The Venetian Shoppes and Poker Room

The next “must see” Vegas attraction is the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian®. This has to be the most over-the-top shopping experience in the world. To get the picture, start with any suburban shopping mall. Now add a domed ceiling painted to look just like the sky. The walkways are cobblestone. Add “street” performers that juggle, dance, sing, or just stand statue still. Next, change all of the stores to carry merchandise that is four of five times more expensive than back home. Finally, flood the center of the walkways and add Venetian gondolas with singing gondoliers. It is a sight not to be missed.

After viewing the shoppes, don’t miss the rest of this property. The Venetian has one of the nicest casinos in Las Vegas. The floor and ceiling in the grand hallway are spectacular to those who enjoy decoration and architecture. The front of the hotel contains all of the famous landmarks found in Venice, Italy including the Bridge of Sighs, Rialto Bridge, St. Marks Basilica and Bell Tower.

Lastly, don’t miss the poker room. This is not necessarily to play, though I highly recommend that, too. There is a room past the cashier’s cage that is for high stakes poker games. There is no sign pointing the way, but there is no door keeping anyone out either. There will not be anyone to keep you from looking in, so don’t be shy if you are searching for the pros that you’ve seen on TV and maybe other celebrities as well. You can often find the top poker pros playing for more money than your car is worth on a single hand.