going vegas - advice please

Sheel

You don't have to book a seperate helicopter trip to do the flight over the strip as if you're going to the Grand Canyon , you'll fly over the strip on the journey back. Only thing is it will be in daylight although on our first trip it was dark as we were late setting off. We'd booked the last trip of the day and there was some doubt as to whether we could go as there was a delay and they wont fly to the canyon after a certain time , but perhaps if you book for late afternoon , depending on what time of year you're going , it might be going dark when you get back to the strip.

We went with Papillon the first time and Sundance the second and there wasn't much to choose between them except that Papillon land slightly lower down in the canyon.

MDUK

OK, thanks Sheel, i am going to drive though. we are in Vegas for 3 nights then driving to the canyon for a couple of days. That is where we intended to fly from.

Margaret, what is usenet? I would like to try the newsgroup.

margaret_3

MDUK wrote:

OK, thanks Sheel, i am going to drive though. we are in Vegas for 3 nights then driving to the canyon for a couple of days. That is where we intended to fly from.

Margaret, what is usenet? I would like to try the newsgroup.

I have sent a long reply to your pm but it will not go. I'm having terrible trouble with my ISP just now.
Could you send me another pm with your email address and I'll post to you tomorrow.
Margaret

Baz-Bee

MDUK wrote:

OK, thanks Sheel, i am going to drive though. we are in Vegas for 3 nights then driving to the canyon for a couple of days. That is where we intended to fly from.

Margaret, what is usenet? I would like to try the newsgroup.

If you intend to stay overnight at the Grand Canyon book well in advance as the hotels fill up quickly during the summer months. It is about a 3 - 4 hour drive to the Canyon from Vegas. The road trip one way along the rim (the south rim is the touristy one that is easily accessible) will also take the best part of a day each way. So plan carefully where you are going to stay. And the drive along the rim is on single carriageway roads with low speed limits and lots of tourists, coaches etc, so you cannot drive fast anyway. Additionally there are lots of points where you must, and will want to stop, just to be in awe of what you can see. If you fly into or out of Vegas the flight path normally takes you over the canyon and if the flight is during the day the pilot will normally tell you that you are flying over and may bank the aircraft so you get a better view.

Where are you flying back from if you are flying back from the canyon? I would assume that it would be Phoenix as that is the nearest international airport to the canyon?

Whilst in Vegas other things that you should seriously consider doing are the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. The dam is about a 45 minute drive and although the tour is not as good as it was 12 or so years ago it is a must do. Lake Mead is the lake that was formed by the Colorado River when they built the dam. On hot days you can go boating, swimming or just taken in the scenery. Info on Hoover Dam can be found here: http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/service/index.html If you click on the Discount Coupon tab on the left menu you will get a $1 off coupon that can be used. Just print off enough coupons for the number in your party. They accept them no problem as I used them last December.

Also Red Rock Canyon is worth visiting. http://www.desertusa.com/redrock/ Approx 1 hour drive from the strip. It is a circular tour starting at the visitor centre with plenty of places to stop and enjoy the scenery. I'd recommend it. Mount Charleston is also in the same region and is where in the winter you will find lots of snow and skiing. In the summer you can just enjoy the scenery and mountain air. Combine the two for a day visit.

There are also all the attractions on the strip and all the hotels are worth going in just for the experience. However, I'd recommend that you do these in the evening when the strip is lit up and you can enjoy the many free “shows” that the hotels put on to try and attract visitors inside.

Also the Freemont Street Experience is a nightly show that is well worth going to and is located about 4 miles or so along the strip north past the Stratosphere Tower. The street has been covered over and they play a video light show on it. It is huge. http://www.vegasexperience.com/The_Experience.htm

There are two factory shopping outlets, effectively one each end of the strip. Not to be confused with the shopping malls. the outlets are where you can buy designer clothes and goods at up to 70% off normal US prices. There is the Premium Outlets just south of downtown and north of the main strip area. http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=58 Whilst the other outlet is at the south end of the strip about two miles past and on the opposite side of the road to the Luxor and Mandalay Bay Hotels just south of the airport. http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=61.

Vegas is a great place and you will enjoy it. Howver, I would say that in the summer months the heat can be unbearable at times so plan carefully what you are doing and when and do not get fried alive. Whatever you decide all I would say is do not think Las Vegas is just hotels and gambling.

For free brochures etc on Vegas and Nevada go to these sites and fill in the requests. It usually arrives within a couple of weeks.

http://www.visitlasvegas.com/vegas/index.jsp
https://www.kable.com/pub/nvda/newsubs.asp
http://www.travelnevada.com/ Click request travel info tab on left and you can get official state maps, guides etc.

Sheel

Oh yes , forgot about Red Rock Canyon. I'd recommend it too. We went on a Pink Jeep tour

So I take it the Belz outlet has been renamed Premium Outlets? Must have been since last September IMO the new one is much nicer

Baz-Bee

Sheel wrote:

Oh yes , forgot about Red Rock Canyon. I'd recommend it too. We went on a Pink Jeep tour

So I take it the Belz outlet has been renamed Premium Outlets? Must have been since last September IMO the new one is much nicer

I assume Premium Outlets have taken the Las Vegas Belz over? Was there in December and it had been re-branded then. Like you, previously I had always known it as the Belz. I see Belz still have their Florida and Tenessee Outlets, so looks like it is only the Vegas one that has been off loaded? Not that it makes much difference, as it still has all the same stores in it anyway.

Sheel

Baz-Bee wrote:

I see Belz still have their Florida and Tenessee Outlets.

I think I read on a thread here recently that Belz was closing in Florida too. They said something about the new mall opposite , so i'm not sure if that's a Premium Outlets or something different