As a frequent visitor to Las Vegas, I am amazed when friends and acquaintances return from a first trip to this interesting city having missed seeing much of the "good stuff". My goal in writing this article is to provide you with my views on what Las Vegas Strip highlights to see first. If you are in town only one day and take in at least these attractions (most are free), you will have made a decent sight-seeing trip to tell your friends and family about.

This article is limited to must-see attractions on the Las Vegas Strip and downtown areas at this time. Just because a particular attraction is not mentioned (it may be added in the future) doesn't mean it may not be worth seeing. You can use this article as a guide and add other attractions you want to see as your time permits.

WHAT TO SEE IN LAS VEGAS

What I recommend as a first-day strategy for you is to: Spend most of the day visiting "must see" sites (mentioned below) on Las Vegas Boulevard (also known as the "Strip"); go downtown in the evening to see the sites plus take in the sound-and-light show on Fremont Street; top off your day by driving down the Strip to see the lights at night.

The Las Vegas Strip is about four miles long from the Stratosphere on the north end to Mandalay Bay on the south. Driving and parking can be a hassle. So your best bet is to limit these to a few locations and do most of your site-seeing on foot (wear comfortable shoes!). With some free trams along the way plus above-street walkways (with escalators or elevators), this is not as bad as it sounds. To make it easier for you, I have divided the Las Vegas Strip into an upper section and a lower section.

UPPER LAS VEGAS STRIP ATTRACTIONS

If you are not staying on or near the upper strip and have a car, there is a nice open-air parking lot between the Tropicana and Hooters Casino Hotel (the old San Remo). Otherwise, MGM Grand has a nice indoor ramp. You can start your tour wherever you want but for the first of your must-see attractions I recommend you start at Luxor. You can walk or take the free tram which runs between the Excalibur and Mandalay Bay. (One tram stops at the Luxor, and one doesn't). Watch for the tram signs. If you are traveling by taxi, get dropped off at the Luxor front door. My suggested tour of the Upper Strip takes you down the west side of the street to the Bellagio. You will then cross the street and go back up the other side until you reach MGM or the Tropicana.

LUXOR
This 30-story pyramid is one of the best themed hotel/casinos (Egyptian of course) and one of my favorite. The Luxor's atrium (or lobby if you prefer) is advertised as the world's largest and is wonderful - be sure you have your camera at the ready. For a fee, you can also see a replica of King Tut's Tomb and Museum. The Luxor's outside grounds features a 10 story sphinx.

EXCALIBUR
The Excalibur is well known for its castle-like appearance and medieval theme.If you are bringing the family on your trip, consider the Excalibur family-friendly. The rooms are nothing fancy but they are reasonably priced, and the second level Food Court is easy on your wallet. NOTE: Although the Excalibur is modest compared to many other hotel/casinos on the Strip, one of the largest machine payoffs happened here in 2003 - a cool $39.7 million on a Megabucks slot machine ($3.00 a pull).

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