LAS VEGAS TIPS, LISTS, and MINI-REVIEWS
based on our Sunday June 27-Tuesday June 29, 1999 trip
(also see our trip journal and photos from 1999 and 2000)
- Where we stayed:
- Mandalay Bay
A lovely hotel, and an overall great experience, with the best pools we've ever been in. We would definitely stay here again.
- Where we ate:
- Sunday Champagne Brunch Buffet at The Bellagio
Very nice--one of the nicest buffets we've been to, and though at $18.50 not the cheapest champagne brunch in Las Vegas, it's worth it for the food and elegant atmosphere.
- Nathan's Hot Dogs (near the rollar-coaster and arcade, upstairs all the way in the back at New York, New York)
As always, the cheese fries are superb. Still, the menu is far more limited than at any New York Nathan's, with none of those tasty little corn dog nuggets.
- Lunch Buffet at Bally's
Good, though for $10.50, there are cheaper and nicer lunch buffets. The dining room looks dated and crowded, and the buffet is a little too much like dorm food on good days.
- Rumjungle (near the self-parking entrance at Mandalay Bay)
Can be pricey, but worth it for the innovative and delicious food, the tropical drinks, and the striking atmosphere. Except for a few snags with the menu, and the somewhat too-loud music after 10:30 pm, a really nice meal.
- Lunch Buffet at Mandalay Bay
At $9.50, with only very slightly lower-quality items than the Bellagio brunch, an attractive dining room overlooking the pools and fountains, and excellent desserts, a great deal.
- What we did:
- ** Went to the Hoover Dam
Really impressive, and only half an hour out of Las Vegas if there's no traffic. Go early, because in the afternoons it's more crowded and 125 degrees to Vegas's 110.
- ** Rode the New York, New York rollar-coaster
Pounding, exciting, and very high--a great all-around rollar-coaster, worth the $8 price.
- * **Experienced Star Trek at the Las Vegas Hilton
If you have any interest at all in Star Trek, the museum in the waiting area will be very cool. Even if you don't, the ride itself is amazing, and definitely worth $16.
- Walked around the Forum Shops (at Caesar's Palace)
A classy mall with most shops completely out of our price range. F.A.O. Schwarz is probably the best place to browse.
- Saw the Atlantis free show at the Forum Shops (Caesar's Palace)
The changing colors of the sky are more exciting than this thing. Still, if you're in the area within five minutes of the hour, it can't hurt to stay for some of it. Don't stand too close if you're scared of fire. When it's over, take a look at the neat acquarium with cameras that project views of the fish onto the walls.
- Rode the Race for Atlantis 3-D simulator at the Forum Shops (Caesar's Palace)
If you buy a combo ticket for this and the Star Trek experience (at either location) for $19--a great deal. A nice 3-D simulator with very uncomfortable goggles. I think the ride is worth the extra $3 (with Star Trek), but not $9 (the non-combo ticket price), though Robert liked it a lot and we both thought the 3-D effects were great.
- Saw the water-ballet fountains at The Bellagio
If you're around when it happens to go off, then stay and see it--the jets are amazingly high. Still, it's all sort of ridiculous to think of streams of water dancing in rhythm to show-tunes. We're told it's better watching it from outside, so you can hear the explosions of the jets.
- Walked around Sega Gameworks (Showcase Mall, near MGM)
Most of the games cost $1.50 each--a little too pricey, though they do have quite a selection. Be sure to stop and gawk at people climbing the free-standing rock wall.
- Went to the Coke Museum (Showcase Mall, near MGM)
Somewhat disappointing, and not worth $3.50; the only neat part was tasting the different kinds of soda Coke markets internationally.
- Stopped at the outlets in Primm, Nevada
Not a bad selection of outlets, with some very good deals; completely empty at 6pm on a Tuesday when we were there on our way home.
- Favorite hotels to walk around inside:
- Mandalay Bay
Each restaurant or different area has a distinct look, and nothing was ever quite as crowded as at other casinos.
- The Bellagio
Walk through their indoor gardens (it's like being outside, only cooler) and browse down their nice row of luxury shops--it's like Caesar's Forum, only you don't have to hike as far to get to it.
- The Luxor
Really cool inside, with lots of nice places for photo opps.
- New York, New York
It does have a chaotic feel, and you can't find even the rollar-coaster without some serious searching, but it does a remarkably good job of emulating some sections of lower Manhattan, especially Little Italy--minus the garbage.
- Nicest restrooms:
- (tie) Mandalay Bay and The Bellagio
With their huge supply of individual wash-cloths (paper towels are also an option, though) and wood interiors, Mandalay Bay would be ranked above the Bellagio except for the lack of automatic faucets. The Venetian comes in a close second to both, and all are very classy. Watch for the forthcoming www.lasvegasrestrooms.com. . .
- Nicest buildings from the outside:
- The Luxor
- New York, New York
It's impressive that this casino/hotel is all one building, although from the outside it looks like many connected ones.
- Mandalay Bay
Pretty, new, and shiny--all gold and white, with a very tall sign in front.
- The Venetian
Very new and fresh looking with all those shades of pink, and very attractive with the "canal," gondolas, and swans.
- The Mirage
Lots of fountains--it's a jungle out there.
- Casino layout awards:
- The Bellagio
Very nice wide aisles--they don't make you crawl in between slot machines to find the restaurants.
- Las Vegas Hilton
We managed to park, go to the Star Trek ride, use the restrooms (a disappointment, by the way), and leave again, all without even seeing a casino!
- Mandalay Bay
It's possible to find everything (except maybe the sushi bar) by hugging the walls and making a circle around the casino areas. The aisles are fairly wide, too.
- Smokiest casinos:
- New York, New York
- Caesar's Palace
- Most tastefully dressed casino waitresses:
- Caesar's Palace
Rather than just body suits, the waitresses here actually wear (short) skirts!
- Most difficult places to park:
- Circus Circus
This is particularly difficult at check-out time when the elevators are running like mad and so are the people.
- Caesar's Palace
If you park at the south lot, and want to go to the Race for Atlantis, you might end up walking the mile or so between the two diagonals. Yes, it is inside and out of the heat, but you also pass through four or five separate casino areas.
- Covered/indoor/tramway routes between casinos to avoid the heat (from south to north):
- Mandalay Bay-Luxor-Excalibur (tram)
- Excalibur-New York, New York (covered walkway)
- New York, New York-MGM (mostly covered walkway)
- MGM-Bally's (tram)
- Bally's-The Bellagio-Caesar's Palace (covered walkway)
- Three easy things that made the trip more fun:
- Having our car's radiator/coolant system checked out and oil changed before we left.
- Bringing a thermos of ice water and some snacks for the car ride.
- Organizing our list of things we wanted to do geographically (south strip, central strip, north strip, off-strip) so we wouldn't waste a lot of time driving and parking again every two hours.
FOR NEXT TIME. . .
- Places we didn't get a chance to eat at, but want to try next time:
- Olive's at The Bellagio
The original Olive's, in Charlestown, is one of Boston's best and most innovative restaurants. Lots of Todd English's standards appear on the menu here, though slightly higher in price. The restaurant overlooks the Bellagio lake and is open for lunch (gourmet soft-shelled crab sandwiches, anyone?) or dinner (try the tuna tartare with rock shrimp appetizer and the falling chocolate cake for dessert).
- China Grill Cafe & Zen Sum at Mandalay Bay
This place looks neater than the things on the menu sound. Still, its Asian-fusion appetizers that scoot around a sushi-bar-like central island on a conveyor belt may actually be quite good, and only slightly overpriced.
- Aureole at Mandalay Bay
Aureole is supposed to be one of New York's best restaurants. It's not cheap and you need reservations, but it is a very classy looking place with a nice-sounding menu and an impressive wine-list, stored in a conspiculous, modernist wine "tower."
- A few buffets we didn't actually look at, but which are supposed to be particularly nice:
- Excalibur
One of the cheaper buffets; most reviews on the web and in local tourist magazines rate it very highly. It might be a very good deal for lunch or breakfast.
- Caesar's Palace
The helpful attendant in the Nevada State Welcome Center, as well as several printed reviews, say this buffet is high-quality and opulent.
- The Luxor
Zagat's likes it a lot, at least.
- The Rio
While I've read lots of reviews raving about this buffet, many of the same reviewers also raved about Bally's buffet.
- Things we didn't have time to do this weekend, but want to do next time:>
- Go to the Stratosphere Tower--go to the observation deck, eat at the restaurant at the top at sunset, and ride the rollar-coaster around the 90th floor.
- Go to the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory (where they make Mars Bars, M&Ms, etc.) for a free tour and to see their Cactus Garden (outside of town).
- Drive the scenic loop drive through Red Rock Canyon (outside of town).
- See the free outdoor shows at Treasure Island (a Pirate Battle) and The Mirage (a volcano eruption).
- Go to the interactive parade at The Rio--this is what Asma wrote us about it, which makes us want at least to see what it's all about--it sounds pretty intriguing to us:
"My favorite thing to do in Vegas is visit the Rio Hotel and Casino and do the parade in the sky. The Rio is off the strip, but they have a shuttle bus that goes from the strip to the hotel during the day. You can also take a cab there. It's not very far. At the Rio, they have these tracks in the ceiling of the casino that these floats run on. You pay about $14/person, and you get to be in the parade on the floats. (There are different types of parades, and they go on all day and night. The themes are like "mardi gras, caribbean tropical" and one more I can't remember.) They give you these silly costumes (I was an orange!), and you get on these floats and dance and stuff, and all the casino people wave at you like you're famous! It's really fun. Even my mild-mannered uncle got into it. He was a bunch of grapes. There's also a Ben and Jerry's store in the Rio and some other shops. There's also a nightclub there, but I haven't been to it."
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Created: 7/2/99. Last Modified: 7/6/99