Where else can you look inside a Pyramid, gaze at both the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower in the same view, ride a Venetian canal, stand next to an erupting volcano, pitty pirates in battle, and celebrate every performance in the Roman Coliseum all within a couple miles?  Storybook architecture, lavish marquees, world-class casinos, pools & spas, star-studded restaurants & nightclubs, live entertainment and stretch limos make "The Strip" on Las Vegas Blvd a gregarious playground for mind-boggling decadence. The Wynn, Encore, Bellagio, Venetian, Palazzo and Caesars Palace compete for most luxurious mega-resort status on the Strip. The recently upgraded Mirage, Mandalay Bay, Treasure Island, Planet Hollywood Resort, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Luxor, Excalibur, Paris, Monte Carlo, and the Rio are just a notch below in status. Even Donald Trump has opened a hotel-condominium just off the Strip.

    When the Mirage arrived in 1989, it signaled that cheap eats and budget hotels would not long for the Strip. The Mirage set the trend for new and upgraded mega-resorts on the Strip to feature award-winning restaurants and upscale buffets. Now all the newer mega-resorts and even old upgraded resorts like Flamingo, Ballys, Harrahs, Sahara and Tropicano have chart-topping restaurants, grand buffets and celebrated chefs. The latest trend to dining on the Strip is to brunch at the buffets, splurge at dinner.

    If you’ve seen Cirque du Soleil in your city, that was just the warm-up. In Las Vegas, they have custom-built, multi-million dollar theatres that vault performances to amazing levels. Vegas Cirque du Soleil shows are The Beatles LOVE, KA, O, Zumanity, Mystere and Criss Angel Believe, will emblazon your memories. Equally unforgettable, Phantom of the Opera, Le Reve and the world’s greatest magical shows are like dreams brought to life. Many of the best comedians and lavish stage shows help the Strip rival Broadway as the twin live entertainment capitols of America. Then championship boxing takes Las Vegas to a whole new level. High-rollers and everyday people descend on the city like bees to honey and you can bet (pun intended), the money and excitement flows.

    Las Vegas flaunts its rep as the premier adult entertainment destination, but banishes its underworld heritage. Though the Strip was “made” by Bugsy Seigel and mob money, you can scarcely find a citizen to mention the old underworld, except in movies. Sexy is hot, the mob is not.

    Las Vegas reluctantly acknowledges one particular problem – few things are preserved on the 3-mile Strip because it is often reported to be the most valuable land on earth. For that reason, the El Rancho, Dunes, Sands, Desert Inn, Hacienda, Frontier, Aladdin and Stardust have moved on to the slot machine in the sky. In their place, over $20 billion in mega-resorts are under construction such as the Fontainebleau, Cosmopolitan, CityCenter, and Echelon Place and more in planning stages. Signature million dollar condos are complimenting the mega-resorts and in some cases, replacing low-end casinos on the Strip!

    Meanwhile, downtown resorts attract a steady stream of visitors having an appreciation for Las Vegas nostalgia. But even downtown, a nightly light show will have you awestruck and more general attractions are coming.

    Fitzgerald's became the first major casino in Las Vegas owned by an African American. Though the historic Moulin Rouge Casino Hotel was gutted by fire, many anticipate its overdue return will be more extravagant than ever.  Soulful Shows, two art galleries and soul food restaurants keep it real. Does your group need a  soulful tour guide around town? Consider Black Vegas Tours.

    In a nod to family visitors, there are spectacular free casino shows, a giant GameWorks arcade, Shark Reef Aquarium, Titanic Artifacts Exhibition and several roller coasters dot the Strip. If time permits, take a guided horseback ride in a national forest, see Hoover Dam and riverboat in Lake Mead. Another little known ecotourism attraction is the Valley of Fire State Park only 30 miles outside of town. See millions of years of natural land erosion in pastel colors and jutting mountain rock formations surrounding this desert valley. The views are as awe-inspiring as Sedona, Arizona. No wonder the world's top golf course designers make Vegas their playpen for signature projects.

    Only Las Vegas, a Shangri-La unmatched for spectacle and showmanship, has such a combination of mega-resorts, desert, uncanny mountain shapes, world-class golfing and a landmark dam the envy of tourism bureaus worldwide. In Vegas, every adult visitor can be Alice in Wonderland.

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