Category: Lifestyle & Travel Tips

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Since You Asked —Taking Photographs

After making more than 50 trips to Las Vegas, which add up to more than a year of my life spent there, I’ve ventured far off the beaten path. In this post, I’d like to offer some tips on some of the best places in the Valley to take great photographs.

It may seem obvious and it’s most certainly not off the beaten path, but one of the best places to pull out your camera is the Bellagio Conservatory. The displays change seasonally, so you’re almost always likely to see something new, and the Bellagio artists do beautiful things with flowers. I’ve got tons and tons of great pictures of the conservatory; these are just a couple of favorites.

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Since You Asked — The Rat Pack Is Back

Usually, when a show bounces around from venue to venue, it’s a bad sign. It can mean that attendance is insufficient, or the casino isn’t promoting it well, or the space doesn’t work for the show. None of these reasons is usually overcome by moving to another venue — if the show actually does move. More times that not, when a show closes, the producers state that they say they’re “looking for a new home.” Then, it’s never heard from again.

One exception is The Rat Pack is Back. Before the shutdown in mid-March, it ws playing at the slightly off-Strip Tuscany. Previously, it appeared at the Plaza and the now-defunct Greek Isles, among other places. If that doesn’t seem like a stellar resumé, don’t be misled. It’s a really fun and enjoyable show.

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Since You Asked — Wings Over Vegas

I’m a wings aficionado. It’s my favorite food by far. I once flew from New York City to Buffalo and back in one day, just to go to the Anchor Bar and have wings for lunch. Then I married a girl from Buffalo! Even before I did, I spent plenty of time there, so if you’re from Buffalo, I submit the following to establish my street cred:

  • My favorite wings are Big Tree Inn, Buffalo Brew Pub, and Amherst Pizza and Ale House. 
  • I prefer Anchor Bar to Duff’s.
  • Bleu cheese. Period. Don’t even mention ranch.
  • Wings shouldn’t be breaded or baked. Those might be wings, and they might be chicken, but they’re not wings.
In Buffalo, NY, they have their priorities straight.

Las Vegas has lots of great food, but sometimes you’re just looking for good wings. They’re there, but you have to know where to find them. Here are my reviews and recommendations.

Best Wings on the Strip

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Since You Asked—The Neon Museum

Ever since Betty Willis designed the historic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign for Western Neon in 1959, Las Vegas has had a love affair with neon signs. It’s hard to believe, but for many years, no effort was made to preserve this rich area of local history. When old hotels were torn down or rebranded, their signs were simply discarded.

Somewhere around the mid-1990s, the nonprofit group behind the Neon Museum started storing signs haphazardly in an empty lot north of downtown, with the hope of someday providing them with a proper home. In the meantime, small tours were available by appointment on an informal basis, if you happened to know about it and were able to reach someone when you called.

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Since You Asked — Big Bus Tours

[Editor’s Note: As Las Vegas reopens, many visitors will be looking for ways to get outside more than usual. The open-air upper deck of the Big Bus Tour is a great way to do that. The tour is currently not running, but is expected to reopen as the casinos and the rest of the city do. Here, Dapper Dave Kamsler provides a first-hand account of the joys of the Big Bus Tour.]

One of my favorite ways to explore a new city is on the Big Bus Tours.

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Since You Asked — A Big BIG Steak

I like steak. A LOT. And in Vegas, it’s go big or go home. I’m not looking for some ridiculous timed eating challenge; this is a marathon, not a sprint. I just want the biggest hunk of meat I can find. My previous record holder was the 36-ounce double-cut New York Strip steak at the Palm at Caesars Palace, which was excellent. But on this trip, I was looking for something truly legendary.

My search took me to Herbs and Rye, an old-school steakhouse and cocktail lounge located at 3713 West Sahara, about two miles west of the Strip. It’s a quick Uber/cab ride from the north Strip, longer from the center or south Strip or downtown, especially during dinnertime rush-hour traffic. Or you can take the Sahara Express bus.

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Since You Asked — Wildlife on the Strip

If you read my first blog post, you know there’s a lot more wildlife in Las Vegas than what can be found in the club scene. But I know what you’re thinking: “Hey, Dave, that sounds nice and all, but Vegas time is precious time and I’m not leaving the greatest four-mile stretch on Earth to go traipsing all over.”

Fine, but in that case, can I interest you in some wildlife right on the Strip?

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