The Eiffel Tower is well worth a visit to the top. This is an exact 1/2 scale replica of the real Gustav's Eiffel Tower located in Paris, France. If you have never been to the real Eiffel Tower in France this is a pretty good replica. You buy your tickets on the first floor of the Paris Hotel, Las Vegas (owned by
Caesars). Note the pretty sky on the ceiling when you walk into this hotel. The
twilight of a summer Paris evening never changes in this hotel. When you climb the stairs to reach the elevator which will take you to the top you will be greeted by ushers in French Costume - this is a good place to practice your French - as the ushers may speak to you in French!
The elevator fits about 20 people and takes about 5 minutes to reach the top. A professional elevator operator, again dressed in French Costume, will be able to answer most questions about what you will see from the top. The top is situated 460 feet above the ground and affords one excellent 360 degree views of the entire Las Vegas Skyline and surrounding mountains. The tower is open from 10am until 1am - one of the few things that close in this town! Bring a camera - and if its in the winter, a jacket too as it can get quite chilly especially if the wind is blowing. A fence encloses the entire top platform with small square holes through which you can reach our your arm and snap a picture.
Fremont Light & Sound Show - this is an event that occurs every night after dark for about 5 minutes every hour on the hour. This is along the "old strip" - some of the casinos in this part of Vegas cater to the older crowd, more reminiscent of the age group you would find in most of the Reno casinos. The Fremont Light & Sound Show is held along several blocks of Fremont Street. A covered painted white thick steel mesh screen covers these blocks and the lights are projected onto this screen. This screen is in fact the world's largest electric sign. Live bands often play on stages along this section where crowds gather to watch. When the actual light show starts, everything comes to the standstill and
people raise their heads upwards. Popular music will play while at the same time flashing images will appear above on the screen. For more information visit:
http://vegasexperience.com
The Grand Canal - ever wanted to visit the Grand Canal in Venice but haven't had the chance? Well, don't miss this attraction located in the Venetian Resort Hotel/Casino. It was the brain child of the man who bought this hotel. He and his wife were vacationing in Venice and had an inspiration to create a similar chain of canals in the Las Vegas desert! This canal winds its way through shops - it is pristine, clean and so unreal, but that is the charm of visiting the Las Vegas Grand Canal. The sky is painted and nicely lit - so that the feel of dusk is ever present.
Gondoliers row their passengers on the pristine waters of the canals, passing underneath you every so often as you stand on the arched bridges. Be sure to visit St. Mark's square where most likely you will find a songbird singing Italian arias, perched on top of a raised stage. The shopping is fantastic along the canal. Many shops line the streets and canals.
Shark
Reef at Mandalay Bay Resort - This
attraction is located on the first floor in the Mandalay Bay resort - the most gleaming golden hotel you will ever see. When the sun is shining on this hotel, you can't miss it. You enter the Shark Reef by walking through the hotel on the first floor - past windows which look out on the great 11 acre man made Mandalay Beach - past the nudist art work sculptures parked on the wall - and past several night clubs and restaurants. The centerpiece of this tropical jungle is the huge Shark Tank. At the core of this tank there is water above you, below you and all around you - you are walking through tunnels through the middle of the tank. There are also other tanks containing Pirahna's (the feeding time is always very interesting to watch - food is dropped in over many areas of this particular tank so as not to cause a
cannibalism frenzy), the jellyfish tank is also awesome - the lighting is perfect. A small 'hands on' tank is available for children to actually touch some of the sea life.
The great tank looks so much different from above (not open to the public). This view was courtesy of a behind the scenes tour - taken with the director of the aquarium. Feeding time was very interesting - food was given to the manta rays on specially designed vertical plates. The manta rays would literally jump out of the water to grab the food. The reason for this is that before these plates were designed the sharks were eating all the food intended for the Manta Rays. The view from above really gives you an idea of just how big this tank is. Divers wear chain mail suits to protect themselves from the sharks while diving - not that different from what you see in pictures of former knights in armor.
Town Square Las
Vegas, a 1.5 million square foot open-air, super regional lifestyle
center, recently made its highly anticipated debut on The Las Vegas
Strip. This spectacular center offers a one-of-a-kind shopping, dining
and entertainment experience to visitors with more than 150 shops, over
12 restaurants and several entertainment venues including a
state-of-the-art movie theatre and a 9,000 square foot children’s play
environment complete with a tree house, pop fountains, hedge maze and
more. Already popular among tourists and locals alike, Town Square is
the quintessential destination for visitors looking to escape the hustle
and bustle of The Strip, and those seeking a place
where children can
enjoy themselves as well. The center has an exceptional
selection of retailers, as well as several restaurants making
their Las Vegas debut including Tommy Bahama’s Tropical
Café and Emporium, Yard House, The Grape and
Texas de Brazil. Visit:
www.townsquarelasvegas.com
