So it’s said that New York City is the “city that never sleeps” – well, I’ve slept in New York City and didn’t in Las Vegas, so to me Las Vegas is now “the city that never sleeps”! This past Friday I flew out to Las Vegas with my wife and flew home at 7am on Saturday with no hotel!
Neither of us had been to Vegas before, so we thought we would experience it “Vegas Style” and stay up all night. I was amazed at how much there was to do in Las Vegas that didn’t involve gambling or clubbing – don’t get me wrong – that was fun and you need to experience that, but there is something going on at all hours of the day for everyone.
Shows
We didn’t get the chance to catch any shows but we wrote down a list of shows that we want to see next time we are out there and here they are:
- Beatles “LOVE” at the Mirage – This is tribute to Beatles music put on by Cirque Du Soleil…how could you go wrong?!
- “O” at the Bellagio – Another Cirque Du Soleil show but this one is in the water! I heard great reviews of this show while we were out there and people couldn’t believe the tricks they were doing in the water while holding their breath.
- Blue Man Group at the Venetian – I’ve seen the Blue Man group in Chicago, but I had such a great time that I NEED to see them again, especially in Vegas.
I could spend a whole blog talking about all the other shows I want to see like Disney’s The Lion King, Stomp Out Loud, and The Phantom of the Opera but you can see a full list. There are also free shows that happen at a lot of the hotels like the Bellagio Fountains, Pirate show at Treasure Island or the Lake of Dreams show at Wynn Las Vegas that you will want to see.
Hotels
We had so much fun just walking up and down the Strip and checking out different hotels and casinos. We didn’t make it in all of the hotels but here are our favorite 3 hotels:
- New York, New York – All of the hotels in Vegas are impressive, but this replica of New York City as a hotel is unbelievable! The Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge are just a few of the elements that make this place so cool!
- Caesar’s Palace – I might have a little bias towards this hotel because I love the movie “The Hangover”. It was a blast walking and reliving the tomfoolery of Alan, Doug, Phil and Stu. Luckily, we didn’t have any encounters with a tiger or Mike Tyson! Plus, the hotel is spectacular and has an amazing entrance!
- Bellagio – I thought it was the most beautiful hotel in Las Vegas. Nothing crazy about the architecture or bold colors, but just a simply built white hotel that is appealing to the eye. The hotel is surrounded by luxury shops that match the Bellagio with the same look and in front of all of this is a large pond where they have their famous fountains show. The show runs every ½ hour from 3 – 8pm during the week and weekends 12pm – 8pm and every 15 minutes from 8pm – 12am.
Golf
Over time you’ll learn that I am a golf nut and it killed me not to golf while I was in Las Vegas. So I asked around to find out what some of the top courses were in Las Vegas and here is what I found:
- The Bear’s Best – As the name precludes this course is made up of Jack Nicklaus’s most famous holes that he designed.
- Royal Links Golf Club – This course is a tribute to 18 of the best holes from different British Open Courses. You can test you skills on “The Road Hole” from St. Andrews or “The Postage Stamp” of Royal Troon” without having to jump the pond. Plus, the clubhouse is a built like a castle.
- Bali Hai Golf Club – This golf course will make you feel like you are playing in the South Pacific and not in Vegas but the skyline views will remind you where you are. All the bunkers are filled with Augusta white sand and the sand surrounds the edges of the rough. You can actually catch a glimpse of this course while you are landing at the airport.
I had a great little Las Vegas vacation and can’t wait to knock some of these shows, golf courses, and many other to-dos off my list. If you go to Vegas and don’t do anything I have said above please do yourself a favor and bring VERY comfortable shoes otherwise you’ll end up with what we like to call “Vegas Feet”…just ask my wife.
What is on your Las Vegas to-do list?
Sean
Delta Vacations
August 17th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
NY is the city that Never Sleeps, Vegas is the City you get tired of within three hours of arriving.
Perfect weekend getaway but not good for more than that IMO
August 18th, 2009 at 10:17 am
The pool scene in Vegas is the best of course! It’s so hot there you need a way to cool off and people watch.
August 19th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Katie is right, the pools are unreal! Found this link to show some of the best pools in Las Vegas: http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/nevada/las-vegas/las-vegas-pools
August 19th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Great link, Sean! One tip I should add: Most of the pools on the Strip require the flash of a room key for admittance, so plan to stay at your favorite or make friends quickly. Sneaking in is harder than it looks. Or, on Sundays you can buy your way into the Hard Rock’s super popular Rehab pool party.
August 25th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
I’ve done the all-night LAS visit via DL before, and it was loads of fun. Assuming that you have the stamina and adrenaline for it and watch your beverage intake, you can pack a lot into a less than 24-hour stay. Here are some tips:
- Book the earliest arrival you can into LAS, if you can stand it.
- Rent a car for 24 hours. Once at LAS, get out of the city as fast as you can, either to Boulder/Hoover Dam (if you like monumental landmarks) or to Red Rock Canyon (if you like monumental desert scenery and hiking). Stop on the way for lunch and plenty of H2O to go, you can dehydrate out there in the desert if you’re not careful.
- On the way back, go to a day spa you’ve booked ahead via the Web for a good wash, and maybe some well-deserved pampering.
- After that, go off-Strip for dinner. You can find some incredible values, and some really good eats, if you go where the locals go. Use the Web beforehand to research venues.
- Then it’s Vegas, baby! You can drive downtown to see the light show and to game in the legacy casinos, or you can go back to the Strip to take in the sights and shows, and to game and party in the newer spots. Great restaurants abound in the hotels on the Strip for a memorable supper.
- Around midnight local time, it might be wise to switch to coffee. Adrenaline only goes so far, and you’ll need to keep your wits about you.
- Two hours before your flight out of LAS, head back to the airport. Give yourself plenty of time to turn in your car, to get through TSA (which tends to back up for the AM flights) and to do the airport slots. Then get onboard, do a Bloody, and then crash! You’ve deserved a restful DL flight after your adventure.