Wednesday, December 06, 2006
12/2006: Las Vegas: 'choose your wedding venue....'
The marriage capital of the world, Las Vegas performs around 100,000 weddings each year and has been the scene of many celebrity weddings including Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, Elvis and Priscilla Presley, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. There are hundreds of wedding chapels ranging from the tasteful to the tacky and downright bizarre. Options include the diminutive but famous ‘Gracelands’ chapel where the ceremony is performed by an Elvis lookalike, the elegant Monte Carlo Hotel’s French-style chapel and the Star Trek-themed offering at the Hilton where the happy couple can get hitched by a Klingon on the Bridge of the Enterprise.
No blood tests, birth certificates or waiting periods are required and marriage licenses can be obtained from the the Clark County Marriage Licence Bureau, 201 Clark Ave, Las Vegas, tel 702 671 0600. The office is open 24 hours per day Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and between 8.am and midnight from Monday to Thursday. The fee for a marriage licence is $55.00. Wedding chapels have their own fees which vary from around $300 for a basic service to thousands of dollars for an all-in package including hotel room and restaurant.
The marriage capital of the world, Las Vegas performs around 100,000 weddings each year and has been the scene of many celebrity weddings including Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, Elvis and Priscilla Presley, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. There are hundreds of wedding chapels ranging from the tasteful to the tacky and downright bizarre. Options include the diminutive but famous ‘Gracelands’ chapel where the ceremony is performed by an Elvis lookalike, the elegant Monte Carlo Hotel’s French-style chapel and the Star Trek-themed offering at the Hilton where the happy couple can get hitched by a Klingon on the Bridge of the Enterprise.
No blood tests, birth certificates or waiting periods are required and marriage licenses can be obtained from the the Clark County Marriage Licence Bureau, 201 Clark Ave, Las Vegas, tel 702 671 0600. The office is open 24 hours per day Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and between 8.am and midnight from Monday to Thursday. The fee for a marriage licence is $55.00. Wedding chapels have their own fees which vary from around $300 for a basic service to thousands of dollars for an all-in package including hotel room and restaurant.
12/2006: Las Vegas: 'Entertainment galore....'
Las Vegas offers an incredible range of shows and lavish theatre productions. It attracts hordes of top quality performers. In the weeks before, during and after my visit, the choice included the Rolling Stones, the Who, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minelli, Tom Jones, Celine Dion (who has a residency in her own theatre at Caesar’s Palace, which she shares with Elton John), Barry Manilow and Barenaked Ladies.
Tickets can be bought on line and it is best to book well in advance as the big names tend to sell out quickly. Expect to pay around $100 plus for top name performers. A good way of checking who’s performing and when, is to visit the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority website www.VisitLasVegas.com.
The outrageous circus performers Cirque du Soleil have several different shows running at various hotels and as their show are very complex and expensive to put on, Las Vegas may be the only place you can get to see some of them. The new Beatles influenced show ‘Love’, for instance, is too costly to produce in the UK.
Las Vegas offers an incredible range of shows and lavish theatre productions. It attracts hordes of top quality performers. In the weeks before, during and after my visit, the choice included the Rolling Stones, the Who, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minelli, Tom Jones, Celine Dion (who has a residency in her own theatre at Caesar’s Palace, which she shares with Elton John), Barry Manilow and Barenaked Ladies.
Tickets can be bought on line and it is best to book well in advance as the big names tend to sell out quickly. Expect to pay around $100 plus for top name performers. A good way of checking who’s performing and when, is to visit the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority website www.VisitLasVegas.com.
The outrageous circus performers Cirque du Soleil have several different shows running at various hotels and as their show are very complex and expensive to put on, Las Vegas may be the only place you can get to see some of them. The new Beatles influenced show ‘Love’, for instance, is too costly to produce in the UK.
12/2006: Las Vegas: 'Getting from the airport.....'
The queues for taxis can be quite long at McCurran airport, especially if there is a big convention in town, so consider hiring a stretch limo. They cost around $40-$50 an hour and if there are more than 4 of you it can work out to be quite reasonable. There are usually a few parked outside the airport doors and you may be able to do a deal with the driver. The majority of hotels in Vegas are fairly close to the airport and it’s a fabulous way to begin your trip to Sin City.
The queues for taxis can be quite long at McCurran airport, especially if there is a big convention in town, so consider hiring a stretch limo. They cost around $40-$50 an hour and if there are more than 4 of you it can work out to be quite reasonable. There are usually a few parked outside the airport doors and you may be able to do a deal with the driver. The majority of hotels in Vegas are fairly close to the airport and it’s a fabulous way to begin your trip to Sin City.
12/2006: Las Vegas: 'how much to tip.....?'
Like most Brits visiting the USA I find it confusing to know who to tip and how much. Las Vegas is even more bewildering as everyone you come into contact with seems to expect a gratuity of some kind. Of course it is up to you to decide whether you think a service needs rewarding or not, but bear in mind that tipping is an important part of the economy in the USA and factored into the service industry’s wages.
Transportation: Add $1-2 for a fare below $10.00; fares over that (and if the driver helps you with your luggage etc) add a 15-20% tip.
Hotels:
Bellmen $1-$2 per bag they handle.
Chambermaids: $1-$2 per day they clean the room.
Room service: 15-20% of the bill total.
Pool attendants: $1-$2 for each towel they bring you, or lounger they find you.
Valet Parking: $2-3$ for each park.
Concierge: $5-$10 for each booking they make on your behalf.
Restaurants:
Waiters: 15-20% of the total bill.
Barstaff: $1-$2 each time they serve you a drink.
Maitre d’s: $10-$20 will get you a better seat. Pay more or less depending on the swank level of the restaurant.
Casinos:
Dealers at game tables: a couple of chips before you leave the table, or place a bet for them if you are on a winning streak!
Everyone else, from the change person to the waitress who brings you drinks, bung a couple of dollars to be on the safe side.
Like most Brits visiting the USA I find it confusing to know who to tip and how much. Las Vegas is even more bewildering as everyone you come into contact with seems to expect a gratuity of some kind. Of course it is up to you to decide whether you think a service needs rewarding or not, but bear in mind that tipping is an important part of the economy in the USA and factored into the service industry’s wages.
Transportation: Add $1-2 for a fare below $10.00; fares over that (and if the driver helps you with your luggage etc) add a 15-20% tip.
Hotels:
Bellmen $1-$2 per bag they handle.
Chambermaids: $1-$2 per day they clean the room.
Room service: 15-20% of the bill total.
Pool attendants: $1-$2 for each towel they bring you, or lounger they find you.
Valet Parking: $2-3$ for each park.
Concierge: $5-$10 for each booking they make on your behalf.
Restaurants:
Waiters: 15-20% of the total bill.
Barstaff: $1-$2 each time they serve you a drink.
Maitre d’s: $10-$20 will get you a better seat. Pay more or less depending on the swank level of the restaurant.
Casinos:
Dealers at game tables: a couple of chips before you leave the table, or place a bet for them if you are on a winning streak!
Everyone else, from the change person to the waitress who brings you drinks, bung a couple of dollars to be on the safe side.
12/2006: Las Vegas: 'so expensive now.....'
Las Vegas is no longer the cut price destination it once was. Hotels now make more money in food, beverages and shows than they do from gambling and are targeting the top bracket conference market. Many of the old stalwart hotels are being demolished, the legendary Stardust has just closed down and the Aladdin is about to be taken over by Planet Hollywood. Luxury all-suite high-rise towers are going up in their place. Consequently, prices can be quite high. So, unless you are particularly skilled on the roulette table, take plenty of spending money, because Las Vegas is ruthless at parting you from it.
Las Vegas is no longer the cut price destination it once was. Hotels now make more money in food, beverages and shows than they do from gambling and are targeting the top bracket conference market. Many of the old stalwart hotels are being demolished, the legendary Stardust has just closed down and the Aladdin is about to be taken over by Planet Hollywood. Luxury all-suite high-rise towers are going up in their place. Consequently, prices can be quite high. So, unless you are particularly skilled on the roulette table, take plenty of spending money, because Las Vegas is ruthless at parting you from it.
12/2006: San Francisco: 'cable cars....'
Don’t call the cable cars ‘trolleys’! The charismatic Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines run between Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf, and the California street car runs between Market Street and Van Ness Ave. Be prepared to wait in a queue to get on and there will be an unseemly scramble to secure the benches at the front as these offer the best photo opportunities. Fares are $5.00 for each trip, but the better bet is to buy an all day pass at $10.00. Alternatively, buy a Muni Passport (which covers the bus, lightrail and street cars) at one day for $11, 3 days for $18 and 7 days for $24.
Don’t call the cable cars ‘trolleys’! The charismatic Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines run between Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf, and the California street car runs between Market Street and Van Ness Ave. Be prepared to wait in a queue to get on and there will be an unseemly scramble to secure the benches at the front as these offer the best photo opportunities. Fares are $5.00 for each trip, but the better bet is to buy an all day pass at $10.00. Alternatively, buy a Muni Passport (which covers the bus, lightrail and street cars) at one day for $11, 3 days for $18 and 7 days for $24.
12/2006: San Francisco: 'shopping and more shopping...'
Forget New York, San Francisco has shopping in spades – and nice weather. Most of it is conveniently situated around Union Square in Downtown. All the big New York department stores are represented including Saks, Tiffanys, Maceys, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales. The recently extended Westgate Shopping Centre on Market Street has hundreds of shops and restaurants.
Tip: the food court on the lower ground floor does a great, and inexpensive range of takeaways from Vietnamese to Thai, American and Italian and is open until 9pm.
Levi Jeans originated in San Francisco in the 1850s and at Levi Strauss & Co on Battery Street you can view a display of vintage jeans or alternatively buy your own from the huge store at Union Square.
Forget New York, San Francisco has shopping in spades – and nice weather. Most of it is conveniently situated around Union Square in Downtown. All the big New York department stores are represented including Saks, Tiffanys, Maceys, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales. The recently extended Westgate Shopping Centre on Market Street has hundreds of shops and restaurants.Tip: the food court on the lower ground floor does a great, and inexpensive range of takeaways from Vietnamese to Thai, American and Italian and is open until 9pm.
Levi Jeans originated in San Francisco in the 1850s and at Levi Strauss & Co on Battery Street you can view a display of vintage jeans or alternatively buy your own from the huge store at Union Square.
12/2006: San Francisco: 'go to Alcatraz....'
Alcatraz is a must-do for everyone. This fascinating tour of a former federal penitentiary offers self-guided (with headphones) ranger tours and night tours. The ferries to the island leave from Pier 33 and cost around $19 for adults including admission. Reservations in advance are recommended, especially during the summer months as places are limited and get booked up very quickly.
Tip: Take your own food and drink as there is a limited and expensive selection available on board the ferry. Make sure you have a warm jumper or jacket even if it seems to be a hot day, as the wind can suddenly get viciously cold and blustery. A nasty gust took one of my contact lenses out!
Alcatraz is a must-do for everyone. This fascinating tour of a former federal penitentiary offers self-guided (with headphones) ranger tours and night tours. The ferries to the island leave from Pier 33 and cost around $19 for adults including admission. Reservations in advance are recommended, especially during the summer months as places are limited and get booked up very quickly.Tip: Take your own food and drink as there is a limited and expensive selection available on board the ferry. Make sure you have a warm jumper or jacket even if it seems to be a hot day, as the wind can suddenly get viciously cold and blustery. A nasty gust took one of my contact lenses out!
