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THINGS TO DO IN LAS VEGAS
To say the Strip is over the top might be an understatement. The main drag of gambling U.S.A. is a continuous ribbon of glitz and glam, ablaze with blinking lights, filled with a sea of humanity. At night, the most comfortable time of day to be outdoors in the Las Vegas heat zone, check out the Mirage's volcano, which erupts every fifteen minutes and Treasure Island, where an epic pirate battle is fought every 90 minutes.
Try your luck
The opportunity to gamble is at every turn, from nickel slots to high-rolling craps and pai gow poker. Even if you don't play, the action is fun to watch, because the casino crowd is a cross-section of America. The newest, brightest and least intimidating casinos are the MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, Treasure Island and Mirage.
For first-time gamblers, most casinos offer free gaming classes five days a week in roulette, craps, mini-baccarat, pai gow poker or blackjack. If cards aren't your game, try Flip It. No, it's not tiddly winks, but you could call it tiddly's slick and mischievous evil twin—an oversized slot machine that's part carnival game, part gaming game. Good luck!
Chow down
After all that fun builds up your appetite, try Emeril's celebrated New Orleans-style cookery like potato-crusted, farm-raised bass with Louisiana lump crabmeat and wild mushroom relish. The Bellagio offers a wide range of tastes, from Le Cirque and Osteria Del Circo to the beautiful Picasso. Michael Mina, a clone of one of San Francisco's best restaurants, offers delicious seafood blending California and Mediterranean ingredients For Asian meals, seek out Jasmine and Shintaro (also at the Bellagio) or Noodles . Save room for chocolate-kahlua flan with savory ancho-peanut brittle or Venezuelan chocolate spoonbread at the Coyote Café. www.coyotecafe.com
A blast from the past
Liberace fans flock to the museum dedicated to the famous pianist and showman who helped put Las Vegas on the map. It's all here: the rhinestone-studded, fur-draped costumes; mind-boggling jewelry; pianos and cars, including a 1934 Mercedes Excalibur covered in Austrian rhinestones.
www.liberace.org
Climb to new heights
A new addition to the Strip is Stratosphere Tower, the tallest free-standing observation tower in the U.S. That's Mt. Charleston in the distance, an 11,000-foot high, snow-covered peak. While you're up there, take a ride on the world's highest rollercoaster or the Big Shot, a reverse bungee jump that shoots riders 160 feet into the air at 45 m.p.h. Assuming you survive, reward yourself with a stiff drink at the bar.
www.vegas.com/attractions/on_the_strip/stratospheretower.html
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The show must go on
Whether your taste runs to musicals, magic, comedy or sports, it's all here. A sampling:
Cirque de Soleil
With shows called "Love," "Mystere," "Ka," "Zumanity" and "O," the world-famous Cirque de Soleil produces vibrant kaleidoscopes of acrobatics, dance and romance. Signature acts include Chinese Poles, Hand to Hand balancing, Aerial High Bar and Bungee. At MGM Grand, Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, New York New York.
Blue Man Group
You may have seen them on TV, but only in person can you experience the "bluephoria" induced by this outrageous, wildly inventive show. At the Venetian.
For details, visit visitlasvegas.com/vegas/play/shows/index.jsp
Explore the neighborhood
So what else can you do in Las Vegas besides playing blackjack till dawn? Plenty. Try hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing in Red Rock Canyon or Mt. Charleston. Fishing, boating, rafting and camping at Lake Mead and the Colorado River, just 30 to 45 minutes from the Strip.
Grand Canyon
Pop down to this natural wonder which lies about 300 miles from Las Vegas, a 1 1/2 hour flight. A powerful and inspiring landscape, the Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses through its immense size. "Wow" over incredible views, hike with a mule train and snap pictures for your folks back home.
www.nps.gov/grca/
Hoover Dam
Built during the Depression, thousands of people came to Black Canyon to tame the Colorado River. It took less than five years, in a harsh and barren land, to build the largest dam of its time. Every year, millions of visitors take the tour or drive across the dam, 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas at the Nevada-Arizona border.
www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/
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