I posted this at OO, but I'm not sure who will see it, so I wanted to post it here as well.
The wife and I are considering taking a trip to Las Vegas over her Spring Break in April. The problem is neither of us have ever been there before, so we don't know much about it. For those of you who have been there, what casinos/hotels offer the best packages? What is the best way to handle it - travel agents, Travelocity, contact the hotel directly, etc.? Also, what else is there to see besides hanging out in the casinos? Any suggestions, you guys might have would be really helpful.
I lived in Vegas for about five months. These are my reccomendations...
- Consider a hotel that isn't on the Las Vegas Strip. The Suncoast, while nothing horribly special, has pretty good rooms at decent prices. Another off-strip casino that opened recently is the Red Rock Station, which (I have been told) has good rooms (although I'm not sure on the prices). Normally, I'd suggest checking with the hotel directly, but I'm not sure what kind of hook-ups they have on vehicle rental so I'm really not sure.
- When you go to the casinos on the strip, find one centrally located casino to park at and do as much walking as you possibly can. Las Vegas is a magnet to all of the shitty drivers in the United States, and they all gravitate toward Las Vegas Boulevard. If you are driving on The Boulevard, expect gridlock and long waits, particularly if the fountains at the Bellagio are playing their show.
- If you're a golfer, there are some great golf courses out there, but they're pretty expensive (if you can get into them at all). Badlands and Bear's Best are two that stick out particularly as good courses, although if you can get a time at TPC at The Canyons it's... yeah.
- I highly reccomend going to In & Out at least once if you've never been there. Best... burgers... EVER.
- There are tons of places to shop in case you have any interest in that. Blue Man Group is good if you can get tickets, and according to my parents, the cast for "Phantom of the Opera" that they've got at The Wynn is very good. I haven't heard anything about the new Cirque de Soleil show. The Star Trek Experience is fun to do once but horribly overpriced for what you get, as is the food there.
- This is the spot where I'd pimp the fact that there are not one but TWO Melting Pot restaurants in town, but that's just shameless self-interest going on.
- The Carrol Shelby museum is a must-see if you're interested in Shelby's vehicles, plus they'll sometimes do tours of the Shelby facility. It's right by the Las Vegas Speedway.
- The Hoover Dam is also interesting, but parking is expensive and the museum, while fascinating, is a little crowded. It's definitely worth visiting once, but again (due to construction) the traffic might kill you.
That's all that I know, really. If you've got any questions, feel free to post 'em.
Post by Attitude Adjuster on Oct 3, 2006 18:26:25 GMT -5
My wife and I love going to Vegas, and we don't get there enough. We're going this December. Here's some tips:
1) Stay somewhere in the middle of The Strip so you can get to everything by walking. We prefer Monte Carlo, but realize two things: We're in our mid-30s (OK, late 30s for me) and currently there's construction going on next door. This time we're staying at the Luxor. It's further south that we prefer, but we're using up points and it's free. The Mirage and Treasure Island are also good.
2) Check out cheapovegas.com. It's a great overview of the Vegas casinos, from rooms to casino floor to food to shows. It caters to the middle-class crowd. In other words, it realizes we can't afford the Wynn.
3) See some shows. The last time we went, we saw the Blue Man Group and were amazed. The shows are expensive, but worth it. I can give you an updated review when we get back in December.
4) Kristine and I are gamblers, so we have no problem hanging out in casinos all day. But if you're not, plan a trip to the Grand Canyon or Hoover Dam. Book a tour for either. It's more expensive, but the lack of hassle is worth it. Also, the video game arcade on the south end of the Strip is fantastic!
5) Make sure you're not going during the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament. If you are, rooms will be way more expensive and the sports books will be crushed. I did that last year, and I much prefer Reno to Vegas at that time of the year.
6) Use the bus systems on the Strip. It's much improved, and buses seen to come by every 15 minutes or so. One caveat: During rush hour it's quicker to walk. Frankly, I prefer walking, but that's me.
7) How to book the trip: I found a really good deal through Southwest Airlines' vacation packages. But if you're not flying, all the Web travel sites are about the same, and you can probably get the exact same rate through the hotel. One thing: Book a regular room and then ask for an upgrade when you get there. They usually have suites available and will upgrade you for just an extra $25/$35 a night.
Sting is the dumbest man in wrestling. That's a well established fact. I'd personally find it offensive and out of character if Sting didn't volunteer to do the stupid thing. --Lucky Lopez