Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Disabled veterans should contact the
American Wheelchair Veterans
Association
(5355 Medre Mesa;
%
702/631-1900)
and ask for permission to stay
in the fully accessible apartment complex it has created in Las Vegas. The apart-
ments come with fully equipped kitchens and rooms large enough to maneuver a
wheelchair. A pool onsite has a wheelchair lift. Veterans can apply to stay here for
up to a week; amazingly, there is no cost whatsoever for this housing.
Theaters
Every Strip show now has spaces set aside for persons in wheelchairs. These are
limited in number, however, so it's important to book well in advance to ensure
that you get a spot at the show you wish to see.
Transportation
Because of the distances involved in navigating the Strip (and other parts of
Vegas), visitors with disabilities are well advised to rent a car or van. Many of the
major car rental companies now offer hand-controlled cars. For this service
Avis
(www.avis.com)
requires 48-hour advance notice;
Hertz
(www.hertz.com)
requires
between 24 and 78 hours at most of its offices. Full accessible vans, with hand
controls, automatic ramps and lifts, remote controls and tie down systems, can
be rented from
Wheelchair Getaways of Nevada
(
%
888/824-7213; www.
wheelchairgetaways.com).
ADVICE FOR GAY AND LESBIAN TRAVELERS
Vegas is
not
as “live and let live” as its reputation suggests. In truth, this is a con-
servative, staunchly Republican city, meaning that the gay and lesbian scene is
much smaller than in other cities its size. There's but one gay hotel, and a small
district, called the “Fruit Loop” (p. 220), of gay bars. Until very recently there
were no gay clubs on the Strip. That has changed with the arrival of Krave. And
I've had gay friends tell me that they've been made to feel uncomfortable when
publicly displaying affection. Despite this lack of facilities designed solely for gay
men and women (and, perhaps, tolerance), Vegas is nevertheless one of the most
popular gay and lesbian destinations in the country, with many choosing the
Mandalay Bay as their home base, along with the gay resort Blue Moon (p. 62).
For more complete listings of bars and special events than you'll find in this
tome, pick up a copy of
Q Vegas
(www.qvegas.com),
available at LGBT nightclubs
and bookstores, Borders, Tower Records, most libraries. There's also a calendar of
events at
www.gaylasvegas.com
.
ADVICE FOR SENIORS
Age has it privileges, even in Vegas, with seniors eligible for a raft of discounts—
you just have to ask (and show a picture ID if you look particularly spry). Many
of the large hotel chains offer discounts to persons over 60, and movie theaters and
museums do as well. Seniors can also get half-price rides on the city buses (60¢).
Those who belong to
AARP
(601 E St. NW, Washington, DC 24009;
%
888/
687-2277; www.aarp.org)
get even more discounts, especially at hotels, so start
waving around that card if you have it. Anyone over 50 can join.
