Vegas Baby, I'm going to Vegas

[MTK]

Next week to get married! We've got about 40 family and friends all flying out to party it up!

For those of you that have been there, what are some of the sights I should see? Anything off the beaten path that typical tourists don't know about?

I'm also interested in some mellow bars to hang in, not interested in doing the "club filled with smoke with dance music cranking with strobe light thing".

[NY_Skinsfan]

The Bunny Ranch....heard it can be a lot of fun...

Seriously though, congrats on getting married.

[Gmanc711]

Congrats Matty!! I've been to Vegas when I was like 15/16 yrs old, my parents are actually there as I write this. However; defintley check out the "Mall" in ceasers pallace (I think that is where its located, correct me if I'm wrong). Its got a very cool show, and its all antiquish in the setup, very cool if you need somthing to waste time during the day. The City as a whole is pretty surreal if you've never been there before, its very cool. Congrats again.

[Redskins_P]

Never been to Vegas, but congrats on getting married!

[RedskinRat]

Congratulations.

I agree with Gman, I always stick with the Forum shops in Caesars Palace, you'll be a lot happier and you get to come home with something.

So much to do in Vegas these days that anything you want will be catered for. Hey, they have bungy jumping! What a perfect way to tie the knot.....

[onlydarksets]

Congrats! I was there last weekend for a bachelor party - I am still recovering. Jimmy Buffet's upstairs bar can be chill (it's near the Flamingo on the strip). Harrah's has an outdoor bar with live music that's cool.

[sportscurmudgeon]

Matty:

Congratulations on getting married. I've been to Vegas many times and have never had a bad time. I've had some bad weekends at the tables and with the ponies, but never a bad time.

I presume you will be focusing your attention on The Strip; that's a lot classier than downtown. If you do wander off downtown, check out Binions because that's where the WSOP is held and there is some "history" there. The rest of the downtown scene is ordinary.

Monte Carlo is a classy place. Bellagio and the Venetian are waaay upscale. Caesars and The Mirage are wonderful places and Harrah's can be a lot of fun. I don't like MGM Grand or Paris or NY/NY because they tend to be dark and noisy. Mirage is dark but not nearly as noisy. If I'm going to have to concentrate to see my blackjack cards because they don't turn up the lights, at least I want some quiet so I can concentrate...

Where are you staying?

Will you be making a futures bet on the Skins to win the Super Bowl?

If you are going to do one of the casino buffets, the one at Bellagio and the one at the Mirage are MUCH better than all the others. Do NOT eat at the Imperial Palace; in fact, don't waste any time at the Imperial Palace. The only thing the IP is good for is its NFL weekends where they use the large theater and have a really good set of TV displays. Everything else is pretty bad.

[MTK]

Thanks guys

Yeah I just might have to lay down some $$ on the Skins, hey why not?!

[Daseal]

Wow - congrats Matty! Have a blast, and report back to us pronto!

[redrock-skins]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Next week to get married! We've got about 40 family and friends all flying out to party it up!

For those of you that have been there, what are some of the sights I should see? Anything off the beaten path that typical tourists don't know about?

I'm also interested in some mellow bars to hang in, not interested in doing the "club filled with smoke with dance music cranking with strobe light thing".

1st off congrats! Off the beaten path, I'd go with Red Rock Canyon (Hence my username, which I kept from my Vegas days). It is a half hour drive from the Strip to the west. Valley of Fire is a cool park about 45 minutes north. Zion Nat'l Park is 2 hours and Grand Canyon is 4 1/2 hours.

As for mellow bars, the Peppermill on the Strip (near Riviera I believe). Have a drink at the top of the Stratosphere also. They have a restaurant and bar up there. It is fine dining, but you can skip it and just go to the lounge and have a drink and take in the view. Star Trek the Experience has some really cool drinks in their bar also. Just a few suggestions, but no matter where you go, you will find plenty of mellow bars along the way.

[BDBohnzie]

congrats matty! i can definitely relate, as I took the plunge on April 1 to my fiancee (we'd been together 5 years as of April 1, and got married on that anniversary).

never been to Vegas ('cept for the normal stop over flying to and from Cali), so i'm of no help there...

[Daseal]

April Fools - Do I even want to ask how you guys met?!

To never forget your aniversary - just remember. Sean Taylors birthday!

[EEich]

Congratulations, Matty!

[Schneed10]

Tourist Attractions:
- Redrock (already mentioned by redrock)
- Lake Meade & Boulder Dam (aka Hoover dam) 45 minutes away. rent a car and go yourself or take a bus tour (ask the concierge at your hotel)
- I'll be in Vegas in August, and plan to hit the grand canyon by bus tour. Takes all day, 80 bucks a ticket, 8 hours of driving round trip, 3 hours spent at the canyon.

Shows:
- If you want to see an expensive show, go with "O" at the Bellagio. It's a cirque-du-soleil type experience, with magic and acrobatics and pyrotechnics. Will wow you, for $120 a ticket.
- I suggest the Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur. $45 a ticket gets you dinner & a show. Dinner is a cornish hen, soup, broccoli, and bread served medeivel style (no utensils, eat with your hands). The show is just like the scene from Cable Guy. Root for your knight to win the tournament, cheer him on.

Buffets:
- The top-ranked Vegas buffets are
1) Spice Market Buffet at the Aladdin Casino (huge assortment)
2) the buffet at the Paris casino (varied cuisine, french specialties)
3) the buffet at the Bellagio
4) the buffet at Mandalay Bay (seafood galore)

Reviews on the Bellagio's go either way, some love it, some say it's way overrated. I liked it. All of them are $20 or so per person for all you can eat. For a cheaper one, DEFINITELY hit The Orleans off the strip for their cajun style food. Only $9.99. Try to go on steak & crawfish night.

Getting Around:
- Free tram behind Mandalay Bay, the Luxor, and the Bellagio connecting them.
- Monorail behind MGM Grand running just about the entire strip, $2 per ride.
- Bus rides up and down the strip, $2 per ride.
- To get off the strip, gotta take a cab.

I'm not a bar & club guy, but I hear the top of the Stratosphere is a sight to behold.

[Schneed10]

Cool things to do for free:
- Fountain show in front of the Bellagio, every night just after it gets dark
- Pirates of the Caribbean pyrotechnics show in front of the treasure island, every night just after it gets dark
- Shark tank at Mandalay Bay, open anytime
- Walk the canal at the Venetian (pay to ride in a gondola)
- Art galleries at the Venetian & the Bellagio (they might cost something, I dunno)
- Casinos you must at least walk through: Bellagio (especially if you like Ocean's Eleven), the Venetian (those Caesar looking statues aren't statues, look closely), and Paris (the ceiling will wow you)

Inexpesive Things to Do:
- Rollercoasters at New York New York, the Stratosphere, and the Sahara
- $1 blackjack at the Sahara