Scene on the strip
• 24-hour fun (large graphic, 442k)
Illustrations by Greg Taylor; research by Mary Kaye Ritz and Wanda Adams
The Honolulu Advertiser
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| Fiery goings-on at Coyote Ugly: Clubs are thriving in Vegas.
Coyote Ugly photo |
Ghost Bar
- Where: 55th floor, Palms Hotel
- Buzzworthy because: Still new and not too crowded. Knockout view from skyscraper deck. Chic postmodern furnishings. Beautiful people seeing and being seen.
"The Celebrity Portraits: Art by Andy Warhol"
- Where: The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, Bellagio Hotel & Casino
- Buzzworthy because: In the vanguard of an effort to bring art under the Las Vegas umbrella. Largest collection of Warhol celebrity portraits anywhere in the world.
The Ritz Carlton, Lake Las Vegas
- Where: 17 miles east of the Strip
- Buzzworth because: "Scottsdale meets Lake Como." Lavish Italian spa. Hiking, biking, golf on property. Suites as large 2,500 feet.
"Celine Dion: A New Day"
- Where: Caesars Palace Colosseum theater
- Buzzworthy because: It just opened. The round theater seats 4,000. Cirque du Soleil-style staging. And it's Celine!
"Mamma Mia"
- Where: Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino
- Buzzworthy because: Routinely sells out. Full Broadway-style production. You can take drinks to your seat. And you'll go out humming "Dancing Queen."
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Good guides
We scoured guidebooks, the Web and our files to track down the best spots to go for Las Vegas information, and added some pertinent details of our own that visitors might find helpful.
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"The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas" ($16.95) What's good about it: Good time- and money-saving tips, and our favorite, the "Rules of the Game" gambling guide for those of us who don't know their craps from their baccarat. |
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"Frommer's Las Vegas" ($14.95) What's good about it: The Frommer's Favorites. Also, it's nicely organized. |
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"Econoguide's Las Vegas 2003" ($17.95) What's good about it: For the budget-conscious (and who isn't?), this offers tips as well as day trips, and secrets for getting the lowest flight fare, either for a convention, through the Internet or using a consolidator. |
On the Web
Best time to go
Since you're spending your time inside, who cares what the weather's like, right? Well, some people do: June, July and August tend to be hot, hot, hot in Sin City — remember, this is a desert — with highs averaging 100 degrees. Winter lows average 33 to 36 degrees in December and January. And Christmas tends to be a mob scene.
The slowest times of the year are June and July, the week before Christmas and the week after New Year's, according to Frommer's. "The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas" said the best weeks to score a bargain are mid-December and the scorching months of summer.
Flights
Aloha, Hawaiian, American, United, Continental, Delta and Northwest have direct and connecting service between Honolulu and Las Vegas. Alaska Airlines has a nonstop flight to Vegas from Honolulu. Charter flights are another option.
Getting around
Lots of people can do without a car, just staying along The Strip or downtown and walking, using free shuttles or taking cabs.
If a car is necessary, however, here's a tip: Take a shuttle into your hotel and do Vegas for a few days first, and reserve a car for the last few days, shuttling back out to the airport to get it. That way, you've got your ride back to the airport, helpful for transporting all your boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, outlet mall purchases and omiyage, as well as a way to see Hoover Dam.
