Bay Area Houston

There is a lot to do in Las Vegas and a lot to lose.

Smoking. It’s been 20 years since I was in Las Vegas. One thing that I thought would have changed was smoking in the casinos. The casinos on the Strip, especially the high end casinos, didn’t have that smoky smell and I didn’t see anyone smoking but there were some where it seemed to be a requirement to smoke as you gamble. It stunk. I stepped into a casino on Fremont Street just to find a bathroom and the place had a cloud of smoke including weed. Weed stinks. You get a whiff once in a while on Fremont Street.

Fremont Street. What a blast. It’s a must see place in Vegas. There are vendors up and down the street some just selling pictures with casino girls or Chippendale dudes, others selling stuff or caricatures. The lights and the light show on the canopy is entertaining. Live music/DJs are provided on 3 stages. Lots of performers looking for tips. Outside bars are available. Hotels are not as fancy as the ones on the Strip. Personally I would stay on the strip and visit Fremont.

The Strip. Lots of stuff to look at throughout the strip as well as lots of walking! They offer a pass for the Monorail that runs from the Sahara to Mandalay Bay. It’s a good way to see all the hotels. The Bellagio has a beautiful water show which runs on the hour and I think every 15 minutes at night. Treasure Island used to have the pirate show but they don’t do that anymore. The Volcano show at the Mirage is no longer as of this past weekend. Hard Rock will be buying out The Mirage. Check for other free outdoor events before you go and make a trip to see them.

Shows. We saw The Beatles Love at the Mirage. It was very entertaining! Check the web to find out where the best seats are for every performance. Seats closer to the stage were NOT the best seats and were less expensive than those on the first level. It all depends upon the specific show. We also saw David Copperfield at the MGM. That was just incredible!!! There are shows all over Vegas. Pick one or two. We also saw the exhibit Titanic at The Luxor. Again a great exhibit! We went on the LINQ High Roller, the 550 foot tall ferris wheel overlooking the strip. That was about a 35 minute ride and was quite a view.

Hoover Dam. We rented a car for a day at the hotel and drove to see Hoover Dam. Take the tour. It is very interesting and is a break from the hectic Vegas scene. They offer various types of tours of the dam, the power generators, and a hard hat tour. Visit their website for more info and make reservations in advance if needed. We also took the scenic drive around Red Rock. Both trips were fun and took the afternoon. Weather permitting there are a number of hiking opportunities in the area.

The Mob Museum. It is walking distance from the Fremont Experience. It was pretty interesting.

Food and drinks. Unless you are eating at the food courts, don’t expect the food and drinks to be inexpensive. Although I didn’t gamble, it still looks like drinks are at no charge to those who gamble. We sat at a bar to have a drink and was comp-ed because we put $20 into the video poker machine. It turned out to be an expensive drink! LOL. Food at the Casino restaurants was overly expensive. We found a couple of great restaurants for breakfast that was very reasonable outside of the hotels.

Travel. Uber and Lyft are readily available. Watch for prices to soar during rush times. Each hotel has a specific place for Rideshare pickups. Ask where they are or walk down a side street for pickup.

Good luck and enjoy!!!