Experience Hawaii in Las Vegas at the MGM Mirage.
The Mirage is a 3,000-room hotel that’s also home to a host of entertainment options. Over 40 years ago, the hotel was known as Castaways. But as The Mirage, it is now one of the freshest places to stay in Vegas.
Go past the front entrance and find yourself inside a lush tropical rainforest housed under a 100-foot high dome. You’ll be ’shaded’ from the sun by the cover of towering 60-foot palm trees. Not far away are refreshing lagoons where visitors can swim or enjoy a leisurely walk. This is a man-made paradise with two pools and a series of cliffs where water streams down into grottos. Soak up the atmosphere at Paradise Cafe or the Dolphin Bar and sip a cool drink on a hot Vegas day.
If you’re feeling very hot, or want to get that way, try the Bare pool area. No clothes necessary here! Just lounge away and observe the gorgeous scenery, while sipping a drink from the bar. You’ll enjoy the sunshine au naturel as the dolphins swim only a few feet away.
Right beside this pool is one of the most famous animal attractions in Las Vegas: Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. The area is a carefully reconstructed tropical paradise. Here, a dozen species fly, crawl or swim just like mother nature invented. There’s a 2.5 million gallon pool that’s home to some Atlantic bottleneck dolphins. Guests are usually impressed by the sandy-bottomed artificial coral reef system. With four connected pools, the dolphins enjoy plenty of variety, and so will their visitors.
But The Mirage has more sea adventures to offer. A must-see is its 20,000 gallon Aquarium. It is home to puffer fish, tangs and other colorful, interesting sea animals. More than 60 species live in the tank. And you’ll see them in all their glory through the 53-foot long acrylic walls.
The hotel also used to host the Siegfried & Roy white tiger-themed show. That had to be closed when Roy was attacked by one of the animals. But guests can still see the beautiful, exotic tigers in the White Tiger Habitat. Open daily, these rare beauties are on display 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in a carefully controlled environment. The pampered tigers enjoy a pool, fountains and simulated mountain terrain. The sight of the tigers in this environment is something even their visitors can appreciate.
Just outside is the Mirage volcano - an artificial Vesuvius that erupts periodically throughout the evening. At the top of each hour from 7 p.m. to midnight, flames shoot high into the night sky, spraying smoke and fire a hundred feet up.
Backed by the design expertise that helped create the Bellagio Fountains, Vegas visitors should not miss this attraction. The volcano is on top of 3 acres of water. Towering over 50 feet high, it has been amazing viewers for almost 20 years. It even smells interesting. To mask the scent of the gas used to power the volcano, the structure emits Pina Colada vapor. So Vegas isn’t it? Come smell the breeze at The Mirage.
Other destinations found in Las Vegas:
The Sopranos Last Supper Show is a fast paced, spoof of the hit HBO mobster TV show now playing in Las Vegas. Come along and rub shoulders with Tony, Sil’, Paulie and Uncle Jun’ as they search for the “rat” trying to get the boss thrown in jail.
Girls, get your ticket to one of the hottest shows in Las Vegas and see the all-new Chippendales at the Rio Suite Hotel and Casino. Great for a bachelorette party or just an excuse for a girls night out, the tastefully erotic performance of the Chippendales is sure to delight.
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