LAS VEGAS
 

Need some adivice on interesting things that can be done in Vegas , will be there for 4 days!!

C'mon now, you have to drop us a few bones here. Where are you staying? What are your interests? Do you want to see the new shows? Do you want to experience the cheesy old shows? Do you like nightclubbing? Are you trying to keep to a budget? Have you done ANY research on this yet?!?

Root around on this Forum. Read Fodor's own destination guide on Vegas. Then go to my favorite site on all things LV:

www.cheapovegas.com

Then, you should come back here with specific questions. Better use of your time.

we will be staying at stardust..i would like to know mostly about the must see places..we r going in the memorial day week-end so ne new shows during that time?

The Stardust...? The resort itself isn't awful, but it's the epitome of Vegas unhip. And it's in a pretty awful location-- way up in the North Strip. Everything that's a must-see is well south. The new casinos are all worth a walk-through-- and the new must-see free attraction is, of course, the dancing fountains at Bellagio. The best restaurants and all the good shows are also found south of the Stardust. Wayne Newton is pretty washed-up and cheesy, and he's the cream of the entertainment at the Stardust.

I still say you're not giving us much to go on. The fact that you're at the Stardust tells me either (a) you just planned this trip and this was the only place you could get; or (b) you're on a strict budget but wanted to stay on the Strip, and this was the most reasonable place for Memorial Day weekend that wasn't being imploded or overrun with vermin.

Give us a bit more to work with.

well thanks for replying! can u suggest a good hotel which is on the south then? we have two in Vegas then we'll be off to see the canyon...this is the first time we r going there so i just wanted to know how do u spend a whole day in vegas ..what r the interesting things u can do...i don't wanna miss out on nething..we love sports ..i heard there r hot-air balloon rides...we want our trip to be fun and also romantic!

I'll take a shot at this..


Definately stay on the strip. I will make some budget assumptions on your Stardust choice. Check out the Monte Carlo, Ballys, Flamingo, Harrahs or NYNY for a better property. Depending on your dates you may also want to consider Paris or Alladin. In any case spend some time wandering enjoying the variety of properties on the strip. I usually advise against visiting downtown on this length of first trip. If you must go off strip, Rio is worth a visit. A Cirque show is worth doing if it is in your budget. I still like Mystere but if you want to spend the $$ "O" is recommended. At any rate do one show of your choice. Make sure and see the fountains at Bellagio in the evening, perhaps go to the top of the Eiffel tower. Wandering through the MGM is an experience in huge, plus they have a live lion exhibit. The view from the top of Stratosphere is fun if you like heights. NYNY has a roller coaster that I enjoy. IMHO you can skip Excalibur and Tropicana. For low limit gambling try O'Sheas or Boardwalk or Imperial Palace on the strip.

There are a bunch of websites devoted to Vegas, any search will find several of them. Do try a search of the forums here for the LV info. Homework is suggested for you.

Good luck and have fun!

Okay cap22 here goes- The two fountains at Caesars Palace inside the forum shops that talk and move and shoot fire and water go off on the hour. One is Bacchus and the other is Poseiden/Neptune, FREE
The Sirens (pirate battle) outside TI. Starts at 6pm and goes off every hour and a half or so, FREE
The fountains outside Bellagio on the hour during the day and the half hour at night, FREE
The Volcano at The Mirage every 15min. after dark, FREE
The parade in the Sky at the Rio, mardi gras type floats with dancers throwing beads down on the casino floor while riding on a track in the ceiling. Every two hours starting at noon, FREE
Walk through the shops in Desert Passage at the Aladdin and see a rain storm, FREE
Be entertained by Venetian street performers at The Venetian, FREE
Stand in front of New York,New York and watch the roller coaster go around the outside of the hotel and then disappear inside, FREE
Ride up the elevator on the outside of the Rio to the 40th floor and go out on the roof of the Voodoo Lounge and look at the strip, FREE
Go in through the people movers at The Mirage and see the white tigers behind glass, FREE
$1 million dollar slot pull at Bally's, FREE
I'm sure I'm missing alot. And some of my times may be off, but you get the idea. There's plenty of free things to do in Las Vegas! Have a great time.

i'd suggest staying at bally's or the flamingo for your first stay. if you don't care about a pool, check out bourbon street as well. these are all center strip. you can spend half a day waundering one direction and the other half waundering the other. at night, pick your favorite hotels and explore.

cap22--- I don't know how flexible your schedule is but if you go May 31-June 3, you can get a pkg deal at Flamingo for $65-75 a night. It's part of their 2004 pool pkg promotion. Flamingo is not fancy, but it sure is clean and right in the middle of the action. You room will face either the Bellagio, Caesars, Mirage or the Flamingo pools on the back side of bldg. It's a win-win situation. Kindly ask them to put you in a renovated room

Just walking thru the hotels on the strip will take you a day in itself, probably 2. Tudorprincess gave great advice on free things to do. I might add you may want to invest in a $5 24-hour pass for the bus. (It will save your feet, trust me). At night, head to Fremont Street downtown and take in the action there. The light show, Fremont Street Experience is also free and runs for about 8 minutes every hour on the hour after dark until ?midnight.

Another thought: Our daughter is heading to Vegas on Thursday for a wedding. She was all set on rooms for the entire time except 1 night. She gave me the 'honor' of finding something reasonable for that first night she arrives along with another girl. For $34 I found them a room at Gold Coast, next door to Rio. It's also on the bus line, plus they have a shuttle from there to Barbary Coast which is next to Flamingo. Haven't stayed at Gold Coast, but considering she and the other girl won't be arriving until after 9pm, then meeting up with all the others and probably partying until the wee hours, I think $34 (plus the other girl is paying half) is a bargain for off strip lodging.

A must: bring confortable walking shoes. Forget the trendy looking shoes. Save those if you go out. Caesars Place alone will wear you out. That place is growing in every direction.

Have fun!

thanks for replying guys!

WGS, Does the bus go from the Strip to Freemont? We'll be renting a car when we leave Vegas, but we could rent it one day early in order to go down to Freemont the last night. Thanks.

One more thing, do you buy the 24-hour pass from the bus driver, or do you have to get it somewhere else? Thanks.

Susan, yes, it sure does. The bus route are North-South and East-West. They have route #s, but I can't tell you for sure what they are...something like the 301 or 302 to go to Fremont. Someone correct me please.

When you climb onto the bus, just tell the driver you want a 24-hr pass. He'll hand you a ticket and you simply run it thru the 'meter' each time you get on.

***Important*** be sure you have correct change ready as they WILL NOT make change. Ditto for those using the Trolley.

WGS, Thanks so much! I appreciate the information.