Vacation Las Vegas 2009
Las Vegas continues to be one of our staff favorites for out of state vacations. It’s hard to beat the number of unique things to do, the great variety of restaurants and the outstanding shows. We try to stay somewhere different and attend different activities each time we go to give you as much information as possible for when you plan your own Las Vegas vacation. We hope you enjoy reading about our experiences on this Vegas trip and, as always, we welcome any questions you may have about the following options.
Las Vegas Monorail
www.lvmonorail.com
If you’re looking for a way to get around the Strip, you should definitely look into the Las Vegas Monorail. Running from the MGM Grand to the Sahara in 15 minutes or less, the Monorail is the quickest and least expensive way to traverse the strip. With seven stations that you can exit the monorail, you can get close to any hotel on the strip (or in some cases, be delivered nearly to the front door). And for only $5.00 for a single ride ticket, $13.00 for a one-day pass and $28.00 for a three-day pass, it’s much cheaper than renting a car or taking taxis. Make sure you check into the Monorail if you’re staying on the strip or if you plan on visiting a few strip hotel/casinos that are not within walking distance.
Margaritaville
3555 Las Vegas Blvd. So. (in Flamingo Hotel)
(702) 733- 3302
Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 8am - 2am, Friday and Saturday: 8am - 3am
If you’re looking for an entertaining place to have some great food and drinks, you should head on over to Margaritaville in the Flamingo Hotel. Whether you are a ‘Parrothead’ (fan of Jimmy Buffett) or not, you’ll find something to love here. While you peruse the menu, that includes delicious options like Crab, Shrimp and Mushroom Dip (jumbo lump blue crab meat, gulf shrimp and mushrooms simmered in a Cajun cream sauce and served with toasted garlic bread), Coconut Shrimp (jumbo shrimp breaded with coconut and fried. Served with orange marmalade horseradish, mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables) and BBQ Ribs (slow cooked baby back ribs grilled and served with French fries—choose between South Pacific BBQ sauce or Guava Barbeque sauce), you’ll be entertained by the energetic atmosphere. A boat sail serves as a projection screen for Jimmy Buffett in concert, a regular show includes a girl sliding into an enormous Margarita and much more! You can enjoy one of Margaritaville’s huge selection of margaritas while you wait for your dinner or sip on a bottled or draft beer or a frozen concoction. If you aren’t in an island frame of mind by the time you leave Margaritaville, nothing will get you there!
Auto Collections
3535 Las Vegas Blvd. So
Inside Imp erial Palace
(702) 794-3174
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., daily
If you want to try something a little different while you’re in Vegas, you should consider heading on over to Imperial Palace hotel and casino, which houses The Auto Collections, “History on Wheels” at Its Best! The collection is located on the fifth level of the self-parking facility at the casino and is the world’s largest and finest classic car showroom with $100 million worth of inventory on display and for sale. You can stroll among more than 250 antique, muscle, famous, historically significant and special interest vehicles in this amazing venue.
KA
MGM Grand
3799 Las Veg as Boulevard South
Show Times: Tuesday - Saturday, 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm
A trip to Las Vegas is not complete without seeing one of the city’s amazing shows! This time aro und, we decided to see KA, an amazing show at the MGM Grand that incorporates dance, music and fight scenes. KÀ transcends place and time, with a theatrical landscape, scenic elements and costumes inspired by an array of diverse cultures. Brought to life by 80 artists from around the world, KÀ is a gravity-defying production featuring a powerfully emotive soundtrack that enhances the innovative blend of acrobatic feats, Capoeira dance, puppetry, projections and martial arts.
KA tells the story of a set of twins who confront a number of different characters representing the forces of good and evil as they try to find their way back to each other and find a way to defeat the dark forces with the help of a number of friends they meet along the way. KÀ by Cirque du Soleil brings the visual language of cinema to a dazzling live event that is more about storytelling than any previous Cirque du Soleil production. You certainly can’t go wrong with KA and we highly recommend getting tickets for this show.
minus5
Shop 101, Mandalay Place, Mandalay Bay
3930 Las Vegas Blvd South
(702) 740-580 0
Hours: 10 am-3 am
Looking for the ‘coolest’ experience in Las Vegas? Look no further than minus5, Las Vegas’ very first ‘ice lounge’. What’s an ice lounge, you may ask? Well, it’s a bar made entirely of ice—including the seating, the tables and the glasses you drink your specialty vodka drinks out of! minus5 opened its doors in Las Vegas on the 25th of September, 2008. 18 tons of ice have gone into the creation of this experience, where everything is made entirely of ice (wa lls, seats, sculptures, etc.)
We visited the lounge on a Monday evening and had an amazing time. The minus5 experience lasts 30 minutes, which is the amount of time you’ll be able to enjoy the chilly atmosphere without freezing! The ice lounge is kept at a chilly -5 degrees Celsius (27 degrees Fahrenheit) all year round. All guests are outfitted in parkas, gloves and boots before entering the lounge, and though it is cold, it’s certainly not too cold to enjoy. Once inside the lounge, you can choose from a list of the lounge’s signature vodka-based cocktails (with a limit of three drinks per person in the 30 minute time frame).
This was one of the most unique lounges we’d ever been in and recommend experiencing it to all who visit the strip.
Strip House
3667 Las Vegas Boulevard South (inside Planet Hollywood)
702-785-5555
Hours of Operation: Sunday - Thursday 5pm - 11pm, Friday & Saturday 5pm - 12am
If you’re looking for an elegant dining experience, you should put Strip House at Planet Hollywood on your list. This famed New York steakhouse made its Vegas premiere in September of 2008 and the menu includes prime cuts of beef charred to perfection accompanied by side dishes such as black truffle creamed spinach, creamed corn with pancetta and goose fat potatoes. If steak isn’t your thing, don’t worry! There are plenty of other options including pan seared salmon, Maine lobster linguine and New England sea scallops. 
The amazing food is just one part of Strip House’s appeal. The atmosphere is another reason to make sure you visit this restaurant. Decorated in deep reds and burgandies with sultry silks and vintage Studio Manasse images adorning the walls, the Strip House is the perfect place to relax with a drink in the bar area or linger over a romantic dinner.
Strip House is the only steak house awarded 4 stars in Forbes Magazine All-Star Eateries 2008, was voted one of America's Greatest steakhouses by GQ magazine in March 2006, won "Best Steak of the Year" by Citysearch in 2006, 2007 & 2008, and was named one of the 10 Best American Steakhouses by Maxim magazine in November 2006.
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