Finding Glitter in the Gulch :: Vegas Baby

[trip style = sun]

The sprawling desert destination whose blinding lights and tall towers pop up out of nowhere is more than just glitter. Past the sequins, slots and smut is a fun, ever-changing entertainment mecca designed to sizzle your senses. On that note, there’s a reason most vacation packages are 3-nights.

Tangoing with Lady Luck
Complete with year-round sun, ravishing restaurants, sultry shows and mega malls, Vegas is the king of re-invention offering something for everyone. Go at the right time of year (see more below) and vegas can be fun, and dare I say: relaxing. I’m not a gambler, but between last-min getaways and girls trips, I’ve tangoed with lady luck a few times. Yep, I’ve pulled the occasional slot and wound my way through the never ending lines of nightclub goers (passing a stressed-out Steve Wynn enroute—man behind The Mirage, The Bellagio, The Wynn and others).  Some would argue that’s Vegas at its best.  I disagree.

The Glitter in the Gulch
When
- it can get cold in late fall & early winter, so wait until spring if you’re looking to soak up the sun
- avoid US holidays, particularly Memorial and Labour Day long weekends
- to find the best deals, rooms, easy access to shows and restaurants, go mid-week or sunday-wednesday
- unless you want to roast like a marshmallow, avoid the summer
- in other words, visit in spring or early fall and avoid long weekends!
Stay
– contrary to what it might seem, vegas is massive, so decide if you want to stay on or off the strip
- each hotel tends to draw a different crowd, so choose which crowd you want to hang with, for example: mandalay bay: young and sporty, bellagio & wynn: high-rollers and their entourages, excalibur: deal seekers less concerned with aesthetics, caesar’s palace: those who want to be in the centre of it all
Do
– any cirque de soleil show (get tix in advance, or chance it with half-price tix at fashion show mall)
- shop forum shops at caesar’s or fashion show mall (across from wynn)
- sit by the pool
- golf
- spa
more than 3 days in sin city…
- visit the hoover dam
- hike in the red rock canyon
Eat
- tao restaurant is lively (to say the least), has amazing service and to-die-for japanese-inspired food
- fiamma at the MGM is a triple-threat: pasta, 400+ wine list, modern design (recognized by Wine Spectator in 2009)
- Botero at Encore takes the steakhouse concept to a whole new level offering chill-laxed, pool-side dining