Bulls in Vegas!

We were in Las Vegas for a few days during the PBR(professional pullrider) finals. This was our first visit to Vegas. We were here without the kids, but would like to return with them and see some of the surrounding area like Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. There really isn't enough time to take in Vegas and the area in one visit over just a few days.

Some of our time was spent at the Mandalay Bay at the PBR FanZone where we got to meet some of the riders, and we spent one evening at the finals competition. We strolled the strip and watched the volcano errupt at the Mirage and the fountains dance at the Bellagio. We got to see the gondolas at the Venetian and the roller coasters at New York New York and Sahara. Walking through some of the resorts was fascinating, ecclectic, and, at times, pretty amazing. We saw tropical forests, a breathtaking garden, sandy beaches, talking statues, lions, and gladiators. Vegas is definitely a place you can see and do unique things.

We even arrived in style once by limousine....at the right place, wrong time (or wrong place, right time depending on point of view.) We had an itenerary mixup and ended up walking post limousine ride!! (see walking suggestions in my quick tips/suggestions below) We've decided this must be our "what happens in vegas, stays in vegas" moment.

We visited Coca-Cola World (where I picked up some cute coke glasses) and M&M World, both on the strip. We saw a wall of M&M's, something I don't think you can see anywhere else. I know my kids would enjoy seeing and sampling that.

Our first night in Vegas, we ate at Fatburgers on the strip...these were some of the best burgers I've ever had. We ate lunch one day at the Mandalay buffet...lots of food, and another day was at The House of Blues...great atmosphere and food.

And we slept. They say don't plan on sleeping while in Vegas, but we were so tired at the end of every day we did sleep. And had a very nice place for sleeping at the Hilton Grand Vacations on the Las Vegas Strip.

Quick Tips:

There are Walgreens and CVS Pharmacies everywhere. These have good prices on not only essentials, but souvenires as well. They are worth stepping in to pick up a few trinkets to take home.

Coca Cola World also has some cool things at really reasonable prices, but I have a tip if you pick up one of the decorated coke bottles for a souvenir. Make sure you pack it in your checked luggage. Airport security will not let you board with an 8 oz bottle of coca-cola because of the liquid inside. I forget sometimes that we live in a different world now.

Remember that all of the resorts are super large. If you are walking they look closer than they really are. We found out that the hard way. We were there in the fall when the weather was nice; therefore, walking was not so bad. I know you have heard this before, but if you are in Vegas in the summer be careful about walking in the heat, especially if you are not used to living in an area with the extreme temperatures that are seen in Vegas. And stay hydrated, no matter what time of year.

Go to the web sites www.lasvegas.com and www.visitlasvegas.com for visitor information. I got lots of information there and was sent a couple books with good info on transportion, as well as a map of the strip.

Best Way To Get Around:

You will want to walk the strip some, but walking will tire you out trying to get from one end to the next and will eat up a lot of time. Fortunately there are some pretty good public transportation options available. The double decker buses, known as The Deuce, travel up and down the strip. There are several stops along the strip and one of the buses will come by every few minutes. BUT they can be slow. Traffic problems will slow them down and road construction will add to the problem; however, this is a nice way to observe the strip at a slow pace. A 24hr pass to the bus is just and is good for all of the public buses in Las Vegas. A faster way to travel is on the monorail. You can get from the north end of the strip to the south in just a few minutes. For , you get a two ride pass that can be shared. Two people can ride in one direction using the same pass if you like. If you have a car, your best bet at certains times of the day, and especially midstrip area, is to get on the freeway just to the west of the strip. You can see all of the resorts and casinos so you can exit exactly where you want to go.

There is also a free tram that runs between Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay. We used this several times and found it to be a very nice feature. And there is supposed to be a smilar free tram that runs between Treasure Island and the Mirage.

We really loved the Hilton Grand Vacations Las Vegas Strip. It was luxurious and the perfect resting place for us because it is a non gaming resort on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip---close enough to all of the excitement, while remaining a retreat when we wanted to rest. The resort is centered between the Stratosphere, Sahara, and Circus Circus with nearby public transportation available, allowing easy access to everything on the strip. The Deuce, double decker bus, stopped across the road near the Sahara, and there is easy access to the monorail at the Sahara.

We stayed in a one bedroom condo with a full kitchen, washer/dryer,a luxurious bedroom with a king bed, a television and a jacuzzi tub, an additional sleeper sofa in the living room, an oversized shower in the bathroom, and a beautiful view of the mountains beyond the city of Las Vegas. The living room entertainment center featured a TV with Bose stereo equipment where you can enjoy DVDs and CDs. You might wonder why anyone would need a nice entertainment center with all the available entertainment in Vegas. We were so exhausted from walking all day that we did actually spend an evening relaxing, eating pizza, and watching TV. (Friday night was spent watching the TV show Las Vegas while in Las Vegas.) In addition, the rooms were very well insulated for sound. We were next to the elevator and never heard any noises.

All the facilities at the resort are an easy walk from the elevators. Onsite is a nice fitness center that is larger than the usual hotel gym. The pool area includes a hot tub and an outdoor bar for refreshments all set in a tropical atmosphere with the ever present Vegas palm trees. There is no restaurant on the property, but that is not really an issue since this is Vegas with restaurants everywhere. There is, however, an onsite 24hr gift shop and deli that offers pizza, sandwiches, salads, and some microwave dinners for quick meals in the resort. The prices are a little high but not too terrible for the convenience. While we were there, they had large pizzas on sale for around $10. By the way, the pizza was made fresh and pretty good, especially after a long day. They also make fresh deli sandwiches and salads that some in our group said were really good, and I noticed a few breakfast items on the menu. They stock some toiletries and beverages, but an easy walk next door to the CVS pharmacy offers a better selection with much better prices.

We really enjoyed it here and would stay again. I would recommend this to anyone who is in Vegas for a little sight seeing but would like a quiet place to retreat that isn't away from everything. I also wouldn't feel uncomfortable with my kids here as it is non gaming and has homelike amenities (kitchen, washer/dryer, etc.).

Fatburgers is a nostalgic hamburger stand located on the strip close to the MGM Grand (just a little north on the same side of the strip). They are open 24 hours, which is how we came to eat there. Las Vegas strip and casinos may be awake all night, but many of the restaurants keep the same hours as equivalent restaurants in other cities, especially on weekdays. After arriving on Wednesday night, we found several restaurants closed by the time we were checked in and ready for something to eat around 10PM. Lots of fast food places were still open, but we really wanted something more than McDonalds or Subway.

We found Fatburgers and, even though this is a burger joint, it ain't McDonalds. These are very fat juicy burgers just like the name says (the fries and onion rings are pretty good as well.) The interior looks like an old diner or burger stand with really good oldies music playing on a jukebox. We ate listening to the music while sitting on bar stools at a counter that looked out at the strip. And talking about the atmosphere!...The moment we walked in we heard Elvis singing "A Little Less Conversation" and we, along with half the place, started singing along to the chorus.

The service is really good too. The place was pretty busy and we still received our burgers in just a few minutes. All were freshly made, hot off the grill, and very very juicy. They have three sizes of burgers to choose from, so even if you aren't super hungry for one of their "fatburgers", they have a small one known as a baby fat. And if you have an enormous appetite, they have a really large 1/2 lb burger known as a Kingburger. In addition to burgers fries and onion rings, they have chicken sandwiches, and what burger stand would be complete without shakes and root beer floats?

Oh, and price. Reasonable, especially for the sizes and quality. We got a burger deal with one of the fatburgers,fries and a drink for around $8. My sister and her husband had eaten earlier, so they weren't very hungry. They split one of the fatburger deals and ordered an extra drink. The person serving us was really accommodating and gave them an extra empty plate since he knew they were splitting it. If you have a lighter appetite, splitting one of the deals is a good bargain.

I would definitely eat here again, and would recommend it to anyone. The atmosphere is very casual with music playing that I can't imagine anyone would have an argument against. And since they are open 24hrs, you won't have a problem with finding them available when you are hungry. However, you might want to keep in mind that they were fairly steady when we were there between 10 and 11PM, so I would guess they probably get busy at lunch and dinner. See their menu and more at www.fatburger.com

I put these two together because their locations are side by side on the strip at Showcase Mall with an inside door that leads from one to the other. The location is close to MGM Grand on the same side of the strip.

We went into M&M's world first. This is a fun place with nothing but M&M merchandise throughout the store. There are two levels with an upstairs that features a wall of M&M's of every color. The wall is ceiling to floor bins filled with M&M's divided by color. You can fill and purchase a bag of M&M's with just the colors you want. The store also has clothing and gifts, so this makes a good place for souvenirs, especially for the kids.

Now on to Coca-Cola world, which was what I enjoyed more. I am a coke person and I like coke memorabilia, but even if you aren't, this is a fun place. It also has two levels and the second one contains an old fashioned soda fountain where you can sit and enjoy a coke or other coca-cola product. You can also purchase a sample tray of different Coca-Cola products from around the world. We didn't do this but saw a family that was and it looked fun. Also on display is a non-working replica (or possibly real) soda fountain from days gone by.

Throughout the store are coca-cola merchandise of all varieties and prices including clothing, Christmas ornaments, glassware, stuffed anmials and lots more. They have coke bottles with designer skins decorated with various styles that make cute gifts. I bought one with a Las Vegas theme and put it in my carry on bag so it wouldn't break. I didn't realize, but airport security wouldn't let me take it on the plane, so I had to leave it behind. This must happen frequently, because they knew it was a souvenir coke bottle before actually seeing it. I also bought for the kids some cute coke glasses (around $2 each) that have red snap on lids and straws AND made it home with these. They look like the old fashioned coke glasses but are hard clear plastic instead of glass. The kids really like them. They also had some surprise bags of different prices with an unknown gift in each bag. They started at I think $1 and went up in price from there. I bought one of the cheap ones for each of the kids and they each got a diffent coke pin. They really liked the pins and liked the suprise.

I would return again to visit the coke store because of the good collection of coke products. Also, upstairs in the soda fountain I discovered I can get an old fashioned glass bottle of coke for $1. Would go in while walking up and down the strip just for that. And the M&M store is a must if you are visiting with kids.

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.