ERIC'S WALK OF THE
LAS VEGAS STRIP

You can start anywhere on the tour or even do it in reverse. This written version is from South to North but it can be reversed or otherwise changed. I normally start in the middle at my hotel, work my way north to the end of the tour and then take a can to the Mandalay Bay and work my way back up to the hotel. This is supposed to be fun. You can stop and shop, eat, gamble, and more along the way and turn it into an all-day event. I've done the whole thing in 2-1/2 hours and I've also made it a 5 hour event -- it's a six mile meandering journey. Do what's fun, and don't hurry because it isn't a race. However, once you pass the Wynn, it's harder and harder to find a Taxi until you're at the Stratosphere so keep that in mind. This is one of my Vegas traditions and a guided tour is available from me if I'm there when you go.

Make sure to spend a buck or two in a slot at each casino you enter: it’s tradition.

General Vegas Information: For full details check out my Vegas page. This is just small tour related stuff. Remember, the nicer the casino the worse your odds. They don’t have to entice gamblers so they don’t try. Your comps will be less and the odds on slots are less as well as other little things to skew the odds slightly. It’s all about the vig. For a desert town there certainly are a lot of outdoor pools and fountains, though Caesars finally closed their famous fountains. This tour skips some of the small “mom-and-pop” casinos on the strip as well as the off-strip places such as: Hard Rock, Palms, and the Rio.

(Start of Tour -- start Early before it gets hot)
Mandalay Bay:
Theme: South Pacific – a great hotel.
This is a beautiful casino. Notice the high ceilings that allow full ventilation. This is a thoroughly modern casino. This casino was also used for some live-action shots on the TV show Las Vegas in its first season, though most were done on a Hollywood set. This area wasn’t originally part of the strip. The strip formally ends at Tropicana Avenue, but now people assume it goes to the 'Bay. This is actually the South Strip. The walkway with shops between the two hotels is new and you used to have to take the local shuttle train or walk outside. Then they built a walkway to the Luxor and finally the mall. Walk north to the Luxor through the Mall (although the walkway continues, go down into the Luxor).

Luxor:
Theme: Ancient Egypt
All hail, the great pyramid. It started out high ticket but has definitely moved down in scale. Visually the walkway in and out is really nice with all the faux ancient Egyptian tchochkes. The light can be seen from over 600 miles away by approaching aircraft on a clear night. Walk through to the Exclaibur: signs will direct you.

Excalibur:
Theme: King Arthur’s Court
This was built when Vegas was trying to attract kids. Nobody is quite sure what they were thinking. Vegas isn't for kids, it never was, and never will be: that was a short-lived bad idea. This casino also shows everything that can go wrong with a casino. It’s so tacky most people avoid it. It’s low-rent all the way. Cross here to the Tropicana.

Tropicana:
Theme: The Tropicana in Cuba
This is one of the older casinos. Check out their great History of Gambling museum. There are always coupons to go in for free or 2 for 1. This is the traditional end of the strip and this aging lady still rules her corner. Several people including Trump have tried to buy this property to make a themed resort (London and San Francisco have been floated) but they turned down a 6 billion dollar offer recently. Another group is trying to put a property just south of the hotel but the airport is fighting it. Cross to the MGM.

MGM Grand:
Theme: Hooray for Hollywood (Wizard of Oz, Golden Era)
This is the largest casino in town by a landslide. It has more rooms and more casino than anyone. Stroll by the high limit slot room. It’s one of the few places in town you can find $1000 and $5000 machines (which require two coins per spin). Make sure you see the world-famous Lion Cage near the front. Once Vegas gave up on being kid friendly they shut down their theme park and the land is now sprouting condos. Cross back to NY-NY.

New York – New York:
Theme: Manhattan
This is a really cool casino visually that caters to the mid-range crowd. Otherwise, it’s a pretty typical casino. The decor is pretty cool and it'll remind you of Manhattan right down to the manhole covers. Check out the Manhattan Express rollercoaster upstairs before leaving. Exit and head north down the strip.

Monte Carlo:
Theme: Monte Carlo Elegant
This was originally a joint venture between the Mandalay Bay Group and MGM Mirage. It’s generally one of the less crowded places and neither popular nor trendy which is too bad. It’s a decent place. Nearby is the new CVS where you can get affordable water and candy as opposed to in the casino gift shops along the strip. The Boardwalk Casino was next door but it was imploded 5-9-06. Exit and head north down the strip.

Aria:
Theme: TBA
This is part of the all new CityScape complex and after many delays, finally opens December 2009. Exit and head north down the strip.

Bellagio:
Theme: Oppulent Italian
This was Steve Wynn’s baby all the way. He decided he could build an over-priced multi-billion dollar resort and people would willingly overpay to stay and gamble there. Everyone made fun of him. Never, ever bet against Steve Wynn in Las Vegas. The Bellagio was a smash hit. Bellagio spends thousands of dollars a month trucking in water for their fountain. Cross street to Planet Hollywood.

Planet Hollywood (formerly Aladdin):
Theme: Hollywood Star-centric modern
The new Aladdin casino replaced the original Aladdin. It was the first modern casino to go bankrupt. Why? Every casino has one thing in common. To get in and out of your room, to get in and out of the shops, you must pass through the casino itself. It’s a tried and true formula. The New Aladdin decided to buck that trend, figuring if they could be different people would come. And come they did – just not to the casino where you make all your money. Planet Hollywood will not do any better despite their remodeling because the inherent flaw is still inherent. That being said the rooms here are fair and some of the least expensive in the central strip. Exit and head north down the strip.

Paris:
Theme: Gay Paree
This 900 million dollar epic is very popular and perhaps the most overrated property on the strip. It has charm but it’s got this subconscious “icky” feel to it. Take the inside walkway to Bally’s next door.

Bally’s:
Theme: Plain old boring casino
This casino was originally the MGM Grand until the morning of November 21, 1980, 84 people died and 679 were injured as a result of a horrific fire – started by someone smoking in bed of course. Sprinklers were not mandatory in Nevada at the time and the fire trucks couldn’t even reach the top floors. The publicity was so bad the casino was shuttered permanently before being sold to Ballys. Now Nevada has some of the tightest fire rules anywhere. Cross the street to Barbary Coast.

Bill's Casino (formerly Barbary Coast):
Theme: The Barbary Coast (1880s San Francisco)
Often referred to as the “Barfary Coast” which is unfair. Although is this place is old and dingy, it’s got fantastic gambling and this is often where I go to hit the tables. Those crosswalks all over the strip are relatively new and weren’t there originally. The number of traffic deaths inspired the casinos to chip and pay for them. Death is bad publicity. The two casinos each walkway connects split the cost. Cross over to Caesars using the crosswalk.
           
Caesars Palace:
Theme: The Roman Empire
This is an institution and, perhaps, the most famous casino in the world. It’s traditional to rub Caesar’s finger on the statue for luck when you come in. There is no apostrophe in the name because they aim to treat all of their guests like Caesar and therefore it’s their collective palace. The majestic fountains in front were removed in early 2001 as a result of Bellagio’s famous fountains. The new outdoor amphitheatre is now in their place. Cross back to the Flamingo, possibly after visiting the Forum Shops – they have the highest sales per square foot of any retail complex on the planet. It’s Ceasars way of making sure any money you win doesn’t leave.

Flamingo:
Theme: Las Vegas Original -- an American Casino
The Flamingo was Bugsy Siegel’s baby. This was the first Vegas casino and it was Mob through-and-through. He was shot dead – a bullet through the back of his head while visiting a lady friend in Los Angeles -- because he robbed the place blind. Back in the day, a corporation couldn’t own a casino. Some guy you’ve heard of named Elvis Presley found his Vegas home here. Now it’s even home to a Margaritaville. Exit and head north down the strip.

O'Sheas:
Theme: Irish American
This probably isn't worth a stop, but peek in a dump a coin or two just for the sake of being complete. Exit and head north down the strip.

Imperial Palace:
Theme: Japanese
This casino is another mid-range casino. Many people skip by because although it has a strip entrance, it’s actually back from the strip and the main façade is only a walkway going to the back. Exit and head north down the strip.

Harrah’s:
Theme: Still trying to figure it out
This casino has the loosest slots in town. I love to play the slots here. It’s got a great slot club and they’re getting bigger by buying their rivals. Exit out the far north door and cross the street to the Mirage -- skipping Casino Royale.

Casino Royale:
Theme: Bond, James Bond.
This is not on the tour, but if you want to back-track to an old fashioned casino, this is just past Harrah's. You should go here and then backtrack across the street to the Mirage.

The Mirage:
Theme: Tahiti & Papete (South Pacific)
This was the first themed resort. Steve Wynn said people would love to visit a resort with a theme. Everyone thought he was nuts. The casinos were still all the standard warehouse style like the ones downtown. He built it and boy did they come. They came to see the show outside, they came to see the spacious inside, they came to see the two gay Germans who played with white tigers. This was the first casino that generated real revenue stream from something other than casino operations. Take the tram (or walk) next door to TI.

Treasure Island (TI):
Theme: Yar! It be pirates!
This is the sister property to the Mirage. Steve Wynn didn’t know what to do with all the money he made at the Mirage. He couldn’t spend it or burn it fast enough, so he did the next best thing: he built another casino so he'd have even more money. They've been trying to make it less piratey without success. It's now independently owned after a sale in mid-2009. Take the crosswalk to the Venetian.

Venetian:
Theme: Venice, Italy
If you can’t afford Italy, this is the next best thing. Except that going to Italy is probably cheaper than staying here. It’s a fantastic place. The rooms require a taxi to get from one end to the other. Exit and head north up the strip to the Wynn (stopping the Palazzo on the way if it's open).

Palazzo:
Theme: Venice, Italy
This is the sequel to the Ventian. More of the same but even more opulent. Exit and head north down the strip to the Wynn.

Wynn (and the Encore):
Theme: Welcome to Steve’s House
Everyone was expecting a bang-up job. And it is. But I personally think it’s a Bellagio rip-off, right down to the signs and fonts on the lettering. But $2.5 billion dollars buys you a swanky place. The buffet is a disappointment for the price so skip it. Cross back over to the Fashion Square Mall (visit the mall or not before continuing north).

New Frontier:
Imploded 14 November 2007. Continue to head north down the strip.

Stardust:
Imploded 13 March 2007. Continue to head north down the strip, crossing the street to the Riviera, if wanted. If not head to Slots-O-Fun.

Riviera:
Theme: French Riviera
This was once the Grand Dame of this end of the strip. It’s now decidedly low rent and doesn’t even attempt to cover it. It’s traditional to rub the ass of the naked bronze statue by the front door. The Riviera was sold this year (2006) but no plans have been announced, though an implosion is rumoured. If you came to the Riviera, cross back to the other side.

Slots-O-Fun:
Theme: Shite, Shite, Shite
This hole-in-the-wall is actually part of Circus Circus but it’s a great way to take a short cut. The famed Westward-Ho was next store, just to the North but was closed in 2006. Go through here and out the far rear side-door and you’re right at Circus Circus.

Circus Circus:
Theme: Circus
This property is still famous though it’s now natty and nasty. This place desperately needs new paint, wallpaper, and carpeting. It’s run down. However the Adventuredome amusement park in the back has putt-putt golf so that alone makes it worth the stop. There’s also the Canyon Blaster coaster. Other rides too. Exit and walk north along the strip, eventually crossing over. This is a long, hot walk in the summer months.

Sahara:
Theme: The Desert and Sinbad
This is on the site of the original Sahara – Frank Sinatra’s digs. It’s now a local’s casino. Nice, clean, fun. They have a great, but overpriced, roller coaster. This is the theoretical end of the strip. You can end your tour here. However, the North Strip now extends up to the Stratosphere.  It’s a long, hot walk but you get to see the neighborhood change to tattoo parlors and wedding chapels. Exit and head north down the strip; do not cross the street until you are across from the Stratosphere. This part of the walk is through a not-so-nice neighborhood and should not be done at night or alone.

Stratosphere:
Theme: Let me know if you figure it out
This is the last strip property. It’s famous for being tall which doesn't say a lot. This is more of a local's casino now. It has an amazing view so maybe you actually want to spend the money and go up top. The Big Shot is cool but very scary. They have some new rides too.

(End of Tour -- go back to hotel in cab or go and peek at downtown if you have any energy left.)