Las Vegas---Recommendations, please?
 

Myself, DD (23) and my sister are heading to Las Vegas in early July for 3 nights/4 days. Sister has never been there, I have been, but it was over 25 years ago (which is like never having been at all...) and DD had a brief visit in high school (too young to really do anything).

Staying at the Wynn. Just wondering a few things from those with more experience:

--Do we need to rent a car? Assuming a good deal, which we will split 3 ways, does it make more sense to do a rental or use cabs/walking to get everywhere?

--We want to see shows (of course!) Any tips on which ones would be good for our group? I am thinking at least one Cirque show, but not sure which one. Good/bad places to get tickets? When? Way in advance or after we get there?

--Would probably like one really awesome dinner...suggestions? Fun ideas for other meals welcome.

--Best shopping tips?

Thanks for any help!

Are you planning on going out of town? Rental cars are cheap but if you are not leaving the Strip, walk or ride the Deuce.
My favorite buffet type meal is at the Golden Nugget (up the escalator). The plates for cold food are chilled and the plates for warm food are warm. The food is top notch IMHO. The price is cheap before 3PM.
You don't say where you are coming from, but Allegiant Airlines does make great bundles on airfare, car rental, shows, tours and hotel rooms. You can probably book pretty much any show you want along with your airfare if you fly from one of their destinations. http://www.allegiantair.com/

Thanks, tom...we have already booked an air/hotel package from Southwest Vacations which includes a $100 food credit. Allegiant doesn't serve where I live, but appreciate the reply.

I agree with tomfuller about the rental car. I always get a rental, but only because I travel to a number of places far off the Strip. If you're planning to visit things only on or near the Strip, a combination of walking and taxis is easiest.

"one really awesome dinner." More detail is needed. What's your budget per person (not including wine, which can end up costing more than the meal)? What kind of food do you like? Are you willing to travel off Strip (that kind of ties into the rental car question)? Las Vegas has become a foodie mecca in the last few years, but prices tend to be high (at least on the Strip).

Sorry...I knew better than to be so vague! I know LV has become a huge foodie destination lately, which is why this decision is a little intimidating. We haven't really discussed budget...maybe $75-100/pp? I think we all like Italian, American, wine, fun cocktails, etc. Could travel off-strip if necessary, I suppose.

musicfan, thanks for the additional info. First, a few words about Italian restaurants. I tend to put Italian restaurants into two categories: Italian-American, serving things like Veal Parmegiana, Lasagna, Spaghetti with meatballs and the like; more authentic Italian, where the food is frequently a little bit lighter and sometimes less familiar. Growing up, I ate at so many Italian-American restaurants that I tend to ignore them in Las Vegas, so I can only recommend the other kind. Here goes:
(1) Bartolotta. It's located right in your hotel at Wynn. Specializing in whole fish flown in fresh from the Mediterranean, it's one of the top Italian, and top seafood, places in town; the pasta is also good. It offers beautiful outdoor seating, but in July it's likely to be blisteringly hot, so you may prefer air conditioned comfort inside. You have to be careful here, as you can easily bust your budget with some of the more costly dishes (such as lobster) -- but you should be able to stay under $100 per person without too much trouble.
(2) B&B Ristorante. Located in the Venetian Hotel a little bit south of Wynn, this offers more unusual fare. Some of the better examples: warm lamb's tongue with mushrooms and a poached egg (delicious); beef cheek ravioli with black truffles and crushed duck liver (also very good). Pasta is a specialty. Seating seems a bit crowded to me, but I like the food. Cost should run from $70 to $100 per person plus drinks.

For American: Sage offers a modern take on American food, borrowing from other cuisines as well. Located mid-Strip in Aria at CityCenter, it's well known for its Foie Gras Custard 'Brûlèe' -- sounds strange, is super rich, and has been very well received. Other good dishes included scallops and steak.

For less expensive places, but that might be fun:
(1) How about a hamburger place? Hamburgers restaurants have become the in thing over the last few years. The grand daddy of them all is Burger Bar, located in a shopping mall next to Mandalay Bay (a couple of miles south of Wynn). It serves excellent hamburgers, with the choice of several kinds of meet and dozens of toppings (all the regulars, but also such things as a fried egg and foie gras). Another spot nearer Wynn is BLT Burger (at the Mirage). I thought the hamburgers there were a bit dry, but many other people who I respect disagree with me -- and it also serves alcohol-laced milk shakes!
(2) First Food & Bar is located at the Palazzo (just south of Wynn). It's basically a bar, but with a full menu that's better than many restaurants. It's fun and, while expensive for bar food, is pretty cheap for a good restaurant.

This is too long already! I'll stop now.

Regarding shows, we enjoyed Cirque's "Love."

Oh, thanks so much for the restaurant recs! Very helpful!

I'll look at "Love"...thanks!

More Vegas recommendations: www.cheapovegas.com

The discount ticket booths in the Coke bottle (next to MGM) and next to the Harley Davidson Cafe both have half-price tickets for the same day shows. (They will NOT have the Cirque shows.) I have gotten good tickets for the Improv at Harrah's and Penn & Teller from them.

My personal favorite restaurant in Vegas is Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in Caesar's. It is southwestern food, and they have excellent drinks, too!

One restaurant that should easily meet your budget is Olives at the Bellagio (it's Mediterranean/Italian). It offers a spectacular view of the fountain show although patio seating is first come, first served (put your name on the list early, go have a drink and come back).

I also like First Food and Bar at the Palazzo for a fun casual meal.

Le Reve at the Wynn is not technically Cirque but it's a water show that is similar to "O" and also a great show.

another vote for Love, if you like Beatles music. Don't get front row seats, you will miss a lot of the action.

Thanks for the additional info...much appreciated!

I was wondering about Le Reve...has anyone here seen it? I think I saw a special online for it.

Another vote for Le Reve. Especially because you are staying at Wynn.

O is another great show.

Renting a car is not necessary if you are just going to visit the strip or downtown. Get a limo from the airport! Taxis are on one side of the airport, limos on the other. I mean a real limo, not limo bus.

Saw Le Reve last August and loved it. IMHO, the further back the seats, the better. It's a very small, round theater. I got a good deal on tickets from TravelZoo.

I am tired of all these magic acts such as Copperfield, Burton, them 2 guys 1 of whom does not speak. Cirque de blah blah is a lame act. Just weirdos jumping around all over. Thankfuly Danny Ganz kicked the bucket. As did Liberace.
As for that senile lady Celine... why would anyone pay even $1 to see her? She seems to have a mental disorder.

Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, Wayne Newton, Engelbert have turned into zombies.

Do yourself a favor, skip all that and go see the Grand Canyon.

Would definitely not drive on the strip. You can walk faster than driving there. Can easily take 30 minutes to go a few blocks depending on the time of day.

For your special dinner, I think you need look no further than the Wynn or Bellagio, as per above. They are tops. If you can manage a dinner table with a view of Bellagio's fountains, wallah!
Also, be sure to check out the lobby of Bellagio. They have a large area seasonally decorated with floral and other themes. Quite beautiful. When you are done looking at that, go around to the left and find their ice cream shop with the chocolate fountain. Oh, my!
Shopping: Showcase Mall on the strip, very near your Wynn. More down to earth than the fancy shops in Wynn, Bellagio, VEnetian, etc.
Las Vegas Premium Outlets - North; you can take a taxi. Taxi's are lined up there all day. Has a good food court. Great line up of stores. My wife never misses this one. there's also one south, but not as many stores.
If you want to wander out of town a bit, rent a car for the day, and drive about 40 minutes up to Red Rock Canyon. http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/ Take some time to view the beautiful red rock formations. Hikes, short and easy, or longer, are available, as is an interpretive visitors center and shop. It is beautiful up there.
On your way to and from the Canyon, you will pass by the Red Rock Casino, which itself has an excellent buffet and a handful of restaurants. Not as crowded or expensive as the strip. And very nice.
Our favorite cirque show, and the only one we recommend, is "O." Your Wynn concierge should be able to find you tickets to any of the shows. I don't know if it's better to do it yourself on line or ticket brokers. Maybe some Vegas experts can chime in.
Have fun!

If you want to get tickets in advance then I recommend calling. Find the seat map online before calling.

The problem with buying tickets online (for anything really) is that you (usually, seems like always) don't get to choose your seats. That is the case with O tickets.

All the search does is allow you to select the price and then it gives you two seats. Take those or choose a different price level.

If you want O tix, go here:
http://www.bellagio.com/o-cirque-du-...du-soleil.aspx

At that link you will find the seating chart and the phone reservations number. There is also a link for buying tix at a 20% discount. It takes you to the online res webpage which shows available dates to choose from. I would still call for those, though the discount might only apply to online purchase.

Shows do sell out so it might be a good idea to buy in advance. But, I took a look at the Bellagio site and tix are acvailable for both shows tonight. So maybe they aren't selling out these days, at least not like it would have been when it was a new show. The 20% discount is available tonight but not tomorrow, for example. I haven't used 3rd party ticket sellers.

ok, the short answer: get a copy of the seating chart, call and get exactly the seats you want, ask about discounts.

La Cave at the Wynn is good for small plates type of dining. Order just a couple things at a time because you can easily be overwhelmed with too many things on their tiny tables. It's actually fairly budget dining for Las Vegas.
My husband and I are fond of lunch at ZoosaCrackers at the Wynn. Nice, fresh food. The portions are large (really! trust me on this) so three of you could share a sandwich and a salad. He loves the pastrami and I like the cobb salad.