Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

194
CHAPTER 7 . WHAT TO SEE & DO IN LAS VEGAS
Going Vegas
If you’re looking for a quintessential Las Vegas experience, try these
suggestions from James P. Reza, Geoff Carter, and the editors of Scope
magazine (now the Las Vegas Weekly).
• Peppermill’s Fireside Lounge (p. 264). This lounge is so evocative of
the Me Decade, it’s impossible not to love it. Dark, cozy, sexy, and
somewhat kitschy, it’s a great place for romantic encounters. Try to
sit by the year-round fire pit, if you can stand the heat.
• GameWorks, 3785 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (& 702/432-4263). This multilevel
entertainment center gives visitors a chance to wreak digitized
havoc on the latest video-game creations. A few brave souls try the
75-foot climbing wall; most just hang in the lounge and shoot pool.
• Cheetah’s (p. 271). How could you possibly visit Sin City and not sample
the ubiquitous lap dance? Couples are welcome at Cheetah’s,
the site of Paul Verhoven’s laughably overdone film Showgirls. More
quality, less silicone, and a VIP lounge that has hosted lap dances for
Wilt Chamberlain, Sting, and Drew Barrymore.
• The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace (p. 237). The most unique shopping
experience in the world. Take Rodeo Drive, marry it to Rome,
douse the whole thing in Spielberg, and you’re still nowhere near
this elegant retail space.
• The Sky Lounge at the Polo Towers (p. 266). Hidden on the 19th
floor of a timeshare condominium complex, this lounge offers a far
more engaging view than the Stratosphere Tower, absolutely free of
charge. Watch out for kamikaze tour groups.
• The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (p. 106). Everything about this hotel/
casino—the bars, the Joint showroom, Mr. Lucky’s 24/7—manages to
evoke classic Vegas, a city that was built for young hipsters, not
fanny-pack-wielding families.
• Love Shack (check local listings for various locations). Our vote for
Sin City’s best lounge act. Covering the music of the ’70s and ’80s
with tenacious fervor, Love Shack is nothing short of a funky riot in
6-inch heels and mascara.
• Red Rock Canyon (p. 285). Providing needed respite from the neon
jungle, Red Rock is as beautiful as the desert gets. This haven for
hikers and rock climbers gets a bit overrun at times, but it is still
worth the trip. Note: Don’t feed the wild burros. Unlike the entertainers
at Cheetah’s, they bite.
Circus Circus (p. 104) has ongoing circus acts throughout the day, a vast
video-game-and-pinball arcade, and dozens of carnival games on its mezzanine
level. Behind the hotel is the Adventuredome, detailed below.
Excalibur (p. 82) also offers video and carnival games, plus thrill cinemas and
free shows (jugglers, puppets, and so on).
At Caesars Palace (p. 86), the Race for Atlantis IMAX ride is a thrill for
everyone in the family. Animated talking statues in the Forum Shops are also a
kick, while kids should also be wowed by clamoring around inside the giant