What Happens in Vegas…
It’s purely coincidence that a movie with this title opened in theaters the very day that I went to Las Vegas last week. And I am going to break with this tradition and tell you about the things I saw and did while I was there.
Creature comforts are plentiful in ‘Sin City’-every hotel boasts a swimming pool, a buffet, spa, and, oh yes, it’s own casino. It’s quite easy to indulge oneself in every way without even leaving your hotel. But if you should choose to wander ‘The Strip’, Las Vegas’ main street that is lined with the largest casinos, I have some recommendations of sights you may want to see.
Start at Treasure Island, a pirate themed casino. Each night they stage a live action show featuring three full sized pirate ships that wage war on each other, complete with plenty of swordplay and booming cannon fire.
Immediately next door, the Mirage has a volcano that goes off once an hour after dark. Lava spews from the mountain and spreads across a verdant oasis in a mock eruption. It’s quite impressive to watch.
Walk a short way south to the Bellagio and you can enjoy the ‘Dancing Waters’ show.
Every half hour the fountains in front of the hotel will perform to a beautiful piece of classical music. Each presentation is different, new music and new choreography. An added benefit is the cool mist coming off the water while you watch under the hot desert sun.
Farther away, in the old part of Las Vegas, you can find the ‘Fremont Street Experience’. For three city blocks, the area covering Fremont Street is covered with a canopy of lights that project a music video each hour. The shows are clever, featuring loud music and scantily dressed dancers. The enclosed area, with casinos on each side, reminded me of Mardi Gras in New Orleans with its party like atmosphere.
While I was wandering through Fremont Street, I happened on a live performance of the band Everclear, they were singing for the Miss Hawaiian Tropic beauty pageant on a stage set up in the middle of the street. Hundreds of beautiful and tan bikini clad women filled the stage between their sets and signed autographs before and after the taping of the ‘live show’.
Well there you have it, what happened in Vegas last weekend. I am sure there are millions of things I missed but each of these activities I mentioned is completely free. The trick is to get past the millions of slot machines and table games without spending your life savings.