One of the easiest ways to get a 'newbie' to understand Vegas is by calling it an adult DisneyLand! After all, who can resist all the blinking lights, the dinging bells, and the anticipatory hope for a win that is so thick in the air you can almost cut it!
There are hoards of people everywhere, from the casino floors, to the pools, to the streets outside filled with people from every ethnic background, to the buffets with seemingly endless supplies of cheap food.
Though each hotel has a casino, not one is exactly like another. Each theme is different - ancient Greece for example, as well as the servers attire, which could even be a pirate wench! Speaking of themes, you should not neglect just checking out as many different hotels as possible. You can go from the city streets of New York, New York, to taking a gondola ride through the canals of the Venetian, to a big-top adventure at Circus, Circus, to a thrilling night of Mardi Gras at the Rio! (which is a great place to stay if you prefer an adult oriented vacation!)
Elaborate shows at many hotels can help you wile away evening after evening, with each production being more magnificant than the last! There are shows for families, such as David Copperfield, or more adult entertainment at the more scantily clad themed shows. Day-time fun can include the incredibly (and sometimes frighteningly!!) life-like Madame Toussads Wax Museum where you can actually put your arm around the 'star' of your choice for a great photo! Or maybe the M&M shop that is no less than four stories high and sells ANY type of M&M merchandise that you can begin to imagine! Next door is the Coca Cola Museum and Gift Shop, where you can learn about (and purchase!) Americas favorite beverage! I wonder if it's possible to see Vegas in its entirety in a lifetime?!?!?!
Quick Tips:
I was in Vegas in July and people say dry heat is better, to me, hot is just hot! Fortunatley EVERYWHERE is air-conditioned, and hotels and airfare are much cheaper in summer!
My friend and I decided on going on a walking tour of the hotels on day. I don't know if the desert distorts distances (or maybe the heat was frying my brain!!!), but what you might think looks like a quick walk, maybe a block, ends up taking a loooooooong time to get to! The hotels are huge, and what you imagine to be a quick stroll is not. I recommend taking a taxi, or maybe waiting until the sun goes down to tour.
The highlight of my trip was probably exiting Caesars (after being indoors until after sunset) and seeing the strip lit up at night!
Best Way To Get Around:
TAXI TAXI TAXI TAXI! Walking is HOT, roads are so congested as to induce road rage in the most mild-mannered, buses aren't available at the drop of a hat, and taxis are EVERYWHERE! Need I say more?