totally off topic: VEGAS!!!!
Discussion
OK guys, ideas time please. Am about to take my woman to Las Vegas, but I know nothing about the place. Any recommendations for cool hotels, bars, casinos, other stuff etc. Also, I thought while we were there, we could hire a Mustang or sthg and take a cruise out into the desert. Anyone got any suggestions?
cheers
Jake
cheers
Jake
Hiring a Mustang is no issue. Hertz hire them but only the low powered 3.0 V6 not the 4.6 GT. There will be specialists who do the GT, but if you are going for a specialist get a Vette or a Viper, much more fun.
Whilst there all the big hotels are worth a visit but I suggest making your first stop either New York New York or the Bellagio. The former is plain silly and the latter is truly truly truly enormous and a spectacle in itself.
HTH
Matt.
Whilst there all the big hotels are worth a visit but I suggest making your first stop either New York New York or the Bellagio. The former is plain silly and the latter is truly truly truly enormous and a spectacle in itself.
HTH
Matt.
On the subject of rentals, I found these people when looking last week:
www.rent-a-vette.com/
A large selection of fast stuff, by the looks of things, although I've no idea if they're any good or not.
Dan
www.rent-a-vette.com/
A large selection of fast stuff, by the looks of things, although I've no idea if they're any good or not.
Dan
You must go to the Las Vegas gun club and fire an Uzi. Cost is about 40 quid for 100 rounds or something. Great fun and the rednecks don't even ask for proof of ID. They rely on the principle that they have a bigger gun pointing at you behind the counter.
Flying over the grand canyon is also a must. About 100 quid in a little cessna.
Some hotels are better than others. I liked Caesars the best probably, but stayed at The Luxor. Some parts are a bit crap. Ceiling at the Venetian is brilliant!!!
Enjoy, but a bit like going to Alton Towers for a week. Gets boring after a while. Catch a few shows. The moulin rouge style shows are good fun - my mate and I saw a revue with a couple of Virgin air hostesses by our side... lovely laydees, and ended up in New York New York until four in the morning.
You must go up the Stratosphere and do the ride there - v wobbly 108 stories up - but the NY NY roller coaster is a bit harsh. Suspension like my 911 RS.
>> Edited by domster on Tuesday 8th October 15:52
Flying over the grand canyon is also a must. About 100 quid in a little cessna.
Some hotels are better than others. I liked Caesars the best probably, but stayed at The Luxor. Some parts are a bit crap. Ceiling at the Venetian is brilliant!!!
Enjoy, but a bit like going to Alton Towers for a week. Gets boring after a while. Catch a few shows. The moulin rouge style shows are good fun - my mate and I saw a revue with a couple of Virgin air hostesses by our side... lovely laydees, and ended up in New York New York until four in the morning.
You must go up the Stratosphere and do the ride there - v wobbly 108 stories up - but the NY NY roller coaster is a bit harsh. Suspension like my 911 RS.
>> Edited by domster on Tuesday 8th October 15:52
Most has been covered already, but my essentials:
- stay on 'The Strip' and visit all of the hotels/casinos along its length. They are all easily walkable.
- special things to see are: Treasure Island pirate ship battle re-enactment, New York New York (and it's roller coaster), the indoor shopping malls at Caeser's Palace and The Venetian which have effects that make it seem like its outside, the coaster and 'skyshot' rides at the top of the Stratosphere, Mandalay Bay, Luxor and MGM Grand (just to be gobsmacked by the size of the place).
- take in a show: there will be a huge number to choose from to suit all tastes.
- if you have a car, take a ride to the Hoover Dam and experience their 'hard hat' tour walking into the bowels.
- and if you want to get away from the Casinos, look up Gordon Biersh - a great microbrewery/restaurant.
- stay on 'The Strip' and visit all of the hotels/casinos along its length. They are all easily walkable.
- special things to see are: Treasure Island pirate ship battle re-enactment, New York New York (and it's roller coaster), the indoor shopping malls at Caeser's Palace and The Venetian which have effects that make it seem like its outside, the coaster and 'skyshot' rides at the top of the Stratosphere, Mandalay Bay, Luxor and MGM Grand (just to be gobsmacked by the size of the place).
- take in a show: there will be a huge number to choose from to suit all tastes.
- if you have a car, take a ride to the Hoover Dam and experience their 'hard hat' tour walking into the bowels.
- and if you want to get away from the Casinos, look up Gordon Biersh - a great microbrewery/restaurant.
quote:
You must go to the Las Vegas gun club and fire an Uzi. Cost is about 40 quid for 100 rounds or something. Great fun and the rednecks don't even ask for proof of ID. They rely on the principal that they have a bigger gun pointing at you behind the counter.
Did that a couple of years ago and it is a must , very very funny , Bellagio`s is the place with the genuine Picaso`s hanging in the restaurant i think.
It's non-stop!
You'll hear the clinking of the slot machines the minute you walk off the plane, and it won't stop until you leave. Great for a while, then a bit wearing. My top tip: - wander around for a couple of days just taking it all in. Disappear out to the country for a couple more, then back for a final blitz before going back.
The strip is great - do all that everyone above says
Especially the skyshot on top of the Stratosphere
(there are two rides - the rickety-old rollercoaster, and the skyshot. Ignore the roller-coaster IMHO. Or at least do that first, then the skyshot.)
Agree with the earlier comment about the Bellagio - I liked the Sinatra fountain display as well.
Also worth a quick visit (10min drive) to the old town - see the roof light show. Can't remember what it's called, but it's an long 'streetarch' of loads of overheadbulbs which light up in pretty colours/designs and put on a show...
The casinos up there are also slightly more relaxed, at least I, being an absolute novice/numpty gambler felt more at ease there.
We also did wuss-skydiving, where you go into a vertical tube with a f
k off big fan at the bottom, and try and stay in the updraft (and away from the other fan at the top!!). Good laugh.
Booze is free if you're gambling.
And if you win big, then ....
To get away from it all, there's a couple of national parks a few hours drive away, and of course the Grand Canyon (quite some way!)
Enjoy.
You'll hear the clinking of the slot machines the minute you walk off the plane, and it won't stop until you leave. Great for a while, then a bit wearing. My top tip: - wander around for a couple of days just taking it all in. Disappear out to the country for a couple more, then back for a final blitz before going back.
The strip is great - do all that everyone above says
Especially the skyshot on top of the Stratosphere
(there are two rides - the rickety-old rollercoaster, and the skyshot. Ignore the roller-coaster IMHO. Or at least do that first, then the skyshot.)
Agree with the earlier comment about the Bellagio - I liked the Sinatra fountain display as well.
Also worth a quick visit (10min drive) to the old town - see the roof light show. Can't remember what it's called, but it's an long 'streetarch' of loads of overheadbulbs which light up in pretty colours/designs and put on a show...
The casinos up there are also slightly more relaxed, at least I, being an absolute novice/numpty gambler felt more at ease there.
We also did wuss-skydiving, where you go into a vertical tube with a f
k off big fan at the bottom, and try and stay in the updraft (and away from the other fan at the top!!). Good laugh. quote:
Sounds blinding all this!!! dont think we'll get bored by the sounds, but if we do there's always alcohol and sex!
Booze is free if you're gambling.
And if you win big, then ....
To get away from it all, there's a couple of national parks a few hours drive away, and of course the Grand Canyon (quite some way!)
Enjoy.
BE CAREFUL - I came back married.
Otherwise I could recommend the Luxor, and it's considerably cheaper it you walk in and book when you are there. I booked several days in advance from San Francisco and when I got there I noticed that they were advertising the same room at a much cheaper price. Wouldn't give me the lower rate when I asked so I checked out the next morning and checked straight in again at the lower advertised rate !
I was going to rent a Viper, but when I went to look at them they had all been thrashed and were very scruffy and dodgy looking so I didn't bother.
Great place for a few days.
Otherwise I could recommend the Luxor, and it's considerably cheaper it you walk in and book when you are there. I booked several days in advance from San Francisco and when I got there I noticed that they were advertising the same room at a much cheaper price. Wouldn't give me the lower rate when I asked so I checked out the next morning and checked straight in again at the lower advertised rate !
I was going to rent a Viper, but when I went to look at them they had all been thrashed and were very scruffy and dodgy looking so I didn't bother.
Great place for a few days.
There is a place on the strip near the Sahara hotel that rents anything from an S2000 up to a Viper/Ferrari 355. Dont know what the rates are like.
Go to the Bellagio buffet at lunchtime - awsome and cheaper than dinner which is basically the same food.
Out of town, the Hoover dam is interesting, the Garnd Canyon as mentioned previously and if you have a full day, a trip to Zion national park in Utah is worth it...make sure your car insurance covers you for Utah tho....
>> Edited by douglasr on Tuesday 8th October 15:42
Go to the Bellagio buffet at lunchtime - awsome and cheaper than dinner which is basically the same food.
Out of town, the Hoover dam is interesting, the Garnd Canyon as mentioned previously and if you have a full day, a trip to Zion national park in Utah is worth it...make sure your car insurance covers you for Utah tho....
>> Edited by douglasr on Tuesday 8th October 15:42
quote:
I was going to rent a Viper, but when I went to look at them they had all been thrashed and were very scruffy and dodgy looking so I didn't bother.
Yeah do it! Then they'll be even more thrashed and even more dodgy looking – it's not yours is it!?
The MGM Grand has something like 5,400 rooms. Yes, five thousand four hundred rooms. I still can't take that in. The lions feet at the front are plastic though. I thought they may be solid gold
'Do the strip' as everyone says. And don't get TOO carried away i the casinos - there are co clocks and no windows, so two hours seems like five minutes (I think).
Pity they knocked down Sands which was th hotel the original RatPac used to frequent in the 50s. It was round, and gorgeous. A bit like my missus!
quote:
Otherwise I could recommend the Luxor, and it's considerably cheaper it you walk in and book when you are there.
Only if there isn't a major conference on. When we went virtually all the hotels on the strip were sold out
We did find a room eventually but not as cheap as we were expecting. The big shot thing ontop of the stratosphere is a must - pay for it at the bottom, its cheaper and you can't bottle out when you see how high it is. I nearly papped my pants!
The Hoover dam is worth doing, the hard hat tour is interesting, but the best thing that sticks in my memory is a helicopter tour.
Do the half day champagne picnic. Its expensive but worth it.
Picked up from hotel to airport, group boarded in three helicopters, went over dam then down thru canyon, swooping round the rocks, going down low to ground then cliff dissappearing from under you - awesome.
You land in the grand canyon for a bit of champagne and a bite to eat, then its off for a fly, low over lake mead.
Final fly past over the strip and your back home.
(if your lucky, you might catch people sunbathing naked by lake mead, we did - and boy did they get a shock, three helicopters hovering over them
)
:backunderstone:Vegas is the sort of place I could only ever go once to see the spectacle of it all but would never feel compelled to go back again. It is lack a larger, bolder, brasher Blackpool, but just as tacky. And unless you are very cashed indeed, then there is nothing even remotely glamourous about the casinos. HAving said that, it was still top fun, just couldn't take more than four days of it I don't think. 
I'd pretty much go along with whats been said already you don't need to stay too long on Vegas mainly cos its open all the time so you either get used to it(bored) or run out of cash 
Having said that you must see it. The level of fakeness is totally umbelievable, the shopping malls in each of the bigger hotels (caesers palace was amazing from memory).
You can drive to LA in a little over 3.5 hours and do the hollywood and universal studios bit while you are there.
Have fun
Cheers Dan
Having said that you must see it. The level of fakeness is totally umbelievable, the shopping malls in each of the bigger hotels (caesers palace was amazing from memory).
You can drive to LA in a little over 3.5 hours and do the hollywood and universal studios bit while you are there.
Have fun
Cheers Dan
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