Any polkies been to Vegas ?

polkfarmboy

I was thinking about places to take my wife to be a little spontaneous and Vegas seems like a good idea as neither of us have ever been there. Has any of you guys been there and have any recommendations that must be experienced when there?

CarlosD

I just got back from LV on the red-eye (in NJ) this morning, actually. The 2nd time I was there in less than a year (both business trips). you should make sure first that she would like to go there. Is she OK with cigarette smoke? Does she like to gamble? Does she like to drink alcohol? Those 3 seem to be rather important. I personally hate it.

There are some really beautiful hotels with spectacular views, though. I was at the Wynn for several days on this trip and was at the Aria on the trip before that. Super rooms, amenities, and all that. And there are some good shows to see, e.g., the Cirque du Soleil shows. If you like that sort of thing.

Oh, and of course if you've seen "The Hangover," you've actually had a pretty good preview of what to expect. That's a fictional comedy, but the details and ambiance that they show is pretty dead-on.

Your mileage may vary -- big time. :biggrin:

polkfarmboy

Well I used to smoke and she doesnt mind but we both like to drink party and do some dancing in skinny jeans :razz:

David R

The north rim of the Grand Canyon is spectacular. Get a cabin at the National Park.

zingo

Vegas is fun, but not cheap anymore. Expect to pay what you would anywhere else for a nice hotel and dinner.

chumlie

Buffet at the Rio is great if your into Prime Rib, Crab Legs, Lobster and such. Also checkout the Bar & Restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere. Rotates for a 360 deg veiw. AWESOME and beer is reasonable.

rromeo923

Been to Vegas about 5 times. I go every year for a "work" conference. If you have never been you will have lots of fun. There are some nice day trips outside of Vegas that are fun. Hoover dam, Red Rock Canyon, Zion National Park, Grand Canyon (a bit far) etc. You can also go to old town (cheaper gambling), Fremont Street Experience.

mrbigbluelight

CarlosD wrote: »

Does she like to gamble?

Well, she did marry PFB.

DangerBoy went there a little while back and hasn't been heard from since, so be careful.

Willow

I was there about 10yrs ago. Don't accept all the flyers that are handed out, might spoil "the mood". There is just so much to see and do that it is hard to know where to start.

ratster

Been there,done that. If I remember correctly it was in 09. Not worth goin back IMHO. Things are cheaper if you get off the "strip". If they still do it,the Hoover Dam tour is pretty cool.

exalted512

Cabbies will try to rip you off if you go anywhere out of the way, so have your GPS phone out.

I really enjoyed going to LV the first time, not so much the second time. It was still enjoyable though, I think it was just I would have rather gone somewhere else since I've seen it before.

We stayed at the Luxor the first time and the Venetian the second time. In all honesty, I liked the luxor better, aside from the location.

We went to the hoover dam which was really cool. Definitely glad I went and did the tour.

Remember, it's the desert, so it's hot during the day. And you'll be doing a lot of walking, so wear good shoes.
-Cody

tonyb

Vegas, been there more times than I care to admit. Nice place to visit.....once. Here's the thing with Vegas. Unless you like to gamble alot, are into ****, the only other things to do are see shows which is way expensive or do the out trips to the Grand Canyon, Hoover dam, etc, which can also add up quick.

My advice.....for you and the wife, go a tad further to San Fransisco. Tons to do there and wine country is only a 40 minute drive north. China town, Fishermans warf, Alcatraz, Golden gate, ride the trolley cars, you'll have a ball.

steveinaz

I LOVE VEGAS like a cowboy loves a saloon. I love the nightlife/shows---we gamble some (mostly blackjack), but we are by no means high-rollers. Feel free to send me an email on hotel recommendations----and definitely book any shows you wish to see BEFORE you go (www.vegas.com)---TRUST me on this; if you wait until you get there, everything will be sold out.

We've been to Vegas over 20 times and counting.

vcwatkins

My annual cheap **** craps group usually stays at Harrahs properties - Harrahs, Flamingo, Bally's. Inexpensive rooms on strip close to where we usually gamble, which means nickel craps at Casino Royale since I'm not comfortable with more than $200 or so on the table at any one time. Get their player card - they'll be throwing you free/cheap room offers almost immediately. Rooms at Rio were free in February and they upgraded a buddy to a roller suite that was very nice. But I don't stay out there since it's a shuttle to the strip (ends at 1:00am I think)

CR is a weird little place in the middle of the strip - sort of an old downtown vibe that's a holdover from pre-Wynn days. But the craps is great - usually $2 with 100x odds. Almost no house edge and affordable - only strip blackjack play would likely beat that. Just be warned: it's a smokey little dive that's usually pretty rowdy. Totally different from the nice properties surrounding it.

The sports book at the Venetian is good place to watch a game. Comfy cushioned chairs.

Dining:

Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill at Caesar's. Always dine here. Good beef & seafood dishes, very creative. Killer martinis. Brunch is my favorite time to eat there. http://www.mesagrill.com/las-vegas-restaurant/

Dos Caminos at Palazzo. Upscale Mex. Incredible guac - used to make it table - may have stopped this though. Excellent menu. Good tequila flights and drinks http://www.palazzo.com/Templates/Venetian/ProductDetails.aspx?pageid=2147485323 . Very cool hipster vibe with good music.

The French bistro in Palazzo, I think it's Bouchon, is excellent too. Wine is a little too pricey there though IMO. If too crowded, you can eat in the bar. Excellent fish and lamb.

We usually end up at Puck's Spago at Caesars at some point. Good and reliable, seating outside is good for people watching before entree arrives.

KGB Burgers at Harrahs is good if you're nearby, but don't go out of your way.

If you gamble at Casino Royale, get the player card. Before you leave, you'll have a free dinner at Outback upstairs.

Shows:
I've really only done Cirque and a few concerts. Love is such good music. You will not believe the sound system in that place - almost worth the price just to hear the system. Excellent staging and production, but probably the least of the Cirques wrt circus performances per se. They're all good and, even though costly, worth the price IMO (esp. for a treat or to keep wife happy).

Other:
There's pretty good hiking right outside of town at Red Rock Canyon. The Red Rock Resort is pretty cool too for an apres-hike respite, which is to say craps (excellent friendly dealers) and sunning/drinking by the well designed pool. Sushi place nearby is excellent (can't think of name - check Trip Advisor or Yelp)

If you've got time, rent a car and head to Zion NP (especially The Narrows). Outstanding park and worth the drive if you've got plenty of time. Look before placing feet and hands when hiking there.

If you've never been to Grand Canyon and have time, just go. It's a must-do if there ever was one.

The amusement park rides on top of the Stratosphere are unique and incredibly thrilling if you're into that sort of thing. Weightless at 1,000ft high with 270deg views is pretty exhilarating!

Have fun!!

Craig

tonyb

Bobby Flays probably has some of the best food for hotel dinning. Still over priced in my book. Ate at the fat guys joint too from New orleans, horrible service and way over priced. If you want cheap and good food, there's a tapas place in the middle of the strip called Cafe Barbereba. Excellant food for not alot of coin. We have one here in Chicago but I like the one in Vegas better. Stratosphere as said, ya gotta go just to experience it once. The old town for gambling is cheaper, especially the drinks, but your minus the glitz and glamor of the strip. Certainly isn't the most romantic town to visit if thats the goal. It just gets old real quick for me.

Others may differ, but after a day and a half in Vegas I'm ready to book out of there with no notions of returning. I only go to be honest because of weddings or such that I have to attend and make a good long weekend out of it. If it wasn't for that, I'd never set foot there again without thinking I'm missing something.

zombie boy 2000

I've been three times and each was little less enjoyable than the previous. I agree with going "off the strip", as I kinda liked the old-school vibe of the more dingier casinos. Cheaper too (as previously mentioned). Be prepared to bring lots of cash whether you gamble or not. I went once, didn't wager a dime and STILL crushed my bank account. Food can either be superb or WAY overpriced for the quality. Be sure to get your research on before dining out.

And I second the sports book at the Venetian. Cheap way to gamble and comfortable too. Place twenty on a random game and sit back and enjoy for 2-3 hours. I don't need to tell you how long $20 will last everywhere else in Vegas.

hosedagain

Been a few times, depending how much you want to spend try this place off the strip, clean, quiet, newly remodeled,
http://www.tuscanylv.com/ not far from the strip, you can walk it or catch the bus to the strip, $9 of an all day unlimited pass, also have an airport shuttle, if you are flying, used to be $11 for a 2 way trip, There is a lot to see as some here have mentioned outside Vegas. For me I would fly to Vegas rent a car, spend a few days in Vegas, drive to LA, spend a few days there and from LA drive the coast scenic HWY1 to San Francisco and spend a least a week in and around San Fran. Will need at least 2 weeks to do it properly, Do a Google search "scenic highway California" and it will give the best scenic routes to LA and in and around California. One is the Angeles Crest Highway. http://angelescrestscenichighway.com
Spent the month of October last year, drove through Colorado, Utah, Nevada, to Vegas, to LA up the coast to San Fran back to LA, back to Vegas, back home through Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, West Virginia. Pennsylvania, New York over the border to Canada. and home to Toronto. Next time will spend more time in San Fran as I did back in 1966,

gdb

Go to Saint Martin/Sint Maarten. Casinos,booze, great beaches & sailing. Take a day-trip to Saint Barths to ogle the nude celebs on the beach, fun !!! :cool:

polkfarmboy

Good suggestion for the grand canyon, I was looking into that and found bus tours going there. I can't decide between the west rim or the south rim as the south takes 3 hours longer to travel. I want to do the new york new york roller coaster and the big zip line thing on fremont

gdb

Aren't ya afraid you'll break it ?
:eek:

tonyb

gdb wrote: »

Go to Saint Martin/Sint Maarten. Casinos,booze, great beaches & sailing. Take a day-trip to Saint Barths to ogle the nude celebs on the beach, fun !!! :cool:

Another good idea, been there done that. Got a story about my first experience on a nude beach. Another time.

mrbiron

Went to carnival court once......got **** faced.....don't remember leaving.
Will i ever return to Vegas.......not in this lifetime. If i wanted to sit in a crowded area that smells like a bowling alley i would in fact, go to a bowling alley.

For me, the only fun part was walking around all the casinos as i fully enjoy the aesthetics, complexities, and all out ridiculousness that goes into those buildings. Awesome!!

ken brydson

gdb wrote: »

Go to Saint Martin/Sint Maarten. Casinos,booze, great beaches & sailing. Take a day-trip to Saint Barths to ogle the nude celebs on the beach, fun !!! :cool:

Going in May...

vcwatkins

I really like that New York coaster. If I'm down that way during the day, I always try to give it a spin.

Not sure if I have this right, but I was thinking you're in NC/Tenn border area. If so, try to hit the Cherokee Harrahs sometime soon. Get the Harrahs player card and buy in at the craps table for a few hundred. Play for an hour or so, then do the same thing at a roulette table. Then you'll be in the system and will get some room offers. Go online and get rates at Vegas properties. They track your inquiries and will send you more freebies. My Harrahs room in Feb. was $40 on weekend and they bumped me to new suite. Ditto Paris. Flamingo & Bally were 20ish. Imperial Palace (now Quad, under renov), Bill's and Rio were free. Even the Venetian & Palazzo suites were reasonable. Caesars doesn't discount much (I'd rather spend the bucks on good food). Flash that card whenever you pay for anything at Harrahs props. You'll also get automatic discounts and line skips at most places.

If you're considering something outside Vegas, give some thought to St. John USVI. (You're in southern US right?). Easy to get to, affordable, fantastic snorkeling off some of the most beautiful beaches around, good dining, fun island bars, friendly people, most land is US National Park and very natural. We do spring break there and stay in eco-tents overlooking ocean. Most relaxing place we've found with enough stuff to do to keep everyone extremely happy. PM me if you want more info. Here's some pics of one of our trips a few years ago.

del44

Last time i was there i got married. 29years ago. I'm sure it has changed alot since then.

tonyb

Just had a bad visual. PFB in his skinny jeans on a zip line....why does God punish me so ?

I don't ask for much from the big guy. You'd think it would just be common courtesy to block those thoughts in anyone's mind.

steveinaz

If you're a man, and wearing skinny jeans---you need to have your mangina looked at .LOL

GospelTruth

I've been quite a few times with the wife. We go maybe once a year, see a show or two and stay on the strip at one of the nicer hotels. We've been to the Wynn, Venetian and Mandalay Bay. My wife likes to have a nice couple nights on the town and it's a great place for that.

Some shows you'll need to book in advance, but you can find places called "1/2 off tickets" on the strip where you can get 1/2 off a lot of shows that given day. Not a bad deal, but you won't get some of the bigger shows there like Celine Dion, O and the like. Stop by and you'll see what you can get.

Lot's of hotels on and off the strip have great deals right now. It's always cheaper to stay Sun-Thurs night if you can swing it. Friday and Saturday are more expensive (sometimes substantially) because everyone goes on the weekends. My wife signs up for the hotels and always gets deals sent her way. I know Hard Rock has a deal some nights for $50 a night+breakfast. We thought about doing that and seeing Def Leppard there for one of their shows. However, pregnancy just hindered that travel plan.

We walk the strip and check out different casinos every time. The strip is pretty long, so going from one end to the other by just walking will be tiring if you stop and check out the sights on the way. Fun to just go and look and see everything going on though. We don't gamble much, so can't help you there. Like someone else said, get the all day bus fair rather than doing taxis as that can get costly quick depending on how much you want to go around town. We usually rent a car so we can go off the strip to shows that might not be in close proximity (like Penn & Teller).

Hope you have a good time!