5.4 Other attractions in the area
If you are driving between Los Angeles and Las Vegas you might want to consider riding the Desperado roller coaster at Buffalo Bill's Resort and Casino in Primm, Nevada - (31900 S. Las Vegas Blvd.) - Located just off I-15 about 40 miles south of Las Vegas.
The Desperado Roller Coaster is one of the tallest (at 210-feet), steepest (first drop is 225 feet at a 55-degree angle) and fastest (at nearly 80 miles per hour) and longest (more than a mile) steel roller coasters in the world. (3 trains with 5 cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 30 riders per train.) Hours: Friday - Sunday, noon - 10 p.m. Closed Monday - Thursday. Ride costs $8, lasts nearly 3 minutes. Watch Video below. Must be 48 inches tall. Tel. (702) 679-RIDE or (800) FUN-STOP.
Ethel M Chocolate Factory
Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden is located about a 15 minute drive from the Strip in Henderson, Nevada. Free self-guided walking tour of world class candy making takes about a half hour and includes free samples. Trivia: The "M" stands for Mars. Ethel M is owned by the founder of Mars Incorporated, Forrest Mars, Sr., and was named in honor of his mother who began creating exceptional chocolates in her kitchen in 1911. After the tour, visitors can stroll through the 2-acre botanical cactus gardens located outside the factory where more than 350 varieties of cactus are displayed. Open: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Located corner of Sunset and Mountain Vista. Tel. (702) 435-2655 or (702) 435-2608. Ethel M chocolates can also be purchased at the Fashion Show Mall, California Hotel (downtown), Flamingo Hotel (on the strip) and at McCarran Airport.
The Sunset Stampede
The Sunset Stampede is a free laser light and water show held every evening at Sam's Town located at 5111 Boulder Highway in Las Vegas. The show erupts from the cliff at Mystic Falls Park, a 25,000 square foot live forest within an atrium.
A howling animatronic wolf atop the cliff begins the eight minute show which take place at 2, 6, 8 and 10 p.m. Fountains shoot eight stories into the air and the waters dance in the lights to a symphonic orchestra. Sam's Town also has a 18-screen state of the art movie complex, 56 bowling lanes, a dance hall and bingo.
Located six miles (15 minutes) from the Strip, Sam's Town is where the locals go to gamble. (They have single deck $5 minimum blackjack.) Rooms at their 650 room hotel are low priced ...as low as $35 weekdays. To get there, take the free shuttles from the Strip and downtown to Sam's Town. Tel. (702) 456-7777 or 1-800-634-6371.
The Azure
It is a free underwater fantasy show at the Silverton Hotel & Casino featuring world-class (olympic caliber) synchronized swimming. It takes place in a 117,000 gallon salt water aquarium among breathtaking live coral and thousands of marine fish. Show times are hourly from 5 to 11 p.m. weekdays (except Tuesday when it is closed.) There are also afternoon shows on the weekend. There are several different show themes, each 5 to 10 minutes long. The Silverton has 300 oversize budget priced rooms ...weekdays as low as $50.
The property is located at 3333 Blue Diamond Road near I-15, just 2 miles south of the Las Vegas Strip. (Free transportation to the Strip.) Modeled after an Old West mining town, the Silverton also has an award-winning 400-space RV park. Tel. (702) 263-7777 or (866) 668-6688 (toll free.) The Silverton has hard-to-find single and double deck blackjack.
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