Royally Flushed

The iconic Mirage Volcano made it’s newly-renovated debut on The Strip in Las Vegas last night.  Under construction since February of this year, the $25 million face-lift caps a recent $110 million room and suite redesign to The Mirage’s 2,765 Deluxe and Tower Deluxe accommodations.

The new volcano show features a musical score by Mickey Hart of Grateful Dead fame and Indian impresario Zakir Hussain and comes from the acclaimed design firm WET, creators of The Bellagio lake show.  Fireballs and the aptyly-named Fireshooters explode into the air and send fiery waves of burning lava across the Strip-front lagoon during the four-and-a-half-minute blazing spectacle.

See it for yourself with this terrific video of the opening night’s show from KLAS television.  Mirage Volcano Video.

Boo! Halloween on the Las Vegas Strip will be a hauntingly good time.

What’s scarier than a 700-point drop in the Dow but a lot more fun?  Halloween in Las Vegas, baby!   The city rolls out the blood-red carpet for grown-up ghosts, ghouls and goblins looking for some non-stop Halloween partying.   Costume contests, haunted houses and other sublimely scary events combined with terrific hotel deals up and down The Strip make Halloween in Las Vegas a very un-scary option this year.

Check out these best “pack your suitcase and go” Las Vegas hotel deals for Halloween weekend.*                 

                MGM Grand Halloween Blow-Out!   Rooms from $69 – $99 per night for a standard room or upgrade to the Bungalow King Suite for $89 – $119 per night.  WOW!

                New York New York - 20% off Room Rates Deal.  Park Avenue Deluxe room, one step up from standard and newly-renovated, for $66 – $118 per night.

                Bally’s – This center-Strip Harrah’s hotel has rooms in their South Tower at $69 – $119 per night.

And while you’re in Las Vegas, take in one – or more – of these special Halloween  events!

                Fright Dome at Circus Circus - Named one of the” Top 5 Scariest Attractions” by The Travel Channel, this event is not for the faint of heart.   Check out the “trailer” video showing killer clowns, flayed zombies and chainsaw-wielding woodsmen for a preview of what to expect. 

                Monster Mayhem at Town Square Mall – This scary site features three separate attractions including the “Morbid Clown Manor” (what is it with killer clowns?), the only-in-Las-Vegas “Aces and Eights Haunted Casino” and a haunted mansion.  (For an explanation of Aces and Eights, also called the ”Dead Man’s Hand” in poker, check out this article on Gambling Blog. 

                 Castle Vampyre - Freakling Brothers Horror Shows — love that name! —  puts on this event at the Sunset Station Casino in Henderson. 

Tomorrow – Read about  Halloween parties scheduled at some of Las Vegas’ hottest clubs.

*(Rates were checked for three nights beginning Thursday, October 30 with check-out on Sunday, November 2 and were current as of 10/23/08.  Rates do not include taxes and other fees.  Book-by dates vary by property and offer.)