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Guide in the USA – everything you need for recreation and travel!

The city of Las Vegas is the epitome of vanity and American megalomania in its purest form. Everything is “the best” here: the largest, most expensive, highest, deepest .. The largest bottle of Coca-Cola, the largest gold bar, the largest singing fountains. This is a city that dazzles with gold dust and flaunts it. Everything here is aimed at setting you on the “right wave” as quickly and efficiently as possible: so that you start and do not stop spending your hard-earned money in numerous casinos for as long as possible and at the same time not be distracted by trifles – so that hunger does not interfere with you, the waitresses will carefully bring food and drinks, the croupiers will rejoice like family for every dollar you win …

Las Vegas casinos have no windows or clocks so that, God forbid, you don’t remember how many hours/days/weeks you’ve been trying to catch your luck by the tail. Some people really succeed, but for the majority, the memory of the “fun” city of Las Vegas is left with devastated bank accounts and vague memories.

But all this applies to the players – and besides them, there are ordinary travelers in Vegas. These are those who do not play or play “for show” and for whom Las Vegas is not the center of the universe, but just a bright spot on the map of Nevada. It is travelers who are interested in “what to see in Las Vegas”, and not “where to play in the smoke” and this short story about the city of Las Vegas and its attractions is addressed. So..

Once an oasis in the Nevada desert (the very name of the city of Las Vegas means “floodplain meadows”), the first birth of the future gambling capital of the United States took place in 1829, when a lost caravan stopped at this place. The second birth – when the tiny town was made a refueling point for steam locomotives en route from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles . But for some reason, the official date of birth of the city of Las Vegas is May 15, 1905, although by this time it was already full of gambling halls and saloons. Historians insist on 1864 as the date of the emergence of Las Vegas – it was then that the question arose of legalizing gambling in the state of Nevada. Mormon influence was quite strong in the then USA – and in neighboring Utah, the “stronghold” of the Mormons, gambling was prohibited, and remains illegal to this day. But there were not so many moralists in Nevada, and already in 1869Gambling was legalized in 1999 – which predetermined the direction of development of the city of Las Vegas, and not only it. As usual, the authorities have repeatedly changed their position in relation to gambling – for example, in 1909 the cup of patience ran out and the government launched a powerful attack on the “dens”, where gambling was often accompanied by criminal showdowns. However, already in 1911, the pendulum swung back and serious indulgences were introduced – for example, games were again allowed without “entry fees” and whose participants, according to the rules, had to mix the deck. From that moment on, Las Vegas became the center of attraction for professional gamblers – there was not a single saloon in the city where they would not play poker.

In 1915, poker was supplemented by several more legalized games, and the first slot machines appeared in some advanced establishments. However, until the middle of the 20th century, Las Vegas did not stand out among others like it, until one day a wheel burst at a certain Thomas Hull on the outskirts of the city. While the damage was being repaired, Hull toiled with idleness – and the idea came to him that a hotel located right on the road would not hurt to have its own casino – and then many sufferers would not have to drag themselves to downtown Las Vegas, where until that moment everyone was crowded entertainment establishments. According to legend, from this moment begins the history of the main attraction of Las Vegas (consisting of a mass of smaller sights) – the world famous “Las Vegas Boulevard” or, in short, the Strip. At 1941 Hull opens the first hotel-casino El Rancho. Then Benjamin Siegel (aka “Handsome Bugsy”, whose story is told in the movie “Casino” with De Niro and Sharon Stone) purchased El Cortez, and in 1946 built the chic Flamingo Hotel-Casino.

Free guide to the USA from the author of Allmyworld.ru – click here!

Las Vegas landmarks: Flamingo Hotel

Now, against the backdrop of the brightest Venetian or Mandalay Bay , hotel Flamingo (Las Vegas Blvd Strip 3555) is not particularly impressive, but, in fact, it was with him that the current city of Las Vegas began. Flamingo was the dream of his creator’s life – Siegel himself developed scenarios for luxurious shows designed to make a stunning impression on the audience, he himself designed the appearance of the future hotel, insisted on creating a grove in front of the hotel, for which the necessary amount of fertile soil was brought to Las Vegas; in addition, ponds have been dug in front of the hotel for graceful flamingos. In the end, the passion for the hotel quarreled its creator with mafia companions, which, however, did not prevent the Flamingo from opening on Christmas 1946 years old.

Hollywood stars were invited to the opening of the hotel – they were recruited on a couple of planes, but even such advertising did not provide the hotel with instant success – for post-war America, the institution was too chic and those who could afford to play in such places preferred to do it in Monaco and Monte Carlo. It should also be borne in mind that Las Vegas itself was at that time nothing more than a dusty hole somewhere in the Far West – and only the imagination and perseverance of people like Siegel made possible the appearance in this place of modern Las Vegas, one of the most striking sights of the United States. and the whole world.

However, Siegel’s services to the city of Las Vegas did not save him from the long arms of Lucky Luciano, along with Al Capone, one of the most famous mafiosi in the United States. According to Luciano’s biography, he became interested in the outflow of funds from Flamingo and in December 1946, Siegel’s fate was sealed: he was shot through the window of his house in Los Angeles. None of the Hollywood stars honored Benjamin’s funeral with their presence – this could spoil the reputation, but Siegel’s death had a beneficial effect on the fate of the hotel: Flamingo became known throughout the country and many wanted to visit the Las Vegas landmark that cost its creator his life.

Not far from Flamingo is the famous Sahara Hotel & Casino , once the tallest on the Strip and initiating the fashion for African interiors. In addition to them, “Sahara” is known for the fact that the highlight of its entertainment program in 1964 was the “Beatles” twice. Of no small importance in turning the Sahara into one of the most popular casinos in Las Vegas was the lifting of the ban on visiting it by blacks – he was the first to open its doors to “colored” players.

The Strip is home to 17 of the 20 largest hotels in the world; on my first visit to Las Vegas, I stayed in one of these, Luxor Casino Hotel (Luxor, Las Vegas Blvd Strip 3900, www.luxor.com) – the dimensions are really amazing.

The Las Vegas Luxor is a life-size replica of an ancient Egyptian pyramid, with a replica of Tutankhamun’s tomb inside.

The only difference is that the Egyptians used the pyramid to bury the dead, while the practical Americans used it to entertain the living. And besides, from the top of the pyramid, a most powerful ray of light goes vertically upwards; it can be seen even from space, according to the booklet at the hotel reception.

In addition to the above-mentioned goodies, the Luxor Hotel is known for its IMAX cinema.

Las Vegas attractions: Stratosphere Hotel & Casino

In addition to it, at the top of the tower there is a revolving restaurant and attractions for the most desperate thrill-seekers:

Insanity the Ride is set at a height of 274 meters and is a carousel in the form of star-shaped claws with chairs under them. After landing and fixing the tourists in the chairs, the mechanism takes the carousel out of the tower, where it begins to rotate in a circle at a speed of about 65 km / h – those who dare to ride this attraction can observe the city of Las Vegas from a height of about 300 meters (if they don’t screw up).

Attraction X-Scream is located at an altitude of 264 m. It is an open trailer that drives away from the tower, swinging and braking sharply – which, presumably, greatly entertains the thrill hunters sitting in it.

Big Shot – entertainment at a height of 329 meters, is considered the highest attraction in the world.

SkyJump – jump from a height of 261 meters, those who want to experience it in flight overcome 108 floors of the Stratosphere Tower.

Las Vegas Attractions: Rollercoaster

Between copies of the famous New York skyscrapers , standing close to each other and forming “New York Island”, the furious “roller coaster” winds (in America they are called “Russian”) – Another brightest attraction of the city of Las Vegas.

See also:
Sights of
New York

An interesting effect: if you happen to be in this mini-New York at night, you may not immediately notice the slides themselves – they are laid at a height of several floors. But sooner or later you will definitely hear them: first, heart-rending screams and squeals will be heard from the darkness, and then, raising your head, you will be able to distinguish wagons with desperate passengers flying at breakneck speed. After watching them (cars make dead loops, rotate around their axis, and all this is at the height of an average skyscraper), I personally did not dare to ride – it was too extreme for me.

Having weighed all the pros and cons, instead of such a flight, I went to have a drink at the nearby Coyote Ugly bar , a cult and iconic place – you can learn from the film of the same name where the cult came from.

Las Vegas attractions: hotels-casinos “Paris” and “Bellagio”

Vegas Blvd Strip 3655) – at least the main symbols of the European “city of light” in the face of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe are present there – and even look very good upon closer inspection.

The entrance to the copy of the Eiffel Tower is located inside the hotel – climbing up, you can admire the views of the city of Las Vegas from a height of 140 meters (tickets are sold inside the hotel in the Eiffel store). From this observation deck it is also very convenient to watch the show of dancing fountains near the Bellagio Hotel, located next door.

Bellagio Hotel & Casino (Bellagio) – In addition to one of the best dancing fountain shows in the world, it houses two of the top three restaurants in Las Vegas: Le Cirque and Picasso (both awarded the prestigious US AAA Five Diamond Award). Returning to the dancing fountains: water extravaganzas from more than a thousand fountains, accompanied by classical and modern compositions, take place every fifteen minutes – I recommend watching them from two different angles: from the side of the pool with fountains and from the height of the observation deck of “Paris” – both times will be the most different and eminently worthy impressions.

In addition to the fountain show and the best restaurants, Bellagio is famous for its art museum (by the way, this is one of the few places in Las Vegas where they charge $ 12 for admission), there are masterpieces of such masters as Goya, Picasso, Degas and others. According to information from the electronic guide to the museum, the exposition costs about the same as the hotel itself – $ 1. 7 billion.

Not far from “Paris” and “Bellagio” is another attraction of Las Vegas, which is a must-see – Caesar’s Palace Hotel-Casino (Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, Strip, 3570). The first floor and the park in front of the hotel are so skillfully lined with copies of ancient Roman sculptures that it is quite possible to mix up the eras for a while. On top of that, Caesar’s Palace hosts a massive (you can apply the word to pretty much everything in Las Vegas) Creation of Earth show, complete with flames, roar and laser special effects.

Another Las Vegas attraction is the out-of-stellar Mirage Hotel :

Inside Mirage (Mirage, Las Vegas Blvd Strip, www.mirage.com) white tigers roam and rainforest can also be found , a lagoon, waterfalls, a pool with dolphins and an artificial volcano that erupts every half an hour (from 19:00 to midnight).

Las Vegas Attractions: The Venetian Hotel

Venetian (www. venetian.com) – here real gondolas float along artificial channels; in them – almost real gondoliers sing very similar to real Venetian barcarolles; tourists, usually Asians, are delighted.

See also:
City of Angels
Los Angeles

18) I went to Treasure Island , the road to which from there is only a couple of minutes. In general, the city of Las Vegas is very reminiscent of a giant theme amusement park, where from “New York” you get to “Venice”, then to “Paris” – and so on.

Treasure Island Entertainment Complex (Treasure Island, Las Vegas Blvd Strip 3300, www.treasureisland.com) is famous for its Sirens’ of Treasure Island evening show, which takes place in a specially built “seaside village” with a canal dug around it. The performance is full of pirate romance, dancing beauties and fights on the masts – at the end of it, an entire English frigate goes under water.

South of the Venetian is the Imperial Palace hotel, notable for its huge concert hall, where Elvis Presley once performed, and a museum of retro cars, among the exhibits of which you can find the Rolls-Roys of Russian Tsar Nicholas II, Hitler’s Mercedes and Packard of Japanese Emperor Hirohito . The museum is located on the fifth floor of the Imperial Palace Hotel, (Las Vegas Blvd Strip 3535, www.autocollections.com).

Excalibur Casino Hotel , built like a fairy tale castle – inside this impression is greatly enhanced:

Casino Mandalay Bay” (Mandalay Bay, www.mandalaybay.com) – the “pearl” of my personal list of “what to see in Las Vegas” – at least from those hotels-casinos in the city of Las Vegas that were accessible to “people from the street ”, he seemed to me the most interesting and stylish.

This hotel is famous for its topless pool (admission fee for men) and a glass underwater tunnel where you can admire sharks, “golden” crocodiles, stonefish – one of the most poisonous fish on Earth, and other aquatic fauna.

Where to stay in Las Vegas

In terms of housing, Las Vegas is completely different from other major American cities: there are almost always a huge number of excellent options at Booking at very attractive prices. For example, a room at the world famous Luxor Hotel cost me about $35. Fantastic? Yes, but very easily explained. The fact is that there are quite a few ordinary tourists in Las Vegas – they are mostly players, and the lion’s share of the Las Vegas hotel stock is made up of casino hotels, for which the actual renting of rooms is not the main business. Moreover, they tend to dump in order to attract more players to themselves, who will later spend hundreds and thousands of dollars with them all night long.

But I, for one, am not a gambler at all, and I benefited with might and main from the pricing policy of Las Vegas hotels. Where else in America can you get a room in a luxury hotel with a private marble bathroom for $35?! Yes, nowhere, usually this is the price of a bed in a hostel. To book a room in the legendary Mandalay Bay or Luxor, please follow the link below:

The most interesting casino hotels in Las Vegas

The Luxor hotel and casino in Las Vegas

The interior of the room in the “pyramid”

Another important point: Las Vegas can be a very convenient base for trips to national parks in the so-called “Indian Lands”. Many people rent a car in Vegas and then drive around the insanely interesting neighborhoods of the city – so Las Vegas is the best place to explore the Grand Canyon with Monument Valley.

All hotels in the Strip!

Transport in Las Vegas

There are two types of buses: SDX express and DEUCE regular buses, bus tickets are valid for both SDX and DEUCE express – DEUCE buses have more stops and they travel noticeably slower than SDX, since they are almost crowds of tourists enter and exit at every stop in the central part of the Strip. A ticket for an unlimited number of trips for 2 hours costs $ 6, they are sold only in vending machines, the vending machine does not give change. Large bills can be exchanged in special change machines in any of the surrounding casinos, of which there are many. The city also has a 6 km monorail along the Strip. Trains run at a height of about eight meters, so that, in addition to a purely transport function, the monorail can also successfully perform a sightseeing function.

Stops are located near the main large casino hotels of the Strip, such as Flamingo-Caesars, Bally’s-Paris, MGM Grand, Luxor and the like. Opening hours – from 8:00 to 24:00.

How to get to the complex where all Las Vegas airport rental cars are located

First, take the DEUCE bus to the southern bus station, then take bus 117 from there for two stops, the address of the complex is: 7135 Gilespie street.

See also:
How not to drive
to Monument Valley!

Returning a rental car from rental cars located at the Las Vegas airport is very simple: you drive into the parking lot and then follow the signs with the name of your rental company (all rental cars operating at Las Vegas McCarran Airport are located in this complex). Having driven by the signs to the Hertz parking lot, I waited for an employee who marked the fuel level in the tank and something else in the documents. After that, leaving the keys in the car, I went to the office for an invoice, which indicated the final cost of renting a car. I was once again told that I did not have to pay anything for my adventure with an engine crankcase pierced in Monument Valley and insurance covered it.

Rent-a-car is not located at the airport itself, but not far from it and between it and the Las Vegas airport terminals, a free bus runs, travel time is about 5 minutes.

How to get to Las Vegas from Moscow

There are currently no direct flights between Russian cities and Las Vegas, so you will have to fly with at least one transfer – in New York or in one of the European hubs; the minimum price for round-trip tickets is $600

To search for flights to Las Vegas, you can use this search form:

I recommend reading how to buy cheap air tickets to the USA, how to travel within the country, where and when it is better to go .

How to get from Los Angeles to Las Vegas

You can come to the fun city of Las Vegas in many ways – by planes, buses, rented or private cars. Personally, I remember most of all my second visit there: when in half a day I drove a car for almost 500 miles across the territory of the three states and in the dead of night bright lights appeared on the horizon in a lowland in the middle of the desert – for me at that moment Las Vegas was the same a welcome oasis, as it was for those first pilgrims from the lost caravan. For auto travelers, the city of Las Vegas is very convenient and comfortable: no problems with parking near casino hotels or other attractions, plus the opportunity to visit amazingly interesting national parks located within reach: Grand Canyon , Death Valley , Monument Valley and others.

See also:
Grand Canyon
Hoover Dam
Antelope Canyon

Las Vegas from American West Coast cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, the most convenient way is by bus. First you need to get to the local terminal of the Greyhound bus carrier and take their express bus to Las Vegas (for example, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas can be reached in four hours) – that’s exactly what I drove. In order not to step over the homeless citizens of a great country and Mexican illegal immigrants sleeping on the sidewalks, I decided not to walk to the aforementioned Los Angeles bus terminal (although it was quite possible, the weather was good, the walk would be about an hour), I got there by bus. From downtown Los Angeles, the bus terminal can be reached by bus routes 60 (longer) and 760 (faster). On the bus on the way to Las Vegas, I met an Armenian who has been living in the US for 25 years, works as a glassblower and, due to the lack of work in his specialty in Los Angeles, goes to Las Vegas to earn money. He, in the joy of meeting with a former compatriot, gave me homemade pies with cabbage, cheese and potatoes – objections and refusals were not accepted.

Lifehack: how I save money on hotels and insurance

In addition to traditional and well-known tools such as Booking or Hotellook, new online services have recently appeared that make life much easier for the traveler and pleasantly protect the thickness of his wallet. One of them – Roomguru – I constantly use myself and recommend to all friends and acquaintances. This service compares prices for an object in 30 booking systems at once, and offers you the most interesting options. In addition, it tracks discounts and special offers.

Hotels in Las Vegas with discounts from Roomguru

As for a good working travel insurance, it was not easy to find before, but now it has become even more difficult due to the constant fluctuations of the ruble against world currencies. For the past few years, I have been taking out insurance for my travels through the online service Cherehapa – here you can compare products of different insurers and choose what is best for you:

Useful articles:

How to book accommodation in the USA: specifics and recommendations
Visa to the USA on your own – step by step instructions

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