Understatement of the year, but decadently good.

Everyone needs to come on back to Vegas and double down!

Seriously though, it bothers me that people are pulling out of conference here because it's "Sin City". There are lot of things to do here that don't involve nudity or gambling.

We do have culture and nature here, but you have to venture off the strip to find it.

I must second this recommendation. Mon ami Gabi is a wonderful restaurant. Considering the good food and great location, it really isn't too pricey either. I also must recommend Paris' breakfast buffet. I know you aren't into gut-busting buffets, but this one offers a great selection of fresh foods and made to order egg-white omelets. If you want to have just a small indulgence, have a custom-made crepe. It is beyond delectable, and you can fill it as you wish -- fresh berries and peaches, or caramel sauce and whipped cream. Mmmmmmmm!

I also recommend Bennihanas restaurant in the Hilton. It is a Japanese restaurant where 8 people sit around a big grill and watch while the chef prepares your meal with plenty of flair and flash. The food is pretty healthy, and you watch it being prepared right in front of you, so you know exactly what goes into it. It is a huge two (or three?) story restaurant with waterfalls and koi ponds. I think it would be great fun to get a group from the conference and all go together. It is around $30 per person -- not bad really for a lot of good food and fantastic ambience.

Prepare yourself for sensory overload in Las Vegas. It is easy to get overwhelmed on the Strip -- there is something to see out of every corner of your eye, and the electronic "ding ding dings" of the casinos will fill your ears. You'll be glad to get back home to peace and quiet, but enjoy it while you are there!

I like the ambiance of the Hawaiin Tropic restaurant.

Too late now. Airplane flights would be our of sight. I probably don't need to go back anyhow. My husband would want to go and then he would lose all of our money. LOL.

See if you can get in a background scene on a shooting of Cops

Or possibly a starring role.

Vegas is fun. Since it's your first time there, just stick on the strip and wander through all the casinos. Cheap and plenty entertaining :-)

And you will see all types of people in all kinds of strange clothes-some with more and some with less. LOL.

You would be surprised at the airfares. Many airlines have been having airfare sales to Vegas. My roundtrip airfare from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas was just $159. Southwest has had some amazing specials, but other airlines have, too.

I've been to Las Vegas about a dozen times and absolutely love it.

I think Fremont Street Experience is still featuring "A Tribute to Queen" -- great music, and an amazing light show. Last time I was in LV, I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower twice. There's a small charge, but the views of the city are incredible and I got some great pictures up there. I agree with Truff -- the Chihuly glass in the ceiling of the reception area at Bellagio is well worth seeing, as is the Conservatory at the Bellagio with the great plantings, and those activities, as well as the Fremont Street Experience, are free, as are the moving statutes in the Caesar Forum Shops, the dancing musical foundtains outside Bellagio, and the "show" you get from people watching.

I love the neon lights. From the outdoor above-ground walkway between Bally's and Bellagio, you can stand and see all the way up and down the strip.

It's a great walking city. Pack several pairs of comfortable shoes, put your wallet where no one can lift it (hey, I'm a safety girl), and take off walking any time of the day or night around the town.

Several of us have gone to the Oxygen Bar down the Strip in the Fashion Show Mall. We laughed and laughed at how funny we looked as we inhaled.

There are several 3D experiences -- one at the Venetian and one at Caesars. I enjoyed them both, but if you have a tendency toward motion sickness, don't do them. If you're a trekky, there is a virtual reality "ride" at the Hilton. They have a cool virtual reality thing at Luxor, too.

The conference is shaping up to be really excellent. For those of you not registered, it's not too late!

Thomas,

From one runner to another, don't worry about gaining weight in Vegas. I ate way too much at the Buffets and actually lost weight because I walked around so much during my free time. My best advice is also to stay on the Strip. You won't have enough time to wander away and you will never be able to see it all. You will enjoy just walking through all of the different casinos. Start at your hotel and go down one end and then around the other side of the strip. I enjoyed Bobby Flay's Mesa Grille in Caesars and was very disappointed in Emerils at MGM -pricy and food bland. I also heard Rio has best buffet. Lot's of great advice here. The restaurant overlooking the Bellagio sounds inviting on my trip later this year. I saw Danny Gans at the Mirage, but I believe he moved over to the Wynn-very funny impersonator.

I highly recommend the Mac King Comedy Magic Show at Harrah's. As a fellow magician, I can tell you that Mac is a first rate magician. And to top it off, his show had me laughing about as hard as I've ever laughed. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I hear the Rio has the best buffet. The Rio is off the strip but there is a shuttle that runs between it and Harrahs, which is on the strip, that you can easily take.

I concur. It is a riot.

Harrah's is a happening place with an outside band and a kareoke bar inside. I don't drink but you can stand outside and listen to the signers.

Don't forget about that COPS suggestion.

(maybe not Phil's suggestion, I'm not sure what kind of priors you have)

With all these suggestions, who knows, I may fly my freak flag and stay up past 9:30! Of course 9:30 Vegas time is 12:30 in my time zone...

BTW Peepers, COPS is one of my favorite shows - especially the episodes from Vegas.

Truthfully, I think I am going to enjoy people watching as much as anything, but I am looking forward to eating at some nice restaurants and checking out some of the suggestions here too.

I agree. Drunk, stupid people that get tasered make me laugh.

^^^^
how deaf people enjoy the music?

And technically can you "listen" to signers?

Outdoor bar at Harrah's is a lot of fun. Or so I've been told. All I remember is a guy with a big wig and an ice cube...

It's easy to lose track of time in Vegas. Before you'll know it, it'll be 4 a.m. and you'll be wondering how it happened.

The Danny Gans show didn't do much for me, especially for the price of the tickets.

I enjoyed the Penn & Teller show when we saw it a few years ago at the Rio. I would still vote or Blue Man or one of the Cirque shows for a first timer.

We don't eat on the strip too much, but when we do it's usually the Rio buffet, there is a lot of variety there.

You can listen to co-signers or authorized signers. Whether you should listen to them is another matter.

I get up to run at 4 AM! Just hoping for decent weather and some nice running routes out there - it is $16 a day to use their fitness center... I would like to run on the strip but have heard it would be a lot of stops and side stepping up stairs and such. It would be neat to run past all of the sights of the strip early in the morning though...