Visiting Las Vegas

Mid strip hotels have a big shopping theme for the most part. There are a lot of shops in these hotels mentioned as well as other attractions.

The Bellagio has an eight acre lake in front that represents the Lake Como village that the hotel was named after. In this lake, about every hour, you can view some impressive water ballet and choreography. At night, it is lit up and put to music for an even better show. The shops in the Via Bellagio offer the current trends and clothiers such as Prada, Gucci, and Armani.

Caesar's Palace which is right across the street from the Bellagio has a Roman decor and some of the staff wear gladiator outfits. The 4,000 seat Coliseum was built just for Celine Dion who performed two hundred shows each year. Replacing Celine beginning Feb 20, 2008 is Bette Midler. The Forum Shops cover three floors at one end of Caesar's and they have something for every taste and interest.

The Venetian Hotel is elegance and sophistication. The rooms are done in Italian marble and have glass showers and deep tubs. The second floor houses the Grand Canal Shoppes and these are laid against a beautiful backdrop of sky and fluffy clouds to make you think you are outside. They also offer gondola rides though the hotel.

The Mirage Hotel is located right across the street from the Venetian. They also own the Treasure Island right next door. The first thing you will see when you ride the moving sidewalk to the entrance of the hotel is the tiger habitat. Siegfried and Roy house several of their white tigers in this enclosure. Their CRAVINGS restaurant has a breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet that encompasses every taste out there. Their shops are minimal as they have opened a rain forest exhibit full of palm trees and waterfalls. The one main attraction here is the volcano that is located out front. It goes off after sunset every 15 minutes and incorporates a colorful light show as well.

There are many different kinds of shows you can go to see. Some are hard core magicians and some are just jokesters that do magic. Most have night shows up to six nights a week.

Lance Burton, who performs at the Monte Carlo Hotel, is original in his act as well as charming. He starts the show with precise close-up magic. In one show, he tossed a bird in the air that became confetti in front of everyone. He moves onto bigger illusions and his act is extremely good. He also has a juggler in his show that can juggle a chainsaw, a peanut M&M, and a beanbag chair.

Penn and Teller are two magicians you don't want to miss. The ever quiet Teller usually always winds up being the guinea pig to the ever boisterous Penn. They perform magic tricks and then take the time to explain how they are done. They also do juggling, make really off the wall comments, and do some really mean stunts. The stunt most want to see is Teller catch a bullet in his teeth after Penn shoots him.

Criss Angel became famous through his “Mindfreak” television show. He is located at the Luxor Hotel and performs at others in Las Vegas as well. He has done the Houdini trick “Metamorphosis” with no curtain. He has cut himself in two and put himself back together. Criss also shows his mentalist abilities when he asks people to think of certain objects or numbers.

Mac King, performing at Harrah's hotel, is one of the best afternoon shows you can see. He is famous for close-up magic that really defies your eyes and brain. Mac's show is perfect if you need something for the kids right before dinner or another show. He is not very expensive and is an consummate performer.