Las Vegas has become one of America’s most popular
family getaway destinations. Although the city is renowned for its casinos,
there is more to do outside the casinos than one can fit in a single visit. The
region’s many offerings include first-rate entertainers, restaurants owned by
celebrity chefs from around the world, theme parks, lavish shopping plazas,
museums, and spectacular geologic wonders nearby.
The hotels themselves are some of Las Vega’s most
spectacular sights. From the Fountain Show at the Bellagio, to the dragon in
the moat at Excalibur, to the full – scale pirate ship battle at Treasure
Island to the erupting volcano at Mirage
each hotel-casino tries to outdo one another for sheer spectacle. The
Hotel New York, New York replicates the city’s skyline, while the
Egyptian-themed Luxor is a giant pyramid looked over by a sphinx. Las Vegas
handles its enormous influx of tourists by offering rooms of all varieties at
all price points.
The Freemont Street Experience is the state of
original Las Vegas, is still thriving today. Many older, nostalgic hotels are
located there, as well as a whole variety of shopping choices and movie
theaters. The highlight of Fremont Street is the pedestrian promenade and its
one-of-a-kind laser light and sound show.
There are seemingly endless food choices. Always
popular are the many buffets, which offer good food and prices. Several
restaurants are ranked by some guides among the top twenty in the world,
including Picasso at Bellagio and Renoir at The Mirage. Other choices include
fun theme restaurants, 50s-style diners, and just about every kind of
international cuisine imaginable.
Beyond the neon lies the beauty of the Mojave Desert.
Just a short distance outside the city limits are spectacular sites for hiking,
climbing and observing wildlife. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is
a range of cliffs canyons, gorges and streams that is great for hiking. The
wind-carved sandstone gorges of Valley of Fire State Park is also nearby. Lake
Powell, Hoover Dam and The Grand Canyon are all within driving distance.
Las Vegas is a city unlike any other in the world. Its
reason for being is to entertain and there is enough to dazzle without even
setting foot inside a casino. Still, it does require a measure of self-discipline
to resist over-indulgence. Much of the city is artificial and glitzy, while
other places are elegant and spectacular and each have their own appeal. All of
Las Vegas is a dazzling experience, a true escape from reality that offers
enough sensory overload to make it one of the most unique destinations in the
world.
