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Thread: Las Vegas?

  1. #1
    Member Spitball's Avatar
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    Las Vegas?

    My wife has planned a five day vacation for us to Las Vegas in July. She booked us a room at The Flamingo because of its location, and it was affordable.

    This is our first time, but I'm sure lots of you have been there. Does anyone have any tips?
    "I am your child from the future. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier." - Dylan Easton


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  3. #2
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    First of all good luck. That is a long Vegas trip. It would help to get some more information on what you like to do because you can sort of make Vegas into whatever you want.

    Are you looking to gamble a lot? Shows? Are you looking for the best restaurants or the best deals and buffets? Are you a pool person? Are you looking at going to clubs? Do you want to go to the spa?

  4. #3
    Member Spitball's Avatar
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    Quote Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27 View Post
    First of all good luck. That is a long Vegas trip. It would help to get some more information on what you like to do because you can sort of make Vegas into whatever you want.

    Are you looking to gamble a lot? Shows? Are you looking for the best restaurants or the best deals and buffets? Are you a pool person? Are you looking at going to clubs? Do you want to go to the spa?
    We are not big gamblers. I plan to do a little while I people watch and drink a few (several) beers.

    My wife really wants to see a show. She says Carrot Top gets great reviews. We love comedy, but I'm not sure about that guy.

    We would appreciate tips on best restaurants, the best deals, and buffets.

    We are definitely pool people, and we enjoy going to clubs.

    I don't think I am a spa person at all. I don't think my wife really is either.

    Is the strip safe? Do people just walk from place to place?
    "I am your child from the future. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier." - Dylan Easton

  5. #4
    Big Red Machine RedsBaron's Avatar
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Spitball View Post
    We are not big gamblers. I plan to do a little while I people watch and drink a few (several) beers.

    My wife really wants to see a show. She says Carrot Top gets great reviews. We love comedy, but I'm not sure about that guy.

    We would appreciate tips on best restaurants, the best deals, and buffets.

    We are definitely pool people, and we enjoy going to clubs.

    I don't think I am a spa person at all. I don't think my wife really is either.

    Is the strip safe? Do people just walk from place to place?
    I was in Vegas a dozen years ago, so my info is hardly up-to-date, but the strip seemed to be safe to me. People did walk from place to place, as the various hotel/casinos are simply interesting to see.
    "Hey...Dad. Wanna Have A Catch?" Kevin Costner in "Field Of Dreams."

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    Re: Las Vegas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Spitball View Post
    W

    We are definitely pool people, and we enjoy going to clubs.
    Since this is July, the temps will be in the high 90s/100s. So there will be plenty of pool activity going on. The trend for the last few years to combine the pool with the club. The pool is actually the club. Many hotels will have a club like atmosphere at the pool during the day. You can people watch there, dance, etc, and enjoy your liquor. (I am not lately a club person, so check out the latest online) Some of these pool parties from long wait list to get in and also some have entrance fees attached.

  7. #6
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    Place is a zoo, got married there myself

    Fun place to people watch, party, cut loose

  8. #7
    Danger is my business! oneupper's Avatar
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    I was in Vegas about 7 years ago. The main day attraction was walking from hotel to hotel to check them out. It was October, however, and the weather was nice.
    On the strip, hundreds of people walk up and down the avenue at all hours. I think its safe.

    Shows were nice. We say Blue Man Group and Lance Burton (escape artist).
    Still not my kind of town. Wife got allergies from all the cigarette smoke.
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    I've been there several times and I learn a little bit more each time. These are a few suggestions:

    1) Rent a car. Options in Vegas are very, very cheap. Shop for it and you'll find about three different companies that'll charge less than $10/day. For five days even including taxes, you'll be cheaper than two taxis to and from the airport. Just about all the casinos have free parking. All you have to do is tip the valet or if you prefer you can skip the valet. This gives you the option to leave the strip which I'd recommend for one or two days.

    2) Go to Old Town. Gives you a different flavor of the city. Also casinos are generally cheaper off the strip

    3) Those good lookin' waitreses in miniskirts in the casino are passing out free drinks. Seriously! Order what you want from them and all they expect when they come back is a $2 tip.

    4) Go to the bank before you leave and collect a bunch of $2 bills. I'll try to get about twenty of them. These are great for tipping waitresses, valet parkers or baggage folks at the airport.

    5) Check out the Lions at MGM, the dolphins at Mirage and the fountains at Bellagio. You might see Pete Rose outside the card shop at Caesars

    6) Bring comfortable walking shoes. Lots of walking on that strip. It's good to burn off all the alcohol and good food you'll be eating

    7) I'd recommend seeing Jersey Boys. Check websites for deals and there is a half off business which has many kiosks around town.

  10. #9
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    If I was going to Vegas I'd check out this

    http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/sho...e/default.aspx
    School's out. What did you expect?

  11. #10
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    Cirque Du Soleil is awesome. My wife & I agree that we've seen too many of them to be truely "awed" anymore, but if you've never seen a Cirque show, you'll enjoy. I've heard "love" which pedro linked above, is the best of the group out there. I haven't seen it, but O was very good, can't remember the name of the other 2 that I've seen out there. There are a lot of good entertainers/comedians out there, so if Carrot Top isn't your thing, just look around, you'll find someone you'll like.

    If you're not a gambler, spend a morning going out to the grand canyon. Place is impressive, there are numerous tour groups going out each day.

    Hit "old" vegas for an evening. The light show on freedom street is pretty cool, the casinos are a little run down compared to the strip, but offer cheaper gaming options.

    Ever play craps? Find a casino that is running a teaching lesson on the game, I think New York, New York runs 1-2 sessions every mid morning, I'm sure most other casinos do the same. Its a fun game, plus its nice to learn something new. Although be prepared, money moves quickly in the game, its nothing to be up $200 or down $200 in a 20 minute span unless you play very conservatively. But even if you play conservatively, the action around a craps table is fun to take in, and no body cares if you're just betting the pass line and nothing else, or don't want to throw the dice.

    Bring walking shoes and walk the strip. Its always been very safe, but due the scale of all the building, what appears to be a 5-10 minute walk often turns into a 30 minute venture when you realize how spaced out everything is. The venetian is fun to walk thru, they have gondala rides if that is your thing, or you can just walk thru it. The Hardrock is off the strip a bit, but offers an interesting scene. The Forum shops at Ceasars, Bellagio's fountain show and glass sculptures are a must.

    Is music your thing? There's the house of blues at Madalay Bay which might have an interesting show, some big names perform out there regular that no longer tour coast to coast (like Garth Brooks, Celine Dion, etc...) No matter your taste, there's bound to be something up your alley in town.

    There are great restaurants all over, great steak/seafood places in each of the large casinos. The buffets are generally solid. Food is expensive out there, at least in the casino's if you're willing to venture out you can find some pretty good deals off the strip, where perhaps the car rental idea would help out.

    5 days is a long time in vegas, budget accordingly. Plan some things that can stretch out the time/cost. Grand Canyon as mentioned above can be an all day thing. Hit a sports book, drop $10 on the Reds, watch the game and collect the free drinks. Lounge around the pool, enjoy long dinners/lunches, etc..

    Enjoy.

  12. #11
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    Lots of good suggestions there.

    The strip is safe. I wouldn't go walking down Koval at night (that is the street behind the strip), but you'll be fine on Las Vegas Blvd. It's a zoo. Also if you plan on walking the Strip in July, I'd do it at night. It is probably going to be about 110.

    Somebody mentioned pool clubs and while it's not my thing, they can be pretty fun if you're looking to have a good drunk time during the day. The most popular ones are at Wynn, Hard Rock, MGM and the Cosmopolitan.

    If it is just you and your wife going to a club you'll probably be fine getting in, but I would suggest going to the club you want to go to sometime before dinner and talking to the door guy and making sure you're on the list. Also some of the clubs have dining options, where you eat a late dinner before and then just go right into the club. Tao at the Venetian is probably the best option for this and the food is pretty good. The club scene changes pretty fast, but I think the "hot" clubs right now are at the Cosmopolitan, Caesars, Venetian and the Wynn. I also like Ghost Bar at the Palms because you get an amazing view of the Strip at night.

    There are a lot of great dining options and Yelp is your friend. Most of the celebrity chefs have at least one restaurant in Vegas. Dining in general is pretty expensive. Some of my favorites are CUT, Mesa Grill and B&B. It is more of a lunch spot but BLT Burger at The Mirage is a good burger and shake place and won't destroy the wallet. Most buffet deals are going to be off strip, but I think the Bellagio buffet (which is out of this world amazing) has some type of mid week deal or at least they used to. If they don't have the deal is is like $100 for dinner.

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    Re: Las Vegas?

    I forgot to mention shows.

    O and Love are both amazing, however they are also both a little expensive, but I think worth it.

    Carrot Top is actually pretty funny. I'm not sure if it's still there but Second City used to have a show in the hotel you are staying in and if you like improv it is top notch and cheap as far as shows go.

    Based on second hand knowledge I've heard Jersey Boys and the Elvis show at Aria are both great.

  14. #13
    Member Redsfaithful's Avatar
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    I stayed at the Bellagio last month. The buffet there was pretty amazing.

    One small thing is that the place is seriously dry (obviously, it being the desert, but it wasn't something I thought about.) Drink lots of water.
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  15. #14
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Spitball View Post
    We are not big gamblers. I plan to do a little while I people watch and drink a few (several) beers.

    My wife really wants to see a show. She says Carrot Top gets great reviews. We love comedy, but I'm not sure about that guy.

    We would appreciate tips on best restaurants, the best deals, and buffets.

    We are definitely pool people, and we enjoy going to clubs.

    I don't think I am a spa person at all. I don't think my wife really is either.

    Is the strip safe? Do people just walk from place to place?
    I've been to Vegas something like 13 or 14 times and it never gets old for me. I always end up seeing or experience something for the first time every time I go out there.

    I haven't seen a lot of shows in Vegas, but my favorite is Blue Man Group. It's a little pricey but I thought it was worth every penny.

    I don't visit the high end restaurants, but there are plenty of good buffets on the strip, although these days they are quite pricey. My favorites have always been the ones at Planet Hollywood, Bellagio, and the Wynn. Good food deals are harder to come by these days and you will usually have to go off the strip to find them. One of the more popular ones is the $6 steak dinner at Ellis Island. Good thing is though there are so many restaurants that you should have no problem finding something to your liking.

    I've always felt safe walking on the strip. I still think it's cool that I can get a 32 oz Corona at the corner store at Harrahs and there's a bottle opener at the cash register so I can open it before I leave. Open containers on the strip is ok, as long as you are not causing problems.

    With the Flamingo, IMO you selected the best part of the strip. It's centrally located and the casino/hotels are closer together. Carnival Court and the piano bar at Harrah's are fun places to hang out.

    I would definitely suggest a trip to downtown for an evening. The Fremont Street Experience is pretty cool and free, plus there are street entertainers and bands playing. The casinos are very close together and you will find better gambling rules.

    Have a good time!

  16. #15
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    Re: Las Vegas?

    I second the recommendation for Old Town. It is a completely different feel. We took the bus there for roughly $1.50 but wasn't exactly a fan of the pace. From the Flamingo, your at one end of the strip and you can take the monorail to anywhere on the strip you want to go. Pretty cheap and very fast.


    Also we went to see Penn and Teller which was a fantastic show, but it kinda has to be your flavor of humor.
    Quote Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27 View Post
    Honest I can't say it any better than Hoosier Red did in his post, he sums it up basically perfectly.


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