Las Vegas 2004 by Mary Herczog Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s: “Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete.” —Booklist “Detailed, accurate, and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.” —Glamour Magazine “Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.” —Des Moines Sunday Register “Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.” —Knight Ridder Newspapers About the Author Mary Herczog lives in Los Angeles and works in the film industry. She is the author of Frommer’s New Orleans, California For Dummies, Frommer’s Portable Las Vegas for Non-Gamblers, and Las Vegas For Dummies, and has contributed to Frommer’s Los Angeles. She still isn’t sure when to hit and when to hold in blackjack. Published by: Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030 Copyright © 2004 Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or trans- mitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record- ing, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8700. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd. Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447, E-Mail: [email protected]. Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN 0-7645-3888-8 ISSN 1532-0006 Editor: Naomi P. Kraus Production Editor: Heather Wilcox Cartographer: Nicholas Trotter Photo Editor: Richard Fox Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993 or fax 317-572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. Manufactured in the United States of America 54321 Contents List of Maps vi What’s New in Las Vegas 1 1 The Best of Las Vegas 4 1 Frommer’s Favorite Las Vegas 2 Best Hotel Bets . .8 Experiences . .6 3 Best Dining Bets . .12 A Look Back at Vegas: No Winning Websites . .14 Tomorrow . .8 2 Planning Your Trip to Las Vegas 16 1 Visitor Information . .16 Frommers.com: The Complete 2 Money . .16 Travel Resource . .28 Las Vegas Advisor . .17 8 The 21st-Century Traveler . .29 3 When to Go . .18 9 Getting There . .30 Las Vegas Calendar of Events . .19 Flying with Film & Video . .32 New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas . .20 10 Packages for the Independent Traveler . .34 4 Travel Insurance . .21 11 Tips on Accommodations . .35 5 Health & Safety . .22 Major Convention Dates 6 Specialized Travel Resources . .23 for 2004 . .36 7 Planning Your Trip Online . .27 12 Recommended Reading . .37 3 For International Visitors 38 1 Preparing for Your Trip . .38 Fast Facts: For the 2 Getting to the United States . .45 International Traveler . .47 3 Getting Around the United States . .46 4 Getting to Know Las Vegas 53 1 Orientation . .53 Did You Know? . .61 2 Getting Around . .56 Fast Facts: Las Vegas . .62 Chopper Tom’s Traffic Tips . .58 iv CONTENTS 5 Where to Stay 67 1 Coming Attractions . .67 So Your Trip Goes 2 Three Questions to Ask Before Swimmingly. .95 You Book a Room . .69 5 North Strip . .100 Reservations Services . .69 6 East of the Strip . .105 3 South Strip . .73 Cheap Hotel Alternatives . .113 Family-Friendly Hotels . .81 7 Downtown . .114 4 Mid-Strip . .85 8 Henderson . .119 Staying off the Strip . .88 6 Where to Dine 122 1 Restaurants by Cuisine . .124 5 East of the Strip . .150 2 South Strip . .127 6 West Las Vegas . .157 You Gotta Have a Theme . .130 Sweet Sensations . .162 3 Mid-Strip . .135 7 Downtown . .163 Family-Friendly Restaurants . .144 8 Buffets & Sunday Brunches . .166 4 North Strip . .147 7 What to See & Do in Las Vegas 173 Suggested Itineraries . .173 4 Especially for Kids . .192 Sin City Inverted . .174 Going Vegas . .194 1 The Top Attractions . .175 5 Organized Tours . .197 Siegfried & Roy’s House . .185 Mayor Oscar B. Goodman’s 2 Getting Married . .187 Top 10 Places to Recapture Old Las Vegas . .198 An Elvis Impersonator’s Top 10 Reasons to Get Married in 6 Fore! Great Desert Golf . .198 Las Vegas . .188 7 Staying Active . .200 3 Attractions in Nearby Desert Hiking Advice . .202 Henderson . .192 8 Spectator Sports . .203 8 About Casino Gambling 204 1 The Four Most Pervasive Myths Memories of a Longtime About Gambling . .205 Dealer . .222 2 The Games . .207 The World Series, Las Vegas– Players Clubs . .216 Style . .231 3 The Casinos . .219 CONTENTS v 9 Shopping 234 1 The Malls . .234 6 Reading Material: Used Books, 2 Factory Outlets . .235 Comics & Gambler Books . .240 3 Hotel Shopping Arcades . .236 7 Candy . .241 4 Vintage Clothing . .239 8 Antiques . .241 5 Souvenirs . .240 9 Wigs . .242 10 Las Vegas After Dark 243 Lounge Lizard Supreme . .244 Wayne Newton’s Top 10 1 What’s Playing Where . .245 Favorite Lounge Songs . .258 2 The Major Production 4 Comedy Clubs . .260 Shows . .246 5 Coffeehouses . .260 Family-Friendly Shows . .249 6 Piano Bars . .261 12 Inaccuracies in the Movie 7 Gay Bars . .261 Showgirls . .252 8 Other Bars . .262 Penn & Teller’s Top 10 Things 9 Dance Clubs . .267 One Should NEVER Do in a 10 Strip Clubs . .271 Vegas Magic Show . .255 Afternoon Delight? . .257 Two Strippers Give Nine Strip- Bar Etiquette Tips . .273 3 Headliner Showrooms . .257 11 Side Trips from Las Vegas 276 1 Hoover Dam & Lake Mead . .276 4 Bonnie Springs Ranch/ 2 Valley of Fire State Park . .283 Old Nevada . .288 3 Red Rock Canyon . .285 5 A Close Encounter with Area 51 . .291 Appendix: Las Vegas in Depth 294 1 A Look at the Past . .294 Index 298 General Index . .298 Restaurant Index . .305 Accommodations Index . .305 List of Maps Las Vegas & Environs 5 Mid-Strip Dining 137 Las Vegas at a Glance 55 North Strip Dining 149 South Strip Dining & Nightlife East Accommodations 75 of the Strip 151 Mid-Strip Dining & Nightlife West Accommodations 87 of the Strip 159 North Strip Downtown Dining 165 Accommodations 101 Las Vegas Attractions 177 Accommodations East Henderson 193 of the Strip 107 Excursions from Las Vegas 277 Downtown Accommodations 115 Lake Mead & Vicinity 281 South Strip Dining 129 Area 51 292 Acknowledgments As always, working for Frommer’s and with Naomi Kraus is like hitting 21 a whole bunch of times in a row. Great thanks to Rick Garman for 14 lucky years. Thanks to designated drinkers Arlene and Caroline. Steve Hochman makes me a winner. —Mary Herczog The editorial staff at Frommer’s also wishes to thank the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, Brigitte Bélanger and Magdalena Vandenburg at Cirque du Soleil, and Alex Kraus for their assistance in making this book a winner. An Invitation to the Reader In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to: Frommer’s Las Vegas 2004 Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030 An Additional Note Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirma- tion when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experiences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets. Other Great Guides for Your Trip: Frommer’s Portable Las Vegas Frommer’s Portable Las Vegas for Non-Gamblers Las Vegas For Dummies The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas Frommer’s Irreverent Guide to Las Vegas Frommer’s California Frommer’s Utah Frommer’s Arizona Frommer’s U.S.A Frommer’s Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (rec- ommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see). In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature icons that point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists.