Bright Light City Gonna Set My Soul On Fire

 

Las Vegas Strip - Paradise, NV

    Let me tell you a little about my city: it's bold and bright all day and night, full of passion and talent from the streets to theater seats, with culinary wonder and spas that replenish and restore! I love it all and it ALL is what I wish to do and see!

Las Vegas - More than the Strip

    
    Do you know everything this brilliant area has to offer? I have spent the last nine months learning just that and it is vast! Here's a little overview of the area:
    See that vertical yellow line in the middle, running alongside Interstate 15? That is the Strip with all your most notable hotels and casinos - MGM Grand, The Luxor, The Bellagio, Paris, etc. It is also now home to T-Mobile Arena where the Vegas Golden Knights play and Allegiant Stadium, home to the Raiders and Super Bowl 2024.
    The arrow above the strip, pointing between the "s" and "V" of Las Vegas is Fremont Street, the original strip, where Vegas Vic still resides along with The Golden Nugget, Four Queens, the new adults only Circa, and the famous zip line - SlotZilla.
    To the far right, you will see the Hoover Dam. The Arrow pointing off the map to the left is out where Pahrump Winery is. Also circled to the right are Red Rock Canyon National Park and Mount Charleston with his iconic peak resting at 11,916 feet.
    And last but not least, the tiny circle at the top of the map is Providence. This is where I rest my head at night. Despite living in a desert, there is a surprising amount of weather we experience! Just last month, I was caught outside with hail! It has been cool or cold since November and will start to warm up middle of this month. The record breaking summer heat you hear about only lasts a few weeks with the total high heat of summer being three months long. Everything else is just lovely mild temperatures with all the vitamin D you can handle! I have a beautiful view of the Strip and all the surrounding mountains and for the first time in my life since leaving the East Coast, no mosquitos! 

Now, where should I start...

The theater of course!

    The first show I ever saw here, on my first visit, was Criss Angel's Mindfreak at the Luxor; it's currently hosted at Planet Hollywood. I did what South Park taught us not to do... sat through a time share presentation. I was 21 and funds were as you would expect so three hours of my time in exchange for free show tickets was a great deal! Totally worth it but I would not do it again 😄! Anyways, that started my trend of seeing a show every visit. In addition to Mindfreak, I've seen Ka, The Beatles Love, and O twice (yes, it's that good). The Cirque Du Soleil performers are incredibly impressive and you would not believe the stage décor and function. I wish I could show more photos or videos but no photography or videography during the performance! Lots of artists have residencies here and pop up even just for a concert or two. Next on my list is Celine Dion; she would be my first artist that I've seen out here (excluding the tribute band Alter Ego). 

    Speaking of Alter Ego, let me touch on Fremont Street. You may hear some bad reviews or complaints of the homeless here but having been places like Chicago and Fredericksburg, Virginia, I can honestly say I've seen way worse. Actually, over the last decade that I've been visiting this area, it's come a long way and I never thought it was bad to begin with. The Fremont Street Experience is covered in the world's largest video screen: "16.4 million brilliant pixels". SlotZilla zipline goes down the length of this; I did it back in the day but they recently enhanced the screen to be even brighter and higher quality so I'll have to go again! The casinos on this strip are great for gambling as the slots can be quite a bit looser and the tables have lower minimums. There are street performers and free concerts and all types of events. I highly recommend spending at least one day into night here.

The Mob Museum

    One street over from The Fremont Street Experience, is the iconic Mob Museum. What a cool place this was! I haven't stopped talking about it! This is an absolute must see and do when you visit Vegas. I never thought I was a nerd about mafia history but I guess all those years of The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire finally caught up with me. To learn about the history of organized crime in the US is mind-blowing and then the artifacts this museum has is unbelievable! Vegas origins are deep in mob history too. If you know anything about the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and the execution that took place, you'll want to see that wall I'm standing in front of - those are the actual bricks! I probably shouldn't be smiling but we did start this tour with the Distillery and made in-house moonshine tasting😊. Give yourself at least three hours here plus more if you do more than one add on experience (they have a crime lab too). 

    

    Just looking at this collage, I can smell the beautiful flora that fills this atrium. If you've heard about Vegas, you've heard about the Bellagio and most likely their garden display. I try to visit every time they change it. Before I lived in this city, the gardens were a nice break from the cigarette smoke that fills most casinos so I always made it a point to stop in. The work and detail that goes in to these displays is so impressive and they always acquire their plants from local gardeners and suppliers. The Bellagio Hotel has newly renovated suites with sustainability in mind (the carpet is organic!) that will elevate your stay with views of the famous fountains or Las Vegas Valley. The fridges are also large enough now to hold a whole bottle of champagne without disturbing the notoriously expensive mini bar!

    Now the food and drink in Vegas is what has been unexpected in my opinion. Over the last few years or so, the city has made it a point to become known for it's culinary offerings. Let me tell you, it does not disappoint! And you know what? The pricing has been extremely fair/reasonable! 

    Mon Ami Gabi has the perfect view of the Bellagio Fountains with patio or indoor seating. Service was top notch, wines were rich and smooth, and the food was perfection with a focus on optimizing simple yet delectable flavors. I never thought I would enjoy steak and frites on the level I did here.

    On Thanksgiving, we enjoyed a full course meal at Amalfi by Bobby Flay (pictured is the chocolate hazelnut dessert, far left). This restaurant is in Caesar's Palace and another I very much recommend; they helped us in a pinch during the holiday - fantastic service and food was fresh and delectable.

    Not pictured: Gordon Ramsey's in Paris and Eataly at The Park MGM (formerly the Monte Carlo and is now entirely non-smoking; three visits here so far!).

    Don't forget the drinks! The Chandelier Bar in the Cosmopolitan is and will always be my favorite place to have an original hand crafted cocktail. The 3-story chandelier you sit in the middle of adds just the right amount of fabulous to your evening. I've also enjoyed wine made right here in Nevada from Pahrump Winery - a zinfandel I found a little on the sweet side for my taste but still rich and flavorful. This post is already long enough, I will leave my review of alcohol at that!

    
    Sports! Who knew?! Right after the culinary boom, the sports industry infiltrated the city and is determined, and I believe already successful, to put Vegas on the map for your top sports arenas. From motor racing, to baseball, football, hockey, UFC, college, Super Bowl '24, NFL Draft '22, et cetera et cetera. Little known fact about myself, I LOVE hockey. It doesn't take much to get me amped at a game but let me tell you what, T-Mobile Arena will pump you UP! The music, sound effects, entertainers, a passionate crowd, and an awesome team make for a high adrenalin night! I also made it to Allegiant Stadium for the East West Shrine Bowl (the West won😏). Beautiful stadium, I just need to figure out how to get those seats for a Steelers and Raiders game.

Mount Charleston & Cathedral Rock

    Wrapping it up, I'll take you to the Spring Mountains. Lots of great views, hiking trails, picnicking, and skiing. If you come during the fall, the foliage is quite beautiful when the leaves start to turn. During the summer, these areas are a great place to get a break from the heat.

    I really enjoyed the dinosaur fossil display up near Cathedral Rock which is about 7,000' elevation and across from Charleston's peak (photo to the far right). It's crazy to think this whole area used to be under water; an ocean hundreds of millions of years ago.

    Spring Mountain Preserve is in the midst of Red Rock Canyon. The rocks and colors here are like nothing I've ever seen before. This park has great trails for beginners or young ones and picnic areas that are also used for yoga classes. We didn't get a chance to go in to the old ranch house turned museum but I'm sure the history there is really cool; I'll be sure to stop in next time.

    My main desire moving here was to be surrounded by something grand and immense; I certainly got it from every aspect - city life full of indulgence and entertainment to the freshest of air in the wilderness and towering mountains.

    Las Vegas is one of the top tourist destinations in the United States and I certainly know many reasons why! Call on me, your friendly neighborhood travel advisor, and I'll take you out on the town or out of town! 

*Up Next: a Boozy Tea Party at the former Studio 54, Top Golf, an Aviators baseball game, and a stay-cation at Green Valley Ranch - a locals resort & casino!

What happens here, only happens here.™ #onlyvegas

To learn more or to book your next trip, visit my website here!