Browsing Very Lively Las Vegas Strip, Especially at Night!- 3 (Las Vegas, NV)

This is the third part of browsing the Las Vegas Strip.
Again, here is a map of the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip for your convenience. If you want to check out the other parts, here are the links:

- Browsing Very Lively Las Vegas Strip, Especially at Night!- 1
- Browsing Very Lively Las Vegas Strip, Especially at Night!- 2

Anyway, do you know what “Las Vegas” means?

I’ve known Las Vegas for a long time, but I’ve never knew what it meant until now. Before I continue talking about the Las Vegas Strip, I ‘d like to talk about Las Vegas a little bit.

The name comes from Spanish for "the meadows." The area was originally home to Navajo and other nomadic Native American tribes. In 1829, Antonio Armijo (a Mexican trader) came across what he called a grassland meadow, and the name stuck. In 1855, Mormons sent a small group of settlers to help the local natives plant crops and set up a way station between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City (the way station was abandoned within 2 years). In 1905 the city of Las Vegas was established formally. Then, two things happened in 1931 that helped change the city's path forever: construction began on nearby Hoover Dam began (with thousands of dam workers brought in to the city), and casino gambling was legalized.

You probably know that the infamous New York mobster, Bugsy Siegel, started the Las Vegas that we know now, building it from a struggling small town for years by opening his Flamingo Hotel in 1946.

 

Las Vegas calls itself the “Entertainment Capital of the World“ and is primarily known for gambling, nightlife, entertainment, shopping, and fine dining (especially buffets). Additionally, today Las Vegas is a top destination in the United States for business conventions. It is also a global leader in the hospitality industry, with more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any other city. Its tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment has earned it the title of “Sin City” and made it a popular setting for literature, films, television programs, and music videos, which in turn has helped it become one of the world's most visited tourist destinations.

Thanks to Lake Mead from Hover Dam, palm trees are everywhere in Las Vegas. 

 

This is the famous Bellagio, which became more famous from the 2001 film, “Ocean's Eleven.”

 

The Bellagio opened on October 15, 1998. Bellagio was conceived by Steve Wynn and built by his company, Mirage Resorts, Inc.

The world famous Fountains of Bellagio show takes place every 30 minutes in the afternoons and early evenings, and every 15 minutes from 8 PM to midnight.

 

The famous fountain is set in a 8-acre (3.2 ha) manmade lake that is serviced by a freshwater well (drilled decades ago to irrigate the golf course that previously existed at the location). The network of pipes making up the fountain includes more than 1,200 nozzles and 4,500 lights. The water displays are choreographed to various pieces of music, including "Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis Presley, "Luck Be a Lady" by Frank Sinatra, "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood, "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli, "Your Song" by Elton John, and "My Heart Will Go On" by Céline Dion.

 

The tourists were busy taking pictures when the Fountains of Bellagio show is on.

Speaking on water, Bellagio is home to Cirque du Soleil's aquatic production "O."

“O” is a water-themed stage production by Cirque du Soleil (the Canadian circus and entertainment company famous for its exotic shows) in permanent residence at the Bellagio since October 1998. “O” (pronounced the same way as “eau,” the French word for "water") takes place above, in, and around a 1.5-million gallon (5,700 cubic m.) pool of water. The show features water acts, as well as aerial and ground acts. 

 

If you look around Las Vegas Strip by car, even though most Las Vegas hotels provide free parking, usually it is very inconvenient since it is located in a remote area. So valet parking can be convenient, even if it costs some tip.

 

This is Paris Las Vegas, opened in 1999. The golden-colored Eiffel Tower caught my eyes first.

 

The theme of the resort is the city of Paris (France), which includes a 540-foot (164.6 m.) tall, half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower; a sign shaped like the Montgolfier balloon, a two-thirds size Arc de Triomphe, a replica of La Fontaine des Mers, and a 1,200-seat theatre. The front of the hotel was modeled after the Paris Opera House and the Louvre museum.

 

I spotted Planet Hollywood Las Vegas (formerly the Aladdin).

 

This is Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, named to invoke the Place du Casino in Monte Carlo. Just like its model, it features neoclassical arches, ornate fountains, gas-lit promenades, chandelier domes, and marble floors.

 

This is the Aria Resort and Casino, part of the CityCenter complex. Opened in 2009, it consists of two curved steel and glass high-rise towers joined in the center.

 

Aria incorporated extensive technology in the exterior and interior designs specifically to reduce energy consumption. It is the world’s largest hotel that has earned LEED Gold certification. Its “smart” rooms automatically adjust curtains, turn off unused lights and electronics, and adjust the temperature when a guest enters or leaves a room. Popular Mechanics magazine described the hotel as “possibly the most technologically advanced hotel ever built."

 

Water runs down the outer wall of the hotel and provides a much cooler atmosphere. 

 

This is the mega hotel and casino, MGM Grand, opened in 1993. 

The MGM Grand Las Vegas (formerly the Marina and MGM-Marina) is the largest single hotel in America. With 5,124 rooms, it is also the 3rd largest hotel complex in the world in terms of number of rooms. When it opened, the MGM Grand was the largest hotel complex in the world.

MGM is home to Cirque du Soleil's production “Kà” in the Kà Theatre. 

The Los Angeles Times stated that the “Kà” show "may well be the most lavish production in the history of Western theater. It is surely the most technologically advanced." More than one million people have seen the show since it opened in 2005.

 

It is almost 12 AM and we are leaving Las Vegas tomorrow morning. We came back to the hotel by taxi and this picture was taken facing north on the Strip from the hotel room.