If you say one line from Swingers or The Hangover within earshot of me I will hit you with a tube sock filled with wood screws. Same goes double in Aspen with Dumb and Dumber. That is all.
I admittedly thought this thread was in reference to the current season of "Big Brother." I need to stop watching tv shows with the wife...
The flight back from vegas is 3 times longer than the flight to vegas. Don't go with your broke friends, or likes to fight guy. It is never a bad idea to write your room number in sharpie somewhere on your body where you can find it when you are to drunk to remember where your room is. No matter how much 151 you drink the rides on top of the stratosphere are still scary if you don't like heights. If you take your girlfriend/wife make sure she wears shoes that are comfortable that she can walk in. Don't split 10's, take a free gambling lesson and don't be a douche tapout fight gear guy.
Am I the only person in the world who didn't love Vegas? Admittedly, I went the weekend when both the electronic convention and the adult entertainment convention were both on meaning the place was crowded with nerds and hookers. Hotel prices were triple the price they were the previous weekend, most clubs were shut down for private parties and it was almost impossible to get onto the cheaper tables. I'm not saying I didn't have a good time. A few memories stand out, like the pit boss at Bill's Gamblin' Hall telling me when to hit and when to stay on black jack and the frozen cocktails in novelty cups in the Coyote Ugly bar in NYNY made for an awesome night. But everywhere I looked, I could see the sleaze seeping through. And the whole place smelt like dirty sex (the bad kind.) We stayed at the Venetian and for a 5 star hotel, it just felt cheap, nasty and disgusting. If I went back, I think I would rather go with a larger group of people as last time it was just my boyfriend and I. We had fun, but I just couldn't help but wonder what the hype was about Vegas.
I've been to Vegas twice and had a blast both times even though I don't gamble beyond playing slots for an hour or two. I went on all the rides, checked out a show or two, had grilled meats, and shot machine guns. The MGM Grand was less than 100/nite and I thought it was in a great location. My favorite part was playing all the new video games in the casinos. It seemed like they had the biggest most over the top games around & playing them in the wee hours of the nite was great. Also, don't forget the people watching.
I love Vegas when I'm not there, but by about the 3rd day of my trip, I'm broke, hungover, and hate everything within the state of Nevada. So my biggest tip is to never stay more than 3 or 4 days.
I went to Vegas last year as a complete newbie having only ever seen tv and movies for a point of reference. The thing that really blew me away (apart from the "fuck, look, a random rollercoaster on the side of a building" thing which would make a workplace health and safety officer in Australia melt into a puddle) was the size of the city. I went out and drove around and the place is absolutely massive. That and all the houses look exactly the same. I went to the Nuclear Testing Museum (can't remember the exact name) which is on the NW side of the Strip. That place was very fucking sobering.
I've gone to Vegas three times in the past three years and each of my experiences was profoundly different. I learned a ton about Vegas each time, and hopefully some of this wisdom will help you. Trip One - Father/Son. Dad and i stayed three nights at the Imperial Palace. While there is nothing really IMPERIAL about it, I had a blast. it was cheap, and smack-dab in the middle of the Strip. I like hotels like this because you tend to avoid a lot of the "I want to go to TRYST and Meet a Celebrity," crowd. I met a ton of guys/girls who were in college and just looking to get drunk, hook up and do it relatively cheap. I met a ton of girls simply by talking to them at the black-jack, roulette and craps tables and asking them what they were doing later. Just because I was there with my Dad didn't mean that I couldn't come up with ways to get mine... As for entertainment: My Dad and I watched Improv Comedy at Harrah's on night one. It was hilarious, and incredibly affordable. Night two we went to the Mirage and watched the Beatles Cirque show called "Love." It was out-fucking-standing! Day three we took a bus to the Hoover Dam, did that tour and then did a flight-tour of the Grand Canyon. Highly recommended for anybody who wants to do some touristy stuff. As for bars/clubs: My favorite bar in Vegas (to this day) is at Carnival Court outside of Harrahs. Live music, cool bar-tricks and a lot of free shots and hot girls. The Rockhouse (outside of the Imperial) seemed pretty sketchy. Trip Two - With the Boys. Three pals and I stayed at Hooters (just off the strip, close to the MGM Grand). The hotel was fine. A similar crowd to that of the Imperial Palace. Lots of college-aged kids who are simply looking for some cheap thrills, Vegas-style. Hooters had a decent pool and a great (albeit expensive) out-door bar that had some of the hottest bartenders I've ever seen. Entertainment: Night one we went and saw Craig Ferguson at the MGM Grand and then went across to New York, New York to party at the Nine Fine Irishman and Coyote Ugly. We capped the night off with some greasy NY pizza. Wicked. Day two we went to Circus, Circus, the Hilton, Treasure Island and Planet Hollywood simply to look around. Night two we stayed at Hooters and saw comedian Bobby Slayton. One of the funniest, crudest acts I've ever seen. We went back to the Nine-Fine Irishman that night, met some California girls and the rest is history. Day three we made our way to Freemont Street and had a total blast! Old Vegas is definitely worth seeing. I can't say I was crazy about the buffets though. Night three we went to O'Shea's (past Harrahs) and played beer-pong, drank two dollar beer, and smoked cigars. We then went back to Carnival Court, met some more girls, and then went to a Strip-Club called Seamless. An earlier post was right when it said, "Going to a strip-club with women can help tremendously with your cover charge." I spent $400 at the strip-club that night, and still haven't been able to scrub the grime and shame off of my body since. I'm still bewildered at the fact that I let the stripper coerce me into coming into the Champagne Room. Trip Three - With the Girlfriend. Definitely a more mellow trip. We drank and partied, but definitely made sure we got back to the hotel in time to get down. This trip was more of a: Shopping, pool, fine-dining, Phantom of the Opera type of time - But still remarkably enjoyable. We stayed at the MGM Grand in a West-Wing suite which despite some shitty reviews was AWESOME! Delmonico's steakhouse at the Venetian was the most expensive meal of my life, but the food was phenomenal. We saw Frank Calliendo's act at the Monte Carlo which was fun. Our favourite bar was Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville and we also took a trip back to Carnival Court!
The buffet at the Bellagio is totally worth it. It's a little hefty on the price tag, around $50.00, but the quality and choices you receive are unbeatable. My favorites are the prime rib, racks of lamb, turkey, potatoes, sushi ... dear god. Last time I was there I ate so much that I couldn't do anything but pass out afterward. And I also woke up with a food hangover to boot. You might want to stay away actually unless you're a fan of decadent gluttony.
This is a great point. My first (and only) trip to Vegas was for a work conference and I spent 6 days there. In late June. Ugh. There are lots of incredible things to do in Vegas that most people will never do anywhere else. At Harry Winston, I got to try on a ring that carried a price tag of 1.1 million dollars. Granted, I didn't walk in there like a gawking redneck and I knew exactly which ring I wanted to see. I stayed at the Stratosphere and have no complaints. The room was more than adequate. The topless pool was small and uncrowded with excellent service. The package deal I got included the rides on the top... they were very cool but I'm not sure I'd want to do them again. Jet at the Mirage was well, interesting. Clubs are not my thing anymore but it was an experience. Overpriced drinks and people packed in like sardines. Joe's at the Forum Shops is very very good. Reasonably priced food and there wasn't a huge line to wait through. I did have a local friend that got me off the strip and we did some off the beaten path stuff. There is a guy that has a space in a little strip mall that has a fucking bunch of old restored pin ball machines. There's a change machine and a drink machine. No admission, just come in and pay the quarter or fifty cents on the machine you want to play. We spend several hours in there and spend something stupid like 6 bucks (including a drink).
Any word on the 'Stratosphere'? Me and my buddy just turned 21 and according to price and ratings the Stratosphere looks like the best bang for the buck. Also, adding on to that, what are good places/bars/clubs/casinos for a college student on a budget to go to?
It's an OK hotel, but it's pretty far up the strip. You really can't walk anywhere from there. Depending on when you're going (weekend or during the week) you may want to check out: Monte Carlo (recently renovated and upgraded) Excalibur (also upgraded the rooms, but only part of them) Imperial Palace (not great rooms, but great location) Bill's (new rooms and AWESOME player's club perks) Surprisingly MGM Grand has good mid-week rates as long as there's not a convention in town These will all run you more $ than the Stratosphere, but there's more to do that doesn't require a taxi/bus/run. Also, for cheap on-strip drinks. Try O'Sheas (@ the bottom of Flamingo) for cocktails. They used to be $1.50 for well but that was a year ago. They may have gone up. Casino Royale (under Harrah's) has dollar beers 24 hours a day. It's usually Michelob bottles and you can order as many as you can carry.
We went to Vegas for New Year's in 2002-2003. My friends paid extra to stay at the Paris and have a view of the strip. After my wife and I checked into our room, I walked over to theirs when she was taking a shower. My friend was so proud of his view, and immediately showed it off. As I was staring down at the beautiful lights and imagining the million dollars I was going to win that night, I happened to catch a guy staring out of his hotel window into ours. He was middle aged, and he looked like a deer in the headlights when our eyes met. I did what every 24 year old would do in this situation. I smiled and waved in the creepiest fashion I could. Unfortunately, so did he. Then he whipped out his penis. My friends were unable to enjoy their view for the next 5 nights as he was always watching. I didn't win big either. In fact, I was smoked all week until I won $80 in the airport slots. FOCUS: Potential runs amok in Vegas. Unfortunately, reality sets in. Enjoy your vacation.
I did what every 24 year old would do in this situation. I smiled and waved in the creepiest fashion I could. Unfortunately, so did he. Then he whipped out his penis. My friends were unable to enjoy their view for the next 5 nights as he was always watching. Haha. That's hilarious. Went last year with the wife and stayed at the MGM. The room was great, killer buffet (especially since it was comp'd). Ate a terrible meal at Emeril's in the hotel, lost my ass at the tables, did the Hoover dam tour. Got propositioned by several hookers. I had a great time and can't wait to go back, without the wife.
Anyone got a hot tip for a good spot to watch NBA games in Vegas? Me and the boys will be there for opening night and we're looking for somewhere to sit and watch the Miami Heat Experiment roll out. We don't have a preference between the Strip or downtown, but we're thinking bars are a far more attractive prospect than sitting in a sports book. I've heard Lagasse's Stadium at Caesar's is good but really fucking expensive.