As promised here's the first of several postings dealing with my experiences in Las Vegas and other casinos. Be sure to check out the link over on the side to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Great stuff on what's happening, hotel rates and other things you might want to know about in "Sin City", before you head out. Btw, you might also want to check out Mark Evanier's Las Vegas pages (go through the link to POVonline, also over on the side), besides general info Mark also has some wonderful stories about new and old Vegas that will make you want to go there even more.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Viva Las Vegas, pt. 1
My first trip to Las Vegas was back in 1995, with my ex (fellow Blogger Elayne Riggs). We ended up staying with her parents, rather than at a hotel, so I can only comment on what we saw driving along the Strip and visiting several of the casinos.

My greatest thrill was just going down the length of the Strip our first night. If you have never made the trip, or have only see the city in films you can’t imagine how absolutely overwhelming the place can be. Having grown up watching clips of Frank & The Rat Pack, plus numerous other scenes showing the place it was like a ‘dream come true’ for this kid. As I whispered to Elayne while gaping at everything, "I think I just orgasmed!"

The two casinos that made the most lasting impression, at least on the inside, were Ceasar’s and the MGM Grand. Both have made a number of changes since then, but walking down the main corridor of Ceasar’s is amazing. You have got to check out the ‘living statue’ show, with Bacchus (which hasn't changed since I originally saw it), as well as the newer “Fall of Atlantis” further down the way.

Outside the Strip, I vividly recall going one evening to checkout the Freemont Experience, a great light & music show. A huge canopy of lights has been erected over several blocks, under which have been placed some of the old-time neon signs (including the Lucky cowboy) you may remember from 1950s shots of Vegas. Each time I’ve gone the show has been different.

My second trip was with my current wife, Donna. We had been talking about Vegas since we began dating back in ’99, and finally decided to take a chance. The most important thing we discovered was that visiting Vegas in the middle of summer might not be your best choice. Surprisingly, not only is it incredibly hot, but the place is packed. We found on our next trip, in January of this year, that there were fewer crowds and it was much easier (especially on weekdays early in the week) to find spots at the machines and tables. January in Vegas has temps around 56% during the day (as opposed to around 104% in July), but you might want to bring a light jacket, for evenings.

If you do go, I would recommend passing on both the Aladdin and New York, New York. They are really pushy when you first walk in, with Greeters trying to get you to sign up for casino cards and shows. Also, Aladdin isn't really that special and NYNY is like a bad dream of what Times Square once was. Crowded, noisy and impossible to find your way around. We were trying to figure out where to find an exit and found ourselves standing behind a group of people. Some guy asked me what we're standing in line for! "Hopefully the exit," I said. He laughed and drifted away.
One surprise at NYNY was a ‘tribute/memorial’ to the police & firefighters who lost their lives in the WTC disaster. Around the “riverfront” (complete with tugboat) outside the casino is a fence literally covered by t-shirts and sweaters bearing the logos of EMS, fire & police departments from around the country. Many of these also have handwritten messages, which can still be read. Very moving.
Mandalay Bay, one of the newer casino resorts, is nice, but really nothing special. Although they do have some very nice restaurants. The Bellagio, on the otherhand, is quite lovely. You have to check out the blown-glass sculptures in the lobby ceiling, and the botanical gardens. The Luxor, which I didn't have a chance to really explore during my first trip is a lot of fun. The place really uses the ancient Egyptian motive to full-effect. Giant statues of the pharoahs, hyroglyphics, etc. adorn the lobby and walls of the casino floor. Looking up you are reminded instantly of the pyramid shape of the building and the unusual 'inclinators' which take you up to your rooms moving at an angle to the casino below.

Naturally, on my trip last year I had a chance to check out the Elvira 'nickel' slots at the Luxor! Pretty cool, featuring a little statue of her on top, sitting in a skulled throne. Donna had a lot of fun (and some luck) with the Munster video slots. A comical bat transforms into Granpa Munster when you hit certain sequences and gives you winnings, depending on what is next to him. There is also a "Munster match" where you match three video clips of one character and win a total combined number of coins. Naturally, Herman is the highest (50 to 150 coins) and Marilyn gives you only twice your bet (usually 2-3 coins), if you find the single clip of her. Donna had a lot of fun (and some luck) with the Munster video slots. A comical bat transforms into Granpa Munster when you hit certain sequences and gives you winnings, depending on what is next to him. There is also a "Munster match" where you match three video clips of one character and win a total combined number of coins. Naturally, Herman is the highest (50 to 150 coins) and Marilyn gives you only twice your bet (usually 2-3 coins), if you find the single clip of her.
Both the Elvira and Munster machines give little special extras for fans of either show. When you win on the Munster Match it ends with a close-up clip of Herman saying "I'm rich...I'm rich!!"
When you get a certain sequence on Elvira you have a chance to play Movie Macabre (or something like that) where you choose a clip from a list of bad movies (they only last about 10-15 seconds so look quick). Then you have to guess how many "skulls" Elvira gave the film. If you agree with her you win a bonus amount. As with the Munster game, it's cool to hear Elvira talking to you as you play. (Hint: When asked to 'touch a chest' for a bonus, don't automatically go for one of the 'treasure chests', see what Elvira has to say if you get a bit too chummy. ;-)
There is also an I DREAM OF JEANNIE video machine. It uses animation similar to the opening credits and you hear Barbara Eden's voice saying things like "Thank you, master" (which gives me goose bumps ;-) and things like that. Only played a few times in Atlantic City, but didn't hit at all, so don't know if it does anything really cool or not.
These things are really aimed at the Boomers and folks who grew up watching these shows. Not that that is a bad thing, of course. Face it, we go to the casinos to gamble, so why not give us a little something besides Triple Sevens and Video Poker to feed our bills into.
You can't miss the water show (a series of water jets & fountains, shooting in time with music) at the Bellagio. While interesting during the day, it is incredible great at night. Every half hour or so during the day, it switches to every fifteen minutes starting at dusk to 11:00pm, each time going off to a different song. Frank Sinatra was used often during the day, with more contemporary tunes in the evenings. Stay at least for two!