a bit of history
Las Vegas means "The Meadows," and was mostly visited by the Paiute Indians in its early beginnings. There is a natural spring that is north of downtown, a great source and stop to replenish water. Mexican scout Rafael Rivera stumbled upon the spring in 1829, which became a reliable water source and feed area for horses.Las Vegas became a regular stop on the southern emigrant route to California, the Spanish Trail. By the 1850s, Mormons had built Las Vegas' first structures, a small mission and fort. In 1902, much of the land was sold to a railroad company. This is the downtown area now. It was subdivided when the tracks came through. There were 1200 lots sold on May 15, 1905, the city's official birthday.
During the Depression, workers came from all over searching for work. In 1931, the city's Hoover Dam Project, also known as the Boulder Dam project, offered jobs and began the growth of Vegas. During this time, gambling became legalized. The first casino on the "strip" was the El Rancho completed in 1941.
Mobster Bugsy Siegel built the Flamingo Hotel in 1946, which set the tone for the new casinos. The Flamingo was big and flashy, with lavish entertainment to attract high rollers. It is said that the Flamingo's over the top budget, a flop on opening night, and a Hollywood actress girlfriend skimming funds off the top all may have attributed to Bugsy's murder by unhappy mob bosses.
las vegas now
Since the early '80s, the boom has commenced and Vegas has grown faster than any other city in the nation, offering employment opportunities, comfortable retirement options, and of course.... plenty of fun!Not just an adult playground anymore, Vegas has more to offer than just gambling. It has more than a hundred dining establishments on the strip alone, activities such as roller coasters, desert tours, spas, one of the largest convention facilities in the world, helicopter rides, theme parks... the list goes on and on.
I have been going to Las Vegas pre-21 (you know, yesterday) and I have to admit, I am torn between what Vegas has to offer now as opposed to then. I have to say, it has lost some of its glamour. Yes, it was cheesy, but that was part of the appeal.
Sure, the hotels have gotten bigger, not necessarily "grander," yet on the flip side, there is much more that these hotels can offer to a vast majority of visitors. Vegas has opted for family appeal, not the jet set "adult playground" it used to be.
on that note...
Upon my last trip to Vegas, a meeting with the Aladdin Hotel, and location scouting for a potential show segment for AdventureGirl.com, I came across a favorite medium that I absolutely love and can go on and on about! Epicureanism! I just love food... anything pretty much. With more than 100 restaurants on this trip alone, I have to say, the Aladdin dishes up some of the most mouthwatering restaurants around! Try Josef's in the Desert Passage.Master Chef Joseph Keller, formally from Bouchon in Napa Valley, has stepped on to create some amazing dishes such as Trout Nicoise, while my production assistant savored the Parisian hamburger, which was said to be one of the best she had ever tasted.
Another favorite dining experience is at a fabulous restaurant that has arrived to Vegas from Los Angeles: Drais. Continental, cool, and with amazing ambiance, everything on the menu is fabulous. Plus, you dine off leopard dishes... and you know leopard print is my favorite! Very cool!
There is also some of the most incredible entertainment in Vegas from all over the world. I was in New York a few years ago and saw an off-Broadway show. It was incredible, funky, the audience participated, and the main characters were these odd blue men! I talked about it and my friends thought I had lost it! Now they are in Las Vegas at the Luxor. Go see The Blue Man Group, you will recognize them from the Pentium Computer commercials.
Also, Cirque de Soleil at the Bellagio. Additional information such as guest comedians, musicians, and an array of additional entertainment, can be found listed on some of the sites provided at the end of this article.
the hotels
When it comes to hotels, I admit that I'm picky. So I will give you my take on hotels. Mostly, they are the larger hotels on the strip with casinos. But, if you are on a budget, there are smaller hotels, off the strip, that offer more reasonable rates. The days of "the deal" in Vegas are slim to none.29-dollar rooms are hard to come by, unless you stay midweek, and again, off the strip. Due to the convention center, any time of year, you will find some sort of convention, rodeo, or musical event. So book early, or like I always say, "be long in the planning." For me, Vegas is a 50-minute hop, but some of you will be traveling a long way, so PLAN AHEAD! This includes restaurant reservations and show tickets.
Aladdin Resort and Casino
I liked it. It's new and I like the layout. Designers took surveys from various groups and people like you and me, and based their results on how the hotel operates and functions, and how it is designed. No longer do you have to walk through smoky casinos to get to your room. It is more like any other hotel; guest elevators can be reached from either side of the reception desk.
Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino
It's a dump. One of the oldest hotels that has not been blown up and has tried to survive among the latest Mega Resorts. My advice? Skip it. Although they tried to maintain it, they missed. The only redeeming quality is the Forum Shops; designers from all over the world have set up shop, and it is truly a shopaholic's dream.
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
They tried -- it's new and relatively nice. A little cheaply done, but do consider the separate floors, known as "The Four Seasons Hotel" in Mandalay. How it works is they have their own entrance on the side of Mandalay Towers. You feel like you have just been invited to an exclusive club. But beware; it's an expensive one, but well worth the service, rooms, excellent staff, and concierge, complete with its own private pool area. In this case, you do get what you pay for. Mandalay does have a cool bar called Rum Jungle, with 100 varieties of rum imported from all over the world, and Salsa dancing from 10pm until dawn. Mandalay does offer up some of the best sports events around town.
Monte Carlo
It's a dump... pretty on the outside, but a mess where the staff and rooms are concerned, and there is no concierge. Finding someone to help you is a joke. I had to transfer rooms 4 times. I am not that picky, but do you want to stay in a tower on the 16th smoking floor with a disconnected smoke alarm? For a new hotel, it was in disarray. Plus, after all I had gone through, there was no sorry, room reduction -- nothing. Part of what I look for is customer service at any hotel.
Bellagio
One hotel name, one word to describe it -- PERFECTION! My all-time favorite pick on the strip. Blows anything else out of the water. There is no comparison; not even Paris, The Venetian, anything. If you can save, splurge just this once, and I promise you, you will be impressed with the service, kind staff, restaurants (Aqua and Picasso are first-rate), and the smoke and noise-free casinos. The ultimate in class!
The Tropicana Hotel and Casino
On the other side of the spectrum... this hotel is meant for a party! Always known as the bachelor party destination, it offers up a fun pool, and decent enough rooms at more reasonable prices.
There is just so much to do and see, and not nearly enough space to finish writing this article, so check the sites below. As it winds up, I will be doing a show in Las Vegas, sooner than later, and I can promise lots of fun, fun, fun! Because Vegas is not only unique, it offers up fun on a platter.
Want more Vegas? Check out these sites:
http://www.lasvegas.com/
http://www.lonelyplanet.lycos.com/north_america/las_vegas/history.html
http://www.tasteofvegas.com/
http://las.vegas.diningguide.net/
http://las.vegas.hotelguide.net/
http://www.desertpassage.com/
Las Vegas Travel Guide
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