Previously: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
We finish up this series with the (way) lesser edge of the Strip, and a few things off-strip.
Circus Circus
Really does have circus acts. Has an indoor amusement park, with a decent roller coaster.
On the whole, the place is cheap, and it shows. For some reason we once thought it’d be okay to eat at the casual dining place here. Let’s just say that it turned out to be the high school cafeteria of the strip.
Sahara
If you want to know what it was like to live in the Seventies, then run, don’t walk, to the Sahara. The carpeting, the ambiance, the smell — it’s all original, as far as I can tell.
Has a connected Nascar Cafe, which has a decent roller coaster named Speed.
House comedian is Roseanne Barr.
Stratosphere
A rather dumpy Vegas version of the Space Needle. The only reason to stop by, and you have to do it once, is to ride the three rides on top, 866 feet above the Strip.
Last time I was there, I took video of two of them myself…
Insanity:
and X-Scream:
They might not look like much, but consider that both dangle you over the edge, again, over 800 feet above the Strip. Highly recommended, at least once. The third ride, Big Shot, catapults you over 1000 feet up — offers an excellent view of the mountains.
Anyway, that’s pretty much the strip in a 3000+ word nutshell. Off the strip, I have some recommendations:
The Rio
Owned by Harrah’s, so you can catch a shuttle from Harrah’s or Caesar’s Palace, or it’s a very short taxi ride.
It’s an interesting place, with the Masquerade Village featuring the Show In The Sky, as well as a Lucky Strike Lanes bowling alley, an excellent buffet, and the two & only Penn & Teller.
We’ve seen Penn & Teller twice, and it was excellent each time.
Fremont Street
I don’t find any of the downtown casinos to be all that interesting, but it’s worth a taxi ride over at night to see the Fremont St. Experience, a block long canopy slash video screen.
And that’s about what I know about Las Vegas. As mentioned a few installments ago, here’s a quick “who owns what” for the 4 major companies that own most of the Strip.
MGM-Mirage: Excalibur, MGM Grand, New York New York, Monte Carlo, Mirage, Luxor, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Circus Circus. They are currently building CityCenter, and they used to own but just sold Treasure Island.
Harrahs: Harrahs, Flamingo, Bally’s, Caesar’s Palace, Rio, Paris Las Vegas, Imperial Palace.
Wynn: Wynn Las Vegas, Encore, and the rumor is they might buy Bellagio from MGM Mirage.
Las Vegas Sands: Venetian, Palazzo
Happy Gambling…
Matt Riffle