The Las Vegas Strip

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada 

The south end of the Las Vegas Strip

This is close to where the Las Vegas Strip begins, at Sunset Road. This sign used to be further north and I guess it will move again if the strip continues to expand to the south; although the proximity of McCarran Airport (airport code LAS) makes me wonder if that is feasible. The edge of airport property is behind a fence just a few feet east of Las Vegas Blvd. Besides the building height restrictions, there would be constant noise of flights overhead.

Las Vegas Blvd. between Sunset Road and the Stratosphere (or Sahara Ave., depending on who you ask) is commonly referred to as "the strip"... but Las Vegas Blvd. actually goes about 40 more miles past the Welcome sign and becomes a narrow dirt trail in the desert. Here are two photos I shot at the south end of Las Vegas Blvd. in March 2006.

I don't recall where the north end is although I drove that way once in the early 90s. I ended up in Arizona.

One odd fact about the Las Vegas strip is that it isn't in the city of Las Vegas. It's in the unincorporated township of Paradise. Las Vegas city limits are just south of the Stratosphere near Sahara Ave.

Drive Carefully 

Come Back Soon

Here's the back of the sign.

Mementos of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada sign (posters, greeting cards, tee shirts, etc.) are available here.

The Welcome Sign with Dice 

I think this is one of my best adaptations of a photo to apparel and other items... the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign with vector graphics of red dice.

Las Vegas stock images available for commercial use.

The Klondike 

... it used to be the Klondike

The Klondike property at 5191 Las Vegas Blvd South was demolished in March 2008.

Klondike Collectibles & Memorabilia 

Klondike Collectibles & Memorabilia

Own a piece of Las Vegas history.

Paramount Las Vegas 

Diamond Inn 

you can't miss the pink elephant

Diamond Inn is at 4605 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89119. Phone 702-736-2565.

Diamond Inn doesn't have a web site. It's a small motel with a small pool and a paper mache pink elephant on the front lawn. I don't think anyone stays here unless every other hotel and motel on the strip is sold out.

The Laughing Jackalope 

... not a high roller kind of place

The Laughing Jackalope Motel is at 3969 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV. Phone: 702-739-1915

If you walk north from where the Klondike used to be, then past Diamond Inn, the Laughing Jackalope is the next strip property you'll encounter. It's not like most of the strip properties though; it's a motel with a bar that has a few video poker machines. When there's a big convention in town and all the famous hotels are booked to capacity, you might find yourself checking in while the Jackalope laughs at you.

I don't think they have a web site either. If they do, I couldn't find it. I stopped here once for a beer while I was walking from Bally's to the "Welcome" sign to shoot photos. Rather than a low priced "locals" hangout, the Jackalope was charging $4.50 for a pint of standard domestic beer like everywhere else on the strip (this was in 2005, $4 to $6 per beer was the standard price range for most strip properties at that time.)

Mandalay Bay / THE hotel 

...and Four Seasons

Mandalay Bay (3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119. Phone 877-632-7800) is the first large strip property, or "megaresort" you'll see at the south end of the strip. THE hotel and Four Seasons are a part of Mandalay Bay too (the top four floors of Mandalay Bay's main tower IS Four Seasons, and Mandalay Bay's second room tower IS THEhotel), but they're marketed as separate properties. THEhotel is an all-suites tower and has its own parking garage. Four Seasons is more exclusive, and although located in the Mandalay Bay main tower, has its own private elevators and check in desk.

Mandalay Bay is huge and very nice. They have a tropical theme going on ... or I guess "south Pacific" would be more accurate, since Mandalay is a city in Burma (Myanmar), which is in between the Indian Ocean and China.

Mandalay Bay has a golf course, wave pool, artificial beach, gym, and tennis courts; they've got the House of Blues, 21 restaurants including Red Square, which has a huge selection of vodkas and a bar topped with a sheet of ice; and the ubiquitous Starbucks. (I can remember a time when there were no Starbucks in Las Vegas; now almost every hotel has one or TWO of them - and there's one at the top of the Stratosphere tower as well.)

I was a guest at Mandalay Bay in December 2008 and was very impressed with the experience. Although I had the smallest room style they offer (which they call the 550DR, which means 550 square foot deluxe room) it was a "strip view" room on the 20th floor which I preferred over larger suites I've stayed in at Rio and Venetian (where I've been a guest twice each.) I pushed further into luxury territory in June 2009 with a stay at Encore in a "panoramic view room" on the 62nd floor and have to admit that the Encore room was not significantly nicer than Mandalay Bay's, despite Mandalay Bay being about 10 years older than Encore. The main difference was that Encore rooms have an electronic control panel for operating the lights, curtains, and "Do Not Disturb" sign while Mandalay Bay's room did not. Both rooms were very comfortable; have a clean, modern, linear style of design; huge flat panel TVs and huge floor to ceiling windows.

Mandalay Bay posters and prints.

Mandalay Bay under construction 

in 1998

Here's a "flashback" to 1998, a photo of Mandalay Bay while it was under construction.

Mandalay Bay & Snow Covered Mountains 

I shot this photo on December 16, 2008; the day before a snowstorm hit Las Vegas (the worst one they had in 30 years) and shut down the airport. They get snow so rarely that the Las Vegas airport (McCarran) does not have any snow or ice removal equipment.

THE hotel photo 

I shot this photo on the right from a room on the 30th floor of the Luxor on December 24, 2006.

THE hotel poster

Luxor 

Ancient Egypt in Nevada

The Luxor is at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89119. Phone 888-777-0188.

One of my best photos of the Luxor at night.

I stayed here twice in the late 90's and once more in December 2006. Luxor is a nice property overall and a good choice for your vacation, although it's not on the same level as the ultra-classy places like Wynn and Bellagio. My first time there I was on the third floor of the pyramid and had to listen to the silly slot machine noises, so on my subsequent stays I asked for a room "up high in the pyramid" to avoid the noise. My 2006 trip was wonderfully silent on the 30th floor. Besides being the only pyramid on the Las Vegas strip, Luxor is the only hotel where you can step out of your room and look out over the gaming areas or lobby; depending on which side and how high your room is. Floors 26 and above are sealed off from the rest of the floors below with a ceiling. To get the full Luxor experience and avoid noise, ask for a pyramid room between the 10th and 25th floor... although if your room is up higher above the ceiling, you can still ride the elevator down a few floors and walk around to see the interior from up high.

The elevators in the Luxor are called "inclinators" since they don't go straight up & down. The pyramid walls are, obviously, at an angle. And here's a helpful hint: you have to put your room key in a slot below the inclinator buttons in order to be able to operate it. My last trip there, I had forgotten about that and was hijacked to several random floors by other passengers.

If you don't care about living in a pyramid, the Luxor also has standard "tower" rooms like a conventional hotel. If you don't specify a pyramid or tower room they'll randomly assign your room.

When you land at McCarran, the Luxor looks close enough to walk over to. And it is if you jumped out of the plane right there on the runway. From the airport terminal to the Luxor, however, is about 3 miles. Also not much of a walk, but most people don't want to walk that far with their luggage. So take a taxi.

Don't let the cab driver LONG HAUL you though.

Here's a Nevada Taxi Authority chart of estimated cab fares from McCarran Airport to various hotels.

Tropicana 

one of the oldies

Tropicana - 3801 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Phone 1-888-826-TROP (8767)

The Tropicana is at the corner of Tropicana & Las Vegas Blvd. Some of the east/west streets in Las Vegas have the same name as nearby hotels.

Being the oldest megaresort on the south strip, Tropicana is a "budget" property which usually has the lowest rates on the south strip except for Excalibur and small motels like the Laughing Jackalope and Diamond Inn.

Excalibur 

Welcome to Camelot

Excalibur - 3850 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone 702-597-7279

Excalibur usually has the lowest room rates on the south strip; but it's also a "family" oriented property. So you might want to stay here if you're bringing kids to Las Vegas. If not, then you probably don't want to risk being stuck in a hotel room with screaming kids in the rooms above, below, and on each side of you.

Excalibur is a fun place to stop by though, if you're not staying there. The medieval theme is fairly thorough, including staff in costumes and a medieval style show where you dine at large tables being waited on by serving wenches while watching knights joust.

Excalibur is connected to Luxor via a long tunnel you can walk through. Luxor is connected to Mandalay Bay via a small shopping mall. Excalibur and its next door neighbor to the north New York New York on the west side of the strip are connected to the east side of the strip (Tropicana and MGM Grand) with pedestrian walkway "bridges" over the strip. The MGM and Trop are also bridged together. So this area is kind of like a super-mega-mega resort you can wander for hours without ever having to cross a street. After you have to cross streets in the Las Vegas strip area a few times, you'll appreciate not having to cross them.

The pedestrian bridge between Excalibur and New York New York is a favored spot for various hustlers to engage tourists in street cons like three card Monte; for panhandlers to call out requests for spare change; or entrepreneurial types to setup temporary shop selling bottled water out of ice chests (I witnessed all three of these activities there in August 2007.)

The bottled water thing puzzled me a bit since it seems like a lot of work to load up an ice chest with ice when it's 106 degrees, pack it full of bottles of water, and then transport it from wherever. The closest parking is about half a mile away and I doubt the water sellers walked all the way from wherever they obtained the ice and water. Water and ice are heavy too, and the nearest grocery store where you can get bulk quantities of cheap bottled water is at least 2 miles away.

A guy was selling these bottles of ice cold water for $1 and urging people to "hurry up before the price goes up to $2." The styrofoam chest couldn't have held more than about 20 bottles so this guy was grossing $20, maybe $30 to $40 (although I never saw him charging more than $1 per bottle) per trip. Even if he was getting 20 bottles of water at some discount store for $5... and making his own ice... it doesn't seem worth the effort. Next time I run into one of these water sellers I'm going to have to talk to them and satisfy my curiosity.

Spanging 

aka begging for spare change

Here's a photo I shot of a panhandler in action on the pedestrian walkway between Excalibur and New York, New York, on August 13, 2007. He held a large plastic cup with some change in it and shook it around rhythmically, using it as sort of a musical instrument to accompany his calls for spare change.

Turn right on Tropicana 

to visit Hooters Las Vegas

Hooters Las Vegas - 115 East Tropicana Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone 1-866-LVHOOTS

I almost booked a room at Hooters in December 2006; then decided against it after reading reviews on the Internet. Hooters used to be the San Remo, a budget property; and apparently the property did not change much after the change in ownership.

Additionally, I read somewhere that Hooters Las Vegas is already up for sale. I guess the Hooters formula of "beer, food that goes good with beer, and hot chicks" is not enough to ensure success in Las Vegas, where just about every resort has beer, food that goes good with beer, and hot chicks.

I shot the above photo in December 2006.

Turn left on Tropicana 

to visit the Orleans

Orleans Las Vegas Hotel Resort Spa - 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas, Nevada 89103. Phone 800-ORLEANS

I visited the Orleans once in the late 1990s. I don't remember anything specific other than it was nicer than I expected it to be, considering it is a low priced off-strip property. Orleans may be a good choice if you don't mind staying off the strip.

MGM Grand 

moved from Bally's

MGM Grand - 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas Nevada 89109. Phone 877-880-0880

Buy an MGM Las Vegas print. This photo was shot from the 24th floor of the Monte Carlo across the street.

What is now Bally's used to be the MGM Grand. MGM sold that building and built this new green one around 1990. Which I think is one of the coolest looking of all Las Vegas properties. The way the place lights up in green at night, looks awesome.

MGM is huge, you can get lost looking for a way out. The benefit to having such a large area is that you can always find a quiet corner to play a slot machine or video poker when you feel like taking a break from the frantic crowds at the tables.

MGM Grand Vector Graphic 

MGM Las Vegas vector graphic poster. Available in five sizes. This graphic was derived from a photo I shot on August 14, 2007.

Fatburger 

Fat Burgers & Fat Fries on the Strip

Fatburger 3763 Las Vegas Blvd. Open 24 hours. On The Strip just north of the MGM Grand. Phone: 702-736-4733 Fax: 702-736-1321

Despite my aversion to contracting bovine spongiform encephalitis (aka Mad Cow Disease) due to ground beef consumption, the Fatburger on the strip never fails to lure me in for lunch, dinner, or 2 a.m. pre-breakfast snack.

Prices are slightly higher on the strip (about $10 for a basic burger, fries & soft drink combo) than at their off-strip restaurants, but their fresh high quality food is worth the price. There are McDonald's on the strip too, but, for the extra $2 or $3 you get close to gourmet quality in comparison.

It's also kind of fun to sit at the row of stools in front of the grill and watch the cook handle the barrage of orders being yelled, just like the old Saturday Night Live "cheeseburga cheeseburga cheeseburga" sketches. They actually call out the orders like that, except they're yelling "Fatburger Fatburger Fatburger fat fries skinny fries".

You can request fat or skinny fries, a Fatburger with or without cheese; and for those of you who are strictly anti-beef, they have turkeyburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches and a few other non-beef options.

Showcase Mall 

...not really a mall

Showcase Mall is just north of the MGM Grand, in between MGM and Planet Hollywood (which used to be the Aladdin.)

I walked right by this place dozens of times without even realizing that it defined itself as a mall. Strip mall, maybe. There's the M&M World store, some kind of Coke "museum", Gameworks video arcade, a movie theater (who wants to go to a movie while they're on vacation?) and a food court. The food court is apparently the only part of the mall that you can't see from the sidewalk. There's a long narrow stairway that goes up to the food court. I've never gone in due to lack of interest. They also advertise having Internet terminals available 24 hours.

They also charge a fee for parking! This is very unusual on the Las Vegas strip. Fashion Show Mall further north along the strip doesn't make visitors pay to park, and neither does any other property on the strip.

New York, New York 

... an odd theme

New York New York - 3790 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas Nevada 89109. Phone 1-800-NY-FOR-ME

It seems odd to me anyway... to build a huge resort in Las Vegas that mimics another city in the USA. If I wanted to visit New York, I would. The Venetian makes some sense; it lets you experience the atmosphere of a foreign city without the hassle of international travel. Anyway, I'm glad the idea didn't catch on; cuz then we'd have Los Angeles Los Angeles next to New York New York and Chicago Chicago across the street, a block away from Dallas Dallas.

I haven't been a guest at NY NY but have visited the property several times, I like it. It's large, fairly sedate and dimly lit (I don't like brightly lit or noisy.) Near the elevators they have a small area of shops modeled after 1940s streets of New York City, kind of like the Paris resort's little Parisian street recreation that you have to walk through if you use their self parking garage.

NY NY also has a roller coaster outside, and a miniature reproduction of the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and some skyscrapers. The intent was to reflect New York City during the 1940s, so the WTC towers are not included in the city skyline reproduction, since they were built much later.

Polo Towers 

not the Jockey Club (which comes up later)

Polo Towers - 3745 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone 800-935-2233, 702-261-1000

Polo Towers is a timeshare resort, but I've also seen ads on travel sites offering rentals there. I've never been inside Polo Towers so I have nothing to report about it, other than a taxi driver once told me Polo Towers and Jockey Club are frequently confused with each other. Which kind of makes sense... polo and jockeys can both be associated with horses.

Monte Carlo 

the "baby Bellagio" of the strip

Monte Carlo - 3770 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, Nevada 89109. Phone 888-529-4828

I stayed at Monte Carlo once, in March 2003, because they were offering a very low rate of $59 per night.

This is almost a "generic" resort, having a very subtle theme which reflects the famous Monte Carlo in Europe's principality of Monaco.

The elegance is understated; there's nothing fancy or frilly, but neither is it cheap or sloppy in any way. It's a good choice for the traveler who can't afford $300 per night but would like to stay at a $300 per night property. This traveler doesn't want to be annoyed by loud children, doesn't want costumed characters offering to pose for photos, and doesn't need mummies, pirates, clowns, gladiators, knights, or an Elvis impersonator to entertain him or her.

My only complaint about Monte Carlo is that although they have their own BEER BREWERY on site, they only serve 12 ounce glasses of beer at the two bars. This is almost an insult to beer lovers. We love our frosty frozen 24 ounce (or larger) mugs.

Boardwalk 

days of clowns gone by

Boardwalk used to be at 3750 Las Vegas Blvd, across the street from Polo Towers. It was demolished in 2006. "Project City Center", which is described as a "mini city" costing $7.4 billion (originally... the last time I checked on the construction cost, it was slightly over $11 billion) to construct and occupying 68 acres, is being built in that area by MGM/Mirage.

Mementos of the Boardwalk Las Vegas.

Perhaps the Las Vegas strip properties don't like losing gamblers to downtown (the Fremont Street area)... so the strip is creating its own downtown.

Turn right on Harmon 

... to visit the Hard Rock Hotel

The next main east/west street that crosses the Las Vegas strip after Tropicana is Harmon Ave. If you turn right on Harmon (Monte Carlo will be to your left) you'll shortly arrive at the Hard Rock Hotel - 4455 Paradise Rd. (corner of Harmon & Paradise), Las Vegas NV 89109. Phone 800-851-1703

I've only been there once, it was late December 2000. The gaming area is very small, all in one room; but the staff were very friendly and there is an overall party atmosphere along with rock & roll memorabilia on display along the walls. The doorman even called me "sir" although I was wearing old jeans, a t-shirt and black leather jacket.

Hard Rock Cocktail Waitress 

as seen in December 2000.

Planet Hollywood 

formerly Aladdin

Here's a photo of the Aladdin before it became Planet Hollywood.

Planet Hollywood 

Planet Hollywood - 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone 702-785-5555

Aladdin was imploded & remodeled in 2002. Not long afterward (early 2007), they re-remodeled and became Planet Hollywood, "a Sheraton resort."

I stayed at Aladdin in December 2003 and liked it a lot. The room was a bit larger than most standard hotel rooms and had an Internet terminal (although no printer, so I still had to go to an Internet cafe to print out my airline boarding pass.)

I shot this photo in August 2007.

New Planet Hollywood photo 

Here's a photo I shot December 14, 2008 after Planet Hollywood was done remodeling.

While it doesn't look a lot different from the old Aladdin on the outside, the inside is very different. The best word I can think of to describe it is futuristic. There are geometric patterns in vivid neon colors and lights everywhere. Some may think it's too "busy" and a bit of a sensory overload but I like it.

Paris 

escargots au vin

Paris - 3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109. Phone 877-796-2096

Paris Las Vegas is one of my favorite properties. Although it's a bit too brightly lit, it's very clean, well-organized and has a spacious, comfortable feeling. This is probably due to the artificial sky / ceiling.

There have been several ownership changes during a short time period: Paris was owned by Park Place Entertainment; then Caesars; and now Harrah's; which is now owned by some company in Texas.

Paris features miniature reproductions of the Eiffel Tower, Arch de Triumph, and a hot air balloon. Why a balloon? I think the Montgolfier Brothers, credited with "inventing" the hot air balloon, were Parisian.

Despite the romantic appeal of Paris, France; Paris Las Vegas is not the most romantic property on the strip. Bellagio and Venetian own the romance category. If you can't afford Bellagio or Venetian, Paris is a good alternate choice. Caesars Palace, Mandalay Bay and Wynn are up in the running as well. It can be a tough choice. Your honeymoon vacation will probably impact your marriage forever. So choose wisely.

I stayed at the Paris August 12 thru 14, 2007. When I made the reservation at their web site I requested a "quiet room up high." And that's exactly what I got. Top floor, room 3344, which is in between a fancy suite and a door marked "staff only". Not only did I never hear a door slam or people talking ... I never saw anyone in the long hallway. Such a level of peace and quiet at standard room rates is very rare in Las Vegas.

I have zero complaints about the Paris. Not even a small one. I didn't eat at any of the restaurants or play any of the games (gasp!), but I can tell you Gustav's Bar has excellent coffee.

Cosmopolitan 

Cosmopolitan 866-339-4519 is in between the Jockey Club and Monte Carlo.

It was under construction in March 2006 (photo to the right) when I stayed at the Jockey Club, and was still under construction when I returned to Las Vegas in December 2006. And in August 2007.

Their web site states that they are a "hotel resort" but they are also selling condos.

Cosmopolitan / Project City Center updates 

The Cosmopolitan is not a part of Project City Center but was designed with a similar architectural style and is in the same vicinity. I shot this photo of the Project City Center construction site in August 2007. The two Cosmopolitan towers pictured in the entry above are no longer visible from Las Vegas Blvd.

The area didn't look much different in December 2007; however, in my hotel room at Treasure Island (an MGM Mirage property; Project City Center is an MGM Mirage project), one of the cable TV channels was repeatedly showing a commercial for Project City Center (I call it a commercial rather than a documentary since the focus seemed to be on selling condos in four different condo towers that are under construction.) Drawings and animated graphics depict how the project will look upon completion.

On March 15, 2008 the Wall Street Journal reports: the developer of the Cosmopolitan Resort, a $3.9 billion condo-hotel complex on the Las Vegas Strip, has been notified by its primary lender that it will begin foreclosure proceedings.

The article also states that other lenders involved may save the project.

Project City Center - December 2008 

Here's the Project City Center site as it appeared from the Las Vegas Blvd. sidewalk on the night of December 14, 2008. MGM Mirage sold Treasure Island to Phil Ruffin (former owner of the demolished Frontier) for $775 million in late December 2008; possibly to help fund the Project City Center construction.

Jockey Club 

not to be confused with Polo Towers

Jockey Club (3700 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas. Phone 702-739-8686) doesn't have a web site. It's in between Cosmopolitan and Bellagio.

I stayed here in March 2006 because 1 bedroom condos were going for $65 per night. The catch was, the construction crews for Cosmopolitan and Project City Center were using the Jockey Club parking lot as a storage and staging area.

Jockey Club is a fairly nice place to stay. You can buy a condo there or check into one like a hotel. They don't have a casino, however. The condo I stayed in had a large living room with sofas, a coffee table and TV; a kitchen with stove & refrigerator; a small bedroom with a second TV, and bathroom off the bedroom; plus a large walk in closet.

Bellagio 

perhaps the most upscale resort on the strip

Bellagio - 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone 1-888-987-6667

The first time I walked through Bellagio, all I could think about was Sean Connery as James Bond playing baccarat. It's the kind of place where you feel like you should be wearing a tuxedo or a $50,000 evening gown.

I haven't been a guest at Bellagio and might never choose to pay their $200+ per night rates, although it's tempting to just put it on a credit card and not worry about it. It's an amazing place, like being in a ultra fancy museum.

I think Bellagio and Wynn are the most upscale resorts on the strip. Whether you choose one over the other will depend on which style you prefer: the frilly European opulence of Bellagio, or the modern, clean, linear look of Wynn.

The photo above is one of my better shots of Bellagio, captured at sunset on Christmas day 2006. You can find that image in my Las Vegas series #5 on the urbanphotos.net web site.

Bellagio Las Vegas sunset poster.

Bally's 

neon rings & Jubilee

Bally's - 3645 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas NV 89109. 1-800-7-BALLYS

Bally's is one of my favorite photographic stops. The giant, color-changing neon rings that encompass the pedestrian conveyor belt thing leading from the sidewalk into the property is one of the most dazzling light displays in Las Vegas. The photo to the right is actually 4 different photos of the same point of view, looking west towards Las Vegas Blvd. from about halfway to Bally's. There's this one spot where you can step off the conveyor belt, walk a few feet over to the left, and there you are. You don't see many... in fact I've never seen any other photos on the Internet taken from this spot.

I stayed at Bally's in March 2005 and was pleasantly surprised. Despite the age of the property and mediocre reviews I found on the Internet, I had no complaints. They even put me in a room with a spectacular view of the south strip as I had requested, and didn't charge me extra. (Most strip hotels charge extra for rooms with nice views.)

Bally's was briefly owned by Park Place Entertainment and is now owned by Harrah's; who are now owned by a company in Texas; who also own Paris, Flamingo, O'Sheas, Imperial Palace, Harrahs, Rio Suites, and Caesars Palace along with all the other Caesars in the chain (Atlantic City, Tahoe, etc.), Harrah's Las Vegas, and a bunch of other properties in other states.

Bally's is also the home of Jubilee, one of the most famous "old style" Las Vegas shows with showgirls wearing ridiculously oversized and flamboyant hats.

Bally's Las Vegas neon rings are featured on posters, neckties and other items here.

The neon rings are also included in some nice background shots during the film "Leaving Las Vegas" with Elizabeth Shue and Nicolas Cage.

Turn left on Flamingo Rd.... 

and it looked like this in 2001

You'll first see Rio on your right, Palms on your left, and the Gold Coast (4000 W. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89103. Phone 1-800-331-5334) just past Rio.

I've never been in the Gold Coast although I did stay at Rio twice and have visited the Palms. Rio with it's Mardi Gras theme is owned by Harrah's and the Palms with its clean, linear look is one of the few properties not owned by Harrah's or MGM Mirage. The Maloof family owns Palms (along with an NBA basketball team and some other businesses) and 2 or 3 of them were guest stars on the old "Las Vegas" TV show that starred James Caan.

Rio All Suite Hotel 

Featuring Rio Rita

Rio (3700 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103. Phone 866-746-7671) is another of many Harrah's owned properties. I stayed here once in 1995 and again in December 2000 when the Las Vegas Tourist Bureau web site was offering a ridiculously low rate of $25 per night.

I liked the Rio. You get a really big comfortable room which I suppose meets the legal or technical definition of "suite" although it's not what most people would think of as a suite (I think of a suite as more than one room.)

Rio is similar to Hard Rock in pushing a "party" atmosphere and has a Mardi Gras / Rio de Janeiro "carnival" theme going on. It's a bit too noisy and festive for my usual taste, but not too much.

If you're lucky you might get to meet Rio Rita, who wears fruit on her head and enjoys posing for photos with visitors. The cocktail waitresses in their famously small outfits would sometimes pose for photos as well; however, that was before the change in ownership to Harrah's. The last time I was shooting photos in the Rio, I think it was 2003; a security guard sternly told me to stop taking photos even though I was only photographing a bar that was closed.

You can see a photo of a Rio cocktail waitress in the Las Vegas cocktail waitresses section of my web site.

Rio Las Vegas posters & prints.

Palms 

could be the coolest resort in Las Vegas

Palms - 4321 W Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89103. Phone 1-866-942-7777, e-mail info@palms.com

The first few times I visited Las Vegas, the Palms hadn't been built yet. After it was finished I kept planning to visit but never got around to it until February 2006, while they were constructing the "fantasy tower." Which has a little Playboy bunny logo on it.

Despite its off-strip location, if someone told me I could live in a Las Vegas hotel for free for a year or two, I might choose the Palms. I like the clean, modern look it has and the laid back yet fun atmosphere. I haven't seen their guest rooms though.

This is one of the few Las Vegas resorts that isn't owned by some mega corporation. The Maloof brothers own it, and have guest starred on the TV series "Las Vegas" (with James Caan) several times. Caan left the show after season 3 though.

While Rio, Palms, and Gold Coast are not on the strip; they're not that far away from it. You can walk the mile or so easily. Harrah's also has a free shuttle from Rio to their other properties. And taxis are always waiting for passengers in front of every hotel lobby.

Now we'll head back to Las Vegas Blvd....

Caesars Palace 

old Las Vegas holding up against the new Las Vegas

Caesars Palace - 3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone 877-427-7243

For many years Caesars Palace had no rivals in its class. It was THE place to stay on the Las Vegas Strip. Since Sheldon Adelson built the Venetian, Caesars has had several contenders attempt to take the crown as THE place to be. Venetian, Bellagio, Wynn, Mandalay Bay, Four Seasons. Personal preferences make it impossible for anyone to declare any one property as the best; but there is a clear division between the best Las Vegas resorts, the worst Las Vegas resorts, and the middle ground.

Caesars is more of a self-contained universe than any other strip resort, with its maze of 173 Forum Shops in addition to the usual megaresort offerings.

The theme of Caesars Palace is "ancient Rome." There are "wine goddesses" in one of the restaurants. Gladiators, Caesar's handmaidens, and sometimes Cleopatra wander around to pose for photos with tourists. Cleopatra's Barge, Pure, and Ghost Bar are popular night hangouts.

Caesars Palace is holding up very well considering its age (built in 1966). They've added new room towers and have avoided the worn out appearance and inevitable implosion that comes with most aging resorts.

The photo above was taken shortly before I shot the Bellagio photo, on December 25, 2006 at sunset. If you like it you can buy a poster of this Caesars Palace Las Vegas sunset photo here.

Bill's 

formerly known as Barbary Coast

Bill's - 3595 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109. Phone 866-245-5745

Bill's is in that "megablock" across from Caesars Palace where the Flamingo, O'Sheas, Harrah's, Imperial Palace, C@sino Royale and Bill's are all squished together. Most strip properties are about a quarter mile apart, so it looks odd to have six of them all lined up next to each other. And that area is usually the most crowded with pedestrians compared to the rest of the strip.

All six of these properties are kind of on the borderline between being "budget" and "mid level". Their atmospheres are more like downtown properties than large megaresorts (noisy, smoky, crowded vs. sedate, roomy, and well-ventilated.)

Some of the large megaresorts have such good ventilation that their air is exchanged 100% every few minutes. This is probably why so many people repeat the rumor that Las Vegas hotels pump in oxygen (they don't.) The air is just noticeably much fresher than in smaller hotels and other non-hotel properties (restaurants, convenience stores).

I stopped by Bill's briefly in August 2007, it looks to be the same property as Barbary Coast - just with a new name.

Barbary Coast is moving to a new location, where the Westward Ho used to be. (Westward Ho was demolished in 2006.)

Flamingo 

formerly the Flamingo Hilton; now owned by Harrah's

Flamingo Las Vegas - 3555 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone 800-732-2111

The "Fabulous Flamingo" is the legendary Bugsy Siegel endeavor that started the Las Vegas strip. I don't know how much of the movie "Bugsy" (starring Warren Beatty) is factual vs. fictitious; but apparently Siegel was killed because of the Flamingo. He borrowed a lot of money to build this megaresort in the middle of the desert; and while the Flamingo eventually was profitable, Siegel not only didn't repay his loans but went back to Los Angeles to borrow more money. And that's when he was killed.

The Flamingo, however, attracted other entrepreneurs to build what became the Las Vegas strip.

Siegel was rumored to have stopped in Portland, Oregon right before he first arrived in Las Vegas; but he didn't like the rain. It's possible that Portland would have become "sin city" instead of Las Vegas.

The Flamingo has, in my opinion, the most upscale atmosphere of the five hotels on the block. It's definitely mid-range though. Unlike Caesars Palace, it has had no room to grow to combat the aging process. While the Flamingo is about 20 years older than Caesars (which was built in 1966 and was the first to incorporate a gimmicky theme, that being ancient Rome); they are both very old in comparison to most of the strip properties.

O'Sheas 

Get drunk, get a tattoo

O'Sheas - 3555 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 702-697-2711

O'Sheas is another Harrah's owned property but has no hotel rooms. There are a few fast food restaurants and the Vince Neil Ink tattoo studio.

O'Sheas has the same address as the Flamingo... it's not a typo.

Imperial Palace 

it's not REALLY a palace.

Imperial Palace - 3535 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109. Phone 800-634-6441 email ip@imperialpalace.com

It may kind of LOOK like a palace from the outside, but it's not. The IP probably has an equal number of benefits and drawbacks. While the mid-strip location is excellent and their rates are often the lowest on the strip; it's also typically one of the most crowded properties on the strip and has all the features of a typical "budget" property (think of McDonalds and Burger King as "budget" restaurants.)

I see Las Vegas strip properties as being in three tiers: extremely luxurious (Wynn, Bellagio, Four Seasons, Venetian; perhaps Mandalay Bay and Caesars Palace)... budget (Circus Circus, Excalibur, Imperial Palace, Riviera, Tropicana, Sahara)... and "mid level" which would include everything else. Some properties are difficult to put into one category and opinions may vary. For example: Treasure Island, Mirage, Paris and MGM are luxury properties to some and "mid level" to others. The 5-star rating system used on travel sites like Travelocity and Expedia are accurate and more finely tuned than my 3-tier categorizations.

If you don't mind walking through the crowded gaming areas and waiting for the creaky old elevators, booking one of the Deluxe King Suites or Penthouse Suites (which include a Roman Luv Tub) at the Imperial Palace may be appealing, as the price for these luxurious rooms should be about half of what a comparable room would cost at most other strip properties. Staying at a budget property can be a pleasant experience by booking a fancy suite.

Harrah's 

Perfectly nondescript...

Harrah's - 3475 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone 800-214-9110

I've been in Harrah's several times but can't remember anything about it other than it's similar to Bill's, Flamingo, and C@sino Royale. It is fairly small and has somewhat of a downtown (noisy, smoky, crowded) atmosphere.

Since Harrah's Entertainment owns so many resort properties, however; they must be doing something right.

In March 2007, a deal was finalized in the purchase of Harrah's Entertainment by Texas Pacific Group of Fort Worth, Texas, and New York-based Apollo Management.

C@sino Royale 

(not the one in the movies)

C@sino Royale - (3411 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone 702-737-3500) boasts over 400 slot machines and 100x odds on dice. They are a lot like Slots-A-Fun (next to Circus Circus) in that they seem more geared towards promoting fun than taking your money. They have 152 hotel rooms.

They also have an Outback Steakhouse and 24 hour Denny's Restaurant on site. I ate at the Outback once and every staff member enthusiastically told me that I had the 'best table in the house' ... directly across from the Mirage volcano.

(The reason I spell "c@sino" with the "@" is because Squidoo software automatically flags my lens as offshore c@sino promotion spam when I spell it the correct way more than once or twice.)

Mirage 

that place with the volcano in front

Mirage - 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109. Phone 800-374-9000

The most famous thing about the Mirage is the volcano that "erupts" every 15 minutes. I've watched this eruption several times; it's not any big deal. Natural gas flames shooting up out of a fake volcano.

The Mirage was Steve Wynn's first strip property (preceding his construction of Treasure Island, Bellagio, and Wynn) and coincided with the new era of "corporate Las Vegas" taking over resort ownership from organized crime.

You can get a better feel for the Mirage without having to go to Las Vegas by watching "National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation" with Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid and Beverly D'Angelo. Wayne Newton and Siegfried & Roy co-star in this movie, which is a nicely done comedy. Many of the scenes were filmed at the Mirage. It's better than the others in the National Lampoon "Vacation" series (the first film is when they drive to Wally World; the second film is the European Vacation; the third is the Christmas Vacation; #4 and the final film is the Vegas Vacation.)

I haven't been a guest at the Mirage. I've walked through there several times. It's an upper midrange property but Internet reviews often complain about the guest rooms being a bit small.

Mirage Sunset photo poster (the original photo, without Saturn.) Mirage science fiction posters (with Saturn) are available here.

Mirage Vector Graphic 

Shirts & collectibles featuring a vector graphic of the Mirage. This is a photo I shot of the Mirage on August 14, 2007 and converted into a vector graphic. Vectorized photos resemble paintings and have less detail than a photo but more of an artistic appeal, in my opinion.

Venetian 

a model of Venice, Italy

Venetian - 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas NV 89109. 877-857-1861

I stayed at the Venetian twice, 2001 and 2002. Not that I'm a high roller in any way, but I couldn't pass up the $99 rate in 2001 and $129 rate in 2002. Specials like that are few and far between now that mid-range properties like Luxor and Bally's are often charging $99 to $129.

Venetian has very nice standard guest rooms at the low end of their price range, and more luxurious rooms at higher prices. The standard rooms are very much like a standard hotel room with an added on living room and large closet/ bathroom area. Like Rio, they say that every one of their guest rooms is a "suite", although the bedroom area and living room area are separated only by a metal rail and a step or two.

The atmosphere of this place is unbelievable. Like Bellagio and Wynn, the builders went completely over the top in creating a luxurious look and feel in every detail. For guests, the effect is unbroken: whether you go into a guest room, the elevator, a public bathroom, or a restaurant: the theme of the property is incorporated there.

The Venetian property is basically a scaled down model of the city of Venice, Italy; except you don't HAVE to ride boats if you don't want to. The gondola ride is optional.

The photo above was taken in the Venetian's lobby area on December 15, 2008.

Palazzo 

at the Venetian

Palazzo is a new 53-story 3,025 room addition to the Venetian, located directly north of the original Venetian. Coincidentally, Wynn has also built a second tower (called The Encore at Wynn) directly north of their original tower, only two years after opening for business.

Now that the Stardust, Westward Ho, and New Frontier are gone; the "old style" north strip properties have almost entirely disappeared. Sahara, Riviera, and Circus Circus are the last ones left standing.

(I don't think of the Stratosphere as an "old style" property since they built their 109 story tower and remodeled, and greatly improved compared to when the property was Vegas World.)

Treasure Island 

also known as TI

Treasure Island - 3300 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109-2692. Phone 800-288-7206

My most vivid memory of Treasure Island is when I played craps (dice) for the very first time ever. I remember this event because I was so embarrassed... throwing the dice too hard so that they flew off the table. Twice.

TI used to have a skull & crossbones logo in front; they've replaced it with giant neon letters T and I which slowly change color. They also modified their famous daily free pirate battle show that takes place at their main entrance on Las Vegas Blvd. with a new show called "Sirens of Treasure Island."

The atmosphere of TI is comparable to Mandalay Bay and Mirage. Not quite a Wynn or Bellagio but better than mid-level properties like Luxor and Bally's.

I was a guest at Treasure Island in December 2007. I paid extra for a 'strip view' room... the view was nice, but the room wasn't any different from the standard rooms. And it seemed like the window was shared with the room next door, being only half a window. It felt a lot like a Luxor room and then I recalled that Luxor and TI are both MGM/Mirage owned properties. I suspect that their room layouts follow a company wide standard, except perhaps for Bellagio; where I haven't stayed yet and which I expect has larger rooms, based on the much higher price.

Despite the cramped room with a shared window, I liked Treasure Island and would stay there again. Canter's Deli was quick and tasty; there's a row of shops with two convenience stores; a few other restaurants and a Starbucks which usually had a long line in the mornings. The location is excellent, being in between Mirage and Fashion Show Mall; across the street from Venetian and Wynn; and a short walk to the mid-strip area (Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Harrah's.) They also have a shuttle to Mirage and a TV channel that plays an interesting documentary (or commercial) about Project City Center, which is an MGM/Mirage endeavor.

Update: December 2008, MGM Mirage sold Treasure Island for $775 million to billionaire casino operator Phil Ruffin.

Trump Tower Las Vegas 

The 64 story Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas is at 2000 Fashion Show Drive about half a mile off Las Vegas Blvd. between Desert Inn Rd. and Spring Mountain Rd near Fashion Show Mall and Treasure Island.

While they don't have a c@sino, Trump is a very upscale and luxurious place to stay. You can rent a condo with a full kitchen, and for an extra fee they'll go shopping for you and stock your kitchen with your grocery list before you arrive. It's an excellent option for travelers who don't want to trudge through a maze of slot machines to get to their room and do all their dining at crowded restaurants.

Buy a poster of this Las Vegas strip photo here.

Fashion Show Mall 

just another shopping mall

Fashion Show Mall - 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109-2692. Phone 702-369-0704. Mall hours Monday-Saturday: 10:00am -9:00pm, Sunday: 11:00am-7:00pm. Department Store and Restaurant hours may vary.

Fashion Show Mall is in between Treasure Island and where New Frontier used to be. They built this big UFO-looking thing in front of the place around 2002. Fashion Show, despite being on the Las Vegas strip, is a fairly ordinary mid sized shopping mall with a food court.

Beware of the temptation to slurp down mass quantities of Coke, Pepsi, and other soft drinks if you're visiting Las Vegas during the summer. (The Fashion Show Mall food court is a popular place for people walking the strip to stop for a beverage. Maybe that's why they charge $4 to $5 for a soft drink that you'd expect to buy for less than $2.) Although I had visited Las Vegas during July and August in the past; I didn't learn this lesson until my August 2007 trip.

I used to drink beer to satisfy my desert sun thirst and although you're not supposed to drink alcohol in the desert heat because it dehydrates you, the low percentage of alcohol in beer doesn't effect you that much. In August 2007 I wasn't in the mood for beer and instead was buying those huge 32 ounce cups of soft drinks every 2 or 3 hours. And I overdosed on soft drinks or something... maybe the sugar made me feel a bit sick. So I started drinking water and felt much better.

My advice... drink water, or as a second choice, beer. If you're outdoors a lot in the Las Vegas summer you'll constantly feel thirsty unless you're used to a desert climate. An odd side benefit of the desert heat, however, is that it makes your body use almost every drop of liquid you drink... meaning fewer trips to restrooms.

Fashion Show Mall flashback to 1997 

Here's what the Fashion Show Mall entry area along Las Vegas Blvd. looked like in 1997. You can see the Desert Inn over to the right of the sign. (Desert Inn was demolished and Wynn is now on that piece of land.)

In Memory Of The New Frontier 

Formerly .... Frontier

Frontier & New Frontier were at 3120 Las Vegas Blvd. for many years.

I shot this photo from the roof of Wynn's parking garage in late February 2006. The aging Frontier renamed itself New Frontier around 2002.

New Frontier closed for business in July 2007.

Frontier Las Vegas sunset poster.

Las Vegas Plaza 

Wynn 

"the slab"

Wynn - 3131 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas NV 89109. 1-888-320-WYNN.

Opened for business April 28, 2005. Wynn is one of the top 5 most upscale and luxurious Las Vegas Strip resort properties. While the main building looks beautiful at night, all lit up in gold; it looks remarkably like a slab of supermarket liver from certain angles during the day.

I ventured into Wynn for the first time in February 2006 and was very impressed. While I expected an extremely "lifestyles of the rich and famous" atmosphere, I didn't expect the feeling of being in a three dimensional painting. Wynn is so flawless and thorough in attention to detail that it almost removes you from reality. While they cannot disguise the appearance of the gaming tables and slot machines; you'll otherwise feel as if you've ventured into a huge movie set or some kind of parallel universe.

Wynn Las Vegas posters & prints.

Encore at Wynn 

"the slab II"

Wynn demolished their 9 story employee parking garage only 2 years after building it, to put up a second tower they've called "Encore at Wynn." It's directly north of their original tower, and blocks the view of Wynn from the Stratosphere.

There's some info about Encore here.

Encore at Wynn opened December 2008 

Here's a photo of Encore at Wynn (on the right) next to Wynn (on the left), as seen from Terminal A of McCarran Airport.

In Memory of the Stardust 

Stardust was imploded March 13, 2007 after 48 years in business at 3000 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

Visit my in memory of the Stardust Las Vegas photo gallery, which contains 23 of our Stardust images.

Echelon 

In Memory of Westward Ho 

Westward Ho used to be at 2900 Las Vegas Blvd South. It was demolished in 2006.

Westward Ho Las Vegas posters & prints.

You may have noticed all the addresses listed have been "Las Vegas Blvd. South" rather than simply "Las Vegas Blvd." The Las Vegas area postal address scheme is divided into four quadrants: north of Fremont Street is "north", south of Fremont Street is "south", and Las Vegas Blvd. divides east and west.

The City of Las Vegas doesn't begin until you cross Sahara Avenue... so technically, the Stratosphere is the only megaresort that's in Las Vegas. The rest of the strip is in the unincorporated township of Paradise. But the postal addresses are designated as "Las Vegas".

Riviera 

home of Nickeltown and Pennytown

Riviera - 2901 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas NV 89109. Phone 1-800-634-6753

Riviera has one of the most attractive facades on the strip. At night, anyway. As you can see.

There's a food court at their south entrance, next to a video game arcade. The place is huge. I've never stayed here, but as a budget property, their rates are low.

Don't be fooled by the "Pennytown" and "Nickeltown" slot machines though. A whole new breed of slot machines was introduced around 2005.

If you haven't played slots in awhile you probably think you put in money, spin, and win or lose based on the three symbols you get. Newer machines had 3 pay lines: the symbols could line up in the middle, or slightly above or below.

The newest machines are absurd. Instead of three "slots" there is a 5x5 or 6x6 grid with a huge number of pay lines: across, up and down, diagonal, and zig zagging. To play these machines properly you have to cover every possible pay line with a bet. So you can play a penny at a time, but you're covering 50 or more pay lines, each with a one cent bet. 50 cents per spin. It's not much different than playing quarter slots.

ALWAYS play maximum coins on these games, otherwise you're not eligible for the big jackpot.

Slots aren't all the same. Some will pay out in proportion to your bet: 25 cents can win a maximum of $100, 50 cents wins a maximum $200, 75 cents wins a maximum of $300. On these games, playing max coins is not necessary.

The other type of game, is where you should play maximum coins at all times. These games have out of proportion payoffs. For example, 25 cents can win a max of $100, 50 cents can win a max of $200, but 75 cents can win a max of $1,199. Or $5,000. Or more.

If you don't play max coins, you are ineligible for the big jackpot. This is really important to keep in mind, especially when playing networked games like Quartermania and Megabucks.

Slots-A-Fun 

it's lotsa fun

Slots-A-Fun is next to Circus Circus at 2890 Las Vegas Blvd South. Phone 702-734-0410

I haven't been able to find a web site for them.

Unlike the typical gaming establishment, which is mainly concerned with parting you and your money; Slots-A-Fun seems to be more concerned that you are having fun. Taking your money is their secondary priority.

If you're hot and thirsty, wander in for a few cheap beers. Bottles of imported beer that are $5 to $6 almost everywhere else on the strip are around $1 here. I say "around" because I've seen the prices fluctuate between $1, $1.25 and $1.50 both up and down at different time periods.

Cheap food, cheap drinks, and low limit tables are the Slots A Fun formula.

Circus Circus 

"they'll never mess with us in here"

Circus Circus - 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone 877-224-7287

That wasn't the exact line, but something like it was spoken by an LSD-tripping Johnny Depp (as Hunter S. Thompson) in the movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" as he and a friend entered the Bazooka Circus, clearly a fictitious representation of the real Circus Circus.

I stayed here twice... in 1993 and 1995, I believe. I didn't like it so much the first time, but they sent me a coupon for a free room to get me back a second time. There won't be a third time.

It's not a bad place in itself; it just tends to attract families and therefore has more of a "discount shopping center on a Saturday morning" atmosphere than a "Las Vegas resort" atmosphere.

Ironically, their steak house is one of the top rated Las Vegas steak restaurants. I say ironically because the Circus Circus buffet is often given an emphatic thumbs down by diners.

If you have to take kids to Las Vegas, the Excalibur or Circus Circus are the places to go. And by "kids" I mean age 12 or younger. Teens are probably too old to enjoy those properties.

Sky 

living in style

Sky Las Vegas Condos 2780-C Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109. Phone 702-877-4SKY

Someone who can afford to buy a condo on the Las Vegas strip, probably doesn't want to live on the Las Vegas strip. And they probably don't. My guess is, most buyers use these condos as vacation homes and aren't permanent occupants. I could be wrong though. The view from the upper floors (Sky is 45 stories high) is probably spectacular; noise won't travel that far up; and if you can afford a Sky condo (priced at $500,000 to $5 million in 2007) you might own a fleet of limos and a crew of drivers which makes location irrelevant.

Their web site states that you can also rent units.

Hilton Grand Vacations Club 

a timeshare resort

Hilton Grand Vacations Club on the Las Vegas Strip - 2650 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Phone: 702-765-8300

Hilton also has Grand Vacation Clubs at the Flamingo Las Vegas and Las Vegas Hilton.

Sahara 

home of my n00b vacation

Sahara - 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. South Las Vegas, NV 89109. 888-696-2121

Sahara was the first hotel I ever checked into in Las Vegas. I think it was in August 1992. I had foolishly booked a 5 night stay, which is in my opinion, way too much time to spend on the north end of the Las Vegas strip.

It used to be that the north strip (between the Frontier and Stratosphere) was where all the n00b tourists looking for the lowest rates on the strip ended up. Like I did my first three times in Las Vegas. That was before I ever used the Internet too. The popular travel guides are much more generous in their reviews than guests posting reviews on the Internet.

Now that Wynn has encroached north strip territory, and the Echelon is going up where the Stardust used to be; the north strip / south strip disparity is dissolving.

Also be aware that the addresses are still "Las Vegas Blvd. South" although you're at the north end of the strip. You won't hit Las Vegas Blvd North until you go about 2 miles past Stratosphere and cross Fremont Street.

Sahara is a budget property but has a nicer atmosphere than most budget properties. I think the rates are low here mainly because of the location. They're not close walking distance to anything.

The last day I was there I rented a car and drove to Arizona.

Sahara Las Vegas posters & prints.

Turn Left on Sahara... 

to visit Palace Station

Palace Station - 4511 W. Sahara, Las Vegas NV 89102. 702-367-2411 or 800-634-3101

This is the property which became famous due to O.J. Simpson's arrest for taking some items from a sports collectibles dealer here in November 2007. O.J. says he was just taking back his own stuff.

I booked a suite here for $89 per night in December 2007 then changed my mind about staying off-strip and cancelled the reservation to book Treasure Island instead.

I've read a lot of customer reviews of Palace Station. The cheap "courtyard" rooms should be avoided but the tower rooms (which were remodeled in 2007) seem fine. The top floor of the tower (21st floor) is all suites. Palace Station is a ways off the strip, on the other side of the freeway (I-15); but they have free parking so if you rent a car in Las Vegas you might want to avoid the hectic traffic of Las Vegas Blvd. and stay off-strip.

I've rented cars in Las Vegas I think 5 times. Driving on the strip is truly crazy.

Palace Station Las Vegas posters & prints.

Stratosphere 

formerly Bob Stupak's Vegas World

Stratosphere - 2000 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89104. Phone 800-998-6937.

Stratosphere Las Vegas posters & prints.

I remember what it was like to walk into Vegas World. It had a kind of "Lost in Space" theme. Kind of cool and kind of comical.

Since erecting their 109 story tower, Stratosphere has become kind of a themeless resort; somewhat similar to Monte Carlo. I've never stayed at the Strat but I've visited many times. I like it a lot. The atmosphere is pleasant and a bit more relaxed than the rest of the strip.

The main attraction here is the observation deck at the top of the tower. For $10 you can ride up (if it's crowded, it's worth buying the elevator line pass for an extra $10) and see spectacular views of the strip, downtown Las Vegas, and surrounding areas.

Surprisingly, there's a Starbucks up there too. And some scary thrill rides.

HELPFUL HINT: don't use a flash when you're shooting a photo through glass at a scene that's 2 miles away. That may seem like an obvious hint - but I've seen dozens of people do this. The Stratosphere's outdoor observation deck is slightly off center, east of the strip; the only way you can get a photo looking straight down Las Vegas Blvd. is through the glass from the indoor observation deck.

There's a restaurant and some high roller party rooms at the top of the Stratosphere also, which may offer better photo opportunities. I haven't checked them out yet.

The Stratosphere at sunset 

I shot this photo December 13, 2007

Stratosphere Las Vegas at sunset poster.

The Strip from high altitude 

I shot this photo from the observation deck of the Stratosphere in March 2006.

This is the end of the Las Vegas strip tour. Beyond the Stratosphere there are quite a few cheap motels, quickie wedding chapels, fast food joints, strip clubs, gas stations, pawn shops, attorneys, and bail bonds offices. Clark County Detention Center is nearby. You won't find any more tourist attractions until you reach Fremont Street, 2 miles north of Stratosphere.

My Las Vegas Boulevard lens continues this tour past the Stratosphere, along Las Vegas Blvd. all the way up to Fremont Street.

Fremont Street is, in my opinion, a lot like Virginia Street in Reno (Reno's "strip.") Except for the Golden Nugget, the hotels have low rates; the public areas are small and noisy, but have better odds for gaming than you find on most of the strip.

Thanks for reading my tour of the Las Vegas strip, and visit my web site if you'd like to view more Las Vegas photos.

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