Im going to Vegas...I need some hints and tips

[InSutterWeTrust]

Hi Everyone in a few weeks Im going to Las Vegas with my wife for the first time. I was wondering if anybody had any good ideas or places to check out or stay away from? Ive heard over by the stratosphere at night can be very crazy and to stay away from that area. I remember someone on this website just recently was there cause they posted a picture about Iginla goal ave I think thats what it was called.
Any suggestions will be appreciated
Thanks

[Knut]

Yup from the Stratosphere to Freemont AVe on Las Vegas BLVD is probably a place to avoid...allthough personalyl I have done the walk twice with no ill effect. it is a bit sketchy.

I have been the Vegas 3 times... these are the things i know:

1) The best way to get drinks is to sit at a 5cent slot maching, put in 10 bucks and play slowly. When a waitress comes by.... ask for a few beers for you and your friends (make sure they are playing too).. leave a 10 dollar tip... then slow play the money for hours, while the waitress will come over every 15 minutes or so. Or 1 dollar Heineken's from Slots-of-Fun.. which is attached to Circus Circus. Or... buy a bunch of single beers from the conveinence store (for about 1.50 a beer) and drink them in the hotel room/wandering the streets. Yes.. wandering the strip is ok with booze in your hand... just not off the strip.

2) There is a Tram behind the Hotels on the East side of LV BVLD... it goes all the way from the MGM to i think the Riveria and the LV Hilton (just off the strip, opposite of Circus Circus). Use it. For 2 bucks american it is a quick way to get from one side of the strip to another.

3) http://vegas.com a great place to get tickets for shows and to find out showtimes... spending 90 american on a good Cirque De Soleil is worth it, Especially if you do it during the prime gambling hours... 7 to 10. I found that i almost saved money by going to shows.

4) There is a fun horse racing Game at the MGM, havent seen it anywhere else. If you are going to use the slots... it is worth going to Freemont street, there are better odds there. however, the places are very smoky as they are smaller and there are more locals. If you want to play in a poker tournament.. Binions has a great one that twice a night.

5) There is a tonne of food everywhere. Basically, a regular dish from a restaurant is more than enough food for us Canadians. I avoid the buffets and just go to restaurants and order steak and lobster and get stuffed on the good stuff, instead of the poor stuff. 7.99 Prime Rib dinner's are hit and miss....but find a coupon and give it a shot... the meat is sometimes good, sometimes it is a bad cut.

I will post anything else i think of later.

[Stranger]

I'm heading there in July. If any one has some other tips for Vegas, please post them. Thanks in Advance.

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by Stranger

I'm heading there in July. If any one has some other tips for Vegas, please post them. Thanks in Advance.

In July, bring sunscreen and drink plenty of water. It will be scorching at that time.

[Frank the Tank]

I've only been once, but it was a blast. For a nice meal, the steakhouse at Circus Circus is incredible. Can't remember the exact name of it, but you can't miss it. The Blue Man Group show was awesome. Its at the pyramid-shaped casino......the Luxor?.....hmmm....bad memory. Freemont street was really cool as well, and a day trip to the Hoover Dam is worth the drive.

[KevanGuy]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

and a day trip to the Hoover Dam is worth the drive.

I second that. I also second the sunscreen/water thing if you are goin in the summer. The last time I went was the first week in August and at the Hoover dam it was +50 C in the SHADE! I even took a pick of the thermometer cause I knew no one would believe me. Heat like that is something else. I enjoyed the experience but I wouldnt really want to do it again.

[InSutterWeTrust]

I just came back from Vegas last month. Where are you staying on the strip or downtown? Now the blue-man group are at the Venetian hotel. For eating, we always hit up a buffet for breakfast then we were pretty good all day and didnt start to feel hungry to late, it can be expensive to eat, espeically if your eating on the strip. Downtown (Freemont street) is cheap to eat there.

If your going back and forth between the strip and downtown, take the bus its only like 5 bucks and it lasts for 24 hours, the bus cant remember the name of it, but its a double decker bus, goes from Freemont all the way down the strip.

The Cab's drive like nut jobs down there, becareful in the crosswalks I saw some guy get smoked by a cab when I was downthere. Only cross when it says to, theres alot of people that jaywalk down there.

Can't think of anymore, but if you have any questions feel free to PM me, hope you have a blast, cause I loved it down there and can't wait to go back.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

I'm heading to Vegas as well for the last week of July/first week of August.
The real kicker, is me and a buddy are doing it on our Motorcycles. THe heat is gonna be killer, but we've planned it so all of our desert riding will be at night.

We're taking the Pacific Coast Highway down so we can hit the MotoGP race at Laguna Seca, and then on to Vegas, should be a riot.

Hookers and Blow, here I come!!!!!!!!!

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

Hookers and Blow, here I come!!!!!!!!!

That's what I keep yelling every Saturday night. The conversation usually goes like this:

Dude #1: "What do you want to do tonight?"

Dude #2: "Hookers and blow?"

Good times.

....

j/k


Back on topic. I hear that the Orleans and the Mirage are the best places for poker if you're a poker player.

[JBR]

Food - Don't miss the buffet at the RIO. Great food and lots of it.
Drink - As above, 5 cent slots is great, but they won't come by often.
Entertainment - See the light show at Fremont street. Rollercoaster at NY NY is cool.

Gambling - When playing poker, don't yell "F'in" rights when you flop a high pair! A sure tell. Blackjack.. Don't hit on 20.

[Table 5]

Go to the Grand Canyon, it's the best part of the vegas experience. There are tons of one-day bus tours for a fairly cheap price.

and I second the Rio buffet. You feel like a total pig afterwards, but it is the biggest, baddest buffet I have ever been to in my life. Don't even bother with the others, this is the one to go to.

[troutman]

Boxing. Championship fights on Saturday nights.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Try to stagger your meal times so that they don't coincide with peak times i.e. don't go to lunch @ noon or dinner @ 6PM. Buffets for breakfast are a great idea. I'm partial to the Paris buffet for breakfast.

There's a Walgreens just north of MGM Grand that was the cheapest place on the strip to stock up on drinks and snacks when I was there.

Try to stay as close as possible to the intersection of the Strip and Flamingo unless you're staying at Wynn or Mandalay Bay.

Go out to the pool as early as you can and throw a towel on a chair along with some cheapo book or magazine to save your spot for the rest of the day.

If you're going to see Cirque du Soleil book your tickets ASAP!

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

Go out to the pool as early as you can and throw a towel on a chair along with some cheapo book or magazine to save your spot for the rest of the day.

We should add that to the pet peaves thread; people who block off something at a vacation spot for the entire day- preventing several people from having enjoyment just to satisfy themselves.

[dustygoon]

I have been a few times lately. I think the gambling has been covered. Cool things to do:

- go to Mix Lounge atop "The Hotel" which is one of the towers at Mandalay bay. Excellent views from an outside patio. Stop there for a pre dinner cocktail. Girls love it. (http://www.thehotelatmandalaybay.com/).

- sports betting area at Bellagio and Mandalay; sit back in the big leather chairs, stare at the huge screens, and order some cocktails. Don't answer your cell phone in the betting area!!

- take in a Burlesque show. Seriously. Sexy stuff. They take off some clothese but no nudity (at least not at the TheHotel one). Jazzy lounge, live music, the dancers are incredible. Lots of couples go. 50/50 mix of guys and gals. It was excellent for the admission price.

- Rum Jungle is a good night club.

[MarchHare]

Double down on 11.

[browna]

Just got back a couple days ago...and going again in 6 weeks.

Do the GM Drive thing. Its at the Sahara, which is a ways down, but right on the Tram line.

$10 gets you 2 drives. There is a street course and a off road. Choices I had on the street track were a new Corvette, GTO, CTS-V, Solstice, STS-V.
Starts with a straightaway where you just gun it....and can get over 110kmh in the 7 or so seconds it takes before you have to brake...then some slalom stuff. You get two laps.
There is an offroad, where you can take a Hummer H2, H2 SUT, or H3 over some tricky terrain (up a 2 foor curb, up and down a 45 degre incline). Som real fun stuff.

Only requirement is you have a drivers license, and, take a breathalizer there. You have a GM professional with you to guide you along through the course. If you're in a car that takes passengers for either course, they ride along for free.

Honestly, a great deal for $10.

As for pools, get there at 9am. Its still 26C out and fairly empty...spend a couple hours there and relax, then go out and do stuff around 11...then come back to the pool around 3.

The $13 prime rib at Barbary Coast is a pretty good meal, and as cheap as you'll find on the central part of the strip. Plus its a 24h restaraunt that's actually clean with good service...most of the others you'll find in casinos close around 11, or, are open 24h and smell like it.

The Premium Outlet Mall is new in the last couple years, about a $10 cab from the centre of the strip, and they actually do have deals. With a strong Canadian dollar, shopping is good anywhere there, but the Caesar Shops and Fashion Show Mall are no great deals...so check out these Premium Outlets if you want to shop.

Didn't see any shows...Cirque de Soleil is doing a Beatles Show called Love...it just started the 2nd night we were there at the Mirage on the weekend, so tickets were sold out for us, but it looks to be pretty good.

Gambling, stay away from the 6:5 blackjack junk. They entice you with the single deck, but the odds are still in the house favour only paying out $12 (not 15) on a $10 blackjack.

Casino War (yes, the simple card game of war) is good to play after your powers of judgement and deduction are somewhat impaired by booze. Although the rules have changed since I was there last as well...if you "go to war" the house only pays you your original winings if you win war, while you had to put up another bet (or surrender, and lose nothing) before you go to war.

As for drinking, $20 on slots can go a while if you play the 25c machines. Stay in the same general area, and tip the waitress a couple bucks. You'd be surpised how many people don't tip those girls at all down there . We played for maybe 45 mins, spending no more then $30 total (we palyed/stayed at the Mirage), and each got 4 drinks each (which at the casino bar cost $7.50 each) during that time from the same waitress.

Someone had said that they outlawed drinking on the street, but most people still carried a drink around.

My advice is to stop at a Safeway on the cab ride in and stock up on beer, spirits and mix and Red Bull at a much cheaper price then on the Strip. You can premix in the room and walk around the street or casino or, as long as your descreet enough with your drinking glass, the hotel pool, and a get a good enough buzz on to last you as long as you wish before you have to go to the club and pay close to 10$ per drink.

[Shazam]

The Bellagio has a top optional pool. That's all you need to know.

[FFR]

See the free shows on the strip. The water show outside the Bellagio is incredible! If it's windy when you go see it then make sure you go back on a day that isn't windy because the show is 10x better. ALso see the light show outside the Mirage and the the Pirate Ship show outside Treasure Island.

There's also a small little improv comedy club in the Flamingo I think. It was called Second Street Comedy or something like that and it's where people like John Candy and other really popular peoople I can't remember right now got their start. It's not a bad price and its absolutely hilarious.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Me and my wife went last year and the year before. We flew down the first year and drove down the second year. We stayed at the Tropican the first year (what a dump, but great pool) and we stayed at the Imperial Palace the second year (200 times better than the Trop.) Out of all the shows we went to the Legends in Concert at the Imperial Palace was the best both for performance and price.

If you like fine dining we went to Spago's at the Ceasars Palce. (One of Wolfgang pucks diners). Once of the best meals I have had but it cost 200 US for two full meals, dessert and a bottle of wine.

If you are shopping DO NOT go to the outlet mall out in the desert. It sucks big time and you have to pay for a bus out there. Shop during the day and stroll the strip at night, its a little more bareable. Also if you get cold easily, you might want to cary a little fall jacket with you. The Casinos blast the AC and my wife got cold if we were in there to long.

The cool part is you can take your drink were ever you go. We took out beer in to McDees and they didnt bat an eye.