The Chinese invented gambling more than two thousand years ago, but it was in Las Vegas that the word "casino" was invented. These are people who go mainly to play, to have fun, relying on the slogan that "What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas" These are 20 things you have to see and do in the gambling capital of the world.
1. Las Vegas Strip
This strip of Las Vegas Boulevard is part of the trio of most famous streets in the United States, along with Fifth Avenue in New York and Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. It is the largest concentration of hotel rooms in the world, with 18 lodging monsters that are in the top 25 globally. The Strip was named after Guy McAfee, a Los Angeles police officer and skilled businessman, in reference to the Sunset Strip, the West Hollywood, California sector.
2. Downtown
Presumably downtown Las Vegas is where Mexican-Spanish merchant Antonio Armijo stopped in 1829 his convoy of grocery carts to rest, marking the foundation of the settlement. Downtown is no longer the area of green grass and crystal clear streams where Armijo's beasts grazed and drank. Now it is a microcosm of concrete and people speaking a hundred different languages, playing games, eating and having fun on Fremont Street and other busy thoroughfares.
3. Fremont Street
This downtown street lags behind the Strip in importance for vega gambling and entertainment. It is named after John Charles Fremont, an explorer of the North American West in the 19th century. Some of the most filmed and photographed neon signs are or were on the Fremont during the sprawling years of Las Vegas beginning in the mid-20th century. More recently, some popular video clips, television productions, video games and movies have used Fremont Street as a location.
4. Flamingo Las Vegas
The time has come for you to enter the first casino and by history it is only fair that it be the Flamingo. Successful gangsters are talented business guys, and one of them, Bugsy Siegel, was the one who first captured the economic potential of an establishment that was simultaneously a bookmaker, lodging and entertainment venue. In 1946 the Flamingo opened and Las Vegas took off. Also called Hotel Rosado for its neon pink lighting, it is an Art Deco structure and you have to see it inside and out to start your Las Vegas atmosphere on the right foot.
5. Mirage
The installation of The Mirage hotel and casino on the Strip in 1989 produced a change in trend in the construction and gaming industries in Las Vegas, with an accelerated expansion of this area of the city, to the detriment of downtown. At the time, it was the highest cost hotel building in history, with an investment of 630 million dollars for its 3,044 rooms and other spaces. Its attractions include an artificial volcano and an aquarium with about 1,000 specimens.
6. Caesars Palace
Opened in 1966, this hotel and casino rose to global stardom beginning in the 1980s when it used to host the main fights for the boxing world championship titles in an arena outside the building. As a tribute to Caesar, its 3,349 rooms are divided into 5 towers with allegorical names of the Roman Empire: Roman, Augustus, Forum, Palace and Centurion. In the early 1980s, its immense parking lot was part of the circuit where some of the Formula 1 Grand Prix were raced.
7. Paris Las Vegas
This hotel and casino on the Strip recreates the city of Paris in Las Vegas. Its facade with the air of the Louvre and the Opera House, takes you slightly to a Paris in the middle of the Nevada desert. There are smaller-scale replicas of the Eiffel Tower, the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. It was opened in 1999, with celebrated French actress Catherine Deneuve doing the honors.
8. Excalibur
The architectural inspiration for this hotel and casino was the England of the mythical King Arthur. Apart from the character's sword, which gives the place its name, the main façade is in the shape of a castle, with Merlin, the famous wizard who would have lived in Arthurian times, looking from above. It has facilities for the whole family. If you want to get married in Vegas in medieval style and dress, the Excalibur makes it easy for you.
9. Venetian
This 4,049 suite resort - hotel - casino located on the Strip is America's largest 5 Diamond property. Its rooms offer more than 120 casino games, including slots in all modalities. It also has a wax museum similar to Madame Tussauds in London, where you can be photographed with some amazingly real statues of Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith and other luminaries.
10. Stratosphere Las Vegas
This hotel and casino stands out in the distance for its 350-meter tower, the Stratosphere, which is the tallest non-hanging structure in the state of Nevada. The 2,444-room hotel is separate from the tower. On the roof of the tower there is a revolving restaurant and two observatories, which are the tallest spaces of their kind in the world.
11. MGM Grand Las Vegas
This hotel and casino is integrated into a huge commercial space that includes a convention center, 16 restaurants, night clubs and other establishments. The complex has 6,852 accommodations, including rooms, suites, lofts and villas. Its aquatic entertainments are spectacular, with swimming pools, artificial rivers and waterfalls.
12. Bellagio
It is a 5 Diamond hotel and casino on the Strip, one of the most luxurious establishments in Las Vegas. His architectural inspiration was the Lake Como resort in Bellagio, Italy. For the setting in Como, they built an artificial lake of more than 32 thousand square meters, including the Bellagio fountains. Another of its attractions is a botanical garden that changes with each season.
13. Mandalay Bay
It is a resort and casino that has 3,309 rooms. It has a 93,000 square meter convention center, an events center, artificial beach, artificial river with waterfall, wave pool, heated pools, topless pool, saltwater aquarium and 24 eating and drinking establishments.
14. Luxor
Honoring its name, its theme revolves around Ancient Egypt. It alludes in the names of its spaces to the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Luxor and other names linked to the time of the pharaohs. It is connected by a monorail to Mandalay Bay and the Excalibur. The pyramid was erected in 1993, being the tallest building on the Strip at the time.
15. Treasure Island
It is a 2,885-room hotel and casino located on the Strip. It began with some attractions of shows and pirate fights, which he later abandoned. It is rated 4 Diamonds and communicates with the Mirage by tram.
16. Planet Hollywood
This tourist complex with a casino has gone through several settings to reach the current one. In the 1960s it was called the King’s Crown and had an English Imperial theme. Later it adopted an Arab orientation, highlighting its night shows with dancers. It is now Hollywood.
17. Mafia Museum
Even roulette, black jack and slot machines can be tiring. If you want to get out of the hotel to get away from the gaming tables, Las Vegas offers plenty of gambling-free entertainment options. One of the most curious is the Mafia Museum, which could not have found a better city to settle. You will have a really fun time, getting to know gangsters and the ingenious ways in which they robbed you (?) In casinos.
18. Grand Canyon of Colorado
Since you are in Las Vegas, you could well take advantage of the trip to see the Grand Canyon. There are many tour operators in Las Vegas that organize tours, departing from hotels. You can take a road trip or fly over the canyon by helicopter. Once in place, you have the option of rafting down the Colorado River. Most itineraries include a stop at the famous Hoover Dam and the chilling Skywalk, the glass walkway more than 1,200 meters above the vertigo basin.
19. Extreme Excursion
The desert that surrounds Las Vegas is the scene for extreme entertainment, particularly with motor vehicles. These two-, three- and four-wheeler tours are offered by operators at hotels and other locations in Las Vegas. They have the vehicles and the safety equipment. You just have to contribute your thirst for adventure.
20. Get married in Las Vegas!
Las Vegas is all the rage as a place to get married. Sometimes it is difficult to find a place in the agenda of the most matchmaker priests. If you're not too traditional, you can get married in the car, with your girlfriend sitting in the passenger seat and Felix Mendelssohn's wedding march ringing on your cell phone.
Have fun in Las Vegas! See you soon for another pleasant tour.
