I know this is lame....but....

[TinkBride]

What do you do when you very first arrive in vegas?

Backstory - DH and I are arriving in Vegas on 8/19. We will have woken up at about 5:00 AM EST, worked all day, and then we are catching a flight out of Indianapolis at 6:55 PM. We then are changing planes in Chicago, and then heading on to Vegas! We are planning on resting on the flight, but when we arrive, I don't want to go straight to our hotel and go to bed - we will be in VEGAS!

Our flight lands at 10:50 PM EST. Sooooo 7:50 Vegas time?

So - what would you plan on doing that evening as kind of a "Vegas introduction"? It will be my first time in Vegas and DH's 5th. He is adamant that we go to In-n-Out for dinner, so that takes care of food. We will be tired so we don't need a whole itinerary, just something to get us out and about and in the Vegas mentality.

Also - as we are landing, we will be able to see the strip lights from the plane? Or will it still be too light out?

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

I'm going to watch this thread for answers because my brother and I are landing in Vegas at 1 AM on 8/2. The flight was a heck of a lot cheaper, lol.

 

[skiingfast]

I'm going to watch this thread for answers because my brother and I are landing in Vegas at 1 AM on 8/2. The flight was a heck of a lot cheaper, lol.

Will you be awake? Since you will get to the hotel and checked in fairly late, either play some table games, get a tall drink and wander, or have some late night steak and eggs.

What do you do when you very first arrive in vegas?

Our flight lands at 10:50 PM EST. Sooooo 7:50 Vegas time?

So - what would you plan on doing that evening as kind of a "Vegas introduction"? It will be my first time in Vegas and DH's 5th. He is adamant that we go to In-n-Out for dinner, so that takes care of food. We will be tired so we don't need a whole itinerary, just something to get us out and about and in the Vegas mentality.

Also - as we are landing, we will be able to see the strip lights from the plane? Or will it still be too light out?

On the regular approach you can see the strip very easily, but from the plane(high up and far away) it's not as grand a view as it will be when walking down the strip.

You will have plenty of time. I like the in and out idea, does this mean you will have a car? Don't try to drive down the strip that will eat up a lot of time getting to your hotel.

I would try getting a tall drink, and watch the fountain show in front of the Bellagio, watch it with your back to LV Boulevard. Try walking around the Forum shops in Ceasar's or around the Shops at Cosmopolitan.



If you gamble, You might try throwing $50 or $100 on a "50/50" bet. Something like the Pass or Don't Pass lines in Craps, or a odd/even or Red Black bet on Roulette. Just be ready to accept that you may loose that money fast.

 

[TinkBride]

Yes - we are renting a car at the airport (and driving to Disneyland a few days later! ).

If we don't drive down the strip - what would be a good alternative route?

 

[skiingfast]

Yes - we are renting a car at the airport (and driving to Disneyland a few days later! ).

If we don't drive down the strip - what would be a good alternative route?

There is for the most part a street behind of each row of casinos, each side of the strip. Try taking those north or south, and then onto a cross street and then onto LV BLVD(the strip) so you can make a right onto the strip and right into your casino hotel (if that wear you are staying).

If you are staying on the West side of the strip you could do this off the free way too.

The point is to limit your time driving the strip, it's congested and for the driver the attention needs to be on the road, but it's easy to get distracted.

 

[woody73]

In the evenings, Las Vegas Blvd. is one big traffic jam. You can walk faster than the cars are moving.

Woody

 

[Kirby]

I haven't been to Vegas yet, our first time will be in September. Which hotel are you staying in? I think that will make a difference in what to do the first night you arrive.

As for me, we arrive at 8:00 am so we'll have a whole day ahead of us. My husband has a cousin there so they are taking us out for breakfast and then showing us around for two days. We're spending two days going back and forth to the Grand Canyon and then two nights/one day on our own in Vegas.

I wish I had remembered how close DisneyWorld was to Vegas and added that in our trip plans before I booked our airline tickets.

Look under the California and the West trip reports board for ideas too.

 

[TinkBride]

We are staying at the Cosmopolitan.

I don't really feel the need to drive down the strip, when we can easily walk it. I am pretty sure any driving we do we will try to stay off the strip as much as possible. Having never been there and only relying on pictures and movies I have seen, the strip seems like it would be nuts to drive on.

Random question......can you seriously walk down the street with alcohol in your hand?

 

[Rynosaur]

We are staying at the Cosmopolitan.

Random question......can you seriously walk down the street with alcohol in your hand?

yeah, on the strip area you can walk around with a drink in hand. you will sometimes be bothered if your drink is in glass.

what is nice about getting to the cosmopolitan is you can take all back roads directly from the airport to their parking garage. from the rental car place you will basically drive back towards the airport, take the airport bypass, cross tropicana and then run left at harmon. follow harmon all the way and cross las vegas blvd and the cosmopolitan parking garage is on your right

 

[TinkBride]

yeah, on the strip area you can walk around with a drink in hand. you will sometimes be bothered if your drink is in glass.

what is nice about getting to the cosmopolitan is you can take all back roads directly from the airport to their parking garage. from the rental car place you will basically drive back towards the airport, take the airport bypass, cross tropicana and then run left at harmon. follow harmon all the way and cross las vegas blvd and the cosmopolitan parking garage is on your right

Cool!

Especially since we are arriving at night, I am glad we will be able to avoid driving the strip!

 

[woody73]

. . . I wish I had remembered how close DisneyWorld was to Vegas and added that in our trip plans before I booked our airline tickets.

I think you mean Disneyland. DisneyWorld is in Florida.

Woody

 

[woody73]

We are staying at the Cosmopolitan.

I don't really feel the need to drive down the strip, when we can easily walk it.

Many of the rooms at the Cosmopolitan have terraces/balconies overlooking the strip, The views are spectacular, especially if they overlook the Bellagion fountains.

If I had a room with such a view, I would spend time on the balcony just enjoying the fantastic views.

Woody

 

[Kirby]

I think you mean Disneyland. DisneyWorld is in Florida.

Woody

Yep! That's what I meant.

Does anyone have any knowledge of two valet spots at the Mirage? I read somewhere that there was a main one and a north one. And that the north one was less crowded. We'll have a car probably on the back half of our trip and was curious how to get to it without driving down the strip.

 

[skiingfast]

Does anyone have any knowledge of two valet spots at the Mirage? I read somewhere that there was a main one and a north one. And that the north one was less crowded. We'll have a car probably on the back half of our trip and was curious how to get to it without driving down the strip.

Yes, well kind of, the main one is of course off the Strip, and goes between the hotel and the volcano, it under a huge portico.

The other one I know of is just about 150 feet away(not far when you see how big the place is). I don't know exactly how to get to it as I was always in a cab. I do remember you came off I15 northbound and didn't change lanes. Made a right and went into buildings, it seems like there may be a jog in there. But then you came along side the parking garage and around the corner was a north door.

 

[Kirby]

Yes, well kind of, the main one is of course off the Strip, and goes between the hotel and the volcano, it under a huge portico.

The other one I know of is just about 150 feet away(not far when you see how big the place is). I don't know exactly how to get to it as I was always in a cab. I do remember you came off I15 northbound and didn't change lanes. Made a right and went into buildings, it seems like there may be a jog in there. But then you came along side the parking garage and around the corner was a north door.

Thanks! Joe's cousins will be showing us around the first two days so maybe we can do a drive by.

 

[malibuconlee]

Sorry, but I'm confused. If you are leaving Indy at 7 PM and changing planes you won't be arriving in Vegas at 7 PM. Pretty sure you are arriving to Vegas at 10:50 PM, which is 12:50 AM Eastern time.

For that late, I think I'd grab food if you haven't already and maybe gamble a bit in the hotel I was staying in. Then again I've also had many "first days" in Vegas where I was awake for 27 hours before going to bed with all the excitement and seeing friends.

 

[TinkBride]

Sorry, but I'm confused. If you are leaving Indy at 7 PM and changing planes you won't be arriving in Vegas at 7 PM. Pretty sure you are arriving to Vegas at 10:50 PM, which is 12:50 AM Eastern time.

For that late, I think I'd grab food if you haven't already and maybe gamble a bit in the hotel I was staying in. Then again I've also had many "first days" in Vegas where I was awake for 27 hours before going to bed with all the excitement and seeing friends.

Yes - you are exactly right. For some reason I was thinking the 10:50 time was eastern time, but it is in fact Vegas time. Which means it will actually be 1:50 AM Indy time............dang......

Sorry - this is my first time being out west - this time change thing is throwing me for a loop......

In that case, we will probably grab dinner in Chicago on our lay over and then gamble a little when we get to the hotel and call it a night.

 

[woody73]

We are staying at the Cosmopolitan.

. . . For some reason I was thinking the 10:50 time was eastern time, but it is in fact Vegas time.

In that case, we will probably grab dinner in Chicago on our lay over and then gamble a little when we get to the hotel and call it a night.

If your room has a balcony/terrace, grab a couple of cold beverages and enjoy the spectacular view.

Woody

 

[TinkBride]

If your room has a balcony/terrace, grab a couple of cold beverages and enjoy the spectacular view.

Woody

I am crossing my fingers for a Bellagio view......

 

[woody73]

I am crossing my fingers for a Bellagio view......

If you get a Bellagio view, skip the casino the night you arrive. The Bellagio Fountain shows are only until midnight.

By the time your flight arrives at 10:30pm, you get off the plane, collect luggage, get a taxi or rental car, drive to the Cosmopolitan, park, and check in, you might catch the last Fountain show or two.

Woody