Viva Las Vegas

Our happy wanderer Cappy Devlin knows that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas – until she writes about it.

Every August, I spend a week at the famous Bellagio hotel because Cappy’s Travel is a member of the exclusive Virtuoso travel network, and we hold our yearly get-together in Vegas with the top luxury travel advisers and suppliers. We work all day at Virtuoso Travel Week and play all night.

In its November issue, Condé Nast Traveler reviewed the top 15 hotels and resorts in Las Vegas. The top five were the Wynn and Encore for their amazing views of the Strip; the Four Seasons for its spa, staff and views; the Palazzo Las Vegas and the Venetian for their luxurious experiences, dining options and well-appointed rooms; and the Bellagio for its Tuscan-inspired design, the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, and the Fountains of Bellagio. More than 1,000 fountains at the Bellagio dance to music ranging from Pavarotti to Sinatra. Showtimes are every half-hour, or every 15 minutes at peak times.

When you think of Las Vegas, you think of the casinos. In the casinos, there are more games today than ever before, so let the cards, chips and dice fall wherever they may. Penny slots are just about everywhere and most casinos have a high-limit room where you can throw down bigger bucks. Today you can play blackjack just steps from a go-go dancer. And the cocktail waitresses are very pretty, too.

The next morning, you might want to book a massage at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub on the fourth floor of The Venetian and The Palazzo. For a lavish way to unwind and re-energize, go to The Spa at ARIA.

But there is so much more in Vegas that people all over the world want to go and see. The lights, the sounds, the pulsating energy make you fall in love with Vegas. There are hundreds of weddings taking place there each year. You can have your ceremony performed by Elvis at the Viva Las Vegas Chapel or go high style in the chapel at Ravella at Lake Las Vegas. If you think you don’t have enough dazzle, there’s the recently opened Neon Museum. Home to a collection of more than 150 neon signs dating from the 1930s, the museum is the largest one of its kind in the world. If you can stay longer on your Vegas vacation, you would enjoy an adventure tour of the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead or our national parks, for a change of pace.

Vegas is a shopping paradise, especially if Lady Luck is with you in the casinos. The 140 stores at Las Vegas Premium Outlets downtown – including Adidas, Calvin Klein, Ann Taylor, Guess and Tommy Hilfiger – offer savings of 25 to 65 percent. This indoor mall, at the southern end of the strip, is complete with two food courts and an indoor carousel. Crystals at City Center is a 500,000-square-foot retail and dining district and is certainly one of Vegas’ premier shopping experiences. Luxury retailers include Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Tiffany, Prada, Christian Dior, Hermès and Cartier, along with boutiques for Tom Ford, Donna Karan and Lanvin. Invigorate yourself by savoring the enticing creations from celebrity chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and Todd English, while Crystals has the first Mastro’s Ocean Club in Las Vegas. Crystals features elaborate water and ice displays and a 70-foot-tall tree house.

The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood is a 1.2-mile retail and entertainment complex at the heart of the strip featuring 170 specialty stores, 15 restaurants and three live entertainment venues. The nearly 2 million square feet of shopping bliss at Fashion Show Las Vegas boasts seven anchor stores and 250 specialty stores and restaurants. There is even a projection screen for multimedia shows at night.
Las Vegas is truly the entertainment capital of the world. There is no other city that can compete with its events, concerts and shows. There are now seven different Cirque du Soleil productions, ranging from the interesting to the bizarre to the risqué, and the theatrical productions like “Le Rêve – The Dream” and “V – The Ultimate Variety Show” are fantastic. You can’t miss favorites like Blue Man Group, Terry Fator, Frank Moreno and Elton John, plus Penn & Teller and David Copperfield, who bring magic to Vegas.

In the evening, there are adults-only shows like “Fantasy” and “Crazy Girls.” But don’t miss “Jubilee!,” the classic Vegas showgirl extravaganza. Be sure to leave time to enjoy Las Vegas’ sizzling nightlife, at The Chateau Nightclub and Gardens at Paris, and Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan.
Let’s just say it’s always hip to party on the Strip.

For more, visit Cappy’s Travel at 195 N. Bedford Road, Mount Kisco. Call (914) 241-0383 or email Cappy@travel-by-net.com.

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