Viva Las Vegas

Your foray into the Entertainment Capital of the World starts with five words: Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas. This iconic sign at the south end of the city welcomes you as you enter town. Yes, Las Vegas! The place conjures up images of desire, pleasure and decadence. Its rows upon rows of hotels, restaurants, casinos, entertainment houses and clubs offer the ultimate stuff you could ever imagine. It is called the Sin City for nothing. Pumped up gaming tables for the high roller in you, free-flowing drinks, and chock full gastronomic buffet tables are all waiting.

The name Las Vegas is Spanish for ‘the meadows’. Indeed this desert flat land home to 1.9 million people is a meadow for the pleasure hunter, and anchored by Las Vegas Boulevard, or more popularly known as The Strip. This boulevard is the centerpiece of Las Vegas, where everyone else flocks and walks up and down the 4.2-mile (6.8 kilometers) stretch of road, combing all the attractions the city can offer.

Time is not on your side when visiting Las Vegas, so your only option is to get a hotel room just for your costume changes. For starters, you can head to Fremont Street to join the Fremont Street Experience, a pedestrian mall with a 90-feet high (27 meters) barrel vault canopy where multimedia presentations run above the street from dusk until midnight throughout the 1,500-feet (460 meters) length of the canopy. In the vicinity is the Neon Museum, an attraction that showcases signs from businesses and old casinos over an area of 6 acres (2.4 hectares). The famous Las Vegas neon sign, Vegas Vic, a 40-foot cowpoke neon sign can be seen here.

For a few more free attractions, make your way to the refreshing Fountain Show at Bellagio Hotel to observe a stunning musical fountain display four times each hour nightly and hourly on weekend afternoons. Not quite, but to witness an exploding volcano, trek to the Volcano at The Mirage. This krakatoa erupts into a magnificent light show every hour from 6PM to 11PM nightly.

The names of most attractions here evoke fantasies as shown by the brands of hotels and spots. Caesars Palace has a fantastic display of animatronic figures to recount the legend of the great lost city with its Fall of Atlantis. This free exhibition runs every hour on the hour from 10AM-12 midnight. Treasure Island has its Sirens of TI with an awesome display of perilous lofty dives and gorgeous temptresses. The free show opens at 5:30PM, 8:30PM and 10PM daily.

Well, you didn’t go to Vegas just for the freebies, right? You need to shell out a few bucks to enjoy more of the sights and satisfy your senses. Pretend that you are in Venice and take that romantic gondola ride at The Venetian. For US$16 or better yet a private two-hour US$64-ride, you can say “Ti voglio bene” to your loved one. Boats leave from 10AM to 12 midnight daily. A few minutes later, you will be in Paris (well, it’s still in Vegas) and right under the Eiffel Tower you will be more in love. Half the size of the original, this replica stands 460 feet above The Strip or 50 floors up. Similar to the one in the City of Lights, this tower has an observation deck to have an arresting vista of the vibrant city lights or the international airport and the mountains at a distance during the day. Open daily from 9:30AM to 12:30AM, admission costs US$10 for adults and US$7 for children.

One major consideration why you really wanted to go here is gambling and that get rich quick plan. Well, stretch your credit limit and play the stakes. Almost all hotels here have casinos, with playing stations and tables to suit your budget, from penny slots to tables for high rollers. Have you ever wondered why there are no clocks at casinos? Well, that is self-explanatory already. And wait, even the airport and supermarkets have slot machines.

When you are ready to wean from your gambling routine, there is still a lot of fun waiting for you. Have a nice pampering at the luxurious spas, marvel at eccentric museums, go people-watching at the lavish pools, and eat, eat and eat at buffet tables.

Did you say you wanted to get hitched? That would be a sure thing. Just apply for a marriage license at the office of the Clark County Clerk. Take note that they do not accept appointments through email. Call them at (702) 671 0577. On appointment day, prepare US$50 plus extra US$5 when paying using a credit card. After securing a marriage license, you may now choose from numerous wedding chapels scattered around town. You may even choose an Elvis impersonator as wedding officiant.

While Las Vegas sits on a desert, it is surrounded by stunning landscapes and mountains perfect for great outdoor activities. Do some hiking and rock climbing at Spring Mountains and Lake Mead Recreational Park. Drive to Death Valley in between southern California and southern Nevada and admire the stunning ecology of the desert set in America’s lowest point. Then there’s Hoover Dam, once the world’s largest when it started operating in 1935. Open from 9AM-6PM every day, admission tickets cost US$8 and US$30 for an extensive tour of the complex. Nearby Skydive Las Vegas operates and affords you of a perfect dive and view of the surrounding areas and Lake Mead below.