Some Things to Do in Las Vegas

By C.R. Moss (Guest Blogger)

Hi from C.R. Moss, a Las Vegas local! In light of the Erotic Authors Association’s Inaugural Conference coming here in September (http://eroticauthorsassociation.com/EAA/conference/about-the-conference/) I’m doing a few blogs that revolve around this fascinating city. This blog post, like it states in the title, features some activities people can do when they visit. Please note, this list isn’t all inclusive, and no, I have no affiliation with the hotels/casinos/restaurants/etc I mention. They’re just places my friends and I like have been to.

Check out the bars ~ Whether you drink or not, it can be interesting to watch what goes on around the bars in this town. Casinos have their bars out on the gaming floors and usually nearby you can watch some free entertainment – bands, dancers, Elvis impersonators. Harrah's has a piano bar with Dueling Piano Twins and there’s live entertainment at the outdoor Carnaval Court Bar & Grill where you can also see some flair-style bartending. My friends and I like to hang out at McFadden’s at the Rio. Then, of course, you have the nightclubs and themed venues like Red Square with its private vodka vault and famous frozen icebar. At Bellagio, you can enjoy high tea at the Petrossian Bar. LAX has a gothic feel to it. There’s a Tequila Bar at Bally's. And at Dick’s Las Resort Bar insults flow like the liquor does.

White balls or black rocks ~ Go golfing or have a spa day. There’s an abundance of golf courses in the valley just as there are many spas on and off the strip. And with plenty to choose from you’re sure to find a place that fits your budget.

Experience the Experience ~ Downtown has the Fremont Street Experience. http://www.vegasexperience.com/ There’s an overhead canopy housing 12.5 million LED modules which, after the sun goes down, puts on animated shows. Plus, there are two stages for live performances and sometimes you’ll see a film crew shooting scenes for a television show or movie. DH & I were able to see a scene from CSI being filmed.

Check out nature ~ Inside the Las Vegas city limits: Spring Preserves - http://www.springspreserve.org/ Outside Las Vegas: Valley of Fire - http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm; Red Rock - http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/; Spring Mountain Ranch - http://parks.nv.gov/smr.htm; Hoover Dam - http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/

Check out the casinos’ features ~ Fountains and Gardens at Bellagio: The fountains are a show of water, music and light. The Conservatory & Botanical Gardens contain gorgeous plants, flowers and trees in spectacular arrangements. The Tower at the Stratosphere: At 1,149 feet above the city, I think the best view is at night. For more info visit: http://www.stratospherehotel.com/Tower See the cats at the lion habitat in MGM Grand or the tiger exhibits at the Mirage. Speaking of the Mirage don’t forget to visit the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. There’s the shark reef at Mandalay Bay http://www.mandalaybay.com/entertainment/shark-reef-aquarium.aspx & at the Luxor there are two exhibitions: Bodies and Titanic. Those are just some of the features in the many casinos. And, don’t forget the wonderful shows the casinos have available.

Walk or drive the Strip ~ If you’re going to walk the strip, be sure to carry water and wear a good pair of walking shoes. Seeing the distances between casinos is deceptive. Everything looks closer than it really is. The casinos are huge and going from inside one casino to outside on the strip to go to another takes some time. The best time to go walking, during the hotter months, is after the sun sets. The heat dissipates some and the lights come on. Oh, and if you’re walking, just ignore the sales people asking if you want free tickets to a show or money to gamble with, etc. They’re usually working for the time shares and to get the freebies you’ll have to sit through a sales pitch. Also don’t take the cards the men are slapping and flicking. They’re usually advertising ‘escort’ services. To drive the strip if it’s your first time, I suggest either using mass transit or finding a friend with a car who doesn’t mind driving and not looking at the sights. Be sure to allot plenty of time for the drive up and down the strip. For more transportation info and tips on walking visit: http://off2vegas.com/transit.html

Eat ~ With all the different buffets, cafés, restaurants, pubs, etc. on the strip and off, be sure to get your fill!

Feeling sexy? ~ There are a number of strip clubs and I know of at least one that has a section for women to watch men dance. There are hotels that offer ‘European Bathing’—pools that are for people 21 and over where women can sunbathe topless. Or if you want to take in some sexy culture, check out the Erotic Heritage Museum: http://www.eroticheritagemuseumlasvegas.com/

Some Q&A revolving around me and Las Vegas

Q: Do you base stories in Las Vegas?

A: Sure do! And, come September, my writing partner and I are due to have a co-authored story out through Evernight Publishing. An erotic contemporary romance with cowboys, ‘Wild West Weekend,’ is set on a fictional ranch in a town right outside of Las Vegas. Yee-haw! For info on that story (and future stories in the series) visit: http://doubledranchtales.blogspot.com/

Q: Don’t you miss the snow, rain, change of seasons?

A: Um, no. If I want to see snow, I can look at the mountain ranges and see the snowcapped peaks or go up Mt. Charleston and experience it firsthand. Rain, well, we get that here. In fact, back in December it rained for a few days straight. As for the change of seasons, they happen here, too. In the spring the trees in my neighborhood sprout beautiful pink and white flowers. In the fall, they’ll change colors. It gets cold here (we had one of the chilliest New Year’s on record last year) and it snows (take a peek at my facebook pictures.) In the spring our vehicles get covered with the green-yellow sheath of pollen.

Q: But it gets so hot there. How do you deal with it?

A: I deal better with the summers here than I did back east. Truly, there is something to be said for the dry heat. I don’t have to deal with sitting still and being soaked anymore just because it’s ninety-some degrees out with ninety-some percent humidity. A friend of mine said this about the differences in heat: for the hot southwest it’s like turning your oven on to 125 degrees, and once it’s heated, opening the door and feeling the blast of hot dry air. For back east, it’s like stepping in to a sauna. Granted, I’ve become so acclimated to the weather here that when the humidity creeps above 20% I can tell.

Thanks for joining me here today & reading my post about Las Vegas. :)

Happy Reading, C.R. Moss

An eccentric and eclectic writer, C.R. Moss pens stories for the mainstream and erotic markets, giving readers Worlds of Possibilities. Visit her site at: www.crmoss.net

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