Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
603
cream gravy at 3am. But the best bet is a half-pound burger and “thick, creamy shake,”
both about as good as they get. At around $6, this is half what you would pay for a
comparable meal at the Hard Rock Cafe. Places like this are a vanishing species—it's
worth the short walk from the Stratosphere. Note, however, that the neighborhood
remains stubbornly rough in appearance, and that can be a turnoff. Stay alert if you come
here at night.
1700 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (at East Oakey Blvd.).
&
702/444-4459.
Reservations not accepted. Most items
under $8. No credit cards. Daily 24 hr.
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WHAT TO SEE & DO
You can't sit at a slot machine forever. (Or maybe you can.) In any event, it shouldn't be
too hard to find ways to fill your time between poker hands. Many of the hotels offer
free entertainment in the form of light shows, animal-filled parks, and strolling musical
performers. Can't-miss shows include the
Bellagio's dancing fountains,
a musical ballet
of water and light that is the best free show in town; the
talking statues in Caesars'
Forum Shops;
and the
Mirage's exploding “volcano.”
Couch potatoes can watch the
MGM Grand's 80-foot outdoor video screens, while adventurers head for a roller coaster
celebrating that most daredevil of drivers—the New York cabbie. (This last one's not free,
but that only heightens the reality of the experience.)
Nevertheless, when you finally tire of Strip-gazing (or your brain shuts down from the
overload), there are plenty of other things to see and do in Las Vegas.
The Arts Factory
Finds
Believe it or not, Las Vegas has a burgeoning art scene
(what some would consider soul-crushing is what others consider inspirational), and this
complex, located in the Gateway district, is the place to find proof. It features a few gal-
leries and a number of work spaces for local artists. Several of the spaces are closed to the
public. On the first Friday of each month, they have a party event (unimaginatively
named “First Friday”) showcasing local artists and arts-oriented businesses, with live
music, street performances, and other entertainment and activities. Visit their website for
further details.
101-107 E. Charleston Blvd.
&
702/676-1111.
www.theartsfactory.com. Free admission. Hours vary by
gallery.
Fremont Street Experience
The Fremont Street Experience in the heart of
Downtown Vegas is a 5-block open-air pedestrian mall, a landscaped strip of outdoor
cafes, vendor carts, and colorful kiosks purveying food and merchandise. Overhead is a
90-foot-high steel-mesh “celestial vault”; at night, it's the
Viva Vision,
a high-tech light-
and-laser show enhanced by a concert-hall-quality sound system that takes place five
times nightly. The canopy also cools the area through a misting system in summer and
warms you with radiant heaters in winter. It's a place where you can stroll, eat, or even
dance to the music under the lights. The crowd it attracts is more upscale than in years
past, and of course, it's a lot less crowded than the hectic Strip.
Fremont St. (btw. Main St. and Las Vegas Blvd.), Downtown. www.vegasexperience.com. Free admission.
Shows nightly.
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Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix
Kids
Part arcade, part go-kart racetrack, this is
exactly what you want to help your kids (and maybe yourselves) work their ya-ya's out.
The arcade is well stocked, with a better quality of prizes than one often finds, but we
