18b The Las Vegas Arts District (NV)Just south of down town is the Las Vegas Art District that spans across 18 blocks of contemporary commercial architecture. This area is best when visited on the First Friday of every month when an open street carnival is held. The area has produced a fine collection of talented architects, artists, and photographers. Buildings graced with angled shop fronts and canopies create a ritzy atmosphere that deserves exploration. Within this area that was once very rundown and almost forgotten includes art galleries, antique stores, small boutiques, cafés, condominiums, and furniture stores. The Bellagio is a classy cultural experience for visitors looking for a sophisticated stay on the Las Vegas Strip. Famous for its art gallery and lake of fountains, the hotel is worth the stop. As a re-creation of a hillside Italian village overlooking a lake, this elegant resort includes shady terraced areas along the Boulevard's sidewalk for visitors who wish to view a musical water show. Visitors are treated to the "dancing waters" of the fountains of Bellagio, spanning more than 1,000 feet with fountains soaring as high as 240 feet in the air. The shows are choreographed to music ranging from the classic arias of Luciano Pavarotti to the romantic styling of Frank Sinatra. The 1998 completion of the Bellagio Hotel Resort made an impact on the cultural scene with its glass-domed, 90,000 square foot conservatory and Fine Arts Gallery. The conservatory features 1,200 bins of exotic plants and flowers, including orchids, lilies, and hyacinth. The acclaimed Fine Arts Gallery features original masterpieces of the 17th, 19th, and 20th Centuries including Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse, and Gauguin. DirectionsThe Bellagio is just south of Caesar's Palace and across from Paris. Enter the ancient world of Caesar with all its splendor and grandeur. A Vegas landmark for over 30 years, Caesar's Palace continues to attract visitors with its casino, boutiques, animated light show, and a host of other attractions and entertainment. The resort includes Caesar's Magical Empire in which guests explore the catacombs en route to a 70-ft. tall central rotunda where high-tech special effects are featured. Caesar's Palace is also home to the first Imax Theater built on the Strip. Recent movies include Extreme, which has feats of ice climbing, skiing, and snowboarding recorded on some of the tallest mountains in the world. Caesar's Palace claims to "have been home to more international spectacles than any other Strip Resort, with Ali's last fight, Evel Knieval's failed fountain jump, world-class tennis, and gymnastics." Also offered is the Cinema Ride, the nation's first 3-D motion simulator ride. The Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace feature more than 100 specialty retailers in a re-creation of an ancient Roman Forum streetscape with classic columns, arches, sky-like ceilings, and central piazzas with ornate fountains and classic statuary. Take a walk within a Roman city and watch as talking statues welcome visitors. The ancient gods, Bacchus, Venus, Apollo, and Plutus, delight audiences with a spectacle of sound and light. Visitors will also be able to witness the rise and fall of the Lost City of Atlantis in a 50,000-gallon saltwater aquarium. Although the "sky" of the palace changes throughout the day from morning to night, visitors are found in the forum at all hours. DirectionsCaesar's Palace is at the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Flamingo Blvd. Circus Circus boasts the world's largest permanent circus featuring the greatest acts. The circus includes aerialists, high-wire walkers, trapeze artists, and clown shows. At the center of the Carnival Midway, the acts of the bigtop are presented for all visitors to behold. In addition to all the fun of a circus and carnival, Circus Circus also offers miniature golf, virtual reality games, wall climbing, an indoor roller coaster, and the Adventuredome Theme Park. The theme park spans five acres and features water rides, laser tag, animated dinosaurs, arcade games, a gift shop, and restaurant. With entertainment available for all age groups, Circus Circus is a worthwhile stop for families in search of unique fun. Circus Circus means it when they say that The World’s Largest Permanent Circus will never disappoint you. DirectionsCircus Circus is at the northern end of the byway, right across from The Riviera. A favorite stay for many visitors, the Desert Inn was the fifth resort built on the Strip. The famous inn contains the only championship golf course on the Strip. The Desert Inn Golf Course annually hosts the PGS, LPGA and Senior PGA tours. DirectionsThe Desert Inn is right across from the Fashion Show Mall and the soon to be built 'City By the Bay' at the site of the former New Fontier. If the idea of medieval England captures your imagination, you may choose to stop at King Arthur's Court in Excalibur. Visitors to Excalibur will encounter gypsy wagons, minstrels, and knights of the round table in the magical world of Camelot. Visitors may even glimpse a dragon battle between a fire-breathing dragon and Merlin the Magician. The medieval castle setting is only the beginning. Excalibur also offers guests entertainment and dinner in King Arthur's Arena. Known as the "Tournament of the Kings," the show includes jousting, dragons, wizards, fireworks, and lights. Elsewhere in the castle, the Magic Mountain Rides combine 70mm film, five-channel Dolby stereo sound, and specially-designed seats that move in sync with the on-screen action. DirectionsExcalibur is located right across from New York New York and MGM Grand. The Flamingo Hilton is a classic site on the Las Vegas Strip. Built in 1946, this resort was initially under the direction of the infamous hitman, Ben "Bugsy" Siegel, a cohort of New York mobster Lucky Luciano. Although this infamous owner met his demise soon after the opening of the hotel, the Flamingo Hilton hasflourished as a famous stop for Hollywood stars. The hotel now serves as an exciting vacation getaway- Vegas style. During the day, fine dining and good hospitality provide relaxation, but by night the colors and lights of the many live shows create an extravagent atmosphere for fun-filled vacation. DirectionsThe Flaminog Hilton is right across from Caesar's Palace. In the heart of downtown Las Vegas you’ll find the Fremont Street Experience. It’s a light and music show like none ever seen. Over two hundred speakers and millions of lights are displayed throughout the mall. Events from sporting exhibitions to holiday celebrations such as the popular New Year’s Eve are always filled with excitement and entertainment. The largest big screen on the planet, known as Viva Vision, is four blocks long and located 90 feet above on the canopy ceiling. It provides short shows projected on the ceiling that display an array of neon lights throughout the Fremont Street Experience. The mall provides for a fabulous shopping trip with unique retail stores to performance stages. Dozens of restaurants and ten casinos line the Fremont Street Experience and undoubtedly it’s great entertainment for all. Glass Pool Inn (NV)When this hotel was constructed in 1952, this "swimming poolwith windows" was meant to attract travelers who had just come outof the dusty desert. The only structure on the desert at that time,the Glass Pool Inn was a like a "mirage" to travelers exhaustedfrom the heat of the Nevada desert. The Glass Pool Inn wasoriginally named the Mirage Motel, but changed its name with thearrival of the Mirage Luxury Resort on the strip. Today the Glass Pool Inn offers a feeling of "retro" Vegas.Though newly renovated, the inn's original architectural stylestill exists; the above-ground pool has glass portholes, makingswimmers visible from the outside. The unusual architecture andhistory behind the Glass Pool Inn has inspired several movies to beshot there. DirectionsThe Glass Pool Inn is at the soutern end of the byway, right across from Mandalay Bay. The Guinness World of Records Museum, just one-half block northof Circus Circus, offers a collection of the "wacky, weird, andwonderful." Visitors will be amazed at the vast collection and exhibitsabout World Record breakers all over the country that range fromWorld's tallest man to World's largest collection of refridgeratormagnets to the World's longest fingernails. The museum is a collection of record-breaking exhibits inspiredby the Guinness Book of World Records, created by Sir Hugh Beaverin 1951. The book was invented as a way to settle arguements inpubs where Guiness stout was being served. DirectionsGuinness World of Records Museum and Gift Shop is located just north of Circus Circus across from the Sahara. |
