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Carts placed at intervals down the center of the Fremont Street mall offer sunglasses, wind chimes, stuffed toys, baseball caps, and mini-cars in various makes and models.

Simply walking along Via Bellagio is an unforgettable experience. The boutiques are so opulent as to be intimidating: even if you dare not step inside, then at least the entrances to Escada, Chanel, Gucci, and others are large enough to see inside. Tiffany’s windows are especially dazzling during the holiday season.

The Forum Shops are laid out along pseudo-Roman streets within the Caesars Palace complex, characterized by two-story storefronts topped with statues of Roman senators. Along with wares from Europe, American design is featured at s tores like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and the Disney Store. Ask for a map of the shops at the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (see Sources of Information) before you put on your shopping shoes.

Italian cashmere at Manrico, men’s European designer apparel at Casablanca Clothiers, and Alegre are among the upscale clothing stores. A fresher breath in merchandising comes from shops such as Tommy Bahama, which captures the joie de vivre of the tropics.

For people who enjoy logo items, MGM Grand shops offer four stores – MGM Grand & Co., Lion Habitat Retail Shop, a Rainforest Café outlet, and Las Vegas Harley Davidson (motorcycle-related merchandise). Other businesses include Photo Magic.

Located on the second floor of The Venetian, the emphasis at Grand Canal Shoppes is on European elegance. Exquisite goods for sale include handmade Venetian lace, glass, and masks as well as silks, shoes, and jewelry from various European countries. Part of the pleasure of shopping at this mall is the ambience – not quite like the real Venice, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Mexican standards – burritos, tacos, enchiladas – done with flair at this popular chain.

An innovative blend of offerings at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel, including omelets, imported cheeses, bouillabaisse, wild mushroom bisque, lamb, venison, prime rib steak, and huge shrimp, all followed by a wealth of French-inspired desserts.

Huge three-decker bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches, great hamburgers, and chocolate chip cookie pie.

There are around 60 buffet rooms in Las Vegas, and most could not be described as aesthetically lovely. The setting of the Nugget, however, is just that. The dishes are pretty tasty, too: don’t miss the fresh carved turkey and old-fashioned bread pudding.

During the National Finals Rodeo, all of Las Vegas seems to go country – wearing jeans and boots. Casinos bring in country music bands, and line-dancing is enacted. The venues change from year to year, including that of the barbecue cook-off. The free entertainment magazines are the best sources of information about what’s going on where.

During the National Finals Rodeo, all of Las Vegas seems to go country – wearing jeans and boots. Casinos bring in country music bands, and line-dancing is enacted. The venues change from year to year, including that of the barbecue cook-off. The free entertainment magazines are the best sources of information about what’s going on where.

Boats in various classes compete for prizes.

A group of professional magicians create haunted houses in parking lots, community centers, and parks. The “Texas Screamer” haunted house comes complete with mad doctor’s laboratory and a surprise visit from the Texas chainsaw lunatic.

Opportunity Village, an organization that helps the mentally challenged, raises funds by creating a Magical Forest with 50 decorated Christmas trees. The centerpiece is Santa’s Castle, fashioned by the toy wizards FAO Schwarz.

Chinese New Year festivities center around Chinatown Plaza. Highlights include the traditional Chinese lion dance, firecrackers, foods, and feng shui as it pertains to the New Year.

This huge collection of Elvis memorabilia is said to be worth between $3 million and $5 million. “The King’s” guitars and his 1955 Cadillac are on display, as are such memorable artifacts as his blue suede shoes. Don’t miss one of the five-times-a-day complimentary live performances – but is it Elvis?

One can easily become so entranced with the wax figures that their theatrical settings are ignored.

Pavarotti, Madame Tussaud’s

The hall of fame for the heaviest, fastest, and tallest. Local record-holders are Brad Rodgers, owner of the largest collection of shot glasses, and Peter Rosendahl, with 26 records for feats accomplished on unicycles.

“O” , staged by Cirque du Soleil, is a circus quite unlike any other. The whole show revolves around the theme of water (hence the name, as in the French eau ). Seven hydraulic lifts raise and lower the water levels throughout the performance, allowing for spectacular diving and other feats.

Created especially for Treasure Island, Mystère is an enchanting circus that – like all Cirque du Soleil productions – has a mystical thread running through it. The costumes are innovative and colorful.

Not far from the city lights, this escarpment shimmers in the setting sun.

Over the course of almost 30 years Circus Circus has entertained hundreds of thousands of spectators with their impressive shows. Stars have included the Flying Farfans of Argentina, the miniature-bicycle rider Charles Charles of Paris, and Russian acrobat Valerie Akishin. With performances every half hour, you can pop back for different shows to catch a wide variety of acts.

Unique, funny, and wildly innovative, three bald blue men take the audience on a multi-sensory journey, featuring theater, percussion music, and vaudeville. Like nothing else you have ever seen!

The glory that was Rome provides the backdrop for the city’s best upscale shops and restaurants.

Located on the world’s tallest observation tower, the Big Shot shoots riders 160 ft (50 m) into the air. They then freefall back to the launch pad. It’s not a ride for the faint-hearted, or for kids – fortunately for them, though, there’s a child-size version of Big Shot at Stratosphere.

Rub shoulders with the stars of the entertainment and sporting worlds, and learn how wax reproductions look so very real.

The ultimate excursion from Las Vegas. Whether their trip is by airplane, bus, or automobile, most visitors say the experience is unforgettable.

The heart of Las Vegas in its early days, downtown’s centerpiece, Glitter Gulch, experienced a rebirth in the late 1990s.

An engineering marvel, the dam not only tamed the raging Colorado River but also created the enormous Lake Mead, providing myriad aquatic pursuits, just minutes from the Las Vegas city limits.

The sidewalk outside is wooden decking, with rope railings along the waters of Buccaneer Bay. Skull-and-crossbone door handles lead to the casino, where treasure chests, old maps, and other pirate gear continue the theme. In the shopping arcade, specialty candies are sold at the Candy Reef. Pirates pose for photos at Buccaneer Bay when they’re not doing battle with HMS Britannia.

Whether or not the Venetian really evokes accurate images of Venice is beside the point: the sum of the hotel’s parts adds up to an aesthetically pleasing whole.

Alas, the City of Light has to lose something in translation to the City of Bright Lights. Even so, the Eiffel Tower model is impressive; the bicycle-riding delivery boy, and a cheery “bonjour” from valet-parking attendants are nice touches, too.

The Statue of Liberty raises her torch over the busiest intersection in Las Vegas. Nearby the Empire State, CBS, and Chrysler buildings rub shoulders with the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station, and the New York Public Library. Despite the architectural license, New York–New York is an exciting place with all manner of well-observed details.

Conveniently located in the center of the Strip, the Mirage is famous for its tropical atrium, pretty pool with cascading waterfall, and Siegried & Roy’s white tigers (see Mamma Mia! & White Tiger Habitat).

Despite being one of the largest hotels in the world, the Grand maintains a relaxed ambience. It boasts a luxurious spa (see MGM Grand Spa).

With its theme of Southeast Asia, Mandalay Bay has lush tropical foliage, dotted with tiny pagodas and temples. In the lobby area, exotic birds call from wooden cages. The huge swimming complex as well as several of the shops and the popular “rumjungle” lounge emphasize the theme. There is also an events center (see Mandalay Bay Events Center).

Its 30-story pyramid and giant sphinx have been Vegas landmarks since 1993.

Caesars Palace opened in 1966 and was long the Strip’s most opulent and, some would say, most ostentatious hotel. Times change, though, and Caesars recently was forced to put millions of dollars into renovations in order to keep up with newcomers. Cleopatra’s Barge – a floating lounge – is still as it was, and the cocktail goddesses still wear toga-like costumes, but new statues have been erected on the front lawn, and the former show theater, Circus Maximus, has been updated.

The Italian Renaissance revisited. Minstrels and nobility stroll among the Venetian landmarks; gondoliers glide by.

Visions of magic lamps and genies in bottles shimmer amid the hotel’s minarets.

The hotel that upped the ante as far as Las Vegas luxury is concerned. It is well located, too.