Unmatched
for spectacle and showmanship, Las Vegas has vaulted past New York City as live
entertainment capital of the world. Neon marquees, star-studded nightclubs and
the storybook architecture of billion dollar resorts dot the landscape. If you
are visiting the first time in 7 or 8 years you might even ask the taxi driver
to slow down as you pass the Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, Roman Coliseum,
and the canals of Venice. It’s a kind of Disneyland for adults.Before
gambling was legalized, Las Vegas was little more than a cactus-laden train stop
in the desert between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Today, the latest magnificent
casino resorts on the Strip costs a staggering $1.6 billion. Even the condo market
near the Strip has heated up faster than you can say "You’re Fired."
Gambling (or "Gaming" if your prefer) and entertainment industry made
its grand excess the envy of tourism bureaus worldwide. Gambling brings in so
much money from Free shows to the public Families should note that Las Vegas features
several roller coasters, Gameworks, free shows, and various children’s activities.
From
a visitor’s standpoint, the only issue with Las Vegas is its carefree destruction
of historic sites to build mega-resorts. The flip side is that M.O. makes Vegas
a gregarious playground for the mind-boggling Mirage, Treasure Island, Caesar’s
Palace, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Luxor, Excalibur, Paris, The Venetian, Monte
Carlo, Mandalay Bay, Aladdin, Sahara, Stratosphere and Bellagio casino resorts.
Flashy stage and lounge shows at the older casino resorts rank high on the "must
experience scorecard" too. All dazzle in their own way!
Unfortunately,
the historic Moulin Rouge Casino & Hotel was destroyed by fire, just as many
anticipated its overdue return. Counter-balancing that news, the new owner of
Fitzgerald's downtown is the first African American to own a major casino &
hotel in Vegas. We all await his next move with the casino. You also have a getaway
black spa for all you special trips to Vegas.
Aside from the jaw-dropping
casino resorts and Cirque du Soleil shows on the Strip, take advantage of the
world-class golfing, horseback riding in Red Rock Canyon national forests, site-seeing
at Hoover Dam and river boating in Lake Mead. Another little known family and
ecotourism attraction is the Valley of Fire State Park 30 miles outside of town.
See millions of years of natural land erosion in sandy pastel colors and jutting
rock formations. There you have it with a stretch, a historic link between nature,
culture and gambling. That’s so Las Vegas
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your
favorite charity & receive full fair market value
