Earlier this month we made our annual trip to Las Vegas for NBA Summer League games, to see family and do some sightseeing. We had a spare pair of Explorer Passes from Smart Destinations to amp up our trip and do some touristy things in addition to the other stuff we had plans. If you haven't used Smart Destinations for their Go Cards, then you really should. Do more for less and skip the ticket lines for the most part, which are two awesome things.
We used Explorer Passes last year as well, which you can read about here. Last year we rode the Big Bus. It's a hop-on, hop-off bus, but you have to go inside Circus Circus to the Big Bus desk to get your actual ticket(s) (instead of across the street as it used to be) and then you can pick it up anywhere along the route. Since you're already there, go outside Circus Circus and hop on there.
There are two routes, a downtown one and a Strip one. We already took the downtown one, so we chose the Strip one this time. Here's a tip for you: sit on the top deck, on the right hand side just in front of the canvas top (it should be the first row of seats behind the stairs). This way, if you want to take pictures, there won't be anyone in front of you, there's no top to get in the way and the windshield doesn't cut all your pictures in half. Just make sure to wear your sunglasses/hat and sunscreen.
Depending on the destination you're at, you'll either get earphones to listen to a recorded tour or you'll have a live person, like the ones in Vegas. They ask you questions, tell you stuff about where you are, including fun and historical facts. They can vary with a live guide, though it's much more interesting. We learned things about the sites we saw on the ride and about our fellow riders.
As someone who loves to take pics, it's difficult to get good ones while walking and driving, but the view from the top of the bus gets you over traffic, so you can get unimpeded views of the hotels and the awesome stuff out front. The Mirage is really beautiful when you don't have to see it through six lanes of traffic, or from the ground right in front where you can't get a good angle of both the building and the waterfalls.
The same goes for New York New York's Brooklyn Bridge and shop fronts, though Eric got a pretty good one of me on walk.
And, unless you actually stop at the Las Vegas sign, you pretty much can't get a photo at all. You can get out here and stand in line to take your own pictures, but it was super warm out and standing in the heat to get a pic of us under the sign didn't seem like fun, so I took pictures of other people doing it. Ha!
They are continually changing and adding to Madam Tussauds, so we made the trip there again. Even though my camera battery died, I was able to get some good shots with my phone. Here I am with Johnny Depp. I wonder why he looks so serious.
I think we're trying to figure out why Nicolas Cage wasn't in that movie! You know, the one he wasn't in. LOL! I love that guy.
Eric had some words to shout at Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) on the set of Glee. The props they have at this one is really fun and are everywhere so you can get into your photo ops.
In fact, Eric was shocked to find his secret revealed on the Jerry Springer Show. You push a button on the box off to the side and your picture is shown on the TV screen with a random reason you're on the show. Eric's was "My wig is made from my dog's hair". Hysterical! I find that my squeamishness around wax figures is getting a bit better the more I visit these places, but I did jump when I turned around and Eric was right behind me looking at the same thing, because I didn't know he was there. It's also disconcerting when they have a bunch of figures just standing in the middle of the room, so there's really no place for you to stand without one being behind or next to you.
So, I think I've been to Vegas 15 times and I've never been to the top of the Eiffel Tower. What's up with that? Well, with the Explorer Pass we were able to finally do it. The pass only allows for the daytime visit, so maybe next time we will try doing a nighttime visit on our own.
In the gift shop, you can buy a lock...or you can bring your own and add it to the portion of the bridge at the top of the escalators. Once you do that, or take a picture of other peoples' love locks, head across the bridge to get your picture taken and to the elevator.
The elevator is really cool. It's triangular-shaped. I loved it, even though only, like, six people could fit in it comfortably. Check out the view on the way up and the structure of the tower. It's quite similar to the real thing.
Once at the top, you can walk around the observation deck for views from all angles. Just like the real Eiffel Tower, there's a cage around it so you don't jump off to your death or toss things over the side. There are gaps in the fence for better photo ops, but any you take this way will have the mesh in the background.
Here's a pic I took without the fence in the way. There were quite a few more, including this one on Instagram that I love. Make sure you follow me there if you want to see more fun travel pics. I also post food and puppy
Another activity we did last year, but liked so much that we wanted to do it again was to take a spin on the High Roller. It's the world's largest observation wheel and it's awesome. I have heard a lot of folks say that they are too afraid of heights to get on it, but it's almost like hanging out in a very small hotel room in the sky.
The wheel takes 30 minutes for a full rotation and takes you up to 550 feet at the peak. The views are phenomenal, the music is fun and the comedian they have on the screens is hilarious. There's fun facts, trivia and the occasional reminder of how high up you are. There's even a countdown to the top.
We were lucky to have a whole cabin of our own, because the time we went was pretty slow. That just gave us more room to walk around, with the ability to not get in anyone's way as we tried to see everything from all angles.
Check this view from away from the Strip. The mountains are gorgeous and I want to run around on that lovely golf course that has its own waterfall. Amazing! You get totally different views from the High Roller than you do from the Eiffel Tower, so doing both is fun and not at all redundant. This is another thing that's only available for the daytime with the Explorer Pass, but I feel like you probably see more that way and Vegas can be really beautiful.
Want to get your own Explorer Pass (or create your own Go Card) for your next trip to Vegas. Click here for more information. If you want to get a Go Card for any of the other destinations (Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Oahu, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington DC) click here to buy and for more info.
Your Go Cards are good for 30 days after you've first activated them (the first time you use them for an attraction) and are valid for one year after purchase. They make fantastic gifts and also save you so much on your trips, while allowing you to do the things you planned to do anyway, plus even more. Each card comes with a guide that includes info on all the activities included, addresses, phone numbers and a map. It's invaluable and fits right in your bag or pocket.
Have you ever used Go Cards before? Where, or where would you like to go with Go Card?
Disclaimer: I was provided with Explorer Pass Go Cards from SmartDestinations for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.
No comments:
Post a Comment