Las Vegas Casino Reviews/ Things to do in Las Vegas

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My family and I recently went on a trip to Las Vegas during what was my winter break from teaching.  The vacation was fun, despite our frustrations of actually getting to Las Vegas due to annoyances with Southwest Airlines.  I will be talking about what you can do on your vacation and what we frustrations we ran into while vacationing.  This list is in no particular order.

The Bellagio- The Bellagio was one of the cleanest, most awesome casinos I have ever been in.  The Bellagio didn’t have the smoke smell, the drink service was quick, but the Long Island Ice Teas had a little too much sugar for my liking.  The best part of the Bellagio is the amazing free water fountain shows that are outside.  It was very interesting to see the show during the day and again at night.  I could have stayed there all night watching the shows every 15 minutes.

Caesars Palace- Caesars Palace has the best entrance of any of the Las Vegas Casinos.  You take this giant escalator-ramp into the casino, and are greeted with beautiful architectural detail.  There wasn’t the smoke smell, and the drink service here was good.  I wish we had time to see a show here, I’d love t see how large the hall was.  The Forum Shops were okay, but the Atlantis show wasn’t worth seeing. 

The Venetian- The best part of the Venetian is the gondola rides, both inside and outside.  We took a trip outside, and the guides sing you authentic Italian songs.  The inside is pretty amazing, as you are able walk along the indoor “river” that has the gondola ride down the center.  The casino was very clean, and the drinks here were the strongest.  The wait for drinks was a little long.

Circus Circus- I wouldn’t recommend this casino, it smells like a combination of stale popcorn and old smoke.  The shows were all boring- jugglers and the like.  We didn’t stick around to experience the drink service.

MGM Grand Hotel and Casino- We were really excited to go see the live lion habitat.  Little did we realize, the lion habitat was closed down and will never return.  It was a typical casino, nothing really special.

New York New York- This is one of the coolest facades in Las Vegas, and allows you to take some unique pictures.  I wasn’t feeling well when we were there, and didn’t go on the roller coaster, which looked like a ton of fun.  Look out for the New York neighborhood- there’s a lot of good eateries and it brings you back “to the good old days.”

Luxor- Great photo opportunities, but otherwise nothing really special.  Drink service was pretty quick.

The Flamingo- great nightlife spot, we had a great drink waitress who checked in every 7 or so minutes.  We found some great multi-machines and played for a good time here.  This is the place where I won back around $35 dollars, and proceeded to lose it over the next couple of days.  They have the outdoor habitat, which was simply amazing.  I really liked to see the Flamingos and other exotic birds.

Imperial Palace- This is where we stayed.  The price was right, the rooms were a little dated.  The Dealertrainers were pretty cool.  The Dealertrainers, for those who aren’t aware, are celebrity look-alike (and soundalike) dealers, who will get up on stage and sing. 

Mandalay Bay- We were under the impression that the aquarium is free to the public, but it wasn’t.  This would have been awesome if it were true, but I wouldn’t go to Mandalay Bay unless I had a family, which would be expensive.

Bill’s Gambling Hall- Very smoky, I felt like years were coming off of my life.  There looked to be cheap tables here, so you could probably due pretty well if you’re a cheapskate like me.

Excalibur- Not much special, not a very memorable place.

Harrah’s- We found an awesome oyster bar on the first floor in the corner.  The food was amazing.  Otherwise, I don’t remember much about this place.

Treasure Island- We saw Mystere, a Cirque du Soleil show.  We gambled a bit before and after the show.  The atmosphere was nice, it was difficult to find the cage.  The drink service was good.  I noticed a lot of smokers here (and tried to avoid them.)

The Mirage- I had a great time at the Mirage- it has an indoor habitat complete with running water, as well as dolphin exhibit (we didn’t go as it was too expensive for our liking.)  The Mirage has an awesome outdoor show, which at night simulates a volcano.  It was a lot of fun to watch.

I will be doing a post on the food of Las Vegas very soon, keep reading.  Have you had different experiences in Las Vegas?  Post them in the comments!

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