We stayed on the north end of the strip across from the Sahara, where a roller coaster zooms by just above your head as you walk onto the property. Inside the Sahara is Nascar memorabilia and the Nascar Cafe. We took pictures in front of one of the cars. If you are into Nascar, this is a must free visit. Also on this end of the strip is the Stratosphere and Circus Circus with circus acts every half hour.

It helps to mentally divide the strip into three sections(north/middle/south.) Walk from here or use the monorail for fast transportation. Use the deuce bus for slow observation of the strip. You can do each for around $5 and both stop(or in this case, begin) at the Sahara.

Midstrip, walk inside Caesars Palace to the Forum Shops to see the talking statues and the Atlantis water show. And at the Venetian, the canal features gondalas that can be viewed outside while walking over a bridge leading into the Venetian. A few more steps, you're in front of the Mirage where a volcano errupts every 15 minutes. Standing on the sidewalk, we could feel the heat from the fire. Best viewing time--after dark!! Inside the Mirage is a tropical rainforest and a white tiger habitat. A little further south, you will enjoy a little European ambiance strolling in front of the Bellagio. Watch the Fountains from the sidewalk at the Bellagio. Then walk up toward the Bellagio entrance, turn around and take a picture of the Eiffel tower at Paris Las Vegas.(monorail station at Paris.) Once inside the Bellagio, visit the Botanical Gardens. When we were there, the garden was a beautiful autumn theme that was amazing and free to walk through.

South strip cluster starts at the MGM Grand(another monorail station.) Inside the MGM see the lions, descendants of the original MGM lion. Next to MGM is Showcase mall which features M&M World and Coca-Cola world.(I loved Coca-Cola world) Across the street is New York, New York with another roller coaster travelling over your head(and the Statue of Liberty's.) Then just south of that is Excalbur which looks like a medieval castle and is somewhat child friendly with a midway, and Sponge Bob and jousting shows. There is also a free tram here that will take you to the Luxor and Mandalay Bay. The Luxor,a pyramid with a light beam shooting from the top, is awesome to see at night and Mandalay Bay has the best pool with a real sand beach. You have to come here just to see the pool area. We spent a lot of time at the Mandalay because it hosted PBR(bullriders) fan zone(also free).

Throughout the strip, in every nook and cranny you'll find shopping!! Also everywhere was one of my favorite free things, the desert mountains surrounding Vegas, viewed from the strip are an ecclectic beautiful merging of modern and natural wonders.

There are many helicopter flights companies to choose, we went with Heli USA for best price. For about $75 per person for the night flight over the Las Vegas Strip at night. It is so scenic to see all the lights from that angle (and I am afraid of heights... but it was nice).

This is a very interesting tour with excellent views of the Strip at night. I personally am afraid of heights but this was OK. Beautiful and romantic. My husband loved it!

Gambling and gaming are, in a way, the lifeblood of Las Vegas. Almost as soon as you step off the plane the evidence—a bank of slot machines—is in front of you. And the city caters to the smallest (5 cent slots) and largest (maximum table bets of 1,000 dollars or more) budgets.

If, like me, your gambling is restricted to a yearly bet on the Grand National and putting money into the "grabbers" at the end of Brighton Pier, then you might not want to pitch straight into five card stud, roulette, or blackjack! However, if you are careful, a bit of "when in Rome"—or in this case when in Caesar’s Palace—is a Las Vegas experience I would certainly recommend.

I can’t, however, overestimate the careful part. My only experience was on slot machines, but they were appetizingly addictive. It’s easy to get caught up in the "one last spin" frame of mind, especially if you have been winning even small amounts. It’s exciting! But it is important to know when enough is enough.

I would recommend setting yourself a limit—daily or to cover the whole length of your visit—based on what you can afford to lose and what you are prepared or happy to lose. Keep this separate from the money you have budgeted to spend on food, drink, entertainment, etc. Then, and most importantly, stick to your limit. Don’t be tempted to dip into other funds. It would be a shame to leave Vegas with a negative experience, having spent more money in the casinos than you intended. Instead, if you stick to your limit you can allow yourself the guilt-free luxury—regardless of whether you win or lose—of spending some money and, hopefully, you’ll have another positive Vegas experience.

As I said, I didn’t join any of the table games, but I did enjoy the atmosphere surrounding them. So, for anyone going to Vegas to play poker, roulette, craps, etc., thank you for letting me watch and I do hope the luck of the cards, wheel, and dice are with you.

It was great to go to Vegas during a time of the year that has comfortable weather, and where everyone is out in true form. While I do not have to stay in hotel, thanks to my in-laws, I still experience many of the activities. During this particular trip we went and saw the Blue Man Group. This was an unbelievably good time. I was not sure what to expect, but I would recommend to anyone that this is a wonderful show to see and for a very reasonable price compared to many of the other shows.