Oh where, oh where has The Ape gone?

Sorry folks, park's closed. The Ape out front should have told you. No, you are not at Wally World, but The Ape was. Well, something like Wally World. I was taking a vacation. When I travel, there is only one place I go for the best info and deals out there. travelape.com Ape will be back tomorrow with an update or two. For now, rumors of my demise....

Is it a Mirage?

No, it really is The Mirage. The first of the mega-resorts, The Mirage ushered in a new wave of building in Las Vegas. It is a must see and I recommended it to my class ape buddy.

The Mirage was home to Sigfreid and Roy for years and is now home to Vegas' hottest show, Love by Cirque du Soleil.

Be sure to make your reservations in advance as this show almost always sells out and is one of the toughest tickets in town.

If you are ready to eat, may I recommend a visit to STACK at the Mirage. STACK is a modern steakhouse, but it is not really a steakhouse, it is more of a modern American restaurant. Here you will find such goodness as pigs in a blanket (little delicious hot dogs in puff pastry) a 44 oz magnum steak, blue cheese tater tots and so much more. This sounds like simple food, and the inspiration for the dishes are, but it is far from simple.

Another thing to see and check out is the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. Located adjacent to the Mirage's pool, this attraction houses cats from around the world. Tigers, Panther, Jaguars and the Ape's favorite Snow Leopard.

Coming soon to the Mirage (Winter 2008) is BLT Burger. This is a burger joint like no other. Famed chef Laurent Tourendel burger joint will open in the spot vacated by the White Tiger habitat, which was removed when the Sigfreid and Roy show was canceled.

In short, check out the Mirage. Lots of palm trees with coconuts, but no bananas. Oooga ooga. For the best hotel rates in Vegas, do the smart thing and check out travelape.

Walk like and Egyptian

Ape was telling a classape about where to go and what to see in Vegas. The Luxor is a pyramid shaped building just next to Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas Strip. The Luxor is one of the largest hotels in the world and recently opened and outpost of the famed Los Angeles club, LAX. The Luxor is undergoing a transformation right now from the Egyptian theme to a more upscale property with very nice new restaurants and offerings.

Ape thinks it may be tough to walk away from Egyptian theme when your building is shaped like a pyramid. One of the most recognizable features of the Luxor is the beam of light. Shining brightly from the top of the pyramid, the beam can be seen from space by astr-ape-nauts!

Be sure to check out he IMAX theater at Luxor too. See hi-def and then some in the state-of-the-art theater featuring new movies.

The Luxor is worth a look while in Vegas. It has changed and is changing to be more ape friendly too, which is nice.

Next time, more on Las Vegas. Ooga-Ooga

Fast Times at Ape High

The Ape ran into some fellow classapes from high school this weekend. I am in Las Vegas and was throwing the bananas at the craps table when all of the sudden I was tapped on my shoulder by classape. It was nice to catch up and I even gave the person some great tips on what do to in Las Vegas.

First, I told them to check out Mandalay Bay. This is the Southern most major resort on the Strip and one of the largest. The best view in town is from miX atop THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. This swank lounge has a view above it all. Also at Mandalay Bay is Shark Reef Aquarium. This is the nation's only predator based aquarium and while not as large as some of the other well known aquariums it is worth a visit.

Next I told them to grab some food at the best burger joint in town, Burger Bar at Mandalay Place. There is a cool mall that connects the Luxor Resort and Mandalay Bay and it is Mandalay Place. Burger Bar is operated by famed chef Hubert Keller. An outpost of Keller's San Francisco based Fleur de Lys is also at Mandalay Bay.

Burger Bar is build-a-burger at its best. Pick your: meat, bun, cheese, garden items, meat toppings (several varieties of bacon are available), sauce and any how you want it cooked. It shows up later, cooked to perfection and is delicious. They also have veggie burgers for those that prefer that. No banana burger, which stinks.

Ape will tell you more about where classapes go in Vegas next time. For now, ooga ooga.