Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Animatronic statues are the bizarro lure at the
Forum Shops at Caesars
and in the atrium of
Sam's Town.
Of the two, the Sam's Town show is the
better one, a laser and water show called the
Sunset Stampede
, set in a
mini-National Park that's right off the casino. Kids will like this one, if
only for the roaring bear. Winning the prize for most peculiar is the
Fall
of Atlantis
spectacle performed at Caesars by barely moving, life-sized
Barbies and Kens (dressed in ancient garb of course) who speak with gar-
bled voices, telling a myth apparently made up by the marketing depart-
ment (as if there weren't enough compelling, dramatic Greek and Roman
myths to retell). Most mysterious is why anyone watches the darn thing,
which is utterly incomprehensible and visually turgid to boot. The Sam's
Town spectacle takes place 2pm, 6pm, 8pm, and 10pm (evening shows
have better light quality). If you must see the
Fall of Atlantis,
the shows
are every hour on the hour from 10am until closing.
The Parade in the Sky
5
is the half-hourly Mardi Gras parade per-
formed at the Rio Hotel and Casino that combines a small stage show of
dancers, with about five large floating floats (they hang from a track in
the ceiling) filled with showgirls and the tourists who pay to stand next
to them—both of whom throw beaded necklaces at the crowd below. It's
cute and the dancers are talented. If you really want to see a showgirl
(and perhaps get a photo with one), this is certainly the least expensive
way to accomplish that. Daily at 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, 7, 8, 9, and 10pm.
At
Wynn Las Vegas,
the
Lake of Dreams
is a freebie for those who
make it inside the hotel in time and snag a space on the small viewing
platform. Otherwise you'll pay for this oddball sound and light show with
two overpriced drinks (or an even more expensive meal) at one of the
eateries or bars that overlook the mountain and lake behind the hotel.
Lights flash in different parts of the lake, there's music and some puppets,
but unless you're on a Hunter S. Thompson-esque drug trip the whole
thing will seem less trippy than, well, dull. Again, this is one of those
“only if you happen to be right there” when it's happening types of events
(7pm-midnight, on the hour, and at 20 and 40 min. after it).
Two other notable freebies include the
Fremont Experience
5
(p. 132)
and the superb circus acts at, you guessed it—
Circus Circus
(p. 138).
Genuinely terrific circus acts, staged in a stadium floating above the casino floor,
plus the world's largest indoor amusement park, will keep the young and young
at heart amused.
The nearby
Sahara
is a somewhat statelier time machine, which has recently
updated its '60s style with new versions of old-fashioned-looking chandeliers,
rugs, and “Arabian Nights”-style architectural elements. This is a good one to hit
at night as its lounge acts provide some of the best free entertainment in town.
