Travel

ny-travel-vegas-storygallery

There's a reason Las Vegas' nickname is "Lost Wages."&nbsp;They didn't build all those casinos to lose money.&nbsp; 
 The house always has an advantage, but some games are a better bet.&nbsp;If you're heading out to Sin City (or Atlantic City or Connecticut, for that matter), it pays to know your odds before opening your wallet.&nbsp; 
 Here are the best and worst odds in a casino, according to vegasclick.com:&nbsp; 
 Blackjack 
 House edge .5% 
 Craps 
 House edge .8% 
 Baccarat&nbsp; 
 House edge 1.06% 
 Roulette 
 House edge 5.5% 
 Slot Machines 
 House edge can be up to 17%, depending on how they're set. 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;

Going to Vegas? Here are your odds

Your best and worst odds in Vegas

In a city where building demolitions are widely trumpeted affairs, you wouldn't expect there to be much history left standing. But if <a href="/topics/Las_Vegas">Las Vegas</a> is synonymous with novelty, there are enough vestiges of the past to keep history buffs fulfilled, at least for a long weekend. 
Originally a Mormon mission at the site of subterranean springs, <a href="/topics/Las_Vegas">Las Vegas</a> grew into a ranch and railroad outpost that became a town in 1905. Its short history has been remarkable primarily for explosive growth, with Clark County now home to almost two million residents. Most visitors, however, make their home on the Strip, the row of gaudy resort casinos lining <a href="/topics/Las_Vegas">Las Vegas</a> Boulevard, and miss out on Sin City's history. 
The real genesis of the wild-and-woolly Las Vegas gambling scene was downtown's Fremont Street, where sawdust joints first opened legally in 1931. The city has struggled to revitalize Fremont since the mid-1990s - with some businesses succeeding, and others languishing - but it's still the top attraction for history devotees and the home of retro Las Vegas. 
 FREMONT STREET 
Fremont Street is called Glitter Gulch, and with good reason - there are more than a dozen casinos and hotels. While the Strip has the feel of a bling-bling <a href="/topics/Disneyland_Park">Disneyland</a>, Fremont is Vegas as Wild West boomtown in all its tawdry, smoky, neon glory. 
Fremont Street didn't fare so well with the profusion of resort casinos on the Strip beginning in the '70s. To revive it, in 1995 Las Vegas officials created the Fremont Street Experience, a 90-foot-high steel canopy over five blocks, with a 550,000-watt sound system and millions of LED lights that produce six-minute psychedelic displays on the hour nightly (877-VEGAS4U,<a href="http://vegasexperience.com">vegasexperience.com</a>). There also are several bandstands where visitors can enjoy live music. 
 TRY OLD-STYLE GAMBLING 
Geodesic canopy aside, Fremont Street retains much its old-time charm (and luridness), with the slightly dilapidated neon forms of Vegas Vic and Sassy Sally gazing down upon the throngs of gaming fans. 
For gamblers, the casinos around Fremont Street - Binion's, Four Queens, Lady Luck, the Golden Gate and others - reputedly offer some of the best odds in town. At some gambling halls, such as Mermaids, the payoffs on slot machines are in actual coins (702-382-5777). Try the Las Vegas Club Casino for what have been billed as the most liberal blackjack rules in the world (800-634-6532, <a href="http://vegasclubcasino.net">vegasclubcasino.net</a>). 
 BATHE IN NEON 
The advent of neon signs in the 1920s kicked things up a notch on Fremont, where sawdust joints evolved into more polished casinos under the Day-Glo beacons associated with Las Vegas today. In 1996, the Las Vegas Neon Museum began collecting and displaying the city's classic signs, and it now has more than 150 ($15, 702-387-NEON, <a href="http://neonmuseum.org">neonmuseum.org</a>). Fremont Street is dotted with vintage neon signs, from the original lamp at the Aladdin Hotel to the Hacienda Hotel's horse. Even more neon relics are displayed at the Museum's three-acre Boneyard and can be viewed by private appointment. 
 VISIT VEGAS HISTORY 
For those who want to leave the kitsch and glitter behind, there are two favored options in Las Vegas. At Las Vegas Springs Preserve, on the site of the original springs that fed this desert city, you can enjoy historical walking trails, archaeological sites, gardens and restored historical structures (702-822-7700, <a href="http://springspreserve.org">springspreserve.org</a>). 
The site of the oldest standing building in <a href="/topics/Nevada">Nevada</a> has been preserved at the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park (702-486-3511, <a href="http://parks.nv.gov/olvmf.htm">parks.nv.gov/olvmf.htm</a>), where Mormon missionaries from Salt Lake City organized a settlement in 1855. 
 TRY A VEGAS WALKABOUT 
Take an unofficial Vegas walking tour. The city's oldest operating hotel opened in 1906 at 1 Fremont, a building that now houses the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino (800-426- 1906,<a href="http://%20goldengatecasino.com"> goldengatecasino.com</a>). At 301 Stewart Ave. is the neoclassical post office, opened in 1933, and constructed around the same time is the old, Art Deco Las Vegas High School at 315 S. Seventh St. The El Cortez Hotel &amp; Casino at 600 Fremont was downtown Las Vegas' first major resort, built in 1941 in the Spanish style (800-634-6703, <a href="http://elcortezhotelcasino.com">elcortezhotelcasino.com</a>). The West Las Vegas Historic Neighborhood, just west of downtown, was Las Vegas' African-American neighborhood, with its own nightclubs, casinos and hotels. Segregated in the 1940s and '50s, Las Vegas saw its first major interracial hotel and casino when the Moulin Rouge, at 900 W. Bonanza Rd., welcomed both blacks and whites in 1955. 
 TAKE IN A RETRO SHOW 
For those nostalgic for the "good old days," there's one act left with classic showgirls - bejeweled, bedecked and often topless. Jubilee at Bally's Las Vegas on the Strip has been running for almost three decades, but, to fans, it never grows old ($57.50-$117.50, 702-967-4585, <a href="http://ballyslasvegas.com">ballyslasvegas.com</a>). 
Vintage-seekers should know The Rat Pack Is Back at the <a href="/topics/Plaza_Hotel">Plaza Hotel</a> and Casino ($59.20-$89.70, 702-386-2444, <a href="http://ratpackisback.com">ratpackisback.com</a>). Catch up with impersonators of Frank, Sammy, Dean and Joey - supposedly dubbed the "rat pack" by <a href="/topics/Lauren_Bacall">Lauren Bacall</a> - in a classic Las Vegas dinner theater setting. 
 SOAK UP NIGHTLIFE 
In 2002, the city anointed a nightlife district adjacent to Fremont Street's canopied blocks called the Fremont East District. With a large neon sign heralding its bars and nightclubs, Fremont East attracts both locals and visitors alike. The bricked-up windows at The Griffin make it rather forbidding, but its cavelike interior, warmed by fireplaces and jukebox tunes, typically draws a young, hip crowd (702-382-0577). 
If you're looking for a speakeasy-style lounge, try the nearby Downtown Cocktail Room with its leather-armed chairs, chaise longues and low lighting (702-880-3696, <a href="http://thedowntownlv.com">thedowntownlv.com</a>). It has an air of old-fashioned sophistication - along with imaginative cocktails. 
You might walk right by the Beauty Bar Salon of Beauty unless you needed hairstyling (702-598-1965, <a href="http://thebeautybar.com/las_vegas">thebeautybar.com/las_vegas</a>). This unusual bar mixes manicure demonstrations with its martinis against a backdrop of 1950s salon decor and frequently offers live shows and DJs in its backyard "trailer court." 
 WHERE TO STAY 
Among downtown's numerous options, one of the most alluring for history enthusiasts is the Main Street Station Casino, Brewery &amp; Hotel (from $36 a night, 800-713- 8933,<a href="http://%20mainstreetcasino.com"> mainstreetcasino.com</a>). The hotel itself is not that old, but owners have cultivated the ambience of a Victorian-themed gentlemen's club. The lobby is made entirely of wood, including a vintage key cabinet, while the casino has pounded-tin ceilings, antique-style gas lamps and chandeliers, lazy ceiling fans and leaded-glass skylights. 
Opened in the 1940s, the Golden Nugget Hotel &amp; Casino has seen a series of overhauls to become downtown's most elegant resort casino (from $59 a night, 800-634-3454, <a href="http://goldennugget%20.com">goldennugget .com</a>). The pool includes a striking, 30-foot-deep shark aquarium with a water slide running through it. Take a break from history in the Golden Nugget's upscale spa, arcade room and fine restaurants, but also investigate what's billed as "the biggest golden nugget in existence," the 61-pound Hand of Faith, on display near the hotel's main lobby. 
 WHERE TO EAT 
Before you stuff yourself on the $7.95 prime rib dinners and overflowing, underpriced smorgasbords that are the stock in trade of Las Vegas dining, step into the past at the Triple George Grill (702-384-2761, t<a href="http://riplegeorgegrill.com">riplegeorgegrill.com</a>), with its mahogany wood bar, high wooden booths, tile floors and walls full of black-and-white photos. 
For more vintage ambience and waitresses out of central casting, try Du-Pars Restaurant (800-426-1906, <a href="http://du-pars.com">du-pars.com</a>), in what used to be the no-frills Bay City Diner. Once the place to get cut-rate cuts of meat, it's a bit pricier these days (you won't find the 99-cent shrimp cocktail that used to be on the menu), but it retains the same colorful clientele and old-school decor. (Plus, the pancakes are out of this world.) 
For perhaps the cheapest treats of all, try the famous deep-fried Twinkies or Oreos at Nathan's in the Mermaids Casino. At 99 cents, they're hard to beat, plus there's a range of greasy accompaniments - chili dogs, corn dogs, French fries. Try to get them freshly made.

News

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For nostalgia, try Vegas off the strip

trCOVERVEGASRETRO

May marks the beginning of <a href="/topics/Las_Vegas">Las Vegas</a>' pool season, and visitors have their choice of ritzy resort pool scenes all over town. 
New this year - guests at Tropicana Las Vegas will find a revamped 4-acre pool. The South Beach-themed area has landscaping, waterfalls and private lounge spots at swim-up blackjack tables. Cabanas are available for rent and guests can swim to a "private island" within the pool for specialty cocktails. 
The new pool is a milestone of the $165 million transformation of the casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip. Tropicana also plans to open new luxury suites later this month. 
Details at <a href="http://troplv.com" target="_blank">troplv.com</a>.

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Revamped 4-acre pool at Las Vegas' Tropicana

trTROPICANA

Visitors to the Stratosphere tower in Las Vegas no longer need an elevator to get down from Sin City's highest building. 
A new ride is giving daredevils a cable, a platform and a chance to jump to a blue and black target 829 feet below. 
SkyJump Las Vegas has opened as the world's highest commercial "decelerator descent." A cable line guides jumpers down from a metal platform, with views of the Las Vegas Strip along the way. The ride was certified by <a href="/topics/Guinness_World_Records">Guinness World Records</a> as the highest of its kind. 
Taking the plunge costs $99.99 - or $114.99 if you want a souvenir DVD as proof. 
Details at<a href="http://skyjumplasvegas.com" target="new"> skyjumplasvegas.com</a>.

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Stratosphere tower SkyJump opens in Las Vegas

CORRECTION SkyJump

After just a day in <a href="/topics/Las_Vegas">Las Vegas</a>' spanking new CityCenter, I was crystal clear about one thing: This was no place for anyone on a budget. 
Strolling the promenade on a Friday night, I contemplated my dinner options. I thought there might be a good deal at the Buffet, but the $35.95 price tag gave me sticker shock. I studied the menu at a restaurant called American Fish. The bigeye tuna looked appealing; the price - $38 - not so much. 
"It's a nice hotel, just don't eat here," said a man studying the menu beside me. "If you want something cheap, you have to go outside." 
Outside, of course, the recession still reigns. The realities of the economy notwithstanding, <a href="/topics/Las_Vegas">Las Vegas</a> tourism officials and MGM Mirage executives who spent five years planning and building this sprawling, 67-acre complex of hotels, restaurants, shops and nightclubs, are hoping it will pull the city out of its foreclosure funk. 
Never mind that you can find cheaper hotels and meals all up and down the Strip. 
ABOUT THE CENTER 
The $8.5 billion CityCenter is said to be the largest privately funded construction project in U.S. history. MGM Mirage chief executive Jim Murren says the vision was to create a pedestrian-friendly resort that's not centered on gambling (there's only one casino), where people can shop, eat, drink, admire art, watch a show, even live (the two Veer Towers have 674 condos for sale). 
You could easily spend your entire time in Vegas at CityCenter, never venturing beyond its borders. 
All the buildings (minus the casino floor, where smoking is allowed) have earned the LEED Gold certification, making the development one of the largest built to "green" standards. 
Another difference: The architects strayed from the Vegas norm of themed casino hotels. (Think New York New York, with its copy of the Statue of Liberty, or Paris Las Vegas with its Eiffel Tower.) CityCenter's architecture is sleek and modern, standing out amid the gaudy buildings that line the Strip. 
LUXE TOUCHES 
And then there's the sheer size and luxury of everything. Aria Resort has 4,004 rooms and a 150,000-square-foot casino. Vdara is described as a 1,500-suite "boutique" hotel. And the <a href="/topics/Mandarin_Oriental">Mandarin Oriental</a>, with its 400 rooms, is the most exclusive of the bunch. A fourth hotel, Harmon, is scheduled to open at some point with 400 rooms. 
The 500,000-square-foot Crystals retail center is Madison Avenue in a mall, with stores by the likes of <a href="/topics/Tom_Ford">Tom Ford</a>, Roberto Cavalli, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari and <a href="/topics/Cartier">Cartier</a> (866-754-2489, crystalsatcity center.com). Actress Eva Longoria Parker has opened a restaurant, Beso, and a nightclub, Eve. 
WHAT IT'S LIKE 
First impression: "This place is ridiculous." 
The sharp edges, planes and curves of the six buildings caught the light off the Strip, making them sparkle in the night. A fountain outside Aria turned from neon green to purple. The two Veer Towers leaned away from each other. "It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie," one visitor said. 
CityCenter boasts a $40 million collection of fine art, but its pieces are sprinkled in the most mundane places. The valet stand at Haze nightclub, for instance, is decorated with a 250-foot light installation by conceptual artist <a href="/topics/Jenny_Holzer">Jenny Holzer</a>, whose work can be found in New York's <a href="/topics/Museum_of_Modern_Art">Museum of Modern Art</a>. 
If you're not a gambler and you can't afford <a href="/topics/Tom_Ford">Tom Ford</a>, what is there to do in CityCenter? Eat. 
It's been a recent trend for some of the most celebrated chefs to open restaurants in Vegas. Now, almost two dozen have opened venues in CityCenter, including Pierre Gagnaire, Julian Serrano and Michael Mina. And two more are on the way - <a href="/topics/Wolfgang_Puck">Wolfgang Puck</a> and <a href="/topics/Todd_English">Todd English</a> are slated to open restaurants as well. 
WHERE TO STAY 
Aria Resort and Casino, 866-359-7757, <a href="http://arialasvegas.com">arialasvegas.com</a> 
This 61-story hotel is the heart of CityCenter. Rooms are equipped with remote controls for lights, music and curtains. Spa, fitness center, four pools, 16 restaurants. Rates from $149. 
Vdara Hotel and Spa, 866-745-7111, <a href="http://vdara.com">vdara.com</a> 
All-suite, 57-story hotel with rooftop pool, spa, restaurant and lounge. Connected to the Bellagio Hotel. Rates from $139. 
<a href="/topics/Mandarin_Oriental">Mandarin Oriental</a>, 702-590-8888, <a href="http://mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas">mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas</a> 
The 47-story hotel offers modern rooms with Asian decor. The 23rd-floor lobby overlooks the Strip. Spa, yoga studio, rooftop deck. Dining options include gourmet restaurants, tea lounge and patisserie. Rates from $350. 
WHAT TO DO 
Aria Casino, 866-359-7757 
This 150,000-square-foot casino is the only one within CityCenter. 
<a href="/topics/Cirque_du_Soleil">Cirque du Soleil</a> Viva Elvis, 877-25ELVIS, <a href="http://cirquedusoleil.com">cirquedusoleil.com</a> 
A tribute to <a href="/topics/Elvis_Presley">Elvis Presley</a> at the theater at the Aria Resort andCasino. Tickets start at $99. 
INFORMATION: <a href="http://citycenter.com">citycenter.com</a>

TRVEGAS07.WEB

CityCenter: Over the top, even for Vegas

CityCenter ARIA Wall Street

New Year's Eve fireworks will return to the rooftops of <a href="/topics/Las_Vegas">Las Vegas</a> Strip hotels to ring in 2010 after ground-level displays disappointed revelers last year, event and county officials said. 
The $550,000 fireworks show, produced by Long Island-based Grucci Fireworks, will be fired from atop seven tall hotels lining Las Vegas Boulevard. The street will again be closed to form a pedestrian mall for the event that tourism officials have dubbed "America's Party." 
Plans call for fireworks to be shot from the Stratosphere tower, the MGM Grand, Planet <a href="/topics/Hollywood">Hollywood</a>, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island and Venetian hotels, and the Aria Resort &amp; Casino at MGM Mirage's CityCenter complex. Aria is set to open in December. 
Pat Christenson, president of the event promoter, Las Vegas Events, conceded that last year's low-trajectory pyrotechnics disappointed some of the estimated 250,000 attendees. 
The fireworks were not held this past New Year's Eve because of concerns that followed a spectacular three-alarm blaze ignited by welders' sparks at the Monte Carlo hotel-casino in January 2008. No one was seriously hurt.

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Grucci New Year's fireworks return to Vegas rooftops

A 10,000-square-foot suite that includes a basketball half-court rents for $25,000 a night at Palms Casino Resort. At MGM Grand's Skylofts, you'll find a bathtub that fizzes with tiny champagne-like massage bubbles and TVs in the mirrors. 
If you're worried about your mortgage and your job, such luxuries might sound downright obscene. But Las Vegas has always specialized in turning fantasy into reality - for a price. 
WHAT YOU'LL FIND 
Several Vegas hotels offer suites with futuristic amenities, audacious themes, enough room to hold a wedding along with the honeymoon and pricetags to match. 
There are suites with massage and film screening rooms, 24-hour butler service and pools that seem to hover above the ground. 
There's a suite at The Venetian that has its own gym and more than 20 televisions, another at Caesars with a golf simulator so you can work on your swing between hands of blackjack. 
THEMED SUITES 
Looking for themed luxury? The Palms is the place to be. 
The Hardwood Suite, in the Fantasy Tower at Palms Casino Resort, is hoops heaven: an <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a>-sized half-court with Murphy beds in the walls so you can wake up and start shooting right away. 
You can stay in a suite with two bowling lanes or the suite where <a href="/topics/MTV">MTV</a>'s "Real World" was filmed in 2002 - it looks exactly the same as when Alton, Arissa and the gang were there. Palms Place penthouses run $9,000 per night on weekends. 
Here's a sweet sampling of some other Las Vegas suites: 
&nbsp;HUGH HEFNER SKY VILLA 
HOTEL The Palms 
RATES $40,000 per night 
SQUARE FOOTAGE 10,000 
THE LOWDOWN The most expensive suite on the Strip has its own glass elevator to the second floor, an infinity pool - with the Playboy logo on the bottom - and, naturally, a rotating bed with mirrors on the ceiling. There's also a massage room, a screening room, a private gym, an eight-person hot tub and a sauna. 
&nbsp;DUPLEX SUITE 
HOTEL Caesars Palace 
RATES $3,500 per night 
SQUARE FOOTAGE 1,800 
THE LOWDOWN Became known as the "Rain Man" suite after the 1988 movie with <a href="/topics/Tom_Cruise">Tom Cruise</a> and <a href="/topics/Dustin_Hoffman">Dustin Hoffman</a> was filmed there. Anyone who's seen the movie - or several others filmed at Caesars - will recognize the piano and spectacular view of The Strip from the upper level. The suites have couches that seat 12, two master suites and two other connecting bedrooms available. There are 10 TVs, with in-mirror screens in each bathroom. 
&nbsp;SKYLOFTS 
HOTEL MGM Grand 
RATES $600 for one bedroom, up to $10,000 for three. 
SQUARE FOOTAGE 1,400-6,000 
THE LOWDOWN Each loft is filled with the latest technology, including <a href="/topics/iPod">iPod</a> docking stations. There's a 24-hour butler to pack and unpack suitcases, airport greeting and pickup in a <a href="/topics/Maybach_62">Maybach 62</a>, along with everything from movies and video game systems to laptops and fax machines. 
&nbsp;L SUITE 
HOTEL Mandalay Bay 
RATES $500 above the going room rate ($129-$699) on weekdays, $800 above on weekends. 
SQUARE FOOTAGE 2,160 
THE LOWDOWN A great place to have a meeting or a party or a still-upscale alternative to some of the more pricey suites on The Strip. The living area in each room has two sofas, five chairs and two coffee tables, and the dining room table seats eight. There's also a work station area with a 3-in-1 printer/fax/copier. If you're not having a meeting, it's still a luxurious place to stay, with plasma TVs, a hot tub and elegant furnishings. 
&nbsp;SALON SUITE 
HOTEL Wynn Las Vegas 
RATES Average $750 
SQUARE FOOTAGE 1,816 
THE LOWDOWN Another relatively affordable suite that doesn't skimp on luxury. The Salon Suite has a private massage room off the foyer, an expansive living area with incredible views of The Strip through floor-to-ceiling windows, and bathrooms with marble floors and unusual bamboo amenities. The bedroom, featuring what the hotel calls a Wynn Dream Bed, is so comfortable you might never leave. 
&nbsp;CHAIRMAN SUITE 
HOTEL Bellagio 
RATES $6,000 per night 
SQUARE FOOTAGE 4,000 
THE LOWDOWN With an entryway that crosses a reflecting pool and a 14-foot ceiling, the Chairman Suite exudes elegance. The suite has two master bedrooms, a solarium and whirlpool tubs with views of the city. Each suite has five TVs - two 50-inch plasmas - and remotes control all the electronics, drapes and lighting. It also comes with complimentary limo service from the airport.

TRVEGASWEB20

Fantasy suites in Las Vegas

Travel Trip  Las Vegas Suites

$669.66: My vacation budget. How far will it travel? 
With any luck, maybe more than 2,000 miles. 
 Where does my money go? To Vegas. But in a good way, not a baby-needs-a-new-pair-of-Manolos way. For $484.17, I nab a nonstop, round-tripflight from Reagan National to Vegas, with two nights at the MGM Grand, the Old Hollywood-themed casino resort on the southern end of the Strip.I save at least $65 by booking this Orbitz package, which leaves me with more money to see Vegas my way (nature and shows before slots anddebt). My imaginary accountant gives me a proud pat on the back. $185.49 left . 
 Darn, I have to pay rush-hour Metro fare ($2.55) to National, but -- bonus -- the fare is reduced ($1.35) for the return. I keep this small victory tomyself. $181.59 left . 
 Outside the Vegas airport, I stand wistfully next to a man with a limp pompadour who orders a limo for his group. I slink away like a street urchinand ask about the bus. At $1.25, public transportation is cheap, but I am warned about its frequent stops. Instead, I opt for a shared-ride shuttle,which costs $12 round trip and drops passengers off at their resorts' doorstep. $169.59 left . 
 After tossing my bags into my 18th-floor room (obstructed views of the casinos and snow-dusted mountains), I head to the bus stop. My destinationis Springs Preserve, an environmental center a few miles northeast of the Strip. While standing around for the No. 203, I find a $4 coupon for thepreserve in a visitors booklet, a small reward for this Godotesque wait. After about 20 minutes, the bus arrives, and I hand over a buck-twenty-five. $168.34 left . 
 On the bus, a local offers me a valuable piece of unsolicited advice: Each ride costs $1.25 (no free transfers -- boo, hiss), but a full-day pass costsonly $2.50. I drop another $1.25 into the collection box. $167.09 left . 
 I am losing more time than money with this bus-capade. For the second leg of this journey (I have to make a connection), I stand in the wrongdirection for the right bus number. Cold from the desert chill, I buy a coffee and a roll from Starbucks for $1.98. "The bus is coming at 3:07," shoutsan employee as I trundle to the correct stop. It is now 2:45. I wonder if taxis cruise these parts. $165.11 left . 
 I almost kiss the first staff member I see at the 180-acre Springs Preserve, a serene slice of nature amid retail blight. First, I am so happy to havefinally arrived. Second, the admission is usually $18.95, but thanks to a holiday special, the rate drops to $8 after a certain hour. (The coupon cannotbe combined with the holiday rate.) I am told to hang for five minutes. This time, I wait with pleasure. 
 The facility relies on themed hiking trails, an eight-acre botanical garden and a variety of indoor and outdoor exhibits to teach visitors about the LasVegas Valley. I start my tour at the Origen Experience, a learning center that resembles a video arcade imagined by Al Gore. I play a computergame called "You Don't Know Dewey," in which an animated droplet quizzes me on water-related topics. After guessing wrong on such questionsas "True or false: On Sept. 3, 1970, a hailstone the size of a watermelon fell in Kansas?" (True? No, false. It was the size of a cantaloupe. Jeez,Dewey.), I realize how ill-acquainted I was with Dewey. 
 It isn't all fun and games, of course. I walk away with some tidbits that would impress a roomful of water conservationists: Washing machines use40 gallons of water per load, older toilets consume 3.5 gallons of water per flush, a one-minute shower drinks up two gallons. I feel dirty for being soclean. In the outside exhibits, I'm able to fill my cute-animal quota (that certainly wasn't going to happen on the bus): a gray fox curled up like a kittenand two cottontails standing on hind legs, ears alert and white tails twitching. 
 I swing by the gift shop and browse recycled items transformed into enviro-chic wearables: a tasteful bracelet made of a silver fork and a pearl, atote constructed of old billboard panels, a little black bag made from tires. Upstairs at the Wolfgang Puck cafe, the menu leans toward gourmetcomfort foods, such as black truffle turkey pot pie. 
I'm tempted to settle down with a bowl of butternut squash soup and listen to the serenading three-piece band stationed in the corner. But then thatlittle accountant in my head starts crowing, and I set off for the bus stop. $157.11 left . 
 I try, I swear I do. I walk up and down the darkening street and cannot find the proper bus stop. I can see the blindingly bright lights of the Strip(who couldn't?), but the distance is too far for this pair of feet. Then I spot a cab idling in a driveway and hop in.The fare is $20, but I savor every click of the meter. $137.11 left . 
 My body is screaming for an $80 white ginger lily sugar rub or a $70 aromatic hot oil scalp massage at the MGM Grand spa, but instead Idowngrade my desires to a $10 gym pass. Runner-up prize: a granola bar, an apple and a bottle of water, available to all fitness center guests. Isquirrel away the granola bar for leaner times. $127.11 left . 
 With my package, I received a $25 food credit, applicable to the majority of MGM's esteemed restaurants. The discount is not valid at either ofJoel Robuchon's eateries or Emeril Lagasse's New Orleans Fish House, but I can still sop up the vittles at Michael Mina's Nobhill or Seablue, TomColicchio's Craftsteak or Wolfgang Puck's Bar and Grill. When the dinner bell rings, however, I'm craving Japanese food and steer toward Shibuya.The menu is a fanciful read of sushi, sake, teppanyaki, Wagyu beef and other specialties, but my eye falls on the cold tofu plate at the "market price."M/P for lobster, sure, but for tofu? The waiter explains how the chef flew to Japan to sample different types of tofu, settling on this creamy variety,which is exported to Vegas on a limited basis. Hence, $22 for an ice cream scoop of bean curd. (For some greenery, I pair the tofu with a quartet ofseaweed salads, and for good karma, I add a $6.50 tip. My total bill comes to $19.21.) Though some might balk at the price, the presentation alone isworth it: The bowl of tofu is surrounded by a bed of black rocks, with a tuft of grass and an orchid fueling the illusion of a miniaturized Japanesegarden. The dish emits a soft white mist from, as I learn by digging around, dry ice. It was a Zen riddle solved with chopsticks. $107.90 left . 
 And for dessert, a cup of Haagen-Dazs mango sorbet for an overpriced $6.41. But I bow to the sweet tooth. (This is also my evening'sentertainment, as both MGM clubs -- Tabu and Studio 54 -- are closed for the night.) $101.49 left . 
 Tix4Tonight, a discount ticket outlet on the Strip, posts its day's offerings at 9:30 a.m. At that hour, a small crowd already has converged around thedisplays scrolling the shows and reduced prices: "Jersey Boys" for $116, Cirque du Soleil's "KA" for $122.30, "Mamma Mia!" for $41.25, GregoryPopovich's Comedy Pet Theater for $17.50. I join the line outside, where we pass the time by swapping show critiques, dinner recommendations andgrumblings about the wait. 
Tickets go on sale at 10; 12 minutes later, an employee announces that " Blue Man Group" and "Phantom of the Opera" are sold out. "There arefour locations, and the stuff goes like I(ital) pfft/I ," (end ital) he says, demonstrating the tickets' disappearing act with the fluttering of his hand."Make sure you have two or three other choices." After doing the math and weighing my nutritional needs, I have to rejigger my wish list: 1. DavidCopperfield; 2. "Ice," an acrobatic show performed by Russian skaters; 3. "Stomp Out Loud," a drum-fueled spectacle. At $64.45, Copperfield is themost expensive, but he's a classic. I hand over my credit card, plus a $2 coupon I found online. $39.04 left . 
 Excitingly, my budget grows by five cents and my meal ticket is punched at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, where anyone who signs up for its casinoclub receives a free buffet and a slot-machine card worth anything from $1 to $1,000. The lunch buffet, which normally goes for $12.99, is a surfeitof greasy food from around the world and America's strip malls: cheese enchiladas, pot stickers, waffles, prime rib, salad bar, bagels, fruit cobbler,soft-serve ice cream. After eating enough for two meals (and leaving a $2 tip), I head to the casino floor to practice my slot skills. No surprise, mycard contains only $1. But that dollar can grow into $20, $50, $300. Or it can drop to zero. Wisely, I know when to walk away -- at the card's lastnickel. $37.09 left . 
 Siegfried and Roy's famous white tigers are retired and spending their post-career lounging at the Mirage hotel's Secret Garden, an outdoor spacereplete with draping greenery and piped-in jungle noises. The $15 fee is steep, but you get two wildlife areas for the price of one. At the DolphinHabitat, six dolphins swim, spin and flash their smiles in the facility's multiple pools. The Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are not trained to entertain a la 
 SeaWorld but are part of a research facility. Yet even without a bucket of fish as bait, the dolphins leap and frolic, performing like pros for the crowd. $22.09 left . 
 Before the Copperfield show at the MGM Grand, I squeeze in one free activity. (I'd armed myself with a printout of gratis distractions, in case mydiscipline lapsed and I risked my whole budget on the roulette wheel.) At the CBS Television City, inside the MGM Grand, viewers play TV critic byscreening a show, then letting loose with comments and opinions allegedly reviewed by studio suits; I suffer through the sitcom " Rules ofEngagement." If it gets canceled, or never happens, you can thank me. 
 Showtime, rubes. The legendary illusionist appears (yes, like magic) onstage straddling a motorcycle, then harangues the crowd for not laughingloudly enough at his jokes. Despite his churlishness, the man is magical. He makes a tissue bob in thin air, walks through a giant whirring fan andcauses 13 guests to go I(ital) poof/I , (end ital) only to reemerge in the audience. The most mind-boggling trick involves a set of numbers proffered byrandom folks that later match the figures on the license plates of his grandfather's cars. As if that isn't enough, his grandfather's dream vehicle, anaquamarine convertible, appears on a large platform under which a guest squats. 
Later, trying to crack the mystery of how the car appeared, I track down Car Guy, who tells me that he never heard the drone of an engine orCopperfield calling out, "Park it here, quick." Magic, indeed. Still $22.09 left . 
 After the show, I grab a meal at the 24-hour Studio Cafe: oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins ($6.89, with tip). With my budget sliding towardsingle digits, I want to be sure that I have at least $5 to gamble. So, I eat breakfast for my midnight supper. $15.20 left . 
 The Enchanted Unicorn slot machine takes all but $1.05 of my initial bet. Yet I still believe ... in unicorns and slots. $11.25 left . 
 Jackpot! I hit two acorns, a maiden and a unicorn. I don't really understand what that means, but who cares: I've won $54.90. Back up to $66.15 ! 
 I'm tempted to treat myself to some shopping at the MGM or a flashy limo ride to the airport. Instead, I tuck the cash away in my wallet andearmark it for my next vacation. 
 Book a Las Vegas vacation right now .

ny-trvegas700

Las Vegas for less than $700

Does the Las Vegas airport offer any special services? 
While waiting for your luggage, you can check in to your hotel or make show reservations. MGM Mirage and Harrah's have airport desks that service several of their properties. While waiting for a flight, you can visit the 24-hour fitness center in the main terminal (non-members pay a $10 fee). 
 What are "VIP options" at hotels? 
Many hotels along the Strip and downtown offer VIP treatment to guests for an added fee of $25 to $100 a night. Benefits include special check-in and checkout with little waiting, concierge services, newspapers and refreshments such as coffee and continental breakfast and afternoon snacks. 
 What is "bottle service"? 
With nightclub bottle service, you get a table and a bottle of your favorite beverage for a set price. It comes with ice, glasses and mixers of your choice. It often gives you access to the club's roped-off VIP areas and your own server. Prices are in the hundreds of dollars, but with a large group, it can still be cheaper than ordering drinks individually. 
 Any other tips on clubs? 
Call ahead. Get your name on the guest list. And men, every time you go to a club, wear dress shoes. Wearing sandals or casual shoes will often mean you're left standing at the door. 
 What's the best way to brush up on my gambling skills? 
Get lessons. During the day, most casinos offer free half-hour lessons in craps, blackjack and poker. They can improve a player's edge -- and confidence. 
 Do I tip the dealer? 
Yes, if you're doing well. Generally, you are supposed to tip the equivalent of your average bet once or twice an hour. 
 The Strip is always jammed. Are there work-arounds? 
Take parallel roads such as Industrial Road and Frank Sinatra Drive to the west of the Strip and Koval Lane and Paradise Road to the east. Desert Inn Drive, which runs east and west between Paradise and Valley View, slips under the Strip and bypasses it. 
 What's the Deuce? 
It's a double-decker public bus that may be the best deal in town. For $5, you can buy a 24-hour pass that allows you to hop on and off at will, along the Strip and downtown. Passes can be purchased on board. 
 If I forget my cell phone charger, what can I do? 
Many concierge desks will charge your cellphone, usually for a small fee. Another cell tip: Before you leave for Vegas, add these services to your contact list: airline, AAA ([800] 222-4357), limo service, your doctor and your hotel's concierge. Feeling frisky? Add a bail bond service. 
 Any photo tips? 
Taking photos of game tables and machines is frowned upon. If you want a photo of your big jackpot or your friend gambling, ask security before pointing your camera. 
 What's the best time to show up at a resort's dinner buffet? 
Between 5 and 6 p.m. The food is fresh, the lines relatively short and the wait staff will still be friendly. 
 Are special-occasion weddings worthwhile? 
 Never marry on Valentine's Day or New Year's Eve. You'll find yourself at the end of a long line at City Hall with a bouquet of wilting roses. 
 Can I smoke in Vegas? 
Smoking is no longer allowed in restaurants and public areas outside the casino, and the city now offers some fully nonsmoking hotels. These include Platinum Las Vegas, Westin Casuarina and Meridian Luxury Suites. 
 Where can I get show tickets at the last minute? 
For same-day tickets at half the cost, go to the Tickets2nite booth at the Showcase Mall adjacent to MGM Grand, or Tix4Tonight at the Fashion Show Mall or the Hawaiian Marketplace at Polo Towers. 
 How do I avoid a line at checkout? 
Consider a late check-out. Most hotels have a standard checkout time of noon but will allow an extra hour or two upon request. Visitors with late flights might be able to obtain a late checkout up to 6 p.m. for an added fee of $20 or $25, depending on hotel policy.

ny-tr-vegastips

Your Vegas questions answered

FOR THE RECORD: Las Vegas: An article in Sunday's Travel section about attractions off the Las Vegas Strip said the Peppermill Inn was two miles from the Strip. The lounge is on the Strip. — 
Let's face it: <a href="/topics/Paris_Hilton">Paris Hilton</a> can't be everywhere. 
There is a Las Vegas that <a href="/topics/Hollywood">Hollywood</a> ignores, where the glitz of the Strip is replaced by real people having real fun and eating real food for far less than $100 a meal. 
This Las Vegas is for those who want to stay away from such words as "hip" and "trendy" and instead bask in the glow of what can be a charming city. 
Here are a few Las Vegas hot spots -- call it "stripped-down" Vegas -- that aren't found on the Strip and won't break the bank. 
 BEST CASINO 
Red Rock Station (11 miles from the Strip): The Red Rock features all the typical Vegas treats -- gambling, good food, live entertainment -- plus extra goodies, such as a movie theater and bowling. But what really separates the relatively new resort from its brethren is its location. Nestled up against picture-perfect sandstone cliffs, Red Rock provides just about everything for the nature enthusiast, including rock climbing, kayaking down the <a href="/topics/Colorado">Colorado</a> River and horseback riding. 
 11011 W. Charleston Blvd.; (866) 767-7773, www.redrocklasvegas.com 
 BEST LOUNGE 
Peppermill Inn (two miles from the Strip): <a href="/topics/Robert_De_Niro">Robert De Niro</a> holed up at the Peppermill while filming "Casino" and for weeks afterward. The place is a real throwback, a lounge in the truest sense. The drinks are reasonably priced and reasonably mixed, and the clientele is well-heeled but not snobbish. <a href="/topics/Gay_Talese">Gay Talese</a> might have written " <a href="/topics/Frank_Sinatra">Frank Sinatra</a> Has a Cold" after following the Chairman through the Peppermill. Just a hunch, though. 
 2985 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; (702) 735-4177, www.peppermilllasvegas.com 
 BEST STEAKHOUSE 
Becker's (13 miles from the Strip): In what may be the greatest endorsement a restaurant can receive, a Zagat.com reviewer put it quite simply: "As soon as I walk in the door, I feel 10 times cooler than I actually am." Maybe it's Ol' Blue Eyes or <a href="/topics/Sammy_Davis">Sammy Davis</a> Jr. floating through the air, maybe it's the impeccable décor, or maybe it's the courteous staff. Becker's does give the feeling that a simple meal is not so simple; it's more like an experience. Much like the typical fancy Strip steakhouse -- where meals can easily run in the mid-$200s -- Becker's offers good-quality food but at two-thirds the price. Meat entrees are reasonable, from $22 to $35, and the menu is full of side dishes and starters. 
 2400 N. Buffalo Drive; (702) 216-2700 
 BEST WESTERN BAR 
Stoney's Las Vegas (6 1/2 miles from the Strip): Twentysomethings will come for the $20 all-you-can-drink beer on Fridays and Saturdays, but stay for the bikini bull riding. During December's National Finals Rodeo, Stoney's was the place to be for cowboys, with a massive dance floor and relative accessibility. 
 9151 Las Vegas Blvd. S; (702) 435-2855, www.stoneysrockincountry.com 
 BEST FAST FOOD 
Zaba's Mexican Grill (4 1/2 miles from the Strip): Combining all the possibilities of a chipotle-style burrito with an expanded menu that includes quesadillas, salads and burrito bowls, Zaba's is an ideal option for those seeking refuge from buffets and/or steak tartare. Each menu item is available with chicken, steak or, the best choice, slow-roasted shredded beef, and the burritos are packed to the brim with extras. The highlight of the menu might be the chipotle ranch dressing. 
 3318 E. Flamingo Road (closest location to Strip); (702) 435-9222, www.zabas.com 
 BEST BREAKFAST 
Blueberry Hill (2 1/2 miles from the Strip): Everything from the rosy pink booths to the lighting fixtures screams "old school," but for breakfast, is that really a bad thing? With a plentiful menu, including an ideal 2-2-2-2 special (two eggs, two pancakes, two sausages, two pieces of bacon), and rock-bottom prices, Blueberry Hill is good for recharging the engine. The coffee is fresh, the waitresses are not and the food tastes at least twice as good as it costs. 
 1505 E. Flamingo Road (closest location to Strip); (702) 696-9666, www.blueberryhillrestaurants.com 
 BEST LOW-BUDGET BAR 
Double Down Saloon (two miles from the Strip): This bar prominently features a skeleton hoisting a martini. It's my personal "Dawn of the Dead" nightmare. For punk fans and rockers, this place is it -- nowhere else in Sin City is a jukebox held in higher regard. The Ramones and Sex Pistols grace the airwaves almost permanently, of course, but live bands take the stage often. 
 4640 Paradise Road; (702) 791-5775, www.doubledownsaloon.com 
travel@latimes.com

ny-travel-vegas0502

A different, less expensive side of Las Vegas

Rat Packer Dean Martin put the martini on the table in Las Vegas and made it the cocktail du jour for all those who bought into the formula that Vegas + cocktails = cool. In fact, he lived his famous one-liner onstage at the Sands night after night when he told audiences, "If you can lie on the floor without holding on, you're not drunk." 
Las Vegas has gone far beyond its martini days. 
The cocktail is no longer a cocktail. It's flaming tiki bowls of roiling red juice at the Peppermill or 30-ounce berry-infused vodka elixirs sucked from a jar at the Hard Rock pool. It's a $1,000 cocktail sipped with steak at BOA Steakhouse or 60-ounce "muddled" martinis, stirred and then shaken at Blush. Like most things in this over-the-top town, Vegas cocktails are a phenomenon that other cities would find tough to match. 
Las Vegas offers plenty of ways to test Martin's premise. 
If you are looking for big, bulging glasses of sensory-stunning potions, look no further than Quark's Bar. Drinks here come in strange colors and should be handled with care. Order the Warp Core Breach and heed the waiter's warning: Do not dip your fingers into the drink. The ice used to chill it is the dry kind that comes with lots of bite. 
The $29.50 drink has enough punch to tank two grown men with 10 ounces of liquor from five different-flavored rums, Razzmatazz and fruit juices. The drink comes with a Red Alert! warning and options for half sizes if you think you're too human to handle it. 
Seekers of dark, '60s-style secret-tryst spots where bubble-gum-colored tiki drinks are served to couples in dark corners will hit pay dirt at the Peppermill Fireside Lounge. The Strip-side classic is an Old Vegas holdout that still sports the fire pit that put it on the map. Oh yes, the drink does come in a stemmed fishbowl with a pink paper parasol. Drink your way through a seemingly bottomless libation as volcanic flames flicker madly from the cool pool. 
 Try the Blue Mist Martini with Island Blue Pucker and Absolut Citron. Or splurge on the Scorpion -- six shots of things that sting in this bowl, mixed with juices and made for two, for $18. 
Isla at TI creates a Goddess Elixir table-side that might double as a delicious liquid to soak your feet in or a marvelous punch you would serve at a party. It's big. It can serve one or four and still get its point across. The Tequila Bar there proffers 24 styles of the fermented agave juice presented by a "tequila goddess" who mixes and matches some of these drinks to order at the table. The Goddess Elixir comes with big chunks of pineapple and citrus buoyed by Herradura Selección Suprema, Grand Marnier Centenaire (100th-year commemorative), Cointreau and fresh citrus syrup, for $99. 
Blush recently opened at Wynn and is serving fruit-infused alcohol known as "fresh shots." The choices are strawberry-pineapple, cantaloupe-honeydew-watermelon and lemon-lime-orange. They are muddled with a wooden spoon and shaken in a behemoth 60-ounce martini shaker before being strained and poured into shot glasses ($35 for the whole shaker). 
At the Mirage, LOVE comes in the form of a 32-ounce cocktail served in a plastic cup imprinted with shadow images of the Beatles and sipped between gasps of awe as the Cirque du Soleil show ($14.50). 
Or you can go for the gold with the Ménage a Trois served nightly at Tryst for $3,000. The purveyors of the cocktail think it creates a perfect threesome using Cristal Ros, Hennessy Ellipse and Grand Marnier Cent-cinquantenaire , all mixed with 23-karat gold flakes and liquid gold syrup. It's sipped through a golden straw studded with a 9-point diamond -- yours to keep. 
In the price category of extreme cocktails, BOA's King Richard's Pride deserves some attention. The $1,000 libation consists of 2 ounces of Hennessy Richard, three-quarters of an ounce of Dom Perignon Rosé 1996, half an ounce of Chambord Liqueur Royale de France blended with the juice of half a lime, one orange slice and a splash of cranberry juice, all served in a keepsake Baccarat cocktail glass. Find it, fittingly, at the Forum Shops at Caesars. 
MGM Mirage properties are drenched in extreme luxury cocktails, a phenomenon that took off when Steve Wynn opened the Bellagio in 1998 and hand-picked Tony Abou-Ganim to elevate the art of bartending to the echelons of star culinary performance, using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Abou-Ganim now frequently works on the beverage side with Mario Batali to create customized $100,000-a-plate lunches for captains of industry. 
The "Vegas Mixologist's" favorite spot is the Petrossian Bar at Bellagio, where he can be found sipping a Side- car (Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, Marie Brizard's Orange Curaçao and lemon sour served straight up in cinnamon-sugar-frosted glass, $12). 
MGM Mirage's Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay offers Liquid Gold by the ounce for $175: Grand Marnier Centenaire, Louis XIII Cognac, Krug Grand Cru Champagne, Fee Brothers West Indian Orange Bitters and raw sugar garnished with 23-karat gold leafing and a burnt orange twist. 
Or you can slum it on the price and go where size counts at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville at the Flamingo Hotel. Head to the sidewalk with the hordes, carrying your 20-ounce cash-and-carry glass of License to Chill, a heady blue-hued mixture of Margaritaville Gold Tequila, Bols Blue Curaçao and the cafe's secret margarita frozen or on the rocks in a long, thin plastic glass for $7.50.

ny-vegas-cocktails

Extreme cocktails in Las Vegas

During your stay in Las Vegas, the time will come when you just can't gamble another dollar -- whether you have any or not. 
Worry not, travelers. Vegas offers an array of free entertainment, provided a) you know where to look; and b) you expand your definition of entertainment. 
Here are 10 penniless things worth your time: 
 Bellagio Fountains 
Every 15 minutes, the lake in front of the Bellagio erupts into song. The fountains follow suit, moving in step with the song of the moment. Ask the concierge for a schedule of songs. 
 Television City 
Ever wonder how some TV shows make it on air? There's no making up for "Smith" or "K-Ville," but at Television City and Research Center inside the MGM Grand, you can watch and rate potential future programming on CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon and other Viacom-owned stations. It's the closest most of us will ever get to starring in a pilot. Television City opens at 10 a.m. daily. 
 Sirens of TI 
This outdoor show at Treasure Island begins with a 17th-century clash between the beautiful, tempting sirens and a band of pirates. Through song, the Sirens lure the pirates to their cove, whip up a powerful tempest and transform Sirens' Cove into a party. Experience it nightly at 5:30 p.m., 7, 8:30 and 10:00 p.m. in Sirens' Cove. Guests of TI can secure a VIP viewing area. 
 Drinks! 
Hang around the gaming tables and slot machines while your friends with money left continue to gamble. Make them order drinks for you. Hey, they're free and they'll help take the pain away after folding your Kings to some chump who bluffed you off the pot. 
 Lion Habitat at MGM Grand 
We've all heard and seen that lion roar at the start of a movie produced by MGM. That lion tradition continues with the Lion Habitat on the casino floor at MGM Grand. Watch and marvel as the kings of the jungle roam their habitat. 
 The circus at Circus Circus 
The largest permanent circus in the world, it's also one of Vegas' oldest free shows. Aerialists, jugglers, trapeze artists and clowns do their thing in the big top, one level up from the casino floor. There is limited seating but standing room is available. The shows run every half-hour from 11 a.m to midnight every day and last 10 minutes. 
 Dueling pianos at Harrah's 
Every night starting at 9, two pianists go head-to-head and play for your adoration. The shows are free inside the "piano bar," but the drinks aren't. However, you can stand just outside the bar, watch the show and be part of the screaming crowd that picks the winner each time. It's an amusing way to spend a few minutes of the night, whether it's pre- or post-partying. Also featured at New York New York. 
 Fremont Street Experience 
Back in the day, the glitz of the Vegas Strip was Fremont Street. It's since moved to Las Vegas Boulevard. But if you want a taste of what it was like way back when, Fremont is the place to be. Walk along the five blocks and enjoy the live music and a nightly sound and light show on the overhead canopy. 
 Rio 
Hello, Carnaval! OK, so no one will confuse Las Vegas with Brazil, but in this town, just about anything goes like, for example, the "Masquerade Show in the Sky." Every night at the Rio, colorful floats dance high above gamblers' heads. Costumed dancers and floats suspend from the ceiling above the casino floor. It's worth at least one viewing, especially if you don't plan on making it to Brazil anytime soon. Shows at 3, 4, 5, 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. daily.Fremont Street Experience, 425 Fremont St.; (702) 678-5600. 
 Mirage volcano 
Just next door to those swashbucklers is an erupting volcano in front of the Mirage. Don't stand too close or that lava will burn your skin to the bone. Relax, we're kidding. The volcano is 54 feet high and circulates 119,000 gallons of water per minute. Constructed in 1989, the volcano is being renovated and is expected to re-open later in 2008. When it does, be prepared. If there's one thing Vegas knows how to do (besides bankrupt you), it's how to put on an elaborate show.

ny-tr-freevegas

Bet on getting some freebies in Las Vegas

Depending on how you look at it, Las Vegas was either the creation of Mormons or the mob, and the town they willed out of the Nevada desert was either the city of God or the temple of mammon. Either way, the plain facts are these: In the mid-1800s, Mormons traipsed through this area, establishing a route from Utah to California and requiring a pit stop in between. With their modest adobe fort, they constructed the first permanent settlement in this once tree-lined oasis and started unsuccessfully proselytizing to the nomadic Native Americans. Voilá , Sin City -- or some version thereof. 
In fact, neither the Mormons nor the mobsters precisely founded Vegas. What the Mormons did establish is the Vegas experience: Their luck soon failed and they moved on (before returning later to cash in). What the mob did is cement its destiny, trading cowboy casinos, wagon-wheel chandeliers and Native American décor for swanky carpets, swimming pools and tuxedos -- the first residents to trade history for glitz. "They brought in architects and designers [to evoke] other resort cities," says Michael Green, a history professor at the College of Southern Nevada. They also cashed in celebrity connections to offer world-class entertainment, an added flash the city needed to attract class and money -- people who "didn't come to Vegas to stay in a Strip hotel and confuse it with a flophouse." 
From WWII on, Vegas became a nonstop juggernaut. Despite the hype, even during its has-been phase in the late '70s and early '80s, when the rest of the country turned its nose up at the Fat Elvis the city had become, Vegas kept churning out huge profits. And thanks to Nevada's libertarian streak (the state collects no income tax), it's the nickel slots that fund education and law enforcement. That's Vegas, mixing high and low purposes so naturally, it just seems natural. 
Credit (or blame) Steve Wynn for pushing the city into the era de Cirque du Soleil. As gambling -- sorry, gaming -- became increasingly legal around the country, "Wynn understood Vegas had to have attractions," Green says. The entrepreneur essentially single-handedly reinvigorated Vegas in 1989 with the Mirage, a grandiose palace that unleashed a regularly scheduled volcano, the first Cirque du Soleil Vegas show and a shark tank. Something for everyone, all of it spectacular. It also cost $630 million to construct (that's jumped to $1 billion for newer comers) and needed to clear at least $1 million a day to cover operating costs. The ante thusly raised, there's no time to quibble over how high or low your brow might be. Now in the Caesars Palace Forum, Christian Lacroix sits near a Stage Deli, while it costs $10,000 to spend the night atop the great green glowing MGM Grand, an opulence that overlooks the grungy Hooters parking lot. C'est Las Vegas. 
Such Skylofts as these are reserved for high rollers, but beginning in the mid-'90s, gambling profits slipped to below 50% of the total money-grubbing. These days, it's shopping, eating, drinking, sleeping and entertaining that rakes in the biggest bucks. "Everything's changed in the last 10 years," says Darcy Nielson, a lifelong resident and general manager of the Cristophe Salon. "It's a massive change not just in who Vegas caters to. The dynamics of what Vegas was built on have shifted." Indeed, those smoky, disorienting casinos can seem almost an afterthought these days. 
Vegas is revamping itself, yet again, this time into a luxurious residential mecca (a record $33 million an acre for land changed hands on the Strip this year -- real estate agents heart Vegas) and the ultimate service economy. Rationalization has always served as the local currency, but now the city's commodified experience has morphed into an insanely lucrative, heavily unionized, postindustrial Detroit. Or, a more benevolent Kuala Lumpur: A giant mall mothership composed of hundreds of smaller satellite malls. 
About the only thing Vegas has failed at is making the city a family destination, which was the big push in the '90s. Says Nielson: "People want an adult town." Well, they've got it, in both its traditional permutations: high (expensive, often tasteful) and low (relatively cheap, often entertainingly tasteless). Whether you're on the glitzy Strip or Fremont Street, with its old-school patina of seediness, you will find something to engage your imagination. 
For that reason alone, we had to invent it. From the beginning, Vegas was a very American sort of oasis, a judgment-free zone . . . and open to all comers.

ny-vegas-historylesson

Vegas, a quick history lesson

It's 10 p.m. on Aug. 31, and Blush, the new "boutique nightclub" inside the Wynn hotel-casino, is in the middle of its grand opening -- again. Music director and resident DJ Mighty Mi spins a standard mix of hip-hop hits past and present blended with some old disco tunes, while the crowd -- stacked with a lot of well-dressed Wynn office mice -- chats, dances and enjoys free booze. 
Blush's 4,500-square-foot interior looks good. It's a fresh, kind of quirky mix of design elements that are at once sassy and suave. Bright paintings featuring barely discernible figures hang on the walls; 300 Asian-influenced paper lanterns hang from the ceilings; tables topped with candles and slick lamps back a rectangle of couches that outline a dance floor that glows red. And the outside patio offers, besides late-summer heat, lamps whose bases are snatched straight from a tic-tac-toe board. 
Funny thing about all this is, despite its new name, new design and some new staff, Blush isn't exactly new. When the Wynn opened in April 2005, this space wasn't home to Blush. It was home to Lure. 
 Like so many night-life venues in Las Vegas, when Lure lost its luster, the suits decided to give it the club equivalent of life-saving surgery -- a face-lift. 
"As people build bigger and better in Vegas, the timeline is getting cut," says Sean Christie, Blush's managing partner, of the shelf life of Sin City clubs. 
He's not kidding. Although the concept of shutting down a club for a remodel/redesign/reinvention is nothing new here, not to mention the night-life biz in general, an epidemic of this brand of rebranding is sweeping the city. 
Besides Blush, the Luxor reopened the space formerly occupied by nightclub Ra with mega-swank mega-club LAX over Labor Day weekend. The same company in charge of LAX, Pure Management Group, which also runs celebrity hot zone Pure inside Caesars Palace, announced that another one of its venues, burlesque club Tangerine inside TI, would be undergoing a "major reinvention in early 2008," according to a news release. 
Then there's Light, one of the first truly upscale clubs to hit the Strip and the one that many credited with taking VIP bottle service to the level all clubs emulate. 
On Sept. 2, while DJ Crooked spun a mainstream mix to a packed house, the Bellagio venue danced to its grave, just six years after its opening. 
With clubs boasting décor as diverse as gigantic Buddha statues and elaborate waterfalls, Light's stripped-down design aesthetic no longer passed the gaudy litmus test of the Sin City scene. 
Not that it's going away. 
Come New Year's Eve, the club will reopen as the Bank, said Light Group, operator of several clubs. 
Although managing partner Jodi Myers is keeping quiet about the new digs of the flagship club, a news release revealed that the 6,600-square-foot space would feature at least one pupil-popping element: "a glass-encased dance floor." 
"When we opened up Light, it was something new and different and innovative," she says. "Everyone has kind of done the same thing, and it's kind of stale. Vegas is evolving, and it's time to do something different." 
Jesse Waits, managing partner of the other nightclub inside the Wynn, Tryst, which underwent reinvention two years ago, says the town is in a "whole new era of luxury." 
As such, it's imperative that old venues update with "a whole new look, a whole new vibe," which generates that most coveted and most difficult to quantify of elements -- "buzz," he says. 
Buzz is why club impresarios drop millions of dollars on renovations, says Jack Lafleur, formerly a promoter at the Hard Rock and now a freelance DJ. And given how many clubs are competing for business these days, he adds, "it's now essential." 
Of course, there are plenty of clubs here that have never undergone extreme makeovers, including Drai's after-hours club and Studio 54, which, at 10 years old, is considered a dinosaur. Still, even those venues have seen design tweaks. 
"Vegas doesn't really apply to the norm," says one of the scene's founders, Frankie Anobile, referring to other major club markets such as New York. As program director of MGM's night-life venues, he oversaw the redesign of Studio 54, which he says can get by with relatively minor operations, such as changing its entrance. 
"Even though it's old and played out to us [locals], it's new to 38 million people who visit us a year," Anobile says. "They're still blown away by it." 
Besides the increasingly crowded marketplace, Anobile says there's a simpler reason for the diminishing life span of clubs. The city's overall attitude toward anything not gleaming new is to blow it up and rebuild it. 
"Look at what goes on in Vegas. Nothing stays old," he says. "If it lasts for 30 years, it's ancient. The clubs are just following that same trend as the city. The whole city's doing it. You gotta do it too."

ny-tr-vegas-nightclubs

Las Vegas nightclub life span shrinking

As a city that has set trends for entertainment, shopping, fine dining, hotel and spa design, Vegas hit a turning point last weekend with the opening of the Palazzo <a href="/topics/Las_Vegas">Las Vegas</a>. 
It turned boring, at least by Vegas standards. 
The gargantuan property is the first new resort hotel and casino to open on the Strip since the Wynn opened in April 2005. It has more of everything that luxury travelers have come to expect from premium-priced hotels and less of the rule-bending allure that has made the desert city an international destination. 
 The contrast with its adjacent sister property, the Venetian, is all the more striking because the two casino resorts are linked by corridors, a central reservation system and shared facilities, such as the Venetian's Canyon Ranch SpaClub. 
The new hotel doesn't look like an Italian palazzo, unless that castle happens to resemble a newly built shopping mall filled with topiary, fake shrubbery and, a nice touch, crystal chandeliers that sparkle like pavé diamond bracelets. 
 The all-suite, 3,066-room hotel is comfortable and feels surprisingly compact, despite its size. Inside the 650- to 1,400-square-foot suites, the atmosphere is quiet and sumptuous, thanks to the marble-clad bathroom, sunken living room with a sectional couch, curtained pillow-top beds and handsome wood furnishings. 
Yet the design and the personality of the place don't advance the idea of luxury hotels, though its $199 to $499 rates make its rooms among the most expensive in the city, and those are just the introductory rates. 
 The Palazzo takes no lessons from the nimble, youthful boutique-hotel movement or from wittily themed Vegas hotels. Instead, the 50-story complex feels more like an inflated Four Seasons. To put it in fashion terms, it's a well-bred woman in a beige Armani pantsuit, while its Siamese-twin sister, the Venetian, is a siren in a <a href="/topics/Roberto_Cavalli">Roberto Cavalli</a> cocktail dress. 
The décor is a mix of eras, all rendered in shades of brown and beige. Though a mirror theme runs throughout, it's no reflection of the Venetian. You'll find little of the humor and imagination that cause Vegas visitors to exchange the real world for an alternative reality, which is important if you're leading them to gamble, shop and eat like mad. 
That said, many of the elements that might have added the necessary sizzle to this $1.9-billion steak weren't operating during the three-day grand opening celebration Jan. 17 to 19, a glitch that upset many of the top chefs who have restaurants still under construction here. 
A second version of <a href="/topics/Wolfgang_Puck">Wolfgang Puck</a>'s celebrated Cut won't open until the end of February, and permits willing, coming weeks may see debuts of <a href="/topics/Charlie_Trotter">Charlie Trotter</a>'s Restaurant Charlie, Jonathan Morr's Mainland and <a href="/topics/Emeril_Lagasse">Emeril Lagasse</a>'s Table 10. Puck wasn't happy that the grand opening brought hundreds of VIPs and journalists to an incomplete resort. 
"I think it's stupid," Puck said of the event's timing. He would have preferred a black-tie affair, where restaurateurs could have invited guests to their finished restaurants. Instead, in a stuffy Venetian ballroom, journalists and others juggled tiny plates and toothpicks to sample bits of the cuisine to come. 
"You get a taste," Puck said, "but it's not the whole experience." 
The same could be said of the grand-opening experience. From within the towers, guests could see the promise of a pool deck, now a series of pits surrounded by building materials. 
The Canyon Ranch SpaClub is a 69,000-square-foot entity within the Venetian, complete with a climbing wall. Whenever the Palazzo part is finished, the combined spa will be 134,000 square feet of shared space, each with a separate check-in desk. A few of the 60 stores in the Shoppes at the Palazzo were open, including the first Barneys <a href="/topics/New_York">New York</a> in Las Vegas. It could be months before the rest are ready. 
Of the Palazzo's 14 restaurants, only four were operating, and like many elements of the resort, which started hosting guests on Dec. 20, things weren't running smoothly. A three-course meal took three hours at CarneVino, <a href="/topics/Mario_Batali">Mario Batali</a>'s Italian steakhouse, and liquor-license quirks forbade selling bottles of wine for consumption in the rooms. 
Getting a dining reservation through the hotel's voice-mail system required selecting a cuisine from the voice mail's list, not calling the restaurant directly. If you can't determine the category, good luck. I got connected to the casino marketing department at the Venetian. 
To be fair, hotels rarely present their best face until after several weeks of operation. That may be why the unused pipes filling my room's gigantic tub spewed brown sediment into my bath. At the elevator lobbies, gusts of sewer gas coming from who-knows-where caused guests to cover their noses. 
The bedsheets were still scratchy-new and bits of Styrofoam packing materials stuck to the furniture. When my bag went from my hands to "luggage world" (their term), it took a pleading phone call and 75 minutes to get it back. 
A place this large may need months, so I'll come back for another assessment -- with my track shoes. 
It was nearly 130 steps from the lobby to the casino, and 150 more across the casino to the elevators, and 140 more to my room's door. Still, despite the dimensions, the compact layout of the resort's key features kept it navigable. Even in stiletto heels, you can reach Barneys or head downstairs to 40/40, the nightclub from entertainment mogul Jay-Z. (Don't miss the platinum and gold floor tiles that mimic an oversized Gucci chain.) 
More mind boggling is the combined size of the Venetian/Palazzo resort and its adjacent Sands Expo and Convention Center. 
I could have easily lived in my 650-square-foot room, existing on the 60-page room-service menu and playing with the cool techie toys. It had a multi-function fax machine, three flat-screen TVs, a laptop safe with electrical outlets inside, a DVD player and remote-control draperies that open to the view of Treasure Island across Las Vegas Boulevard. 
But with all of these electronic marvels, the one you need most -- a clock -- wasn't to be found. Maybe this was the lesson of it all: Money and power can eliminate time and reduce the Vegas experience to just one season, the all-purpose indoor one. 
 With the addition of the Palazzo, you can dine and shop at many of the world's most desirable places, climb a mini mountain, ride a gondola along a canal, walk for blocks and lose your life savings, all without ever breathing outside air. 
 valli.herman@latimes.com

ny-tr-palazzo

Palazzo needs time to mature

The guy with the carton of Heineken ambled past moments after I sat down at a bus shelter on Las Vegas Boulevard. Only three green bottles remained from what had once been a six-pack. He downed another and proceeded south toward the Monte Carlo. 
"You'd get arrested so fast if you did that in Houston," remarked the Texan seated on the bench to my right. As I was explaining to him that, on the Strip, it's not illegal for pedestrians to consume alcohol, another man walked by, his shirt slung over his right shoulder, his belly drooping over his jeans. "Now that should be illegal," exclaimed the woman sitting to my left. 
With nearly 40 million visitors a year from every state and seemingly every country in the world, Las Vegas is unmatched as a people-watching city. Arab-speaking women wearing beige hijabs mingle with bridesmaids in burgundy gowns. Shoppers parade past with their bags from countless stores: Tiffany, Saks, M&amp;M's World, Walgreens. 
Scores of people pass by sipping colorful concoctions from long souvenir cocktail glasses. This show runs continuously, 24 hours every day. 
People-watching hot spots? The sidewalk in front of Bellagio is a great place to observe visitors as they gather for the spectacular fountain displays. But there are few places to sit down to observe the passers-by. The only free seats I spotted were the bus stop benches. 
Mon Ami Gabi, a sidewalk cafe along Las Vegas Boulevard at the Paris resort, is ideally situated for enjoying a meal and a drink while watching the world pass by. It's a favorite people-watching spot for local celebrities such as Rita Rudner, the headliner comedian at Harrah's and a seven-year resident of Sin City. 
"The sidewalk is very wide at that point, so you can see a lot of people," she says. "My husband and I have a glass of wine and some pâté and just sit there, observing. 
"Sometimes, I sit there and watch how many taxi [advertisements] of mine go by," Rudner adds with a laugh. 
The comic also enjoys visiting the Forum Shops at Caesars, where, she says, "you can hear any language you want, so you can also people-listen. If you get tired of people-watching, you can go in the stores and spend more money than you expected." 
A bit farther north on Las Vegas Boulevard, the Fashion Show mall offers an opportunity to observe the well-heeled, well-dressed crowd. It's a favorite spot for Paula Francis, a television anchorwoman in Las Vegas for more than 20 years. 
"It's especially good when there's a fashion show going on. They have a catwalk that comes out of the floor," explains Francis, who has a recurring role playing herself on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." 
"The spectators are more fun to watch than the models." The mall is dotted with overstuffed armchairs, perfect for resting weary feet while taking in the human parade. 
The other end of Las Vegas Boulevard -- downtown -- is where Mayor Oscar Goodman says people-watchers can discover "the other end of the spectrum: old, vintage Vegas." 
The Fremont Street Experience, a four-block-long covered walkway, is just steps from Goodman's office at City Hall. This is where the city's first casinos sprang up after gambling was legalized in the 1930s. 
"There's a very cool place called Hennessey's," says Goodman, who was a mob lawyer before entering politics. "They have an outdoor patio there. You get yourself a nice little plate of corned beef and cabbage, a good draft beer, and you can watch the folks walk around." 
Fremont Street has a completely different atmosphere from that of the Strip, about three miles to the south. With most hotels offering rooms at a fraction of what they charge on the Strip, downtown tends to attract a folksier and less-sophisticated crowd. Here, the sight of someone ambling past swilling a beer doesn't seem to raise a single eyebrow. 
"The dichotomy of people [along Fremont Street] is so great," says Jerry Jansen, a retired police chief from Wisconsin who enjoys observing "the down-on-their-luck locals, the down-on-their-luck high rollers, and everything in between." 
"When I people-watch, I try to imagine their lives back home and at work, away from the glitz. It's a fun exercise."

ny-tr-vegas-peoplewatching

An insiders' guide to people-watching in Vegas

Chocolate? It's not just a candy anymore. It's an experience here, one that comes with the requisite cravings to be satisfied in Vegas style. 
A bite into an Ethel M nugget, for instance, releases a flow of bourbon, Scotch or Irish whiskey in what becomes an exquisite pairing of the distilled fruit of the cacao and the spirit at hand. 
Ethel M has been a signature of Las Vegas for several decades. But even Grandma Ethel has a whole new bag -- this one is at the Fashion Show Mall. Ethel's Chocolate Lounge is a cafe with attitude: fondue, coffee-and-chocolate combos, chocolate drinks and artisan chocolate. 
 Chocolates here strive for a retro appeal. Buy 10 chocolates and hot cocoa for two for $18. Chocolate fondue for two, with strawberries, bananas, marshmallows or pound cake for dipping, costs $18 to $25. 
Chocolate has been elevated to an art form in this city, and there is a bit of snobbish competition among the chocolate houses along the Strip. Blame it on the star-chef energy blasting through the top hotels. 
Take Jean-Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio. Jean-Philippe Maury, the pastry-chef-turned-chocolatier, has been with Bellagio since it opened in 1998 but not before garnering awards for his confections in France and working at Payard Patisserie in New York. 
Today his namesake cafe pops as many eyes as the adjacent conservatory garden designs. A 27-foot floor-to-ceiling fountain of chocolate pours three types of creamy elixir at 120 quarts per minute through 25 suspended glass vessels. Move over, Roald Dahl. 
If you like your crepes sweetened with Nutella and whipped cream, this is the place. The counter can sell up to 450 pastries on a particularly indulgent day. Imperials are popular -- chocolate mousse, vanilla crème brûlée and crispy nuts -- as is white chocolate cheesecake. 
Waddle over to Caesars Palace for a whiff of two new venues guaranteed to bring chocoholics to their knees. Payard Patisserie opened last fall, the latest outlet for the French confection connection. The Caesars brand comes with an open-counter design in gold, coffee and wood tones followed by a secret adjunct in the back with white-clothed tables. 
You can order the Tout Chocolate dinner and savor a three-course meal that includes warm chocolate tarts with cocoa nibs tuile (caramel mixed with candied nuts and chocolate custard cream) and gianduia ice cream (smooth hazelnut-flavored Swiss chocolate). 
A fixed-price menu for $45 a person includes a cheese and fruit course, a coffee, caramel and nut course, an orchard course and a chocolate course. The Tout Chocolate option costs the same. 
In the resort's Forum Shops (go -- the walk will do you good) lies the purple-and-white sensory-soaked counter of Vosges Haut-Chocolat. Owner Katrina Markoff considers herself more a sorceress of chocolate than a pastry chef and has spent the last decade studying the uses of this ingredient in kitchens all over the world. 
The result is a novel use of chocolate -- high-end Belgian and French chocolate dusted with curry or Hungarian paprika and accented by mangoes or ginger and wasabi. 
Her spicy chocolates have showcases in Chicago and New York and are served in "tasting flights" at the Vintner Grill in Las Vegas, with or without a sommelier-guided pairing of wines. At the Purple Door, as she calls her store in the Forum Shops, patrons can come away with the Sensory Collection, just in time for Valentine's Day. A mere $375 buys a box of dark, milk and white chocolates made from beans from around the world. 
A discussion of chocolate in Sin City would not be complete without a nod to Wynn Las Vegas. The resort tower is practically a monument to chocolate in its delicious rich brown tones. Inside, a shop called Chocolate sells the sweet stuff. 
A sophisticated palate will want to venture into the deeper riches -- to the tables of Daniel Boulud's Brasserie, if only for his Valrohona chocolate souffle and chocolate turtle coupe ; and Alex Stratta at Wynn, which serves sinful chocolate with warm orange caramel and coco-orange tuiles , and white bitter chocolate cream napoleons with milk chocolate ice cream.

ny-tr-chocolatevegas

In Las Vegas, chocolate seduces the senses

Jed Matzke sets out each day to guide love-struck couples to happily ever after. 
It's not as romantic as it sounds. 
The first stop in Las Vegas for brides and grooms is the Clark County Marriage Bureau, at the corner of Clark and 3rd, down the street from a bail bondsman and the county jail. Matzke hangs out six days a week at the Pit, as some call the corner, smoking Marlboros, sucking Werther's candies, waiting for his shot. 
It's been a slow afternoon, and half an hour has passed since the last pair of lovebirds. A casually dressed couple approach the corner. 
Matzke rushes them, a flier in hand. His livelihood depends on the pair reading it and then committing to one of five dream weddings offered by Vegas Adventure Wedding Chapel, a short limo ride away. 
As he starts to make his pitch, half a dozen other men swarm the bride and groom, shouting deals from different chapels. Larry Frias, 39, wraps his arm protectively around Neeve Gray, 46. "We've got your pamphlets!" he barks. 
Gray flinches. "It's like [we] have French fries and all the sea gulls are fighting over them," she says, eyeing the men. 
That's as apt a description as any of the Pit. 
Las Vegas, which calls itself the Wedding Capital of the World, has more than 60 chapels where people can exchange vows -- on gondolas, with an Elvis impersonator, aboard a pirate ship -- almost any way they want. Competition for couples is fierce. In recent years, it has escalated to minor warfare, with the Pit in the center of it all. Accusations have flown: slashed tires, death threats, homeless men paid to hassle competitors. 
Many chapels advertise and take bookings online. But they also rely heavily on a ragtag bunch of handbillers -- some of whom have spent time in the county jail -- who stalk the lovelorn like paparazzi chasing stars. 
Chapel owners -- a few of them also pass out fliers -- recruit the pamphleteers via classified ads and word of mouth. The handbillers are a mix of miscreants and Las Vegans who want money badly enough to toil six days a week, from noon until the marriage bureau closes at midnight. 
They endure triple-digit temperatures, rain, desert winds and the occasional brawl. Last spring, a handbiller was accused of stabbing a competitor with a 2-inch buck knife -- but said he was defending himself because his rival had punched him in the face and scorched him with coffee in a quarrel over a customer. "I've never in my life seen anything so horrifying as I've seen in the last few years," said Charolette Richards, a nearly 50-year veteran of Las Vegas marriages and owner of the Little White Wedding Chapel. "People come to Las Vegas and get harassed by thieves, liars and drug addicts." 
The wedding industry is a mainstay of the Las Vegas economy. Clark County issues more than 100,000 marriage licenses a year, and those weddings pump an estimated $900 million into the region. So the chapel-on-chapel brawling has civic leaders in a tizzy. 
"Somehow," the Las Vegas Sun wrote in an editorial, "love needs to be restored to an industry that thrives on it." 
The city recently stripped the license of a chapel accused of thuggish tactics, including sending out handbillers who banged on car windows and badgered brides until they wept. Officials are discussing whether tougher regulations, including background checks for chapel workers, could keep wedding peddlers in check. 
"People should be able to walk down the steps" of the marriage bureau, said City Atty. Brad Jerbic, "without getting a wedding deal shoved down their throats." 
On a recent afternoon, as cold gusts send cigarette butts skittering down 3rd Street, the half-dozen handbillers stand an arm's length apart, scouring the street for taxicabs and cars with out-of-state licenses. 
"Usually anybody that's lost is looking for a marriage license," Matzke says. 
He's ready. Three dozen Vegas Adventure Wedding Chapel fliers are tucked into his back pocket. The most expensive package, Chianti, promises a candle-lit ceremony, petal-strewn aisle, sparkling bubbly toast, bridal dressing room, lace garter and a bouquet of nine roses -- florist's choice of color -- for $599. The cheapest, Amour, goes for $99 -- five guests maximum, and the chapel loans out a bouquet and a witness, if needed. 
Matzke, 27, whose blue eyes and boyish face make him look years younger, is neatly dressed in a black sweater and khakis. Some of his rivals this afternoon sport ball caps, flannel shirts and day-old stubble. 
Carlos Arias, 52, who works for A Special Memory, wears slacks and a paisley tie. He warbles "Going to the Chapel" -- off-key -- and flubs the lyrics. 
The chatter is typical of boys in a locker room. 
One says he's been married three times to the same woman. The men snicker when a blond legal messenger says hi to Matzke. When a blind man navigates the courthouse steps with a cane and his fiancee, Arias remarks: "You think he knows what she looks like?" 
Matzke rolls his eyes. 
The men -- women rarely work the Pit -- are paid about $10 an hour. Sometimes they get a bonus if they bring in a lot of business. Sherrie Klute, who runs Stained Glass Chapel, sometimes pays her most downtrodden handbillers in food until they kick their addictions. 
Klute wishes she didn't need the Pit. But fliers bring in brides like Sharendra McClendon, who arrived in Las Vegas from Mississippi without a chapel in mind. McClendon, 28, picked Stained Glass partly because its handbiller wasn't as pushy as the rest of the mob. 
"It was, 'Here! Here! Here!' " the bride said. "They wanted to cut the price down to half. But nobody talked about the wedding. If it's not sentimental, why do it?" 
Little about the Pit has to do with love. 
When a man and a woman approach, the men yell "Congratulations!" so nearly in sync that they sound like a men's choir. Sometimes they shout cut-rate wedding prices; other times, advice. Couples often enter the bureau to a chorus of "Make sure you check the spelling!" 
Whenever a pair walk out, with their $55 license, the handbillers revive their pitches. They wave brides toward stretch limos, which boom out Elvis ballads and bear personalized license plates such as COZY4U. 
They have 10 seconds -- if that -- to close a deal. 
Matzke is willing to haggle, amicably. 
"It's $99?" asks a groom. 
"It's half off, so $50." 
"Where's the hidden fee?" 
"Well, the minister's separate, so $40 or $50?" 
"I bring $100 and I get married?" 
The men shake hands. The bride looks pained. 
Matzke pitches dozens more couples. He hands a flier to one who has already settled on a chapel: "In case something doesn't work out." To another walking away with a competitor, he pleads: "Give us both a chance before you make a final decision." 
He gives up on just one groom, a man who says he speaks only Spanish. Another handbiller tells Matzke: "He spoke English -- crude English. All he wanted to know is, 'Is this cheap?' " 
Most people, visibly overwhelmed, don't even bother asking that -- they cross their arms, duck their heads or scowl. 
Though the state's wedding business is robust, the number of marriage licenses has been dropping. Clark County is not immune -- it issued 109,000 licenses last year, compared with 128,000 in 2004. 
That makes the competition in the Pit that much more intense. 
A spiky-haired handbiller named Mike Hem, 47, takes up his spot on the sidewalk. He's looking to make his rent. 
"No one is getting married anymore," he complains, shaking his Faithful Love fliers in disgust. "If you don't produce [brides], you're out of a job. And how do you bring in something when there's nothing there?" 
Matzke ignores him. He sees a man and woman, hands clasped, crossing the street. 
Matzke, a roofer by trade, ended up in the Pit after losing his home in Chicago to foreclosure. He moved here to deal cards; instead he took a job setting up booths at trade shows. Then he spotted a newspaper ad for Faithful Love Chapel (slogan: "Sacred Unity for a Small Price"). 
His first weekend at the Pit was 07/07/07, when the city was mobbed by thousands wanting to marry on a date they took to be lucky. Officers tried to tame the street corner -- tossing one rowdy handbiller off the block -- but the rough-and-tumble atmosphere quickly returned. 
"There were these tatted-up ex-gangbangers just running after couples, taking them by the hand and throwing them into a limo," Matzke said. "And I was like, 'Right in front of the courthouse, this is going on?' " 
He sized up the other guys and kept his distance from the most aggressive or drugged out. They didn't stay long anyway. After a few months, Matzke jumped to Vegas Adventure, when its handbiller ended up in jail. The owners felt Matzke wouldn't pick fights over customers. 
"I've lost $100,000 jobs to other roofing companies," he said. "I'm not going to get upset over a $200 wedding." 
Matzke often works 12-hour shifts, though on a slow day his bosses might tell him to call it quits after a few hours. That eats into his weekly pay, which averages $500. His busiest times are weekends -- and Mondays, when Californians pour into the city because of cheap hotel rates. 
He tells friends back home, "I pass out fliers." He offers few details. 
"Standing on the corner selling weddings, it sounds goofy to people," Matzke said. Talking about the Pit's bawdiness is even more off-putting. "They're like, 'What?' " 
So he bides time tracing the sidewalk, slipping more fliers into his pants pocket. He tries not to sound abrasive or aggressive; at times, his voice is so soft, couples have to lean in to hear. 
The low-key pitch works for Frias and Gray, from Washington state, who book a Vegas Adventure wedding -- with an Elvis impersonator -- because, they say, they like Matzke's manner. 
Sort of. 
Gray puts it this way: "He was the least offensive." 
 ashley.powers@latimes.com

ny-tr-vegaschapels

Vegas chapels' unholy hustle

Dave made us do it. 
He put us all in the car and drove down Las Vegas Boulevard, banged a right on Sahara Avenue and then a left into some strip mall that is best described as "reminiscent of the dirt mall in 'Mallrats.' '" 
Something just didn't seem right about this dinner trip. I mean, this is Las Vegas, right? Wouldn't the best Thai food this side of Thailand be closer to the Strip? Maybe even on the Strip? 
Dave insisted he knew what he was talking about. Bill, the bachelor, backed him up. This was my first time in Vegas -- May of 1999 -- so what did I know? I went along for the ride. 
And so went my introduction to Lotus of Siam. 
We walked into the restaurant, a quiet unassuming place. No Vegas glitz. No Vegas glam. Nothing even remotely to suggest that this gourmand experience would be something worth talking about, let alone writing about. We could have been in Cleveland or Boise or Ft. Lauderdale and we wouldn't have known the difference. 
Dave pointed to a few magazine articles framed on the wall. Big deal. Every restaurant has those. 
We sat down and ordered some appetizers. Our waitress corrected us. "You don't want that, you want this," she said, pointing to the Nam Kao Tod, minced sour sausage mixed with green onion, fresh chili, ginger, peanuts, crispy rice and lime juice. 
Never seen a waitress do that in a restaurant. Right there, I thought Dave knew what he was talking about. After two spoons of Nam Kao Tod, I knew Dave knew what he was talking about. 
The chicken pad thai, a basic staple in Thai restaurants, was hug-the-waiter amazing. The Issan sausage. Um, excuse me, is the chef available because I'd like to give her the deed to my house? The drunked noodle seafood. Hello, dear 'oltaste buds, you're in for a treat tonight! 
Everything we ate that night was insane. So insane, I made a bold proclamation that night: "I will not eat Thai food ever again unless it's at Lotus of Siam." Eating anywhere else seemed offensive to the chef. It would be like going to Wo Hop in New York's Chinatown and eating upstairs. It's just not right. 
For a good five years, I held true to that decree. Then I discovered Sea in the Willamsburgh section of Brooklyn. The commute is much easier. Cheaper, too. The payoff isn't the same, but Sea is nice East Coast way to cure any Thai jonesing. (It's not like Kanye West is going to show up at the airport and give me a lift in his plane like in "Entourage.") 
Nearly every trip to Vegas since 1999 (and there have been way too many to accurately count) is accompanied by a trip to Lotus of Siam. It never disappoints. 
Perhaps those articles -- and Dave and Bill -- were right. Lotus of Siam may indeed be the best Thai food ever. 
 If you go 
 Lotus of Siam 953 E. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89104 702-735-3033 saipinchutima.com

ny-vegas-houseofsiam

Lotus of Siam, the best Thai food ever

If they build an entire city with the country's fastest growing population in the desert, then you know they can certainly whip up a few golf courses, too. 
And the golf in Las Vegas is nearly as renowned as its gambling and partying. Although there are a few courses on the Strip (Wynn, Hilton and Mandalay Bay), most courses are within a 30-minute ride of the Strip. In order to play some of the top courses in Las Vegas, you need to be a guest of the hotel company that owns it. 
Have a look at a dozen courses worth a cab ride or car rental. 
 1) Cascata 
A Rees Jones course owned by Harrah's, Cascata opened in 2000 and lives up to its name. "Cascata" means "waterfall" in Italian and the tee box on the par-3 15th hole will tell you everything you need to know about water on this course. Consistently ranked high on all the "Best of" courses by golf publications, Cascata is a half-hour drive from the Strip. 702-294-2005 ; harrahs.com/golf/cascata-golf . Greens fee: $500 every day. 
 2) Shadow Creek 
Mix mountains, creeks, waterfalls, pine trees and gardens and what do you get? Shadow Creek. An insanely picturesque course designed by Tom Fazio, Shadow Creek is known for its celebrity sightings on the course. The only way to play this course is to be a guest at an MGM Mirage hotel, which includes MGM Grand, Mirage, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Treasure Island and a handful more. A 20-minute drive from the Strip. 866-260-0069; shadowcreek.com . Greens fee: $500 every day. 
 3) Rio Secco Golf Club 
One of the most challenging courses in Vegas, Rio Secco takes you into the canyons, on top of plateaus and across the desert. Designed by Rees Jones and owned by Harrah's, Secco is a public course. It features little water and lots of natural desert surroundings to make every shot thought-provoking. It's also home to the Butch Harmon School of Golf. You know, the dude that taught Tiger Woods a few things about golf. 20 minutes from the Strip. 702-777-2400; riosecco.net . Greens fee: From $140. 
 4) TPC at the Canyons 
Built to be natural and rugged, TPC Canyons is often referred to as "desert elegance." It plays more than 7,000 yards from the champions tees and with each hole, you'll appreciate the course more. In the Summerlin region, the course is within 20-25 minutes of the Strip. tpc.com/canyons . Greens fee: From $250. 
 5) Arroyo Golf Club at Red Rock 
Red Rock Canyon may be one of the most beautiful places you'll ever see. This Arnold Palmer signature course in Summerlin takes advantage of that postcard look. A par 72 public course that plays 6,883 yards, Arroyo combines courageous bunkering and dramatic water hazards. 866-934-4653; thearroyogolfclub.com/ . Greens fee: From $129. 
 6) Paiute - The Wolf Course 
The newest and most challenging of the three courses designed by Pete Dye is the longest in Nevada - a grueling 7,604 yards. Bring a few extra golf balls for the devilish island green on the par-3 15th hole. About 30-35 minutes off the Strip. 800-711-2833; lvpaiutegolf.com . Greens fee: From $110. 
 7) Revere at Anthem 
If you don't routinely hit fairways, buy a few extra dozen golf balls at the clubhouse before heading out to the starter. This course will eat you up. The funny thing is, you won't get mad about it because Revere is bold, challenging and rewarding. Both the Concord and Lexington courses play more than 7,000 yards. 877-273-8373; reveregolf.com . Greens fee: From $120. 
 8) The Falls 
The latest course at Lake Las Vegas Resort measures 7,260 yards and was designed by Tom Weiskopf. The front nine is desert-based while the back nine uses the mountains to change elevation more than 220 feet. It reaches altitude high enough to occasionally see Bighorn sheep grazing. Just hope they don't eat your Pro-V1s. The 12th hole, a par 3, allows you to tee off from a canyon high above the Strip. No. 12 is a doozy and we won't ruin that surprise. About 30 minutes from the Strip. 877-698-4653; lakelasvegas.com/golf_falls.asp . Greens fee: From $120. 
 9) Reflection Bay 
Another of the courses at Lake Las Vegas, this is the first public course in Nevada designed by Jack Nicklaus. Five holes border Lake Las Vegas, creating some of the more majestic views in town. Enjoy the view and three waterfalls. A variety of landscaping allows you to experience Nicklaus' gift of course design. About 30 minutes from the Strip. 877-698-4653; lakelasvegas.com/golf_reflection.asp . Greens fee: From $250. 
 10) Bear's Best 
Jack Nicklaus' greatest hits compiled on this one course! It features the best holes from various courses he's designed across the world, including Cabo del Sol in Mexico and PGA West in Palm Springs, Calif. Not bad action for a public course. 866-385-8500; bearsbest.com . Greens fee: From $120. 
 11) Badlands 
Three 9-hole courses combine to make this Johnny Miller-designed track one of the top desert golf experiences. It was voted the Best Desert Course in Las Vegas by Vegas Golfer magazine in 2006. Set amid the Red Rock Mountains, it's 20 minutes off the Strip. 702-363-0754; badlandsgc.com . Greens fee: From $70. 
 12) Bali Hai 
Go from desert to Indonesia simply by paying the greens fee and teeing it up on the first hole at this course at Mandalay Bay. Palm trees and tropical plant line the fairways at course designed by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley in 2000. The island green on the par-3 16th hole often includes an audience from the Cili Restaurant. 888-427-6678; balihaigolfclub.com . Greens fee: From $199. 
 Find more courses and book tee times at vegasgolfer.com

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12 Las Vegas golf courses above par

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