Vegas Facts - 2004 APA National Team Championships

Vegas Facts

Did you know that. . .
Over 30 million people visit Las Vegas each year.
Hotels in Las Vegas have an annual 90% occupancy rate.
Las Vegas is the fifth most popular vacation destination in the world.
The Las Vegas airport is the eighth busiest in the world.
Out of the ten largest hotels in the world, nine of them are in Las Vegas.

Travel Tips
ALWAYS be mindful of your purse or wallet. Keep your valuables well covered, and don't drop your guard while checking out the attractions, gambling, shopping, or even walking down the sidewalk.

Don’t try to walk from The Strip to Fremont Street, or vice-versa. It's not a leisurely stroll, and you’ll pass through areas where there are not a lot of people, even during daylight hours. Catch the bus right outside the Riviera, or take a cab.

When walking, use the crosswalks. Jay-walking in Vegas carries a $95 fine. And when you're at the crosswalks, wait for the Walk light, and don't step too far off the curb while you wait. The locals really fly down streets that cross the Strip and the traffic lanes are close to the curbs.

Strolling the Strip
Here is some information provided by gotovegas.com. All times and information is subject to change.

The free fountain show in front of the Bellagio goes off every 30 minutes from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and then every 15 minutes until 12:00 midnight.

The free volcano show in front of the Mirage erupts every 15 minutes after dark until 12:00 midnight.

The free Sirens of TI show in front of Treasure Island is at 7:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 10:00 p.m., and 11:30 p.m.

Wind your way through the Grand Canal Shoppes to St. Mark's Square at the Venetian and see the "street performers" and "living statue". The shops are open 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (until midnight Friday and Saturday). There is a "Gondolier March" through the Shoppes to St. Mark's Square at 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

The Eiffel Tower observation deck at the Paris offers a great view of the Strip. The tower operates from 10:00 a.m. to 12 midnight; there is a fee.

Check out the Gallery of Fine Art at the Bellagio, which routinely features works by van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse, and Gauguin; there is a fee.

If you’re a car guy or gal, check out the auto collection at the Imperial Palace featuring antiques and vehicles owned by celebrities and presidents. Stated admission is $6.95, but try going to their "players desk" in the casino (across from the Mai Tai bar) and ask for a free pass.

Want a thrill ride? Roller coasters are featured at, New York, New York, Sahara, and Circus Circus. If you're a hard core thrill-seeker, there's a roller coaster, called the "High Roller", and a tower launcher, called the "Big Shot", on the roof of the Stratosphere Tower, and bungee jumping at Circus Circus.

If you plan to go "downtown", do it at night so you can check out the Fremont Street Experience. The canopy over the Fremont Street pedestrian mall is a giant "screen" several blocks long; you’ll see a great, free light and sound show with 2 million individual bulbs. Shows start at dusk and are repeated until 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 12:00 midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Cool Fact
If you saw the Robert DeNiro movie Casino, the Tangiers hotel/casino in the movie is actually based on the Stardust with interior casino shots filmed at the Riviera. The Ace Rothstein character played by DeNiro is actually Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. The bombing of his car actually happened in the parking lot of what is now Tony Roma's restaurant on Sahara. The character played by Joe Pesci, who was killed along with his brother outside of town, was actually Tony "The Ant" Spillotro. Mr. Rosenthal and Mr. Spillotro were often represented in court by defense attorney Oscar Goodman, who is now the mayor of Las Vegas.