Question of the Day - 11 June 2020

In our opinion, the best vantage point for a good wide-angle frame of the Strip is from the Voodoo Steakhouse/Lounge atop the Rio's main tower. You're about a mile west of the center Strip, which stretches from the far right (Mandalay Bay) to the far left (Stratosphere). Also, you're outside on a deck, so even though there are glass barriers, you can find a spot to shoot from above them (even if it means discreetly standing on a table). 

A similar view, from a little higher up, but from a block farther away, is available from the Vetri Cucina restaurant (56th floor) and Apex Social Club (55th) atop the Palms. From the restaurant, it's through glass; from Apex, it's outside. You can go to the bar at Vetri Cucina anytime it's open for free and without reservations. But you can't get outside at Apex unless you pay the admission fee. All this assumes that the same policies that were in place before the shutdown will be after. 

The top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris, at 460 feet high, is also an excellent aerial. You're very close to everything, so it's a better view for detail (for example, of Bellagio's fountain shows) than for a panorama. There are small openings protective metal grillwork every few feet, so you don't have to shoot through the mesh. Of course, there's an admission charge to get to the top.

The indoor and outdoor observation decks of Strat Tower provide your highest view of the Strip. Problem is, the Strat is at the far north end and the Strip takes a jog to the left between the Mirage and Caesars Palace, so it's best for shooting the north Strip (Sahara, Circus Circus, Resorts World, and the dark Drew) and the Westgate. Admission charge.

Way down at the opposite end of the Strip, Rivea restaurant and the Skyfall Lounge are at the top of Delano at Mandalay Bay, on the 63rd floor. Dinner at this French restaurant is very expensive, but you can also go up and sit in the lounge on the 64th floor (admission). 

You can take a helicopter ride over the Strip. Papillon and Maverick Helicopters circles the Strip nightly.

We also like the view of the Strip from the top of the Rio's outdoor parking garage. It's only 50 feet off the ground, but you have a clear view and it's right there; just pull up to the roof, get out of your car, and snap away to your heart's content.