2nd of 4, 4th of July visits in honor of America 250. Sadly, the restaurant my parents & I ate at…read moreon July 4, 2019 in Henderson is out of business. My parents lived in Phoenix until 2021 before they moved to Lancaster, PA to be closer to their only kid, me. I had a wedding in Vegas on Saturday, July 6, 2019. I flew into Phoenix on night of June 30, spent 3 full days in my hometown, and then my dad drove us on July 4, and I flew out July 9. I had been to Vegas over a dozen times over the years, mainly in 90's & 2000's while living in Phoenix. Since living in the DC area, 2011-present, I visited 3 times, December 2013, July 2019 (wedding), & November 2019 (another wedding). I had been to the Welcome to Vegas sign a couple of times. When I was a kid in 1995 on my first trip to Vegas, we stayed at the Stardust Hotel. But Vegas has changed a lot since then, a lot of places from the old days. Stardust closed in 2006, and Frontier next door closed in 2007. New fancier hotels or other things take over. Funny thing speaking of America 250, Stardust opened on July 2, 1958, just in time for 4th of July that year. Welcome to Vegas sign is a must visit photo op when visiting. I've been there a few of the times. It's a must visit to try to get out there both day & night. At night the sign lights up. Day it's a different vibe, but both are cool times to visit. There's just enough parking between the north & southbound lanes of Las Vegas Blvd., where the sign is located. You may have to wait a little bit to get your photo in front as there could be a line of people waiting to get a selfie or photo. One year after the Stardust hotel opened, the Welcome to Vegas sign opened in 1959. It's always been considered the southern edge of the Vegas strip. Further south, you have McCarren International Airport runway very close to Las Vegas Blvd. and in the 50's was mainly just open desert but has been developed with shopping centers, etc. Hacienda Hotel was the southern most casino, just north of the Welcome to Vegas sign, from 1958 to 1996, and the much fancier Mandalay Bay Hotel opened its place in 1999. The interesting thing is that much of the Vegas Strip is in unincorporated Clark County and not actually in the City of Las Vegas. You aren't technically in Vegas proper for another 4 miles at Sahara Ave., at the far northern part of the Strip where Sahara Hotel is (southside still unincorporated) and north is where The Strat (Stratosphere) is actually in City of Las Vegas. But this Welcome to Vegas sign is a promotional sign and not an official city limits sign. On July 4, 2019, my parents & I took some photos of the Vegas sign that day. Likewise, got night pics from Vegas trip in November 2019. Overall, highly recommend a visit to Vegas sign both day & night.

What's up: Despite visiting Vegas several times before, I have never done the tourist thing and…read moregotten a picture with the Las Vegas sign. Since I'll be staying at a hotel nearby, I made it my goal to go to the sign. Parking: They have a small parking lot where cars can safely park in the between the northbound and southbound lanes of S Las Vegas Blvd. Environment: Since I was staying nearby, I made going to the Sign part of my early morning run. The streets were well maintained and before you know it, you're at the sign. Did you know? The sign is part of the National Register of Historic Places; there's an informational placard that proves historical information about it. The place can get busy later in the day when the crowds come, but luckily, there weren't too many people in the early morning. I got my pic and continued on. Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay. It's the touristy thing to do and I just had to do it at least once. One more thing I got checked off my list, woohoo!

"Man has always sought to express and preserve the magnitude of his exploits in symbols...They form…read morethe connecting link between the spiritual and the material world. They are the shadows cast by the realities of the soul." -- Oskar J.W. Hansen in 1928 This is an awesome Landmark at Hoover Dam in Boulder City, Nevada... When you visit Hoover Dam, one of the Engineering Wonders of the World, you can't help but notice this magnificent masterpiece! To me, The Winged Figures of the Republic looks like two gigantic angels guarding our American Flag and reaching up to the Heavens - like a bridge between Earth and upwards - connecting us with the Universe! In the 1930's, a sculptor named Oskar J.W. Hansen entered a contest and his design won! He was born in Norway, immigrated to the USA, became a citizen, entered the US Army, retired, and became a well-known Artist and Sculptor. His Winged Figures of The Republic are made from over 4 tons of bronze. The two figures - with wings measuring more than 30 feet tall - sit on black diorite - all of these were lifted by cranes and set on blocks of ice so that everything could be adjusted precisely as the ice melted. What a creative and smart way to construct this unique Public Artwork! In front of the 14-story (142 feet) flagpole is a mosaic floor depicting the constellation in the sky. It's a map of where the planets and stars were when President Franklin Roosevelt dedicated Hoover Dam on September 30, 1935. Tip: remember to rub the golden toes of the Winged Figures for Good Luck! And listen to the informative, inspirational recording that's playing while you browse around these sculptures!

When you go to Hoover Dam, there are the expected grand sights (the Dam itself) and unexpected…read moregrand sights, none greater than the Winged Figures of the Republic. This gorgeous landmark is the work of Norwegian-born, naturalized American Oskar J.W. Hansen. Perched on the north (Nevada) side of the Dam, you'll find two angel like, 30ish feet high winged figures with a 140+ flag pole. The bronze figures have a nice green patina after 85 years of weather and, at their base, black diorite (an igneous rock). Don't forget the tradition of rubbing the toes of the Winged Figures! The flagpole also has a black diorite base has the engraving "It is fitting that the flag of our country should fly here in honor of those men who, inspired by a vision of lonely lands made fruitful, conceived this great work, and of those others whose genius and labor made that vision a reality." I love the statues as well the grandiose backdrop of beige rock, which gives an epic vision of just how difficult it was to carve out this area. Near that, you'll find a monument dedicated to the 95 workers who died constructing Hoover Dam. There is sound: Speakers give a narration about the Dam and the Winged Creatures. Also check out the terrazzo floor, which includes a celestial map and star chart. Winged Figures of the Republic is a stunning, grandiose, and fitting tribute to one of the U.S.A.'s greatest man-made achievements.

Nice place to watch the sunset, listen to music, visit the shops, and just relax. They also have…read moreboat rentals and Watersports. Nice vibe and ambiance.

I've always, always had a great experience at the Lake Las Vegas Marina. In the summer I've rented…read moreboats and I've been able to kayak in the water as well. It's a family friendly place with lots of stuff to do! I've taken walks around the marina with friends and family during holidays like the Fourth of July. They have beautiful displays during the holidays. Some nights, there's live music. Especially during the spring and winter.

PROS: This was amazing and I highly recommend coming here. Good views of the dam, gift shop is…read morenice, museum and movie available with purchase, and loads of parking CONS: You must pay for certain parking lots, movie/museum price is expensive at $40 a person as of 7/2026 OVERALL: This is a must-see experience if you're near vegas. There are lots that are free to park at past the dam. I recommend parking there

Hoover Dam is one of those spots in the US everyone feels like they need to see. It is considered…read moreone of engineering's 7 Industrial Wonders of the World with it's arch-gravity flood control. This national historic spot is 726' tall and 1244' wide, it's definitely a fun sight to see. Back in the great depression, more specifically in 1935 when it opened, it was the largest water dam of the time. If you are going from LA to Vegas, it's not exactly on the way but 45 minutes past Vegas if you want to hit it up 'along' the way. I think most people prefer to get to Vegas first, and then it's not too bad at about 45 minutes outside of town. For me, it's such a quick stop of under an hour that it doesn't feel worth it to do that. If you're driving in, there will be a security checkpoint where they may open your trunk, etc but then you can park wherever to check things out. They have a visitor center with a paid $10 parking garage on the Nevada side and bathrooms. They also offer tours from there that I'm sure are informative and great. However, I've only ever driven in and stopped at different points to read the signs, take photos and just marvel at the grandiosity of it all. Also you know how I mentioned the Nevada side? It's right on the border with Arizona so that's pretty cool to be in two states at once at the designated points. It's a great photo to straddle the line and you're basically time travelling since they have two different time zones. The earlier you go, the better in my experience. Less crowds and heat closer to opening make for an ideal Hoover Dam experience!

What a unique little town in the Springs Preserve. Definitely worth checking out while you're…read morethere. Totally walkable from the main area but I'd recommend taking the train since it's about a 3 minute ride and way faster than walking. Pretty cool stuff to see and learn about the history of this little town.

Located within the Crystals Shopping area of City Center is an Interactive Light Sculpture that…read morevisitors can walk through and around, touch, and just be enveloped by the Light emanating from the angled Plexiglas tubes and the multi-colored Lights embedded in the floor of the Sculpture... the Tubes contain liquid that is spun into Vortices that simulate Water Funnels or Liquid Tornadoes. It seemed as if visitors to Crystals were enjoying themselves traversing through the maze of angled tubes of spinning liquid... taking pictures of themselves with the Sculpture to send home along with other memories and events in Las Vegas. But, I was distracted by the condensation build-up within the plastic tubes... the liquid level does not completely fill the tube itself... combined with heat produced by the floor lamps pointed upwards that will heat the liquid.... results in condensation at the top of virtually every tube. The Condensation problem probably could be alleviated by lowering the ambient light level in Crystals, thereby enabling the lowering of the light level of the floor lights. Or raising the level of the water in each tube to the fill the tube completely with water... don't know how that's going to affect the vortex turbulence within the tube, though. I guess, there was no real-world testing of this Light Sculpture to "catch" anomalies such as this... WET does outdoor venues better... see Bellagio Water Show...

After more than a quarter century of wanting to visit this historical location, I was finally able…read moreto in 2026. Tupac was more than just another gangster rapper, as many so-called pundits would describe him as. He was a son, friend, poet, artist, musician, dancer, thinker, philosopher, and so much more. Back in the day, to many inner city youth like myself, he was an idol, someone from the hood like us that "made it." On one side, he was highly intelligent and spoke very eloquently. On the other side he was raw, a thug, a gangsta. I feel this site should be made into a bigger and nicer memorial site in his memory. I've always felt he was my generations Martin Luther King mixed with Malcolm X. He was on the path to changing the world before he was tragically taken from us. Rest in peace Thug life! You will forever be missed.

Tupac Shakur was one of the most prolific rap artists of the 20th century and arguably one of the…read moregreatest rappers of all time. It's hard to believe that this September will mark 30 years since his untimely death. We happened to pass by the makeshift memorial on our way to the Horseshoe. If my friend hadn't spotted it, I would have walked right by it. It was dark so the street art wasn't easily visible. The memorial is located at the corner of Koval Lane and Flamingo Road a few minutes away from the Vegas Strip. For a landmark reference, it is across the street from the Westin Hotel. If you're driving, there's not a designated parking lot/area. There's a souvenir shop, a few gas stations and some hotels in the vicinity. If you choose to park at a nearby business, do so at your own risk. I don't recall seeing the utility pole that has served as the memorial. It's possible that it was there, but it may have been painted over. There was construction in the area and it was not well lit. There's a small concrete slab surrounded by gravel that had graffiti art with quotes from Tupac's lyrics and poetry. It was simple, yet poignant.

The Strip has changed a lot over the years…read more There's been homeless people here. Some of them are sitting and carrying signs. Some of them could be yelling out at people. There's been illegal peddling of water and other drinks, from large coolers. Now, the city's passed street vendors (food). I don't know. It's all pretty strange. Sometimes you are passing through really quickly and hyper aware of your surroundings. It's kind of a weird side show, really. On the plus side, you can take some pretty cool pictures with certain buildings in the background. But do that in a hurry. Because you want to be safe. It is a safer way to avoid the traffic on some of the Strip's sidewalks. Honestly, the Strip is always changing. You can visit one week, and the following week, there is something new, like a new project in the works. We didn't even realize that we had passed a new shopping center this past sunday, Mother's Day, 2025.

The Las Vegas pedestrian bridges are to Las Vegas what the subways are to New York City and the…read morefreeways to Los Angeles. The Las Vegas pedestrian bridges are utilitarian spaces along the Strip that provide transportation and local flavor along Las Vegas Boulevard. It is hard to believe that it has been a year-and-a-half that I intended to write this review. I guess I was too busy reviewing restaurants and attractions that the pedestrian bridges led me to. Along the four miles of the Las Vegas Strip there are 4 sets of bridges that cross over the road . They are at Tropicana Avenue, Harmon Road/ City Center, Flamingo Road, and Spring Mountain Road / Venetian -Treasure Island. The Tropicana Avenue bridges that serve the MGM Grand, New York - New York, The Excalibur, and The Tropicana are the oldest. I remember my first impressions of Las Vegas back in 1996, were standing on the MGM Grand - New York -New York pedestrian bridge. As I write this, the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard at Tropicana Avenue is one of the most photographed intersections in the world.The MGM-Tropicana bridge is a popular photo spot to photograph the Strip. In more recent times, just up the Strip, Clark County built pedestrian bridges to cross over Harmon Road and connect Planet Hollywood with City Center. These are the most modern pedestrian bridges featuring glass walls instead of wire. This is the only pedestrian bridge where people walk through a mall to return to the Strip. Further north are the Strip at Flamingo Road bridges that date back to the late 90s. The second most modern pedestrian bridges are a spaced apart set connecting Treasure Island,The Venetian complex, and Fashion Show. These are the second most modern that date back to the early 2000s when they built the Wynn. Writing a review on pedestrian bridges seems pedestrian. However, these are the public landmarks of the Las Vegas Strip. This is where some of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas initiates. The party atmosphere of the clubs and bars overflows onto the pedestrian bridges. This is a public walkway where you can drink an adult beverage and cross paths with a costumed Darth Vadar and Micky Mouse. Clark County builds and manages the pedestrian bridges. With the increase in traffic and new resorts, the County has built the bridges to eliminate the pedestrian and automobile conflict. As I write this, the County is planning to refurbish the bridges around Tropicana Avenue at the same time there is demand for a pedestrian bridge connecting The Bellagio walkway to Planet Hollywood. Unfortunately the County does a better job building the pedestrian bridges instead of managing them. It is poor management, that mandates a star decrease. The poor management can be blamed on a poor police presence. The media makes us so aware of the eye in the sky over the casinos. However, there is a need for security on the pedestrian bridges. On really bad days, the pedestrian bridges remind me of a what Times Square used to be like before Mayor Giuliani cleaned it up. I don't mind the homeless, the costumed street performers, or even unlisenced merchants selling water, sunglasses, and even beer. It is the aggressive people that shatter the experience of the Las Vegas pedestrian bridges. What comes into mind are the people blocking traffic to hound you to buy their CDs. Nearly as bad are the people conning innocent people with card game scams. The worst stories I hear on the news. It is creepy when some of the bridges are dark. For whatever reason, streetlights illuminate over a suburban bike trail yet are nonexistent over a pedestrian connection between the MGM Grand and New York - New York. With the insufficient security presence comes vandalism. Graffiti carved into plate glass walls have marred the Strip at Flamingo pedestrian bridges. Now the County wants to spend tax dollars on putting up plate glass windows at the Strip at Tropicana bridges. The enclosed elevators are an atrosity. The inside of the elevators are so covered with graffiti and vandalism that it feels like you are in a restroom. It seems that certain Clark County politicians enjoy being in the limelight at a press conference when ground is broken on a pedestrian bridge but seem indifferent to maintainance and addressing security concerns. The Las Vegas pedestrian bridges are a necessity to eliminate the pedestrian and motor vehicle conflict. Minus the pedestrian bridges, people would be putting their lives in their hands crossing these major intersections. However, people may be putting their lives in their hands crossing these bridges. Security is a necessity to eliminate the pedestrian criminal and pedestrian con artist conflict. As a consequence of poor management leading to insufficient security and criminal activity including graffiti and conning people, I rate the Las Vegas pedestrian bridges three stars.