The Hits
Restaraunt: Diego at MGM Grand - Great 'modern' Mexican food for a reasonable price. The restaraunt is tucked away at the far end of the MGM food court, but it's worth the hike from the strip. The setting is decidedly modern (with multimedia projections on the wall and bright, clean minimalist decorations) and the food is deliciously savory. We had a prix fix tasting menu that included 3 courses, plus a drink and made out with around $50/person, which is a steal considering the portions were tasty, large and 'authentic' and the drink was a sizable margarita. Before the meal there is also a complimentary set of 3 different salsa (verde, classic and smoky) with chips and 3 types of flavored salt for you to dip your appetizer in. Definitely a good date spot.
Show: Penn and Teller at Rio - The best magic show I've seen; witty, original and no-less impressive than the biggest Burton illusion. Penn and Teller are some of the smartest enterntainers I've met, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out they're also music buffs. While Teller exhibited only slight proficiency on the xylophone during one of the acts, Penn was up on stage incognito 45 minutes before the show funking up a storm on an upright bass along with (what I assume is) a professional piano player. You couldn't tell it was him unless you've seen the show before or were sitting close enough, like we were. I was impressed. The show itself was texbook Penn and Teller - do a trick, explain how it's done, do something more that defies the explanation. Well worth the price.
Random treat: Siegfried and Roy Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat - A mini-zoo that will exceed your expectations and make you forget you were ripped off $15 for seeing only 4 types of animal. The habitat only admits groups of about 20 people at time, which means even on a busy day you'll have plenty of space to get up close and personal to the underwater window into the dolphin pool or the railing at the alpaca enclosure. The real treats as you'd expect are the big cats. White tigers, albino lions, leopards and a panther will entertain even if they're sleeping. You feel much closer to them here than you would in a zoo, and the handlers will try to get them playing and running around both for their well-being. Be ready to push your way through children and kawaii-screaming Japanese tourists to get the best view. If you visit in the near future (2009) you'll catch a newborn leopard cub in the nursery portion. Worth the $15 to get away for an hour from the bustle of the strip.
The Misses
Show:KÀ - The Cirque Du Soleil Show that's more Soleil than Cirque. It's certainly a grand production. The fully articulated stage does things that stages shouldn't do, maybe shouldn't be able to do. You'll learn to suspend your disbelief and walk away scratching your head at the amazing technical achievemens that KA incorporates. However I was less than impressed by the acrobatics the Cirque is so famous for as they were completely overshadowed by the staging. In addition, the foray into martial, which this shows touts as a 'feature', actually makes takes away from the act and makes the performance look gimmicky and forced (imagine taking Cirque acrobats and throwing them into a WWF ring). I've seen 3 other Cirque shows and this ranks second after Mystere, which is the oldest Cirque show on the strip. Go if you can get tickets for cheaper than retail, otherwise, go see Mystere.
Retaraunt: McFadden's at Rio - This Irish-themed pub disappointed nearly all the senses. The food was blah, although palatable by pub standards and the best thing about the place when contrasted with the live piano players and the nearby din of the slot machines and aroma of smoking grandmas. We though the seating with the view on the casino floor would be fun for people watching, instead the only people we watched were 4 old ladies sit at the penny slots for 45 minutes. We were lucky however to be on the opposite end of the restaraunt from the live enterntainment - a pair of pianists of which only 1 could sing. Despite the dissapointing food and atmosphere this place seemed the best choice to eat when compared with the mpty biker-themed pub/bar upstairs, and the obviously overpriced Italian place across the casino floor. If you hear a siren and see flashing lights around the corner while enjoying your dinner don't panic, it's not a fire, it's just the bartenders at the nearby floor bar showing off the bartending skills and giving out free shots in a twice-an-hour event that's part of Rio's 'bevertainer' experience.
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The Day Trip
If you have a free day to kill in Vegas I highly suggest renting a car and getting away from the city for a bit. There are plenty of landmarks to see, Grand Canyon being one of the most obvious ones. Death Valley is about a 2 hour drive in the opposite direction (west) and is a very managable day trip. We spent about 6 hours in the park and fit in a canyon hike, a desert hike and many scenic drives on some of the side roads winding through the valley. For the price of a rental car and a $20 entrance fee you'll see some of the most varied and impressive geological features in the Western US. A sure stop should be the Badwater salt flats - the lowest point in North America at -200+ feet below sea level. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.
Retaraunt: McFadden's at Rio - This Irish-themed pub disappointed nearly all the senses. The food was blah, although palatable by pub standards and the best thing about the place when contrasted with the live piano players and the nearby din of the slot machines and aroma of smoking grandmas. We though the seating with the view on the casino floor would be fun for people watching, instead the only people we watched were 4 old ladies sit at the penny slots for 45 minutes. We were lucky however to be on the opposite end of the restaraunt from the live enterntainment - a pair of pianists of which only 1 could sing. Despite the dissapointing food and atmosphere this place seemed the best choice to eat when compared with the mpty biker-themed pub/bar upstairs, and the obviously overpriced Italian place across the casino floor. If you hear a siren and see flashing lights around the corner while enjoying your dinner don't panic, it's not a fire, it's just the bartenders at the nearby floor bar showing off the bartending skills and giving out free shots in a twice-an-hour event that's part of Rio's 'bevertainer' experience.
View Larger Map
The Day Trip
If you have a free day to kill in Vegas I highly suggest renting a car and getting away from the city for a bit. There are plenty of landmarks to see, Grand Canyon being one of the most obvious ones. Death Valley is about a 2 hour drive in the opposite direction (west) and is a very managable day trip. We spent about 6 hours in the park and fit in a canyon hike, a desert hike and many scenic drives on some of the side roads winding through the valley. For the price of a rental car and a $20 entrance fee you'll see some of the most varied and impressive geological features in the Western US. A sure stop should be the Badwater salt flats - the lowest point in North America at -200+ feet below sea level. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.
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