Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2014

Indout96

Hi John - does it take you off the main road through the canyon ? last year we spent a little too much time at Bryce Canyon so only drove through Zion (in a convertable) and did not really have time to stop.
It does sound like something we would do if you see more than you can from the actual road.

John259

Indout96 wrote: »

Hi John - does it take you off the main road through the canyon ?

Yes.

UT9 is the main road. From Springdale heading east you enter the park, go past the visitor centre, go over a little bridge (over the Virgin River) and then immediately after the bridge there's a junction and the road to the left (heading north) is the scenic drive. Carrying straight on, staying on UT9, you then climb up the switchbacks and go through the tunnel to the Checkerboard Mesa area before eventually leaving the park and finally joining US89 at Mount Carmel Junction.

In summer, when the shuttle buses are operating, you aren't allowed to drive up the scenic drive yourself. You have to park at the visitor centre and use the shuttle bus system, for which there is no charge. That works extremely well, and keeps the Zion Canyon part of the park free of traffic, but it does mean that it takes much longer to see that area than if you could drive yourself.

On the scenic drive there are a number of shuttle bus stops. At most of them there are hiking trails of varying difficulty and length from short, easy, flat and paved up to totally extreme. There's also the Lodge and a picnic area called the Grotto. You can stay on the bus and never get off, and eventually you'll automatically get back to the visitor centre. Or you can get off at any of the stops, then get the next bus in either direction, and you can do this as much or as little as you wish, it's totally flexible, no reservations, no tickets, no payments.

On a one-day drive from Las Vegas you'll be very hard pushed to do it, but if possible it will show you a completely different and wonderful part of the park.

The early part of this video gives you some idea of it. You don't have to do the extreme hike in Zion that they did!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VAgC6VsHAo
Disclaimer: I've no connection with the creator or YouTube except as a viewer.

You might also like to do a Google Image search for:
zion canyon
zion scenic drive
zion shuttle

There's a detailed map of the park available via a link in the left margin of this page on the National Park Service web site:
http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm

Indout96

Brilliant - thanks I will check it out tonight

John259

Indout96 wrote: »

Brilliant - thanks I will check it out tonight

You're welcome!
This is StreetView, on UT9, looking east, just about to go over the bridge. If you click on the image a few times to go over the bridge then you'll see the junction and the scenic drive:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps?ll=37.217616,-112.975287&spn=0.024914,0.052314&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=37.217603,-112.97553&panoid=m-PpLw8Ft4qcupoz6MtceA&cbp=12,87.93,,0,6.64

StreetView again, but from a backpack camera instead of a car, on the southernmost part of the scenic drive, looking north:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps?ll=37.218163,-112.974086&spn=0.024914,0.052314&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=37.218144,-112.974092&panoid=iJ3zRTMX2G0qhC6t-OV2hg&cbp=12,30.27,,0,3.69

StreetView (backpack camera) again, on the footbridge over the river near the Lodge. These backpack shots are new so I haven't explored them but it looks like they've done the Emerald Pools trail and also the Riverside Walk Trail. Wonderful!
https://www.google.co.uk/maps?ll=37.251101,-112.958851&spn=0.022477,0.104628&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=37.25111,-112.959021&panoid=zP2st40Dn_1a8uoni6-4yQ&cbp=12,172.45,,0,6.72

ps And the Angels Landing Trail too! Amazing.

ferf1223

we loved Zion - we parked and rode the shuttle...did not spend ages there but my favourite thing was Weeping Rock. We will probably go back next year with my in-laws...I know I say it all the time but I liked Zion better than the GC.

John259

ferf1223 wrote: »

I liked Zion better than the GC.

Me too, but I'm not going to argue with anyone who has the opposite opinion because they're both great. In fact just about all the US national parks are great.

Wendell_Pierce

Indout96 wrote: »

Thinking of spending an evening at Hofbrauhaus but getting a little put off by some of the reviews about cost :-( anyone on here been before ?

If you think of it as a dinner show more than a restaurant it probably makes sense.
Suppose you are paying for the entertainment, the oompah band, the girls with spanking challenges and suchlike.
Otherwise $9 for a small beer, $16 for a large beer, $20 for a hot dog etc, menus are online - is quite expensive for what you have but not overly so.
Printed out some free beers vouchers before we went, they were only valid for a short time, so don't register too far ahead.
The waitress wasn't very friendly about processing them to be honest, almost embarrassing, but not quite.
I don't think its really interested in couples coming in for a quiet drink with food, more so the two dozen large groups of convention attendees, where the girls can do their stuff and make big tips.
Once is enough for us, mainly because it is just too loud, a large hall with no soft furnishings or carpets to absorb the sound, with all the cheering and shouting plus the band, it gave me a headache - and that's coming from somebody that goes down the front at rock gigs.
Apart from all that we enjoyed it.

Indout96

Thanks Wendell there will only be 3 of us but with very fond memories of the Leeds / Blackpool Bier Kellers. I will leave the final choice up to my daughter as we are taking her back to Vegas for the first time in 14 years (she was 16 then)

gamboller

Anyone know if MyVegas MGM 2 breakfast buffet reward is redeemable Sat/Sun. The reward page suggests it is but the email states:

Reward Terms and Conditions
This reward has been reserved for our players who reside outside of Las Vegas. Valid for two (2) Breakfast Buffets. This offer is non-transferable and subject to availability. Offer is valid for breakfast only. Breakfast served Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Blackout dates: August 30-31, September 1-2, November 28, December 24-25 and January 1. No refunds or exchanges. No cash value. Not for re-sale. Management reserves all rights. Must be at least 21 years of age and a member of M life to redeem. Complimentary M life Membership on mlife.com. MGM Grand reserves all rights to refuse entry to any individual and to cancel or modify this offer at its sole discretion without prior notice.


Do they have an email address for myvegas or do you just contact Mlife?

vegasvisitor

photome wrote: »

You should try CP buffet it is great! being the cheapskates we are, we had a $5 off voucher for breakfast, we went in about 2 minutes before breakfast closed and had lunch, I cant remember the cost but maybe about $30 for the 2 of us :T, some of the best food we have ever had at a buffet

Do you mind if I ask where you got the $5 off voucher? Just wondering if these are readily available. I'm hoping to try the buffet, will probably be using Total Rewards points (from Social Rewards). A further discount will help make my points go further though