Las Vegas

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For goodness’ sake, I’ve just read through this whole thread, and only realised it was from 2019 when I got to my own post!

I’m not sure what this says about my memory, but it’d be interesting to know what dogsmother made of Vegas.

Make sure you take a coat when you visit the canyon. Snow starts in November.

What an exciting sounding holiday! I haven’t been but everyone I know who has been raves about the Grand Canyon.

It will all be a wonderful distraction from all the goings on here.

Please tell everyone here how you got on upon your return!

As this thread is a year old the OP will have been and made up her own mind.
We visited there on the way to the Grand Canyon which is awesome (in the true meaning of the word).
As for Vegas, wild horses couldn’t get me back there.
Tacky, tacky, tacky!.

I can only agree with the positive comments, it’s a great fun place. A bit like Disney Land for adults!
We went for New Year, so extra special.
Weather wise it’s warm during the day, but as it’s a desert climate it can be chilly at night and wandering along The Strip in the dark is a must. It’s the city that never sleeps.
Have a great time.

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I forgot to say, the Stratosphere’s Sky Lounge has two for one on both cocktails and lovely food platters from 4 till 7. Another recommendation, especially if you like seafood, is the Bubba Gump restaurant, which has a great view over the strip.

Oh, I really want to go again now!

Oh, I’m sure you’ll have fun, dogmother, I’ve only met one person who didn’t. All my favourites have been mentioned, apart from cocktails at the Stratosphere, which work out cheaper than just paying to go up for the view. I leant on the glass up there, Ferris Bueller style, and had to be physically hauled back by two friends. We stayed at the Paris, and I’d recommend their breakfast buffet, but time the Bellagio one with unlimited champagne right and you can segue from breakfast to lunch (they put different food out - there’s lots of lovely seafood if you like it). We saw Rod Stewart, who fills in regularly at Caesar’s Palace. He was fab and even encouraged people to go up on stage for photos while he was singing. Grab yourself a massive cocktail in a souvenir cup (I’ve still got my Paris balloon) and have a flutter for goodness’ sake. I lost a fair bit on the roulette tables but made it all up and more on the last night. I put 5 dollars in a fruit machine, played for 30 exciting minutes and won over 200. ? Oh, and do the sky walk at the Grand Canyon. The Hoover Dam wasn’t a highlight for me. Have fun!

I've never fancied Las Vegas (sleazy?) but my DH has always wanted to go. After reading all your positive comments, I'm all fired up for going!!
I visited the Grand Canyon many years ago whilst touring California, and have made the helicopter trip AND the mule ride (hairy!) but again DH has never been, so maybe 2020 is the year to do it.

It's great fun with so much to do and see and as others have said a visit to the Hoover Dam is a must - quite a spectacular feat of engineering.

The Grand Canyon is beyond words - except to say I did it the hard way, down to the base and back on the back of a mule!

The OP asked for advice - I don't know why po-faced people come on and sniff when they've never been!

Did a California tour for our silver wedding anniversary in 1997. Pleased that I can say I have visited Las Vegas, but not somewhere I would re-visit. It felt very safe which I was not expecting. Also poured with rain which was unusual. Also recommend a visit to the Hoover Dam.

It's worth looking down at the ground now and again, too, Dogsmother - we found cash just lying around! As we don't gamble, we felt we'd made a profit on the deal.

The Hoover Dam, an amazing feat of engineering. Absolutely spectacular!

I didn't expect to like our five days there, but I loved it! Totally different from any other place I have been. I feel no need to go there again but am so glad I've seen it. The Bellagio fountains are marvellous, just walking up and down the Strip is a life experience in itself.
I even loved the huge hotel, the Hilton, and got lost several times. The food was great, such a choice of restaurants and fast food joints, and the entertainment, and I loved having a go on the fruit machines.... I won $9 !
I hope you have a marvellous time.

You'll have a great time, dogsmother!

Thank you to everyone ? links and tips happily accepted.
I’m rather looking forward to the trip now, all the movies to watch on the plane heading* there too ( don’t generally go to the cinema).
It’s making the most of our time now they’ve all left home.....
Who knows what this next chapter will bring.

I am not and never have been a gambler, but went to Las Vegas and loved it so much that we went again a couple of years later!
The scale of it is just unbelievable, and it doesn't have to cost much as a lot of the exhibits in the hotels are free, the food and drinks are subsidised and people watching costs nowt! Each hotel has several restaurants - the steak and burger restaurants are amazing. Most hotels have a shopping mall inside or joined onto them. I agree with the highlights others have mentioned - the fountain at Bellagio, the gondolas in the Venetian.
Take a good pair of trainers and a sun hat. Check out what shows are on. If the Blue Man Group are still there they are very good, also Penn and Teller, or for something more dramatic one of the Cirque du Soleil shows.
Personally I wouldn't bother with Fremont Street - found it a bit tacky and didn't feel safe there. It felt perfectly safe on the main Las Vegas strip where all the big hotels are. The only slight annoyance is the touts handing out cards for strip bars and prostitutes (even though we had our children with us!)
Finally you have to try a breakfast buffet - every food on this earth beautifully displayed (don't eat for a week beforehand!)

We stayed there for 3 days and thought it was well worth doing. We travelled down from Chicago to Kansas to visit relatives and to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary we flew from there and back on our own staying in the Stratosphere (with a roller coster on the roof!). The whole place is over the top and amazing but we enjoyed it as a "once in a lifetime" experience. We did a day tour booked with an agency after we arrived which included the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. As I had no intention of going on a helicopter this suited us fine. I find that the people that are critical of it are the ones who have never visited. I would echo jude2006s post above and I'm sure you will have a great time.

It's my idea of hell too but many people enjoy going to Vegas - as did my friend who celebrated her 60th there. It takes all sorts.

My idea of a nightmare.
I politely refused an invitation to a 40th birthday jaunt next year. DD and DiL are going.

DD goes to La Vegas regularly, stays at one of the gambling jhotels because they are so much cheaper and so are the drinks. Neither DD not her friend are gambleres but they use Las Vegas as an inexpensive base for going out each day to visit all kinds of local sites, They have done the Grand Canyon, but their are ghost towns, wonderful landscape and many other things to do.

Here is a link to a site that lists some notaboutthemiles.com/best-things-to-do-in-las-vegas/

Thanks everyone, I had tried to discount the the Hoover Dam but now it seems I might have to fit this in too. Also fit a show in.....

We went on a tour around the national parks a few years ago and flew into Las Vegas and stayed for a couple of nights at the Luxor Hotel. I was dreading Las Vegas thinking how tacky it would be, and dangerous, how mistaken I was,
it was fabulous, so much to see and do.
You could spend weeks there and still not see everything. Just make sure you pack good walking shoes, you can walk miles. The shopping is wonderful so make sure you allow for the added weight in your luggage allowance.
We enjoyed Las Vegas so much we have been back and stayed longer. One of the places that I remember well for a great view over the strip at night is the cocktail lounge on the top floor of The Rio hotel, and also the world buffet held there which wasn't expensive and where we have never seen so much food to choose from.
Hotels have been mentioned above which are all great, but another favourite was Caesars Palace where we went to see Elton John's concert, which was fabulous. I know he isn't there now but they usually have someone very well known appearing.
I hope you enjoy your holiday, and have a great and unforgettable time.

Some friends eloped & got married there by an Elvis impersonator! Well, not really eloped as they were only just on the right side of forty, they just didn't tell anyone what they were up to. In fact we thought they were going to Portugal on their hols as per usual.
The idea of organising a wedding & reception was just a bit much so they spent the money running away to Vegas to get married instead. They'd been living together for ages and didn't need toasters or a present list at John Lewis. No-one had the slightest idea they were going to get married. The groom wore blue suede shoes.