This incongruous city has all the trappings of luxury and technology, and lies right in the heart of a desert. Las Vegas is a city of money and poverty, winners and losers, glittering lights and hot nights. And that’s without stepping off of the Strip. Top things to do in Las Vegas:
1. Las Vegas Strip
Containing most of Vegas’ other attractions, the Strip must be experienced in person. It must also be experienced at night. After sundown, the Strip is as bright as day, and twice as colorful.
2. Bellagio Fountains
This oasis in the desert is more than a stream of water. Like the rest of Vegas, it is a show. Appearing from the water periodically, and accompanied by music from the hotel, the fountains are a mesmerizing display of motion. This serene spectacle even caught the eye of the case-hardened characters of Ocean’s 11.
3. Hoover Dam
Actually a short trip outside of Las Vegas, this marvel of modern engineering is worth every minute of the trip. Accessible by car or tour bus, this structure is a testament to human achievement, and a refreshing contrast to the deliberate gaudiness of the city.
4. Fremont Street Experience
Just when one would think there was no new way to display lights in Vegas, up pops the cover of Fremont Street. The street is covered with a canopy installation, containing millions of lights. The hourly shows are varied, to keep visitors looking up.
5. Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino
This is recreation of Italian treasures in the city of kitsch. The Venetian boasts canals complete with gondola rides, and replicas of Italian cathedrals.
6. Stratosphere Hotel and Casino
Rise to dizzying heights of over 1100 feet above the ringing noise and frenetic pace of the Strip. If that is not enough to get the heart pumping, there are thrill rides atop the tower.
7. Take in a Show
The main reason a non-gambler visits Vegas, there are plenty of stage shows to be seen. The shows range from visual spectacles, to singing and comedic performances.
Las Vegas provides an unrepentant display of tacky, campy, artificial, over-the-top sights. No matter how reserved a tourist’s normal temperament, this visit is pure entertainment, and a display of the genius that it takes to bring human creativity to what would otherwise be an uninhabitable wasteland.