Let's talk Vegas.
5In February, I will be running a race in the Las Vegas/Boulder City area. After the race, I want to stay a few days to relax a bit. I've been to Vegas for a work conference, but with my boss looking over my shoulder, I didn't get to explore like I wanted.
I'm looking for suggestions of all kinds. Where should I stay? What should I do? Which casinos should I stay away from? Should I skip the buffet and just eat White Castle the whole time?
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I'm heading there on Saturday for a work conference. I shall pay attention to this thread.
@MEHcus "Work Conference"
@MEHcus Where should we all meet then? I think it's only fair to take some of your most loyal customers along? :)
@sohmageek If there are enough Vegas Mehmbers out there I'll do an autograph signing
@MEHcus What makes you think any of us want to give you our autographs?
@MEHcus hey my company is sending me out there for CES Thursday-Saturday, I will wear one of my 3 mediocre shirts while I'm there and maybe we can gamble together!
@MEHcus Can I get @matthew, @hollboll & @irk's signatures?
@sohmageek Isn't a @matthew signature already an Irk signature?
@MEHcus
Is the "work conference" part of the Adult Video convention scene? Then enjoy the madness. Porn stars give the best "obviously phony" interviews.
@f00l wait...this is going on this weekend? Might have to rebook my travel to exxxtend my stay.
Everyone else will probably name a bunch of big fun things, so I'll focus on a few small pleasures...
I love floating around the lazy river at the MGM. ProTip: The plastic beer bottles they sell there also float!
The "Inclinators" at the Luxor are neat. They're elevators that go up/down at an angle!
The Pass Line on a craps table is the best odds in the casino (almost 50/50).
Red Rocks Canyon outside of Vegas (about 17 miles) is a great place to spend a few hours.
@DaveInSoCal and not sure if this is always the case but when I was at the MGM in Sept it was cheaper to purchase the tube for the lazy river than it was to rent it.
I second Red Rock Canyon. Oh and if you are at Luxor go see Carrot Top. Can get tickets cheap, and he is surprisingly hilarious, with a lot less prop comedy than you may think..
@DaveInSoCal I believe that the Don't Pass bar has best odds in a casino; however, to play it is a major taboo.
@connorbush Yep and yep. Better odds, but you get the major evil eye from all the others playing the Pass line. Plus, you miss out on the excitement of a hot craps table (yes, I know what that sounds like). The adrenaline rush of playing at a loud table when it got hot is my fondest Vegas memory.
If you've got transportation, and you're into odd adventures, I recommend taking the ET Highway (Nevada SR375), a drive to Groom Lake, visit Area 51 and lunch at the Little A'Le'Inn. It's sort of an adventure destination. If you're a hiker, Groom Lake has some great hill hiking with some awesome views.
I love the irony of having my picture taken next to the sign that states "Photography Prohohibited" "Deadly Force Authorized".
And don't forget to pose by the ET Highway sign:
Finally... "the mailbox".
Oh, PS: I love to stay downtown. Old Vegas. Just for kicks. Usually at Four Queens, just for nostalgia. The original strip... Fremont Street.
Though these days I get lots of comp rooms at Caesars properties (Caesars Palace, Paris, Flamingo, Rio, etc).
Rio is very nice, and reasonably priced. Of course Caesars Palace is awesome, but also among the most expensive properties to stay.
The buffet at Caesars Palace is absolutely awesome. HUGE assortment of various cuisines and fantastic quality. But... as noted earlier... very expensive. I think dinner is about $45 now. Lunch was $25 last year.
I don't know where you're from but if you haven't gone to http://www.in-n-out.com/ yet... I'd stop! I had to track down one with my wife and get a cab to go... Totally worth it. :) BTW not so-secret menu: http://hackthemenu.com/in-n-out/secret-menu/
Ask for packets of the special sauce... great on Fries! :)
@sohmageek Best Vegas chow:
@ruouttaurmind agreed.
I think Vegas is the only place in the world you can do the Shake Shack vs In 'N Out test with fresh burgers. There's a Shack in New York New York and I actually prefer it to In 'N Out, although I certainly wouldn't turn down either.
@sohmageek Double-double with onions, medium rare. OMG
@sohmageek ugh, well I guess I'm going to have to skip my brought from home lunch today and get in n out.
Summoning @Pavlov ... I vaguely recall him having much knowledge regarding Vegas.
@connorbush - @Pavlov is in London for the Mercedes men's collection show and then heading to Berlin. He'll be back in the US in early February.
I spend most of my time in Vegas (when I'm awake) in the spa or playing Baccarat (play big enough and you can negotiate a rebate on your losses PLUS full comp). @Pavlov parties enough for the both of us and knows the best spots to hit with the guys - I generally stick with the girls. If the guys knew half the shit we pull maybe they'd stick with us too. We have (make?!) our own fun in spite of them (or to spite them, be it as it may).
Best rule to follow: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. I keep it that way to enjoy a long(er) marriage.
If you like cars, there's a "secret" car museum in Harrah's (I think) and if you like pinball, head out to the Vegas Pinball Museum and you'll be happy.
I had one of the best burgers in my life at Holsteins in the Cosmopolitan. It was like a burger, but had pulled pork, bacon, and probably some other pork on it as well. I remember little from that weekend, but remember that burger very well.
@ACraigL Wish I had seen this before, we passed by that place daily but never decided to go in.
Number one Vegas rule. GO EAT AT EARL OF SANDWICH
@connorbush We ate here last year (Mid January) based off yelp reviews. Sandwiches were good, but they are also pricey. We have a lot of "Gourmet" sandwich places locally, so we're pretty spoiled in the sandwich department.
@Bogie Pricey in general or Vegas pricey? It seemed to be Vegas affordable; all things considered.
@connorbush That's a hard question to answer. I think it depends on how the consumer of the sandwich views sandwiches in general. Like, for the price I spent on food there, we could have had some amazing burgers down by New York New York. (I can't remember the name but they have alcoholic milkshakes, and I was drunk when I ate there).
I'm of the mind set that if it's food that I could make at home, it should be cheaper than something I can't make at home. This typically means I don't fancying "generic" sandwiches.
When I make it out there one of the things i want to check out is http://alibitheshow.com - sounds like fun and something different.
@djslack I love stuff like that. Let me know when you and the wife are going and I'll meet you guys up there.
I wonder if we can do a drone flight down the strip?
A Cirque du Soleil show. Any of them. If you have a car, take a ride to the Hoover Dam and do the tour. It's a damn cool dam. I'd say hit as many casinos as you can just for the sake of checking out all that's unique. From shitty Circus Circus to the rather elegant Wynn, it's really amazing to see what has gone into each place.
@cinoclav I will have a rental car for the race, which ends just west of the Hoover Dam. That is definitely on the list of things to do. However, I am probably not going to shell out the $30 to take the tour.
@Willijs3 There's the shorter version, the power plant tour which is $15. I did read that you could drive across to the Arizona side and park in one of the lots for free. Just have to walk back over, which actually would make for a pretty awesome view. It's really worth the tour just to go to the bottom and get that perspective.
@Willijs3 I almost skipped the $30 tour, and I'm glad I didn't! The $15 tour is pretty lame and you don't get to see much. But if you can take the $30 tour, you get to go throughout the inside of the dam, and even stand in the ventilation shaft a la The Fugitive. The
@cpav they let you go inside the dam these days?! I thought that you couldn't anymore after 9/11 due to "security concerns!"
@Turken I was there in late December and there were no problems or even burdensome security checks. You walk through a metal detector, but that's all. I'll let the picture serve as proof ;-)
@cpav Now THAT would be worth $30 to me. I may have to do it. Maybe I will head straight there after the race.
My favorite show, hands down, is Penn & Teller. Great magic & great fun.
Just a few minutes off the strip is the Atomic Testing museum. Great museum, great way to get out of the Vegas atmosphere for a couple hours.
Way off the beaten track, but worth the trip if your into games, is the Pinball Museum. Great collection of games, both very old & relatively new. A few arcade games as well. All lovingly hand restored. Plus, most of the games are playable for just a quarter or 2.
@MrGlass Agreed on Penn and Teller.
@MrGlass Mega Agree on Penn and Teller and the Pinball Museum www.pinballmuseum.org
I love how Penn and Teller will do selfies with you after the show. Those two seem like so much fun
If you like Thai food, Lotus of Siam is not to be missed. A little off the Strip in a very sketchy strip mall. Make reservations or you'll be waiting a very long time. Seriously, go.
Baby stacks, a pancake/breakfast place.
Mob Museum near old downtown LV.
Nuclear testing museum near Tropicana.
Fry's if you have never been there.
Freemont street experience. it is awesome to do but loud and crowded on some nights.
Lunch at the Stratosphere(dinner if you can afford it and have someone to share) the restaurant rotates really high up.
Grand Canyon Skywalk is semi close,
If you have not seen the Hoover Dam you should check it out and the massive bridge they built near it.
@kasmiur I definitely want to see Freemont street. Loud and crowded will be right up my alley on this trip.
@Willijs3 There's a cool looking zipline thing through it now, I think.
Any cirque show is always a good bet. Good tip is to sign up for their discount club online for free and then buy tickets to save you some money. There's also a couple of smaller shows worth checking out like La Reve and Absinthe. For hotels and something different try Downtown. I concur with the Four Queens but if you want the nice boutique and semi high end experience then I suggest the Cosmopolitan. East Fremont also has some of the best bars in town that won't charge you an arm and a leg for drinks or a legit craft cocktail and most have great beer selections. Make sure to check out The Griffin, Downtown Cocktail Room, Atomic Liquor, Commontwealth and cream of the crop, Velveteen Rabbit in the Arts District. Hashhouse is ok but there are far better places to eat like Babystacks and Eat, which is Downtown. Also Shakeshack beats In n Out and there are now two locations. One of which is on the way out to Red Rock in Downtown Summerlin. There's also a couple of other burger places like Bachi Burger and Fuku Burger that are highly recommended. Another cool spot is The Link, which has a couple of decent food places as well as the huge observation wheel which has a killer view at night. For great all you can eat sushi you want to go to Yama Sushi and Sushi Way. I prefer Sushi Way because it has much better service and isn't always packed. For great steak I'd suggest Echo and Rig. You won't get better service or a better cut of meat anywhere else especially for the price. One thing you'll notice is most of my recommendations are off strip and you won't regret them. Unless you want the overcrowded and overpriced, celeb chef experience, then by all means the strip is the way to go. I will say however that Chef Ramsey's Brgr as well as Mario Batalli's restaurant in the Venetian are worth trying. Still Vegas was a lot more to offer than just the Strip. But I suppose I'm biased as I'm local.
@nerderousrage Based on this post, you and I would get along well. I was hoping there was a good sushi place. I have so much research to do.
@nerderousrage Funny story... I went to vegas for my honeymoon... We got tickets to see KÀ... I had been going nonstop between shows, and exhibits... We barely took any time to stay in the room... So... I could tell you the whole story... We got the story book and I can remember it all... but I slept through most of it....
TL;dr
I paid about $150 to take a nap while the wife saw a show....
@Willijs3 I'm sure we would. There's definitely no shortage of things to do or see and even more to eat. Yelp, Foursquare and Trip Advisor are very reliable sources of what to do and where to eat. Most locals are heavy users and they're all fairly well curated. Another safe bet is to look for the Best of Las Vegas stuff. Also there's plenty of sushi places but why stop there when you can get good sushi AND have all you can eat.
Anyone else going to be at CES this week? I will be there from Thursday afternoon through Saturday.
@MEHcus I expect you will have my 2nd place trophy for the advanced FF league.
@TaRDy
I'd have loved to be at CES, sadly something got in the way :(
@TaRDy Yeah we've got a pretty big group up there. Mostly our buyers and sellers. But you might see a few people roaming around with Mediocre shirts on.
@MEHcus I'm still waiting on my invite to party with these people...you know how to contact me.
I'm over at the Cosmo.
If you want to do a day trip, Death Valley is an easy drive and spectacularly scenic. Winter is a much better time to go than summer.
Terry Fator at the Mirage is a great show, family friendly too, if you need that. For any shows I suggest you check out Tix4Tonite, you can get 20-50% off but their selection changes and they are for that day or the next. They dont have them all, but they have a lot. For expensive fun the Exotics Racing at the LV motor speedway is a blast. The Maverick helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon is also very nice. The garden at the Flamingo is a nice spot for free. The aquarium at the Mandalay Bay is fantastic. Rent a bike from Eagle Rider, ride out to the dam thru the lake mead park (costs you to ride thru the park, but its gorgeous, and your receipt lets you ride thru multiple times) fantastic scenery. Yardhouse truffle fries over by the High Roller are better than the ones at BurGR, and Yardhouse has a crap ton of beer selections!! Have a fun trip.
[caveat: I was last in Vegas in 2008ish I think so some of this might be outdated info]
If you've never seen Blue Man Group, DO SO. Spring for the poncho seats if you can afford them, it's worth it. They're apparently at the Luxor now; when I saw them they were at the Venetian.
Also the Stratosphere tower is fun to go up because a) you can take lots of neat pictures and b) you can watch people on some of the rides on top of the tower being scared shitless. You can be scared shitless yourself on those rides too if that is your thing.
@AlexBeefgnaw @Willijs3 Omg, how did I forget to mention this? Definitely do the rides at the top of the Stratosphere! I'm not a big fan of heights which made it that much more intense. Big Shot is amazing and you have to sit in the front of X-Scream to truly appreciate it. I found Insanity a bit boring after the first 20 seconds of 'what the fuck am I doing way up here?'
@AlexBeefgnaw @cinoclav I am roller coaster junkie, so the coasters at Circus Circus might be more up my alley. But, I want to check out the top of the tower no matter what. Heights are really no big deal for me.
@Willijs3 You might feel a little different when you're rocketing up a spire at 1000 feet. They're a blast though. I too love coasters/rides so going on those was an absolute must.
If you are more into the outdoors scene, and have the time, there's the obvious (Grand Canyon) and the somewhat less obvious (Glen Canyon/Lake Powell, OMG!!!).
There used to be a really nice Bulgarian restaurant there, but not too many people are into that kind of food, or know it even exists for that matter...
I'm surprised no one has mentioned using Groupon Be sure to check it out. you can get some good discounts that way. Took a day trip the Grand Canyon for $90 a person and we lucked out and got one of the best drivers too. and free Alcoholic Beverage at the Spice Market. oh and Zoomanity is GREAT show! and I'm going to mention the Pin Ball Museum again because of how much I love it and here's the link avian too www.pinballmuseum.org
VERY IMPORTANT: If you are gambling and order the free drinks be sure to tip your Waitress. Trust me on this they have been super sweet every time and they do go out of their why sometimes too. (on brought me 2 drinks because she wasn't sure they could do the one I asked for, she was super nice!)
Walk the strip with an open container of alcohol. It is an odd feeling at first, like you are doing something completely wrong, probably because most other places you are, but overall it can be a fun experience.
@TaRDy just remember that driving with an open container is a big no-no nowadays. (For over a decade now, I think?)