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For the most part, the Stratosphere is a pretty lame casino. It looks pretty grungy, the last time I was there the mall was full of vacant stores, and the service definitly leaves something to be desired.. However, if you take the LONG walk all the way through the entire casino to the farthest possible point from the front entrace, you'll get to the elevators that take you up to the Stratosphere tower and the Top Of The World restauraunt (which is covered in another review, and is no longer highly recommended.) The top of the tower is reached via high-speed elevators, which are actually stacked two-to-a-shaft, so you may sometimes have to wait for the elevator below you to unload before you can do the same. If it's busy they really pack you in the elevator, so make sure you wear your deodorant. Once atop the tower you have a few choices. There is an observation deck, which is a magnificent 360 degree view of the entire Las Vegas valley from almost 900 feet up. Unless you get into a helicoptor or rent out one of the supremely expensive Panorama suites at The Rio, you won't find a better strip view. I suggest going at night, if it's dark you can't see the people dropping their cars off at the pawn shops, and the lights are a sight to behold. Once you're done gawking, head up to The Big Shot. It's a free fall ride in reverse, in that it shoots a carload of people about 50 feet in the air up a giant antenna at the top of the tower. It's one of the scariest rides I've been on, because at one point you are just about 1000 feet in the air, with nothing but a safety harness holding you in your seat, and then you start to fall back to the launch platform. This ride alone is worth the cost of getting up into the tower, but I can safely say that since I've ridden it once, you'll never get me back into it again. There are other rides, a roller coaster and a ride that appears to fling you off the side of the tower, then reel you back in, but I haven't been on either one. On a related note, rides sometimes close due to high winds. Basically, they could close the entire Stratosphere Hotel and Casino, and I don't think anyone would mind. That tower, however, is a real landmark, and a real fun time, and hopefully will be around for a long time.
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