Viva Las Vegas

April 20-23 2012

I just returned from my 6th trip to Las Vegas on April 23rd.  I'm often asked "Don't you run out of things to do there?" My answer is simple..."No".  I always find a new place to eat, or a new casino to visit or a new activity to partake in.  This time I stayed at Treasure Island.  I was against paying a resort fee as many of these hotels on the strip charge a silly resort fee upon check in for things you may or may not use during your visit.  The resort fee was minimal along with the great deal we got so I didn't mind doing it this one time.  I was also paying for location - staying mid strip is ideal unless it's your first or second time visiting.  I knew we had no reason to walk down to MGM Grand, or Luxor so it was all about location this time.   I did like staying at TI - and the resort fee included things like internet, access to print out my return flight boarding pass, and we also received a few coupons that we used.  

As for new restaurants...you can read more about my experiences on my Yelp page at: janinek77.yelp.com

Dinner on our first night we stopped at KGB Burger Bar at Harrah's - Delicious!  I highly recommend this place.

If you're looking for decent eats and fabulous desserts - visit Serendipity 3 outside Caesar's Palace or The Sugar Factory outside Paris.  We opted for appetizers and dessert at both.  Yum!

My favorite Mexican place is at the Hard Rock Hotel ... it's called "Pink Taco"  There is also one in LA however I much prefer this location and I've been there the last 3 visits to Las Vegas.  If you're off the strip in that vicinity there is the new KISS Monster Mini Golf across the street.  It's indoor and pretty cool if you're into the band or just looking for something different to do.

When I visited Las Vegas last year I saw Le Reve at Wynn and it was hands down...AMAZING!!! I would go see that again but I haven't been to too many shows there so I opted for "Beatles Love" at Mirage...it would be unfair to compare the two so I'm not, they are entirely different and Beatles/Love is a Cirque du Soleil show.  I recommend both.  I also recommend purchasing tickets in advance because you can find deals online at www.lasvegas.com or www.travelzoo.com (I've used both). If you really don't have and agenda and plan on winging it you can stop by any of the "Tickets The Same Day" booths scattered among the strip ... also called "Half Price Tickets" I believe.  Keep in mind they do not have tickets for ALL shows and they change daily so what might be available for tonight might not be for tomorrow.  When I visited back in 2006 I insisted on purchasing tickets to Mystere at TI and my friend insisted it would be ok to just walk up to the box office a few hours before the show and we were surely mistaken.  We were told a line forms an hour before the show at will call and tickets are not guaranteed.  Needless to say we didn't want to stand in line forever on vacation so to this day I never did see that show. I've also seen Divas in Imperial Palace, and Chippendales at Rio (hey...it was a girls trip!)

You can now zipline on Freemont Street...that was on our agenda but we got there too late but what we saw looked like a blast.  I always feel that I don't NEED to visit Old Las Vegas or Downtown Las Vegas every time but somehow a night off the main strip isn't so bad...and fun.

Some Vegas tips to keep in mind...

- Cabs are timed, not by mile...you can sit at a red light and get charged $1.25

- There are coupon books everywhere...grab them, it doesn't hurt to save a buck or two on vacation (more $$$ for drinks and gambling that way!)

- The monorail runs on one side of the strip - one way is $5 but you can buy a 24 hour pass for $12

- Definitely check out the places off the strip like Rio, Palms, or even Ellis Island - a brewery/casino.  They are a short walk or cab ride away.  Paris has a shuttle that runs frequently from the Paris/Ballys area to Rio

- Although I do not recommend cruising the strip at night or driving from casino to casino, but sometimes renting a car is ideal if you'd like to check out the outlet malls, Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire, or eat at In N Out Burger. We rented a car last year...I don't regret doing it because we could visit the places off the beaten path on our own.

- The weekends are ALWAYS busy...people drive in from the LA area on the weekends, people just go there for the weekends...if you want less of a crowd, avoid weekends and avoid holiday weekends.

- YES it gets cold there in the winter.  I visited in early December of 2009 and it was in the 40s at night, 50s during the day.

- I'm not at all into clubbing but I did check out a few...plan on standing unless you opt for bottle service at the clubs.  Many of the clubs have a "free cover" or "skip the line" thing if you sign up in advance on their website.  Do NOT talk to the people on the strip handing out coupons and wristbands...they will give you a talk, tell you how much you're saving THEN ask you for a tip.  Hand those passes back, they are unnecessary.

- I've stayed at the Tropicana my first trip out there, years later at the Stratosphere (the trip was only $300 for air & hotel, I couldn't pass it up!), off the strip at a timeshare, New York New York, Ballys, & TI.  Keep in mind...you pretty much only sleep in your hotel room.  If you want to travel on a budget, there are reasonable places to stay.  

- There are plenty of "Free" things to explore, Sirens of TI, volcano at Mirage, Bellagio Fountains just to name a few...you can find more on www.lasvegas.com

- You will be doing a ton of walking here so wear good shoes!!!  The strip isn't one long walking strip, you'll be going up and down stairs, escalators, elevators, in and out of hotels, etc.