Las Vegas - Disney for Adults?

The Luxor, The Bellagio, The Venetian, MGM Grand, the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Ceasars Palace, the Strip, the M&M Store, La Cantina (resturant), the casinos, and the winnings.

Quick Tips:

During summer months, bring light clothing, drink plenty of water, and don't overdo yourself. As for gambling, on any given day, bring only what you plan on spending. This will help cut down on overspending/gambling.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way would be walking. However, if you have low tolerance to heat, there are taxi's at all the major hotels. There is a monorail system set up for the main part of the strip.

I loved our room. We had a room in the pyramid, which was a treat. As I walked in the room, I found that there was a deep Egyptian theme, with light beige tones on the walls, carpeting, and drapes. There was a very large armoire that also had an Egyptian theme. It was a beautiful honey color and housed a standard TV/ironing board/hangers.

The bathroom was above standard. The counter hand MORE than enough room for two people. The shower was also very spacious. Housekeeping kept more than the average amount of towels in the bathroom, which was nice.

The view from the room varies. The view we had was of the two towers and the back of the Excalibur hotel. Overall, the room was great. The hotel, in general, was very large and had a bit for everyone. For kids, they have IMAX movies and an arcade. For adults, they have their nightclub/bars and, of course, the casino. Another perk of this hotel is that it is connected to the Mandalay Bay and Excalibur via walkways or the tram.

This was the only buffet that we went to, and it was great. At check-in at the Luxor, you receive a packet of coupons. In it, there is a 2-for-1 lunch buffet ticket. The lunch buffet had every type of salad (Caesar, house, spinach, potato, mushroom, etc.). It had main dishes, like fried chicken and fish, and Chinese, Mexican, and German cuisine. I could go on forever.

The staff is very helpful. Once you pay for your buffet, a server seats you at your table and comes back often to refill drinks. The buffet is found on the lower level of the hotel and can be entered via the casino. I have also heard that their breakfast buffet is great.

Our group had a preplanned reception at this restaurant following a wedding at the Bellagio. Our dinner was made up of three courses. The first course was a Caesar salad that tasted, as though it had either feta or blue cheese in it. That gave it a different taste, but it was good. The second course was either chicken parm or a pasta dish. I had the chicken parm, and it was great. They served very large portions. The third course was dessert, which was vanilla and chocolate crème brule. Everything was great. I would recommend a reservation, as there was a line forming at 5pm.

Well, this restaurant was interesting (to me) to say the least. This was my first experience with fine dining. The restaurant itself had a theme of being inside a circus tent. It had a very colorful and playful interior. The ceiling was draped with red and gold fabric to make it look as though you were in the tent. Above the kitchen there was a mechanical monkey with a ball on its head going across a high wire. It was very cute. The majority of the tables in the restaurant have a great view of the Bellagio Fountains, which, after dark, go off very 15 minutes. It is absolutely beautiful.

The menu is very diverse. They have everything from Italian pizza to roasted duck to pasta. BE AWARE that the prices do meet the fine-dining label and portions do not always match this. However, they do make appetizer portions for a lower cost. I had Ravioli di Mamma Egi in the smaller portion. This dish consisted of ravioli stuffed with sheep's milk ricotta, spinach, and sage butter sauce. The smaller portion, for me, was plenty. They have a full menu on their website via the Bellagio. I would recommend it if you haven't had a fine-dinning experience, but I don't think I would go back.

The tour begins at your meeting point. Ours was the hotel next to the Luxor, at the Excaliber. From there, the driver took us to a meeting point where we received a free continental breakfast and paid for our tour. At this point, we went onto another bus and headed for the Grand Canyon. The ride was about 4 1/2 to 5 hours both ways, but the views were great. We traveled over the Hoover Dam, which is very cool at night.

The Grand Canyon is awesome. As you drive up to the rim, you are surrounded by woodland. You can't actually see the canyon until there it is, in all it's glory. The colors are amazing. There is red, orange, and white, with green grass weaved in between. Just the enormity of it all is just amazing. We also enjoyed watching the animals in their space; chipmunks and ravens are fun to watch. After about an hour, we traveled to another point of the canyon for further exploration.

The bus driver/tour conductor was very nice. He had a very dry sense of humor, but kept it fun. On the way to and from the canyon, he played two movies and the radio. I was exhausted by the time we returned to the hotel, but it was well worth it.

Like everything at the Bellagio, the Cirque Du Soleil theatre is amazing. You walk into the theatre and find this ceiling-to-floor red curtain. The tone in the theatre is dark, with hints of blue lights on the ceiling. Everything was very beautiful; it gave it a mystical feeling (in my opinion).

I went with a group of nine friends. Our seats were on the balcony in the EE section. The seats may seem like bad seats if you look at the Cirque's seating map on their website, but that is not the case. To be honest, I can't say that there would be a bad seat in the place. From our view, we were able to see everything.

The show itself was amazing. I have seen two other Cirque shows, and they do not disappoint. The show starts off (like the other shows) with two clowns playing with the audience. They basically are warming up the audience. The show begins with a woman coming out of the smoke from the ceiling. It was very beautiful, and the show never stops from there. Since this show deals with a lot of water performances, the seats in the balcony are the best.

If you haven't seen a Cirque show, definitely see this one. OR, if there is a show near you, go see it - you will not be disappointed.

I have always heard about the fountains. Everyone who has been to Las Vegas absolutely loved them. I now know why. I first viewed them from dinner at the Circo resturant. In the evening, the lighting on the water is great. However, from inside the building, I was unable to hear the beautiful music that went along with the show.

I was then able to view them during the day. The day view is still beautiful however the night is just a touch better. Anyway. The view was great. We caught the show on the walkway from the Ventian to the Bellagio. A semi-top view of the show. They did two fountain performances. The first one was with a Barbara Streisand and Frank Sinatra song (the title I cannot remember), but then they did a song I knew well, and it brings me to tears everytime I hear it. It was the version of "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. Absolutely beautiful.

If you are in Las Vegas, you NEED to see this.

I have to admit, this is a pretty good replica of the Eiffel Tower. According to the employees, this is a half-scale model of the original, and everything down to the paint color is copied from the real Eiffel Tower. The cost of this sight is $9 per person and is well worth it. At the top of Paris Las Vegas' Eiffel Tower you get 360-degree views of Las Vegas and the surrounding mountains. This is also a great spot to view the Bellagio fountains as they are over looking them. I would suggest that people take the chance to go up to the top... you will not be disappointed.

This was a very small but informative museum of King Tut and his tomb in Egypt. They have an exact replica of King Tut's Tomb as it was discovered in early 1900s. There is everything from a copy of the sarcophagus that King Tut was found in along with jewelry and figurines with the King.

Tickets for the museum can be purchased at any Ticket stand in the Luxor. Also, this tour/museum is self guided with a headset that is given upon entry. It is my belief that anyone under the age of 13 (if that young) would find this somewhat uninteresting. If the parents want to go to the museum, there is the arcade right next door for kids to play in.

The majority of the IMAX movies found at the Luxor are informational or documentary based. The two IMAX 3D films I saw were enjoyable. The 3D just enhances the films. Both movies cost $9.99 per person and would be good for kids above the age of 6 yrs old. However, there are package deals where you can purchase all the IMAX movies for a bulk price, which if I recall was $49.99. The IMAX films were a nice change of pace from the hot weather outside.

Wow, if this is what the real Venice looks like, I want to go. When I came into this hotel, I came through the ground level. Everything starting off was great. I then moved to the second level and my jaw dropped. There I saw the gondola's, the architecture, blue skies, and shops. Just walking around you are amazed that this is on the second level. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to take a ride on one of the gondolas, but it looked like a treat.

On my last day in Vegas, we hit all the major hotels that we wanted to see. The Mirage was the last one on the list. And I wasn't disappointed. We were also able to view the famous white tigers. They are just beautiful animals. They do have scheduled times for viewing so please check before going. The casino was very nicely lit (dim like all others but above average). There were plenty of signs to keep you in the right direction. Overall, I would suggest visiting the Mirage. Be warned, crowds gather quickly for the tigers

This salon can be found at the Luxor Las Vegas near the elevators for the West Tower. If you would like to contact them, their number is 262-4000, ext. 5970 or 5971. My apology for not having the area code, as it is not listed on their price listing. I wanted to put a note on them since they were kind enough to take me without an appointment. I was in need of a manicure for a wedding I was going to the same day. I was pleasantly surprised that they were able to take me. Along with manicures/pedicures/hair, the salon also do facials, waxing, coloring for a relatively average price. I would highly recommend going there if needed--just please make an appointment.