One of the great things of living in Tucson is the fact that Las Vegas is only a short, forty-minute flight away. I fly Southwest Airlines, and even though the price of airline tickets is becoming ridiculous, Southwest still offers sweet deals to Vegas if you plan several weeks in advance. As of today, June 4, 2008, a round trip ticket to and from Sin City will cost you $136.00. Southwest is a no-frills, get you there quick and in one-piece airline, but for the price it’s worth it.
As far as hotels go, there are several that offer great deals, particularly if you reserve on-line. My sister and I recently stayed at the Excalibur Hotel, www.Excalibur.com and we had a great time. Conveniently located at the end of the strip and with a great view as well, our room was only $81.00 a night (I spent more than $81.00 on beer).
I’m not much of a gambler, just a beer drinker who enjoys walking the strip with a beer in one hand and a camera in the other trying to take it all in. There are a few Elvis’s and half-naked Showgirls you’ll see along the way so don’t hesitate to snap a few photos (for a couple dollars you can have you picture taken with them).
Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville www.margaritavillelasvegas.com is located near the Flamingo Hotel and is only one mile from the Excalibur. You won’t even notice the distance because of the many fascinating sights along the way. At Margaritaville, the food is good and the gift shop offers a variety of souvenirs with my personal favorite being a Margaritaville, Las Vegas beer can koozy.
There are loads of souvenir shops along the strip with some being reasonably priced. Just look around and you’re sure to find something you like. The same goes for the bars that are set up along the strip. Most times prices are pretty high but on occasion you will find a $3.00 beer.
For Nascar fans, the Sahara Hotel hosts the Nascar Café and the food is pretty good. The gift shop is a little pricey but it does have hard to find items featuring your favorite driver (Dale Jr.).
The Las Vegas Hilton offers the Star Trek Experience and Quark restaurant with part of the casino resembling the inside of a Borg ship. There is a really cool gift shop for all of those trekkies out there and a life-size cardboard cutout of Captain James T. Kirk that looked really good wearing my sunglasses.
The monorail runs from the MGM to the Sahara and is really worth the $9.00 day pass after walking the strip all day. The hours for the rail are 7am-2am, Monday-Thursday and 7am-3am Friday-Sunday.
Nighttime in Vegas is sensational and is my favorite part of the trip. Just the idea of walking the streets at night with a beer in my hand is so cool. At dusk, the neon lights began flickering on and soon the entire strip is lit. This is the real Vegas and if you thought the strip was crowded during daylight hours, it’s jammed packed at night. Be patient, grab a beer or your favorite drink and enjoy the night. There are several free shows to be seen with the most spectacular being the fountains at the Bellagio. The water shows are magnificent and set to a variety of musical themes with the beautifully lit Bellagio in the background. Even though it’s nighttime, a decent digital camera can get some good photos. Treasure Island is further down the strip and the Sirens of TI show runs every 1 ½ hour beginning at 7:00 PM. The best view is directly in front of the hotel but get there early because it really draws a crowd.
Caesar’s Palace, the MGM Lion, New York, New York, the Mirage, the Luxor are among the many hotels and sights that you’ll see. If you can try and wander through as many hotels as possible as each hotel has it’s own theme. There is so much to see to see in Vegas that mentioning all of the attractions is impossible. The best thing to do is get online and try to narrow down what your interests are. The official site of Las Vegas is www.VEGAS.com and offers a lot of good information.
Just remember to bring a good pair of walking shoes because you’re going to do a lot of walking and of course, sunscreen and your camera. Good luck and enjoy.
As far as hotels go, there are several that offer great deals, particularly if you reserve on-line. My sister and I recently stayed at the Excalibur Hotel, www.Excalibur.com and we had a great time. Conveniently located at the end of the strip and with a great view as well, our room was only $81.00 a night (I spent more than $81.00 on beer).
I’m not much of a gambler, just a beer drinker who enjoys walking the strip with a beer in one hand and a camera in the other trying to take it all in. There are a few Elvis’s and half-naked Showgirls you’ll see along the way so don’t hesitate to snap a few photos (for a couple dollars you can have you picture taken with them).
Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville www.margaritavillelasvegas.com is located near the Flamingo Hotel and is only one mile from the Excalibur. You won’t even notice the distance because of the many fascinating sights along the way. At Margaritaville, the food is good and the gift shop offers a variety of souvenirs with my personal favorite being a Margaritaville, Las Vegas beer can koozy.
There are loads of souvenir shops along the strip with some being reasonably priced. Just look around and you’re sure to find something you like. The same goes for the bars that are set up along the strip. Most times prices are pretty high but on occasion you will find a $3.00 beer.
For Nascar fans, the Sahara Hotel hosts the Nascar Café and the food is pretty good. The gift shop is a little pricey but it does have hard to find items featuring your favorite driver (Dale Jr.).
The Las Vegas Hilton offers the Star Trek Experience and Quark restaurant with part of the casino resembling the inside of a Borg ship. There is a really cool gift shop for all of those trekkies out there and a life-size cardboard cutout of Captain James T. Kirk that looked really good wearing my sunglasses.
The monorail runs from the MGM to the Sahara and is really worth the $9.00 day pass after walking the strip all day. The hours for the rail are 7am-2am, Monday-Thursday and 7am-3am Friday-Sunday.
Nighttime in Vegas is sensational and is my favorite part of the trip. Just the idea of walking the streets at night with a beer in my hand is so cool. At dusk, the neon lights began flickering on and soon the entire strip is lit. This is the real Vegas and if you thought the strip was crowded during daylight hours, it’s jammed packed at night. Be patient, grab a beer or your favorite drink and enjoy the night. There are several free shows to be seen with the most spectacular being the fountains at the Bellagio. The water shows are magnificent and set to a variety of musical themes with the beautifully lit Bellagio in the background. Even though it’s nighttime, a decent digital camera can get some good photos. Treasure Island is further down the strip and the Sirens of TI show runs every 1 ½ hour beginning at 7:00 PM. The best view is directly in front of the hotel but get there early because it really draws a crowd.
Caesar’s Palace, the MGM Lion, New York, New York, the Mirage, the Luxor are among the many hotels and sights that you’ll see. If you can try and wander through as many hotels as possible as each hotel has it’s own theme. There is so much to see to see in Vegas that mentioning all of the attractions is impossible. The best thing to do is get online and try to narrow down what your interests are. The official site of Las Vegas is www.VEGAS.com and offers a lot of good information.
Just remember to bring a good pair of walking shoes because you’re going to do a lot of walking and of course, sunscreen and your camera. Good luck and enjoy.
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