In the past, every article I have written here has been about a place to visit in Southern Nevada or Southwestern Arizona. This will be something totally different. When you visit Las Vegas you have many many options of tours you can experience. You can do a bus tour, helicopter tour, limo tour - the list is practically endless. If you don't have your own vehicle or a rented car any of the above are good options. However, if you do have access to your own transportation, let me introduce you to one sweet deal called the "GyPSy Guide."
A close up look at the GyPSy Guide
I first experienced the award winning* GyPSy Guide last May while visiting Canada. This successful operation stretches across the "Great White North", has been in operation for more than 4-1/2 years, and is nothing short of amazing. Little did I know less than a year after I experienced the GyPSy in Canada, it would be here in Southern Nevada.
Though some very special connections I managed to watch the seven month development of the GyPSy in Las Vegas. I was stunned by the amount of time, research and talent that goes into developing a GyPSy tour. First, a tour location has to be established. Then additional 'Points of Interest' are added. After that activation points are added to the tour. Activation points are places where the GyPSy automatically starts talking with you. Stories are then written. Then the stories are voiced. Pictures are added. The tour routes are driven countless times to make sure everything is properly adjusted and fit for the times allowed. If that sounds like a lot of work, it is. Trust me - the end result is worth it!
The GyPSy Guide is unlike any other tour in Southern Nevada. It's like the GyPSy people say - "Your Vehicle. Your Schedule. Your Own Las Vegas Tour Guide."
The GyPSy is easy to set up. Once you take the minute or so to set it up, the only thing you have to do is turn it on, adjust the volume and let the GyPSy do the rest. The audio plays through the speakers in your vehicle. The stories are totally fascinating. Depending on the tour you take, you will hear stories about the mob, behind the scenes gaming stories, even stories about things some locals may not know.
The GyPSy Guide In Action
Although satellite driven, the GyPSy does not compete with a GPS unit. A GPS will give you directions and may name a place or two to visit but the GyPSy is a fountain of information complete with directions. It's just plain fun to use.
I found out there is a hotel tower on the strip with $1,000,000 in ground up currency buried in cement. I also learned there were a couple of casino implosions that didn't quite go as planned. I not only got the history of wild burros but saw them along the route. Then there were the pictographs and petroglyphs. I could go on for pages, but I won't.
Bottom line - for $49 bucks a day it's easy to use, informative, entertaining, and nothing short of a tremendous VALUE. If you're coming to Vegas and renting a car or driving your own you MUST check out the GyPSy Guide. GyPSy Guide is now in the process of setting up distribution points along the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown. You can also order one soon on the link below.
www.gypsygude.com/lasvegas
* In 2009 GPS Guide Tours Inc. (GyPSy Guide) won the Alto (Alberta Tourism) Pride Award.