcano at sunset and get married in a pink Cadillac at midnight. Double down with the high rollers, browse couture or tacky souvenirs, sip a neon 3ft-high margarita or a frozen vodka martini from a bar made of ice – it’s all here for the taking.
Time is irrelevant in Sin City. There are no clocks inside casinos, just never-ending buffets, ever-flowing drinks and adrenaline-fueled gaming tables. Almost any desire can be instantly gratified, because the luxe casino resorts stand ready to cater to your every whim 24/7. Emptying your wallet never felt so damn good.
The landscape is a constantly shifting paradox, a volatile cocktail of dueling forces: sophistication and smut, risk and reward, boom and bust. And that’s all part of its charm. Head downtown to explore Vegas’ nostalgic beginnings and its cultural renaissance of indie shops and cocktail bars where local culture thrives, then detour off the Strip to find intriguing museums that inves-tigate Vegas’ gangster, atomic-fueled past.
So, America’s dirty little secret or dream factory? Vegas is both – and remains a bastion of hangover-inducing weekends for people from all walks of life. You can reinvent yourself a hundred times over, or hide out with your lover in a hotel room for days. It doesn’t matter if you play the penny slots or drop a bankroll every night – you’ll leave town convinced you’ve had the time of your life.
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This is Las Vegas This is Las Vegas
Showgirl outside Golden Gate (p185)MARK READ/LONELY PLANET ©
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Las Vegas’ Las Vegas’Top HighlightsTop Highlights
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Cruising the Strip (p Cruising the Strip (p3939) Rolling into Vegas is a classic experience – play it right and you’ll feel like you’re moving through a movie set. If you’re behind the wheel as a Sin City first-timer, arrive after dark. As you approach the city, pull over and admire the neon glow from afar. Then exit off the interstate and cruise the length of Las Vegas Blvd (aka the Strip), taking in the Luxor’s glowing beacon, the soaring Eiffel Tower, the Bellagio’s dancing fountains and the Mirage’s exploding volcano.
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�1�1 Hoover Dam (p221) Get an early start from Las Vegas to visit this landmark New Deal project on the Colorado River, completed by thousands of workers in 1936. A memorial nearby pays tribute to the many lives lost while construction was underway.
LAS VEGAS I HOOVER DAM�K From the Strip, it’s about a 45-minute drive. Take I-15 south to I-215 east. Continue to I-515/US 93 & 95, then follow US 93 east of Boulder City. Walk to the dam visitor center from the parking garage ($10).
�2�2 Visitor Center (p221) Beginning inside the visitor center, guided tours give you a chance to ride an elevator more than 50 stories down to see the dam’s gigantic power generators. It’ll cost you to take the one-hour tour, but engineers and history buffs won’t want to miss it.
VISITOR CENTER I MIKE O’CALLAGHAN–PAT TILLMAN MEMORIAL BRIDGE�K Drive to the free parking lot designated for bridge access, then make the short but steep climb up to the bridge’s pedestrian walkway.
�3�3 Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (p222) Drink in stunning views of the Hoover Dam from this soaring bridge dedicated to Mike
O’Callaghan, a former Nevada mayor, and Pat Tillman, a US football star killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004. Hold on to the railing when it’s windy – this isn’t for anyone with a fear of heights.
MIKE O’CALLAGHAN–PAT TILLMAN MEMORIAL BRIDGE I LAKE MEAD�K Backtrack around 4 miles west on US 93, turning right onto Lakeshore Rd, which enters Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
�4�4 Lake Mead National Recreation Area (p223) Hiking, birding and water sports such as swimming, fishing, boating, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding abound at this outdoor playground. It’s most popular with locals who need to get away from it all, especially on weekends.
LAKE MEAD I BOULDER CITY�K Get back on US 93 and head west into Boulder City. Turn left on Nevada Way and left again onto Arizona St.
�5�5 Hoover Dam Museum & Boulder City (p222) This small but interesting museum is located at the Boulder Dam Hotel, where Franklin D Roosevelt and Howard Hughes once slept. After viewing the interactive historical exhibits, stroll around downtown Boulder City, a refreshingly casino-free town that sprang up in the early 1930s to house workers building the dam.
Hoover Dam (p221)JENNIFER SHARP/GETTY IMAGES © 3131TOP DAYS IN LAS VEGAS
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