Open Top Sightseeing in Las Vegas

An Open Top Sightseeing Bus on the Las Vegas Strip

     A fun, convenient and affordable way to get around Las Vegas on vacation is the Open Top Sightseeing bus.  They cover a lot of territory and are reasonably priced.  As of summer 2011 ticket prices were $33 for adults and $17 for kids ages 4 - 12, and the tickets are good for two days.  Tickets good for five were priced $60 for adults and $30 for kids.  Special family tour packages are also available.  Tickets are available onboard, at visitor information desks, at select hotels, and online.  Tickets can be purchased online for a discounted price.
  We think Open Top Sightseeing buses compare well to other modes of travel in Las Vegas, and they are a definite Las Vegas vacation pick.

Open Top Sightseeing bus in front of the Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip.

Open Top Sightseeing bus at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino.

New York-New York Hotel and Casino

The Statue of Liberty at the New York-New York Hotel Casino

Las Vegas can be a real roller coaster ride
with plenty of ups and downs and thrills galore.

  It is an incredibly audacious concept.  Take the New York skyline with some of its most famous landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State building and the Brooklyn Bridge, scale it down and drop it on the Strip in Las Vegas, and presto!  Big Apple in the desert.  The New York-New York Hotel Casino features twelve facsimile skyscrapers that are one-third the size of the originals.  Also on view are Ellis Island and the New York Public Library.  Stroll across the one-fifth scaled replica of the Brooklyn Bridge and enter the Hotel Casino where inside awaits a recreated Central Park, Park Avenue, Times Square and Greenwich Village.

Looking up at the faux New York-New York skyline the top foreground of this picture shows part of the roller coaster track.  The roller coaster cars are designed to look like yellow cabs which is a nice touch.  

Lady Liberty can be seen through
the Brooklyn Bridge in front of the
New York-New York Hotel Casino
in Las Vegas.

Looking up at the (other)
Brooklyn Bridge.

The Flamingo Las Vegas

Flamingo Falls

  Want a little Miami in your Las Vegas experience?  Do you find Art Deco and Streamline Moderne architectural features appealing?  Want to feel a little connection to old-school Las Vegas?  The Flamingo Las Vegas might be just the spot for your Las Vegas vacation.  The overall look is definitely reminiscent of Miami and South Beach.  While it was the third resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip, it is now the oldest still in operation.

  The Flamingo has its roots in a project dreamed up by Billy Wilkerson, owner of the Hollywood Reporter, in 1945.  He quickly ran into financial trouble during construction and was bailed out by Bugsy Siegel, the legendary mobster.  Wilkerson remained a minority partner while Seigel took over supervision of construction.    The Flamingo opened in 1946 with a price tag of $6 million dollars, really big bucks in those days!  Seigel named the resort The Flamingo after his girlfriend Virginia Hill.  Virginia had long, skinny flamingo-like legs which had inspired Bugsy to nickname her Flamingo.  In 1947 the resort's name was changed to The Fabulous Flamingo.  When Seigel first opened the Flamingo all staff at the luxury resort were required to wear tuxedos.  Unfortunately, for Bugsy Seigel, the Flamingo had a rocky financial beginning and there were allegations of his having skimmed money during construction.  This was not taken well by his mobster investors in the property, and in 1947 he was gunned down in true gangster fashion at his Hollywood home.  Hilton Corporation bought the property in 1972 and changed the name to Flamingo Hilton.  In 1999 the resort was renamed the Flamingo Las Vegas, and Hilton was no longer an owner.  

This is a view of one wing of the Flamingo Las Vegas at dusk, viewed from the gardens and wildlife sanctuary.

X Burlesque

Nathan Burton's show is kid friendly.

                     

Donnie and Marie are booked through 2012.

Laugh!

Chilean Flamingos in the Wildlife Habitat

The Miami/Art Deco themed resort's    current profile includes 3,999 units, a 77,000 square foot casino that includes a race and sportsbook, a wildlife habitat primarily populated by Chilean Flamingos, a fifteen acre tropical retreat pool area, and entertainment including comedian George Wallace, magician Nathan Burton, the X Burlesque entertainers, and headliners Donny and Marie Osmond who are booked through 2012.  The Flamingo Las Vegas's central location on the strip at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road makes it an excellent choice for a Las Vegas vacation if your plans including walking the strip to explore and enjoy the variety and visual spectacle of locations and action going on all around.

Shopping for fun at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

The Flamingo Las Vegas is home to one location of the Sin City Brewing Company.

  

Sin City Brewing Company at The Flamingo

Sin City Brewing Company at The Flamingo

Las Vegas' own micro brewery, the Sin City Brewing Company, is an up and coming business with a lot going for it.  Particularly, its four hand-crafted small batch brews:  Sin City Amber, Sin City Light, Sin City Stout, and Sin City Weisse.  The company has three beer-pouring outlets including the original location at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, the most recent location at the Grand Canal Shoppes in The Venetian, and their largest facility at The Flamingo.  The Sin City Brewing Company at the Flamingo is definitely a Las Vacation Vacation pick.  In addition to the great beers, it has an open and airy location with indoor and outdoor patio seating.  Outdoor seating includes heating for colder nights, and it is located right next to the resort's wildlife habitat populated by, I'm sure you guessed it, pink flamingos!

Pink Flamingos at the Wildlife Habitat at The Flamingo

The Las Vegas Monorail - Alternative Transportation on the Strip

The Monorail Station at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino

The Las Vegas Monorail provides a unique and very 21st century method of traveling the four miles from one end of the strip to the other.  It goes from the MGM Grand at one end to the Sahara at the other with stops along the way at Paris/Bally's,  Flamingo/Caesar's Palace Station, Harrah's/Imperial Palace Station, the Las Vegas Convention Center, and the Las Vegas Hilton.  Free shuttle rides out to the Rio Las Vegas and Sam's Town are available from Harrah's/Imperial Palace Station.  A monorail ride from the MGM Grand at the south end of the strip to the Sahara at the north end takes only about  fifteen minutes.    Rides are not cheap at five dollars a pop, but a day pass can be purchased for twelve dollars, and a three day pass for twenty-eight dollars.  The Las Vegas Monorail operates Monday - Thursday from 7:00am to 2:00am, and Friday through Sunday from 7:00am to 3:00am.  Tickets can be purchased online at lvmonorail.com.


While the Las Vegas Monorail does provide convenient,  environmentally friendly, and safe travel up and down the Las Vegas strip, it has not turned out to be a winning bet.  According to a report in the Las Vegas Review Journal, the non-profit monorail has filed for bankruptcy reorganization to deal with $658.8 million in debt.  

The Venetian

Visiting the Venetian on a Las Vegas vacation, it is possible to forget you are in the middle of a desert while you are socializing in the  bustling Marketplace, strolling past the Grand Canal Shoppes, or better yet enjoying a gondola ride on the canal.  Your mind won't exactly be tricked into thinking you are actually in Venice, but it won't matter because you will still be enjoying the beautiful architecture and distinctive atmosphere of this very grand resort. 

St Mark's Square at the Venetian

 The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino is conveniently located mid-strip at the site of the old Sands Hotel.  The Sands was imploded in November, 1996, and by May 3rd, 1999, the 1.5 billion dollar Venetian was being opened with grandiose fanfare.   Trumpets blared, whites doves soared into the sky, gondoliers sang, the slot machines rang, and Sophia Loren christened a motorized gondola.

View of the Front of the Venetian

Outdoor Gondola Docks the the Venetian

The Venetian is a marvel of a themed Las Vegas vacation destination.  It is an expansive resort with 4,049 large and airy suite-styled rooms that feature sunken living rooms.  Upgraded rooms and a wedding chapel are available in the Venezia tower along with some glitz and a separate entrance.  The casino is 120,000 square feet of themed fun with Venetian art on the ceilings.  The Venetian has a lot worth seeing, even if you are just visiting for the day rather than staying there.  There are great shops to visit along the faux Grand Canal including Jimmy Choo, Mikimoto, Valentino, and Kenneth Cole, and a slew of others.  A gondola ride with a singing gondolier on the same faux Grand Canal is a kick in pants.  The replica of St. Marks Square offers a Venetian stew of things to see and do:  dine, drink, shop, have yourself painted or get a mini-bust made of your face.  Roaming characters in colorful period costumes are everywhere, walking on stilts, singing and performing and enthusiastically interacting with guests.  It really makes for a robust and entertaining environment. 

A Costumed Character at the Venetian

The Human Statue, Very Cool but a Little Creepy!

Mini Busts Made on the Spot

Featured entertainment at the Venetian includes the Blue Man Group performing in the Blue Man Theatre,  men in blue paint pounding on PVC pipes making raucous riffs.  A shortened version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera  is also featured.  And for entertaining yourself at the other end of the artistic spectrum,  the Venetian is home to the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum which opened there on October 7, 2001.  The museum features exhibits displaying masters from Picasso to Renoir as well as more contemporary artists.  

This is an incredibly life-like display of the Blue Man Group.

Additional highlights that make the Venetian a Las Vegas vacation pick include some fine restaurants, interesting bars and clubs, and Madame Tussauds.  Bouchon is the bistro owned by Chef Thomas Keller and featuring regional French cooking.  The Tao Nightclub is considered one of the best in Las Vegas.  Rich woods and gorgeous stone are used in presenting an Asian theme.  Remarkable details include a twenty foot tall Buddha statue whose serene contemplation marks a counterpoint to club energy, an infinity pool filled with Koi fish, artful lighting, a forty foot outdoor terrace with views of the Las Vegas strip, private sky boxes with mini-bars, great audio and two dance rooms.  

Breathe...!  What else are you gonna do at an oxygen bar?

For something really different and typically only found in larger metropolitan areas, the Venetian has Breathe, one of the many oxygen bars that can be found in Las Vegas.  Breeze on in and inflate yourself with the finest of o2!  These oxygen bars seem to floating on a cushion of popularity and are well patronized.

Yet another element of the variety to be found at the Venetian is a branch of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.  Some of the wax figures are so life-like it is spooky.  Touching of the freestanding exhibits is actually allowed which can add great fun to a visit and provides unique photo opportunities.

Entrance to Madame Tussaud's in the Venetian

The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas

The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas is like a shiny new toy for the Las Vegas strip.  It's bright and clean, fresh and energetic, and it does seem to appeal to those of a youthful state of mind.  It has original and striking decor and a lively atmosphere.  Call it cool, call it chic, call it the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, just don't call it plain old Cosmopolitan.  It was originally going to be called just the Cosmopolitan, but the folks at Cosmopolitan Magazine did not like that and so the hotel ended up with the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas moniker.

Cool and Chic, Everywhere You Look

The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas is part of the Marriott International Autograph Collection, which is a collection of independent hotels that utilize the Marriott reservations and rewards system.  It is currently the newest hotel resort on the strip having just opened on 12/15/10 at a cost of 3.9 billion dollars.  It features two towers and 2,995 rooms.  While the original plan called for a mix of hotel rooms and condominiums, the condo units were canceled and were apparently a victim of the weak economy.  This hotel resort includes an 1,800 seat theater and 150,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.  

Like all of the big Las Vegas hotel resorts, the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas can be a self-contained Las Vegas Vacation with shopping (15 shops serving eclectic tastes), pools and a spa, a casino (but no poker room), and a gluttonous assortment of fine dining and casual restaurants, and numerous bars.  Of the thirteen restaurants, two highlights are the China Poblano fusion of Chinese-Mexican, and Jaleo with its featured Tapas.  One stunning option is The Chandelier with three unique bar experiences to accommodate a variety of tastes and moods:  high energy hot spot, sophisticated cocktailing, and an inviting lounge.  Another great spot is the Book and Stage, described as "polished and comfortable", it combines entertainment with the sports book.  Bund is a unique mix of LED light art, live performances and upbeat music.  There is also the Nightclub and Dayclub with over 60,000 square feet for "clubbing", and it features a fifty foot ceiling.  Three pools again provide for a variety of tastes and moods, including the Bamboo pool which offers discreet havens and a degree of seclusion if the guest is so inclined.  

Another distinctive feature of the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas is the parking garage.  Other than the Palazzo, it is the only hotel in Las Vegas to feature an underground parking lot. 

  

The Bellagio

It's big!  It's bad!  It's bella!  One of the most remarkable hotels on the Las Vegas strip is without a doubt the Bellagio.  It has a huge presence that to some may even seem overwhelming.  While it is a resort with some seriously significant substance, it is not necessarily everyone's cup of tea...uh, espresso.  But, of course, in the end that depends on your personal taste and what it is you are looking for in terms of your home away from home for your Las Vegas Vacation.

The Bellagio is modeled after the municipality in the Province of Como in the Italian region of Lombardy, and it even includes an eight-acre reproduction of Lake Como that fronts Las Vegas Boulevard.  The lake is the site of the Bellagio Water Fountains.  These fabulous and free shows feature lights, undulating and dancing fountains that shoot as high as 250', and a variety of operatic, classical and broadway music.  The shows go off every half hour from from 3:00-8:00pm and every fifteen minutes after 8:00 until midnight Monday through Friday, and every half hour from noon until 8:00pm and every fifteen minutes after 8:00 until midnight on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.  Shows may be canceled if there are high winds.  

Lobby Decoration

Bellagio Lobby

The Bellagio was opened in 1998 at a cost of 1.6 billion dollars, and it began the new era of modern luxury resorts in Las Vegas.  It has a definite Euro flavor, with a European-styled pool area and spa, and European-styled casino.  It has a presence to it that shouts "Big!" but it also strikes some visitors as being less personal than some competitive hotel resorts such as the Paris Las Vegas, which is directly across the street.  The hotel has 3,993 rooms, and it is vast and ideal for people who like to walk.

Lobby With Dale Chihuly Glass Sculpture

The lobby area has a botanical theme and is an incredible sight to behold.  It features the Fiori di Como, a ten million dollar Dale Chihuly glass sculpture of 2,000 handblown flowers.  The sculpture is thirty by seventy feet and was the largest glass sculpture in the world when it was made.  

Another notable feature of the hotel is the Bellagio Conservatory which continues the botanical theme.  It is a 14,000 square foot indoor garden with a glass ceiling.  The plant and flower displays get freshened every day and arrangements vary and reflect the seasons and holidays.  Just like the Bellagio Water Fountain shows, the Bellagio Conservatory can be enjoyed free and makes a great draw for frugal Las Vegas vacationers, regardless of where you are staying.  The reported cost of maintaining the conservatory reportedly runs well into the millions of dollars every year!


Not surprising for a fancy and posh resort, the Bellagio has extensive options for wining and dining.  In addition to more casual choices, there are five fine dining restaurants:  Michael Mina, Jasmine, Prime Steakhouse, and the AAA 5 Diamond award winners La Cirque, and the Picasso which features paintings and ceramic works by the great artist.  Guests can also wine, dine and feel fine with themed wine and cooking experiences at the Epicurean Epicenter.  And for people looking to give in to the desires of their sweet tooth,  the Jean-Philippe Patisserie should provide everything you need.  It has a very cool twenty-seven foot tall chocolate fountain, and an even more cool Flying Saucer manned by giant chocolate space-bunnies.

Chocolate Bunnies From Outer Space at the Jean-Philippe Patisserie

Another excellent stop on a Las Vegas vacation is the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.  Okay, this one's not free, but it has some really great retrospective shows featuring all kinds of art from photographs to Monet paintings.  The gallery originally showed off artworks owned by Steve Wynn, the original owner of the Bellagio.  The Bellagio Conservatory and the Bellagio Art Gallery offer a nice counterpoint and respite from the standard high energy-charged activities of the Strip.  The gardens are free to experience, and the gallery is practically free with an entrance fee of less than twenty dollars, about the cost of one typical hand of blackjack in the European-styled casino.  The casino is a big one, and yes there is sports betting as well as two poker rooms along with typical table games and an endless sea of slot machines.

Scenic Ceiling of Umbrellas Hanging Like Bats in a Colorful Cave

The Bellagio is a Las Vegas vacation pick for visitors looking for big, elegant and posh, but who do not mind an environment that can lean toward impersonal.