NEW TOP VEGAS HOT SPOT FOR 2010

Insanity, the Ride; X-Scream; and, Big Shot

Atop the Stratosphere Las Vegas Hotel and Casino,  

Soar more than 100 floors above the Las Vegas Strip riders enjoy panoramic views of the shimmering Las Vegas valley. Jutting 1,149 feet into the Vegas skyline, the Stratosphere Tower is the tallest observation tower in the U.S. and one of the most exciting attractions among Vegas Strip hotels. But that's just the beginning. Atop the hotel are one-of-a-kind thrill rides you can't find anywhere else that include: Big Shot - shoots passengers straight up 160 feet at 45 mph (over 4 Gs) until they are 1,081 feet above the Strip; X-Scream - a giant teeter-totter that propels passengers 27 feet over the edge of the Tower, 866 feet above the ground; and, Insanity, the Ride - a massive mechanical arm that extends 64 feet over the edge of the Tower and spins riders at a force of 3 Gs for a truly mind-bending experience.

Speed

Sahara Hotel and Casino

What could be more fun then shooting out of a pod on a 1,300-foot track and reaching 40 mph in two seconds before hitting top speed of 72 mph? This is how it starts on Speed - the ride, that is - at the Sahara. The whole gut-wrenching affair takes about 41 seconds. You'll loop around (gotta have that loop there), run up a 200-foot pole above the Strip at a 90-degree angle, only to stop dead and do it all again – backwards. Speed packs 4.5 Gs into its short track life – so short that the Sahara has decided to give you double the run for your money and let you ride that bullet twice for the same $8. While you're waiting for your stomach to come back to earth, why not wander around this Morocco-meets-Indianapolis-theme hotel? It's a great way to kill an afternoon. Or your appetite.