Stressed and exhausted from juggling work and graduate studies, I had to get far away from D.C. as possible. A change of pace and scenery would be a welcome antidote. So a week before school resumed for the spring, I decided to pack up and fly to Sin City—Las Vegas Nevada. Better known for its themed hotel casinos and scantly clad showgirls, Vegas as it’s often called, surprisingly has a less-risqué side to show tourists looking to get awayOne sure way to know you’re in Vegas is the row of slot machines that great you as soon as you step off the plane. But I had plans to head to top of the Stratosphere—hotel and casino that is. It sits perished at 1,149 ft. making it the tallest observation tower east of the Mississippi river. It’s a bit isolated on the north end of the Vegas strip, but what it lacks in convenience to other spots, it makes up with affordable rooms, thrill rides that dangle you over city streets and Vegas shows.
Speaking of shows, there seem to be one playing everywhere at every second of the day, so I couldn’t help to see a coup
le of them during my stay. One in particular is “American Superstars,” which features performers imitating celebrities such as Christina Aguilera, Britany Spears and Tim McGraw. Of course no celebrity imitator show would be complete without a surprisingly good Michael Jackson, complete with pale white skin and an altered noise along with the perennial Elvis look-a-like. impersonator. It plays at the Stratosphere.
Located in a basin surrounded by mountains in the Mojove Desert where temperatures in the summer can top 130 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade, I apparently picked the perfect time to visit Vegas during the month of January with manageable highs averaging around 55 – 60 degrees.
If I were up for the drive, about five hours to the west would have taken me to Los Angeles while five hours to the east would take me to Grand Canyon. I didn’t have the patience to wait in traffic so I hung out at two themed resorts, the Venetian and New York-New York.
The Venetian Hotel is a high-end resort and casino with a quarter-mile long canal complete with gondola rides and singing operators. And the New York, New York hotel and c
asino makes a good effort at recreating the skyline of the nation's largest city. It has mid-size sky scrapers, a scaled down Brooklyn bridge and a 150-foot Statue of Liberty. On my next trip I think I will stay here.
I enjoyed this trip. Yes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But in my case, everything Vegas had to offer was just what the doctor ordered.
To learn more about visiting Las Vegas, including travel packages as well as shows and attractions check out these links below.
The official Las Vegas Website
Stratosphere Hotel and Casino
The Venetian
New York-New York
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