The
sharp contrast of bright neon lights rising up from the desert sands is
all you need to see to know that you are arriving in Las Vegas. Out of
the desert this oasis has risen, a vibrant city with a pulsing atmosphere
where fortunes are both made and lost. Las Vegas has always been a place
where fantasy and reality merge to create a unique atmosphere where almost
anything seems possible. From the moment of arrival you will feel the life
and energy like no other place on earth.
Vegas is a great city without a discriminating bone in its body. They make it easy for everyone to visit, including travelers with disabilities. The city is served by McCarran International Airport located only 1 mile from the famous Strip and 5 miles from downtown. It is not necessary to arrange for accessible ground transportation in advance (but we strongly recommend it anyway). There are lift-equipped shuttles on call that service all hotels/motels at a very reasonable rate, it seems that here accessible transportation is the rule rather than the exception. Bell Transportation is located outside of baggage claim door #1, Grayline is located outside of baggage claim door #3 and CLS is located outside of baggage door #4.
Between public transportation and taxi cabs you should not have any problem getting around town. All the taxi companies have lift-equipped vehicles and the City Bus or CAT (Citizen Area Transit) has a completely accessible fleet with low floors and kneel capability. You can also take a ride on one of the San Francisco style Trollies that operate on the strip, pulling up to the entrance of each hotel on its route. The trolley runs about every 20 minutes and most are lift-equipped. If none of these modes of transport suite your needs you can always ride the Monorail, a driverless, state-of-the-art urban public transportation system. It is fully accessible and operates on a 4 mile long route on the east side of the famous Las Vegas Strip, connecting 8 major resorts and 9 convention facilities, including the world's larges convention center. Las Vegas is a city that really knows how to get people around town.
Deciding where to stay will be one of the toughest decisions you'll encounter while planning your trip, not because there are so few options but because there are so many. Las Vegas has an amazing number of hotel rooms and the Convention and Visitors Authority claims that they have more accessible guest rooms than any other city in the country. A good way to sort through them all is to utilize the Hotel Search Engine recently made available on the Access-Able Site. A quick search of Las Vegas reveals over 40 accessible hotels and resorts along with the ability to book online at discounted prices.
Names
like the MGM Grand, Excalibur, Bellagio, Tropicana, Circus Circus, Treasure
Island, Golden Nugget, Caesars Palace and the Mandalay Bay are all synonymous
with Las Vegas (just to name a few). They offer up not just accommodations
but an entire experience that is sure to delight the senses and tickle
the imagination. Take the MGM
Grand for instance, where just inside the resort's entrance
you will find a 35-foot glass wall enclosing a simulated Jungle
Lion Habitat, complete with a waterfall and African Lions frolicking
about. Admission is free and because the barrier is glass, viewing from
a seated position has no disadvantage. If your timing is right you will
be just inches away from these beautiful creatures with lots of good photo
opportunities.
If the
games at the casinos take all of your money don't worry, you can still
see a lot of Las Vegas on the cheap. All of the big resorts and casinos
are virtual attractions within themselves offering up themes varying from
the wild west to medieval times and beyond. At Circus
Circus you can experience a real circus environment complete
with Midway, fun carnival games and Center Stage Acts performing every
half hour - a must see attraction if you are traveling with youngsters
or just those young at heart. Sirens
of Treasure Island is another popular (and free) attraction
that can be seen at the hotel's front entrance nightly. Sirens blow and
a band of pirates entertain you for 20 minutes with swordplay, pyrotechnics
and spectacular diving acts. At the Tropicana you will find Tiana Carroll
and her amazing bird act at the Tropics Lounge. Watch them as they dance,
sing and even ride a bike on command, not something you see every day.
If you don't want to spend your money in a casino then you can always spend it shopping. The Forum Shops at Caesars have a unique atmosphere that simulates ancient Roman streets, truly a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. There are more than 160 retail stores including FAO Shwarz, DKNY and the Gap. At Fashion Show Mall you will find over 200 stores including Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's Home, Neiman Marcus and Dillard's. For those who can't get enough M&M's you will find a four-story interactive shopping and retail complex in the Showcase Mall featuring thousands of M&M Brand products, including the edible kind! Coca-Cola fans will be equally delighted in the store dedicated to this famous brand.
There
is never any shortage of entertainment in Las Vegas. There are comedy clubs,
magic acts, Broadway-style theaters, art exhibits and a long list of musical
entertainers. You can see David Copperfield perform magic, watch the Disney
on Ice show and yes, you can even listen to Wayne Newton at the Stardust
Resort and Casino. If it's music that keeps you going you will have the
chance to see Alanis Morissette, Lionel Richie, Chicago, Eddie Money, George
Strait, Snoop Dogg, Leann Rimes, A Flock of Seagulls, Tim McGraw and the
list goes on. The best place to research all that Vegas has to offer is
the Las Vegas Convention
and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). They have a very comprehensive
web site that lists all of the area attractions, shows, events, accommodations
and even transportation. The site is easy to use and has a page dedicated
to travelers
with disabilities. While browsing their site you can learn a ton
of valuable information including where to hire a personal care attendant
and who can provide medical equipment and oxygen.
If you want to experience a little more of the surrounding areas you definitely have some options. Both Look Tours and Gray Line Tours have escorted coach tours, in and around Las Vegas and to the surrounding sights including Hoover Dam, Bryce National Park, Death Valley, Mine Tours, Ghost Towns and the Grand Canyon. Coach tours are accessible with 72-hour notice.
Las Vegas has very few rivals when it comes to winter destinations. The desert environment provides comfortable temperatures through the winter months and most of the resorts have heated pools. Speaking of pools, don't forget to pack your swim suit. Pretty much all of the hotels and resorts have pool lifts and some have beach-style entrances. At some places the lifts are only brought out upon request so be sure to ask if you don't see one, or better yet ask the reservationists when booking your room.
If you have been looking for a good place to escape this winter, you can't go wrong with Las Vegas. They have a very high degree of accessibility, it is easy to get there and get around and there are lots of things to see and do. Whether your tastes prefer the romantic luxury of the Tuscan style Bellagio or the Medieval flair of the Excalibur and King Arthur's Court, you are sure to find accessibility in Las Vegas.
Check out the Access-Able
Database to research more than 50 different resorts, transportation,
tours and attractions in Las Vegas.
About the author: Debbie Fogle is a staff writer for Access-Able and
enjoys researching and writing about travel and the outdoors. Debbie works
out of her home in Arizona where she lives with her husband, two-year old
son and several four-legged friends.