Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

SPECIALIZED TRAVEL RESOURCES 23
Tips Quick Luggage I.D.
Tie a colorful ribbon or piece of yarn around your luggage handle, or slap
a distinctive sticker on the side of your bag. This makes it less likely that
someone will mistakenly appropriate it. And if your luggage gets lost, it
will be easier to find.
doctor, even his or her own. See also
the “Fast Facts: Las Vegas” at the end of
chapter 4, “Getting to Know Las
Vegas”; there you’ll find listings for
hospitals, dental referrals, and even a
clinic right on the Strip. For physician
referrals, call Desert Springs Hospital
(& 800/842-5439 or 702/388-4888).
Hours are Monday to Friday from 8am
to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to
3pm except holidays.
STAYING SAFE
CSI, the nation’s top-rated TV show in
2003, may turn up new corpses each
week, but the crime rate in real-life
Vegas isn’t higher than any other major
metropolis of its size. Predictably, with
all that cash floating around town,
pickpockets and thieves are active, so
keep an eye on your belongings and
store valuables in your in-room safe or
a hotel safety-deposit box. And don’t
flash your cash; it might attract the
wrong kind of attention and your big
bucks will go bye-bye.
For more information on safety, see
“Fast Facts” in chapter 4, and “Safety”
in chapter 3. Women should also see
“Women Travelers” later in this chapter.
6 Specialized Travel Resources
TRAVELERS WITH
You should also consider that it is
DISABILITIES
often a long trek through larger hotels
Most disabilities shouldn’t stop anyone
from traveling. There are more elevators (or, for that matter, anywhere
between the entrance and the room
options and resources out there than in the hotel), and then add a crowded
ever before.
casino to the equation.
On the one hand, Las Vegas is fairly The Southern Nevada Center for
well equipped for travelers with disabilities,
with virtually every hotel Eldora St., Suite F, Las Vegas, NV
Independent Living Program, 6039
having accessible rooms, ramps, and 89146 (& 702/889-4216; www.sncil.
other requirements. On the other org), can recommend hotels and restaurants
that meet your needs, help you
hand, the distance between each hotel
(particularly on the Strip) makes a find a personal attendant, advise about
vehicle of some sort virtually mandatory
for most people with disabilities, other questions.
transportation, and answer all sorts of
and it may be extremely strenuous and The Nevada Commission on
time-consuming to get from place to Tourism (& 800/638-2328; www.
place (even within a single hotel, travelnevada.com) offers a free accommodations
guide to Las Vegas hotels
because of the crowds). Additionally,
the casinos can be quite difficult to that includes access information.
maneuver in, particularly for a guest Many travel agencies offer customized
tours and itineraries for travel-
in a wheelchair. The casino floors are
crowded, and the machines and tables ers with disabilities. Flying Wheels
are often laid out close together, with Travel (& 507/451-5005; www.flying
chairs and such blocking easy access. wheelstravel.com) offers escorted tours