Top 10 acts of escapism in vegas

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of-escapism-in-vegas
Top 10 acts of escapism in
Vegas
A Bible-toting Elvis kisses a giddy couple who have just pledged
eternity in the Chapel of Love. A blue-haired granny feeds nickels
into a slot machine while chain-smoking and slugging gin and
tonics. A porn star saunters by a nightclub’s velvet rope. Welcome to
Las Vegas – blink and you’ll miss it. Sleep? Forget about it.
Vegas is the ultimate escape. A few frenzied sleepless nights here
can be more intoxicating than a week-long bender somewhere else.
Let the everyday rules of behaviour slide a little, like a burlesque
dancer's feather boa. Be as bad as you want to be, and make your
most devilish fantasies come true. Sin City stands ready to give you
an alibi: what happens here, stays here. Who can resist such
seductive temptation?
Here are the top 10 ways you can have the most frenzied, fast-paced
and fantastical time of your life in Vegas.
1. Dive into the free-for-all on the Strip
The sensory overload of blindingly bright neon lights signifies that
yes, you have finally arrived on Las Vegas Blvd (aka the Strip). The
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of-escapism-in-vegas
infamous Strip has the lion's share of hulking casino hotels and
megaresorts, all flashily competing to lure you inside. The opposite
side of the Strip holds just as many distractions. Lean over the
graceful bridges and balustrades of the Venetian and watch the
singing gondoliers oar their boats through the mock canals of this
Italianate casino.
2. Party with the locals on "First Friday" nights
On the tattered fringes of downtown, hidden among the antique
shops and vintage clothing stores, is the city's emerging 18b Arts
District. Drive by it on any given weekday and you might not even
notice pivotal landmarks like the Arts Factory. But on the first Friday
night of each month, these rundown streets take on a carnival
atmosphere as 10,000 art lovers, hipsters, indie musicians and
hangers-on turn it into one giant block party.
3. Examine the legacy of the Cold War at the Atomic
Testing Museum
During the atomic heyday of the 1950s, visitors downtown stared,
mesmerized, as mushroom clouds rose from the desert behind Las
Vegas. Over the next four decades, more than 900 nuclear explosions
were initiated at the Nevada Test Site, just 65 miles northwest of the
city. Multimedia exhibits at the Atomic Testing Museum focus on
science, technology and the social history of the Atomic Age. There
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is also a cool scientific- and retro-minded museum shop, where you
can buy your very own A-bomb fallout shelter sign or biohazard T-
shirt.
4. Shop for one-of-a-kind gambling souvenirs
The kitschy age of old-school casinos and the heyday of outrageous
theme hotels may be drawing to a close as the Strip's casino hotels
trade their gaudy Egyptian gods and faux European landmarks for
more chic - but ultimately boring - high-class luxury. Fans of Old
Vegas can still pick up pieces of these old-school hotels at fun, funky
shops such as Gamblers General Store
(www.gamblersgeneralstore.com) that collect vintage casino
souvenirs, from authentic gaming chips to your very own slot
machine.
5. Wow at the avant-garde circus exploits of Cirque
du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil's circus shows rule the roost with the Strip's
longest-running spectacular (since 1993). Though founded in
Québec, Cirque du Soleil seems tailor-made for Las Vegas, where
spectacle is craved above all else. Whimsical multicoloured
costumes, high-flying aerial acrobatics and giant-sized taiko drums
add up to an electrifying atmosphere, and you can easily get caught
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up in the heart-pounding shows.
6. Refuel late-night at retro hideaway Fireside Lounge
When it is 4am and your feet hurt after shakin' your booty all night
long, where are you gonna go? Escape the other tourists at the
Peppermill Casino's 24-hour Fireside Lounge. Hidden away on the
North Strip, this pint-sized coffee shop with its candy-bright neon
lights and faux flickering fireplaces is a beacon. The psychedelic
decor and special-effects water fountains are as distracting as the
cocktail waitress's slinky dress.
7. Let it all hang out in downtown's historic Glitter
Gulch
When you've tired of the glitz of the Strip, ride the double-decker
Deuce Bus downtown to Fremont St. There you will discover the
city's original hurly-burly casino row, nicknamed Glitter Gulch. This
old-school gambling ghetto sprang up beside the railroad tracks back
in 1905. Although the downtown gambling halls are not glamorous
like Vegas' megaresorts, their proximity to one another is a real plus.
You can easily stumble between half a dozen gaming joints here.
8. Make a pilgrimage to Liberace's shrine of kitsch
Known as "Mr Showmanship", the late, great entertainer Liberace
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has been honoured by the creation of this outrageous museum,
located off the Strip. While audiences enjoyed listening to Liberace's
exuberant keyboard artistry, they were also amazed and secretly
amused by his outlandish style. Time your visit to coincide with one
of the free guided tours, during which no mention will be made of
Liberace's homosexuality or the more creepily bizarre rumours that
he had his lover undergo plastic surgery in order to make him look
more like Liberace himself.
9. Laze by the pool all day
Las Vegas' pop culture of excess also applies to swimming pools.
Bikini-clad goddesses proffer frozen grapes at Caesars Palace while
the Golden Nugget's waterslide shoots swimmers through a glass-
enclosed shark tank. The city's most impressive (guests-only) pool
complex at Mandalay Bay even has an artificial beach.Here, surfers
can ride on 6ft-high artificial waves, rent a beachfront cabana or
private villa to be treated like royalty for a day, or while away the
hours gambling at the beachside casino.
10. Indulge in bodily bliss at a modern oasis
Seeking Hawaiian lomilomi, Japanese shiatsu or a Thai massage? Or
perhaps a volcanic-mud or banana-leaf body wrap and a coconut-
crème exfoliation? Or how about a lotus-flower bath and a soak in
signature apothecary elixirs? Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace has
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of-escapism-in-vegas
everything you desire, and then some. Sweat out your hangover
inside the aromatic cedar sauna. Take a dip in the Roman baths. Chill
in the arctic room, where dry-ice snowflakes fall. Recline in the
exotic tea lounge. In the "Men's Zone", bad-boy poker players can
get a royal shave or have their sore muscles kneaded like they were
victorious gladiators.
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