Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2015

photome

ACG wrote: »

I realise this is probably quite obvious but unless you are wanting to walk around shopping centres or spend all day in a casino there is very little else to do. Yes there are shows and things to do but none of them really take up any great length of time.

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Firstly thanks for the report
I have to disagree with that though, as there are loads of things to do
better to have a car to do some of them

many are posted on the first page of this thread.

ACG

Your right there are many things on the front page, but when you go through them only a couple really last more than 30-60 minutes. So in theory you could go and do the bulk of them in 3-4 days.

For instance siegfrieds lions and dolphin habbitat - I really enjoyed that but we were there for about 2 and a half hours, an hour of that was my mrs just watching lions sleep. We were probably there an hour more than we needed to be.

Flamingo land, again quite a nice place and very relaxing compared to a lot of Vegas but within an hour you have seen it all and there is only so long you can watch ducks and fish.

Maybe I was expecting too much but I came away very underwhelmed from a holiday I was very much looking forward to.

I accept I am in the minority as my mrs loved the place but to me its just blackpool with sun.

photome

ACG wrote: »

Your right there are many things on the front page, but when you go through them only a couple really last more than 30-60 minutes. So in theory you could go and do the bulk of them in 3-4 days.

For instance siegfrieds lions and dolphin habbitat - I really enjoyed that but we were there for about 2 and a half hours, an hour of that was my mrs just watching lions sleep. We were probably there an hour more than we needed to be.

Flamingo land, again quite a nice place and very relaxing compared to a lot of Vegas but within an hour you have seen it all and there is only so long you can watch ducks and fish.

Maybe I was expecting too much but I came away very underwhelmed from a holiday I was very much looking forward to.

I accept I am in the minority as my mrs loved the place but to me its just blackpool with sun.

Red rock, Hoover dam, pinball museum,go karting, bootleg canyon, Las Vegas speedway to name just a few
Thousands of places to eat off the strip to keep you busy
Many many more.
As for the last sentence I won't bite others might

ACG

Go karting I can do over here with my mates.

I wasnt saying to get a reaction. Im glad I did it as I would always wonder what it was like if I had not. But it did not live up to my expectations, I realise I am the exception here and I do not expect to win any arguments in a Vegas thread.

I was just giving another opinion on the place and trying to mention the good and the bad.

Quite a few people did tell me before I went that a week is too long, I ignored them but they were right (in my opinion).

stoneman

ACG wrote: »

Go karting I can do over here with my mates.

I wasnt saying to get a reaction. Im glad I did it as I would always wonder what it was like if I had not. But it did not live up to my expectations, I realise I am the exception here and I do not expect to win any arguments in a Vegas thread.

I was just giving another opinion on the place and trying to mention the good and the bad.

Quite a few people did tell me before I went that a week is too long, I ignored them but they were right (in my opinion).

Crikey, we go 3-4 times a year for 8-10 days at a time and every time without fail we just don't seem to have time to do everything we want to.
But thanks for your review, it might serve as a warning to some that frequent this board for advice that maybe it isn't for everyone.
BTW what did you find to do in LA for 5-6 days, apart from 6 Flags and Universal I would struggle to find more than 2 days worth of stuff myself.

John259

ACG, don't feel guilty. While the regulars here love Las Vegas (and good luck to them - pun intended) there are plenty of people who don't like it. FWIW I'm ok with it for one night (it's a convenient stop on a road trip, and it's a great drive down the Strip to see the lights) but not for longer.

When you realised that Las Vegas wasn't quite what you were hoping for, did you consider renting a car and exploring beyond the city? Would places such as Hoover Dam, Red Rocks National Conservation Area, Mount Charleston, Valley of Fire State Park and Zion National Park have interested you?

Or perhaps were you expecting Las Vegas to have more theme parks - or some other attractions?

ACG

Venice beach (loved that place, very chilled, nice bars etc).
Did the tourist tour with a bloke who was pretty good. I normally avoid these but it was a pretty decent deal.
Universal.
Santa Monica - this was quite a nice area also. The beach/original muscle beach, shopping area and bars.
We did Hollywood but that was an absolute dump.
Mullholland drive
I would have liked to have done the Griffith Observatory but did not get chance.
I was also going to try and give surfing a go but again did not get chance. I quite like the sea and have dived with sharks and stingrays from being around 5 so being told I can look at them is probably one of the reasons those things were a little underwhelming.

I think where we stayed in LA (around Venice beach) was what made the difference. I quite like a relaxed place, chill out, decent bars and restaurants (LV was mostly chain places or big name chefs which is not me) plus I could go outside without burning in 4.3 seconds - im not saying I did not like LV because of the heat BTW, I knew full well I was going to a desert.

They are very different places and I think this post has helped me realise that I prefer to be doing things in the sea or out and about. Things that the mancunian landscape or weather prevents me doing.

ACG

We agreed that we would do LV and LA. My mrs loved LV and we had already done LA so to drag her away because I did not like it was not fair on her. I didnt dislike it as such, its just not lived up to my expectations

I drove to LA and back but was not completely happy driving over there. An automatic in a busy area full of tourists in a place I do not know, I was happy to give the car back. I would probably have found some interest in some of the national parks but my mrs would have been bored. We could have done it as a tour I suppose one day but I would not have fancied driving.

There was a british pub off the strip, it was nice to go there and get a full english (or the closest thing to one over there).

traveller

Well we went for 14 nights last time and simply ran out of time! We are going for 15 nights this time and I regret not going for 3 weeks now, as there is tons to do. I think it depends on what your looking for really. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it, but I feel that you probably didn't see as much as you would have liked as perhaps you didn't know everything that was there. It's just that the lions and stuff is a minor attraction compared to the vast stuff there. And I take issue with the blackpool comment :rotfl: :eek: LV is not just the strip, it has natural beauty, history, food Blackpool could only dream about providing, shopping, as well as the stuff already mentioned. Maybe our seasoned travelers to LV could do you an itinerary and you may wish to give it another go Seriously though, I am sorry you were glad to come home, as a holiday is supposed to evoke quite the opposite.

traveller

ACG wrote: »

We agreed that we would do LV and LA. My mrs loved LV and we had already done LA so to drag her away because I did not like it was not fair on her. I didnt dislike it as such, its just not lived up to my expectations

I drove to LA and back but was not completely happy driving over there. An automatic in a busy area full of tourists in a place I do not know, I was happy to give the car back. I would probably have found some interest in some of the national parks but my mrs would have been bored. We could have done it as a tour I suppose one day but I would not have fancied driving.

There was a british pub off the strip, it was nice to go there and get a full english (or the closest thing to one over there).

I do agree with the driving I hated it and after day three stuck to cabs. At least you carried on. Next year we will use Uber and do a couple of tours, but only two as it all adds up! I suppose if I was driving and it didn't live up to my expectations, I would be royally fed up tbh. I must admit, I am not a national parks person at all and the thought of the Grand Canyon bores the pants off me but the Valley of fire looks absolutely breathtaking