Tips About Where To Go And What To Do In Las Vegas (Part II)

     As a Pinay (female native of the Philippines) adventurer, Las Vegas propelled me several decades ahead of my expectations. Being used to the lush tropics in my rural environs, this is, by far, the most technologically advanced and most modern and creative entertainment strip on earth that I have been to. It houses the grandest hotels and casinos, bars, clubs, and restaurants. Its skyscrapers, neon-lights, water fountains, fire fountains, statues that move, dancers, and boatmen are just some of the appeal of the Las Vegas marvel.

Moon lit night  in Las Vegas.

     The Las Vegas nightlife is famous for its parties, dancing, music and drinks. But if you are not a party animal, you can still go out to walk around Las Vegas at night and be fascinated with what’s in store for you at the Strip below (L- me; R - Lan) for free. The 6.8 km length of the strip may be too much to handle at once, but we did try to cover as much as we could. We just made sure that we were in our most comfortable shoes, as any walking tour of Vegas went.

Las Vegas strip at night.

     Along the Las Vegas Strip, we saw a large billboard announcing the Peepshow, the longest running live burlesque show in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. The show ran from April 2009 to September 2013. At the time that we were there (picture below: L-Lan; R- me), Holly Madison was the sole female celebrity lead performer as Bo Peep, along with American Idol alum Josh Strickland as the male lead (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peepshow_(burlesque). Holly Madison became famous as the fiancée of Playboy Magazine’s Hugh Hefner.

Peepshow (background) playing at the Las Vegas Strip.

     But watching live shows was not in our agenda so, walked we went. As an added spectacle, two Elvis Presley impersonators are sure to fascinate you along the Las Vegas Strip.

 Elvis impersonators (background) at the Las Vegas Strip.

      Aside from the different shows, it is very easy to be transported to famous landmarks found elsewhere on the planet right here in Las Vegas. Below, we experienced Paris through this half scale, 541-foot (165 m) tall replica of the Eiffel Tower, part of the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. 

Picture of The Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas.

     Further along, was the Bellagio Hotel (below). A Hollywood movie made this hotel famous. Specifically, the Ocean 11 movie, the remake of the Rat Pack movie (1960) of the same name belonged to the highest grossing movie of its time. The movie included the biggest stars of Hollywood, i.e., George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts, among others. The Bellagio fountain (below) was the scene where the cast was seen leaving after the Bellagio robbery.  

Picture of The Bellagio Hote in Las Vegas.

     Not to be outdone is the Volcano Fountain the Mirage Hotel-Casino. As fascinating as the water fountain is this ‘fire’ fountain. “The company that led the design team for the Fountains of Bellagio, led the design team for the volcano. The volcano includes two volcano systems, a lagoon and fire shooters that shoot flame on demand. These massive fireballs are capable of shooting more than 12 feet into the air. It also features waterfalls with surrounding pools including fire and smoke effects volcano. Like the water fountain at the Bellagio, the volcano combines music with choreography that result to a thrilling experience that is free for viewers to see (http://www.vegas.com/attractions/on-the-strip/mirage-volcano/).” 

Picture of The Volcano Fountain at the Mirage Hotel-Casino.

     In between the Bellagio and the Mirage is Caesar’s Palace. Unlike the ultra-modern fountains of the Bellagio and Mirage, the theme of Caesar’s Palace is a throw-back of the Greco-Roman Empire. The fountain outside of Caesar’s Palace features a copy of the statue of the Winged Victory of Samothrace (photo below: background – Winged Victory of Samothrace; foreground, L-me; R-Lan). The original is a 2^nd century BC marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike (Victory). It is one of the most celebrated and described as the greatest masterpiece of Hellenistic sculpture/s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace).

Picture of the Winged Victory of Samothrace (background).

     The running theme of Caesar’s Palace is spotted in and around the hotel, as shown in the pictures below. I thought I imagined one of the statues moving (below R). I think it was Bacchus, God of Wine. But indeed, there are mind-boggling and spectacular moving statue shows inside the Palace, and you might just bump into one of them, as we did in this visit.

Pictures inside Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas.

    Walking on the Las Vegas strip is a daunting challenge. But with the extremely entertaining acts outside the different grand hotels and casinos, you wouldn’t feel that much aggravated. Be sure to bring a good pair of walking shoes. Another trick is to rest at different stops along the way. The best time to walk is at night for better appreciation of the fountains and the glittering light shows, and to escape the very hot Las Vegas weather during the day. Make sure to bring a jacket as the wind could be very strong and the temperature could push down to 17°C at night. We ended our walk for the night, tired but exhilarated to see what’s in store for us tomorrow.