text: You get a nice view from atop this sketchy Vegas icon.  The observation deck is high above the casino and hotel below and allow you to see the entire city.  The outdoor deck give you an  up close look at the rides that nearly defy logic.  It seems strange to install an amusement park on top of a tower as they did but it works.  People get their thrills up there every day (weather permitting).  I've only ever done the Sky Jump myself.  The other rides just aren't my style.  When I go up in the Stratospher Tower it is almost solely for the view.  There are a few problems with it though.  Admission is $18.  $12 for locals.  All you get for that is a ride in an elevator.  Sure, it runs at 21 MPH and takes you up the core in less than a minute but the simple fact remains that it is nothing more than an elevator.  Second problem, trying to figure out where to purchase admission.  I was there on Friday taking advantage of the January special for locals (free admission Fri, Sat, Sun all January long).  I stood in one line near the entrance to the elevators.  They told me to go to the box office.  I went to the box office and it was dark.  Security told me to go down stairs to the other box office on the casino level.  Then I had to go all the way back to where I started and stand in line for a while as each elevator can only take 10 people.  When you have a long line 10 people at a time makes for slow progress.  Neverthless, the wait is worth it when you reach the top and see the magnificence of the Las Vegas Valley.\n\nAs for the casino, not bad.  It is big and mostly modern looking.  Its fairly clean and doesn't seem to smell too strongly of smoke like some casinos do.  My favorite part though is near the casino level box office mentioned above.  There is a nice Dale Earnhardt Sr. Chevrolet Camaro and the Stratosphere Pole Award given to the pole sitter of the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway every March.  As a NASCAR fan, this is pretty cool.