Candy Warehouse - Game night and Card game candy

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

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.

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

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?

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

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

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

some more

Attended the 2010 WSOP

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

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!

Downtown Las Vegas aka Fremont Street Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

Me and Moneymaker

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.