Harrah's has been trying to buy up the debt of the troubled resort for months now in an effort to take it over. The management of the hotel is seen as an interim step in that process that will make it easier in just about all aspects when they finally get the money stuff taken care of.

For now, Planet Hollywood will remain as an independent hotel and the rooms will not be included in Harrah's Total Rewards players club offerings.

return to the top

return to the top

Okay, so it's really just Karaoke, but she does have quite a following.

I accompanied my folks to one of their frequent visits to the lounge at Bill's where hosts Linda and Dickey (and sound guy Paul) host one of the few regular Karaoke sessions on The Strip. For those used to Karaoke in bars its a bit disconcerting to be up on a stage facing pretty much the entirety of a Las Vegas casino, but the hosts are friendly, the crowds are encouraging, and the drinks are pretty strong (and inexpensive) so why not?

And yes, I got up and sang a couple tunes myself ("At this Moment" by Billy Vera and the Beaters and "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban). My mom liked it. But she's the real star attraction in the family and her version of a Gretchen Wilson tune and the classic "Jingle Bell Rock" got the crowd's toes a tappin.

Want to be a star of The Strip yourself? Karaoke is at Bill's Gamblin' Hall every Sunday through Thursday from 8pm until 2am.

return to the top

Cloud 9 is located at a very nice facility directly across the street from Mandalay Bay. This is not a random helium balloon tethered in a parking lot. Instead, it is a permanent installation with a welcome center, a park, and a fully developed tether system built, reassuringly, firmly into the ground. This is no fly-by-night operation, pun intended.

The park is the first thing you get to if you walk in from The Strip. It contains stanchions around a wide walkway that cover the history of ballooning, from the first known flight in 1782 all the way up to present day. No, Balloon Boy was not featured, sorry. With a few seating areas and some landscaping, it's a nice little spot to either wait for your ride or watch other people do theirs. Which was going to be my intention, you'll remember.

The balloon itself is billed as the largest tethered helium balloon in the world and can rise at more than 50 feet per second propelled by over 6 tons of lift. A circular gondola of sorts rests at the bottom of the balloon and can accommodate 25-30 people depending on their size.

Another reassurance for the wusses among us is that the balloon is not flown by some pimply faced teenager like you'd find at a county fair. Instead, the folks who fly Cloud 9 are real pilots, with specific training and licensing required before they can take passengers skyward. The whole operation is overseen by the FAA and balloons come complete with their own black boxes. Not that they’ve ever needed to access one. In over 17 years of operation of these types of balloons there has not been one serious safety incident.

As they were showing me the facility, I got on board the Earth-bound balloon and the next thing I knew they were firing it up and closing the gondola gate. I asked, "Uh, what are you doing?" There may have been hysterical screaming involved, but that was the message.

I explained my fear of heights, vertigo, and general wussiness to the pilot but he said he wanted to just show me how it felt to lift off. With his hand firmly over the "Stop" button, he assured me that we could go up as high as I wanted to and stop at any moment.

I took a deep breath, took hold of the side rails with a death grip that probably would've needed the Jaws of Life to pry apart, and we went up.

There's a bit of a disconcerting bump as the metal cable tether starts to unspool from underneath and the balloon begins to rise. After that it's pretty smooth sailing as you start to rise.

A full flight takes the Cloud 9 up over 500 feet, roughly even with the top of Mandalay Bay right across the street. The views of The Strip and the surrounding valley are reportedly spectacular from up there.

I managed to make it about 60 feet before I said "Okay, I think that's high enough, thank you very much." Again, there may have been whimpering involved. But hey, 60 feet is about 59 feet more than I had intended to go so I feel that I deserve some sort of credit for that. The things I do for you people.

The main facility on the ground (oh blessed ground) has the check-in desk, a gift shop, and a pre-flight photo opportunity. As mentioned, the whole thing feels slick, professional, and very well done. In addition to taking walk-ins, they also arrange group events, weddings, and more so maybe you have a new option for your next bachelorette party. The people who worked at the facility couldn't have been nicer to the big wuss that was there to check them out.

At $25 per ride, which lasts about 15 minutes, it isn't cheap, but you get a heck of a thrill ride experience with Cloud 9 if you're into that sort of thing. Even though it wasn't my personal cup of tea, I highly recommend it for non-wuss Vegas visitors.

Note that the balloon does not fly in inclement weather, which includes the often gusty winds that Las Vegas experiences, so call ahead to make sure you can take a ride.

return to the top

Lumina is the name given to the fountain in the main Porte Corchere of Aria. Although certainly not as grand as the one at Bellagio, it is still nevertheless impressive, with intricately timed bursts of water lit with neon colors that are visible even during the day. Of course nighttime really brings out the splendor here, with the dancing waters and colors looking like brightly colored fountains of paint arcing, colliding, and exploding.

Lining the curved wall of Aria is Focus, a 270 foot long waterfall of sorts that flows down into a shallow reflecting pool. The water can be timed to go in sheets, at angles, or in other designs.

In the Crystals mall two additional features take water in new directions.

Halo, located in the center of the mall on the first level, is a series of crystal tubes, each with its own vortex of water lit in various bright colors. The tubes sit at angles, which forces the mini water-spouts to twist and turn as they naturally want to right themselves. WET bills this as their first water feature that guests can actually go inside of with walking space between and above the tubes.

Glacia is located at the front of the Crystals at the entrance from The Strip. This one features 15 columns of solid water, otherwise known as ice. Each is formed overnight and then rise up out of a shallow pool and are randomly carved on the way up. Then they melt. It doesn’t sound like much, but the endless combinations of shapes, sizes, and textures (the ice can be clear, cloudy, or opaque) and the unpredictable ways in which they melt make this an ever changing icy sculpture garden of sorts. Note the background music: it was composed by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart.

All of the water features are accessible to the general public (mall operating hours only for Glacia and Halo) and there is no charge to view them.

return to the top