What
To Do In
LAS VEGAS
If
You Don't Gamble
by Rich Rubin
As I walk across the casino floor, I
hear the sound of clanking coins, even though the slot
machines don’t use coins any more. The names of
these seducers, lit so brightly you can see them across
the room, tantalize with the twin hopes of sex and riches:
“Megabucks,” “Easy Emeralds,” “Double
Diamond,” “Triple Pleasure.” At the gaming
tables, small groups huddle over the cards, intense
looks on their faces. The next one will be the big one,
sings the tune of coins pouring seductively from my
neighbor’s machine. Try me again, one more time.
It’s a risky, even titillating feeling, and the
fever can be catching.
That’s the Las Vegas everybody knows, and it’s a lure
that’s hard to resist, but there’s a whole
other Las Vegas out there, one that has nothing to do
with gambling. It’s a world of fine dining, of
fascinating little museums, of glorious spa treatments,
and even more glorious countryside. It’s also,
of course, a world of shows and nightlife in a city
that’s determined to stimulate you 24 hours a day.
You can have a wonderful time in Las Vegas without stepping
foot in a casino—or at least, without falling prey
to their temptation.
If you want to replace the thrill of
gambling with something else, Vegas has just the thing.
In April, The Stratosphere Las Vegas and Casino launched
the world’s longest controlled freefall, SkyJump
Las Vegas. The attraction sends daredevils plummeting
855 feet at a speed of up to 40 mph. The jump is different
from actual bungee jumping because it has guide wires
that keep riders from straying off course, so you don’t
have to worry about flying into the strip. Just when
you think you’re about to slam into the ground,
the decelerator kicks in, bringing you safely to the
ground. While your knees may be buckling, don’t
miss the view from the 100-story height of the Stratosphere.
Seeing Vegas at night will take your breath away, unless
your anxiety already has. For those jumpers that want
to commemorate the occasion you can purchase a souvenir
DVD; you won’t believe the words that came out
of your mouth. The Stratosphere Las Vegas offers special
packages that include the Sky Jump. If you don’t
take advantage of the package, make sure to book your
tickets before you arrive as this has become quite the
must-do attraction.
Did you ever think of going to Las Vegas
in order to visit museums? I’d venture to say,
for many, the answer to that question is no. Yet, you
could spend several days exploring the riches the city
has to offer. While some are inside the resorts, you’ll
find others outside “The Strip” (i.e, Las
Vegas Boulevard, where the big resorts are all located).
My favorite is the quirky little Liberace Museum—actually
in two buildings, one housing his collection of cars
and one his fabulous costumes. I learn everything I
want to know and more about this icon of Las Vegas gayness:
did you know, for instance, that Liberace would be driven
onstage because his outfits (up to 800 pounds of cape)
were too heavy to walk in? My favorite story told by
the guide is how Liberace showed up at the IRS (who
didn’t want to give him a deduction for his clothing
costs) in full regalia, and when an agent said, “Why
are you in costume?” he triumphantly pointed out
that they’d just proven that his expenses for clothing
were indeed show-related. Even if you don’t listen
to everything the guide says, it’s a spectacular
journey through a world of sequins and fur, a one-of-a-kind
look at a true original. Be sure to stop by the gift
shop to pick up your own sequined vest or “King
of Bling” shopping bag!
At the exhibit area at the Luxor,
there are currently two shows playing side by side.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit takes you through
the famous, ill-fated voyage. Upon arrival, you’ll
receive a ticket that bears the name of a passenger
(you can check at the end to see whether “your”
passenger survived). The exhibit provides not only a
realistic re-creation of the experience of traveling
on the ocean liner, but also some grim facts. A large
number of the upper-class passengers actually survived,
and it’s a bleak reminder of reality that the deaths
increased in inverse proportion to the money passengers
paid. Next door, Bodies: the Exhibition is devoted
to the human anatomy, using real organs and other body
parts, preserved through an innovative polymer process,
to give a somewhat gruesome but fascinating look at
how the human body functions from muscles, to blood
vessels, to major organs. It’s hardly what I’d
expect at this Egyptian-themed resort, or anywhere in
Las Vegas, for that matter. Still, it’s worth a
trip to the Luxor’s mezzanine to see these two
very different displays.
My favorite museum in the city is tucked
away at the Bellagio. The Gallery of Fine
Art is certainly a surprise in this always-hopping
resort. Step through the door, and you’ve left
the action behind and entered a world of art-loving
beauty, with constantly changing displays. This is top-level
art, as witnessed by the show that opened May 1, “Figuratively
Speaking: a Survey of the Human Form,” features
works by artists from Picasso, Renoir, and Degas to
Roy Lichtenstein and Keith Haring. Did you know such
a fine museum was just steps away from the Bellagio’s
casino floor? Las Vegas never fails to surprise.
Indeed, there are surprises galore in
and around this city, and if you do a little exploring
you can uncover some real delights. For all the time
you might have spent here, have you ever ventured into
the astounding desert landscapes that surround the city?
A Pink Jeep Tour of Red Rock Canyon, just half
an hour from the Strip, is a wonderful getaway when
the urban glitz gets overwhelming. While you can do
it yourself, I’d leave the driving to the experts
at Pink Jeep who will pick you up at your hotel for
this unforgettable half-day trip. They also do trips
to Hoover Dam (half-day) and the west rim of
the Grand Canyon (full day).
CLICK FOR
SLIDESHOW
OF LAS VEGAS
|
As we leave the city, Red Rock Canyon
looms before us, the striated, rugged cliffs are dotted
with piñon and juniper, Joshua trees and Mojave
yucca. You may be surprised to find such mountainous
terrain in the desert, but Nevada is actually the most
mountainous state in the lower 48, with 312 named ranges,
according to our friendly and knowledgeable guide, Karen.
We circumnavigate the 13-mile scenic loop, with frequent
photo/fresh air stops. At the highest overlook in the
national park, we’re surrounded by craggy mountains
whose colors range from deep red and pale brown, to
dusky blue-gray and deep green. Valleys stretch endlessly
into the distance under blazing blue skies. At Rocky
Gap Road, we get out of the Jeep and walk down long
trails strewn with boulders (many holding fossils from
this once-underwater landscape), the La Madre Mountains
and sandstone bluffs parading into the horizon as far
as the eye can see. It’s hard to believe that the
glitter and noise of the Strip are only about fifteen
miles away. “Friends would always say, why would
you want to live in Las Vegas? Then I take them here,
and they understand what I love about this area,”
Karen says. If you get tired of too much indulgence,
or just need a break from it, treat yourself to a Pink
Jeep tour and spend your morning among some of nature’s
most startlingly perfect scenery. You’ll come back
as refreshed as if you’d had a spa treatment.
Speaking of which, Las Vegas’ resorts are well-equipped
to handle your aching muscles and travel-weary skin.
Practically every hotel has a spa, and the range of
available services is amazing. For me there’s no
better one than at the Encore, where in addition
to the usual range of massages, wraps, and the like,
they offer a variety of multi-treatment “rituals.”
I check in for my “good luck ritual,” a blend
of full body massage, facial massage with moisturizer,
scalp treatment with conditioner, and hand/foot exfoliation.
I cool my heels in the lobby, which has a conservatory
feel of cream and taupe with abundant greenery, before
being led into the waiting lounge. When my time comes,
my expert masseur, Marek, leads me down a path that
looks like the entrance to an emperor’s palace.
Eighty minutes later, after much bone/muscle cracking
accompanied by soothing long strokes and warm towels
placed on back and face, I emerge without one thing
I had coming in: stress. A steam session, brief visit
to the sauna, long shower, and even longer lounging
session later, I float through the clanging slot machines.
I feel a little like the mystical mermaid who drifts
across the first machine I see when re-entering the
real (I use the word advisedly) world. For all the sensory
stimuli in which Las Vegas specializes, an afternoon
at the spa is among the most gratifying.
Continued
|
