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C O N T E N T S My Favorite Flick
Las Vegas
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LAS VEGAS New and novel | If you are contemplating making the Vegas trip in the more time-honored manner -- cash in hand, adult companion alongside, no schoolchildren anywhere in sight --- Las Vegas remains its own jovial, clanging, improbably cheesy self, with a few novel diversions installed or in the works. There's a big new casino called New York, New York, the chief attractions being an architecture meant to replicate Manhattan (city skyline interior, graffiti on the inside walls) and a roller coaster that circumnavigates the entire casino. Don't ask. There's a new off-the-Strip hotel called the New Orleans, also apparently Bayou-ish in conception but lacking the requisite lunatic design elements of its larger brethren ("nothing special," sniffed the News Bureau person, when pressed for details). And next summer a grand unveiling is scheduled for a big-time casino called the Bellagio, which promises to be both imposing in square footage and blinding in golden-and-marble appointments; the concept, in News Bureauese, is "super high end, the most luxurious hotel in Las Vegas," which in sheer potential for excess is a rather delicious prospect. The wild side | Visual respite, pleasant-smelling air and nice walks are still available at the park sites a reasonable drive away. Red Rock Canyon is the closest, 20 miles from town (I-95 west from the Strip): (702) 363-1921. Other notable non-gaming attractions include the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, located right in town (702-384-3866); Hoover Dam, eight miles east of Boulder City, about a half-hour's drive from Las Vegas out U.S. 93 (702-293-8367); and also just out of Boulder City, Lake Mead National Recreational Area (702-293-8906). And for the deeply disaffected, there's always Grand Canyon National Park, five hours away and not a slot machine in sight: (520) 638-7888. Nuts and bolts | Air tickets, food and accommodations in Las Vegas are all subsidized by casino owners, and advertising and bargain packages are plentiful. Frequent flights arrive and depart from McCarran airport, located a short four miles from the Strip. Public shuttles carry passengers from the airport to the strip for $5, and taxis are approximately $10; many hotels offer free shuttles. Warning: If you don't make hotel reservations in advance, you might end up staying in a less-than-pleasing, second-rate casino.
Rites of passage | For romantics seeking marriage, or fallen romantics seeking divorce, Las Vegas offers quick versions of both ceremonies. The Clark County Marriage License Bureau is open 8 a.m.- midnight, Monday through Thursday, and 24 hours on weekends and holidays. For divorces, the courthouse has more regular hours, but no trial separation is necessary.
For more information, contact: Las Vegas Visitor Center
Clark County Marriage License Bureau
A general note about travel information: A wealth of travel-related information is available online from a variety of sources -- guidebook publishers, database "travel agents," government-sponsored tourist information and private sites. You can access such information by doing a destination-based word search -- e.g., Las Vegas -- using any of the standard search engines. The information above is meant to provide the essentials you need to know before planning a trip. It is not meant to replace a Web search. We strongly encourage you to explore the extraordinary resources of the Internet to find the information best suited to you. And don't forget our Table Talk area -- another great source of detailed advice! |
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