What’s the first thing that comes to mind when the subject is Las Vegas? Land of luxury resorts, casinos, home to great sports events, unusual weddings, and lots of buzz. The clichés are trustworthy, and there are two things you can be sure of about the most densely populated city in the state of Nevada, USA: it is definitely the land of luxury and of buzz. The famous saying is that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”, but we’ll keep no secrets when talking about the main attractions of the fastest growing city in North America. That’s why it’s the home of the residency shows of the music industry’s greatest icons – especially POP – and of the UFC’s super fights.
But there’s no way to start a text about las Vegas without highlighting its casinos, situated on the Strip – the Las Vegas Boulevard – or in the region of Old Town Las Vegas, birthplaces for some of the planet’s most imposing hotels and casinos: Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, Excalibur Hotel and Casino, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, New York New York, Paris, Stratosphere, The Venetian, Treasure island, among many others. It’s there that the Las Vegas tourism is born, grows every year, and is reproduced by those who disobey the popular saying of hiding everything that happens there, and go back to their hometowns full of stories to tell.
Nowadays touristic and legalized, the famous Las Vegas casinos began illicitly, and multiplied with a strong link to American organized crime, with members of the Mafia, such as Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegal and Meyer Lansky, among others, leading the business. And you’re mistaken if you think the city is ashamed of its past. On the contrary, there’s a certain pride in its citizens’ tone of voice when talking about the Mafia, which strengthened the city economically, as can be seen in the Mob Museum, which tells the story of the American Mafia.
With relation to the shows, don’t miss the Cirque du Soleil show called ONE, in honor of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, at the Mandalay Bay. Other musical icons celebrated in a big show are the Beatles, in the musical Love, at the Mirage. If you want extra fun, don’t miss hot parties such as the XS, at the Wynne, the live shows at the Brooklyn Bowl Vegas, and, of course, the lively pool parties, such as the Nite Tours.
Lastly, Las Vegas also surprises with other attractions not typical of its fame. Just walk along Las Vegas Boulevard and you’ll see that there are attractions for the whole family, opposed to what you thought was a dream for the single. The great demand from families that visit the town forced the big hotels to adapt, building imposing restaurants and the Linq, simply the biggest Ferris Wheel in the world, with no less than 550 meters in height. The MGM has The Park Vegas, inspired by New York City.
