If your city has a tower, and you really need someone to climb it and enjoy panoramic vistas from the top, please let me know. I am totally a sucker for panoramic vistas. So when I heard about the Stratosphere Hotel and tower, I knew I would have to give it a look.
Located at the northern end of the strip and measuring 1149 feet, the Stratosphere holds the distinction of being the tallest man-made structure in America west of the Mississippi. The first floor is a casino (no surprise), with a hotel above. The building is capped by an observation deck and restaurant with great views of the city. Getting to the observation deck will cost you - $10.95 per adult, plus more if you want to try one of the rides at the top.
Because as if the view itself wasn't enough to draw you, there are also three thrill rides on the very top of the building. My husband and I (thrill seekers that we are) decided to brave
Big Shot. Basically, they strapped us to seats on either side of a 160 ft tower that sits on top of the Stratosphere, then shot us up into the air at 45 mph. I screamed my head off the whole way up. Not just some "woohoo, this is so fun" kind of scream. More like an "oh my god, at least I've had a good life" kind of scream - couldn't help it. We then dropped about half that distance, and then kind of bounced gently up and down a couple of times. After the initial acceleration, the ride was pretty peaceful - and the views were gorgeous.
In addition to the charge for the elevator to the observation deck, the lines for tickets can get pretty long. This is where a little planning ahead can help. If you have a reservation for the restaurant a the top, you get to skip the regular line and get to the observation deck for free. Once at the top, you can buy tickets for any rides you want from the gift shop in the observation deck.
We did this, and had lunch in the restaurant afterwards. We had sandwiches and salad, which were a little overpriced, but tasted pretty good. The view is why you come here - not only does the restaurant have 360 degrees of windows, but every table has a great view, because the restaurant is slowly revolving. Very cool. I think this would be best for dinner, looking over the lights of the strip after dark.