Las Vegas Vacation
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Make no mistakes that Las Vegas is all about Las Vegas. Nicknamed Sin City, and staking a claim as the Entertainment Capital of the World, it is situated in the midst of the southern Nevada desert landscape. The city has giant mega-casino hotels, decorated with lavish care and attention to detail to create a fantasy-like atmosphere. Las Vegas’ casinos typically have carefully selected names and themes that hope to evoke the appeal of romance, mystery, and far away destinations. In planning your Las Vegas vacation, try not to forget that it is also a place with a serious side, and the surrounding area has some of the Southwest’s most beautiful scenery.
Deciding when to take a Vegas vacation is almost a gamble in itself. As a general rule, November to February has been the quietest—and thus cheapest time in Vegas. Many of the acclaimed shows take a break during this time. However, Thanksgiving, New Year’s and the Superbowl have all become high draw times. Add to this the host of conventions and trade shows that are continually held in town, and so accommodation prices fluctuate on a whim. The spring-fall shoulder months tend to be the busiest times, while mid-summer is scorching and winter, while relatively mild by comparison, can throw on a chilly night without warning.
When planning out the details of a Vegas vacation, take note that the vast majority of visitors to Las Vegas arrive on Friday or Saturday nights and only stay for the weekend. Because of this, room rates seem ridiculously cheap from Sunday-Thursday, and then shoot upwards on weekends. Travelers can plan a trip to their advantage, however, by staying Sunday through Thursday. Not only can you save a bundle on hotel rates for your Vegas vacation, but you can also take advantage of package deals that may include a show, meals, and gambling coupons—sometimes worth more than the cost of the hotel room itself! Be aware that many amenities which are included for free in other cities might be quite expensive in Las Vegas, e.g., most hotels charge for use of the fitness center with rates around $20 to $40 per visit, local calls are usually billed, and wireless internet is over $10 per day. For the most part, in Las Vegas the words “hotel” and “casino” are completely interchangeable. Hotels, motels, and resorts are in ample supply, from the regulars like Super 8, to the ones everyone thinks of when you say “Vegas vacation” – The Luxor, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Hard Rock, Caesars Palace; the list could literally go on for pages!
As its claim to being the Entertainment Capital of the World should clearly indicate, you will not find yourself without options of things to do during your Vegas vacation, no matter the time of day. Is it 3am and you feel like (gambling, swimming, riding a roller coaster, dancing, catching a show, getting married)? No problem. The majority of establishments are willing to cater to you for the right price and within reason. Should you be inclined to spend your days doing more activities and less recovering, you’ll find an equally impressive list of things to do, from inexpensive aerial sightseeing tours, to skydiving, or even shouldering a machine gun at one of the many firing ranges in town.