Las Vegas Travel Blogs on RealTravel

Las Vegas journal: Take the Dam Tour!

2006-12-15T20:05:07Z

a entry by TeamEdwards from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

This morning we woke up early to get on the road to Boulder City, home of the Hoover Dam. It’s an architectural wonder and gives the city of Las Vegas the precious water it needs to thrive in the middle of the desert. It took us about an extra hour to get to the dam due to security checkpoints. The wait was worthwhile as the view was spectacular. The dam is much taller than we had pictured and not quite as wide. We drove across the dam and back, finally pulling off the road to take some pictures. They offered a dam tour but we didn’t have the dam money, so we left Boulder City and headed back ...

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Las Vegas journal: Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada

2006-11-06T21:40:43Z

a entry by TeamEdwards from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Today, we loaded about 30 lbs. of Jessica’s grandmother’s china into the already tightly packed backseat, nestled snuggly between our camping stove and our Erma Bombeck books. We’ll see if it survives. We left Los Angeles and headed back east on I-15 through the Mojave Desert, through little towns like Barstow and Baker. Baker is the proud owner of the World’s Largest Thermometer standing at a whopping 134 feet. 134 was chosen to represent the highest temperature ever recorded in North America. Today it only showed a high of 109. Baker is known as the Gateway to Death Valley, but we are ...

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Las Vegas journal: Beating the Casino, La La Land and a break for the border

2006-04-15T17:49:57Z

a entry by Kieren & Charlotte from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

So, bearing in mind Kieren hadn't done any serious driving for around 9 years; a 600 mile trip, on the 'wrong side' of 16 lane freeways in an automatic car was probably the dumbest thing we tried since leaving a train in Sacramento. All was going well (accident and speeding ticket free) until about 100 miles outside Vegas when we hit traffic at 6.00pm. We'd pre booked tickets to Cirque du Soleil for 7.30pm. By some minor miracle we manged to find our hotel, check in and get into the show (beers in hand) by 7.28pm without drawing the attention of the rather camp looking police.

Cirque du ...

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Las Vegas journal: Sin City

2007-06-25T20:24:29Z

"As we land, we can see the strip glistening in the distance in the evening sunshine"

a entry by Mark & Ciara from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

The thing about vegas, is that you can hear so many stories and experiences, be given so many reccommendations and told how utterly surreal it all is - but you won't really know until you go.

As a starting point, I should point out that our first hotel, the Venetian, has a canal on the second floor. If you accept that as normal, everything else should fall nicely into place.

After a smooth internal flight from Miami which made Ryanair look like bastions of good service we arrived into Mcarren international, to be greeting by the slot machines before we even got near our bags.

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Hoover Dam journal: First pit stop - "Hoover Dam"

2008-01-31T04:22:52Z

"not only were we crossing State lines but time zones as well!"

a entry by C & R from a trip to Hoover Dam, Nevada.

Only about 35miles south east of Las Vegas, enroute to Grand Canyon on US-93 stands a monolithic icon that represents strength, grandeur and a haven for what used to be harsh barren land not so long ago.

The Hoover Dam is more than just an impressive sight. It is an engineering marvel to be reckoned with. It beckons travelers transiting... to stop, step out of their vehicles and experience a magnificent concrete structure that literally transformed the desert into an oasis of flourishing commerce.

Considered the second highest dam in the United States, it is the reason why Lake ...

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Las Vegas journal: Las Vegas

2007-12-05T08:19:05Z

"You gotta know when to hold 'em..."

a entry by Bates' big trip from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

The journey from the Grand Canyon was a boring 5 hours as the spectacular scenery of the last 2 weeks dried up and we spent our time on the freeway with nothing to look at except desert. Hoover Dam hardly broke the monotony, a National Monument maybe, but in reality it is just a big wall with fat americans peering over.

Anyway, with Elvis belting out ‘Viva Las Vegas’ as we approached the weirdly shaped city in front of us the last few miles weren’t so bad and we reached the Golden Nugget Hotel. The Nugget is off the main strip these days, about a ten minute drive from the ‘new’ strip ...

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Las Vegas journal: One More Layover: Las Vegas Day 1

2007-10-22T19:55:10Z

"I basically just tailed Gretchen along the Strip and through the casinos, just trying to see it all. Impossible!"

a entry by loraloralora from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Our cab picked us up right on time and we got to the airport with lots of time to spare. Good thing, because we had one more near-heart-failure experience with Qantas/American. I will not go into details, but it was a good cautionary tale to those of us with technical jobs: Don’t assume everyone knows what you know. Anyway, long story short, we got on the Honolulu-LAX flight…and what’s more, we were in the flight attendant seats! They were all alone in a little alcove, there was a ton of leg room, and they even reclined and had leg rests! Excellent. We both arrived in LA totally rested, which ...

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Las Vegas journal: Lost in Las Vegas

2007-11-12T00:18:07Z

"Lost in Las Vegas"

a entry by tassiebutlers from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lost in Las Vegas:

Gobsmacked in Grand Canyon:

I have to link the two headings because our Grand Canyon time of 2 days was in the middle of our 4 day time in this part of the world.

Now to get rid of the first misunderstanding on the heading.

I did not lose money gambling in Las Vegas on our first day. At the time of writing this we are concentrating on diaries and I have not had a second go at the tables yet.

The term “lost” refers to our walking around the strip looking for the free shows. But again I get ahead of myself.

I did a very naughty thing ...

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Henderson journal: My Visit to Lake Las Vegas Resort

2007-08-14T04:16:16Z

a entry by darkshadows from a trip to Henderson, Nevada.

Deep and restful sleep has been eluding me more and more lately. Long before dawn today, I tossed and turned, alternating between punching and hugging the pillows, my head coming up like a periscope every so often, one nearsighted eye squinting open to check the glowing blue time numerals of the clock radio on the nightstand. Damn, it is only 4am, and I think it is a Sunday; yes in fact I'm sure it is a Sunday.

I tried without success to drift back to sleep, so finally gave up waiting for that appointed hour when my iPod Nano clock radio comes to life and surprises me randomly ...

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Las Vegas journal: Bienvenue a Paris

2007-06-27T23:43:49Z

"Bum shaking is apparently quite exhausting!"

a entry by Jessiegrrl from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Chris and I left for Paris friday morning around 9ish. Most of our travel time was spent listening to an awesome custom 80's mix in preparation for the evening's activities. We proudly sang to classics from the Cure, Journey and Queen. The trip was much shorter than we thought it would be- we were in Paris by 3 that very same afternoon! From the moment we spotted the breathtaking Eiffel Tower we were certain Paris would be everything we had hoped for. Our beliefs were confirmed as we stepped foot on the cobblestone streets lined with cafes and boutiques. Even though most of the signs were in ...

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Las Vegas journal: Death Valley, Vegas and Sailing

2007-06-10T18:59:56Z

a entry by V&Rob from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Continuing south we stayed at the town of Fresno (I think it's famous for something?!) and then turned left....and towards the desert. We arrived in the arid zone via the enormous Techapi wind farm, to Mojave, where a number of planes take their first test flights (and indeed spaceship1). Our first night in the Mojave was an interesting experience, with gale force winds rocking the motel 6 and making the train whistles sound very eerie.

The winds continued the next day, and as we headed towards Death Valley these turned to sandstorms with dust clouds more than 2 miles long. In the rare ...

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Las Vegas journal: Into the Hotel

2007-06-01T05:38:05Z

"comprised of whole and parts of dead human beings"

a entry by Travelling Family from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

What a day Tuesday was. If things could go wrong they did. It was one of those days where if you dont force yourself to laugh you would break down in tears and collapse in a heap!

The idea was very simple. We had to get the RV back before 11am, and transfer to a hire car, and then goto the hotel. Total distance to travel - around 10 miles. Estimated time to complete - about 3 hours. Actual completion time - around 7 or 8 hours!

To start with Matthew was very ill. He was still as pale as a ghost, and being sick intermittently throughout the day. Then we had the problem with ...

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Las Vegas journal: Las Vegas

2007-04-23T09:58:56Z

a entry by Carney & Cummo from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Arrived late on Tuesday afternoon at Las Vegas airport and took a shuttle to the MGM Grand and made contact with the Carney's. The flight from La to Las Vegas was across the Mahobhi desert and we were amazed at the isolation, dryness and sheer barren mountains below. It's hard to believe people liveout here. The temperature on arrival was cool 93 degrees.

The MGM Grand is an enormous hotel with this hotel alone employing over 9700 staff. the staff were very attentive and our room on the 19th floor had great views of.... the airport.

We met Pete, Jane and Louise and walked ...

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Las Vegas journal: We arrive at our final destination - YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!

2007-05-29T07:23:38Z

"some girl balancing on a piece of wood"

a entry by Travelling Family from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

We are booked in at the Koa campsite at Circus Circus, located on "the Strip". The Strip is essentially one long road making up the main tourist area of Vegas. And its a long road, a few miles I would say. Circus Circus is a casino/hotel in the theme of a, yep you guessed it, Circus. Most, if not all hotels have a casino attached and have a them associated with their name.

This campground is round the back of Circus Circus. Its a big place, and it is a car park. It is not what I would call a campground. There is absolutely no grass (unless you count the small patch by the swimming ...

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Las Vegas journal: Viva Las Vegas

2007-05-17T22:28:24Z

"watch Meg's dad in the World Series of Poker"

a entry by Adam & Meaghan from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Las Vegas...not much to explain. It was our 1 year anniversary so we decided to have some fun, and watch Meg's dad in the World Series of Poker. There is so much excitement in Vegas that you really don't need to do much to have a good time. You can gamble, see shows, eat great food at many different buffets, or just walk the strip and watch some of the free shows the hotels put on right outside.

My favorite place to gamble was Ceasars Palace. It has the highest minimums on its tables, but it is by far the nicest. They have so many tables for blackjack and roulette that its hard to count. ...

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Las Vegas journal: An Oasis of Sin. It's a Terrible Place, & I love it

2007-04-18T09:09:58Z

"She did that for twenty bucks?!"

a entry by little haxby from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

The biggest holiday weekend of Spring was celebrated, Vegas Style. Due to itinerary complications surrounding the hugeness of the state of California, I was flying there. And lucky for me, the trip to the Sacramento airport included a drawn out ride via Greyhound's absurd routes. I arrived early to check in for the bus, because some neurosis of my adolescence left a predisposition for preparing for the worst case scenario (which in all conditions is the failure to make transportation deadlines). Thus, I waited hours at the station and was fourth to check in for the bus to Oakland.

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Las Vegas journal: Day to Remember

2007-03-27T22:52:35Z

"Witnessing vegas magic first hand!"

a entry by Kevin and Shruti from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Second day was a rough one to start at first, because we simply really tired form the long week at school, traveling, and walking around the strip. But we somehow forced ourselves to wake up and start our day (a little bit more difficult for shruti), since she loves sleeping :). So we finally woke up around 10 and started our day by 11:30.

After eating breakfast we headed out to the strip to check out the "Secret Garden at the Mirage". Sounds mysterious eh? Well, it's more of a Zoo rather than a garden, because i didn't see any flowers. The garden includes, dolphins as well, when ...

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Las Vegas journal: Viva Las Vegas!

2007-04-16T05:28:00Z

"I rolled a seven and thought it was all over..."

a entry by Vanya from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

The second time I thought we would die during this trip was when Manoj persuaded me to go on the ‘rollercoaster’ at the top of the Stratosphere casino (the really tall tower one). My nerves had already been shaken up that day so I don’t know what I was doing agreeing. Anyway, it wasn’t a rollercoaster after all - it used to be but now it’s changed. Instead, it was a thing that shot you over the edge of the top of the tower and dangled you over the Strip for a few minutes. Not my idea of fun I can tell you! Good view though, had I had my eyes open!

Anyway, we had a great time in ...

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Las Vegas journal: Lions, Tigers, and Dolphins?

2007-03-27T22:57:05Z

a review of The Secret Garden at The Mirage, a thing to do in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This secret garden will not be so secret after this review. The garden is at the Hotel Mirage, but has a Zoo like feeling. Starts off with some Dolphin sights, then goes into a garden that has all sort of tigers, lions, and wildcats. For the price of $15 a person, the tigers could've atleast been awake and entertained us. It was nothing really special, but the way they have it set up was kind of interesting. I would recommend this to check out, even though you might find it cheaper to go to a City Zoo.

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Las Vegas journal: Day of Arrival

2007-03-27T18:18:59Z

"A 1-Foot tall Drink!"

a entry by Kevin and Shruti from a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

12:45 pm - take off for vegas from sfo.

1:15 pm - reach the airport

2:00 pm - reach the hotel

2:45 pm - START OUR TRIP!!

So, when we first got there we had no IDEA what to do first. Then, we remembered, oh yeah, we have a written out iternary of things to do. So after the hassle of checking in the hotel, setting line, unpacking, and changing clothes, we finally set out to start our vacation. We started off just getting something to eat, upon debating and having hard time deciding, we finally settled on New York New York restaurant called America. Shruti chose it, ...

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Las Vegas journal: Lion viewing at a casino?!

2007-03-27T18:41:30Z

a review of MGM Lions, a thing to do in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I admit, MGM grand is..well...HUGE! but one this separates the hotel from everyone else, it has live lions middle of the casino for people to see. Depending on what time of day you go, they either have male, cubs or female lions out walking around in the cage. The trainers are sitting in the cage with the lions, which is very cool. The best thing about this? IT'S FREE!! One of the few things to do in vegas which requires no money.

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Las Vegas journal: Dancing fountains

2007-03-27T18:50:46Z

a review of Bellagio Fountains, a thing to do in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bellagio fountains are worth seeing because it dances to music in the background. It's free and make sure you have a good place to watch, it's one of the coolest things you'll see in Vegas. I would recommend watching the fountain show from Eiffel Tower directly across the street, you can actually see the lights under the water.

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Las Vegas journal: Mexican food with a some dancing

2007-03-27T18:16:36Z

a review of Le Salsa, a place to eat in Las Vegas, Nevada.

We went here towards the end of our first night, and it was totally the opposite during the day. Daytime, it's a family restaurant, night time it's a mexican club and restaurant, so ID is required. We didn't order much, just nachos, but it was a quite an experience to watch people dance and eat at the same time. Plus, this place has a 48oz margarita!! :) Bad thing? It's on the strip, so not in any hotel.

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Las Vegas journal: Well rounded hotel with some drawbacks.

2007-03-27T18:11:03Z

a review of Tropicana Resort, a place to stay in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Overall, since we we running out of options for hotels, this hotel was on the strip, and it included all the features that a 5 star hotel has, but for the cheaper price. The hotel is towards the end of the strip but you can still walk up and down the strip. The hotel has some awesome views of the strips, including the view of New York, New York, Mandalay Bay, and Luxor. The hotel has a pretty good pool, but very weird hours, it closes at 6 pm! The nightlife at the hotel is for more the elderly then a young crows, since it does not have a it's own club or lounge. It does have good restaurants. ...

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Las Vegas journal: New York New York best dining place

2007-03-27T18:14:14Z

a review of America, a place to eat in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The restaurant is located in New York New York hotel. To be honest with you, the hotel itself if a eye opening experience, because the size and the architecture. America has something for everyone, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, etc. The layout includes a HUGE map of the U.S. that is 3D, and has historic landmarks popping out. It looks like a pop up book for little kids. Then again it's vegas so we are all little kids :) Bit pricey but well worth it.

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