Jimmy's "Home for the holidays"

Vegas with the family

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:15:04 +0500

I'm flying home to spend some time with the family since I've been rather busy the last few months. This should give me a chance to relax and catch up on some sleep, I thought. Then, my parents tell me that they want to celebrate Christmas in Las Vegas... Vegas of all places. So, I'm going to fly down to LA and drive over to Vegas that evening.

A trip with the family to Vegas is definitely different from Vegas with your 21+ friends... so this trip was no exception. There were no crazy partying or bar hopping... but there are plenty of shopping, a bit of gambling, and plenty of games. So, this is a PG13 guide to anyone going on a short weekend trip to Vegas.

Christmas Eve Shopping

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:07:08 +0500

Christmas eve and I awaken in my room at the Venetian after an evening of driving. I love this hotel. It's right smack dab in the middle of the Vegas Strip with fancy rooms and a great casino that includes a nice shopping plaza (Grand Canal Shoppes), good food, and even some more touristy things (Gondola rides) for those who want to experience these things.

Since it was Christmas eve and I still had a few people on my list to purchase things for, I decided that I would join my cousins and nieces on a little shopping and some touristy stuff through Vegas (a few of my cousins hadn't been to Vegas before). Since I was the veteran of Vegas (my family used to come here ALL the time when we were kids), I decided to map out a short path from the Venetian to the new Miracle Mile Shopping area and back to watch the TI show and ultimately dinner at the new Wynn Buffet. It hits up a few of the major shopping complexes on the strip and gives us a nice view of most of the free shows that Vegas has to offer. Notable things that were left out on this excursion include the outlets in Vegas and the shopping centers at the Paris hotel and Bellagio which I don't care too much for.

Grand Canal Shoppes

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:07:38 +0500

First stop, the Grand Canal Shoppes. This is actually one of the smaller shopping areas and is known for its gondola rides in the middle of the shopping complex. The shops here are catered more for the high-end side of things. So, if you're looking to shop for high-end goods, this is a good spot to look around. I just enjoy the water running through the middle of everything and the random performers who walk around. Makes me feel like I'm in Venice.

Volcano at the Mirage

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:08:00 +0500

After we walked around the Grand canal shoppes we walked outside to check out the Volcano at the Mirage. This attraction has been around for awhile now and for the most part, everyone has seen the show already. It's not much compared to some of the new attractions available now, but it's a nice photo opportunity for those who haven't seen it yet. The 54-foot volcano erupts every 15 minutes from 6pm-midnight shooting smoke and fire 100 feet above the water. But, we were there in the morning. So, we didn't see anything. Still a sight to behold and one of the few attractions that has been around the Vegas strip for awhile.

The Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:08:31 +0500

The next shopping area we decided to browse is the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. Caesar's has been around for awhile as well, but they've done a phenomenal job of reinventing themselves and keeping their hotel hip and exciting through the years. If you've ever stayed here you know that there are several different wings. One, which is a lot older with cheaper and not-so-nice rooms. But, the rest of their "wings" are as nice and fancy as everyone else on the strip.

One of the things that they've done to keep up with all the changes around them is to create the Forum Shops. This huge shopping complex can keep most people busy for an entire day.

Within the Forum Shops is one of the best free attractions in Las Vegas, the Fall of Atlantis fountain show. This regular looking fountain comes to life during showtimes with animatronic figures that fight for control over the mythical island of Atlantis. It was a promo for the Imax 3D motion simulator ride that was billed as the IMAX 3D motion simulator attraction in the world located right next to it. I have heard from some friends of mine that it may have closed down. I've never been on the actual ride itself (and rarely even walk over to the ticket counter), so I don't know if it is or not. But, the free show still happens Sunday-Thursday from 10am-11pm and Fri-Sat from 10am-midnight. If you're walking around anyways, definitely check it out. You'll see when the show is about to begin by the large crowds that gather around there.

You can also marvel at the salt water aquarium that comprises the show's platform. If you're lucky, you'll see the divers feeding the tropical puffers, flounders, sharks, and other types of fish. I hear that they feed them everyday at 1:15pm and 5:15pm. There's also a tour of the aquarium's facilities from Monday-Friday at 3:15pm. With so many things to do, the Forum Shops are definitely my favorite place to shop, walk around, people watch, and just relax with family. We grabbed a quick lunch and headed off to the next shopping plaza.

Fountains of Bellagio Show (Best free attraction on the Vegas Strip)

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:09:12 +0500

Before heading over to the Miracle Mile Shopping Area, there is one attraction that has now become the most famous free attraction on the Strip. The Fountains of Bellagio are a spectacle that must not be missed. If you're in Vegas, and you haven't seen it yet, go. Stand outside. Wait. And, marvel at the beauty of the fountains of Bellagio. If you've seen Ocean's 11, you'll see what I mean (the scene at the end right after the hyst where everyone is standing outside the Bellagio). The shows are constantly being changed with new music so you'll almost never see/hear the same show twice. At least I don't think I have. Regardless, every time I see the show, I'm amazed at what these fountains can do and how much time/effort went into making sure everything works perfectly and that the movement of the waters flows with the harmony of the song itself. It's simply a spectacular show that's not to be missed.

Miracle Mile

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:16:20 +0500

Now that we've seen the most famous and best free attraction in Vegas we can move on to the last shopping plaza before dinner. At this point we've got plenty of bags of stuff and we're all getting pretty tired. But we were excited to see the new Miracle Mile Shopping Plaza. This used to be the old Aladdin Dessert Passage but with the passing of the Aladdin hotel, this complex has now been changed as well. The shopping complex was pretty nice and we even saw a few small vendors there selling things that we hadn't seen anywhere else. Although they have some of the same high-end shops, there were also plenty of everyday type stores for clothing, shoes, accessories, and other goodies. No more traveling troupes like they used to have in the Desert Passage though... oh well.

Sirens of TI

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:26:57 +0500

We were running a tad bit behind schedule but we still got to TI before the 5:30pm showing of their Sirens show, another free attraction that is seen outside the hotel. Just to sidetrack things a bit, I have no idea why Treasure Island decided to change its name to TI and its logo to a cartoon-like logo. Treasure Island isn't exactly difficult to say or write. I suppose TI is a lot shorter. But if you're trying to make it more hip and trendy by shortening the name, you need a logo to match that. They changed the logo to something that children might like but definitely does not appeal to the older demographic that they were hoping to. The young adult audience, that I'm a part of, also wouldn't be attracted to the cartoonish new look/feel. So, I really don't understand their rationale for what they did... but they did it. They're now TI. And, TI still has a free show called the Sirens outside their hotel daily (unless weather conditions are poor) at 5:30pm, 7:00pm, 8:30pm, and 10:00pm.

And now, onto the show. It's as entertaining as always. Good versus evil battle it out. Plenty of pirates and beautiful looking people jumping from ship to ship and fighting one another. Overall, I found it very entertaining and a fun way to pass some time on the Vegas strip.

My pictures of the show weren't that great. I think this is far more representative of why some people watch the show.

Wynn Buffet

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:00:23 +0500

If you come to Vegas you gotta try at least one of the many high-profile seafood buffets. Wynn is one of the newer ones and one of my favorites. So, we went there for dinner. There's a long line during the dinner hours so make sure to get there earlier. Dinner costs about $45/person, so it's not cheap. But you can eat to your hearts content. I suggest trying their lamb chops. mmmm!

One other thing to check out while you're at the Wynn hotel (and this really only applies to guys) is the bathroom. Ok... you might be thinking to yourself... what's the big deal? Well, go to the Wynn's bathroom and walk up to a urinal. You'll notice that they all have a "splashback protector". Try it out if you get the chance, I found it fascinating. Definitely a step in the right direction for urinal technology. Way to go Wynn!

Day of fun

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:04:58 +0500

We decided against gambling since the young ones wouldn't have anything to do. So, in order to help my parents out, I decided to take the kids to the arcades in the hotels. There are some notable ones to choose from. When I was a kid, I loved Circus Circus for its massive arcades and free circus acts. They've since expanded into an amusement park and even more games. Excalibur, Luxor, and TI all have pretty decent sized arcades and game areas as well. But, to save us time from driving around too much, I focused on the area around the MGM grand/New York New York/GameWorks area so that we can hop from one to the other easily if we get bored. This area was more than enough to keep everyone busy for the afternoon and we left Vegas in the late afternoon for the long drive back to LA.

Gameworks - Great place to go for arcades. They even have a rock climbing wall. They have some ticket games, but it's not the best place for that nor is it a place to find carnival games and prizes.

MGM Grand - The original MGM grand had a huge lion's head at the entrance. I've heard that Asian patrons didn't like this because they felt like you were walking into the lion's belly which was bad luck. They have since remodeled it and now have just a regular lion's statue in the entrance. Interesting. Inside, you'll find a pretty decently sized arcade/game area for children. There should be more than enough here for folks who enjoy those games and prizes. But if you get bored, you can always walk over to...

New York-New York - Their game area is actually on the smaller side of things. But the replicas of New York landmarks and major attractions can keep your eyes busy for a bit as you walk around. There are some shops and things here, but there's also an amusement park ride for those who are interested. We only came here because we were done with most of the games at the other two places and still had a bit of time to kill. I've never actually ridden the ride though. I just don't see myself paying for just one ride on a roller coaster.

My day to relax

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:13:55 +0500

The day after Christmas is like the day after most big holidays. Dull and peaceful. I spent the day catching up on rest. And, since I promised my nieces that I would take them to Disneyland the day after, I need all the rest I can get.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:18:54 +0500

Disney sure has changed since the last time I came here. The good oldies like It's a small world, Montezuma's revenge, and space mountain are all still there and just as popular as before. I still remember back to when Indiana Jones the ride was brand new. Now there are all sorts of new ones. My favorite new one is the Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story) ride where you have laser guns and you shoot at random things that pop up everywhere. At the end of the ride, you get your score so you can see how you did versus your friends. They also take a picture of you during the ride. So, you can also purchase that too. What a great way to spend the day with your family. Prices for tickets have definitely gone up though... So I was a bit shocked there. But, then again, with oil prices the way they are, I'm not surprised that other things are also slowly climbing... Inflation... sigh.

Go to Sushi Go

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:10:51 +0500

If you have not been to Sushi Go 55 and you're a fan of good sushi at a reasonable price. I would highly recommend that you go there. The deals they have for lunch are spectacular. I go there everytime I'm back in LA now.