Las Vegas - Outside the Casinos

One of the great things Las Vegas has to offer is its shows. If you search before your visit, you can find all sorts of them at quite a range in prices and book ahead. If you are adventurous, you can wait until you get there and check out some of the low-priced last-minute deals at places like Tix4Tonight which has several places along the Strip where you can get great prices if you're not choosy and/or very lucky.

We booked ours ahead. We knew we wanted to see one of the water shows. There is O at the Bellagio, a Cirque du Soleil production, and Le Reve at the Wynn (check out the video at the link). We chose Le Reve for two reasons: we aren't terribly excited about Cirque du Soleil productions and Le Reve was less expensive. We weren't disappointed.

The Le Reve water show was absolutely amazing. One of the best shows I have seen anywhere--ever. I had to keep reminding myself to close my mouth as it tended to hang open in awe of the masterful choreography and scripting of the movements of the entertainers as well as the mechanics of the stage. People appeared in the water mysteriously. One act had about 20 women's legs above the water performing a synchronized routine for a good three or four minutes. How did they breathe?

The storyline was romantic, comedic, and dreamlike and moved along with the fantastic graceful athletics of the performers. I would see it again in a heartbeat.

Our second choice for shows was one I stumbled upon while researching. And I was so glad I did. It is an afternoon show at the Westin Casuarina on Mondays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m. that is dedicated to keeping the memory of Red Skelton and his characters alive. Called The Red Skelton Comedy Show, it stars impersonator, Brian Hoffman. The venue is a caberet-type room which gives you a more intimate atmosphere and interaction with Red, er. . .Brian.

Where does Hoffman stop and Red begin? He is almost one and the same. As we prepared to enter the show, he was out front helping his staff get his ticket machine in order. He was already into character as he joked with those of us waiting to get in. From our interaction outside the theater, I knew it would be a good show. The man knows his stuff about Red Skelton.

By the way, if you happen to be a little younger, you may not know the great comedian, Red Skelton. Check out this site for a biography and other information on this multi-talented comedian.

Hoffman did a tremendous job with his show and we giggled and laughed through his Mean Widdle Kid, Clem Kadiddlehopper, Gertrude and Heathcliff, and of course, Freddie the Freeloader. But the most touching moment in his monologue was when he recited Skelton's pledge of allegiance which Hoffman speculates ended Skelton's affiliation with CBS.

The Red Skelton Comedy Show is a great out-of-the-casino time and was probably a lot more entertainment than a slot machine for the price.

Las Vegas - Outside the Casinos

Yesterday I talked of some of the sights to see in Vegas. I neglected to mention some of the museums--like the neon sign museum. That's on our list for the next visit. The visits are never long enough though to get to all the restaurants we'd like to sample.

It used to be that the highlight of your visit was the all-you-can-eat buffet. They were usually very cheap and quick and got people back into the casinos where they wanted you to be. The buffets we saw this trip were anything but cheap. The least expensive we saw (in the nicer hotels of course) was around $27. We were able to get some very nice meals in sit-down-and-be-served places for the same amount.

We were already familiar with some of the restaurants in Mandalay Bay--Shanghai Lilly (Asian) and Red Square (Russian), both excellent. There are a dozen or so restaurants in all with all sorts of price ranges and types of food.

As we were walking over to Luxor through Mandalay Place, a shopping area, we found Ri Ra, an Irish Pub. Since we are soon to embark on a four week tour of Ireland we decided it was the perfect place to sample some Irish food. And it was! Our waiter was actually from Ireland, near Dublin, and helped us with our choices. I had Irish stew and Bob had a lamb burger with goat cheese. Both were wonderful.

The next day we ate lunch at the Westin's restaurant, Suede, since that was where our afternoon show was. We ordered what we thought was light--a burger and a taco salad. Both were huge even though they were on the lunch menu but really good. Suffice it to say, we were not hungry at dinner time and ended up sharing a bucket of popcorn at our evening show instead of eating out again.

Our last day, we wanted to try out a restaurant new to the Luxor called Rice & Company. It features Chinese and Japanese food including sushi and sashimi. I love their motto: Eat Rice, Drink Tea, Slurp Noodles, Stay Healthy. Bob had orange beef and I had pecan shrimp which was a shrimp dish with candied pecans in it. We also split a salmon sushi roll between us. We were not disappointed. Everything was tasty.

No matter where you go on the Strip, you are going to find excellent restaurants with world-wide appeal. We've eaten a few times in Paris in the tower restaurant, and in some of the Caesar Palace restaurants. The internet makes it easy to do your homework and see what is available where you are staying or where you are exploring along the way. And, oh yes, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Denny's, and many more fast food chains are available. Prices are a bit higher than at home but give you an opportunity to save for those special meals at a fancier place.

Thursday, there's nothing like the Vegas shows!

Las Vegas - Outside the Casinos

Many people end up in Las Vegas because of a convention. But what do you do if you aren't interested in spending your free time in the casinos? Lots!!

Our most recent trip amazed me because of all the kids that were there. School was still out for the summer and many visitors had brought small kids with them to the place that has been dubbed "sin city" for so many years. Some of that is changing thanks to new attractions, hotels that are catering to families, and restaurants to "sinfully" indulge your taste buds.

Summertime heat was 106 F but even though it is considered a dry heat, it was enough to make you feel thoroughly baked. Bob compared it to what a convection oven might feel like. Breezes were hot and the sun scorching. Thankfully we were able to use the monorail and get us close enough to the places we wanted to see. Our hotel, Mandalay Bay, also had a tram between it and the Luxor and Excalibur but we could also walk from one end to the other indoors if we wanted the exercise. Other hotels have smaller monorails or trams that run between them as well. Do a little homework and you won't have to burn to a crisp outdoors and you'll save a few steps as well.

You do need to get out on the sidewalk once in a while to take in the views though. New York, New York is amazing as well as Paris and some of the other themed buildings. It's a little like walking through Epcot at Disney. And there is plenty to do at each hotel other than gambling.

New York, New York features a roller coaster ride. Many hotels have lazy rivers and wave pools. Mandalay Bay has a huge aquarium. MGM Grand has a lion exhibit. Several fancy hotels have huge conservatories where gardens are changed seasonally. The Mirage has a Secret Garden full of animal exhibits and a volcano that erupts outdoors in the evenings. While we didn't make it all the way to the end of the Strip, I understand the Stratosphere has all sorts of rides and then there's always Circus Circus which truly caters to families.

With all of the things to see and do you might not have time to gamble! Tomorrow: Restaurants, Fast Food to the Exotic.

The Secret Garden

In the middle of all the neon and noise, all the glitz and grandeur, we found an oasis of nature captured in a quiet shaded garden--a secret, hidden in the heart of Las Vegas.

While in Vegas this week, we stopped in at the Mirage to see Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden. The secret is a mini zoo on beautifully landscaped hotel property. Who would have thought! There are spacious areas for the animals to play and roam and three huge pools for the dolphins to exercise and show off.

The dolphins are the first attraction as you enter. There are 11 dolphins, three of which were born in the Secret Garden. The puppy dogs of the ocean, they were ready to play and display their talents. About every hour there is a team of behavioral scientists that play with the dolphins. It is not a choreographed show but they do jumps, spins, tail walks, flips, and retrieve objects in the water. I assume it takes the boredom out of being confined even if the pools are large.

Next we entered the shaded garden area and received an audio wand to hear the commentary given by Siegfried and Roy about their animals. I always thought of the pair as performers but our visit changed my mind. They are more conservationists than performers. You can feel the concern for the animals in their commentary. The white lions were first. They are unreal. Almost a pure white with a huge soft mane framing their faces, they sat regally on the rocks, blinking a hello and acting as though they knew how good they looked. They were about 8 feet in length and had to weigh at least 400 pounds. I was surprised to see two males together but apparently the males bond together to protect the pride.

A sleek black panther and a couple of cheetahs were in the next display. A little mouse ran out from one of the enclosed areas and a cheetah paced impatiently waiting for his "playmate" to come back in.

The next area held an Asian elephant, Gildah. Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants and have light markings across the nose area and around the head. She munched her hay and occasionally dipped it in the water before raising it to her mouth--kind of like chips and dip. She was looking good for a 56 year old.

Next we admired the beauty of the white tiger. Our commentary told us that the stripes of the tiger are like fingerprints--no two tigers have the same pattern.

The real show however was around the corner where three baby leopards, born in March, played with each other as well as a couple of caretakers inside with them. They would hide behind some clumps of high grass, one paw separating the blades for a better view, and then pounce on their sibling as s/he came by. An unsuspecting caretaker would find himself wearing a leopard hat all of a sudden if he wasn't careful. Toys were strewn all over the area to be picked up and discarded on a whim. Bundles of energy, they entertained us for quite a while.

You can find information about this little secret at www.siegfriedandroy.com/animals .

Upgrades in Vegas

We just returned from a few days in Las Vegas. It was our warm sunny alternative to the dive trip we had planned to Grand Cayman that was canceled thanks to Ivan. We arrived at Ceasar's Palace to check in and pleasantly bantered with the man at the reception desk. His keyboard clicked away efficiently as he looked up our reservation.

"Do you need to have a king bed or would you like two large queen beds in a larger room?" What a question. We looked at each other and wondered how much of our sleeping habits this guy needed to know. Thankfully, he continued, "The reason I ask is, there is a 900 sq. ft. suite available on the 24th floor with a his and hers bathroom. But it has two queen beds. You can have it for the same price as your other room." He looked at us for a decision.

"Sold." Our sleeping habits could adjust.

The room was outstanding. A floor to ceiling window looked out on the four pools below us and into the distance to the mountains that surround Las Vegas. Each bathroom had it's own sink and a little room with the toilet (mine included a bidet--Anyone know how to use one?). My bathroom had a large jacuzzi tub as well and a clear glass shower with two showerheads connected both rooms. The other usual amenities were there, TV, mini-refrig, etc. The whole suite was bigger than our first apartment.

We enjoyed four days of seeing the sights and sitting by the pool and enjoying great food. When it was time to return home, we caught our transportation to the airport and began our trek through the system to check in. When the e-ticket spit out boarding passes, Bob noticed we weren't sitting near each other. The agent suggested we go to the gate and see if someone there could find us seats together when the check in process was nearing completion.

At the gate, the agent had a difficult time finding two seats together. She held our passes and said she would work on it some more, apparently trying to get someone to switch with us. About five minutes before boarding she called our names and I went to retreive the passes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I couldn't find two seats together in the back so I had to put you in first class. I hope that's all right." I had trouble closing the gaping mouth that showed my surprise. Two free upgrades in one trip. I don't recall ever getting one.

It just goes to prove not all winners are at the gaming tables and slots.