[bdery]

I'll be going to Las Vegas with the wife in about a month. Living on the Strip, as most do. Planning a day out to Grand Canyon, no gambling but some hotel sightseeing, plus a lot of rest.

If anyone has any kind of tips (nice stores, photo ops, whatever), be my guest and educate me.

I'm sure it'll be a great vacation, photo-wise!

[opiet70]

I always liked Cesar's - lots of interesting things but also a lot of lights to be aware of.

If you like street pics, go walk the overpasses. I saw some pretty good photo ops just in walking around - especially around the water vendors.

[zman]

I'm not much into gambling myself either, but Vegas is a special kind of place for a vacation. Make it a point to visit Valley of Fire, a Nevada state park. It's about a 45-60 minute drive. Beautiful red sandstone formations and a few arches as well. Take a good hat and plenty of water if you plan to hike a bit. Have fun !

[Ira]

I bet you you'll gamble.

Do yourself a favor and hit the bookstore before you go and pick up a Frommer's Guide to Las Vegas. (Not Fodor's.) You will save a FORTUNE on meals and eat at the best places by looking at the information there.

When you're there, you'll be bombarded by great dining deals that ain't--like $10 lobster dinners--and buffets that ain't what they're cracked up to be. The Frommer's helps you weed out the crap. (I always get one for wherever I travel, which nowadays, is nowhere.)

Vegas used to be unbelievable for great food deals to get you into the place to gamble, but it's changed a lot over the years. Now, you have to hunt for the real deals.

---

Last edited by Ira; 06-23-2010 at 07:13 AM.

[dunerunner]

Vegas is one great place for street shooting; the strip, downtown, you can't go wrong. The mixture of ultra wealth and poverty, combined with regular tourists partying and just looking for a good time make it very interesting and unique. My favorite place to hang out is the Venitian. It has great shops, the canals, live free music and performers and is large and well lit inside for photo ops. Here are a couple of examples I have snaped while in Vegas.
Have a great time!!!!

[woof]

I'm not much into gambling myself either, but Vegas is a special kind of place for a vacation. Make it a point to visit Valley of Fire, a Nevada state park. It's about a 45-60 minute drive. Beautiful red sandstone formations and a few arches as well. Take a good hat and plenty of water if you plan to hike a bit. Have fun !

+1. Also go to Red Rock Canyon as well. That's about a 20 minute drive from the strip. No arches that I saw, but the red sand stone is there too.



Here are a bunch of images...

red rock canyon nevada - Google Search


woof

[bdery]

I already got the Frommers. And Lonely Planet... And another one, in French...

I doubt we'll have time for anything outside the city except the Grand Canyon. I know about Valley of Fire and Red Rock, and I'll submit the idea to the head of parliament, but I expect it'll be a no-go

Thanks for the tips. I'll be sure to post some shots after I come back.

[dgaies]

I bet you you'll gamble.

Do yourself a favor and hit the bookstore before you go and pick up a Frommer's Guide to Las Vegas. (Not Fodor's.) You will save a FORTUNE on meals and eat at the best places by looking at the information there.

When you're there, you'll be bombarded by great dining deals that ain't--like $10 lobster dinners--and buffets that ain't what they're cracked up to be. The Frommer's helps you weed out the crap. (I always get one for wherever I travel, which nowadays, is nowhere.)

Vegas used to be unbelievable for great food deals to get you into the place to gamble, but it's changed a lot over the years. Now, you have to hunt for the real deals.

If decide you do want to do the buffet thing, and don't mind consuming 10,000+ calories in a single 24 hour period, there is something going on right now called the "Buffet of Buffets". It's a 24 hour pass to 7 different buffets (all the Harrah's properties). It's $35 and includes Caesars, Paris, Rio, Planet Hollywood, Imerial Palance, Ballys and Flamingo. Most of the dinner buffets are $25+ so it's not a bad deal so long as you're not against stuffing yourself silly


I just got back from Vegas a week ago and we did the 24-hour pass once while we were there. We hit the Rio for lunch at 11:30am, Planet Hollywood at 7:30pm for dinner and then Paris the next morning at 11am for lunch.

[SpecialK]

I'm not much into gambling myself either, but Vegas is a special kind of place for a vacation. Make it a point to visit Valley of Fire, a Nevada state park. It's about a 45-60 minute drive. Beautiful red sandstone formations and a few arches as well. Take a good hat and plenty of water if you plan to hike a bit. Have fun !

I was going to suggest that as well. Awesome place.

Not much for gambling and that stuff, but Paris and New York, New york have some nice photo ops. The Bellagio fountain at night is popular, too. Just walking the strip at dusk is good.

[Ira]

if decide you do want to do the buffet thing, and don't mind consuming 10,000+ calories in a single 24 hour period, there is something going on right now called the "buffet of buffets". It's a 24 hour pass to 7 different buffets (all the harrah's properties). It's $35 and includes caesars, paris, rio, planet hollywood, imerial palance, ballys and flamingo. Most of the dinner buffets are $25+ so it's not a bad deal so long as you're not against stuffing yourself silly


i just got back from vegas a week ago and we did the 24-hour pass once while we were there. We hit the rio for lunch at 11:30am, planet hollywood at 7:30pm for dinner and then paris the next morning at 11am for lunch.

print this out, b! Sounds like a winner!

[bdery]

I'll be staying at the Paris, so indeed this might be interesting. After all, it's not because it's a buffet that I HAVE to eat a year's worth of food at each meal...

[dgaies]

I'll be staying at the Paris, so indeed this might be interesting. After all, it's not because it's a buffet that I HAVE to eat a year's worth of food at each meal...

Well, I tried going in with the same logic (of not having to eat a year's worth of food at once). However once I got in there, my (buffet) instincts took over

[dgaies]

Here's a few (non-buffet related) shots from the trip

[Ira]

I haven't been to Vegas in 18 years--kids were born along the way so that's that--but from what I see, there seems to be a ton of stuff to keep you entertained in LV besides gambling.

But you still gotta gamble, even if it's only playing the 25-cent poker machines or slots.

[pxpaulx]

If you can't get to the valley of fire (which is awesome, except we were there when the heat of all heats decided to come to town - couldn't be out of the car for more than 10 minutes - last august, when there was ash coming from california fires on top of record heat. dry or not, 120+ is 120+), definitely hit up red rock canyon - it is less than 10 minutes from the west part of the city, and provides some awesome photo ops.