|
Las VegasSomething for Everyone!By Linda AksomitisLas Vegas, Nevada, may have a reputation as “sin city,” but it’s far more than that! I found it to be a great winter getaway with its 70 degree temperatures and tons of family oriented things to do. Indeed, we made it a grown-up variation of Disney, with my parents, who are seniors, and my younger sister, who is doing the countdown to the big 4-0. So here are our top picks of fun!
#2 – My second choice was a show of a whole different flavour. Starting the evening off with the Imperial Palace’s Emperor’s Buffet, which was absolutely delicious, we moved on to their feature show, Legends in Concert. The show features a live on-stage recreation of some of the best performers of the last five decades, along with great dancers. Video clips of the real performers compliment the stage show on big screen monitors. My personal favourite out of the evening’s offerings was Elvis Presley, followed by Stevie Wonder, and Barry White. The troup of dancers were fabulous, changing costumes numerous times to provide just the right on-stage atmosphere, and adapting their styles as well. Shows run nightly at 7:30 and 10:00 pm.
#4 – For a fourth pick I’d easily have to go with another of the Las Vegas free shows—the Sirens of Ti put on by the Treasure Island hotel. With the usual Las Vegas bevy of beautiful girls, great choreography and music, this show is a hit with all ages. It is performed evenings outside Treasure Island, except during inclement weather or high winds. The story begins with a pirate taken by the sirens, and his crew sailing into the bay to rescue him. But, the sirens have other ideas! There’s lots of smoke and action, and you can imagine which one of the ships eventually sinks. #5 – My parents picked this final show, the Mac King Comedy hour at Harrah’s, as their favorite. Mac King, as well as being a comedian, however, is a magician, so the show is an original twist on some old routines. There are lots of laughs with this one, and more than a few tricks that amaze the crowd. While this one isn’t free, Harrah’s often hands out promotional tickets on the street to keep the show full—the tickets offer free admission but require show-goers to purchase a drink in their bar. A good deal!
#7 – We spent a lot of our time investigating all the interior themes of the hotels as well as hitting the casino floors. These are our top picks.
#8 – And finally, who doesn’t go to Vegas for the lights? There’s nothing more fabulous than Las Vegas by night… Photo credits to Linda Aksomitis. Contact information for all of the sites mentioned in the article: Tournament of Kings -- http://www.excalibur.com/entertainment/tok.php Legends in Concert -- http://www.imperialpalace.com/entertainment.php?subid=21 Bellagio Water Show -- http://www.vegas.com/attractions/on_the_strip/bellagiofountains.html Sirens of Ti -- http://www.treasureisland.com/pages/ent_main.asp Mac King Show at Harrah’s -- http://www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/las/entertainment/entertainment_detail_02.html Freemont Experience -- http://www.vegas.com/attractions/off_the_strip/fremontstreet.html Star Trek the Experience -- http://www.startrekexp.com/ Eiffel Tower -- http://www.eiffeltowerrestaurant.com/ |
|
TM
#1 – My favourite show was without
doubt the action-packed Tournament of Kings Dinner Show. With all the pomp
and grandeur of medieval England (and muscled shirtless knights who could
easily participate in some of Vegas’ more tantalizing shows) the Excalibur
hotel really knows how to put on a tournament and feast. This million dollar
production features wizards, jousts, invading armies, dancing girls,
tumbling acrobats, and more. The supper, served up in traditional style,
starts with Dragon’s blood soup, then moves to the next course of Cornish
game hens, before finishing up with an apple dessert. Seated in the King of
Austria’s support section, we cheered our knight to victory!
#3 – The free water show at the
Bellagio is another one of those Las Vegas attractions not to miss. The
illusion of water dancing to music is achieved through evenly spaced water
fountains that shoot water at angles or straight into the air with varying
heights. While I’d seen it three years ago, I found the water shot higher
and finished with a greater finale in this latest visit. The show runs
evenings every fifteen minutes in front of the Bellagio, so you get to enjoy
it again and again!
#6 – The Freemont Experience on the
old Las Vegas strip is definitely worth the taxi or bus ride! My sister, who
has her own technology company, picked this one for tops. We spent a little
time in the casinos, soaking up the flashy light style of the early hotels,
then enjoyed the spectacular Freemont overhead light show experience, which
is, of course, free. The attraction is 90 feet overhead, and stretches 1400
feet, with the show rolling forward of images dancing in the 12.5 million
synchronized LED modules, including 180 strobes and eight robotic mirrors
per block. The technology on this one keeps getting better and better every
time I visit!