Las Vegas, Nevada

Colorful Sin City

Las Vegas: From evolution to revolution. This once-sleepy desert watering hole began its slow growth in the 1930s with the building of Hoover Dam and a downtown restaurant called the Green Shack. The eatery served the dam's construction crew chicken fried in large iron skillets that were in use until it closed in the 1990s. Legal gaming that spawned downtown casinos and the first three hotel-casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard South—El Rancho Vegas, the New Frontier and the Flamingo—somewhat accelerated the population expansion.

The revolution that propelled Las Vegas to the status of mecca for themed mega-resorts and gamblers' heaven began with the 1966 opening of Caesars Palace, enhanced by the influx of star-chef restaurants beginning in 1992 with Wolfgang Puck's Spago. Casino resorts throughout the Las Vegas Valley, including several surrounded by world-class golf courses, serve as vacation and special-occasion getaways for almost 2 million residents (whose numbers have grown, for the last ten years, at the rate of 6,000 to 7,000 a month), as well as visitors (currently 39 million a year, expanding at the rate of one million annually).

A monorail transports riders (for a fee) to Strip resorts from the MGM Grand to the Sahara, and the Las Vegas Convention Center. Concierges will help you plan trips to worthy destinations such as the dam, the Grand Canyon and the brilliantly colorful Valley of Fire, where nature has crafted sandstone formations from centuries-old rocks. There is no shortage of accommodations in Las Vegas. Visitors will find some of the world's most luxurious hotels here, as well as bare-necessity lodgings. Don't be daunted by the bigger names: there are usually great deals year-round, with top-notch hotels offering affordable stays. The Venetian, Bellagio and the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino are great deluxe choices. If you really want to be spoiled, the Wynn Las Vegas is the right choice. If you want top-of-the-line accommodations with just the right amount of distance between your hotel and the bustling Strip, we suggest the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort, Spa and Golf or The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas. Younger hipsters might be most in their element at the Palms Casino Resort, with its trendy, vibrant atmosphere. No matter where you decide to stay, Las Vegas is all about leaving your worries behind and diving right into the city's many diversions. After all, what happens in Vegas...well, you know. Here's your itinerary for three unforgettable days of glitz, glamour, nature and fine dining in our valley.

DAY 1

Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef tunnel

A short ride from McCarran International Airport takes you to the Strip and your first night's resort, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, or its luxurious THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. Breakfast in the adjoining Four Seasons Hotel's Verandah, or on its stylish outdoor patio overlooking the lush gardens and pool area, is an elegant way to start your day. You might want to enjoy 18 holes at the gorgeous Bali Hai golf course a couple of blocks south on the Strip, visit Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef, relax on the resort's sandy beach complete with a wave pool or shop at Mandalay Place between Mandalay Bay and the Luxor.

A complimentary monorail connects Mandalay Bay, the Egyptian-themed Luxor (with its Tomb and Museum of King Tutankhamen replica) and King Arthur's Camelot-inspired Excalibur (with its "Tournament of Kings" dinner show).

Across the Strip, take in the Tropicana's family-friendly afternoon show, "Xtreme magic" starring Dirk Arthur and his exotic animals daily except Friday, and the amazing Titanic exhibit. Cross Tropicana Avenue to the MGM Grand to take a complimentary stroll through the casino's beautifully landscaped three-story Lion Habitat, a glass tunnel meandering through a pride of lions and cubs. Do lunch at Emeril's New Orleans Fish House or the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill. Nathan's Famous fans yearning for their favorite dogs can find them at the MGM Grand and across the Strip at New York-New York and Monte Carlo, plus at the Luxor, The Venetian and Fashion Show (shopping mall).

Bellagio's fountain show

A few blocks east of the MGM Grand and Tropicana, the Liberace Museum (702-798-5595) is a popular destination, complete with courtesy shuttles to and from the Strip. A few blocks north of the MGM Grand and Tropicana is Planet Hollywood and its Miracle Mile, which houses an extensive array of shops and restaurants . At the adjacent Paris Las Vegas, take a ride to the observation deck at the top of the Eiffel Tower and enjoy the view. Then dine outdoors on Mon Ami Gabi's sidewalk patio, which includes a dazzling view of Bellagio's lake and fountain show across the Strip, where the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art and botanical conservatory with its seasonal flowers, plants and décor are also popular attractions.

For lunch at the plush Bellagio, Todd English's prestigious Olives with seating in its handsome dining room and on its outdoor patio on the lake, and Sensi are superb choices. Or lunch across Flamingo Road at Caesars Palace in Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill or in Rao's, or in the Forum Shops at Caesars at the Mesa Grill steakhouse, Wolfgang Puck's Chinois or Spago, or on the Trevi patio next to the statues complete with waterfalls. Catch the Forum Shop's complimentary show, the Bacchus orgy, is presented several times daily.

Make your next stop at the adjacent Mirage's extraordinary Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden (a climate-controlled "mini-zoo" for many of the famed duo's beloved animals) and Dolphin Habitat. Then, cross the Strip to Flamingo-Las Vegas, where the lush pool area's Chilean flamingos, Mandarin ducks and Koi fish live in luxury surrounded by three-story-high waterfalls.

Hip and stylish Ghostbar

Continue north a short block to the Imperial Palace to tour its Antique & Classic Auto Collection. Continuing north on the Strip, visit The Venetian's Guggenheim/Hermitage Museum and the beautiful Wynn Las Vegas with its water features, fine art adorning the casino-area's walls and array of outstanding restaurants including Red 8, Tableau, Sugar & Ice and The Country Club overlooking the golf course. Visit the art galleries across the Strip in the Fashion Show (shopping mall), where The Capital Grille, Café Ba Ba Reeba!, Maggiano’s Little Italy and Neiman Marcus' Mariposa offer appealing lunches with an outstanding view of Wynn Las Vegas. Then continue north to Circus Circus for the family-oriented Adventuredome.

A spa treatment back at Mandalay Bay or afternoon tea at Verandah might be a welcome respite before dinner at Hubert Keller’s Fleur de Lys, Charlie Palmer's Aureole, Alain Ducasse’s Mix, Rick Moonen’s rm seafood, Wolfgang Puck's Trattoria del Lupo, Michael Mina's StripSteak, followed by "Mamma Mia" in its showroom or a concert in its House of Blues.

Among other favorite shows are Cirque du Soleil's "O" at Bellagio, "Love" at The Mirage and "Mystere" at TI, "Le Rêve" and "Monte Python's Spamalot" at Wynn Las Vegas, "Phantom, the Las Vegas Spectacular" and Blue Man Group at The Venetian, "Folies Bergere" at the Tropicana, "Jubilee" at Bally's and "Legends In Concert" at Imperial Palace. Or, enjoy Barry Manilow at the Las Vegas Hilton, Danny Gans at The Mirage, magician Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo, Toni Braxton at the Flamingo and Rita Rudner at Harrah's. "The Rat Pack Is Back," a notable Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean, plays nightly except Friday at the Greek Isles Hotel on Convention Center Drive. Tickets are on sale for Bette Midler's show opening Feb. 20, 2008 at Caesars Palace, and for "Jersey Boys" (a musical chronicling Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons) opening on April 4, 2008 at Palazzo.

The very hip Palms spawned the nightclub craze with its Ghostbar and Rain In The Desert. Here is where big-name stars vie to stay in the full-floor Real World Suite (in which the MTV show was filmed) and where acclaimed restaurants include N9ne steakhouse and Little Buddha on the casino level and André Rochat's Alizé on the top floor with a spectacular view of the Strip.

Art Deco-inspired bar at Joël Robuchon

Most of the Strip and off-Strip hotels have similar clubs, such as Wynn Las Vegas' Tryst, The Mirage's Jet, Caesars Palace’s Pure, Treasure Island's Mist, Luxor's LAX, Hard Rock Hotel's BodyEnglish and, on the mezzanine level of Wolfgang Puck's Chinois in the Forum Shops at Caesars, Poetry.

Among many other recommended fine-dining options are Bradley Ogden, the gifted chef-restaurateur's only self-named eatery, and Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesar's Palace; Joël Robuchon, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico Steakhouse at MGM Grand; Piero Selvaggio's Valentino, Joachim Splichal's Pinot Brasserie and Thomas Keller's Bouchon at The Venetian; Stack and Le Cirque at Bellagio; Fix at The Mirage; and Alex, Stratta, Daniel Boulud Brasserie, Okada, SW Steakhouse and Wing Lei at Wynn Las Vegas. Among restaurants scheduled to open in January 2008 at The Venetian's Palazzo are Wolfgang Puck's CUT; Charlie Trotter of Chicago fame; Emeril Lagasse's Table Ten; and an Italian steakhouse from chef Mario Batali and his partner/winemaker Joseph Bastianich.

Another option for your evening out on the town is the Fremont Street Experience with its light shows under a vaulted laser-studded canopy. The latter has re-energized downtown Las Vegas, where the handsome Golden Nugget sparked many of its neighboring hotel-casinos' remodeling and upgrading. . The resort's "Defending the Caveman" is the show to see. If downtown during the day, take a self-guided tour of the amazing Neon Museum (www.neonmuseum.org) and/or make an advance appointment for a tour of its Boneyard, a destination attraction that preserves Las Vegas' history (702-387-NEON). Among downtown's classic restaurants for dinner are the Golden Nugget's The Grotto, Four Queens' Hugo's Cellar and Fremont's Second Street Grill.

Continue to Day 2

* Image of the city by Las Vegas News Bureau

(Updated: 12/27/07 SG)