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Las Vegas, Nevada
My husband and I
visited Las Vegas December 10-13, 2008. It was my third time to Vegas, his
first. We stayed at the Luxor Casino and Resort. The hotel was wonderful. The
pools were spectacular. My only complaint is the location on the Strip. When
you come out of the front doors, it is quite far back from Las Vegas Boulevard
and at the far end of the Strip. It is walkable to get to the heart of the
Strip, but if you plan to see hotels towards the North end of the Strip
(Venetian, Treasure Island, etc), then you need to take transportation to the
centre and head north. I would say it was worth it to stay at this excellent
resort. If you are a fan of Egyptian motifs, it is perfect!
Las Vegas now has a
Monorail,
which has a lot of pros and cons. Major pro, it is a very affordable way to get
anywhere on the strip. It runs from the MGM Grand to the Sahara, with many
stops in between. You can get a single ride ticket, all day pass or 3 day pass.
Typical of Las Vegas, it is set up to get you walking through as many Casinos as
possible. Access to the Monorail is always at the back of the hotel. So to
reach it, you enter through the front of the Casino and walk through the Casino
to the back. It is a nice way to see a bit of these hotels, but as the day went
on, that extra walk was tiring. But, it is a very good way to see the entire
strip and much cheaper than cabs.
We only had time
for one Show. We saw Cirque du Soliel - Cris Angel Mindfreak. I am a big fan
of his and his A & E Show. The production and sights were almost worthy of a
Cirque du Soliel performance. But, in my opinion, Cris is not meant for the big
stage. His performances are very much geared to an up close and personal
audience. I did not feel this translated well to this type of performance. The
crowd was very subdued to what I expected. I am glad I saw it but I would try
one of the other many Cirque du Soliel performances next time.
One little find a friend told us about before we went there was the
restaurant at
Ellis Island Casino and Brewery.
The food is so affordable, priced like a mom and pop's restaurant. Very good
food with huge portions. If you can eat a lot and make it last you, then this
is place for you. Go for breakfast, spend the day out and about and then go
back for dinner. It is off the Strip, about 10 minute walk from the corner of
Las Vegas Blvd and Flamigo Road (the corner where Bally's is). It is an older,
smaller, off strip Casino, so nothing to look at, but well worth the effort.
.
All in all,
it was a good trip. Las Vegas is Las Vegas. You must experience it at
least once in your lifetime. Since my first visit in 1997, it has changed
tremendously. In some ways, for the good, in others, not so good. There
is so much to see and do, anything you can imagine is there. You definitely
do not need to be a gambler to go there. But you do need to bring ample
spending money for food and drinks, and of course to enjoy the wealth of
entertainment offered. The great thing is, it can be very cheap for air and
hotel, so you have more available to enjoy it.
.
Michele Gould, CTC
Certified
Travel Counsellor
2000 Tours
Travel Professionals International is a Member of:
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2000 Tours Inc. 2008 |
