3 Vegas questions
 

1. How easy is it to get a cab on the strip?
Is it quick enough? Or do we have to wait for a while before we see an empty cab?

2. After our stay in Vegas, we are going to begin our drive towards Grand Canyon very early in the morning like 6-6:30 am(using a rental car). If we reach Hoover Dam around 7-7:30, can we park our car and take a few snaps? The reason I am asking this is because
I have read on various sites that Hoover dam is open only from 9am-5pm. Please let me know what we should do since we are getting there pretty early. Starting late is not an option, since it would eat into our Canyon time. While returning we are going to Zion, so we will not return via Hoover.

3. We will be staying on the strip in New Frontier Hotel. When we checkin and checkout from this hotel how long does it normally take? I have heard that it can be pretty bad.
Just want to know how bad. Checking in on Tuesday afternoon. Checkin out on Thursday early morning.

Thanks
njs

I can only help with #1.

You can't hail a cab on the strip in Vegas. You have to go to a taxi stand, usually right in front of each hotel and line up. How long it takes depends on which taxi stand, which day, which time. Anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 minutes.

The best way to get a cab on the strip is to go up to the motor entrance of any hotel and get one there. You may or may not have a line.
But realize that unless you're going a great distance, it is often much quicker to walk to where you're going than to sit in a cab in traffic.

As with any hotel in Las Vegas, checking out is a crap shoot (with the worst odds in Vegas). No one can tell you what check out will be like at any given time -- too many variables. But I'd be surprised if New Frontier required an actual check out. Nearly all hotels allow you check out on the video, by phone, filling out the form and dropping in the box, or any of a number of other things. Or even checking out the night before. I rarely do a physical check out any more at any hotel.

The previous posters have accurately answered 2 of your questions, I will take a stab at the 3rd:

The highway that you are driving on actually goes onto/across Hoover dam. Since 9/11 there is a state police check point prior to getting near the dam, I would assume this is in operation 24 hrs. There is a parking structure for visitors and I am not familiar with the hours of operation. It is doubtfull that you can just pull of to the side of the road and take some pics. If you can get into the parking structure, you will be able to see plenty without paying for and doing the actual tour.

I recommend calling ahead about parking.

Patrick, I ALWAYS check out in person. Usually the rates they try to charge me are higher then the rate on my printed-out reservation. Once I couldn't check out of Flamingo - computers were down - after 2nd reminder they finally sent me a statement copy, sure thing there was a charge for something I did not use.