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Las Vegas. For the first time.

We need your suggestions on things "not to miss" in Las Vegas. We don't gamble but are attending a conference in this city that never sleeps. We definitely "gotta see" the Liberace Museum. Also, we want to see the Volcano at the Mirage,and the Pirate Ship Battle. We plan to see the Bellagio Fountains and then dream of returning to Venice. What do you think about the value of the helicopter ride over the strip? Suggestions please ! Thanks much

Take a trip out to the Hoover Dam, you can't miss that (you can sign up in the hotel lobby) or rent a car and drive out to Red Rock Canyon (around a 20 minute drive. As for the helicopter ride, I haven't done it, but I would guess that the views from the hotel rooms on the strip are just as impressive.

We haven't done this, but my sister just got back from Vegas and really enjoyed "Sigfried & Roy's Secret Garden." They didn't want to spring $100+ per ticket for the show, but enjoyed seeing the animals this way (I think about $10 pp). The mall in the Venetian is worth seeing, just because it's SO Vegas (with a canal). One of our favorite, reasonably priced resteraunts is in the Venetian..the Grand Lux Cafe (right off the casino). The Luxor is also worth a visit. Have fun!

With regard to visiting casinos, 'Must Sees' include: Venetian Paris,LV NYNY Bellag io Mirage Mandalay Bay Luxor With regard to shopping, 'Must Sees' are: Forum Shops @ Ceasears Grand Canal Shops @ Venetian Dessert Passage @ Alladin

Thanks for your responses. We appreciate it.Red Rock Canyon sounds great to us. We loved Sedona and Arches Nat'l Park. Again, thanks for the suggestions.

For a real treat go to the top of the Stratosphere and DO the "Big Shot" ride. The BEST ride you'll EVER go on! Plus the view is great. Go when it start's to get dark so you can see all the lights from Vegas. Have fun!

Don't miss the Auto Collection at the Imperial Palace. Even if you're not into cars, you will enjoy this well-displayed fleet of vehicles including cars owned by Elvis & Marilyn Monroe, a JFK car and the Popemobile. Free ticket can be printed out at imperialpalace.com - you must take the coupon to the promotions booth in the rear of the casino, then go upstairs to the auto museum.

Go to the VooDoo Lounge at the top of the Rio! Cool live music venue with amazing views of Las Vegas.

A friend of mine went last year and saw Circe du Solei's "O" and said it was the best show- including Broadway and the West End- that she had ever seen. She paid $100 for the ticket and thought it was worth every penny. I'm not a gambler, but I still had fun playing $5 blackjack at the Bellagio one Monday morning. The dealer was very nice and welcoming. It took me a good couple of hours to lose my $50, and I thought it was worth it for the entertainment.

My husband and I were there last April for the first time and we were pleasantly surprised. So much more to do than gamble! You must see either Cirque du Soleil show. Fantastic! There is also a great French restaurant (can't remember the name) that is across the street from the Ballagio fountains, great food and great view.

These are all great recommendations! If you love Sedona, go to Red Rock Canyon. If you can only see one show, is should be circue de soleil's "O". Take a tour of the casinos on the strip and check our New York, New Yor, Luxor, Venitian, Bellagio, Mirage, Paris, etc. Have a great trip.

You should try and see the interiors of all the hotels. Every one is unique and worth taking the time. Also, Steve Wynn's art collection is on display on the former site of the Desert Inn. It's an admirable collection. There is also a gallery at the Venetian, I think. Liberace Museum is great and so is the Imperial Palace car museum.

So far, no one has mentioned one of my favorite things about Vegas: THE FOOD! If you like to eat, then you'll have a blast at the big buffets and all of the excellent restaurants in Vegas. Check to see if any of your favorite entertainers or comedians are playing in Vegas while you're there. We caught one of George Carlin's shows and really enjoyed it. The production shows are excellent, too. Admittedly, we tend to spend most of our time in the casinos.

I would suggest doing the hard hat tour of the hoover dam. They take you inside the dam and you get to look out a window. It was pretty neat to go back outside and look down the dam and see where I had been. That said, even if you don't do the tour, I would at least go see the dam, as it is an awesome site. I would also recommend eating gelato at bellagio.

Here's my list (put together about a year ago, so be sure to check days of the week and times where applicable): PART 1 Frozen Drink (Casino Royale): time to start your vacation off right, at the bar (area that faces the street) they have a free drink for showing your out of state driver’s license (you CAN walk around with liquor, so get the drink and enjoy while walking to and in the Venetian) Lobby (Venetian): be sure to go to the lobby and look up (then walk to the left if you’re facing the check-in desk) and see more of the ceiling St. Marks Square (Venetian): see the canal and gondolas, as well as the painted sky Parade in the Sky (Rio): The show is free to the public and is performed every 2 hours from 2:00pm to midnight daily EXCEPT Wednesdays (you’ll need to take a cab or shuttle bus there) Rio to Harrah's (shuttle bus, to get to/from Rio for masquerade ball) Runs every half hour from 9:00am to 1:00am (BUT I HEARD THIS IS NOT A RELIABLE SCHEDULE!!) may just want to take a cab to save the hassle (or go to the shuttle bus area at Harrah’s and if people are there and waiting a while, wait with them as one is likely to come soon, if not many people there, then you may have just missed the shuttle and take a cab from Harrah’s) Pirate Show (Treasure Island): every hour on the hour from 4:00pm to 10:00pm weather permitting (also read it could be every 1 ½ hours) (HIGH PICK POCKET AREA DURING THE SHOW), get there AT LEAST 20 minutes before the show to get a space that the kids can see!! White Tigers (Mirage): 24/7 HUGE Aquarium/Fish Tank (Mirage): 24/7 located behind the check-in desk Volcano (Mirage): 6pm-midnite??, but great at night, so maybe do on the way back to hotel (it’s almost directly across from your hotel) Statue Show (Caesars): every hour on the hour in the shopping mall attached to Caesars starting at 10am (not great, but kids MAY REALLY enjoy it)… be sure to look at the fountains/driveway on your way in (filmed Rain Man there when he was “driving” in the parking lot) Fountains (Bellagio): make sure it’s dark/dusk when you go (every 30 minutes from 3pm-8pm, every 15 minutes >8:00pm, stay for a few songs as they’re different songs and fountain movements) Flower Garden (Bellagio): walk in the main doors and go straight to the back to see (and notice the smell when you walk in) the most beautiful arrangement (better than it sounds) Eiffel Tower (Paris): while at Bellagio turn around and see a “built to scale” version Rain Inside (Alladin): by the shops there is some sort of rain contraption that makes it rain from the ceiling into a reflecting pond below (I don’t know much about this other than it exists) Lion Habitat (MGM): 11:00am to 11:00pm daily Skyline (NYNY): 24/7 not much inside, but great skyline outside Pyramid (Luxor): no need to get too close, but cool pyramid building

Part 2 Fremont Street Experience (Downtown): Hourly show from dusk to midnight. Free Golden Nugget (Downtown): display of the world’s largest gold nugget General (Downtown): see the lights and glitter; this is “old Vegas” 99cent Shrimp Cocktail (Golden Gate): may have to splurge $1.49 for medium size shrimp, but this is a Vegas Classic (if it’s not the Golden Gate, it’s a place next door, but I’m sure it’s advertised on the side of the bldg) Aerial View of Vegas (Stratosphere): take the elevator to the top for an aerial view of Vegas (costs to go up, you can decide if you want to do it when you’re there)- : 9am - 1am Sunday through Thursday Circus Events (Circus Circus): Free circus acts (on the ceiling above the casino), 11:00 am thru midnight daily (not worth a special trip, but "ok" to see if you're walking by) .99 Margarita (next to Circus Circus): decent drink for the price (the place MAY be the Westward Ho) Coffee Mug/Deck of Cards (Riviera): time to cash in the coupon you printed (DON”T do their $40 credit for $20 buy-in, although you may have to wait in that line for your mug/cards) CAESARS MAGICAL EMPIRE (Caesars) Caesars Magical Empire at Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South, offers free tours 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Guests can explore the catacombs en route to a 70-foot-tall central rotunda, where high-tech special effects are featured (I’ve never done this, but heard it’s decent) Music Memorabilia (Hard Rock Café): guitars, pictures, clothing, autographs, etc. (also note the giant guitar sign out front!)…. Stop by the concierge desk and ask for a "Rock Tour" map and you can take a self-guided tour of the hotel and all the rock'n'roll artifacts MISCELLANEOUS: Antique Car Show (Imperial Palace): free with coupons they “hock” in front of the casino Star Trek Experience (LV Hilton) Dolphin Habitat (Mirage) Magic and Movie Hall of Fame (O’Shea’s, next to Flamingo) Leid Discovery Children's Museum, 833 Las Vegas Blvd. North, Las Vegas NV, (702)382-KIDS(5437) or (702)382-3445 (1 mile north of Fremont St) Ethel M tour – free chocolates at the end Gameworks- NICE!! arcade with rock climbing wall (next to MGM). If you go, be sure to get coupon in “What’s On” (local LV advertisement magazine) for $10 Free with $10 Purchase (gets put on a card) Rollercoasters- NYNY’s is good Breakfast Buffet (Paris): Rumored to be SUPERB! with great crepes, omelets to order, and pastries (~$13 adults, kids ?? ½ price ??) I HIGHLY recommend the show "Mystere." Expensive, but worth it!

We were scheduled to do the Hoover Dam hard hat tour just after 9/11 and it was cancelled. Just a couple of months ago I saw that it was still not being conducted. There were a couple of suggestions here for doing it. Anybody know for sure if it is available these days?

Another vote for the Hoover Dam (I don't think they do the hard hat tour since 9/11,by the way) and for Red Rock Canyon - it's fabulous!

Google does a great job on this kind of stuff. Go to http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/service/NewTour.htm .

I agree with the others who suggested Cirque du Soleil O and S&R's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat - both were great. I don't recommend the lion habitat at MGM Grand (very disappointing). You might check out Fontana's at Bellagio. It's a bar/lounge/restaurant. Try to get there in early evening and sit outside on the terrace overlooking the lake. Drinks and appetizers are available. When I was there, they had a live band (jazz) inside and piped the music outside, stopping when the fountain show took place. Also, have lunch or dinner at any of the restaurants in the Venetian or Caesars that offer "outdoor" dining - it's really indoors, but the ceilings are painted to look like sky and you almost feel as though you are outside. Examples: Il Canelleto at The Venetian and Bertolini's at Caesars. Hoover Dam was also very good -- just there last week, they offered the Discover Tour but I don't believe they offer the hard hat tour anymore. Personally, I wouldn't bother with a helicopter ride over the strip.