Two strategically placed items exhort me daily to forsake work for Vegas, but I don’t need reminders about taking regular Vegas vacations.  With summer approaching and your stimulus check in hand or in the mail queue, I want you to be thinking about a Vegas vacation, especially if you’re a Vegas virgin. A single exposure to Vegas can infect you with Vegas Virus, which is incurable. I know this because I’ve got it!

My wife and I became infected with Vegas Virus by accident.  We spent one day there in 1994 at the start and end of a vacation hiking the parks of southern Utah and northern Arizona.  We enjoyed Vegas so much that we’ve been returning annually, and for a few years it was semi-annually. We’ve been to Vegas a good 20 times now and plan to continue until one of us isn’t mobile.

Gaming is only a small part of Vegas’ attraction. Monticello has a poker room and the Biloxi casinos are closer. But nothing beats the neon and excitement of Vegas! It really is the adult Disney World, a larger-than-life inimitable world with a continual stream of visual stimuli and entertainment for any and every taste and budget.

In the last few years, the TV and film industries have helped spread Vegas Virus. The Travel Channel regularly features the city. “Oceans 11” and its sequels and, more recently, “21” (now showing at Movies 8) spotlight Vegas.

More and more, the Vegas virgins I know are deciding to see what it’s all about.  Last year, after a San Francisco trip, I met up with a co-worker and her husband in Vegas and showed them the town. Another co-worker is heading out in June and another one in November (for her 40th birthday).  A former co-worker is taking her son to Vegas for his 21st birthday. A consultant I do business with is heading there soon with a group of her lady friends, confident that “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”  All these Vegas virgins will soon know the pleasures of the neon city….

A lot of folks think Vegas is expensive. An April article in the Democrat encouraged that thinking by saying that the “average” hotel rate is $140. That may be the average “rack” rate but Vegas is often on sale just as the department stores are.

Vegas can be the most expensive city in the country if you want to experience it that way. But it can also be the most inexpensive big city if you know how to work the deals. I’ve never stayed in Vegas for more than $60 a night. And I’m not talking about those “hourly rate” motels along North Las Vegas boulevard with mirrors on the ceilings and free adult movies either. (Don’t’ ask… I wont’ tell!)

So if you’ve been thinking about going to Vegas, I’m going to pass on all my years of experience about how you can do it for less. You know you deserve a Vegas break this year!

First, you need to get there. Southwest is the largest airline servicing Vegas. That much capacity means they will often have the best fares. We always fly to Vegas from Jacksonville. Just watch their website for the sales every Tuesday. Last September, we got the Vegas-Jax flight for…$79! (And it was our usual 10 AM flight too, not a red eye.) I recently checked fares for October and they were running from $109 to $130 each way. (Hilton Garden Inn at Jacksonville airport offers free parking for up to two weeks if you stay there. Other airport hotels may match that offer, especially if you belong to their Frequent Guest program and mention that HGI offers free parking.)

The bad news about hotels is that there’s been a lot of consolidation. About three corporations (MGM-Mirage, Harrah’s and Circus-Circus) control about 75%  (maybe more) of the casinos and their rooms. The good news is that hotel rooms keep multiplying faster than rabbits and the casinos want those rooms filled.  If you’re staying at their casino, they believe you’re more likely to play there. Start with some Vegas-oriented Internet sites: tripres.com; i4vegas.com; travelworm.com; travel2vegas.com; and lasvegas.com.

Also, go to Fatwallet’s travel section  and enter a search for “Vegas.” You’ll find a topic identifying Vegas hotel deals that folks have received and any appropriate offer code. (Note: some codes will be tied to being a member of the casino’s player rewards program, so you may not qualify or may have to join online at the casino website, if possible.)

But no matter how good a rate seems, don’t book before you’ve checked out the casino’s own website. They may match the deal or have a better offer. If they don’t have the same or a better deal, make them the offer you saw on the Internet.  They sold those rooms at a steep discount and make more money if they match the rate. If you book with the casino, you also have more flexibility if you need to make changes.  And, a better chance of an upgrade. I’ve always booked with the casino, not an intermediary.

Where to stay? Although they have dirt cheap rates, I advise against staying on Fremont Street (downtown), with the possible exception of Golden Nugget.  These are the oldest casinos and even if they’ve been renovated, the rooms will be smaller. The other problem is that you’ll need to pay at least $2 per person each way to get to the Strip. There are no free shuttles from downtown. Spend an evening at Fremont for the “1 million canopy lights” shows and cheap souvenirs; but don’t sleep there.

Also, I advise against staying north of Fashion Show Mall, except for Las Vegas Hilton. These hotels (such as Circus-Circus and Sahara) are also fairly ragged. The Hilton is nice, but it’s a long block off-Strip and no free shuttle. The monorail stops there, but it’s $3 a trip.

And stay away from Casino Royale, which is on the Strip. It’s a dive; more a motel than hotel. Excalibur will have lots of families but otherwise it’s acceptable.  I can’t recommend Imperial Palace either. The rest of the Strip from Treasure Island south to Mandalay Bay is fine.

Note that Luxor, because it is an open air pyramid, has all room doors facing that open space.  If you want the center Strip for location, your best bet for a deal is the Flamingo or Bally’s. (Flamingo is my favorite Strip hotel because it has no “setback” from the street; I’ve stayed there as recently as 2-3 years ago for $50 at Thanksgiving.)

The best hotel deals will be off-Strip. We usually stay at the Orleans, which has a free shuttle to the center strip until midnight. Last September, we stayed there for $60.  Rooms are larger than most Strip hotels; they have a bowling alley and multiplex; free business center with Internet; and great midnight specials in the coffee shop. “New Orleans” atmosphere with free Mardi Gras beads at tables.

The Suncoast is a fairly new “sister” to Orleans and from its website it looks very elegant. It offers a free shuttle to the Strip and to the airport. But it is so far off-Strip that if you miss the last shuttle, taking a bus back is not feasible. (If you miss the last Orleans shuttle at midnight, it’s maybe three miles from the Strip and there‘s a 24-hour City bus.)

Another off-Strip hotel to consider is Palace Station, on Sahara. It offers a free shuttle to the Strip. There’s another “station” (Main Street) downtown just around the corner from Freemont.  But no shuttle. Western-themed Sam’s Town also has a shuttle but, like Suncoast, is out in the boonies.

Certain times of year are better for hotel deals: summer and between Thanksgiving through mid-January, excluding the weekend after Thanksgiving (and New Year’s of course). Summer is hot, but it’s a “dry” heat…lol! (One September we were there, just after Labor Day, it was 110 at 6 PM.) March, April and October are prime convention season and rates will be higher, especially if there‘s a “big“ convention. Fridays and Saturdays are much higher than the other days, because of the “California drive ins.” So plan your trip for Sunday arrival and Friday departure for maximum savings.

Here are some summer promotions I received in the last week:

Southpoint (another sister property to Orleans) is offering midweek rates of $55 (regularly $70) if you book online with “edeal38” promotion code. (It’s $95 on weekends.)  Southpoint is one of the newest casinos and is south of Mandalay Bay, the southernmost of the “sequential” Strip casinos. There’s a free shuttle to/from Mandalay Bay from about 9AM to midnight and also to/from the airport.

Harrah’s is offering summer rates as low as $45 at its properties. However, you must be a Total Gold Rewards card holder and cannot sign up online for it. To check rates go to: pulseofvegas.com. 

The next issue is meals. I no longer eat at the buffets - I feel they’ve lost value. Time was, $10 would get you a dinner with prime rib, peeled jumbo shrimp, split crab legs ready to dip into butter and more. Now those buffets are at least $20; more for the “premium” ones.

But Vegas virgins should check out one buffet just to see its immensity. Since I’ve not been to a Vegas buffet for years, I hesitate to recommend one but….

French food lovers should look into Paris’ buffet ($25). It features cuisine from seven regions of France and each region, such as Burgundy or Provence, has its own area so you know which region you’re dining from. (If you get the MGM-Mirage player card, you may still get 10% off on certain days at certain times.)

The Rio’s Carnival buffet (not to be confused with the separate “seafood only” buffet) has been a solid trough for about the same price. For sheer “originality,” the lunch (and possibly dinner) buffet at Mandalay Bay is my choice. We used to always have their lunch buffet once each trip and I usually found something new and delicious. Fewer items but very high quality. As with hotels, do not eat at  any buffet north of Treasure Island. The Golden Corral here is superior to the north Strip buffets (Circus-Circus, Sahara, etc.)!

A Sunday champagne brunch can be a special treat. It’s been way too long since I’ve been to one for me to even venture a recommendation. But if you come across a coupon….

Also, check out the half-price show ticket outlets for dining options. Last September, I noticed they had begun to branch out into meals and you could get a few buffets at half-price. One buffet that I thought long and hard about was the  Pampas Brazilian churrascaria. There are lunch and dinner versions, but both bring out huge skewers of meat from which they carve off as much as you like. A real carnivore’s delight! I think the dinner menu also includes “exotic” meats, which I better not mention here beyond ostrich.
   
There are non-buffet meal deals to be had. These are the casino loss leaders that they entice you into the casino with and hope that  afterwards you’ll play (and lose) there. Check the free tourist mags for them and see my “top” lists below.

The best deals will be the late night specials, running from 11 PM to about 7 AM. Sometimes, there are good happy hours. Our last trip, the Orleans’ Mexican cantina had all appetizers at half-price, and that included “lunch” fajitas. Their late night deals include an acceptable steak and eggs with hash browns and toast for $3.95.

Most of the casinos have a variety of restaurants and/or food courts. We usually always visit P. F. Chang’s at Planet Hollywood to get our Lettuce Wraps fix.  The free tourist mags will list all the restaurants in each casino (but not the food courts). The Miracle Mile mall restaurants at Planet Hollywood often have specials.

Stay away from renting a car unless you plan on taking an excursion out of town. The Strip is full of rubber-necking tourists slowing traffic to a crawl. The Strip is best seen on foot, one section at a time… north, center and south.

If you do rent, pick the car up at one of the casinos, not the airport. The airport has all sorts of “pillage the tourist” fees. We’ve found Dollar to have the best rates and they have many casino locations.

Plan your Vegas trip by visiting: Today in Las Vegas, Showbiz Las Vegas and What’s On Las Vegas.  The print versions of these magazines are in many hotel rooms or on the Strip and have dining and attraction coupons. (Look for the “2 for 1” offer for Second City show at the Flamingo, usually only in a tiny coupon book on the street. The half-price ticket outlets often have this show, but they have a service fee.) Also, Anthony Curtis’ Las Vegas Advisor  is a comprehensive site for info and he‘s often featured on the Travel Channel‘s Vegas shows.

If you’re a poker player, check out poker room reviews and tournament information at allvegaspoker.com.  I can attest to it’s description of Excalibur as the biggest fish tank (I think “sushi” is much more descriptive: fresh, raw, fish) on the Strip, but I don’t play ring games anymore. (And even in a fish tank / sushi bar, enough folks will stay in to crack your pocket aces almost every time if it’s a limit game and they’ve been downing free beer after free beer.)

If you don’t mind the crowd or wild play, O’Shea’s has a $1-5 spread “outdoor” Hold ‘Em table just inside from the Strip sidewalk. I read in the last week that Bill‘s, next to Flamingo, has opened a $2-6 spread table as part of it‘s entry into poker.

As for No Limit tournaments, I like Treasure Island’s $65 buy-in, the  last morning or first afternoon one. You get 3,500 chips… 1,000 more than most other casinos, so can wait for the good hands. (They do allow one rebuy if you bust out during the first level, which I don‘t like.) Typical payout at those times are to the top four for $400/$300/$200/$100. (In the evenings, there’ll be more players, higher payouts and more places paid.)

Also,  TI’s room is across from  the Mystere Theatre box office, away from the casino floor…very quiet. Player quality is good; very little sushi but about a third of the late morning / early afternoon players seemed to have little tournament experience. (Last September, I busted someone out in the first level when I took pocket Aces to an “Aces full” battleship and he kept calling my big bets pre-flop and all the way to the river with his obvious flush draw even when the board paired at the turn and was screaming “boat!” He made the flush at the river but instead of an exploratory bet to sniff out that pair, he went all in… and all out. End of free poker lesson.)

If you want to “relax” with some Stud, check out Mirage. It’s poker room is the last one on the Strip offering 7-Stud. It’s a $1-5 spread table but don’t get aggressive….a $3 bet will bring folds from most of the table. (It’s so tight that I won only $15 with four Kings, two hidden.)  Players are mostly local senior citizens and at 56 I’m often the youngest player. But the group is sociable. By the second time, you’ll be a recognized regular! (You normally won’t find a Stud table playing until about 5 PM.)

If you’re looking for “budget” tables…. Casino Royale has 25-cent Craps with 100x odds (up to $25 maximum odds bet) and $1 Blackjack. One of each, only in the afternoons and good luck getting on those tables! O’Shea’s has single or double deck Blackjack but I think it’s a $10 minimum table. Table stakes are lower during the day and higher in the evenings at almost all casinos. If you want to learn how to play a game, the free tourist mags list which casinos offer free lessons in Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, etc.

Here’s my list of Vegas “musts”:

Top 3 “Must See” Casinos
1. Venetian - famous Venice landmarks outside, beautiful interior. (Venice is the owner’s favorite city and he went all out to recreate it.)

2. Bellagio - best interior; don’t miss atrium or colored Italian glass at registration area

3. Caesar’s Palace - take the Appian Way to Forum shops & come out the back way - wow!
After all these years, still a high level of elegance! The first “24-hour day” casino mall ceiling which takes you from dawn to a starry night  in maybe an hour. Now imitated at some other casino malls.

Note: We’ not yet been to the newly opened Palazzo. Heard it’s very elegant.

Top 3 “Production” Shows:   1. Phantom     2.  Mama Mia   3. ?  (I’m not a Cirque fan.)
(Check the half-price “day of show” outlets at Fashion Square mall (north), Hawaiian Village (center) or the Coke bottle near MGM (south). Phantom for $75 orchestra and Mama Mia for about $55 orchestra, plus $4 handling fee which can be reduced to $2 with tourist mag coupon. Well worth it…no “basketball arena” acoustics and a cozy 1,500 seats twice a night, six days a week.)

Phantom and Mama Mia the two best production shows I’ve seen in Vegas. I’m ready to see them both again if I can get those half-price tickets. These shows are reserved seats, so ask to see the seating chart to avoid getting stuck in the nosebleed zones. (Don’t even think of seeing any Cirque or Blue Man shows half-price; I‘ve never seen those tickets at the outlets.)

For a wild show that’ll leave you pumped up, you can’t beat An Evening at La Cage. Famous “look a likes’ fof emale singers from Liza to Patti LaBelle to Cher, and every one of them is a man! While each lip-syncs a hit, a video of the real star plays on huge screens and you’ll be amazed at  the resemblance. At the end, one performer takes off the wig, makeup, etc. and turns back into a guy. Amazing!

“Evening” is hosted by “Joan Rivers” who starts off with excellent jokes about current events. Before each new performer, Joan comes out <lol! /> in a new glamorous outfit for a short introduction. Frank Marino as Joan Rivers is the undisputed “Queen of  Las Vegas" and is paid a million dollars a year for his maybe 30 minutes on stage twice each evening, six days a week. Get the close seats for a bird’s eye view ($65, but often available at the half-price ticket outlets.)

If you’re a fan of “The King,” Trent Carlini is the top Elvis act in Vegas (when he’s there) and one of the top in the country. His show follows Elvis through the ‘eras” and he dresses appropriately: young Elvis, military Elvis, Hollywood Elvis, etc. Show ends with him coming out for a final song with dozens of scarves around his neck and any woman who wants one can come up to the stage and he’ll wipe it across his neck and give it to her. Woo-hoo!

Beatles fans can catch the Fab Four (if they’re there), who play the instruments, sing the songs and look very much like the early Beatles. As with Carlini’s show, they dress by the era….starting off with their performance on Ed Sullivan, go pyschedelic for Sgt. Pepper era, etc. and then finish up with a ‘solo” from each Beatle. The final solo is John Lennon coming out dressed all in white and singing “Imagine” while playing keyboard “piano.” A great show!

For comedy, my recommendation is Second City. All improv, with the audience setting the direction and sometimes even many of the lines. About $25 half-price.

There are many cheaper shows and even some afternoon “free admission with one drink purchase” ($5) shows. Some of the afternoon shows have nominal admission which is waived with coupon in tourist mag and one drink per person purchase. At those rates, you can see  a show every day! All the casino lounges have free entertainment with no cover, but the “dance clubs” in the casinos do charge an entrance fee.

I’ve left the easiest for last, but for some folks this will be the hardest advice to follow: don’t pack a lot of stuff! Susie and I each bring one 21-inch carryon to Vegas for a 5-6 day stay. Don’t make the mistake of bringing one outfit for each day and another for each evening. There’s a good chance you won’t be back to the hotel until late at night.

Vegas is very laid back. I see folks wearing blue jeans and dirty white athletic shoes to shows (but I don’t dress that way). T-shirts and shorts are fine in the day. I bring one Dockers style long pants and two collared polos for the shows and blend in. (I can carry the “show” outfit in a shopping tote during the day and change in the bathroom before the show so there’s no need to go back to the hotel, unless we need a nap anway.) Folks wearing T-shirts or ties to shows stick out. But hey, it’s Vegas - dress as you like!

Top 3 “Freebies”  (Strip)
1.  Antique / Celebrity car show at Imperial Palace
(free tickets coupon  in tourist mags or from hawker in front of IP)
2. Bellagio fountains (better at night)
3. Mirage Volcano Eruption (see this at night)

Top “Cheap Eats” Deals (Fremont Street)
1.  99-cent shrimp cocktail at Golden Gate deli (at back of casino)
2.  $6 prime rib dinner at Bay City Diner: exit Golden Gate, turn left and go around corner)
3. 99-cent “desserts” at Mermaids’ deli:  frozen chocolate banana, fried Twinkies, etc.
(To get to Freemont from Strip: take any “Deuce” double-decker bus, preferably from an Xpress stop. There’s an Xpress stop in front of Margaritaville at the Flamingo; check type because stop serves both.)

Strip Food & Drink Deals
1. Ellis Island has a microbrewery with $1 beer and a steak special
     (Note 1: It is actually a block behind the Strip)
     (Note 2: The steak deal is not on the menu; ask them what the current steak special deal & price is.)
2. For a “snack,” Bill’s Gambling Hall, next to Flamingo, has a beer & hot dog for $2.
3. Both Casino Royale and O’Shea’s have free (sometimes) or cheap (25-cents) drink deals.

Note: Alcohol is allowed outside but not in a glass container.

Strip Food Courts
1. Fashion Show Mall, across the street from Treasure Island
2. Just north of the Coke Bottle, on that side; look for signs (I love the Wiener Schnitzel place.)
3. One or more of the restaurants at Planet Hollywood often run specials.
    (Example: La Salsa Cantina had eggs/meat/hash browns & toast breakfast for $2.95 last September.)

Thirst Quencher:  7-11 in Hawaiian Village (1 block south of Planet Hollywood)

Coffee: the 7-11, if price is important; otherwise, Seattle’s Best in Bill’s Gambling Hall is my favorite because you get a free refill (not sure how long that will last.).

T-Shirts
1. Rainforest Café in MGM
    (often has 2 for $15 sale on selected T-shirts w/ their and “MGM Grand Las Vegas” logos on back)
2. Tourist shops near the Coke bottle have great prices
3. The casino logo shops also have great sales now and then if you want casino logo stuff.
     (Paris’ small outdoor gift shop under the Eiffel Tower always has logo items on sale.)
   
People Watching Sites (outdoor)
1. Venetian - north Strip
2. Bally’s (area facing Bellagio) or Bill’s Gambling Hall (outdoor benches) - both center Strip
3. MGM / Coca-Cola World - south Strip

Free Shuttles (call the casino for schedules)
1. Hard Rock to/from Fashion Show Mall (north entrance)
2. Orleans to/from Bill’s Gambling Hall (9am to midnight; or take 24-hour bus on Tropicana)
3. Gold Coast-Rio-Palms to/from Bill’s Gambling Hall and/or Orleans
    (shuttle goes to Gold Coast; Palms is across the street and Rio is next to Gold Coast)

Vistas
1. From top of Stratosphere, tallest structure west of Mississippi river (admission fee)
2. From top of Paris’ Eiffel Tower (admission fee)
3. From Voodoo Lounge, on 56th floor of Rio (no fee in afternoon; cover & dress code in evening)

Thrills and Chills
1. Coney Island Roller Coaster (outdoor  “loop” coaster at New York, New York)
2. Small Coaster at top of Stratosphere (just to brag you were on the highest coaster in the west)
3. “Over the Edge” ride which leaves you hanging over top of Stratosphere.

So are you ready for Vegas? I am… I’ve got a trip planned for Thanksgiving week! Orleans made me an offer I couldn’t refuse: $33 (not a typo!) a night and free entry for Susie into a slot tournament with a $10,000 prize pool.  Forget work? Forget the world…I’m going to Vegas!