Question from the board was: Stay on the strip or downtown?
Re-thought answer: What do YOU want from Vegas?

•If you want huge, themed mega-resorts, spectacular stage shows, lavish buffets, plush hotel rooms, gourmet dining, and designer shopping you want the Strip.

•If you want to be able to get from one casino to the next in less than 4 minutes, if you want smaller hotels, (often) better gambling odds, shopping at kiosks, and good food you want downtown.

•If you really want to experience Vegas, do BOTH!

Before you go, do a little reading and find something extra you'd like to see...for example:

The Northern Club was the first casino to get a gaming license in 1931, it was downtown where La Bayou is now....a small place that's easy to pass by, but a location that is filled with history!

Right next door is the Golden Gate Casino ...originally built in 1906 and opened as the Nevada Hotel (first southern Nevada hotel built from concrete...right Andy? ), for a time the Golden Gate had the name of Sal Sagev ...which is Las Vegas backwards.

The El Rancho Vegas was the first luxury hotel on the strip, it opened with 63 rooms in 1941, it burned down in June of 1960 and was never re-built. Now it's an empty lot across from the Sahara .

In 1996 (I think!) the Flamingo tower where Bugsy Siegel had his rooms was torn down. The door from his suite can be seen (and touched) at the museum in Las Vegas. When I took hold of the handle on the door, my first reaction was a thrill...I was holding a piece of history. My second reaction was a chill, as I remembered more of the history..."Murder Inc."

Las Vegas is unique...the history of the town is fascinating. The curator at the museum seemed a bit offended when we expressed surprise that there was little or no old gambling equipment
or historical items to be found!! His response was "There's a lot more to Las Vegas than gambling!" Not to a chipper!!