Touring Vegas with the Stars

In almost any city in the US, a double-decker bus tour is the best way to see a whole lot of area in a short amount of time, and save your feet from some wear and tear. Las Vegas is no exception, except in true over-the-top Vegas fashion, you don’t get any old tour guide – you get Elvis. . . or Dolly Parton. . . or Elton John . . . or any one of a long list of celebrity impersonators.

Grab your camera and hop on the fully restored authentic 1960’s-era London double-decker bus and begin your tour at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. Sit inside in comfort or head up to the top level for some fresh air and the best view. Journey down the Strip to Fremont Street (time and traffic permitting, otherwise you may turn back sooner) with an “intermission” for a few minutes to rest, gamble or grab a bite to eat at the Stratosphere.

Along the way you’ll get inside information on the hotels, casinos and sights of the Strip from your funny, knowledgeable and entertaining guide. In between tidbits of history about the town, you’ll be treated to musical performances of classic hits from your celebrity host and have the chance to take plenty of pictures of the “star” in action.

The tour lasts ninety minutes and returns to Planet Hollywood at the conclusion. But the fun doesn’t stop there – riders get a bevy of extra perks. Enjoy two-for-one dinner and drinks at Pampas Brazilian Grille where waiters bring a never-ending parade of grilled skewered meat and seafood (and if that doesn’t fill you up, there’s also a hot and cold salad bar). You’ll also be treated to free tickets to the Mac King Comedy Magic Show. Head over to Harrah’s Hotel and Casino and enjoy a performance of side-splitting family friendly comedy, appropriate for all ages, from the hilarious and entertaining Mac King.

Skydiving for the Faint of Heart

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Not everyone has the courage to jump out of a perfectly good plane thousands of miles above the hard ground, strapped onto a clearly insane (hey, he jumps out of planes for a living!) instructor and a may-or-may-not-open, dear-god-I-hope-it-opens parachute.

If defying death isn’t your thing but you still want to get an adrenaline rush and see what it would be like to free fall at 120 miles per hour, indoor skydiving might be for you. In addition to not offering the risk of death, indoor skydiving is less than half the cost of the real thing and can be done by almost anyone over 40 pounds, including children.

Before the first “flight” you’ll get a lesson on safety, the proper body position for maximum float time, and some hand signals to use to communicate with staff while in the tunnel. Then it’s time to get suited up in a parachute suit, safety goggles, and a helmet. You’ll be led into the wind tunnel where a giant fan creates enough wind force to lift you up in the air, and then you are flying!

Staying in position is tougher than it looks. Beginners will struggle just to stay horizontal and reasonably still, while more advanced fliers can do flips and somersaults just as if they were free-falling from a plane. The wind will force your face into a perm-a-grin, flap your cheeks, and make your eyes water. And as with a real jump, the adrenaline will be pumping like crazy.

The ride only lasts about three minutes and goes by quickly. All too soon the wind dies down and you fall back to earth. But the thrill and elation last a little longer. The experience is so exhilarating it may make even the most fearful wannabe skydiver reconsider an actual jump.

Picnicking at the Bottom of the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon, a national landmark and natural wonder carved by the movement of the Colorado River over the course of about 6 million years, is nearly 3 hours from Las Vegas by car, over mostly non-descript desert roads. For a quicker, more luxurious arrival, you can book a private helicopter flight that will get you there in under an hour and provide awe-inspiring views along the way.

Feel like royalty, or at least high-rollers, as your private limousine picks you up at your hotel and ferries you to the helipad at McCarran Airport. There you’ll be met by your pilot and prepped for a breathtaking flight over the desert. You’ll pass over the shimmering blue expanse of Lake Mead and get a close look at the engineering feat that is the Hoover Dam.

You’ll approach the Grand Canyon, marveling at its size ( 277 miles and ranging in width from 4 to 18 miles) and magnificent beauty, sweeping low for up-close views of the intricate patterns in the vast expanse of red rock. Then you’ll descend over a half mile below the Canyon’s West Rim.

After landing and exploring the Canyon’s depths for a while, you’ll be treated to a gourmet picnic with champagne. You’d be hard pressed to find a more romantic place than surrounded by the overpowering immense beauty of this natural wonder, dwarfed by the sheer cliff walls rising 3,200 feet above.

The trip back is just as exhilarating – the Canyon looks like an entirely new place as the shadows cast by the setting sun alter the colors of the landscape. Before coming in for a landing the helicopter will pass over the Strip. You’ll get a chance to see the bright lights of Vegas from the air, recognizing the familiar landmarks of the Paris’ Eiffel Tower, the bright light of the Luxor and the dancing fountains of the Bellagio. You can practically feel the excitement from up high – the serene wilderness of the Grand Canyon will seem like a world away.

Singing Along With the Jersey Boys

“How did four blue-collar kids become one of the greatest successes in pop music history?” That’s the story told in the smash hit juke-box style musical, Jersey Boys. Based on the lives of Frank Valli and the Four Seasons, the story chronicles their rise from being blue-collar kids to musical superstars. The Palazzo Resort Hotel and Casino offers nightly shows of this Tony Award-winning play.

The story plays off the “Four Seasons” – designating each season of the year as a time in the lives of the group. Each “season’s” tale is told from a different perspective; each member of the group tells his story. Spring finds the Four Seasons as small boys with big dreams growing up in housing projects and singing on street corners in New Jersey. Summer sees the success of the band as their first major hit, “Sherry”, is released in 1962 and 40 more chart-topping hits follow in the coming years. As Autumn arrives the decade comes to a close and the group’s popularity begins to decline. With Winter comes the aftermath of their fame and the promise of a new Spring. The story of the group’s meteoric rise to stardom, and the emotional baggage that came with it, is told with a mix of comedy and tragedy, and a heavy dose of nostalgia.

The generation who grew up as Four Seasons’ fans will love reminiscing to the songs of their youth and the younger audience will be captivated learning the story of the band their parents loved. Be warned: while children may enjoy the music of the show, the language reflects the working-class New Jersey upbringing of the Four Seasons and expletives are used. The sets are pretty bare bones – the focus here is on the story, told through scenes and the music of the Four Seasons. Classic songs you know and love like “Sherry”, “Walk Like a Man”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, and “Big Girls Don’t Cry” will have you dancing and singing along in your seat.

Celebrating at Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding

Las Vegas is the wedding capital of the world – it’s quick and easy to get married in Vegas and it follows with the spontaneous “anything goes” philosophy of the town. Around 150,000 people get hitched here each year at chapels scattered throughout the city. Couples have their choice of traditional, kitschy, themed, Elvis-officiated, and even drive-through weddings.

If you’re not ready to tie the knot yourself you can always be a spectator at someone else’s nuptials. Rather than try to crash a wedding, book tickets for one of the nightly performances of the classic interactive dinner theatre show, Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding is one of the longest running theatrical comedies in the US. The premise is simple – Tony and Tina are getting married and trying to keep their over-the top Italian-American families in check, and you are an invited guest at the wedding!

The show pioneered the art of interactive theatre; you don’t just watch the show, you are in it. The audience, er…wedding guests are seated at round tables, just like at a wedding. You watch the lovebirds walk down the aisle and say their vows and then the reception begins. A full dinner is served buffet style, drinks are available at a cash bar, and the wedding singer will get you out on the dance floor. Some of the other guests are played by actors who interact with the crowd and improvise crazy situations. And as the evening unfolds and you dine and dance the night away, you’ll watch hilarity ensue when these two outrageous families merge.

Unleash Your Inner “Pinball Wizard” at the Pinball Hall of Fame

Slot machines are like video games that require no skill. Insert money, pull lever, and wait with bated breath to see if the fickle and mysterious lady luck will smile on you and let you hit the jackpot – or at least win enough to play again. And luck is not on your side; the casinos were designed to suck you in and take your money and they very rarely give it back.

So forget the slots and head to the Pinball Hall of Fame instead. Run by the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club, it is a museum of antique pinball machines, but unlike at most museums, visitors here are encouraged to get hands on with the displays. If you are going to throw your money away in 25 cent increments, you should at last have fun doing it! And not only is the Pinball Hall of Fame a fun trip down memory lane, but it’s also a little boost for your karma (which may not be so good after a few days of partying in Vegas): as a registered 501 (c) 3 non-profit, the Hall of Fame donates all proceeds after expenses to the Salvation Army.

For pinball aficionados this unmarked building next to the Tropicana Cinema is a must-see. The Hall of Fame boasts over 4500 square feet of games, mostly from the 1950’s – 1980’s. Admission is free and older games are only 25 cents to play, while a few newer ones from the 1990’s are 50 cents. There are also classic arcade games like Ms. Pacman, Tetris, Donkey Kong and Paperboy. All the games are non-violent and family friendly and have been lovingly restored to original playing condition.

Among the treasure trove of historic games, the Hall of Fame also contains one of the only two Pinball Circus machines left in the world. This is the only machine of the nearly 200 pinball games at the Hall that costs $1 to play, and for most it is worth the extra cost. The game has three vertical playing fields with seven flippers, which makes this antique very unique among its kind and even more fun to play.

For kids of all ages, the Pinball Hall of Fame offers a chance to trade in the bells and whistles of the slots for that of the arcade. It is a welcome respite of good old-fashioned fun in Sin City.

Experience the “Ultimate Girls’ Night Out” at the Chippendale Review

Billed as a “classy and tastefully erotic experience” (they are wearing bow ties after all) the show does have a stereotype of being more silly than sexy. Hear the word “Chippendale” and you probably think of a cheesy spectacle of Fabio-type men gyrating to 80’s tunes, or the Saturday Night Live Skit featuring a decidedly un-buff Chris Farley jiggling around as of one the famed dancers. But throw your preconceptions out! Come in ready to be entertained and take advantage of the cocktail service offered throughout the show, and you’ll quickly see that these hunky and handsome men put on an unforgettable performance featuring impressive dancing, multiple costumes (and of course costume removals) and a whole lot of groping – and that’s from the few lucky ladies who get pulled on stage!

The fun doesn’t end when the show does. Afterwards guests are invited to mingle with the Chippendales in the aptly-named Flirt Lounge. Those who weren’t luckily enough to take part in the on-stage shenanigans can get up close and personal (no, not that personal!) with their favorite dancers.

Danny Gans Dies

According to CNN the famous Las Vegas "Entertainer of the Year" Danny Gans, died today at 52. The cause of death has not yet been revealed. Gans’ outrageously successful Vegas career began in 1996, when he landed a three-month gig at the Stratosphere Hotel.

In the intervening years, the Broadway vet had shows at the Mirage Hotel and the Encore Theater at Steve Wynn’s Wynn Las Vegas Hotel. He has sold more tickets on the Strip than the Rat Pack or Elvis Presley, and was voted Las Vegas "Entertainer of the Year" for 11 consecutive years. He leaves behind his wife of 25 years and three children.

Rest in Peace Danny.  Condolences to his family.