Las Vegas Fun

the Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

2009-10-11T22:55:00.010-05:00

Back from another trip to Las Vegas. I arrived Monday October 5, and departed on the afternoon of Saturday October 10. I stayed again at the Palazzo for all five nights. Nice to keep getting the comped rooms there!

The Good. The weather was fantastic, sunny and warm everyday. Very different from the cold and rainy days in Pittsburgh. Room was very nice as always. Also had my room comped to a room with a view. Right on the corner by TI and the Wynn. Had a perfect view of the Sirens of TI pirate battle show. The food at the Grand Lux restaurant at the Palazzo was very good. Try the Zen Noodle soup when you are there. Excellent!! Best slot this trip was the Alfred Hitchcock slots at the Bellagio. Hit for $500.00 on first spin in the bonus round. The MGM Dollar Lion slots payed out a little this time.

The Bad. The slots and video poker were not paying out much this visit. Nothing at all on video poker. Tried the new Jaws and Star Wars slots. Just ate all my money! Even my old favorites like Cleopatra and White Orchid were nothing but losers. Starting to tire of the Bellagio buffet. The desserts there and not very good. Starting to think the PH buffet is better, best chocolate pie, mmmm!!!

The beautiful. Carmen Electra!!!! Carmen was performing with the lovely ladies of the Crazy Horse Paris show at the MGM. Carmen is beautiful!!! My seat was about ten feet from the stage, very nice view!! The show was very good. Lovely ladies, yes topless, singing, dancing, music and the Scott Brothers vaudeville act. Their Elvis skit was hilarious!I do recommend the show!!

Another good Vegas vacation. Always ready to go back!!!

Treasure Island now Independent

2009-07-11T13:55:00.002-05:00

With the sale of the Treasure Island from MGM now final, the TI is undergoing some changes. Hopefully with the new management the changes will be for the good. For now the Sirens's show is still the same. I did prefer the old pirate battle better. The club's, shows, and restaurants will all be under review to see where improvemsnts can be made.

The casino at TI is large with good vareity of slots and table games. Sometimes I have some good luck there. Which is always good. The rates now are down for the summer so take advantage of the new TI and have fun and exciting summer!

TI Direct Advantage Offer - Book Early and Save up to 30%! Promo Code: DIRECTTI (15% for advanced bookings between 7-30 days, 20% for advanced bookings between 31-60 days, 25% for advanced bookings between 61-90 days, 30% for advanced bookings more than 90 days)

Room Remodel

Be a VIP in Las Vegas

2009-07-03T22:35:00.002-05:00

Are you going to Las Vegas on a budget? And want to be treated like the high rollers? Then try out the "Red Carpet VIP" website. Use the link you see in the right column on this page.

They can assist you with just about anything you would like to do in Las Vegas. From making and planning your reservation before you arrive. Have a limo ready for you at the airport and take you to that luxury hotel room they helped you save money on.

Need help planning a gold outing or party, they can do it for you. Planning a bachelor or bachelortte party. Let them do the work, you play and enjoy!

They can get you into the hottest nightclubs or make a reservation for that quiet romantic dinner. Need some fun, they can help rent that exotic car to cruise up and down the strip.

Give the VIP services a try. May save you time and money. And make your next Vegas vacation more fun and exciting.

My Mirage Suite

2009-07-02T22:56:00.000-05:00

Mirage an Oasis in the Desert

2009-06-29T23:26:00.003-05:00

Back from another vacation in Las Vegas. Stayed at the Mirage Hotel, this was my second time to stay there. Arrived in Vegas a little after 8pm and made it out of the airport in good time. I had made reservations with ODS(On Demand Sedan & Limo) for airport shuttle to the Mirage. But I was met by one of their limo drivers. Cost me over $60.00 for the limo ride. So don't use the ODS website until they have it working properly. The limo driver called the office to report what happened. So hopefully they are working on this. But the ride in the limo to the hotel was good.

Arrived at the Mirage just before 9pm. Used the invited guest check in line. No waiting, I was the only person checking in. Room was ready and off I went. The first time I stayed here I was in a deluxe tower room. This trip I used an e-mail offer from the Mirage for a petite suite room. The suite was very nice and spacious. One bed, but two bathrooms. One bath just had a shower, the other bath had a spa tub. Had two large screen flat panel tv's. Of course the over priced mini bar, but this suite did have a small fridge. Used the fridge, that was nice.
The suite is located on the 24th floor. Used the elevators that is just dedicated to the 24th and 25th floors. Not much wait and speedy.

I like the Mirage casino. Large, good variety of slots and table games. But in many areas the slots are cramped. Not much space to walk between. Many old favorite slots and always new slots to try. Not much luck this time in the casino at the Mirage.

I did east at the BLT Burger restaurant again. Also at the Cravings Buffet and the Carnegie Deli for dessert. Thirteen dollars for a hamburger at BLT. I had the Tex-Mex burger, very good. But still a bit pricey for a hamburger. The buffet at Cravings was about the same as all the other times I have been there. Good quality and variety of food. Just had some pie at the Carnegie Deli. It was just ok. I did not think it was anything special. But the deli is always crowded and it is open 24 hours.

The Mirage is still doing some renovations to the front area of the casino and where the white tiger den area used to be. They have a new rum bar in there with seating also outside by the walkway. They were working on the volcano, so did not see if has improved any since my last visit.

I do highly recommend the Mirage as an excellent hotel to visit. Very nice rooms, good restaurants, always a busy casino. The entertainment there and shopping are more ways to spend your time. Or relax at the pool and chill out.

Make sure to visit and spend some time at the Mirage on your next trip to Las Vegas!

30 Years for the Liberace Museum

2009-04-12T16:54:00.004-05:00

April 15 is not only tax day, it is also the 30th anniversary day for the Liberace Museum. I read about this in the Anthony Curtis Las Vegas Advisor website. His link is:http: //www.lasvegasadvisor.com/

The Liberace Museum is located in the Liberace Plaza at 1775 E. Tropicana Avenue. It is open Tuesday -- Saturday 10am till 5pm, and on Sunday from noon to 4pm. There is also a schedule on the museum site for a free shuttle bus for some of the strip hotels.

The admission price is $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for seniors. There are four different galleries for you to view. They are the piano and car galleries in building one. In building two are the costume and jewelry galleries. Also on site is a small cafe and a gift shop.

So if you are interested in one of the greatest showman and pianists to play the Las Vegas stage, go visit!

For all the information you need, here is the link to the Liberace Museum:

http://www.liberace.org/liberace_museum/

Half Price Tickets Help Save Money

2009-03-08T00:32:00.003-05:00

Saving money in Las Vegas can be hard to do. Everyone wants your money, from the slot machines, restaurants, taxis, hotels, shopping and the shows. If your willing to take a little time and stand in line waiting, you should be able to save on those show tickets.

There are now five different locations on the strip, and one location downtown for the half priced ticket booths. The booths open at 10:00am and you need to arrive early for the best selection of tickets. They also may offer last minute deals to shows that are "sold out", so ask if you are interested in certain shows.

They only take payment in cash and credit cards. Here are the locations of the half priced ticket booths:

Fashion show Mall, at the Las Vegas strip entrance by Neiman Marcus.

North Strip booth, between the Riveria and Encore hotels.

Hawaiian Market Booth, in front of the Polo towers, block south of PH.

Bills Gamblin Hall, front entrance on the Las Vegas strip.

Showcase Mall, enter by the large Coke bottle, by the Coke store and M&M store.

Downtown booth, Four Queens hotel, entrance on Fremont Street.

Hope these locations save you some time and money. And enjoy the show!!!

MGM Hotels Early Spring Specials

2009-02-22T13:09:00.002-05:00

Spring is right around the corner! Take a peek at these early spring deals from some of your favorite Las Vegas hotels. These deals are only around for a couple weeks, so make your reservations quick to save yourself some cash!

Excalibur "Sooner is Better!" Rates from $27/nt. *THE SOONER YOU BOOK AT EXCALIBUR, THE MORE YOU WILL SAVE (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Feb 20 - Sep 10, 2009. Promo Code: XKDLS (Exp 3/4/09)

Excalibur "Family Package!" Rates from $56/nt (2nt Min). *Offer includes: 2-FOR-1 tickets for Tournament of Kings dinner show, 2-FOR-1 tickets to Adventuredome at Circus-Circus, 2-FOR-1 tickets to our Magic Motion 4-D movie ride, 10 Free Play passes at the Fantasy Faire midway, 20% Off Titanic, The Artifact Exhibition at Luxor, 20% off Bodies..The Exhibition at Luxor, and Buy one, get the second admission for 50% to Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Feb 20 - Nov 30, 2009. Promo Code: XFAMBL (Exp 3/4/09)

MGM Grand Las Vegas "Drop Everything!" Rates from $52/nt. *Experience the comfort and excitement of MGM Grand, the resort that delivers Maximum Vegas, plus $25 upgrade per night to Bungalow Suite, $30 upgrade per night to Celebrity Spa Suite (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Feb 20 - Sep 8, 2009. Promo Code: INB253 (Exp 3/4/09)

New York New York "Your Best Rate" Rates from $52/nt (2nt Min). *Book NOW through December 2009 and receive up to 30% off each night you stay in one of our gorgeous rooms (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Feb 20 - Dec 31, 2009. Promo Code: BRGPRZ (Exp 3/5/09)

Book now, save and have fun!!!

My First Slot Tournament

2009-02-15T13:18:00.002-05:00

Last week, February 10--12, I tried my first slot tournament. It was at the Venetian Hotel. The total prize package was $25,000.00, with first place winning $7,500.00. I did not have the good luck fortunate enough to win first place or any consolation prizes. But the tournament was fun, and it did not take too much time.

The tournament ran in three playing sessions. One session on Wednesday morning, then again in the afternoon. The final session was Thursday morning. Each session you had ten minutes to sit at your slot machine and try to earn as many points as you could get. Then total of your three sessions determined your final score and rank.

I finished about 1,000 points short of the cutoff line for the final payouts. But it is all luck. Being at the right machine at the right time.

But the tournament was well worth it. The Venetian comped my three nights at the hotel. My option to stay at either the Venetian or Palazzo. I chose the Venetian because I paid for an extra night and the Venetian was a little less. The suites at both are very similar, just the Palazzo is newer.

I think I will try do to use more of the slot tournament offers I receive. It did not take up very much of my time. Your room is comped for the days of the tournament, and you have a chance to win money without putting any money in the machine!

If you have not participated in a slot tournament yet, give it a try.

Have fun and good luck!!!

Prices down in Las Vegas

2009-01-18T13:40:00.002-05:00

I have been checking my offers from the hotels recently. Many good offers are out there. The discounts on the rooms are good, and the air fares are really down from what they were in the fall. My air fare from Pittsburgh is $99.00 each way on USAIR for a trip in February.

If your a member of the player casino player clubs, you should have some good offers to use. Make sure to check your account online or call the hotels direct for the most current offers.

If your in the midwest or east like I am, winter is a good time to go. It will be a nice change of weather and not too crowded. Of course Super Bowl weekend will be very busy. Then a few weeks of quiet time until the March Madness begins!

Check out the MGM offers I have listed here, or check out the other travel sites I have on the page. The deals are they for you! Take a break, have fun and save a little money!

Good luck to everyone!!!

Venetian, Volcano and Snow

2008-12-24T01:31:00.004-05:00

I arrived at the Venetian on Monday, the 15th of December. My flight out was a little longer than usual. But when I arrived at the baggage carousel I only waited a couple minutes for my bag. Much better than usual. I rode the shuttle bus to my hotel. Did not take too long, as the Venetian was the first stop.

My room was ready when I checked in a little after 11:30am. So it was nice so unpack and rest a bit before heading down to the fun. Went to the Venetian restaurant area for the fast foods. Had a "Johnny Rocket" burger and fries. It is a good place for a quick meal to eat there or take away. I thought the pizza place was too expensive, $4.99 for one slice of pepperoni pizza, and not a huge slice.

It rained all day, so I only played at the Venetian and Palazzo casinos. Not much luck on the slots. Tuesday I went to the Fashion show Mall and walked and walked some more. It is such a huge shopping mall!! Did not buy anything, was looking for the Apple store, but never found it. So I went to the Apple store at the Forum Shops in Caesars Palace. I bought an Apple Ipod Touch to take on the trip with me. Just needed a little advice about WiFi and how to set up some services. I listened to songs on the Touch on both flights, good sound with the Bose earphones.

Not much luck on the slots Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Did not get very many bonus games at all. But did have some luck again playing video poker. At the Palazzo playing triple double bonus poker. I was dealt a pair of threes and kept them. Then hit the deal button and the magic words appeared, call the attendant!! I picked up the other two thees and four for the kicker card for a $2,000 win!! Was quite a surprise on hit in a pair of threes!!

Thursday i went to see the Beatles Love show again at the Mirage. This time with a half price ticket at the 10pm show. A little different than the last time I saw the show. but I still think they should remove the "Blackbird" song, not funny, and many more songs that are much better.

The new and improved volcano at the Mirage. Ho hum, not much different. Not worth the millions they spent on it. Did not care for the dance beat music with it. Much prefer the the jungle sounds and volcano rumble of the old volcano. Don't waste your time making a special walk down just to view it.

And of course, I was there doing the big Vegas snow storm! I was just out walking about, so was not a bother to me. Was different seeing the snow falling on the bright neon lights of the strip. But you could only see about half mile during the early evening when the snow was falling heavy. Here is a link to use if you want to view some photos and video of the snowstorm: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/snow/2008/

It was a good trip, nice being away from work!!

Merry Christmas and good luck to everyone!!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-12-22T02:33:00.002-05:00

Sorry nothing new on here for much too long. Busy with too much overtime at work and the holiday season. The economy may be suffering, but I have been having overtime every week for the last three months. Bank just refuses to hire more people. But that is a story for another blog.

But I did just return from four days in Vegas. So I will post a report and finally post some updated MGM Hotel offers. I know everyone wants to try to get a deal and save a little money!!

Las Vegas Block Party

2008-10-02T00:08:00.004-05:00

Are ya ready for a party? Check out these offers from MGM for the Luxor, Excalibur and NYNY. These offers expire October 15, so act fast if you want to join the block Party!!!

I have only stayed at Luxor twice, both times in the Pyramid. I enjoyed my visits there. And it is now quite different from when I stayed there. The major renovations are complete, the new bars and clubs are open. Stop in and take a look.

The NYNY and Excalibur have also added new clubs and restaurants. The NYNY has done major renovations down on the casino floor and shopping areas. And it is easy to walk between all three casions. So make your reservations today, save a little money and have fun at the block party!!!

Luxor "BLOCK PARTY OFFER" Rates from $59/nt. *Plus, --AT THE LUXOR: 50% off Fantasy Ticket, 25% of Carrot Top Ticket, Free appetizer at CatHouse or Company American Bistro with the purchase of any entrée, and VIP admission to LAX -- AT THE EXCALIBUR: 50% off show tickets at Tournament of Kings, Louie Anderson or Thunder from Down Under, Free appetizer at Dick’s Last Resort with the purchase of any entrée, and $10 in free Midway games with purchase of 10 games. -- AT THE NEW YORK NEW YORK: 25% off Zumanity Ticket, 2 for 1 Breakfast at Il Fornaio, VIP admission to ROK Vegas, and VIP admission to Coyote Ugly. (*See site for details and restrictions) Oct 1, 2008 - Jan 31, 2009. Promo Code: PBLOCK (Exp 10/15/08)

Excalibur "Block Party!" Rates from $41/nt *Plus -- AT EXCALIBUR: 50% off show tickets at Tournament of Kings, Louie Anderson and Thunder from Down Under, Free appetizer at Dick's Last Resort with the purchase of any entree, and $10 in free Midway games with the purchase of 10 games. -- AT THE LUXOR:50% off Fantasy, Free appetizer at CatHouse with the purchase of any entree, and VIP admission to LAX. -- AT NEW YORK NEW YORK: 25% off Zumanity, 2-for-1 breakfast at Il Fornaio, and VIP admission to ROK Vegas. (*see site for details and restrictions) Oct 1, 2008 - Jan 31, 2009. Promo Code: XBLOCK (Exp 10/16/08)

NYNY "Block Party Offer" Rates from $65/nt. *Plus, -- AT THE NEW YORK - NEW YORK: 25% off Zumanity Ticket, 2 for 1 Breakfast at Il Fornaio, VIP admission to ROK Vegas, and VIP admission to Coyote Ugly. -- AT THE LUXOR: 50% off Fantasy Ticket, • 25% off Carrot Top Ticket, Free appetizer at CatHouse or Company American Bistro with the purchase of any entrée, and VIP admission to LAX. -- AT THE EXCALIBUR: 50% off show tickets at Tournament of Kings, Louie Anderson or Thunder from Down Under, Free appetizer at Dick’s Last Resort with the purchase of any entrée, and $10 in free Midway games with purchase of 10 games. (*See site for additional details and restrictions) Oct 1 - Dec 24, 2008. Promo Code: BLOCKEB (Exp 10/15/08)

Palazzo and Bellagio Winners

2008-09-26T00:37:00.004-05:00

Back from my most recent vacation in Las Vegas, September 20--27. I stayed three nights at the Flamingo and four nights at the Palazzo. Flight was no problem. I used the airport shuttle bus to the Flamingo. I think a good deal at $6.00 a ticket. Check in was fine. Had a room available for me at 11am. The room at the Flamingo was the basic deluxe room. Strip view right across from Caesars Palace. Good enough for sleeping and storing my luggage.

I don't eat my meals at the Flamingo. Usually go to Bellagio, Mirage, Planet Hollywood or Paris to dine. The gambling at the Flamingo was ok. Not too much in the loss column and did get some good play on the slots. Casino was crowded every night. Nice to stroll and relax in the Flamingo gardens and view the pink flamingos!

Tuesday took the taxi down to the Palazzo. My third visit too the Palazzo this year. They also had a room available at check in. I was checked in and unpacked again by 11am. Up on the 21st floor and the end of the hall. But the walk was not too bad. Had a good view of the Mirage volcano, unfortunatly it is still being renovated.

Went to the Bellagio Tuesday for some slot play. Usually have some good luck there. Did hit on the Bonus Frenzy slot for $1,000.00 hit. That was a big help in making up for some losses! I like the new dollar Deal or No Deal slots. Played at Bellagio, Planet Hollywood, Mirage and Venetian. A little luck, nothing great.

Thursday night playing at the Palazzo i hit my largest jackpot so far. I was playing a dollar triple double bonus video poker machine. Put in $100.00, on fourth hand I was dealt three aces! Kept them and hoped for the fourth!! I got it!! And a four for the kicker card!!! A nice payout of $4000.00!!! Made my night and trip!!!

Bellagio, Venetian and Palazzo were good to me on this trip!!! Not much good from Caesars, not done well there lately. So this was a very fun trip, always better when you go home with extra money!!!! I highly reccomend you visit the Palazzo. Great place to stay and the casino has a nice layout. Time to start thinking about that next trip!!!

Las Vegas Bets on NFL Football

2008-09-06T17:56:00.003-05:00

The college football season has started. The NFL season starts this weekend with a full slate of games Sunday and a double header on Monday night. The NY Giants started early on Thursdays with a win over the Washington Redskins.

Football weekends are very popular and busy in Las Vegas. So expect to find the bargains hard to find during the season. Many people fly in to Vegas so they can place bets on the games. The sports books are a fun place to be if your a football fan. Always a crowd to watch the games on the big screens, and cheer on their favorite team. and to cheer hopefully for a winning outcome on the game and their wager!

My favorite sports books are at Caesars Palace, Bellagio, Venetian and the MGM. The sports book at the LV Hilton is also very large and popular. A place like Bill's Gamblin Hall is a good place to go if the other sports books are crowded and your short on time to place your bet.

Bet on one game, a parlay, a future bet like the superbowl winner or an action bet like who will score the most points in a half. Just remember, like gambling at the slots or tables, stick with your budget.

Have fun and good luck!!!

Hurricane Gustav and Ike, Red Cross, Salvation Army

2008-09-01T10:07:00.006-05:00

While we are thinking about planning a fun holiday to Las Vegas and forgetting about our problems for a few days. We should not forget about all the people being displaced and impacted by Hurricane Gustav, and now hurricane Ike. These people will need the basic everyday supplies, food, water, medicine, shelter, clothes. And many will have lost much more.

Please try to donate what you can to help out. I made my donations to

http://www.redcross.org/ and

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org

These are the charities I prefer, you may have others. We all need a little help sometimes!! Thanks!!!!!!!!

Las Vegas Fall Discounts

2008-08-30T13:07:00.002-05:00

End of summer and autumn is almost here. The hot days and nights will start to cool down next month. I have my September vacation plans made. I have a week to relax and have fun at the Flamingo Hotel and the Palazzo Hotel. Football season is here, the baseball playoffs are soon here. That means the sports books will be busy and full of fans!

Take a look at the MGM Hotel discount offers here and make your own plans for a fall vacation in Las Vegas! Check the entertainment lists to see what performers will be in town and have a fun night out. I like to check the House of Blues schedule, it is always changing.

Take advantage of the discounts and have some fun!!! Good luck for all!!!!!

Do you fly to Las Vegas for your vacation???

2008-08-28T00:50:00.004-05:00

Do you fly to Las Vegas for your vacation? If you do, you may be confused and perplexed with all the changes happening with the airlines. I found a good article on the http://www.smartertravel.com/ website featuring all the changes.

The Smarter Traveler article gives a very good update and breakdown of all the new fee changes. Such as for your baggage fees for number for checked bag, size and weight limits. Fees for booking online or over the telephone. Fees for food, drink and seating preferences. And many many other various fees and charges the airlines have decided to try and use.

The article has very good charts for you to compare the fees with the airlines. See how well or poorly your airlines are treating you. I found this to be very useful and informative information. I hope it will be a help to all of you!! You can find the article on the Smarter Traveler website, and here is the link to page with the article:
http://wiki.smartertravel.com/index.php/Airline_Fees

Hope this assists with your travel planning!!!

Palazzo Fountains and Waterfall

2008-08-23T23:47:00.003-05:00

Change is the Las Vegas Way

2008-08-23T13:14:00.003-05:00

Change is always happening in Las Vegas. In the community and on the Las Vegas strip. A few of the current changes that will effect the tourists are both good and bad.

A good change is the ban has been lifted on the use of cell phones in the sports book areas of casinos. This ban was always posted, but always strictly enforced. The lifting of the ban is only for one year. Then to be reviewed and hopefully done forever.

The Star Trek Experience is closing September 1. The OOh LA La topless show at the Paris is closing August 31. But Donny and Marie Osmond will be starting a run at the Flamingo Hotel on Tuesday September 9th. The cheap seats in the balcony starting at $85.00. The guest room renovation at the Mirage should be complete by September.

Another change that may occur later is one tourists should watch for. There is going to be an attempt to raise the room taxes on hotels from the current 10% to 13%. The reason for the increase to raise more funds for the schools. But even that is being debated as to whether this increase will be enough. So along with increase in gas prices, air fares, airline fees and inflation in general. Finding a bargain hotel room or deal to Las Vegas with get harder to find. Expect to take more time searching for the deals and trying to talk the hotels into giving you a break.

Labor Day Fun Deals

2008-08-21T10:56:00.005-05:00

Labor Day is almost here. That is the unofficial end of summer. Make some last minute plans to enjoy yourself in Las Vegas and save some money! MGM is making a few end of summer specials for their hotels on the strip. The MGM Grand, Luxor, Monte Carl and Mandalay Bay all have good offers. Here a couple of the last minute deals from MGM:

MGM Grand "Summer Last Chance!" Rates from $79/nt. *Plus, $35 activity credit for dining and entertainment, 2 complimentary poolside drinks at Wet Republic, VIP entrance to Tabu Ultra Lounge, $30 per night upgrade to a Bungalow suite based upon availability at check in, and $50 per night upgrade to Celebrity Spa or Hollywood Suite based upon availability at check in (*see site for additional details and restrictions). Aug 13 - Oct 30, 2008. Promo Code: INB202 (Exp 9/3/08)

Luxor "Expect the Unexpected" Rates from $80/nt (2 nt min). *Plus, $25.00 Food and Beverage Credit (valid for use in Pyramid Cafe, MORE the Buffet at Luxor and Fusia/ based on availability), $10.00 Beverage Credit (valid for use in Aurora, Flight, Liquidity or the Playbar), $25.00 Spa Credit towards any spa treatment, and $10.00 in Free Slot Play -for first time Players Club sign ups only (*See site for additional details). May 24 - Sep 5, 2008. Promo Code: PVALUE (Expires 9/5/08)

Also, September 1 is the last day for the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton. Rumours are it may turn up somewhere else, but maybe not in Vegas. If you want a fun, quick getaway for Labor Day, Las Vegas is waiting for you!!! Good Luck!!

NYNY Hotel & Rollercoaster

2008-08-16T12:58:00.000-05:00

Las Vegas looks busy for Autumn

2008-08-14T10:28:00.002-05:00

I keep hearing about the slow down in travel across the country and even in Las Vegas. I read the stats about the drop in air lines going to Vegas. The drop in hotel room occupancy. The drop in people driving to Vegas. But September looks to be very busy. At least the week I chose to go. I think the big football weekend is attracting many of the people. You have USC--Ohio State on Saturday night. Then Monday is the Dallas Cowboys--Philadelphia Eagles.

I am looking at the week of September 13 -- 20. A week at Caesars Palace would be over $3,000.00. The regular rooms are sold out. Bally's is sold out. Paris is sold out. Just a few rooms at Harrah's or the Flamingo. Now the Rio and Imperial Palace do have rooms still available. But I don't care much for the Rio casino. I also prefer staying at hotels on the strip. I have gambled a few times in the Imperial Palace casino. A bit dark and crowded for me. Don't think I will stay there. Maybe if they do major renovations to the place I would consider it.

So for now, I am looking at the Flamingo. The MGM website is very poor. It just list what offers their hotels have made. Then you have to call each hotel to actually find out what the offer is. The Harrah's website is much better and informative. I am also hoping the Venetian/Palazzo will come in with a good offer. I have already used complimentary rooms there a couple times this year. But, I usually end with a decent deal. So hope for the best!

So if your planning a Las Vegas vacation this fall. Keep checking the websites often. The rates change all the time. Also keep checking the air fares. I check a couple times a day. I was able to get a round trip flight, direct both ways for just under $300.00. Not too bad in today's market.

Good luck to everyone!!

Cool at the Mirage

2008-07-12T13:02:00.003-05:00

Back from my latest Vegas vacation. I was there over the July 4th weekend, staying at the Mirage Hotel. I did not take any photos this time. The Mirage is currently in the process of renovating their rooms. I was in a tower deluxe room on the 26th floor. But the room had not been renovated yet. One of the secure features of the tower deluxe rooms is your room key is needed for the elevator to operate. The room was very nice, but in need of some repair and upgrade. The Mirage was trying to have all the rooms done by August. Not sure if they will make it by then.

Of course it was very hot. But that is what you expect in the middle of summer. Just stay out of the sun and it is not too bad. Cool drinks and air conditioning work quite well to make you forget the scorching heat.

This was my first time staying at the Mirage, been in the casino many times. Never had great luck at the casino, but I do like the variety of slots and many table games. Did have some good luck on this trip. The "White Lilly" and dollar version of "Deal or No Deal" were fun to play and did hit for some modest gains. Always much more enjoyable playing the slots when you get to play the bonus games. I prefer the new dollar version of "Deal or No Deal" to the penny and nickle slots. The bonus round is much more like the tv show. The "White Lilly" is a penny slot. I had good luck with frequent hits for thousands of credits and the bonus spins a few times. On one spin I hit for 32,400 credits!! That is the best one spin I have had on a penny slot!!

I also had some luck on another penny slot called " Lil Ladybug". Had some hits there for thousands of credits. But only made the bonus round once. Did well at Caesars Palace on the dollar slots and at MGM on their dollar slots. But with all this good luck I still came home a loser. But I had more than half the money I took in my pocket. Being there for six days, I think it was not too bad.

I had my usual meals at the Bellagio and Mirage buffets. My two favorite buffets. I had a few meal at the "Caribe Cafe", the Mirage 24 hour coffee shop. The food was good, I really liked the soups for a quick light meal. Service was good, never seemed too busy. A new restaurant, the "BLT Burger" at the Mirage opened July 1. Burgers, fries and shakes are the main dishes here. But I tried the chili, was very good. and the chocolate milkshake was very good. It cost about $15 for the burger, fries and drink. It was very busy at dinner and night. It was a good place and fun atmosphere for a casual meal.

With the price of gas, I think paying $6 for the airport shuttle bus is the way too go. The taxis will charge at least three times that for a strip hotel. And depending on the traffic and driver, can be more. You might take a few more minutes to arrive at your hotel, but your saving money and not wasting it as soon as you arrive.

As always, it was a fun vacation, and always ready to go back!! Good luck too everyone!!!!

Summer Air Fares, Not Cheap

2008-04-28T00:16:00.004-05:00

You better be active in searching for your late spring and summer air fares. With the additional costs for fuel, extra luggage and even some seats. Yes, USAIR is going to try to collect fees for some window and aisle seats on many of it's flights. The prices are changing daily, but I am not finding anymore low fares, at least from Pittsburgh. I find the fares on the air line websites are usually better or about the same as the discount travel sites. But bargains and deals are often not widely publicized, you have to keep looking.

Hopefully the hotel rooms in Las Vegas will be lower this summer to help lower the travel costs. I have found many decent room rates already for the summer months. Many at the Flamingo, Harrah's, Las Vegas Hilton, Imperial Palace, Luxor, and Monte Carlo. You can also find decent rates at the MGM, Mirage, and Ballys. The high end places like Caesars and Bellagio still holding out for the big spenders. So, just like managing your gambling bankroll, you need to manage your travel expenses. Save that money on travel for more fun in Vegas!!!

If your a slot club member, check with the hotels to see what offers and money saving deals you have available. Saving you money on your room, shopping, restaurants and shows. Take advantage of what you can, you earned it with your time and money!!

For me, making separate reservations for air fare and hotel is the least expensive way. I usually make my reservations on the USAIR website. For the hotel, I check all the offers I receive and in the mail and online and go where I have the best deal. For others, it may be best to make a combo hotel and flight deal together. Just keep looking, usually a decent offer is there to be found!!