The Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is the famed centerpiece of Las Vegas’ offerings of resort lodging, gaming, dining, entertainment, shopping and spa-pampering. It is known locally simply as “The Strip.” Geographically, the Strip consists of four miles of Las Vegas Boulevard South (State Highway 91), south of the city of Las Vegas and parallel to I-15 as it makes its way from Utah south to Los Angeles. Politically, the first portion of the Strip (from Sahara Avenue to the north, which includes the Stratosphere) is part of the City of Las Vegas. The remainder is in Clark County, Nevada, organized into a township (unincorporated) called “Paradise, Nevada.” (It is said that the Strip casinos organized Paradise township to prevent the City of Las Vegas from annexing the Strip.)

Reportedly the Strip was named in the early days by Guy McAfee, a Las Vegas law enforcement officer who was originally from the Los Angeles area. He named the Strip after “Sunset Strip” in his home town, which is a mile and a half segment of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood between Hollywood and Beverly Hills. The name stuck.

A serious visitor to Las Vegas should probably study where the famous properties are along the strip. It starts with the Stratosphere in the north at Sahara Avenue and ends with Mandalay Bay, the Hotel and the Four Seasons in the south. Just beyond Mandalay Bay lies McCarran Airport. The famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign is found below Mandalay Bay. A copy has been erected above the Stratosphere at East St. Louis and South Main Street. The “South Strip” refers informally to the properties from somewhere near Caesars Palace north of the intersection with Flamingo Road, down to the last ones, Mandalay Bay, the hotel and Four Seasons.

Paradise Road is a second area, near the Strip, that is home to many important properties. The distance between Paradise Road and Las Vegas Boulevard South is very small in a car, but can be quite daunting on foot, particularly in the heat of the sun. At the north end of Paradise Road is the Las Vegas Hilton and the Convention Center. Towards the south is Restaurant Row [link]. The best way to fix this layout in the mind is to study the map.

Entertainment

Ever since the showroom was added to the Strip’s offerings, starting in the late 1940’s, Las Vegas has been the traditional home for many famous entertainment acts, mainly solo or ensemble musical or comedic. Over the years the Strip both established tastes and followed trends set by public demand. There have been periods of ice follies, circus and acrobatic acts, magicians and other specialty shows. The “topless revue” came into style in the 1950’s with Minsky’s Follies, and still continues in a more modernized version in many resort properties. In recent years casino resorts have found it fashionable to offer “permanent” shows, mainly Broadway productions (like Hairspray, Spamalot, Mamma Mia and Phantom of the Opera), or Cirque du Soleil spectacles (five or more different ones in Las Vegas), or, at times, a unique show, like Blue Man Group. Nightclubs have always been a Strip standby, and the range of choice is constantly expanding. Newer properties have in-troduced a more intimate version of the night club, called an “ultra-lounge,” which com-bines the closeness of the lounge with the energy and entertainment of a night club. The Strip has also become a well-known and popular location for celebrating New Year’s Eve, when hotels and casinos put on special entertainment.

Dining

The other new trend on the Strip is fine dining. During the heyday of the “old school” resorts like the Dunes and Stardust, the gamer was encouraged by low prices to eat at the casinos’ cafés and buffets. The “all-you-can-eat” format was designed to attract people who would economize money and time on food in order to spend more of both resources in the casino. If a relaxed, sit down meal was to be had, it would be a steak in a traditional steakhouse. As the tourist demographic shifted to a more urbane and well-heeled profile, fine dining entered the picture as an alternative to the other attractions of the Strip. While every resort still hangs on to the traditional steakhouse-buffet-café format, most upscale properties have expanded offerings to include gourmet experiences in luxurious surroundings, proffered by famous chefs at the pinnacles of their careers.

Shopping

The changing demographic trend has also made power shopping an activity of almost equal importance to gaming. The Fashion Show Mall (opposite Wynn Las Vegas) has been in business for several years. The Grand Canal Shops at the Venetian include a canal, gondolas and lots of shopping. The Miracle Mile is now part of the Planet Hollywood hotel and casino area. Shoppers also like to head to the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. The Bonanza Gift Store at the north end claims to be the largest gift shop in the world and the mother lode of Las Vegas logo memorabilia. Most of the other large properties have retail areas, varying from a handful of hotel stores to mall-like venues of 30 to 40 shops and boutiques.

Health and Beauty

Another alternative to gaming (and shopping) is taking in the spa. Each new “mega-resort” tries to outdo the other in terms of the exotic offerings, spaciousness and fashionable décor of its spa facilities. A person can go to the Strip and spend a week in one spa or another without ever having to spend money at a casino. Likewise, the larger resorts have provided the most elaborate pool areas possible, with water features, Jacuzzis, cabanas, landscaping, sundecks, pool parties, and poolside bars, restaurants and even gaming. Another trend is the fully-equipped fitness center, which should provide aerobic conditioning equipment (like bikes, stair climbers and treadmills) and anaerobic equipment (resistance machines and free weights). Usually these services are provided in a health club environment, often collocated with the spa, and offering saunas, steam rooms and similar amenities.

Transportation

To be able to hop around the Strip from fine restaurant to restaurant, or from spa to spa, shop to shop or casino to casino, the Las Vegas Monorail was added to the Strip in 1995. It connects Tropicana Avenue in the south to Sahara Road and points in between. Also available is the Deuce, a shuttle bus service along the Strip and also to Downtown. There is also a tourist trolley, and many of the larger hotels run courtesy vans for guests. Two small trams are also available: one connecting the Mirage and Treasure Island, and the other between Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur. Walking is also an option if the weather is not too hot. Many hotels and casinos invite walk-in customers, offering attractions at the en-trance, like the volcano at the Mirage, the fountains at Bellagio and the Sirens of TI. A few pedestrian overpasses permit crossing the Strip safely at strategic points.