Las Vegas Excitement

We then found out that Rio actually provides a free hourly show every night, starting at around 6pm, until 11pm. The shows run for about 10 minutes each and generate quite a bit of energy on the first-floor casino at the Mascarade Village. The show is mostly dance and music; however, the multimillion dollar show doesn't just stop there. As the highlight of each show, the "sky" of the casino becomes a sea of dancing platforms as floats after floats burst out of the casino walls, and ran across the ceiling. There were many dancers on each float and they eagerly worked the crowd by throwing away small plastic jeweries to the crowds. And of course, as the night went on, more and more people gathered there each time the show started, making the village more exciting as the night went on. Definitely worth a visit.

Our hotel rooms were unfortunately at the Towers. But we found the rooms to be very tastefully put together. The rooms are of an Egyptian design, with a sense of luxury thrown into the midst of it. They are very clean and very well maintained. We also ate at the Pharoah's Feast and found it to be a high-quality buffet.

There is only one disadvantage with the Luxor, and that is its location at the southern tip of the strip. However, Luxor is connected to Mandalay Bay via a tunnel. It is also connected to Excalibur via a tram. It is definitely worth a visit.

For our stay, we found that check-in was just alright and the rooms were moderate at best. There are no in-house restaurants, which is inconvenient. If you have traveled all the way to Las Vegas and are looking for an unforgettable trip, this may not be the best place to stay.

But once we arrived, we found the hotel to be very well furnished, with marble floors, a tastefully designed lobby, and excellent customer service, definitely on par with the four-star rating listed on Hotwire. It had two hotel towers, one located on Fremont, the other closer to the parking garage. It contained a decent-sized pool and exercise center, although we didn't get to see either. There is also a quite decent restaurant on-site serving reasonably priced American cuisine. And, as usual, there is the casino floor at the entrance to Fremont Street.

Once we stepped into our room, we were again surprised at how luxurious the amenities were. The room looked like it had been recently renovated: two very comfortable and highly decorated queen-size beds, a large (and very clean) bathroom with marble tiles, and in-room cable. If you need to access the Internet, there is also wireless Internet available at $12/day.

We only stayed there for 1 night, and from what we have seen, it is defintiely a hidden gem in north Las Vegas.

Finally, our server came. As we studied the menu closer, we found that it is generally that of America Cuisine, with the typical pastas, sandwhiches, and the usual entrees (roasted chicken, Mongolian beef). However, what is different was presentation. Each plate is carefully prepared and arranged, that dishes looked more like pieces of art than a plate of food. I ordered a "fancy" rosemary chicken and found the preparation to be of high quality.

Then, as our concert ended, we walked past the restaurant again and was surprised to find that after 10pm or so, this restaurant is turned into a club. We happened to come by when there was a live show going on. And even from outside of the entrance, we could see female dancers dancing on platforms that are suspended halfway in the air, dancing to the high energy and the laser light show of the movement. We didn't have the energy to wait in line to get in again, but if you have the time, definitely eat/club here.

We are not particularly fond of buffets in general, but we felt the food to be quite good for the price we paid. There were about six stations, each themed to the kind of food it serves (Chinese, American, Italian, country...), with a central area that serves about 20 kinds of desert. For an estimate, there must have been about 100 dishes served in that buffet. Food ranged from Peking duck, to country fried steak, to penne pasta, to barbequed ribs. We sampled most of the entrées and found most of them adequate. The service is also of good quality.

If you are in the area and looking for a quick, easy, and satisfying meal, this might just be the place for you.

The restaurant itself is quite nicely decorated, with high ceiling, several plasma TVs mounted on the walls, and spacious seating. The menu is all the usual, with sandwiches, soups, salads, a few steak/prime rib options. However, with the lower-than-expected price also came a lower-than-expected quality - while everything is perfectly edible, the dishes just lack that extra effort to call it delicious. For a restaurant that's located in a multimillion-dollar casino, I was expecting more than food-chain-type, unexceptional food quality.

I won't give away the show, but let’s just say that the set is just incredible. It’s a giant floating stage that showcased the numerous acts that follow. A lot of thought must have been given to the design of the stage. Throughout the show, there were many sword plays, battles, acrobatics, and dangerous stunts, as well as a grand finale that left us wanting for more.

It is a different experience than Mystere. As Mystere was more intimate and offered skillful acrobatics as its centerpieces, Ka was more focused on its story telling with acrobatics only serving to bring out the storyline. But, overall, it was quite an enjoyable show.

On the side of the mountain, there was an abandoned limestone quarry and we took a few pictures on top of the blocks of limestone left there. We decided not to embark on the trail that woudl lead us up the hill to the top of the red rock mountain as the day was starting to get hot in the desert.

The rest of the loop was interesting, but not out of this world. There were several picnic area not accessible by car and we elected not to venture into those areas. And towards the mid half of the loop, there is a grand view stop, which gives you an panoramic view of the view, looking back towards the east, towards Las Vegas.

We finished the tour in 1 hour and found the experience to be overall enjoyable. But if you inclined to see the "real" red rocks, proceed to Monument Valley and Sedona for a truly amazing sight.