Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE FINEST MUSEUMS
Vegas doesn't have to be all mindless entertainment. At the world-class
Atomic
Testing Museum
(p. 130), you'll learn everything you ever wanted to know about
the bomb . . . but were
really
too afraid to ask. The physics behind nuclear energy,
the innovations that came out of the testing, how the government is using the site
today, and much more make up the engrossing, often interactive exhibits at this
Smithsonian Institution affiliate museum.
Though small and pricey, the exhibits displayed at the
Guggenheim Hermitage
Museum
(p. 126) are also top quality, the works often obtained either from the
broader retrospectives that the Guggenheim is showing at its larger museums; or
from the famed Hermitage Museum itself (this is the only museum in the U.S. to
have this kind of affiliation with the Hermitage). Best of all, are the hourly exhibit
tours conducted by highly knowledgeable art historians; they're free with the cost
of admission.
Competition in the world of high culture comes from the
Bellagio Gallery of
Fine Art
(p. 127) and the
Wynn Collection of Fine Arts
(p. 127). Not all of their
exhibits are worth the price of admission, but both have had excellent track
records in the past 2 years, bringing the works of such masters as Vermeer, Van
Gogh, and Calder into this desert oasis.
Not to be ignored in the museum category is that temple of kitsch, the
Liberace Museum
(p. 131). Even if you have little interest in the man himself,
you'll want to see this over-the-top collection of wacky cars, historic pianos, and
clothing so exuberantly sparkly and gaudy, it will bring a glow to your kitsch-lov-
ing heart.
UNCOMMON LODGINGS
You don't have to stay on the Strip to enjoy Vegas. One of the most comfortable
ways to vacation here is to rent your own little house, which will likely boast flat-
screen TVs, a private pool, a pool table, and a fully equipped kitchen—all stan-
dard features of Vegas vacation rentals, and all for the cost of a hotel room! Read
up on this alternative to hotels on p. 17.
For those who simply want a clean place to sleep—so they can gamble away
all the money they save—
The Orleans
(p. 60),
Sam's Town
(p. 55),
The Gold
Coast
(p. 60), and
Palace Station
(p. 60) offer beautifully furnished, oversized
rooms in hotels that boast large casinos, multiple restaurants, bowling alleys and
other forms of entertainment, yet often cost half of what you'd pay on the Strip.
And then there are the Strip hotels themselves, whether you decide on a slanty-
sided room at the
Luxor
(p. 32), a froufrou-laden French Empire-style room at
Paris Las Vegas
(p. 38), or cheap, but ultra comfy digs—once you get through
the crowded, tacky casino—at
Circus Circus
(p. 41).
All of these options—and more (see chapter 3)—should bring you a comfort-
able bed at night, and a wealth of entertainment options during the day.
DINING FOR ALL TASTES
Though you'll have traveled only to Vegas, your stomach can travel the world, odd
as that may sound, at the many excellent ethnic restaurants that dot the city. For
the Thai meal of a lifetime, head to
Lotus of Siam
(p. 101) and let the waiter
