Taking in all that The Strip has to offer is quite daunting. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and even easier to miss stuff that you will want to snap pictures of.
So to make things a little easier, I’ve created itineraries for a couple of walking tours that I thought I’d share with you. Versions of these first appeared in my Moon Handbooks Las Vegas, but I’ve updated and expanded them since they were published.
Let’s start this week with a jaunt around the southern end of The Strip.
Starting and ending point: MGM Grand.
Approximate distance: 2-3 miles
Approximate time: 3-4 hours depending on how long you stop to stare
Best time: morning
Start at the MGM Grand lobby near the back of the hotel. This is convenient whether you are driving and enter from the parking garage or taking the monorail, both of which will deposit you near the check in desk. Walk west toward The Strip through the casino to get a full sense of just how big the thing is. You can catch the MGM Grand Lion Habitat just before you exit the building - use the doors on the south side directly adjacent to the habitat.
As you come out you’ll be looking across Tropicana Avenue at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino. Take the pedestrian bridge across the street and at least wander through so you can say you saw this circa 1957 bit of history before they start tearing down major portions of it. Be sure to snap a picture of the signature stained glass ceiling above the main gaming pit, a feature that helped the hotel earn its nickname The Tiffany of The Strip, since it may not survive the transition.
If you’re so inclined, you could follow the signs to the back of the hotel and check out either of the visiting attractions, Bodies or Titanic, both of which have been extended through at least spring of 2007.
Exit through the front doors of the hotel and use the pedestrian bridge heading west across The Strip toward The Excalibur. You can’t miss it - it’s that big Disney-esque castle on the corner. But don’t go inside (don’t worry, I’ll get you back there). Instead, hop on the free monorail shuttle out front.
That will ferry you to Mandalay Bay, a south-seas beauty that may not be as heavily themed as its neighbors but is still pretty to look at. Follow the signs for the arena and convention center and you’ll pass through the restaurant row where you can get a picture of yourself next to the headless Lenin statue outside of the Red Square eatery. Further down that hall (much further) is the Shark Reef aquarium, which is not one of my personal favorites but fans of our fishy friends should probably put it on their “must see” list.
Once you’re done with that, follow the signs toward the House of Blues and you’ll find the Mandalay Place mall right next to it. This small shopping gallery is built on a bridge between Mandalay Bay and your next stop Luxor, but before you get there you should stop and get a sugar boost with some of the sweet temptations at The Chocolate Swan.
The Luxor is where your camera is really going to start to get a workout. Go up to the second floor attractions level for a dizzying shot of the interior of the pyramid and then walk toward the front entrance to get a picture of the giant statues guarding the casino. A quick jaunt outside just past the valet parking will get you a great photo opportunity with the Sphinx and obelisk replicas.
Go back inside Luxor and follow the signs for the Giza Galleria shopping area and you’ll find an indoor walkway adjacent that will lead you to Excalibur. See, I told you I’d get you back here. The walkway deposits you on the second floor entertainment and restaurant level, but a quick escalator ride will bring you down into the casino. Gambling history buffs may want to scour the casino for the Megabucks machine that paid off the single largest jackpot in history, more than $37 million.
Next head toward the front door and you’ll be back on the corner of Tropicana and The Strip.
Take the pedestrian bridge across Tropicana to New York-New York. You’ll enter on the second floor overlooking the Central Park themed casino, which is a great spot for a picture of what is one of the most visually entertaining casinos in town. Head down the escalators and bear to your right to wander through the Greenwich Village homage packed with eateries that may be tempting (Jody Maroni’s sausages are fantastic). Keep going past this and you’ll find your way outside to the Brooklyn Bridge exit.
If you use this exit along the bridge replica you’re heading north toward your next destination Monte Carlo, a white and gold facsimile of French Riviera gaming that you should at least snap a picture of just for so you can say you got all the big ones. Just past the Monte Carlo is where construction is underway on the massive $7 billion CityCenter, a complex of hotels, gaming, entertainment, and shopping that will transform the skyline of The Strip in 2009.
Use the cross-walk by Monte Carlo to make your way across The Strip back to the MGM Grand.
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