My Visits to Las Vegas

2011 win shots

2011-06-05T19:34:00.022-04:00

37 Quads, even hit Quad A's with a kicker and 2 Straight flushes. 21 @ Orleans, 5 @ E. Cannery, 4 @ El Cortez, 3 @ Caesars, 2 @ Terribles, 1 each @ Bally's, Ellis Island, Flamingo and one at a bar near the AMC movie theater Rainbow Promenade. No Royals this trip but I did much better than last year with my daily average being 3-4 hours gambling per day. I came home on the plus side this year. :o)

Two days away!

2011-05-27T15:24:00.002-04:00

Baring any flight delays two days from now I will be in Vegas. So close I can taste it!

Two weeks and counting!

2011-05-15T20:34:00.003-04:00

This time in 2 weeks I will be sitting in front of a Video Poker machine, drinking a White Russian craving a cigarette (I quit 5 years ago & want them when in Vegas) all while having a 6 day smile on my face.

Deal of the Day

2011-05-06T10:33:00.002-04:00

Found another when I visited the online version of Las Vegas Review Journal a link to The Best of Las Vegas Deal of the Day. This is a site similar to Groupon. The Deal of the Day changes daily so bookmark to come back daily or sign up for daily e-mails of the daily deal.

Groupon

2011-04-29T11:55:00.003-04:00

I have just recently started using GROUPON.com. I have known about the site for some while but there are no Groupon opportunities close to my area. If you aren't aware of what Groupon is its basically group buying power for coupons to local attractions, restaurants, spas and the list goes on. Any business can offer a Groupon. We visit Las Vegas once a year and this city has lots of Groupon offers daily. Even though I live in Ohio I have made Las Vegas my home Groupn city so I get daily offers of what is on sale in Vegas. Just for signing up they gave me an offer for $10 off my first purchase. I purchased $20 Worth of Chicken and More at Nevada Chicken Cafe for $10 (excluding tax and tip). I used my $10 off and basically got a $20 meal at the Nevada Chicken Cafe for free. This doesn't expire until 10/29/11. This Groupon has sold out at 700 but if I lived in Vegas I would be shop happy at this site with great daily offers. Check it out and sign up. Be sure and read the rules of the Groupon before buying. If interested sign up at my referral link here > Groupon.com

2010 Show Review

2011-04-24T21:34:00.015-04:00

It come to my attention that I had started my show review post from 2010 and never got around to finishing it. Better late than never so here goes:

May 30th: We went to see the NHRA Heritage Series - Rockabilly Rod Reunion at the LVMS, this was a first for me to see drag races. I was amazed to see how fast some the cars went, the fastest one we watched was 240 mph. This is an outdoor activity and family friendly. It was an all weekend event but we only attended Sunday's show.

May 31st: Carrot Top - My husband was excited that we booked this show as he has been a fan for many years. He likes the prop comic acts and we have seen many TV appearances that involve Carrot Top. Our over all opinion of this show was that we were glad that we got to see it however we were both disappointed with his effort to entertain. I know that there is some deviation from show to show in regards to the material and props but we had never seen the show so it was all new to us. There was a portion of the show that he mentioned doing that excited the crowd and we were eager to see it but toward the end of the show he refused to do that part of the act because he wasn't getting the "response" from that audience that he expected. He even cut his act short and left the stage early. We will not be repeat customers to this show.

June 1st: Viva Elvis Was super excited to have booked this Cirque show as we both loved Beatles Love. Going to this show gave us an opportunity to see the new Aria also. We had nose bleed seats for this show and usually that doesn't matter at the Cirque shows that we have seen in the past but this one I would have probably booked closer seats had I known. The show wasn't sold out and the air conditioning wasn't on in the theater in fact it was rather warm in there. I found that the projection of Elvis images in picture or movie reels on the back wall of the theater captured my attention more than the performers did. We had tickets to the late show and this was a long day for us both (up early), we were extremely tired and that was only compounded worse by the excess warmth of the theater. We had trouble staying awake. Yes really we were nodding off. I believe that unless this show is changed it will not last long - just my opinion.

June 2nd: Chris Angel Believe - every review that I read on this show said don't waste your money but I had to see it myself. The magic was minimal and the show really centered around the clown performers. In the middle of the show a VERY VERY annoying warning alarm sounded along with flashing lights constantly for what seemed to be 10-15 minutes. Many people actually got up and left the theater. It finally stopped and the show restarted w/o an explanation to those of us left waiting. I would not recommend this show to anyone, Chris Angel fan or not.

June 3rd: Blue Man Group - We were pretty close to the front for this show and after having a daughter that played in marching band for 5 years we appreciate the acoustic effort. You would think it would be hard to have a show w/o speaking performers make sense but it worked and we both really enjoyed the show, audience involvement and the paper shower as part of the finale was great. They also send a green message and educate in a fun way.

Playersforum.com

2011-04-19T19:19:00.002-04:00

I am a member of this site PlayersForum.com "a place for people who like to play casino games, slot machines, table games". A site for some good gambling info, game info and a little bit of everything related to the gambling world. This site periodically sends me short surveys to fill out (maybe one a month) usually with a cash incentive. I usually fill them out thinking that anything that may help with getting games out that I like, machine designs or comps that I find important. This month I was selected as a WINNER of $100. Woo Hoo! doing the happy dance. Maybe I will play it on one hand of blackjack during my upcoming Las Vegas trip.

2011 Las Vegas trip is nearing

2011-04-17T13:19:00.002-04:00

6 weeks from today and we will be in Las Vegas for our yearly trip. I am feeling really lucky this year. Time will tell! As of yesterday we have secured our final room reservations. We are staying at 2 new to us properties this year. First two nights we are staying at Eastside Cannery this is a newly built casino and a first stay for us, they have offered us free rooms we believe due to our visits to their (local to us) sister property The Meadows in Pittsburgh. They are also giving us $20 free casino cash to play on. Nights 3 and 4 we will be staying at, drum roll please..... Caesar's Palace, this too will be a first for us in Las Vegas although we did stay at Caesar's in Atlantic City last fall. I lost a lot there so I hope that Vegas is kinder to my bankroll. Might I mention that I do love Caesar's formally known as Harrah's for their continued room offers w/o the nasty Resort fees. For our final two days we are staying at The Orleans, they have consistently offered us two free nights every year plus a little free play and some restaurant $$. This casino also waves the resort fees on our comped rooms. We have ordered tickets to see The Lion King at Mandalay Bay, these were bought with a discount code costing us a little over $60 per ticket. We are also going to try out the All Stage Pass this year. I will report after our trip with how successful or not it was.

Candy Warehouse - Game night and Card game candy

2011-04-17T13:14:00.003-04:00

I found this interesting site that sells Las Vegas themed candy. Thought I would share for those that host poker nights these would surely be a hit! Candy Warehouse

Small local hit

2011-03-16T19:11:00.003-04:00

10+ weeks and counting until our Vegas vacation. We went to a local video parlor in WV. Gambling is legal there. I was playing keno nickles and hit 6 of 7 with a 2x multiplier for $120 within my first few spins, one more would have been so nice. Cashed it out and came home. More funds for Las Vegas. I don't play video poker there as the pay scales are so poor 5/4.

2011-01-02T16:30:00.003-05:00

I had forgot that I had taken this photo, We made a stop at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign (see above) and across the street on the right if you are facing the welcome sign is a liquor store. We pulled in and was surprised that the handicap liquor drinkers only get 1/2 parking space. Yes that is a HUGE pole in the middle of that parking space. Second funny in this photo is the guy that stopped walking and posed as I was taking the picture(I didn't know him from Adam). People in Vegas are so funny!

Harrah's All Stage Pass

2010-10-30T12:30:00.003-04:00

I have made many a reference to my love of Harrah's properties for their no resort fees pricing and the fact that they enjoy our business enough to offer us comped rooms. Sure they don't have great pay video poker but hardly any casino does these days. With a little effort its not hard to find decent pay and the one coin loss difference on a full house on my gambling budget certainly is made up with the comped room. I love Harrah's! In my Harrah's e-mail letter I learned of a great offer called an "All Stage Pass" where you get 48 hours of Las Vegas shows at Harrah's properties for $99. Wow I hope that this is still going on in May when we return. To purchase All Stage Pass, visit the Planet Hollywood box office located across from Heart Bar. You'll be issued an All Stage Pass credential, or you may use your Total Rewards card. Then proceed to the box office of any show you wish to see. You'll be able to pick up your show tickets no earlier than two hours prior to show time. Tickets are based on availability. This is a list of the participating shows:

Jubilee! (7:30 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.)
Human Nature (7:30 p.m.)
Rita Rudner (8:30 p.m.)
Matt Goss (10:00 p.m.)
Mac King (1:00 & 3:00 p.m.)
The Improv (8:30 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.)
Legends in Concert (7:30 & 10:00 p.m.)
Chippendales (8:00 p.m.)
Divas Las Vegas (10:00 p.m.)
Nathan Burton (4:00 p.m.)
Matsuri (4:00 p.m.)
Anthony Cools (9:00 p.m.)
George Wallace (10:00 p.m.)
X Burlesque (10:00 p.m.)
Vinnie Favorito (8:00 p.m.)
The Price is Right (2:30 & 7:30 p.m.)
Dirk Arthur (7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.)
and thanks to About.com Las Vegas here is a break down of the best way to maximize your purchase. Although I really doubt that one could see this many in 48 hours here goes:

Day 1 – Buy the "All Stage Pass" at 7:45
8:00 Vinnie Favorito or Chippendales
10:00 George Wallace or Matt Goss

Day 2
1:00 Mac King
4:00 Matsuri
7:30 Legends in Concert or Human Nature
9:00 Anthony Cools or Dirk Arthur
10:30 X Burlesque or Divas Las Vegas

Day 3
2:30 Price is Right
4:00 Nathan Burton
7:30 Jubilee

Cleveland Clinc in Las Vegas?

2010-07-16T12:26:00.004-04:00

Inspired by a past post from fellow Las Vegas blogger Jules Lovely Las Vegas During our recent Las Vegas trip we visited this very imaginative design of a building. Cleveland Clinic for many years has been consistently ranked high on the list of the best hospitals in the US and is located in my resident state of OHIO. When I read about this building I had to check it out, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. You know you can't gamble 24/7 and have to take in some sights. Thanks Jules w/o your blog I would have never known about this.

Ellis Island

2010-07-10T19:28:00.003-04:00

During our 7 days in Vegas we ate at Ellis Island twice, once at the Bar-B-Q and once in the restaurant (expect a long wait time for the restaurant). We used BOGO coupons from the American Casino Guide for both meals. The King Cut Prime Rib dinner cost us $13 + tip and included all of the fixings for two and a house brew each. The Bar-B-Q cost us $8 + tip (I had the chicken and the hubby had the rib and chicken combo). Both meals were more than I could eat. During our visit we also used the 4 free drink coupons and enjoyed some good pay video poker.

Sex and the City

2010-06-21T21:21:00.003-04:00

Dear hubby fell in love with this "penny" progressive game this trip, I believe that it is pretty new possibly related to the release of the movie. Although it was classified as a penny machine the minimum bet to cover all lines was $2.00. This has a very fun bonus board and there were several times that he cashed out for a lot on his new favorite game. These machines were limited in numbers and appeared to be playing very well the week we were in Vegas. You could hardly get on one and when you did it paid off. He hit several progressive jackpots on it for the lower amounts. He never got Mr. Big and the big payout.

Video Poker Quads

2010-06-21T21:08:00.001-04:00

some more

2010-06-21T21:04:00.003-04:00

Attended the 2010 WSOP

2010-06-20T17:08:00.004-04:00

During our annual trip we stopped by The Rio as spectators to check out the WSOP. I wasn't lucky enough to bump into a poker pro as I did last year but was amazed to get to see so many full tables as many unknowns were playing qualifiers. Maybe someday I will get confident enough to play. I didn't hit the big jackpot but got some great screen shots of my VP wins. Will update the trip report as time permits with pictures and reviews. Coming back from two weeks of vacation on PST to EST, getting my house in order, enjoying summer and that pesky job has consumed all of my spare time. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, check back soon.

2010 trip is nearing

2010-05-09T11:09:00.006-04:00

I have been so busy haven't posted much of late but with the trip quickly approaching the dear husband thinks I must not be as excited about this trip. O contraire mon ami. We have booked 4 major shows at highly discounted visitor prices. We are seeing Cirque Du Soleil's Believe and Carrot Top at Luxor for $75 for both ($37.50 each). We are seeing Blue Man Group at The Venetian for $65 and using The Summer Of Cirque website we booked the new Cirque Show Viva Elvis (we loved Beatles Love) at the rate of $62.50 per ticket. So the final tally for 2 tickets to each of the 4 shows is $405 making the average ticket price of $50 each. I also got free tickets to The Rockabilly Rod Reunion for the entire weekends events by taking a survey from the LV Motor Speedway. We were able to allow a little more in the entertainment budget this year due to the fact that we had free flights using our Delta sky miles, we have to fly from Ohio to Atlanta first before flying to Las Vegas but free flights (had to pay $10 each security fees), I won't complain. We are staying 7 days, in comped rooms - 2 nights at the Orlean's (plus a food credit and some bounce back cash) - 3 nights at Paris and 2 nights at The Flamingo. I am really loving Harrah's and no NASTY hidden resort fees. I LOVE Harrah's!

Sunny Dining Deals

2009-10-16T18:55:00.003-04:00

In this day of economic distress people are eating out less to save money because of the uncertainty of the future. This is true everywhere but I have heard that Las Vegas is being hit hard in all aspects of visitor industry. The dear husband found a site offering dining deals. The site Sunny Dining Deals gives you the opportunity to buy dining certificates for example 19.95 for a $50.00 certificate that can even be used for alcohol. Best that I can tell its no minimum purchase like with the Restaurant.com certificates. We have a similar program here in Ohio (Double Dollar Deals) that we use regularly. If anyone has used this site or does based on this blog entry please let me know how easy/difficult or restricted they are to use.

Downtown Las Vegas aka Fremont Street Experience

2009-10-02T10:49:00.008-04:00

This is a still pic, my movie files are too large to upload. The hubby and I love to go downtown. He actually likes staying down there, I have mixed emotions on this subject. Part of the draw is that gambling seems to be a little better and the casinos are closer to one another, you can walk out of one right into another. The ceilings are lower and therefore smell really smokey. We have stayed in Fitzgerald's, El Cortez and the Plaza (see room pics on the right). Another reason we love to go there is the hourly free 15 minute light shows on the canopy above Fremont Street. The entire street darkens and every casino shuts down there marque lights and the show begins. I recently became aware of a show schedule on this site Fremont Street Experience, we really enjoyed the "Kiss over Vegas" the last time we were there, but we are fans of the band too. We always rent a car while in Vegas so getting there isn't a problem. It would almost be an impossible walk from The Strip unless you were a seasoned walker and have lots of time to kill. I would not recommend walking it after dark. You do have to pay to park if you aren't staying down there. We always park at Main Street Station, pay $2 and then go inside and get the $2 back at the cashier cage. Last time we were there, no one was working the parking lot booth so we didn't have to pay at all. If you don't rent a car here is a Tripadvisor tips page on how to get there, although its dated 2007 its will give you an idea on how to get there. I hear that taking a cab there is expensive. If you are planning a trip to Vegas plan a trip downtown at least one day and evening (to see the show) of your trip.

Free to do in Las Vegas

2009-09-26T12:33:00.005-04:00

This is just about the most thorough list of free to do in Las Vegas that I have ever seen. Vegas4locals.com This site also has a great free coupon section that can be used by anyone not just locals.

Atlantic City "ain't" no Las Vegas

2009-09-16T20:42:00.006-04:00

My over all free stay at Showboat in AC was a positive, however Atlantic City in general should take some lessons from Las Vegas. We ate at 2 buffets while there one at the Trump Taj (used a BOGO free coupon in the American Casino Guide) this lunch buffet was $21. That is not a typo food is very expensive in AC. The second buffet was at the Showboat for a dinner, was $22 but free via a food comp. Maybe its just the way it is there but I found a lot of rudeness, people jumping ahead in lines, touching food with their fingers and NOT putting it on their plates (I actually watched a lady reach in and pick up a roll with her fingers, even though there were tongs there say it was too hard and put it back) blah! It also must be common to eat with your fingers while in line or else these people were starving and couldn't wait until they got to their table. AC needs to put up signs addressing this issue - NO EATING WHILE INLINE - It was not only once or twice that I witnessed it. Ewwww! The dear husband again did better with his gambling budget than I did. I lost my entire bankroll for the two days and he managed to actually win $70 over his allotted gambling money. I found the video poker pay tables to actually be better here than the Harrah's properties in Las Vegas which was opposite of what I had expected. I only hit one quad for the two days (pretty bad huh?). My hubby managed to hit quad aces on a DB .25 game paying him a cool $200 with his first twenty in. That man of mine has the luck this year. Will maybe post a few pics later.

Las Vegas May 2010

2009-08-27T20:52:00.002-04:00

We haven't even made our trip to AC yet but we booked our airfare for our annual spring trip to Vegas. This is the earliest we have ever booked but got a great deal and couldn't pass it up. We booked with Delta, May 29th 2010 through June 5th 2010, 25,000 miles with one stop each way, one layover 1 hr and 24 min. and the other layover 45 min. for a grand total of $20 taxes and fees for both tickets. We are working on our free rooms. I Love Harrah's as I can book 4 free nights this far in advance but will likely have to wait until next spring to finalize the other 3 nights at another property. We are hoping to only have to move once this year but will move more if necessary.

Atlantic City, NJ

2009-08-13T18:04:00.002-04:00

Although I know it's not Las Vegas, Atlantic City is like a mini Vegas and is a bit closer to my home. We are making a 2 day trip to AC next month Sept 14 - 16th. We are season ticket holders to Richmond International Speedway for both Nascar races and since we are only going to be 5 hours or so away we decided to drive on up. We have been to AC once before and honestly wasn't all that impressed. Made the mistake of visiting Vegas first. Unlike Las Vegas you have to pay to park at almost every casino, dining was VERY expensive and other than the ocean (which is cold that far north) they just don't have the entertainment and things to do and see that Las Vegas offers. You know you can't gamble 24/7. I am hoping to maybe recover some of my losses from Vegas this spring. Harrah's properties has offered us those two nights comped based on our play in Vegas. I am really beginning to love Harrah's.

Nathan Burton

2009-07-17T09:50:00.003-04:00

Nathan Burton the subject of two of my blog post has auditioned for America's Got Talent for the second time. AGT 2009 They will see him in Las Vegas! He is already there. If he should win it all I am sure that he would get a BIG production show but it would be a loss for the frugal vacationer because with big production shows come BIG $$$ fees. Good Luck Nathan Burton! He is good enough to go all the way.

earlyvegas.com

2009-07-01T18:34:00.004-04:00

Las Vegas continues to be "on sale" in regards to room prices. We generally get most of our rooms heavily discounted or comped (free), the last two trips were ALL free. Here is another site for the frugal Vegas visitor Earlyvegas.com, this is the link to the page with discount codes. We make a Vegas trip at least once a year so its easier to earn room comps. If you are an occasional visitor this page has current discount codes to get the best price for the paying visitor.

saveLV.com

2009-06-27T11:12:00.007-04:00

I love this web site savelv.com and I would love it even more if I lived in Las Vegas. In one of my previous post I mentioned about a great deal that I got on tickets to see Nathan Burton with an added bonus of a free buffet, you can print these out online before your trip with this link Nathan Burton + Paradise Buffet and you don't have to venture out on the strip looking for them. Print this out and take it to the ticket box office, they will give you tickets with a detachable free buffet tear off on the bottom of the ticket. So that you are aware there will be taxes and fees attached of about $5 for each ticket, your final cost will be over the $20 advertised deal. This is a 1 hour 4 pm show. Wasn't the best magic show running on the strip but getting the buffet and show tickets at a discounted rate makes it all worth while.

Bellagio

2009-06-26T20:37:00.007-04:00

We always try to get over to see the Fountains of Bellagio when we are in town because I love to see the fountains set to the music. These pictures are taken from inside The Conservatory and Botanical Gardens an area often forgotten but is a must see for any visitor. This garden changes; I believe with every season; and has the aroma of many a fresh flowers. No matter how much you want to DON'T touch or interrupt the dancing water!!!

Valley of Fire

2009-06-21T01:40:00.008-04:00

The Valley Of Fire is a State Park about an hour outside of Las Vegas. We have talked about making the trip over several times and were so impressed with Red Rock Canyon (visited 2 years ago) that we decided this was the year. First let me say that although the pictures that we took are beautiful they do not however do justice to the beauty of this park. Not counting the two hours that we had in driving my husband and I spent 4 1/2 hours driving through this park stopping, walking and climbing and taking many, many pictures. Outside of the colored neon that is Las Vegas everything there is tan or brown, its the desert and I don't expect it to be green like OHIO so when you see something that is not tan or brown it really stands out as beautiful. This is a day activity and probably earlier in the day the better. It was very hot and although we did take a small cooler of bottled water with us we didn't take enough as desert walking makes you very thirsty. The hubby and I consumed six 16.9 oz bottles of H2O and two 10 oz bottles of diet Pepsi and were still so thirsty. There is a gift shop that doesn't sell water (they should consider this as they could make a small fortune) but they have a water fountain that you can drink from but cannot fill water bottles (I assume because its very expensive to get water in the desert). Fee is $6 per car and this is a drive through and stop park. They also have fee based camping if that's your cup of tea but I saw no water hook ups. In my opinion if you have a rental car its well worth the drive to see a different side of Nevada.

Shows in Las Vegas 2009

2009-06-05T23:38:00.009-04:00

We went to see two shows this year, three if you count Big Elvis's free show at Bill's Gambling Hall. This was really a good free show and I would encourage anyone with some extra time to see it. We went the cheapo route, no BIG name shows this year. Went to see our first topless show Jubilee at Bally's. It was very tastefully done. All of the women in the show have non augmented breast. We used a BOGO and were offered upgraded seats row 1 (not the table seating). We paid $35.00 for both seats. This show has been running in Las Vegas since 1981. We missed the opportunity to see Folies Bergere before its final running earlier this year so we decided to give the old a try. The second show that we went to see was The Magic of Nathan Burton at The Flamingo. We couldn't find a BOGO offer for this show but somehow deep down I knew there was one out there. I waited in line at the box office and asked about a BOGO and the young man told me that they didn't have the coupons and that he wasn't sure where we could get them. I said ok and thank you and left w/o buying the tickets. I told my hubby that we needed to walk The Strip and see if someone was offering them and thats what we did. Within minutes of going outside there were two young street magicians doing card tricks and money tricks, they had the BOGO coupons with an ADDED BONUS of a coupon for two free Paradise Garden Buffets to be used within 7 days. They request that you watch their 5 minute magic act to get the coupon and they have a great sence of humor. They will ask you for a money Bill to preform a magic trick on, have a one or a five ready. They will give it back to you after the trick but ask you for donations before you put the money away, you should donate it to them for their coupon (thats what we did). The tickets ended up costing $50 for two and the bonus was that on Friday for the dinner buffet was a seafood buffet that was regularly $22.00 per person. A great deal for free. My advice is look for BOGO's, I was inline behind people buying show tickets that I knew there were discounts out there, if they would have just looked in one of the many free magazines all around Vegas they could have gone cheaper.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2009-06-05T18:41:00.008-04:00

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner! The only quad that I missed taking a picture of was my biggest hit, I hit quad 3's on a DDB machine paying me 400 credits or $100. I mainly played JoB and still managed to lose most of my bank roll this trip. Guess you can't win every time. I usually play quarter video poker at $1.25 a spin unless I am losing badly and then I play nickles. I rarely play reel slots but was low on my budgeted cash for the day when I hit 10,320 credits or $103.20 on a penny machine (first pic above and on the right). Maybe I should take a second look at those penny reels. I was only betting .60 a spin on a 30 line machine and cashed out for $120.00.

More winning shots

2009-06-05T18:31:00.003-04:00

Me and Moneymaker

2009-06-05T11:55:00.003-04:00

We were staying at the Rio during the start of the 2009 WSOP. The highlight of my trip was running into the 2003 WSOP champion Chris Moneymaker, who I must say is a SUPER nice guy. I made eye contact with him walking down the hall and asked aren't you Chris Moneymaker and before he could even answer I asked do you mind if my husband takes a picture of us? He said sure and put his arm around me and posed while my hubby snapped the picture. He handles his fame with dignity and was so willing to stop and give a poker fan an opportunity to have her picture taken with a poker millionaire. Kudos to him being a down to earth poker star.

Back from Vegas 2009

2009-05-31T22:57:00.002-04:00

I lost more money than the dear husband did this trip which is rare. He was playing a more volatile video poker game (double bonus) than I was (jacks or better) and he fortunately hit a lot of quads. I did manage to make it home with $200 + of my gambling bank roll and dear hubby came home with $700 +. We went to two shows and finally after 8 trips got to see Big Elvis. I also made a free trip to Saffron Day Spa and used a Spa Finders Gift Certificate that I won from a sweepstakes last year. I will update this blog in the next few weeks with pics and more a specific trip report but for now I must return to work tomorrow :o(

We fly out tonight 17 hours and counting

2009-05-24T00:14:00.005-04:00

Today is officially May 24th our flight day, we will be flying out and arriving at 7:30p.m. Vegas time. Staying up late watching Poker on TV trying to get my time shifted. This is my eighth trip to Las Vegas and I still get so excited each trip. According to the Weather Channel online we are going to have a beautiful week weather wise. Will post some new pics when I get back, not taking my laptop because internet room charges are expensive in Las Vegas, some places offer free internet but hey I won't die w/o my computer for a week. Heres hoping that I win some $$$ Viva Las Vegas!

Paid for coupon books, yes they are worth it.

2009-03-19T19:53:00.008-04:00

These are coupon books that actually cost money to get the coupons. You may ask why would any frugal vacationer pay for coupons. I will gladly answer.... because we save more using the coupons than we actually spend to purchase the books. We buy these two every year and always receive enough benefit from them in $$$ savings to more than pay for them.The one on the left is the American Casino Guide and can generally be purchased on Amazon for under $13 a list of the coupons here American Casino Guide there are coupons for many casinos throughout the US, we use the ones listed for Nevada - Las Vegas. The book on the right is from the Las Vegas Advisor web site. This coupon book is a little more pricey but this book comes with membership benefits including access to the forums which are a wealth of knowledge for visitors and locals alike. The cost of this online membership + coupon book is $37/year, there is also a hard copy membership + coupons for $50/year although we have never paid for this option. A list of their coupons Las Vegas Advisor. It is important to note that we always rent a car while in Las Vegas and are able to get the maximum benefit of the coupons by having one as most of the coupons are for off strip casinos. If you are staying at a Casino on the strip and not renting a car it would be hard to use enough of the coupons to offset the cost.

Room reservations changed again

2009-03-15T21:55:00.002-04:00

Hopefully for the final time. We have booked and canceled more room reservations this trip that ever before. They are still all comped but we are going to stay with these rooms unless we get free offers with cash. We are staying two nights at each of these three casino hotels. The Orleans, Rio and Harrah's. We have had three different reservations each at the Orleans & Rio, one at the Plaza and one at the Cannery. It has been exhausting trying to book the best room that we can for free. I have read that the rooms at the Rio and Harrah's are better than average to wonderful, however they don't have much in the line of good pay scale video poker. I have slept at The Orleans on a free offer before and they have very good pay scale video poker and we both love to play and eat there.

Shows in Las Vegas

2009-03-06T13:25:00.003-05:00

I believe that Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world. There is so much to do and see even if you don't gamble. We try to take in at least one BIG show during each of our trips and as many cheapo shows that we can fit in. Big Name entertainment does not come cheap in Las Vegas so this is an item that we always budget for. If its one of the very popular shows tickets may need to be purchased several weeks in advance. I love the Cirque du Soleil shows. We have seen Mystere, Ka and Beatles Love (we actually got to see the first public show opening night). We won tickets to Stomp on a free pull slot machine at Planet Holloywood Casino promotions. I won tickets to see Monty Python's Spamalot at Wynn from an internet sweepstakes from Casino Travel News. When Rosanne Barr was doing her one woman show at NYNY we actually bought tickets to see this show that was way less than what I expected. There are 1/2 price ticket brockers in Vegas and some prices are just discounted and not 1/2 price, although we have never purchased tickets from them that is a way to see a show on a budget. Don't expect to get tickets to "O" or Le Reve there but I have seen Mystere & Ka tickets heavily discounted. There are lots of one drink minium shows (you have to buy at least one drink and see the show for free), however be aware we have paid anywhere from 6.95 - 9.99 for that one drink and thats each person. You could order simply a fountain cola and pay the same price as an alcoholic beverage. Please note that your bartender or server will still expect a service tip even though you are over paying for this beverage. Tipping in Las Vegas thats a whole new future posting. There are also alot of BOGO free coupons in the local newspaper and the visitor magazines for comedy shows.

All rooms this trip comped, that means FREE!

2009-03-04T19:04:00.006-05:00

We just found an offer for one of our past play casinos (The Orlean's) for a free night for May 24th (Sunday before Memorial Day). Actually it was for 2 nights free but we only needed one because we already have the other 5 nights comped already. That Sunday is always a hard night for us to get for free because of the long holiday weekend. This Casino is also giving us $10 in free eats as part of the room offer so indeed they are paying us to stay woo hoo! We so love to gamble at this place too because of the wide open spaces, clean air and good pay video poker. So we will only be staying at one new (never stayed before) casino this trip. Thanks Orlean's, Rio and Plaza

Renting a car, staying off strip

2009-03-01T16:00:00.009-05:00

We always rent a car when we are in Vegas initially because it allowed us to book a cheaper room off the strip. Las Vegas has always been one of the cheapest places to rent a car. Prices are up because of the daily LVCRF (Las Vegas car rental fee). In my opinion, most of the rooms that we have slept in are very similar with the exception of downtown. SEE MY ROOM PICKS RINNING DOWN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS PAGE. My guess is that visiting gamblers gamble more in the casino where they are staying. Casino's have to stay up to date on rooms to continue generating business. We have been known to sleep in three different hotels during our 6 day trip. We are actually staying in three this trip. Some might say I would hate that (my husband did initially) but the way I look at it is I spend very little time in my room, a daily shower and sleep and if casino A will give me 3 night and Casino B will give me 2 nights free, I'll take it. I take any free rooms, meals or casino play that I am offered. These are comps and Las Vegas is full of them but they aren't actually free, usually based on play ($$$ spent gambling) at their establishment.

We have our airfare booked

2009-02-27T22:36:00.005-05:00

We have booked our airfare for our trip May 24th-30th. Holding out for that perfect price is almost like gambling itself. We got a great deal on Southwest for $99 each way non stop from Pittsburgh. Southwest has NO luggage fees for the first checked bag so that is actually the amount with a few security fees attached that we will be paying. Thanks to those 8 that gifted me $20 Southwest codes for the Survivor PMOC we reduced that cost by another $160. Southwest is the butt of quite a few jokes in the comic world but this frugal traveler loves flying Southwest. We will be staying at two hotels/casinos that we haven't stayed at before so I will be able to add new photos and comments when our trip is complete.