Vegas - The 'So much to do, so little time' edition - Part One

Right, where do I start? Regular readers of my blogs and anyone who has already been to Vegas will know there is so much to do in Vegas that this blog and the following two are really only going to scratch the surface but if any of the information here helps just one person then I'm happy. Our first trip was designed to be our only trip so we went full tourist, concentrated on the Strip and Jane's efficient use of a map of the Strip meant we were able to do as much as possible. When planning an itinerary we felt it best to look at the things we really wanted to do, where they were located and organise it so we didn't have to travel up and down the Strip too much. The Strip is 4.2 miles long from the Welcome to Las Vegs Sign to The Strat casino, you can walk up and down the Strip, it's a wonder in itself and it's pretty accessible for those in wheelchairs too with bridges and lifts to help.

The map isn't the most up to date (Hooters is OYO for a start) and Vegas is always changing but it looks nice and gives you a good impression as to all the casinos along the Strip. I'd be easy to spend a whole day in some of the bigger casinos as they literally contain everything you'd need, shops, bars, restaurants, shows and your tables and slots so you can already see why you need to look at what you want to do and where so I'd best do what I said I was going to do and highlight some of the things I think as a first timer you shouldn't miss.

The Casinos

If you want to see all the Strip casino's on your trip then it's going to be difficult. I wouldn't say it's impossible as depending on what you've got planned you'll be visiting numerous ones anyway. Even after being five times we've never really walked around Vdara, Paris, Wynn or Encore and we've not even got onto the ones off strip or Downtown.

It appears Vegas is moving further away from theming with current rumours of Luxor being at risk so I really would recommend visiting Luxor, Excalibur and dare I say it....Circus Circus. The other themed casinos like Paris and Caesars Palace are still popular so they're probably not going anywhere soon but I fear the others I've mentioned are at risk or either demolition or de-theming (MGM used to be all about the Wizard of Oz but that went a long time ago) I'm not too sure how you'd de-theme a Casino that is made up of Castles (Excalibur) but Treasure Island has very little left of it's old life (if you ignore the giant pirate ship).

I'm staying well away from suggesting where to stay, everyone has different needs. Some like luxury, amazing views or some just want cheap and cheerful. I definitely recommend doing your own research into the casinos when it come to accommodation. My folks booked Harrahs for their their first trip and it's size really intimidated them, every place we've stayed we've liked (Tropicana, Hooters, Four Queens and Downtown Grand) but I know we encountered things that would have annoyed others but never bothered us (for example the noise from Fremont at Four Queens was loud in the room but earplugs helped and the stage music stopped 2am and we were still up most nights anyway). As a first time visitor though I am recommending staying on the Strip so you get that true Vegas experience.

Things to see

Of course the first thing I'm going to say is the 'Welcome to Las Vegas' sign, it'd be crazy not to have your photo taken here and don't forget to have a photo taken at the back of the sign either.

Next is the Volcano at Mirage, the hours of operation can change but currently its operating Thu - Sun on the hour between 7pm and 10pm. The shows lasts for 5 minutes and is a fire and music spectacular. Viewing it from the sidewalk if fine but if you're staying at the Mirage they have Volcano rooms that give you a perfect view.

As famous as the Las Vegas sign is the Bellagio Fountains, nothing says Vegas like filming the fountains, putting it on YouTube and getting the video copyright flagged. Again, viewed from the sidewalk it's pretty spectacular but even better is all the way up from the top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris although it is hard to hear the music from all up there. Like the Mirage, the Bellagio has Fountain rooms for the best views (at a price). Monday to Fridays the display is every 30 mins from 3pm to 7pm, then every 15 mins until midnight. On Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays the show starts earlier at 12 noon.

The Bellagio has another thing of beauty (actually two if you include the Worlds Largest Chocolate Fountain) and that's the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. This area is changed for The Lunar New Year, Summer, Spring, Autumn and Winter and is an astoundingly large display of plants, flowers, models and different scents and sounds celebrating each period. It's free, it's beautiful and there's a great Christmas shop nearby.

Moving away from the Strip you should spend at least one night Downtown to see the Fremont Street Experience. From the Strip you can either drive, get an Uber/Lyft or jump on the Deuce or SDX. The Deuce and SDX are buses that run from Fremont Street Experience to the South Strip Terminal. Currently though the SDX that was faster than the Deuce due to there being fewer stops has been suspended. Catching the Deuce/SDX isn't for everyone, it's cheap but it can be very slow during peak times so if you need to be somewhere at a particular time I'd choose Uber/Lyft. There's rarely a dull moment on these buses especially at night. Whilst on the subject of the rarity of dull moments, we go back to the Fremont Street Experience. There's the live music on the stages, the street 'performers' and Viva Vision. Recently upgraded, Viva Vision is a free light show with music suspended 90 feet above Fremont Street in the form of an LED canopy with shows running throughout the night. I'd seen something like this on such a massive scale and it was pretty impressive, sadly I've not been able to see it properly since the upgrade but videos of it look amazing.

We've done five things to see, five that are free but now we move onto the stuff you'll need to pay for......

Mandalay Bay, a place that usually hosts sports events such as Boxing and PDC Darts is also home to the Shark Reef Aquarium, if you've been to a SeaWorld then it's not really that much different, there's an underwater Shark Tunnel Aquarium, a Jungle exhibit and an underwater VR experience. Admission prices are $29 for adults and $24 or children, Mandalay Bay is an MGM resort so if you play the myVegas games you can earn gold for free and BOGOF on entry tickets to places like the Shark Reef Aquarium and my next place - Luxor for the Bodies and Titanic Exhibits.

Luxor is where you'll find the Bodies and Titanic exhibits and if you can get free or discounted tickets then they're definitely worth visiting. Other countries have Bodies exhibits and if you've seen one then it's probably not worth seeing it again. The Exhibition provides an up-close look inside our skeletal, muscular, respiratory, nervous, digestive, reproductive/urinary, fetal (optional) and the treated body using real life bodies. It's not for everybody but we found it very interesting, respectful and informative.

Whereas you walk around the Bodies exhibit yourself, the Titanic exhibit is a guided tour and the staff were so knowledgeable and enthusiastic that it added to the exhibit greatly. There are numerous, great artifacts from the Titanic recovery team and it's all set up so you really feel like you are stepping back in time. Unlike the Bodies exhibit you are allowed to take photographs but you cannot take photos of the recreation on the grand staircase unless you use their camera and buy a photo for $20 at the end of the tour. You are also given a pass at the start that you scan at the end to see if you survived. Tickers are $32 for adults, $24 children but like I said, try and get it discounted. I would do a blog on discounts and money

saving but I'll leave that for the experts @Pennys4Vegas and @vegastipstricks.

The last thing to see that is also part of MGM/myVegas where hopefully you can get discounted/free tickets is Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage. Here you will see White Tigers, White Lions, Leopards and Dolphins. Tickets are $25 for Adults and $20 for children. Just like the Shark Reef, it's interesting but not everyone is happy to see animals not in their natural habitat but the Mirage website states a portion of ticket sales does go towards education and research programs. If you do want to go to these places then as I've said, don't pay full price if you can avoid it. I'd happily pay full price for Bodies and Titanic.

Las Vegas also has it's very own Madame Tussauds and if you're a fan then this one is large with great figures and display. It has the 3D Marvel Avengers many of the others also have but there's also a very 'Vegas' addition to this one. The Hangover Bar. A rooftop bar where you and friends can enjoy some Hangover themed drinks then it's off to see some recreations of iconic scenes from the movie, including the penthouse suite (equipped with a tiger) and classic Vegas wedding chapel. Madame Tussauds is located at the Venetian and prices are $34.99, you can normally get discounted tickets from places like Groupon.

There's plenty more to come and we'll even being going out of Vegas to the Grand Canyon because you can't go to Vegas and not go to the Grand Canyon but that's for Part 2.