Sin City isn’t just for singles.
Welcome to the proud capital of drinking, gambling, stripping and delicious debauchery. But don’t be too quick to stereotype Sin City. In fact, for lesbian couples, Las Vegas is one of the most romantic honeymoon places in the world. With over 93,000 marriage licenses issued last year in the metro area, Vegas is one of the highest-ranking romance destinations in the United States—and that doesn’t include the scores of non-legal lesbian unions. With an overwhelming number of hotels, restaurants, shops, casinos and shows, you can plan the perfect action-packed honeymoon.
High-rolling honeymooners should consider the Paris, Bellagio or Venetian. Brand new at the Venetian is the Palazzo, its third hotel and a top-notch choice for sure. The Venetian looks like Venice inside, and you can stroll through the corridors to shop, or take a romantic gondola ride through the canals. My gondoliers were gay-friendly and encouraged kissing under the bridges. They even sang to us. The Bellagio is equally upscale—the fountains, are synchronized to music and go on every few hours. Inside the Bellagio, enjoy a walk through the conservatory, holding hands to view rare and beautiful plants, trees and flowers. If you are ready for dessert, bring your girl to the chocolate shop and see the chocolate waterfalls.
Nothing, however, is more romantic than kissing in Paris. Take her to the Eiffel Tower (modeled to scale after the real one) for a kiss, or enjoy dinner at the restaurant halfway up, which has a great view of the Bellagio fountains. Or better yet, make it all the way to the top for your Vegas nuptials, a popular place for lesbians to take the plunge. Inside Paris, a cobblestone street scene offers up a great bistro, a steak house, boutiques and the must-visit Mandara Spa (where many a newlywed has bonded over the Paris is for Lovers treatment).
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Top 10 Things to do in Las Vegas 1. Enjoy Delectable Delights – Fifty of the world’s greatest chefs will let you into thier kitchen at Vegas Uncork’d presented by Bon Appétit Magazine. Official Travel Partner Travelocity, and Motion Picture Sponsor: Julie and Julia in theatres Aug. 7. (May 7-10) 2. Broadway Bound, Vegas Style – See Disney’s Tony-Award winning Broadway sensation The Lion King, at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. (Opening May 2009)
3. Dare to Diva – Two of the world’s biggest Divas are performing at The Coliseum in Caesars Palace. See Cher and Bette Midler (April thru May 2009) 4. Strut Your Stuff at Pride – Stay to march in Vegas’ Pride Night Parade and Festival. (May 1-2) 5. Pamper and Indulge – LasVegas is home to five Mobil four-star spas: Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Palazzo, BathHouse at THEhotel, the Spa at Wynn and Qua Baths and Spa at Caesars Palace. 6. Shop and Stroll – Fashion Show mall encompasses nearly 2 million square feet, making it the largest shopping venue on the Las Vegas Strip.
7. Explore the Great Outdoors – Experience the natural side of Las Vegas by taking a Pink Jeep Tour.
8. Party with the Girls – “Ladies Nights” for the women’s community: Freezone, Gipsy’s, Girlspot and Candy Bar in Krave.
9. Ink Up – Mario Barth’s Starlight Tattoo and House of Blues Las Vegas offers three different styles of tattooing. At the Palms Resort & Casino, Hart & Huntington Tattoo is home to the reality show INKED on A&E Network.
10. See A Showgirl – In Donn Arden’s Jubilee! at Bally’s Hotel and Casino. MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse Paris, direct from the original Crazy Horse in Paris, Spice Girl Mel B. headlines in a newly-opened revue, Peepshow, at Planet Hollywood.
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The Palms has a younger, hipper, MTV vibe and has become a celebrity hotspot. The 40-story Fantasy Tower offers gorgeous Fantasy Suites, including the Erotic Suite, a real newlyweds’ getaway with an 8-foot rotating bed, a mirrored ceiling, a stripper pole and shadow dancer projector. The Palms offers a spectacular view from the Ghostbar on the 55th floor—its open-air deck gives you an amazing 180-degree look at the neon lights of the strip. The resort’s dining options are equally extraordinary but my favorite thing about the Palms is its in-house tattoo parlor, Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company. Stop in with your woman and get some ink to commemorate your nuptials. The rooms are huge, with giant TVs, and the pools are outstanding. The Stratosphere is older but I like to visit the Top of the World for dinner or drinks. The restaurant is located at the top of the building, more than 800 feet above the city, and rotates 360 degrees once every hour and 20 minutes, giving you a slow panoramic view of all the twinkling lights.
Spend your days shopping, sightseeing or sunning at one of the many incredible hotel pools. Mandalay Bay has a beach-like wave machine, and the Golden Nugget “tank” lets you swim with the sharks. Shop till you drop at huge indoor malls inside Caesar’s, Bellagio and the Wynn. Or if you’d like to get away from it all, take a scenic drive through the Valley of Fire State Park and Red Rock Canyon—two extraordinary sites akin to the Grand Canyon in majesty. You can make the drive yourself or hire a limo to drive you out through the ranger’s gate.
When you’re ready for some nightlife, you have a myriad of choices, including a fabulous Vegas show. Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity gets rave reviews and is guaranteed to wow you with some Sapphic spectacle. Or check out MGM’s Crazy Horse Paris, billed as “a celebration of the artistry of the nude.” The cabaret features beautiful female dancers whose near-nude bodies become canvases upon which colored lights and images are projected. LeRêve at the Wynn is another show to consider—live music accompanies provocative acrobatics in an “intimate aqua theater-in-the-round.”
After the shows, it’s time to hit the clubs and bars. Think of it as a belated bachelorette party—for two. The young and beautiful love the Pussycat Dolls Lounge at Caesar’s, the Playboy Club at the Palms and the Voodoo Lounge at the top of the Rio. You will have to mingle with the straight folks, though, so if you’d like to be exclusive, head to CandyBar on a Saturday night. Hosted by sexy DJ Lisa Pittman at Krave, this is the hottest lesbian dance party around. Things start hopping at around 11 p.m. when the go-go dancers take the stage. You will be pleased, trust me.
Vegas never closes, so you can party all night or get back to your suite for some one-on-one entertainment in your own rotating bed. Viva Las Vegas!