Want a calm night in Sin City? Yes, it’s possible
For a more refreshing Las Vegas experience, seek out these two oases, one near-new and part of the city’s constant evolution, another two decades old but always changing with the seasons.
In a drastic departure from the traditional Vegas approach of cramming city visitors into indoor gambling venues, MGM Resorts International has invested $100 million into an urban outdoor venue right off the Strip.
Known simply as the Park, it is anchored by a double water wall at one end and an oversize (40-foottall) stainless steel mesh sculpture of a dancing woman at the other. It provides a welcome space for visitors to escape the noisy throngs for a tree-lined stroll, or a beer and a bite, or bench-sitting and peoplewatching.
If the Park concept appeals, you can stay next door at the newly transformed Park MGM (formerly Monte Carlo), including the elegant rooms and suites of the top floors of the NoMad Las Vegas. You won’t go hungry: The latest outpost of Eataly, the glorious Italian food emporium, just opened at the Park MGM’s casino entryway.
Another green respite from the Strip is the two-decade-old Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden. Located in the hotel of the same name, it houses one of the best floral displays you will see anywhere – and it’s free, though sometimes packed with appreciative visitors.
The display changes seasonally: In December, it featured a 42-foottall white fir Christmas tree and toy soldiers standing guard before a rose-wrapped castle bridge; this spring (through June 15), it’s the pink and white blossoms of a Japanese garden.
You can nibble on strawberry tall cake or the incredibly oversized triple-decker sandwich at the newly opened Sadelle’s, with views of the conservatory.
Location: Along Park Avenue between New York-New York Hotel & Casino and the new Park MGM; theparkvegas. com/en.html; inside Bellagio Hotel & Casino, 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd.; bellagio. com/en/entertainment/conservatory-botanical-garden.html
Another green respite from the Strip is the two-decade old Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden.