Las Vegas Fun

Las Vegas getting better for 2012

2012-01-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2012.   The fireworks and all night New Year's Eve parties are over. Time for Las Vegas to get back to work getting rid of the old and in with the new.

The Las Hilton has changes it's name to LVH--Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.   Here is the link to their new web page: http://www.thelvh.com/       I like the new design of their web page. You can sign up for new e-mail offers and follow them of Twitter or Facebook.

At Caesars Palace the new Octavius Tower is now open. This is priced as a luxury room, so don't expect to get it cheap! Caesars still has a bevy of headliners, Elton John, Celine Dion, Ron Stewart and Shania Twain. Just check to see who is performing when you are planning to be there.

The Flamingo has opened the Margaritaville Casino. It is small, really not much to it. Renovating some rooms to what they call "Fab rooms".   Best thing about them is they are newly renovated and not too expensive. Remember the Harrah's hotels do not have a resort fee!!

The MGM Grand has removed the lion exhibit, No word yet on what will replace it. MGM is also renovating it's rooms and casino.

The Bellagio is also renovating more of it's rooms this year. And don't forget to check out the renovated Tropicana. Everything there has been updated. New rooms, casino, new beach club. Looking very good.

That is a few of the new changes for 2012, as always, more changes to come!!

Absinthe Returns, YEA!!

2011-10-03T01:22:00.001-04:00

The most talked about show on the Las Vegas strip is returning on October 21. Scheduled for a year long run. Tickets are on sale now on the Caesars Palace website or with Ticketmaster website. I have seen this show six times. It was great entertainment every time. Most of the cast is returning. Including the Gazillionare, Penny Pibbets, and the Green Fairy Melody Sweets. I have read where the skating couple are moving to the Planet Hollywood for their own show. Good for them, they are excellent. Currently, I believe all the other acts are returning. But change is always possible.

And a good change is the Speigelworld is changing. A new and improved tent if being set up. The original tent met it's match against the Las Vegas thunderstorms a few weeks ago. The area outside the tent is supposed to be enclosed and covered to keep the rain and heat away. Make sure to stop by and see this show when your in Vegas. But be warned, this is an adult show. Crude, rude language and not politically correct humor abounds. It's great!! Tickets are $99.70 and $135.00 for the VIP entry. Look for discounts on the Absinthe site or around the box office at the tent. Usually someone handing out $20.00 discount tickets.

At the Circus Circus the Fright Dome is back for the Halloween season. It is open now till October 31. Opens at 7pm and closes at midnight. This year it has five haunted houses to try ans scare you! The rides in the Adventure Dome are part of the admission ticket. Plus some scary movies and other creepy things to keep you amused and frightened. The general admission ticket is $36.95, some might find that terrifying!!

Finally something new at the Flamingo to go see. The brand new Margaritaville Casino has opened. Hopefully this will bring some new life and energy to the Flamingo. They really need to upgrade the whole casino. This is located right by the Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant. So be ready to enjoy his music while you play.

Enjoy this short video of the Absinthe show!!!!

Aria Fall and Winter Discount Offers

2011-09-28T23:30:00.001-04:00

Use these discount offers from the Aria Hotel and Casino to save yourself some money on your next Las Vegas vacation.

The Aria is a great hotel to stay and relax. The rooms are very nice, check my photos on here. The restaurants are very good. I do prefer the buffet and the 24 hour restaurant. The casino is large and has many of the new slot machines and a good variety of table games.

Good location for walking to the Crystals Shopping mall and the Bellagio Hotel. And the new Cosmopolitan Hotel just a short walk. Go to the Aria, have fun and enjoy the luxury surroundings!!

ARIA "Special Offer" *The Center of Vegas - Shifted -Experience ARIA with a late check out of 3pm - Your offer also includes: $50 ARIA Dining Credit, 3pm complimentary late check out - Based on availability (*see site for additional details and restrictions). Promotion Runs: Jul 12 - Oct 31, 2011. Promo Code: AR503PA (Exp 10/31/11)

ARIA "Viva ARIA Package - (Monday - Thursday)" *The Center of Excitement has shifted - From $500 (Monday - Thursday) Viva ARIA Package Includes: Two Nights in a Deluxe King Room, Two Tickets to Viva ELVIS™ by Cirque du Soleil® - Savings of at least $100 on each package(*See site for additional details and restrictions). Promotion Runs: Sep 21 - Dec 15, 2011. Promo Code: VIVAMD (Exp 12/15/11)

Star Trek Battle Stations Good Action

2011-08-07T19:09:00.000-04:00

I played this at the Flamingo Casino and Venetian Casino. It was good fun and action. You need to build a fleet of space hips to do battle. You do this by collecting points on special points on the slot reels. The more you bet, the quicker you can build your fleet. Then around every eight minutes you and any other players who qualify will enter the battle zone.

You will select enemy space ships for you to target and attack. The stronger your ships and fleet the more you can win. Your ship can be destroyed if it is not strong. If your shields hold, you can get another attack for more credits to win. When the battle is over, you collect credits won, and then will start to build a new fleet for the next battle.

If any of your ships survive, they will stay in your fleet for the next battle round. This game plays on two screens side by side. Wilds in the first screen can be transported to the second screen. This helps in getting wins to keep you in the action. And if you wish to end the game before the battle round begins, you can sell the ships you have built and get the credits.

I found the version at the Flamingo to have more action than the Venetian. I had good play for my money and was good entertainment. Did make a profit. small one. If you like the Star Trek games, this should be one for you too enjoy.

STAR TREK™ BATTLESTATIONS slots by WMS Gaming

2011-08-07T18:53:00.001-04:00

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My Aria Hotel Room

2011-07-24T13:00:00.003-04:00

This is an Aria Deluxe Room.

Aria Hotel the Place to Stay

2011-07-23T19:20:00.000-04:00

Last week I stayed at the Aria Hotel for three wonderful comped nights. I stayed at the Cosmopolitan Hotel for three nights first. Just a short walk from the Cosmo through the Crystals Shopping Mall to the Aria. Room was ready for me, in my room by 11am.

Never had very much good luck at the Aria before. But it has become one of my favorite hotels. Finally had some good luck on the penny slot machines. Hit for a few hundred on the "Sun and Earth" machine. then little bit later had very good luck on the "I Love Lucy" cascading tiles penny slot. Hit a winning streak where the wins just kept coming and coming. Cashed out with a very nice win! This version keeps track of your last five plays. You have a chance to win them again if you get the tiles to cascade for three straight times a play. It can add up quickly. Not much luck on the dollar machines for me. I did see quite a few people have good luck on the five dollar machines back by the Players Club desk area.

If you have not been to the Aria before, be ready, it is huge. And it is back off the strip a couple blocks, so have your walking shoes. Take advantage of the Crystals Shopping Mall. Walk thru the mall to get to the walkway out front on the LV Strip. And just short walk then to Cosmo and Bellagio. Or use the tram stop at Crystals to Bellagio or Monte Carlo. You can walk from the Aria casino to the Monte Carlo. Which will lead you yo the Monte Carlo street of shops. Then walk down to the New York or MGM. So the location is pretty for people who like the mid strip action.

I usually eat at the Buffet at the Aria. Very good, on par with Bellagio, Mirage, Wynn and Planet Hollywood. I tried the 24 hour cafe called Cafe Vettro. Food was very good, prices reasonable. Service was very good. The room is large and spacious. Nice atmosphere to have a relaxing casual meal. For snack food or quick drink the Elements is open 24 hours, Best hotel gift shop on the strip.

I saw the Elvis show before, once was enough for me. If your an Elvis fan you should enjoy. Very nice Elvis gift shop to browse for you.

This was a very nice vacation for me. Ready to stay at the Aria again!!

My Room at Cosmopolitan Hotel

2011-07-20T22:38:00.003-04:00

This is a Cosmopolitan Terrace Suite Room.

Cosmopolitan Glitz and Clamour on the Strip

2011-07-20T22:29:00.000-04:00

Back from staying three nights at the Cosmopolitan and then the Aria. Went the week if July 10. First time staying at the Cosmo, I was invited to a slot tournament there. Then stayed another three nights at the Aria on a very nice comped deal.

The weather was hot, but not too bad for July. The high temp was around 100 every day. The suite at the Cosmo was a Terrace Suite. Very nice!! Enough space with a sitting area with a couch, writing desk and chair. Very comfy king size bed. Large bathroom. The room has the mini bar that I never use. Too expensive no matter where you stay. Room also has a microwave, but nothing to cook in it. No coffee, tea, soup, or popcorn. And no place in hotel to buy the foods for microwave. Room has a balcony with one chair and a stool. Great views from my room on the 37th floor.

Only place I ate was at the Wicked Spoon buffet. I think is ok, but pricey. Bellagio, Mirage, Aria and Planet Hollywood buffets are better for me. Not a drinker, so I don't try the bars. But did hear a very good rock band the "Nervous Wreckords" playing there. Be on the look out for their new cd release this fall.

I did win $500 in the $75,000 slot tournament. Was hoping for better of course!! Not much luck gambling the three days. But the Cosmo is very high, glitz and glamour. The chandelier in the middle is quite impressive. Stop by the Cosmopolitan and walk around. A bit different from the other strip casinos and hotels. I will let you find out for yourself.

Will post soon about my stay Aria. Have fun and good luck!!

ALICE® slots by WMS Gaming

2011-06-26T21:08:00.001-04:00

Check out the new Alice video slot game. I have played a couple other versions, good action and fun. Have to look for this one on next trip!!

No more Comps from Venetian/Palazzo for Me

2011-04-11T11:11:00.001-04:00

The Venetian/Palazzo have decided to end most comps for most players. Very little free or discounted rooms, food, shopping or gaming. No reason now to be a slot member, No reason to go to their casinos and give them my money. Too many other hotels on the strip still want my business. The low rollers and middle of the road spenders are the life blood of Las Vegas. We provide the daily steady steam of income that they need.

This may work for the Venetian/Palazzo with their 10 year agreement with the InterContinetal Hotel group providing them the business class of people they desire. But what about all the people in the slot club? Who have shown the willingness to spend their money there. I think most of the hotels on the strip have been cutting comps to save money. But I think competition of the hotels will end up keeping the comps going for most places.

But for me, I will not be giving my play or money to the Venetian/Palazzo anymore. The Mirage or Bellagio or Harrah's still treat me just fine. I will play where I am wanted and treated well. Comps is not the only reason to play in a casino. But with money tight, players need to get as much bang for their dollar they can.

Something for you to think about when your deciding where to stay and play in Las Vegas

Saving money in Las Vegas

2011-04-09T14:32:00.000-04:00

Here are a few sites that offer discounts and coupons to help you save a little money in Las Vegas. This links are for restaurants, shows, hotels, entertainment and shopping. Browse the sites and see what you can use on your next trip. The savings and out there, we just have to find and use them. Gets harder every day to make those dollars last.

http://www.vegas4locals.com/   Vegas for Locals offers many discounts.   Also offers event info and tour discounts.

http://www.vegascoupons.com/   Las Vegas Coupons offers mostly coupon deals for hotels, casinos and shows.
They do offer a few hotel special offers.

http://www.groupon.com/las-vegas/    Groupon is currently the most popular site for coupons and discounts. Check out what is available in Las Vegas and your on area.   Does require to join site with your e-mail address.

http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/   Las Vegas Leisure guide offers discount coupons and loads of information for people going to Las Vegas.   Good information on tours that are outside of Las Vegas.

http://www.lasvegas-how-to.com/ Las Vegas travel guide of good for the first time or infrequent visitor to Las Vegas.   Good information to get you started on your vacation. Answers many of your basic questions.

Take your time reading and researching and save a few dollars. Sometimes just having a better plan and being organized can save you money and time. Enjoy your Las Vegas vacation!!!

Spring Break Discounts on the Las Vegas Strip

2011-04-01T23:01:00.000-04:00

Spring in arriving slowly here. Snow showers still falling on April 1st. Time to start planning a trip to hopefully warmer and sunnier Las Vegas!! Here are a few spring break discount offers to help you get started on planning for your Vegas escape.

Luxor "Spring Break Escape!" *Book your reservations at Luxor today and save - Offer includes: Free Admission to CatHouse Ultra Lounge, $3 Off a Brunch or Lunch Buffet at MORE, 2-for-1 Tecate or Tecate Light at T&T, 1 FREE Jell-O Shot at Dick's Last Resort at Excalibur, 25% Off Retail Purchases, & $15 Off a custom Airbrush Tan at Nurture Spa & Salon (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Promotion Runs: Mar 12 - Apr 30, 2011. Promo Code: PSBREAK (Exp 4/30/11)

Mandalay Bay "Spring Break Escape" Enjoy Spring Break in Las Vegas! Enjoy Parties, Happy Hours, Special Offers and Events throughout Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, New York New York, Luxor and Excalibur! *Offer includes: $50 Cabana Credit, 2-for-1 Breakfast at House of Blues and, 30% off Disney's The Lion King(*See site for additional details and restrictions). Mar 25, 2011 - Apr 30, 2012. Promo Code: PSBRKH (Exp 4/30/11)

MGM Grand Las Vegas "Spring Break" *Enjoy a Maximum Vegas Spring Break escape - Book now and also receive these inclusions: $50 Cabana Credit at the Grand Pool, Free admission to Studio 54 or Tabu (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Promotion Runs: Mar 31 - Apr 30, 2011. Promo Code: SPRINGBR8K (Exp 4/28/11)

Monte Carlo "Spring Break Escape 2011" *Escape the everyday and enjoy Spring Break 2011 at one of the best hotels on the Las Vegas Strip - Bar Hopper $20 for 5 Drinks, All Day Happy Hour at The Pub (Tuesday), 2 for 1 Main Courses at the Café, 2 for 1 Buffet Entry, ½ Big Chill Refills, Liquid Bar at the Pub 10a-3p Saturdays & Sundays $29.99, and Hang Over Burger at The Pub $13.00 (*see site for additional details and restrictions). Mar 29 - Apr 30, 2011. Promo Code: XSPRB11 (Exp 4/28/11)

ARIA "Special Offer with Breakfast" *Be our guest on select dates Now through June 30, 2011 and receive a Complimentary Upgrade to a City View Deluxe Room and Breakfast Buffet Credit (*see site for additional details and restrictions). Promotion Runs: Feb 18 - June 30, 2011. Promo Code: ARBB1 (Exp 6/30/11)

Take advantage of these offers soon, most go away at the end of April. If you have not been to the Aria yet, go take a look. It is now one of my favorite places, and a nice walk down to the new Cosmopolitan Hotel. Make your spring break happen today, you deserve it!

New MGM Hotel Offers

2011-02-15T01:14:00.001-05:00

Finally back and updating after hectic holidays and winter snow storms. Check out some of the new hotel and shopping deals I have listed for the spring.

I did manage to get away to Vegas for a few days in February. Staying at the Aria Hotel. Very nice room, but nothing fantastic. Also stayed at Bellagio for the first time. Again room nice, but worth over paying for. Still think the best rooms I have stayed in are the suites at the Venetian/Palazzo.

I like the Aria casino, but have no good luck there. Buffet is good, about same as Bellagio, Mirage and Planet Hollywood. Also stopped in the new Cosmopolitan Casino. Very nice and elegant with the large crystal chandelier in the middle of the room. Good selection of slots, not much for video poker. And if you can endure the very long walk to the Wicked Spoon, the buffet at the Cosmo, the desserts are fantastic!! Only ate dinner there one night. Will have to try again to see what the food selection is like. But when I was there, no crab legs. Booooo.

The Mob Experience at the Tropicana is still not open. Can't find an opening date for it. Correction:the Las Vegas Mob Experience should open March 1. I saw the preview center back in December. New food court is open at the Flamingo, burgers, subs, pizza. Johnny Rockets is there, their food is ok. NYNY done with the remodeling in their casino. Still a tight squeeze to get by the machines.

Hopefully the end of winter is in sight and another Vegas vacation soon to follow!!!

September Hotel Deals Available

2010-08-29T19:17:00.000-04:00

Here are a few deals on MGM Hotels in Las Vegas. The Deals are not lasting long. expiring by September 15. Take a look and find the hotel you like. Plan a fall vacation now. Enjoy the cooler days and hope the action stays hot.

Mirage "Rates from $79/nt"

Mandalay Bay "Website Rates from $89.99/nt"

MGM Grand Las Vegas "Rates from $69.99/nt"

New York New York "Summer Escape Party Package" *2 Hot Spots, 1 Cool Party w/Rates from $55nt (2nt Min)- Inclusions NYNY: 2 for 1 Drink at The Pool, 3 for $5 Jell-O Shots, 2 ROK Admissions (Wednesday through Saturday)-Monte Carlo: 2 for 1 Drink at BRAND Steakhouse (open nightly at 5pm), 2 for 1 Frank Caliendo Tickets (dark Tuesday and Wednesday), $25 Discount on a pool Cabana *Monday- Thursday, Free shot with the purchase of a Frozen Drink at Big Chill, and $5.00 off Whaling Boot Drink at The Pub (*see site for additional details and restrictions). May 18 - Sep 15, 2010. Promo Code: SUMPAR10W (Exp 9/15/10)

All the deals are less than $90.00 a night. Cool down, save some money, relax and have fun!

Surf was up at the Mirage

2010-08-28T23:02:00.000-04:00

Just returned from slot tournament vacation at the Mirage Hotel. I was invited by the Mirage for their "Surf, Sand and Slots" slot tournament.   The total prize package was $50,000 with $10,000 going to the first place finisher.

The play took place with two fifteen minute rounds on Tuesday. The final third round was Wednesday. I had to be awake early as two of my rounds started at 9am. The tournament took place in the Bermuda room which is close to the theater for the Terry Fator show.   The room was decorated in a Hawaiian beach theme with 60's beach and surfing music playing.

Everyone seemed to be having a fun time and the emcee did a good job keeping everyone hanging loose. Dude!! Maybe the free bar helped out with that! They also awarded free slot play and gift points before each round by drawing numbers. No luck for me with the number drawing.

My luck was better with the slot tournament. I had a good start my first session getting over 19,000 points. That was tops for that session. My next round i had over 14,000 points. My final round over 16,000 points. I thought that was a good total. I was near the top in all three rounds. But not good enough to finish number one. The winner came in with over 54,000 points, I finished with a little over 50,400. Not bad, and good enough for fifth place and $1,000.    Now the money awarded was in Freeplay, not cash. Good if you can turn that Freeplay into real money on the slot machines.

The tournament was fun, especially when you have a good win. My hotel room was comped for the three nights of the tournament. So it was a very fun three days.   If you get the chance, try out a slot tournament. Several different hotels still offer them.   The LV Hilton and the Tropicana seem to offer the most frequent on the strip.

Not too much luck with the slots on this trip. Two trips in a row now with no luck on the dollar slots. I did have a little luck on the nickel and penny slots. I actually won the minor jackpot on the "Outback Jack" slot at the Palazzo casino. A whopping $76.00 jackpot.    A card randomly pops up after a spin and you have 12 tiles to pick from. Four tiles for Jack, four for a shark, and four for the green gator. I picked four tiles for the shark and the minor jackpot, Pick Jack you win the major, and pick the gator and you win nothing.

I had some good wins on the Dean Martin Money Burst slot. The Hot Hot Respin slots also had a few lucky rounds. But nothing too big. The Venetian casino seemed loaded with new slot machines. And people. All the casinos were crowded and busy.

I have some Freeplay to use on my next trip out. Just need to pick the right slot machine and get that big win! Guess that's what we all say. Have fun and stick to your budget.

Hot Vegas, Cold Slots

2010-07-18T00:19:00.000-04:00

Back from my latest Vegas vacation. I arrived there Sunday morning July 11 and departed Friday morning July 16.   Stayed five nights at the MGM Grand. First three nights were comped, last two nights I was charged $49.00. Also charged a $10.00 resort fee for all five days. None of the resort fees were of any value to me. In room Internet is included in the fee. A daily newspaper is included, but you have to go and get the paper yourself, not delivered to your room.

I used the MGM check in at the airport. Was not busy, I walked right in for service. The lady was very nice, but could not find my reservation. MGM had just upgraded their computer system. My reservation was showing up on the old system, not the new one. After a few phone calls and assistance by another desk clerk my reservation was finally compete. But my room was not ready till mid afternoon.   Used the shuttle bus to the hotel.    If you let MGM make your reservation with Executive Limo for you, the first shuttle stop is the MGM. Does not take much time to arrive at the hotel. Cost was $15.00 round trip for shuttle.

My room was in the Grand Tower on the 19th floor. Room was ok, furniture starting to show wear. Only four doors away from elevator, not the quietest room at night. But the MGM is huge, rooms at end of hall are quite a long walk. I went to the Champagne Buffet Sunday for lunch. Not the best buffet in town. It was convenient, but not on my list to go back. For Buffets, stick with Planet Hollywood, Bellagio, Wynn, Mirage and the new Aria.

Gambling in one word was horrible. No luck with the slots at all. There five days and never once hit for a $100.00 on a dollar slot machine. Did not see many winners anywhere, casinos keeping the money this week. Did have a little luck with roulette. Played the Rapid Roulette at Paris and doubled my money. My one bit of good luck was on a $5.00 Top Dollar Progressive at the Mirage. Put in my $60.00 ticket, and hit the spin button for $10.00. First spin I hot the Top Dollar bonus. First option was for $200.00, and times two for a total of $400.00.   Decided not to press my luck and took the $400.00.

Played quite a few of the newer penny slots, But I am getting tired of hitting the bonus round and not winning anything. Quite frustrating! Many of the new penny slots now require a bet of $4.00 or $5.00 for the maximum spin. That's a lot of pennies.   The new Wizard of Oz slots, Ruby Slippers is very nice. But if you don't hit the bonus, your money disappears quickly. The new Price is Right progressive slot takes the $4.00 per spin if you want to win the progressive jackpot. Again, this is supposed to be a penny slot machine.

The temps were over 105 every day. Hitting 112 on Thursday. And sunny, sunny, sunny. Great for the pool people! Too bad the slots were not as hot!!

Better deals heating up for summer.

2010-06-03T01:06:00.001-04:00

Some of the low rate specials are still available. More should pop up for the hot summer days in Las Vegas. But right now a few deals area available for a bit more luxurious room and stay. These deals have upgrades for suites and spa baths. Get you into the hottest night clubs and pools. Deals for dining and shopping or a round of golf. See if anything works for you and save a few bucks on the room to spend having fun!

Mandalay Bay "Ultimate Upgrade" *Make a reservation in one of our Premier Suites and for a one time charge of $200, you will enjoy the VIP treatment, which includes: Personal airport greeter with limo service to and from Mandalay Bay, Exclusive invited guest registration window upon arrival, Welcome amenity, Nightly turndown service, Complimentary line pass to all Mandalay Bay nightclubs and lounges, Preferred spa appointments, Access to Mix Lounge and the House of Blues Foundation Room, and Preferred seating at our premium Restaurants (*See site for additional details and restrictions). May 30, 2010 - Apr 30, 2011. Promo Code: PSTE (Exp 4/30/11)

MGM Grand Las Vegas "All Access VIP" Rates from $205/nt. *Book one of MGM Grand's premium suites and experience non-stop Maximum Vegas, plus:Nightly access for 2 to Studio 54 or Tabú, Daily gym only pass for 2, 2 for 1 cocktails at Studio 54 and Tabu, Complimentary Wi-Fi access for 24 hours, and Exclusive invited guest registration window upon arrival (*See site for additional details and restrictions). May 3 - Dec 2, 2010. Promo Code: MKT312 (Exp 8/31/10)

New York New York "SPA SUITE SPECIAL" Rates from $94.99/nt. *Upgrade to a Spa Suite (*see site for additional details and restrictions). May 18 - Nov 30, 2010. Promo Code: SPADISC (Exp 11/30/10)

Luxor "All Inclusive Package" Rates from $210/nt (2nt Min). The Vegas Experience Only at Luxor! *Included: All You Can Eat, All Day, Every Day at MORE, the Buffet (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Sunday Champagne Brunch included), Two tickets to CRISS ANGEL Believe™ (Tuesday through Saturday evenings-balcony level seats), Two tickets to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Two tickets to Bodies…The Exhibition, Two Nurture Spa Day Passes, Two VIP admissions to LAX (Wednesday, Friday-Saturday evenings), Two VIP admissions to CatHouse (Club closed on Tuesday evenings), and Room check-in at VIP Lounge (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Jan 8 - Dec 4, 2010. Promo Code: PALL1 (Exp 12/28/10)

Elvis Elvis Elvis!!!
Elvis is in the building!!! Something special for the Elvis fans and lovers out there. From July 14--18 the Las Vegas Hilton is having a convention, festival, contests and live entertainment to celebrate what would have been the 75th birthday for Elvis. Former associates and members of his band will be there. With special guest D J Fontana, drummer from his band. Top Elvis impersonators and performers will be there. How many Elvis look a likes can you see in one place?

Here is the link to the website for more info and how to purchase tickets:

http://www.lvhilton.com/Play/Entertainment/Hilton-Theater-Calendar/Heart-of-the-King

Should be a fun time!

Low rates on the Strip

2010-05-02T19:57:00.000-04:00

How low can they go? Take a peek at these discount offers for hotels right on the Las Vegas strip. Granted, these are not the high end luxury hotels making these offers. But if all you need is a room to stow your luggage and a place to sleep, these deals may be for you.

Circus Circus is not one of my favorite casinos. too many kids in the place all over. And it does have that worn out feel. Excalibur is same for me, too many kids in the place. I also find the casino too congested, they squeeze in way too much.

The Luxor and NYNY are ok for me. The casino layout in both is confusing and rambling. I did like the Luxor more when it had more of the Egyptian theme in the hotel and casino. The NYNY also remodeled it's casino last year. Both place are always busy and have good energy. I have stayed in the Luxor pyramid rooms a couple times. I thought the rooms were nice, but they can be a very long walk to the elevator.

The MGM deal is very good. Like the casino, and the rooms there are very nice. Is a large place, but not too hard to figure out, read the signs! Great place for slot and table game players.

The luxury hotels like Bellagio, Wynn, Caesars Palace or Venetian, are only a short walk away. If your looking to save money on your hotel, maybe a deal here for you.

Circus Circus Las Vegas "4TH NIGHT FREE" Rates from $29.95/nt (4nt Min). *Our 4th Night Free offer not only has low room rates, but you will get a night FREE and we’ll even include our Fun Book filled with coupons which is valued at $100 (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Feb 11 - Jun 30, 2010. Promo Code: X443IR (Exp 6/27/10)

Excalibur "Book a Room" Rates from $31/nt.

Luxor "LATE CHECK OUT" Rates from $55/nt. *Guaranteed Late Check out at the Luxor -- for an additional $10.00 per night plus tax above our regular internet rate you may guarantee a late check out up to 3pm on your day of departure (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Jan 11 - Dec 4, 2010. Promo Code: LLATE (Exp 12/28/10)

MGM Grand Las Vegas "Locals Exclusive" Rates from $55/nt (2nt Min). *Escape from your daily routine and experience Maximum Vegas hospitality at the MGM Grand, plus offer inclusions: $50 Fine dining credit and $50 Spa credit(*See site for additional details and restrictions/ NV ID req). May 2, 2010 - Feb 28, 2011. Promo Code: MKT379 (Exp 9/30/10)

New York New York "10% OFF ROOM RATES" Rates from $50/nt. *Book NOW through June 2010 and receive 10% off each night you stay in one of our gorgeous rooms (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Mar 8 - Jun 30, 2010. Promo Code: 10AFF09 (Exp 6/30/10)

Make a deal and have fun on your next Las Vegas vacation!!!

Palazzo and Venetian Orbitz Discount Deals

2010-04-06T00:31:00.003-04:00

Try one of these deals from Orbitz to home away from home, the Palazzo and Venetian. These deals go away at the end of April. Two hotels, two casinos, dozens of restaurants, dozens of shopping options, two pools. The Blue Man Group, the Jersey Boys, Wayne Brady and of course, the Phantom of the Opera. So many choices to keep you entertained. And they do have a very nice spa for relaxation.

VEGAS: $75 OFF 3+ nt pkg at Venetian or Palazzo with PROMO CODE: VEGAS3 (Exp 4-30-10)

VEGAS: $100 OFF 4+ nt pkg at Venetian or Palazzo with PROMO CODE: VEGAS4 (Exp 4-30-10)

I have stayed at the Palazzo and Venetian many times. I have photos on my blog here of the luxury suites I have stayed in. Take advantage of the Orbitz discount and treat yourself to a vacation luxury.

las vegas hotels

Two photos of my suite in the Palazzo and view of the crystal statue in the Palazzo lobby.

Free Wifi locations on the Strip

2010-04-03T14:25:00.000-04:00

With the launch of the Apple iPad, I thought it was time to locate some free places to use it. I have an Apple iPod touch I use on my trips to Las Vegas. I use it for my in flight entertainment on the plane. Have my music to listen too and a couple games on there too help pass the time. In Vegas I use the iPod touch to check my e-mail.

I like to sit at the Venetian Casino food court in the morning. Have my coffee and donuts. Check my e-mail and watch the people. Nice relaxing way to start the day. The food court at the Venetian by the casino has free wifi.

With most hotels now charging $10.00 to $15.00 for in room wifi or internet connection. I think it is a good time to try to save a little money and stay connected if you wish.

Here is a short list of a places you can stay connected for free, as of April 1:

Apple Store in the Fashion Show Mall

Apple Store in the Forum Shops Mall, Caesars Palace

The Krispy Kreme donut shop at the Excalibur Hotel

Food court by the casino at the Venetian Hotel

At the ESPN Zone in the NYNY Hotel

Cafe Press on the shopping level at the Palazzo Hotel

Café Belle Madeleine at the Paris Hotel

Pizza Place in the Wynn Hotel

These a are a few of the places you can sit and relax. For more locations try one of these websites:

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/

http://www.vegas4locals.com/freewifi.html

http://lvfreewifi.net/

las vegas hotels

MGM Gand rocks with AC/DC and Rival Sons

2010-03-20T18:42:00.005-04:00

The hard rock group AC/DC will be rocking the MGM Grand the Friday night of April 9th. AC/DC is one of my favorite rock bands. There music from decades ago still rocks today.

But another band on the show is one you should look out for. The "Rival Sons", a band from LA, was added to the the show last week. This is a band I have been following for a few years. They are a had rocking band similar to AC/DC and the other power rock bands from the late 60's and early 70's. Bands like the Who, Beatles, Led Zeppelin influence the music of the Rival Sons.

The Rival Sons are a band on the rise. With the release of their first album last summer called "Before the Fire". It is available on the iTunes website. Also check out their Myspace or Facebook pages to listen to their songs.

The show said to be sold out. But if your staying at the MGM Grand and a member of the players club, maybe they will have some tickets left. Worth taking the time to check if your a rock n roll fan!! There are a few tickets left for the big spenders available on the online ticket sites.

If you have tickets for the show, enjoy the old and new of rock n roll!!!

las vegas hotels

Monte Carlo Hotel Spring Break Disounts

2010-03-13T14:16:00.002-05:00

Book now to save with these two Monte Carlo Hotel discount deals. Always nice to save money on the hotel, gives you more money to play with.

With much of the City Center project open now, the Monte Carlo is a good location to stay if you want to see what City Center has to offer. The free tram is located at the back of the Monte Carlo, you can ride to the tram to the Aria Hotel, the Crystals Shopping Mall and the Bellagio. City Center is large, be ready for a lot of walking.

Crystals Shopping mall is nice for window shopping and browsing. The architecture is a must see. The fountains and sculptures are unique. Most of the stores are mostly high end jewelry and clothes stores. No cheap places to eat there either.

The Aria is a short walk from the Crystals Shopping mall. Once down the stairs from the tram, just walk out the glass doors to your right and across the plaza to the Aria entrance.

The tram at the Bellagio is located at the back, quite a long walk. You walk past the candy store with the chocolate fountain. And all the way down that corridor past a few shops and restaurants until your facing an escalator about 60 feet high. Go up the escalator, the tram to Aria is on your right.

I think the Monte Carlo is a good base to check out the Aria, Crystals and Bellagio. Also a good spot for walking to the NYNY Hotel or MGM.

Take a look at the two discount deals and plan that well deserved vacation you need!

Monte Carlo "SPRING BREAK PARTY" Rates from $45.95/nt (2nt Min). *Book a room at Monte Carlo and enjoy inclusions from Monte Carlo and NYNY including: 2 for $79 Zumanity Tickets, 2 admissions to Rok, 1 Free jello shot with the purchase of 16 oz. frozen drink at Big Chill, 2 for 1 Roller Coaster, 2 for 1 buffet, 2 for $79 Frank Caliendo tickets and Free California Roll with purchase of tiki drink at Dragon Noodle (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Mar 8 - Apr 30, 2010. Promo Code: SBP10 (Exp 4/30/10)

Monte Carlo "Get Your Free Night!" Rates from $66/nt (3nt Min). *Stay at least Three Nights in a High Floor,Strip View or Monaco Suite and get the lowest night FREE (*See site for additional details and restrictions). Feb 19 - Apr 6, 2010. Promo Code: X3FOR2 (Exp 4/2/10)

Just click on the two links above to make your reservations.

las vegas hotels

Aria, Encore and Palazzo

2010-03-07T14:56:00.002-05:00

Back from my latest vacation in Las Vegas. I stayed three nights at the Encore for the first time. Then the last three nights at the Palazzo. The Venetian\Palazzo is where I usually stay because of the comped room offers they keep sending me.

Really not much difference in the rooms between Encore and Palazzo. Encore is a little more modern decor. But both rooms are suites and large. The Encore is a long walk to anywhere on the strip. And I had only bad luck in the Encore\Wynn casinos. Never have had much luck there.

Went down to the new Aria Hotel and casino to look around, and try my luck. The Aria is huge. The inside is a bit dark, but was ok for me. Some people have said is too dark for them. Very large casino, slot areas and table areas spread in all different parts of the casino. Many of the newest slots available here. Had good luck my first try here, bad luck the second time. Tried the buffet twice, priced ok, and good selection of food. But think I will make it casino too visit on most trips.

Went to the Mirage hotel to the B. B. Kings Blues Club for dinner and to listen to the music. If you enjoy live music, then this is a place you should visit. The house band is very good. They had a guest band called the "Night Owls", they were also very good. The cover charge on Friday night was only $5.00, and the band plays a long time. The food is priced reasonably and good.

Here is the link to the Aria homepage is you want to check it out:
http://www.arialasvegas.com/

Check out the Aria on your next visit, lots to see!!

las vegas hotels

Time to leave the snow for Encore and Palazzo

2010-02-15T23:59:00.001-05:00

Actually it is well past time to leave the snow. Almost forty inches of snow here the last two weeks. And staying cold with no sunshine. But I did see a sign of spring today. While I was out knocking the icicles down, I spotted the daffodils starting to peek through the ground.

Sunday I am leaving the cold and snow for Vegas. Hopefully will have some warm sunny days. Will be staying at the Palazzo again for three nights. But my first three nights will be at the Encore.

First time staying at the Encore. Have been in the casino many times. Will be nice to stay in a new place this trip.

Plan on walking down to City Center and checking out the Aria casino. I was in Vegas last December when it opened at night. But I was leaving Vegas the next day and did not make it there. So will fun to see the new casino in town.

Just need to make it past these next few days. So ready to take a break and relax!

BB King Blues Club at the Mirage

2009-12-19T13:23:00.005-05:00

The new BB King Blues Club and restaurant at the Mirage is open for business. It has been open for a few weeks now. This is a casual dining restaurant with live music playing at night. The house band plays blues and rock music. They are very good, and loud! This is a small venue for a live band, it seats around 500 people. The stage is in the middle of the floor facing the dining tables and the bar. There is space for people to get up and boogie to the tunes. They do have guest artists and bands performing there. Check the calander for the dates you will be visiting.

The food is southern down home cooking and bbq. I had the pulled pork bbq sandwich, fries, slaw and pickle. The food was excellent. This will be one of my fav dining stops from now on. The prices are reasonable and the portions of food is good. The staff seemed very friendly.

They have a small gift shop at the entrance to the restaurant. BB Kings is located across the walkway from the Beatles Revolution lounge. So easy for you to find. Here is the link to the website: http://www.bbkingclubs.com/

Give BB a try, you will enjoy the food and the music!!

las vegas hotels

City Center not for All

2009-12-18T23:42:00.004-05:00

The new MGM City Center project is finally opening for business on the strip. I walked through the new Crystals shopping mall on Wednesday December 16. Very few shops were open. Everything is very elegant and opulent. The large mall will be easy walking for the hoped for large crowds of visitors and shoppers. The fountains, statues and art work make for a very pleasant visit. However, the shops are just more of the same high end stores already in all the hotel shopping malls. Lois Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Tiffany, Bulgari. I also went to the opening of an art gallery Wednesday evening before the gala opening of the Aria Hotel. A nice gallery, but similar galleries already at Caesars and the Venetian.

The hotels are just as high end as the fashion and jewelry stores. The Mandarin Oriental, Vdara, the Harmon, and Aria. The Aria is the only hotel that will have a casino. The casino opened to the public on Thursday December 17. The Aria also has the new Cirque du Soleil "Viva Elvis" show. Tickets for the show are available now. There is a new tram that runs from the Monte Carlo to City Center to Bellagio. Be prepared to walk a long ways. The tram stations are at the back end of the hotels.

After walking around part of the City Center and the Crystals shopping mall, one gets the impression this is only for the wealthy, the very wealthy. MGM said they hoped this would become the downtown of Las Vegas for everyone. There is not much here for the people who live and work in Las Vegas. If you work in the casinos or hotels, there is nothing here you can afford to do. Really, nothing new here. I was very unimpressed by the whole City Center project. MGM better find plenty of millionaires to buy the condos in theses new hotels. I don't really see how these new hotels can compete with the established strip hotels like Bellagio, Wynn, Encore, and Venetian.

Like the City Center project blocks out the sun on the strip, MGM hopes it does not block out their future.

the Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

2009-10-11T23:55:00.011-04:00

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

2009-07-11T14:55:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-03T23:35:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-02T23:56:00.001-04:00

las vegas hotels

Mirage an Oasis in the Desert

2009-06-30T00:26:00.004-04:00

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!

las vegas hotels

30 Years for the Liberace Museum

2009-04-12T17:54:00.004-04:00

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

2009-02-15T13:18:00.003-05:00

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!!!

las vegas hotels

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

2008-10-02T01:08:00.004-04:00

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

2008-09-26T01:37:00.004-04:00

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

2008-09-06T18:56:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-01T11:07:00.006-04:00

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

2008-08-30T14:07:00.002-04:00

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???

2008-08-28T01:50:00.004-04:00

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

2008-08-24T00:47:00.003-04:00

Change is the Las Vegas Way

2008-08-23T14:14:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-21T11:56:00.005-04:00

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

2008-08-16T13:58:00.000-04:00

Las Vegas looks busy for Autumn

2008-08-14T11:28:00.002-04:00

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

2008-07-12T14:02:00.003-04:00

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

2008-04-28T01:16:00.004-04:00

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!!

Black Summer Crush Rock House of Blues

2008-04-19T23:24:00.003-04:00

In March I went to a rock concert at the House of Blues in the Mandalay Bay. I went to see the band "the Black Summer Crush". They are from the Los Angeles area. They opened the night with the band "Candlebox" the headliner act. The Crush concert was excellent!! They really rocked and played very well. They have a very good lead singer in Thomas Flowers, a very good hard rock voice! With their songs "I want more, Lucky Girl, Angel and Between the Lines", the house was a rockin! All the band members performed very well and really enjoyed playing for the audience. I am looking forward to their first cd coming out later this spring or early summer! I hope everyone will take a listen to their music!! I traveled 2,000 miles just to hear them play at the HOB, it was worth the trip!!!

The House of Blues has a very nice venue. The stage area is small but not cramped. You can stand just a few feet from the stage if your down on the floor area. I was about fifteen feet from the stage, it was loud, but not too loud. A very good small club atmosphere. And the decorations for the concert area continue with the House of Blues motif. The prices for many of the shows here are a good value. Three bands for $36.00 is not band! If your looking for some live music next time your in Las Vegas, take a look at the House of Blues. They do have blues and many rock bands performing there. A very good variety. And of course, you can also get a good meal there before or after the show!!

Keep the blues a rockin!!!!!

Pink flamingos at the Flamingo Hotel

2008-04-14T00:21:00.002-04:00

Flamingo tropical gardens

2008-04-14T00:14:00.004-04:00

Yes, they do have real pink flamingos at the Flamingo Hotel. The gardens are at the back of the hotel by the swimming pools. They also have a couple patio areas where you can sit outside with a nice beverage to relax and enjoy the gardens. It is much more peaceful and quiet there. Nice place to take a break from the busy casino or strip. Nice to walk around in the shade from the palm trees on the hot summer days. There are other types of birds to watch,and the koi fish swimming in the water. Doing the afternoon they also have a parrot show, which you can get your photo taken with. Or visit the statue of the infamous Bugsy Siegel and the the plaque about him starting the hotel. So if you need a place away from everything, stop here for a nice relaxing break!!!

Flamingos at the Flamingo Hotel

2008-04-14T00:11:00.002-04:00

View of Mandalay Bay

2008-03-14T00:36:00.002-04:00

Grand Tower room at MGM

2008-03-10T01:30:00.003-04:00

Grand Tower room at MGM

2008-03-10T01:27:00.003-04:00

Grand Tower room at MGM

2008-03-10T01:23:00.005-04:00

MGM Grand Tower Very Nice

2008-03-10T00:06:00.002-04:00

During my last visit to Las Vegas I stayed the first three nights at the new Palazzo. The second three night of my stay were at the MGM Grand in the Grand Tower rooms. I arrived a bit early so my room was not available when I checked in. I used the invited guest line which was not very long to wait for service. I checked my luggage till my room was ready. The bell desk is close to the check in desks, so all very easy and quick. A couple hours later my room was ready. The elevator for the Grand Tower rooms is just around the corner from the front lobby or through the area where the MGM Lion progressive slots are located. I have heard from other people about how large the MGM is and the long walks to your room. But mine walk was not too far. But I can see how it would be a long walk if your located at the far ends of the towers.

My room in the Grand Tower was very nice. Nice, not luxurious like my suite at the Palazzo. The room had one king size bed and was more than enough room. The mattress on the bed was very comfortable. Something many people have commented on in Las Vegas forums. The bathroom was very nice, everything in good condition. Had an excellent view from my room of the NYNY hotel, the Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Tropicana. And the mountains in the distance with the rain clouds. Yes, it did rain a couple days on this trip.

No luck gambling at the MGM. The slots were not being kind, taking my money a bit too quickly. I do like the variety of slots at the MGM. A very large casino with different types of slots and table games in the different areas of the casino. But at night, early evening till around 11pm it was very crowded. Too crowded for me, people everywhere, hard to find a path to get though the casino.

The MGM has a good location for the south end of the strip. Easy to walk too the NYNY, Luxor, Mandalay Bay and Tropicana. Also Hooters, which as of this posting is about to be sold and redone as a more upscale hotel and casino. See if those plans actually happen. The NYNY and Luxor where both remodeling their casinos. So expect some noise and closed off areas. I did not gamble in either of them. I did gamble at the Mandalay Bay and had a little luck. But not enough to make me a winner.

The MGM was a very nice place to stay for a few nights. I enjoyed my stays at both MGM and the Palazzo. Hopefully will see them again!!!

Wynn Hotel from my Palazzo Suite

2008-03-05T00:04:00.004-05:00

Living room in my Palazzo Suite

2008-03-04T23:58:00.002-05:00

Palazzo is Grand

2008-02-26T00:53:00.002-05:00

The new Palazzo is a grand and elegant hotel. The rooms are very similar to the rooms at the Venetian. The separate areas for the bedroom and living room give the room a feeling of great space. Very nice to unwind and relax doing the busy days. With a large screen tv in both areas, and a smaller tv in the bathroom, your game is always on. The bed was very comfortable with very nice soft linens and pillows. The bathroom is very large and with all the amenities you would need. However the mini bar is priced beyond belief. They charge $5.00 for a soda, $8.00 for a candy bar!!! And the beer and wine are much more! Makes the walk for a snack seem well worth it.

The lobby was very elegant and luxurious. With the centerpiece being the large crystal sculpture. Many fresh flowers adding brilliant color to the granite and marble. However, the check was a bit a slow. They should of had a few more people working to take care of the people checking in. I used the line for invited guests, and it was slow to move.

The casino is not as large as the Venetian. But it has a higher ceiling and is lit brighter. Gives a very open feeling and easy to see to different areas of the casino. Easy to find your way around the casino. They have a good mix of the newer slot machines a good variety of table games. Also an escalator in the casino to the luxury shops above. All of the shops and restaurants are not yet open. Most should be open by the end of spring.

Check out the Palazzo web site for more information on the lists of shops and restaurants. With the short walk between the Palazzo and Venetian you have many options for gambling, eating, shopping and entertainment. This is now my favorite spot in Vegas!!!

My room at the Palazzo Hotel.

2008-02-24T19:35:00.003-05:00

View of crystal sculpture in the lobby of the Palazzo Hotel.

2008-02-24T19:31:00.002-05:00

Waterfall between the Venetain and Palazzo Hotels

2008-02-24T19:29:00.003-05:00

Hail Cher, Bette and Paris

2008-02-10T18:43:00.000-05:00

The one and only Cher will be starting to perform at Caesars Palace starting May 6. Cher will perform in the Colosseum just like Celine and Elton and Bette. The price for this ultra glitzy, spectacular production will cost between $95 and $250 plus fees and taxes. These are the prices listed on the Caesars Palace website. It looks like Cher will be performing her 90 minute show three or four times a week. So check the dates and make your reservations soon!

With this big announcement, lets not forget that Bette Midler starts her Ceasars Palace performance run on February 20. The prices listed are the same as for the Cher concerts. The Bette Midler show is also intended for mature audiences. The tickets are selling well for this show, so try to make your reservations early is possible!!

And we cannot forget Elton John!! He is still performing his "Red Piano" show at Caesars. Three great performers at the same great venue.

Another big name, but not the big talent is Paris Hilton!! Again she is making headlines and drawing attention for herself. On February 13 Paris will be at the LAX nightclub at the Luxor. She will be launching her 2008 Paris Hilton clothing collection. Complete with music, DJ's and partying!! Then on Friday, February 15, she will be hosting the "A Day Late" Valentines party again at the LAX club in the Luxor. And to finish her busy week, Paris will perform with the Las Vegas Pussycat Dolls show for her birthday bash February 16. This is one stage performance where Paris should perform well!!!

Here is the link to the LAX and Pussycat Dolls nightclubs:http://www.purelv.com/ also the link to several other nightclubs. Take a look and fill out the form to have your name on the guest list!!

Palazzo and MGM, Free is Good

2008-02-03T16:12:00.000-05:00

Just made the arrangements for my next Las Vegas vacation. I will be staying at the new Palazzo tower for three nights and the MGM for three nights. All six nights are complimentary. Nice not having to pay for your hotel room. As usual I will be flying out of Pittsburgh on US Airways. Flight was under $400 round trip, not too bad for Pittsburgh. I will be in Vegas the week of February 17th. The weather should in mid fifties to mid sixties. That's not too warm, but much better than here!!

This a prime example of why you should join the players clubs and use your players club card. In December I received a letter from the Venetian inviting me to the new Palazzo for $149 a night. Then at the end of January they sent me an e-mail saying I was upgraded to the complimentary room. This was goo for either the Palazzo or Venetian. I usually spend most of my time at Harrah's casinos or MGM. But I always stop in at the Venetian and Planet Hollywood to give some action. This lets them know I am still active and keeps my players club accounts alive. You don't always have to gamble a bundle of money to receive good offers. Join all the players clubs you can when you are in Las Vegas. Or, you can join them online from your home computer. Take advantage of the deals they offer, save money where you can!!

Hopefully I will be able to take a few good photos of the Palazzo to put on here when I return. Win or lose, will be a fun trip!! Luxury for a few days is a nice way to escape and relax!!!

Fire at the Monte Carlo

2008-01-25T23:36:00.000-05:00

The fire Friday morning at the Monte Carlo Hotel was contained to the roof if all three if the towers. Most of the fire was the foam facade on the roof, and this was the debris seen falling off to the ground. Welding work was being done, but as of Friday night, that had not been named the official cause of the blaze.

The alarms sounded in the hotel and casino. Everyone made their exit without too much trouble. There were a few minor injuries doing this exit. No damage was done to most of the hotel rooms, restaurants, shops and casino. But I would think with the thick black smoke and the water used to put out the fire some damage was done. Some of the penthouse suites on the top floor must have extensive damage from smoke and water. It will take a little time to find out how much water damage was done.

The hotel guest were moved to the NYNY and MGM hotels. I would imagine repairs will be quickly done do have the hotel running full steam ahead with the super bowl weekend arriving next week.

Even on vacation and holidays we need to keep alert and aware of what is happening around us. Always best to be prepared!!

Betting line favors the Pats

2008-01-21T21:52:00.000-05:00

The super bowl hype is already in full swing. Two more weeks we have to listen to all the hype, pre-game analysis and endless stories about nothing. But of you a fan of the Pats or Giants you like all the attention to your team . The game may be being played in Arizona. But much of the action will take place in Las Vegas. The sports book makers have the Pats a 12 point favorite as of today. But that is subject to change a little over the next two weeks.

If your planning on going to Las Vegas for the super bowl weekend, I hope you made your reservations months ago. The weekend rates at the hotels are much higher than usual for this very large public event. People will flood the Las Vegas strip hotels for the football game and to place their bets. If your betting, get to the sports books as soon as you can. If you wait till just before the game you may not be able to make your bet. When I was there a couple years ago for the super bowl, the sports books had very long lines three or four hours before the game started. The lines at Paris and Bally's were too long to wait in. So i made my way over the Barbary Coast to make my bet. And it was crowded also. Of course this is now Bill's Gamblin Hall. But still pretty much the same place.

All the major casinos are good places to watch the game. In the sports books on the large screens or in many of the bars and lounges. The hotels are not allowed to advertise that they may have special events or areas to watch the game. The NFL prohibits this. So look around in the hotels and casinos for special events that may be going on for the game.

Place your bets, watch and enjoy the game. Have fun and lets have some big winners!!

The new Palazzo tower

2008-01-14T23:34:00.001-05:00

The Palazzo finally opens!

2008-01-14T23:05:00.000-05:00

Palazzo, the brand new resort-hotel-casino will finally have it's grand opening on the weekend of January 17--19. The new towers of the resort will have over 3,000 rooms, all suites. Many new fine dining restaurants and high end shopping stores. Barney's New York, well known for their men's and women's apparel, will have a large two story department store located in the new Palazzo. The large casino, over 100,000 square feet with a square layout, hopefully making it easy to navigate.

The grand opening event on January 19th is a concert by Diana Ross. Tickets start at $121.50 for the concert. Wayne Brady and the cast of the "Jersey Boys" will also be there to perform. The "Jersey Boys' is the new show production which will be performed at the new theater in the Palazzo. This production from broadway is about the rags to riches tale of Frankie Valli and the Fours Seasons. Including all their hit sings we all know.

The Palazzo will have over a dozen new restaurants for everyone to enjoy. The types of restaurants include French cuisine, Italina cuisine, Mexican cuisine, American steakhouse and seafood, Asian cuisine and another Grand Lux cafe. Nothing quick, easy and cheap!

The slot club at the Venetian, the new Club Grazie, will be used at the Palazzo casino. Club Grazie was just started at the end of 2007. So if you have an old slot club card from the Venetian, time for a new one. All the rooms, stores, and restaurants may not be open until early spring. But time now to stop in and take a look at the new hotel-casino open on the strip!

A Bellagio Christmas

2007-12-24T21:05:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T20:59:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone!!! Thanks to all who have taken the time to view my blog this year! This is my first attempt at a blog. Been much more work and time consuming than I thought it would be. But it has been fun, and a learning experience. Learning all the new terms and how to put things on the blog. I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas day and may all your wishes come true!!

Good luck to all and let's have some big winners in the New Year!!

New Years Eve Happenings

2007-12-14T00:57:00.000-05:00

New Years Eve is a very big event in Las Vegas!! Especially for the hotels along the Las Vegas strip. It is one of the most expensive times to visit and most crowded. The hotels all raise their rates through the roof for this big party! The strip will even be closed to traffic during the evening hours and later for all the people to walk around and view the fireworks and events. Here is a quick list of some of the parties and events you may wish to try to attend:

The new party club at the Bellagio, the Bank will be hosting a party starting at 9pm, cost is $250.00 per person including the champagne toast.

At Caesars Palace Pure nightclub, the party will start at 10pm with hostess Pamela Anderson. Tickets to enter this event will start at $250.00 and up! Also includes the champagne toast!!

At the Cannery Hotel, Tony Orlando rings in the new year starting at 10:30pm. Prices for this start at $56.00 per person for dinner, the show and champagne toast. Also more pricey options available with different restaurant choices.

The Las Vegas Hilton is having a private party with the band "Sunset Strip". This party starts at 9pm, the cost is $130.00 per person, includes a gourmet meal, the concert, open bar and champagne toast.

At the new LAX club in the Luxor Hotel, the real party girl Paris Hilton, and her sister Nicky are scheduled to party hearty here. This party should start at 10pm, anyone taking bets on what time Paris arrives!! The cost for this is $250.00 per person and way way up!!!

At the Mandalay Bay you have your choice. First, at the House of Blues, a dance party starting at 9pm with the band "Purple Reign", cost is $50.00 per person. Then at the South Pacific ballroom the party starts with a four course gourmet meal and cocktails. A performance by the band "Boogie Knights" , a complimentary photo and gift. All this is yours for only $299.00 per person.

At MGM Grand, the ladies at Crazy Horse Paris have two shows starting at 7pm and 9:30pm. Tickets start at $59.00 Also at the 10:30pm David Copperfield show, he will have a special balloon dropping at the end. Tickets are $97.00. At the Studio 54 nightclub, the tickets start at $250.00 at the door. And the party will be going on at the Tabu nightclub also.

The new Diablo's at the Monte Carlo will start partying at 8pm. complimentary appetizers, DJ and live band. The cost is $50.00 for general admission or $125.00 if you want the open bar.

Palms, New Years Eve Spectacular All Access pass for all four clubs, Rain, Ghostbar, Moon and Playboy. This pass is only $900.00 and includes appetizer, open bar, champagne toast and a view of the fireworks!!!! If that is not in your price range, you can do each club separate. Starting at 10pm for only $300.00 you can enter the Ghostbar for their party. At 10pm, the Moon party will begin with hostess Jamie Pressly for $200.00. The Rain party also starts at 10pm with host Dave Navvaro for $100.00. The Playboy part starts at 8pm for a modest $300.00.

The party at the Voodoo Lounge at the Rio starts at 8pm for $200.00. With DJ's Joey Mazzola & Ritchie, Warren Peace and Mr. Bob. Also includes the champagne toast and a great view of the fireworks.

The Stratosphere will have a party on the observation deck way up in the sky!! The party begins at 9pm for $200.00 and includes open bar, appetizers, dj, dancing and the champagne toast. Or try a late night meal at the Top of World restaurant for $350.00 beginning at 9pm for a great meal, champagne and a fantastic view of the strip and fireworks!

The TAO nightclub at the Venetian will have party starting at 10pm, tickets costing $250.00 and will be hosted by Mariah Carey.

Those are a few of the events that will be happening. If you don't want to pay those prices, just walk the strip and watch the fireworks!!!

The prices listed here do not include the taxes and fees, so expect to pay more!!!

Christmas display at Bellagio botanical gardens.

2007-12-09T20:25:00.001-05:00

The Brits and the Cowboys

2007-12-09T14:10:00.000-05:00

I was in Las Vegas last week for my final vacation of the year. I had a regular room comped for five nights at the Flamingo. When I checked in they said I had been upgraded to the GO room. That was nice, the GO rooms have been recently remodeled and are in good condition. They have a 42 inch plasma tv, cd player with dock for your ipod, drapes that open and close with a button, pink accent lighting in the bathroom, a tv in the bathroom mirror, and nice comfy beds. My room looked over the the pool and gardens.

The National Finals for the Pro rodeo circuit were held in Las Vegas last week. So there were many cowboys in town walking around in their cowboy hats and boots. Many of the hotels had special booths set up to sell shirts and hats for the rodeo finals. Also quite a few country music acts performing at the hotels.

The other large crowd in town was the Brits from the UK for the boxing match between Mayweather and Hatton. Ricky Hatton is from England. The Brits were everywhere waiting for the boxing match. Singing in the bars and on the streets! But they were a good crowd. But they went home disappointed that Hatton lost the fight.

My vacation was fun as always, but the slots not good to me again. But I did see many other people in every casino I went in hitting good jackpots. So other people were having the good luck! The Christmas display at the Bellagio Botanical gardens was beautiful! Everyone should stop in and see it!! Better luck for me next year!!!

2007-12-01T01:18:00.000-05:00

Shopping Shopping Shopping

2007-12-01T00:32:00.000-05:00

Shopping in Las Vegas is one of the more popular things to do. And a very large money maker for the stores, hotels and casinos. Many of the large hotel resorts on the strip have their own shopping mall beside the hotel and casino. The most popular and best are: the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, the Grand Canal Shops at the Venetian, the Miracle Miles Shops around the Planet Hollywood, the Via Bellagio at the Bellagio Hotel.

These shopping malls have many high end stores from famous fashion designers, jewelry, watches, collectibles and lingerie. I am sure you will know the names of many of these fine stores.
Caesars Palace Forum Shops

Bvlgari
Burberry
Christian
Fendi
Gianni Versace
Gucci
Harry Winston
Louis Vuitton
Roberto Cavalli
Salvatore Ferragamo
Valentino
Victoria's Secret

Miracle Mile Shops at PH

Betty Page
Betsy Johnson
Cache
Frederick's of Hollywood
Roxy
Lucky Brand Jeans
H & M
Swarovski
Thomas Kinkade
Front Row Sports
The Vegas Store
Bath and Body Works

I will post the other shops another day. This listing gives you a small idea of the many different shopping experiences you can have right on the Las Vegas strip in the middle of all the action! At least do some window shopping and imagine how you could spend all your winnings! It's a good way to spend some time and get your walking exercise. Have fun!!!

Las Vegas Happenings

2007-11-17T01:44:00.000-05:00

More changes on the strip. The biggest and loudest change was the implosion of the New Frontier Hotel and Casino. The demolition of the Frontier removes one of the last inexpensive hotels on the strip. The owners of the high end Plaza Hotel in New York city are planning to build a Las Vegas style resort on the property. Another very large hotel with over 3,000 rooms is currently on the drawing board.

The Wayne Newton Christmas show at Harrah's has been canceled. It was reported to be for health reasons. I attended the show last year. The show was very good, but Wayne's voice was not in good condition!

The very highly regarded seafood buffet at the Rio has been closed. It is expected to be closed until March of 2008 for remodeling. The seafood theme is planned on being retained when it reopens.

A couple changes in the world of slot clubs. The Venetian claims to be making improvements in their Grazie slot club. In December they say the points will be easier to accumulate and will be worth more. I have noticed it does take a long time for the points to add up at the Venetian. Hopefully this really is a change for the better.

The Imperial Palace slot club will finally be joining the Harrah's slot club in December. With all the rumours about the Imperial Palace being on the list for the next hotel to be imploded, not sure how much this matters!! But the Imperial Palace is still one of the few places left to stay on the strip for a bargain price. So take advantage of this while you can! Use your Total Rewards card and add some points.

No more trolley on the strip. The trolley is being replaced with "The Vegas.com Arrow Shuttle". This will be a new bus service on the strip serving all the major hotels at the front door. The new buses on the center strip will only carry 20 passengers. But the smaller size allows the bus to stop at the main entrances of the hotels on the strip. Service is also planned to stop for the monorail sites. An all day pass currently costs $10. As you can tell from the name, the bus service is sponsored by the Vegas.com website. Check their website for more information and a map of the service areas.

Take your time with Rapid Roulette

2007-11-01T23:22:00.000-04:00

I have been playing this version of roulette for about a year. For someone new to roulette it's a good way to learn. The roulette wheel spins the same in this computer version as it does on the regular games. So the spin of the wheel and bounce of the ball do decide what number will be hit next. The game has a real wheel and ball, but not a table with the number layout. Instead, it has seats set in an oval around the wheel with each seat having it's own computer monitor with the roulette table on it. On this computer monitor you place your bets just as you would at the table. You can pick numbers, colors, place bets on the street, four or six numbers, whatever you like. You have about thirty seconds between spins to place your bets. You can even have the computer play the same bets for you or help make other bets. This is a good way to take your time to learn how to play without feeling awkward at a regular table with other people. You do not have to bother with chips. Placing the chips on the table and getting in the way of other people. There are always two dealers running the game, so they have time to help explain how it is played.

The bets for Rapid Roulette usually start at a minimum of $2.50 or a couple places have a minimum of $5.00. Again, you can start with a small amount to try and see if you like this version or not. When you cash out they give you casino chips. This game is usually popular and crowded in the evenings. Sometimes hard to find a seat open. I know Caesars Palace always seems to have a few seats reserved.

The Harrah's properties all have Rapid Roulette. Caesars Palace, Paris, Bally's, Flamingo and Harrah's. The new Planet Hollywood also has it, but I have always seen the minimum bet here start at $5.00. Take time so sit down and relax. With a small minimum wager and a little luck you can play this game a long time. But I saw on my last trip that Harrah's had raised the maximum bet from $200 to $1000. So you can bet the farm if you want too!!

Have fun and good luck!!!!

Casino at Paris Hotel

2007-10-27T22:55:00.001-04:00

Casino at Paris Hotel

2007-10-27T22:51:00.001-04:00

Lost in Paris

2007-10-27T22:25:00.000-04:00

Back from my trip to Las Vegas. The Paris Hotel was very good. The room was about the same as Bally's or the former Aladdin. A nice room, decent size, clean and comfortable. Only ate a few times at the Paris Cafe. Once for lunch and twice for breakfast. Food was good, but like most restaurants, a bit overpriced. I had very little luck in the Paris casino as usual. Never have done well there. But overall, I would say the Paris Hotel is a good place to stay. The location is excellent for walking to other hotels on the strip. And is nice with the indoor walkway connection to Bally's. The casino was crowded every night, a very good crowd for the gambling and the lounge acts.

I did not have much luck this time anywhere I went to gamble. Again, it seemed I had the best luck at Bellagio. The slots seemed very tight everywhere for me. But I did see some other people winning, and a few hand wins being paid out. Also I did not do well on the football games over the weekend. Just was not my lucky week!!

I did take a couple of day trips that were very fun. First I went to Mount Charleston, about an hours drive northwest of Las Vegas. The mountain is over 11,000 feet high. Quite a contrast to the strip. The top half of the mountain is covered in pine forests and is green everywhere. The air was cool and the view fantastic! And almost totally quiet, except for a few birds. The is a ski lodge and a couple hotels up on the mountain. Skiing less than a hour from Vegas. It was a very nice day out, something different to do.

The other trip I took was a day long journey through Death Valley. This was a good time to go, not to hot down in the bottom of the valley. This was almost an eleven trip, so plan on a full day if your interested. From Scotty's castle, the ghost town of Rhyolite, the museum at Furnace Creek and the 600 foot Ubehebe crater, lots to see. Traveling up and down the mountains, then down over 200 feet below sea level at the bottom of Death Valley.

I used the "Pink Jeep Tours" for the Mount Charelston tour, and "Adventure Photo Tours" for Death Valley. I highly recommend both tour companies and tours. I also used the Paris Hotel tour desk to make the reservations when I arrived there. A good way to see more than the strip when you vacation in Las Vegas!!!

Paris in the Fall

2007-10-15T23:31:00.000-04:00

I depart for Las Vegas again this week. Have reservations planned for the Paris Hotel over the upcoming weekend. This will be my first time staying at the Paris. Will be nice to stay somewhere different and chance to see what it has to offer. The rooms look nice from what I have seen on the Internet. Also, almost all the reviews from previous travelers seem positive.

I have spent some time and money in the Paris casino many times. Not with much good luck. Not one of my favorite casinos. It is too compact and crowded. The slot machines are too close together, hard to walk between when people are playing them. But it does have quite a few of the newer slot games. A large selection of video poker. The table games seem to offer many choices and quite a few tables. The casino does seem to usually be crowded at night and lively. See how it is on this trip.

I will have to try the cafe and buffet since I will be staying there. Have not tried the restaurants at Paris before. But they always seem to get very good reviews and ratings. I have noticed the very long lines waiting to enter the buffet there.

It's nice to have the walkway to Ballys casino and the monorail station. I do use the monorail sometimes. Mostly when it is very hot. Nice to sit in the air conditioning instead of walking in the sweltering heat. I also use the monorail when I plan to start the day at casino on the opposite end of the strip from me. Or at the end of the day when I do not feel like walking that far!

Not planning on seeing any shows this trip. But I am hoping to make it on a couple day trips. See what's available when I am there. I am ready for another Vegas vacation!! Fun and relaxation again!!!!!!!!!! Time for fun in Paris!!!!

October Fun in Las Vegas

2007-10-01T01:30:00.000-04:00

October is a good time to make a trip to Las Vegas. The daytime temperatures are usually in the 80's, and the nights cool down. Sometimes cool in the evening, so bring a light jacket or sweater with you. Halloween is the big event in October. But usually not too much special happens in the casinos. Some do allow their employees to dress in costumes, for the other casinos it's just another day.

One Halloween event i did find, Marilyn Manson performing at the Palms at 8pm Halloween night. Now that should be a good show!

Elton John returns to perform his "Red Piano" show at Caesars Palace. He will be performing ten nights starting October 16. Go to the Caesars Palace website for show and ticket information. The cheap seats start at around $100 each. But it is a very good show!!

A couple of old time entertainers are also putting on a few shows. Singer Tony Bennett is performing October 12,13 at the Las Vegas Hilton. Tickets start at $70 for the smooth voiced crooner. Also performing downtown is comedian Don Rickles at the Golden Nugget Casino. He will be on stage October 5, 6,7. Tickets for this show are $55 each. Not many entertainers around today like these two!

Something new at the Las Vegas Hilton is the "$250,000 Ultimate Game Show". No details of what games the contestants actually play have been posted yet. The catch to the show is the three hosts. Chuck Woolery, Jamie Farr and Bob Eubanks will be rotating as hosts. They will have two shows a day starting at 1:30 and 3:30pm. Tickets are priced at $42 each. One special show on October 13, where all three hosts will perform together. I think they must be trying to compete with the "Price is Right" show at Ballys.

One other big event is happening the end of the month at the Mandalay Bay. The "PBR Professional Bullriders" event is in town for three nights. The event is October 26,27, 28 and tickets start at $42 each. You will see many people with the cowboy hats and boots that weekend!!

And we cannot forget the baseball World Series. A big event at the sports books in the casinos, the sports action always attracts a fun crowd!!

Go have fun and good luck!!

Keeping up with the Slot Machines

2007-09-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

The slot machines take most of the space on the casino floors now. The table games are not as popular as they used to be. With the casinos making the odds worse for the player on blackjack at 6/5 for a blackjack hit, it's no wonder. People need to pay attention to the odds on the game tables and know when the odds are not good for them. Bad odds, don't sit down and play, move on to find something better. I know it's hard to find table games with good odds, but you do not need to play them!! This will save you money in the long run. We don't need to give the casinos our gambling money and quicker!!

The slot machines can also take your money very quick. But you have many more options and price ranges to choose from. The penny slots, which really are not, can make a small bank roll last a bit longer. If you have the patience to be able to play small amounts and work your bankroll higher. Then you can start to make larger wages and larger payouts when you make it to the bonus rounds. You should play the same way on other denominations if you do not have a large bankroll to start with. Start low with your wagers and try to get some small wins to edge your total higher. And of course the best way is to stop playing when your actually ahead!! Not always trying for more and more!!

Here are the names and websites of some of today's popular slot machine manufactures. Williams Gaming,"http://www.wms.com/" the maker of the new "Top Gun" and "Monopoly Super Money Grab" machines. The Monopoly I like, a lot of fun. IGT, International Game Technologies is the largest and most popular. Of course all slot players know their "Wheel of Fortune" slot machines. In all the many variations. The new big super wheel community game is very popular. Bally Gaming,http://ballytech.com/ of the "Hot Shot Progressive and Double Dragon" slot machines are very popular. Both of these slots I have played and enjoyed. I am sure all slot players are familiar with these slots.

You can go to the websites I have listed and check out the new games that will be arriving soon. Some of the sites also have free contests to enter or free slot games to let you try them out. Check back once in awhile to find out what is new in the world of slots. It is always changing!!!

Caesars ready for Bette Midler

2007-09-02T22:00:00.000-04:00

More changes and improvements in the empire of Caesar. The most expensive change is the nearly one billion dollar expansion project. This will add another new luxury hotel tower, more pools, convention space and luxury suites. The new tower, projected to add another 665 rooms to the strip will be named the Octavius Tower. This new expansion should be complete by early 2009.

Of current interest, the news that the 512 room Forum Tower will be renovated. Also, the Forum Casino will get a makeover. The buffet restaurant may return, the Cypress Street Marketplace will be remodeled and the Sports Book updated. These changes will be welcomed by the visitors and the patrons of the hotel. I think the casinos at Caesars are in need of a makeover an upgrade. The casinos are just large sprawling rooms that seem to meander forever. A good layout is needed.

I have stayed at Caesars before. The regular rooms are in need of renovation. The rooms are spacious, have the amenities you need, but also tired, worn out, and out of date. Not worth the money Caesar asks for them. A good buffet would be an improvement. The restaurants at Caesars are quite expensive. And the buffet at Cafe Lago cannot compare with neighboring buffets at the Bellagio or Mirage.

The Divine Miss M, Better Midler is all set to replace Celine Dion. The first show will be Wednesday February 28th. Prices for the tickets will range from around $95 up too $250 for a single ticket. Tickets are available now on the Caesars Palace website or on the www.ticketmaster.com/ website. Tickets are still available for those of you wanting one last Celine Dion performance.

We are quite use to all the construction and rebuilding happening now. Use to the dust, noise, detours, walled off areas. Hopefully the new improvements will make the Empire grand and stand above all once again!!

Back with Firefox

2007-09-02T14:34:00.000-04:00

I am finally back online. My Internet explorer crashed and would not open. Of course the great Microsoft was checking into the crash, but no information on what happened. So I did some searching from another computer to find some help. Did find a way to start my IE, but it was not repaired.

So I went to Mozilla and downloaded their Firefox browser, it is free. It is small, quick and easy to download and install. I also have the Windows Vista, and the Firefox seems to work much better than IE did. Here is the web page to Mozilla is anyone would be interested in trying it out: http: //www.mozilla.com/en-US/

Hopefully now my Internet browser will not be giving me more problem

Caesars Palace Forum Shops

2007-08-26T14:29:00.000-04:00

Try the Las Vegas Power Pass

2007-08-19T18:12:00.000-04:00

Do you want to do something different on your visit to Las Vegas? Want to try something besides the slot machines and save some money and time? Maybe the Las Vegas Power Pass is the ticket you need. With the pass you can visit sites on the strip and off. No need to stand in line waiting. If you want a tour, ride a roller coaster, or even some culture, yes in Las Vegas. The pass will provide a wide variety of activities for you to enjoy.

The pass can be purchased for 1,2,3 and 5 day durations. Tickets for one day start at $40 for children under age 12, adult tickets start at $70. The three day pass is $80 for children and $120 for adults. But the 2, 3 and 5 day passes are now sale with 15% discount until August 30th.

The price of the Power Pass gives you admission to twenty different activities in and around Las Vegas. The Power Pass also gives you discounts and special offers and many other places.

Some examples of the Power Pass:

The Adventuredome Theme Park at Circus Circus, an all day ride pass.
Madame Tussauds Interactive Wax Experience , admission, located at Venetian
Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, admission to both, located at Mirage
Star Trek: The Experience™, admission to a futuristic world, located at LV Hilton
Guggenheim Hermitage Museum, admission, located at Venetian
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, provides admission and a 10% discount on select gift items
Liberace Museum, admission
Luxor's In Search of the Obelisk, admission, located at the Luxor

and some discounts:

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, provides $4 off admission, located at Tropicana
NASCAR Race Wear Shop, provides 25% discount on regular priced items, located at Sahara
Planet Hollywood at Caesars Palace Forum Shops, $10 off food or merchandise, VIP seating
Extreme Skydiving, $20 discount on tandem jump & t-shirt, located about 2 miles from LV strip
Sagebrush Ranch, receive a 25% discount on any of their package tours

That is an example of what the Pass will do for you. If you would like more information, here is the link to the Power Pass Las Vegas site:http://visiticket.com/LasVegas/
You can read the information and decide if the pass is a good idea for your next trip. This site also offers Power Passes for shopping and restaurants. Take a look, may save you some money.
If you would like to purchase a Power Pass now, the link to site is located at bottom right of this page.

Have a great trip and good luck!!!

A Las Vegas Wedding

2007-08-17T02:05:00.000-04:00

The other night I was browsing other Las Vegas blogs and came across one that had a small article about Las Vegas weddings. I read the article and left a few comments. We have all heard about the cheap and quick weddings that happen in Las Vegas. Sometimes people just rush into the weddings without thinking about it, others just want the quick wedding without all the troubles and cost.

But today, things are quite different. You can still have the cheap and quick "lets get it over with" if you want. But also, the major casinos now offer weddings that cater to whatever you want at any price. If you want lavish and elegant they are very willing to provide for you, if you have the money. You can have a wedding in special halls designed and planned just for weddings, or have the wedding outside in a garden area. Many times I have seen the brides and grooms walking through the casinos or sitting at the slot machines still dressed in a wedding gown and tuxedo.

This link is to the "Las Vegas Wedding" site:http://www.vegasweddings4u.com/Chapel_1.html here you can make reservations for your $129 wedding. That does not include taxes, tips, or donations to limo driver and minister. But does include the chapel, with a few dozen guests, live webcam of ceremony, music, the limo to and from hotel, silk bouquet for bride and a garter. They also offer a $329 Elvis wedding. Elvis will sing songs, walk you down the aisle and pose for photos with you. And a for $459 Elvis will pick you up in his 1956 pink Cadillac. Not exactly cheap, but should be fun. Certainly a day to remember!!

This link:http://www.harrahs.com/casinos/caesars-palace/wedding-services/weddings/packages.html to the wedding plan site at Caesars Palace is for those wishing a lavish and elegant wedding. The wedding packages here start at $800 and go over $20,000. And Elvis and his pink Cadillac are no where to be seen. Again, these prices do not include taxes or gratuities. Might be quick but certainly not inexpensive. But they do include, the minister, floral arrangements, music, rose bouquet and photographs. The more expensive packages include many freebies at the hotel on rooms, shopping, dining and shows. And the champagne will be flowing, maybe even a toast by Caesar himself.

If you interested in a Las Vegas wedding, these are only two sites of many for you to look at. There are many other small chapels for the inexpensive wedding. Bellagio, Venetian, Wynn, MGM will all provide a very tasteful and elegant wedding for you and your guests. And as always with the gambling, good luck also with the weddings!!!

Football is in the air!

2007-08-11T01:46:00.000-04:00

Another hot, sunny humid day here. Better than yesterday when storm after storm battered the Pittsburgh area. Flood and wind damage over a wide area of western Pa. But nothing makes people here feel better than football season. Black and gold rules this area of the country!

But I like Las Vegas!! And going there doing football season is a good way to have some fun on your vacation. Take a break from sitting at the slot machines. Or the gaming tables. Place a wager on your favorite team or game. Does not have to be much. Most sport books in the casino will take a five or ten dollar wager on a game. Just enough to make the event a little more interesting and exciting.

A sports book like Caesars Palace is a very good place to watch the games. The book is large and takes all wagers. Usually plenty of room for everyone to find a seat or slot machine to sit at! But it does get very crowded when a popular team or game is on the large screens. So for a big game it is best to find your seat early and make your wager early. Other sports books I like are at Bally's, Bellagio, LV Hilton, MGM and Paris. All of these are large hotels, so the same rules apply about being there early for the big games.

If you have never placed a bet on a sporting event, don't worry. Making the bets is very simple. And ask the people working at the sports book if you do have questions. They are there to help you make and place your bet. Just like slots or craps or roulette. There are no systems that will make you a big winner all the time. Take the time to know the game before you place your money on the line.

Make a little wager, or more if your ready for it! Sit with the crowd and root and cheer for your team to win! Have a snack and drink. A game can take a few hours to complete. It's good fun and entertainment. And you may find it more exciting and less expensive than sitting at the slot machine for a few hours!!

Here is the link to the Las Vegas Hilton website for a little more information on what types of wagers you may make:http://www.lvhilton.com/casino/wageringmenu.shtml
If you look at this page, you will get an idea of the many different types of bets that can made on a single event, be it football or golf.

Sometimes I get lucky!!!

2007-08-05T23:05:00.000-04:00

I was in Las Vegas over the July 4th week. I was there for five nights. So had to make sure I kept to my budget. Would not be fun in Las Vegas without any money! I did most of play this time between the Bellagio and Caesars Palace. Also did some at the Mirage, Flamingo, Planet Hollywood, MGM and the Venetian. I did not go to the Wynn. Like the casino, very nice. But I have never had a winning session there.

This trip I was concentrating on the MGM and Harrah's properties. Trying to work on my comps totals. Nice to keep receiving the free room offers and food discounts. So far I keep receiving the better offers from the Harrah's hotels. I stayed at Bally's five nights July 4th week, all five nights were comped. MGM is only offering me some rooms discounts. Not enough to make me give up the free rooms.

But I also like the Venetian. Very nice casino, good restaurants, luxury rooms. Only stayed there once a couple years ago. I seem to have some good luck in the Venetian casino, sometimes!! So I walked down there to give their slots another try. I did have some good luck. I played a few different slots and was up a few hundred dollars. Making up for my losses the night before at Bellagio.

I was ready to leave the Venetian and move on to another casino. But I still had $21 on a voucher. So I decided to walk around and find a good penny or nickel machine to play. I walked down to where they have a bank of "Wheel of Fortune" machines and a couple rows of penny machines. I did not see any that I liked to play. Then I turned around and saw a "Super Jackpot Party" machine. I have had some good luck on those machines. So I put my $21 voucher in and was ready to play. Then I noticed, this was not a penny machine, it was a dollar machine! Oh well, I decided to play anyway. I tried five lines, a dollar a line, nothing. Then i tried five lines at two dollars a line. Ding! Ding! Ding! Hey, a winner!!! I look down and I have two blue sevens and a wild symbol. A nice payout of $600. 00 . This time I cashed out and did walk away!! Not a bad little mistake on my part!!

Entrance to the theater for the Beatles Love show at the Mirage Hotel

2007-07-26T01:18:00.000-04:00

Is it the Mirage, or the 1960's Again?

2007-07-21T00:25:00.000-04:00

I went to the Mirage Hotel again to see the Beatles "Love" show. This was my second time to see and enjoy the performance. It is a little changed from last year's show. I still do not care much for the "Blackbird" song segment of the show. But everything else is excellent and very entertaining. I recommend this show to anyone who enjoys the Beatles music. The music in the show is fantastic!! The performers, dancers, acrobats, roller skaters are all excellent!! The show moves along at a fast pace, you always want to see what they are going to do next.

The gift shop by the theater for the show sells all different types of Beatles items. Clothes, buttons, books, magnets, Beatles music cd's, posters. Makes you feel like your back in the 1960's and in the middle of the Beatles hysteria!!! You see people all over the Las Vegas strip wearing the Beatles t-shirts. Of course the week I was there a Beatles Fest was happening at the Mirage Hotel for three days. That must of attracted a few extra fans to the Mirage and Las Vegas strip!

And on the top levels of the Mirage Hotel they have huge banners for the "Love" show you can see from everywhere on the strip. It may be forty years past their prime, but the Beatles are live and well in Las Vegas!!

I also learned about a new band on this trip. They are named the "Black Summer Crush" from the Los Angeles area. Their sound reminds of bands from the late 60's or early 70's era. But with their own fresh approach. I put a link on the bottom of this page to their site on "MSN myspace". Take a look and listen and see if you enjoy their new sound!!!

Good luck and rock on!!!!

Hot hot hot July 4th

2007-07-12T23:37:00.000-04:00

I was in Las Vegas for the week of July 4th. Always nice to be part of a record being set!! But a record for a new daytime high temperature of 116 degrees F. was not much celebrated!! That was the temperature on Thursday July 5th. That is the temperature in the shade, not on the sidewalk on the strip. Much hotter walking the strip in the afternoon sun. The only real problem I encountered was on the escalators for the pedestrian walkways over the strip. The metal stairs on the escalator felt like an oven baking your legs. The handrail was too hot too touch.

Of course it is always dry there. But the summer heat dehydrates you very quickly. Need to keep using the lip balm and finding drinks of water. But as long as the air conditioning works, it is not too bad. Just need to keep your time out in the hot sun to a minimum. I also used the monorail instead of walking the strip for the hotels that were far apart. Takes a little time walking to the monorail stations in the hotels. But the walk is mostly indoors or in the shade when walking outside. Also the monorail cars are air conditioned too help keep you cool.

A couple hotels were supposed to be setting off fireworks for the 4th. The hot dry heat and a couple brush fires close to Las Vegas put an end to the fireworks. Other than that the weather was just fine!!

I have tried a couple of the newer slot machines out. "Deal or No Deal" and "Top Gun". I have tried the "Deal" slot about a half dozen times with no wins at all. I played at the Bellagio. I have not made it to any of the bonus games , or seen many other players have much luck with this slot. Many times I have walked passed with no one at the machines.

"Top Gun" is a different experience, but again no luck with it. The chair does vibrate and it seems to have surround sound, which can be quite loud when the jets fly past. But again, my money just disappeared quickly and never made it to the bonus rounds. I saw many people playing this newer slot machine, but not much action in the bonus rounds. I tied this slot at the Mirage and Paris casinos. Same bad luck both places. At least something new and fun to try!!!

Better luck next time!!!

Paris Hotel and Casino, July 4th, 2007

2007-07-12T01:39:00.000-04:00

Wheel of Fortune Hits and Hits and Hits

2007-05-11T10:13:00.000-04:00

One of the most popular slot machines in Las Vegas is the Wheel of Fortune. Every casino has it. Usually in more than one denomination and game variant. Everyone is familiar with the tv show and the large spinning prize wheel. The spinning wheel in the slot game version just wins you prizes of cash. But when the wheel is spinning, people stop to watch and see what you have won and to cheer you on!! We all play to get that "spin the wheel" reel for the bonus spin.

However, the Wheel of Fortune is also a progressive slot machine which can win you very large amounts of cash. Recently the Wheel of Fortune lived up to its name providing a fortune to six lucky winners. On April 28, the $5 Wheel of Fortune hit the progressive jackpot at Harvey's Casino in Lake Tahoe, NV. The win was worth $1,294,854.63. A very good payout and good fortune for the winner!!

That was just the start of a winning streak for the big Wheel. The twenty five cent version had an amazing first week of May with the progressive hitting four times! The winning started at Bally's casino in Las Vegas hitting for $501,091.91. A very nice fortune! Then on May 3, at Harrah's casino in Reno, NV it hit for $219,120. And on May 4, the fortune was paid out twice! First it was won at the Main Street Station in downtown Las Vegas for $214,454. And then shortly after it was won again at Whisky Pete's casino in Primm, NV for $200,030. That's quite a winning streak for a progressive slot machine!! Also shows you do not have to play the large casinos to be a winner.

Finally, the last Wheel of Fortune win that week was at the Hardrock casino in Las Vegas. This was on the $1 version and hot the progressive for $1,049,419, now that's quite a fortune to win!! Quite an amazing streak for the Wheel of Fortune, one slot game living up to its name!

Winning, that's what we hope for and like to see!!!! Just wish I was writing about me being one of those winners!!