Some More Traveling Coming Soon: Las Vegas, Nevada
Hang has got me traveling some more now. This time, we’re going to Las Vegas Nevada for five days.
Since her mother is coming to visit her for a little while, Hang thought it would be great to travel around the United States and show her a great time. Reasonable enough, sure, but it looks like I’m going to be heading with her for at least a small portion of her USA tour. We’ll be heading to Las Vegas, also known as “Sin City” and “the Entertainment Capital of the World.” I’ve never been there, so everything will pretty much be new to me as well, and it looks like I’ll need to do a bit of research on some good places to go, since I’ll need to (kinda) be their tour guide for some of it as well (or at least their driver). We’ll be staying at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which offers a free shuttle service to the strip, as well as a meal credit. We got a great deal on the place through THIS GROUPON OFFER. We were going to be part of a tour, which had a special discounted deal going on for a limited time, which starts in Los Angeles, California and then headed out to Vegas to see various landmarks and tourist attractions such as the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. This all changed a bit, however, when the tour-service informed Hang that she actually needed to pay a much higher price ($62 more) in order to go on the tour, starting in Vegas. Apparently, this particular touring service is a bit inconsistent with their prices. They offer a discounted tour for those people who start in Los Angeles, and then take the first day of the tour driving to Vegas. The issue here was, however, that we weren’t going to Los Angeles, but rather, we’d already be in Vegas. We requested that we’d like to take part in the Los Angeles part of everything, but join the tour a day later when they arrived in Vegas. They basically told us that this wasn’t allowed to happen, and that we’d need to purchase the more expensive tour (which is the same, it just starts in Vegas). Yeah… that’s not going to fly with us. We dropped them. Now I have to find some cool things to do in Vegas with Hang and her mother. I have no doubt that there are TONS of exciting things to explore and see, but choosing everything in an organized way will be critical. We want to see as much as possible, and we have only four days to do it. We’ll still see the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam (which is just as easy to see without a tour guide taking our money). Only real other expense we have now is car rental. Anybody know any cheap rental services in Vegas? We’ll be in Sin City from December 16-20. [charliead] ]]>About The Author
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I've been to Vegas several times but we never drive. The traffic can be rather busy and I have heard the parking is not easy. We always took a limo from the airport to the hotel. With a group of 7 or 8 of us we could get one for a reasonable price. Once on the strip we bought 24 hour bus passes. It is fairly inexpensive and then you can jump on and off buses all day. In the evening the bus can be very interesting and fun! There is also now some type of a train/tram that runs along part of the strip. Still, even using the bus pass, there is a lot of walking involved so be sure you wear EXCELLENT walking shoes. Because when you think……Oh lets walk. It's not that far……..you will be wrong. Things are always further away than they appear. We always have stayed on The Strip. We have stayed at Harrah's and Treasure Island. (FYI…..Circus, Circus is kind of kid oriented if you can imagine kid oriented in Vegas) The end of the strip where that is located is the older end and you would probably want to go the other way. Some places (like Ceasars Palace, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay) are more expensive and other places have better deals. You will just have to get online and see what you can find. You may find better prices downtown (Golden Nugget) if you don't mind staying off the Strip. But we prefer the Strip. There are all kinds of things to see that are free (Pirate show in the evening at Treasure Island, Fountains and beautiful conservatory at Bellagio) but otherwise things are not cheap. Madam Tusauds wax museum is fun and a cool place to visit but I think it was maybe $20 per person and that was maybe 7 or 8 years ago. You may get a coupon book when you check in your hotel (ask for it if they don't offer it to you). Food is not cheap either unless you find some deals in your coupon book or perhaps go off the strip. We had a coupon for a place called Hamburger Mary's. It was off the strip but buy one get one free burger meal was too good to pass up. It took us a few moments to realize it was a gay restaurant. But it was very interesting and funny. The bill came in a high heeled shoe. One place we always go is the breakfast buffet at the hotel Paris. It is awesome! Probably about $20 by now but very, very good. But the buffets can get old after a while and other than Paris breakfast we kind of got tired of those fast. In the evening you must go downtown to Freemont Street. They have awesome light shows up above on the canopy that extends for about 2 blocks. It is a different show every hour. Pretty cool. But I am sure you will do a lot of research before you go and get some ideas from other people who have been there. We never went out of town at all but I know you can get on tour busses from the strip to take you to those places. As a group of women that is what we would do but if you want to drive….go for it. Oh the bathrooms at the casinos are beautiful! The girls will want to check them out. I can't speak for the guys bathrooms cause I did not visit those. But there is so much to see and do just walking around the casions. If you are gambling your drinks are free. Just give them a dollar tip per drink and they will come back to serve you again if you get a good waitress. That is kind of cool. The girls will love the shopping malls. They are everywhere in the casinos. Make sure you go to the one at Ceasars. It is so cool. The ceiling is like the sky and it changes and storms. Cool. Hopefully the weather is nice and I am sure you will have a great time.
WOW! Wonderful information, thanks! – We're staying at the Hard Rock Hotel actually. We have a great deal that we managed to grab from Groupon (I've updated the post to say this. Can't believe I left that out).
So, we have a great place to stay now, which even includes shuttle to the strip, and some money for food and drink. WE bought that deal twice, so we'll get double whatever that says (and pay double). We had to add a bed though, since it's three adults, so they added $30 per deal, so an extra $60 total for the four nights we are there.
I'm certainly going to look into this busing and tram service though. Seems as it may be better than renting a car (even though we may still need to do so to visit the Canyon and the Hoover Dam, which Hang want's to go to).
Charlie Pryor As for the tours of the Canyon and Hoover Dam, We have multiple reputable companies here that offer very inexpensive tours of both, depending on exactly HOW you want to experience those sites. What I mean by that, is we have the traditional "jump on the shuttle and go visit" tours, and then we have the helicopter flight tours over the Grand Canyon as well. For that matter, you can take a zip line tour over several of our other canyon sites near Las Vegas (not recommended for those with a fear of heights and thin wire suspension cables!) Later this evening I can message you with some of the names and numbers of those companies.
Jennifer McConnell This would be a good idea, except we are on a very tight budget, even with not paying for the tour listed above. You can send the info to me anyways, but I don't know of my ability to actually do anything with it on this trip to Vegas.
I've been to Vegas several times but we never drive. The traffic can be rather busy and I have heard the parking is not easy. We always took a limo from the airport to the hotel. With a group of 7 or 8 of us we could get one for a reasonable price. Once on the strip we bought 24 hour bus passes. It is fairly inexpensive and then you can jump on and off buses all day. In the evening the bus can be very interesting and fun! There is also now some type of a train/tram that runs along part of the strip. Still, even using the bus pass, there is a lot of walking involved so be sure you wear EXCELLENT walking shoes. Because when you think……Oh lets walk. It's not that far……..you will be wrong. Things are always further away than they appear. We always have stayed on The Strip. We have stayed at Harrah's and Treasure Island. (FYI…..Circus, Circus is kind of kid oriented if you can imagine kid oriented in Vegas) The end of the strip where that is located is the older end and you would probably want to go the other way. Some places (like Ceasars Palace, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay) are more expensive and other places have better deals. You will just have to get online and see what you can find. You may find better prices downtown (Golden Nugget) if you don't mind staying off the Strip. But we prefer the Strip. There are all kinds of things to see that are free (Pirate show in the evening at Treasure Island, Fountains and beautiful conservatory at Bellagio) but otherwise things are not cheap. Madam Tusauds wax museum is fun and a cool place to visit but I think it was maybe $20 per person and that was maybe 7 or 8 years ago. You may get a coupon book when you check in your hotel (ask for it if they don't offer it to you). Food is not cheap either unless you find some deals in your coupon book or perhaps go off the strip. We had a coupon for a place called Hamburger Mary's. It was off the strip but buy one get one free burger meal was too good to pass up. It took us a few moments to realize it was a gay restaurant. But it was very interesting and funny. The bill came in a high heeled shoe. One place we always go is the breakfast buffet at the hotel Paris. It is awesome! Probably about $20 by now but very, very good. But the buffets can get old after a while and other than Paris breakfast we kind of got tired of those fast. In the evening you must go downtown to Freemont Street. They have awesome light shows up above on the canopy that extends for about 2 blocks. It is a different show every hour. Pretty cool. But I am sure you will do a lot of research before you go and get some ideas from other people who have been there. We never went out of town at all but I know you can get on tour busses from the strip to take you to those places. As a group of women that is what we would do but if you want to drive….go for it. Oh the bathrooms at the casinos are beautiful! The girls will want to check them out. I can't speak for the guys bathrooms cause I did not visit those. But there is so much to see and do just walking around the casions. If you are gambling your drinks are free. Just give them a dollar tip per drink and they will come back to serve you again if you get a good waitress. That is kind of cool. The girls will love the shopping malls. They are everywhere in the casinos. Make sure you go to the one at Ceasars. It is so cool. The ceiling is like the sky and it changes and storms. Cool. Hopefully the weather is nice and I am sure you will have a great time.
WOW! Wonderful information, thanks! – We're staying at the Hard Rock Hotel actually. We have a great deal that we managed to grab from Groupon (I've updated the post to say this. Can't believe I left that out).
So, we have a great place to stay now, which even includes shuttle to the strip, and some money for food and drink. WE bought that deal twice, so we'll get double whatever that says (and pay double). We had to add a bed though, since it's three adults, so they added $30 per deal, so an extra $60 total for the four nights we are there.
I'm certainly going to look into this busing and tram service though. Seems as it may be better than renting a car (even though we may still need to do so to visit the Canyon and the Hoover Dam, which Hang want's to go to).
Charlie Pryor As for the tours of the Canyon and Hoover Dam, We have multiple reputable companies here that offer very inexpensive tours of both, depending on exactly HOW you want to experience those sites. What I mean by that, is we have the traditional "jump on the shuttle and go visit" tours, and then we have the helicopter flight tours over the Grand Canyon as well. For that matter, you can take a zip line tour over several of our other canyon sites near Las Vegas (not recommended for those with a fear of heights and thin wire suspension cables!) Later this evening I can message you with some of the names and numbers of those companies.
Jennifer McConnell This would be a good idea, except we are on a very tight budget, even with not paying for the tour listed above. You can send the info to me anyways, but I don't know of my ability to actually do anything with it on this trip to Vegas.
My daughter lives there. I'm certain she'd have many interesting spots and things to suggest to you to do while there.
Wonderful! Have her read this and give me some tips here! 😀
Charlie Pryor – Just messaged her with your site. Hopefully she can give you some inside information on fun places (and maybe unique) to go. Good luck!
Barb McConnell Thank you!
Charlie Pryor Must do's while in Vegas:
*Bellagio Water Fountain show (better at night)
*Fremont Street Experience — This is the OLD original "Strip"……. Free concerts every night, Must see light show every hour, and awesome entertainers!
*Red Rock Canyon is a must see at Sunset
*Treasure Island and Circus Circus both have really good free shows every hour through midnight I believe
*AWESOME place for lunch and coffee is the Paris Eiffel Tower Cafe, inside of the Eiffel Tower….. Go for lunch, order the French onion soup……It's the best you'll ever taste, comes with unlimited fresh baked french bread (out of this world) and a huge bowl of soup…..Fairly reasonably priced
* Sugar Factory's cafe is the best place to stop for coffee and dessert (and you can watch the Bellagio water show from your table!!!)
*Bellagio Gardens, right inside the Bellagio………Absolutely beautiful to see, and completely free.
*For inexpensive drinks, great music, a round of put put mini golf, and a lot of fun (best dueling pianos in the city) try out The Swingers Club on the first floor of The Plaza Hotel, just off of Fremont Street……Owned by local celebrityAnthony Cools, it really is worth checking out.
That's really all I can think of at the moment, I hope it helps…..
As for transportation around the city for the sites, you REALLY REALLY don't want to drive, trust me on this….To get from one end of the strip to the other straight through on a Saturday night, it takes nearly 1 -2 hours in non stop bumper to bumper traffic. We have an awesome bus system that includes the Deuce, a double decker bus that goes from one end of the strip to the other. For a full day pass (highly reccomended) it's $7.00 per person which gives you a 24 hour pass…..Much cheaper than gas OR car rental for that matter! Or, for $29.99 a day, you can rent a 49cc scooter in several areas on the strip near the Stratosphere . These take very little gas, and are much easier to manuver in the Vegas traffic.
Charlie Pryor For a more unique twist on the city, the Mafia museum is also worth checking out…..Very cool place…….As is the Vegas graveyard, a now outdoor museum of sorts, showcasing all of the old, original, and now retired Las Vegas memorabilia, including signs, etc….. And if you're looking for thrills, you can now jump off of the tallest building in Vegas, the Stratosphere, for a mere $99.00 per person (last I checked) lol.
My daughter lives there. I'm certain she'd have many interesting spots and things to suggest to you to do while there.
Wonderful! Have her read this and give me some tips here! 😀
Charlie Pryor – Just messaged her with your site. Hopefully she can give you some inside information on fun places (and maybe unique) to go. Good luck!
Barb McConnell Thank you!
Charlie Pryor Must do's while in Vegas:
*Bellagio Water Fountain show (better at night)
*Fremont Street Experience — This is the OLD original "Strip"……. Free concerts every night, Must see light show every hour, and awesome entertainers!
*Red Rock Canyon is a must see at Sunset
*Treasure Island and Circus Circus both have really good free shows every hour through midnight I believe
*AWESOME place for lunch and coffee is the Paris Eiffel Tower Cafe, inside of the Eiffel Tower….. Go for lunch, order the French onion soup……It's the best you'll ever taste, comes with unlimited fresh baked french bread (out of this world) and a huge bowl of soup…..Fairly reasonably priced
* Sugar Factory's cafe is the best place to stop for coffee and dessert (and you can watch the Bellagio water show from your table!!!)
*Bellagio Gardens, right inside the Bellagio………Absolutely beautiful to see, and completely free.
*For inexpensive drinks, great music, a round of put put mini golf, and a lot of fun (best dueling pianos in the city) try out The Swingers Club on the first floor of The Plaza Hotel, just off of Fremont Street……Owned by local celebrityAnthony Cools, it really is worth checking out.
That's really all I can think of at the moment, I hope it helps…..
As for transportation around the city for the sites, you REALLY REALLY don't want to drive, trust me on this….To get from one end of the strip to the other straight through on a Saturday night, it takes nearly 1 -2 hours in non stop bumper to bumper traffic. We have an awesome bus system that includes the Deuce, a double decker bus that goes from one end of the strip to the other. For a full day pass (highly reccomended) it's $7.00 per person which gives you a 24 hour pass…..Much cheaper than gas OR car rental for that matter! Or, for $29.99 a day, you can rent a 49cc scooter in several areas on the strip near the Stratosphere . These take very little gas, and are much easier to manuver in the Vegas traffic.
Charlie Pryor For a more unique twist on the city, the Mafia museum is also worth checking out…..Very cool place…….As is the Vegas graveyard, a now outdoor museum of sorts, showcasing all of the old, original, and now retired Las Vegas memorabilia, including signs, etc….. And if you're looking for thrills, you can now jump off of the tallest building in Vegas, the Stratosphere, for a mere $99.00 per person (last I checked) lol.