Five Must Do Things in Vegas for $20 or under!

Here is my list of the top five things to do in Vegas.

Bellagio Fountains - At the Fontana Lounge - Everyone knows the Bellagio Fountains but seeing them from the Fontana Lounge and having a nice glass of wine makes the whole experience even better.

Horse Racing at the MGM Grand - The MGM Grand has one of those Old School horse racing games where you insert the quarters and pick your horses based on the odds. The horses then race around the track and you cheer them on. It sounds simple but it's really fun and a great way to spend a few hours. See how excited the people are in the video below!

Roulette at Casino Royale - I say playing Roulette at Casino Royale because Casino Royale has cheap roulette. Our first few times to Vegas we were plaing $0.25 roulette. I believe they've now upped the price to a minimum $0.50 table. This still makes it fairly resonable and if you sit with $20 and play patiently you can be there for an hour or two.

Crepes at Paris - When you walk in the front door of Paris if you go to the back of the casino and turn left there is a crepe place down the corridor. The crepes are authentic crepes as if they were straight from France and the prices are actually fairly reasonable. Highly recommended.

People Watching - You can people watch at any casino or even on the street. Our favorite spot on the street is at the Starbucks right besides MGM grand (next door to the Coke store). You can sit right by the window and watch everyone walk by. The best casino is really any of them... MGM Grand is good, Ceasers Palace and Bellagio are our favorite people watching hotels.

Those are our top five favorite things to do in Las Vegas. What's your favorite thing to do in Vegas? Leave a comment and let us know.

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Vegas Money Saving Tip - Bring Breakfast!

As we all know Las Vegas is expensive! Gone are the days of cheap food and cheap hotels all in a lure to get you in the door gambling. Today's Vegas includes monstrous resorts where the casino is NOT the main attraction anymore. With this comes increasing prices.

I remember I was shocked the first time I went to Vegas and had 1 muffin, 1 banana and a large coffee for $8.00. This was over 8 years ago and now probably costs $10.

So what's the solution? We bring our own breakfast!

The day before we're about to fly we make a batch of muffins for the trip. These muffins are just plain old banana chocolate chip muffins. You can make whatever kind you want just be sure that they'll pack 'ok'. If you're looking for a muffin recipe then you can get one from this site here.

When we wake up in the morning we have fresh muffins and then we head down to the casino floor and have two options for our morning coffee!

1. Buy a coffee from the local coffee shop. (There is a Starbucks in every hotel in seems! ) The approximate cost is $6 for two regular coffee's and nothing fancy like a latte.
2. Sit down and using the free drink technique order a Bailey's and coffee in a 'to go' cup. The approximate cost is $2 for a tip and whatever you spend on a slot machine waiting ($~5).

As you can see we still get a similar breakfast for half the cost of paying for breakfast. Another great thing about bringing muffins is that they're a great healthy snack later in the day. Just be sure to pack some ziplock bags to carry the muffins around with you.

This may not seem like a large money saving tip but if you do this for 3-4 days it can start to add up. Plus this tip works great everywhere you travel and not just Vegas. (Except the free drinks part, of course!)

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Luxor Las Vegas - Spa Room

We stayed at the Luxor in Las Vegas in May 2006. We ended up staying in a spa room in the pyramid tower. Although we heard that the pyramid was older then the two towers we wanted to ride in the inclinators and therefore asked for a pyramid room. Plus, it's pretty neat being able to stay in a pyramid.

Room

The spa room was only ok, had I paid full price for the room I would have been disappointed. It was simply a room with a bed and a little lounge area with another tv and fridge. The SPA was located in the same room as the bed and near the window so you could overlook the strip while in the tub.

The view from the hotel room overlooked the strip (always ask for this at every hotel in Las Vegas). However, because you are so far South at the Luxor our view overlooked the airport. Watching the planes fly in and out in the morning and at night while sitting in a hot tub is super nice!

Getting a spa room - Free upgrade!

We were able to get a free upgrade to a spa room quite easily. We found a lower priced deal on the internet then the Luxor's website had posted. We used itravel2000.com to find the lower priced room. Upon finding this better price we contacted and told them about the better price. They upgraded us to the SPA room free of charge. You can read the best priced guarantee at the luxor here.

Theme

The Luxor's theme is Egyptian. They've done quite a good job keeping to this theme. This ranges from the pyramid and lion at the front of the hotel. As well, the games and gift shops are all Egyptian themed. As well, some of the restaurants and lounges are based around the Egyptian theme.

Casino

As with most strip casinos the slot machines were fairly 'tight' with our machines. The poker room however was very loose. The players could be considered quite bad. If you have a general clue of how to play Texas Hold'em poker then you should be fine playing patiently and making some money.

Hotel Location

The hotel is located at the southern end of the strip. It's quite easy to get to the Excalibur, Mandalay Bay, Monte Carlo, Ny Ny and MGM Grand. However, besides those hotels it's a bit more difficult to get around. The walk to the monorail takes approximately 10-15 minutes and walking to the Bellagio is also approximately 15 minutes. If you're fine with walking a bunch (outdoors) then you won't mind staying at the Luxor.

Special Luxor Notes

If staying in the Pyramid at the Luxor Las Vegas be sure to ask for a room closer to the inclinator on that floor. Our room was on the exact opposite end of the pyramid and it took approximately 5 minutes to walk from the inclinator to the room. This is NOT an exaggeration!

All in all I'd say that the Luxor is definitely an upgrade over the Excalibur. However, of the other four star hotels I've stayed at in Las Vegas it's lower on the list.

Best “Date” Location in Vegas

I thought I'd post the absolute best date location in Las Vegas today. The Fontana Lounge at the Bellagio is THE BEST place to bring a lady friend in Vegas.

When you go there be sure to dress quite nicely as it's a fancy place. I was wearing a suit and my wife was wearing a nice dress. We showed up around 9pm and asked for a table on the patio. No problem. I'd recommend calling and asking for a reservation on the patio. I'm uncertain for sure if you can reserve at the Fontana Lounge but it's worth a try.

Unlike Parasol Up at the Wynn Las Vegas we weren't told that there was a drink minimum. However, we were prepared to have a drink regardless. We sat down and ordered two glasses of wine and some nice chocolate covered strawberries (delightful!). The Fountains of Bellagio are the main attraction on the patio and you get a closer viewpoint of the fountains. If there is a slight breeze you may even feel a little mist on your face.

When I brought my wife (then girlfriend) to Fontana Lounge it was a very romantic time on the patio. As an added bonus at the time the Bellagio Fountains were doing shows every 3-5 minutes. A show would finish the tubes would go under the water, we'd chat for a couple of minutes and they'd re-appear. We still have no clue as to why the multitude of shows but it was a perfect night. Looking back this would have been a great time and place to propose but alas I wasn't prepared. One year later I was prepared and shocked my lovely lady.

Luxor Las Vegas Inclinator Elevator

Before I do a review of the Luxor's hotel I thought I'd make a quick post regarding the elevators at the Luxor.

The Luxor as we know is a huge pyramid with hotel rooms throughout the pyramid. Instead of having an elevator shaft going right up the middle of the pyramid (which wouldn't look very good) the architects created inclinators. These inclinators are simply an elevator that goes up on an angle.

Being an Engineer I was curious to see how these inclinators worked and felt while riding. Sorry to disappoint everyone but these inclinators are actually kinda boring. Yes, boring. If you're really curious to take a ride all you need is a Luxor hotel room key. You don't need it to be working or anything you simply flash the card to the security person as you walk to the inclinator doors. Simple as that.

Best Way To Get Free Drinks In Vegas

When our friends go to Vegas one of the first questions they always ask us is do we have to gamble lots to get free drinks? Or where can we get free drinks? Which place gives out the most free drinks?
The answer to these questions is simple. No, Everywhere and All of them!

Do you have to gamble lots to get free drinks?

No. If you follow some simple guidelines getting free drinks is rather simple.

Where can we get free drinks?

You can get free drinks everywhere on the strip. Some people say that the 'fancy' hotels (Bellagio and Wynn) don't give out as many drinks. We've found this to be completely untrue.

Which places gives out the most free drinks?

We say all of them because if you follow the tips correctly they all give out free drinks quickly.

To get lots of free drinks simply walk into the casino and walk around as if you're looking for your 'lucky machine'. Meanwhile, you're figuring out the path that the waitress takes from the machines to the bar. You find a machine, preferable a 5 cent slot, near the path and place an amount of money in the machine.

Contrary to popular believe we've found that it doesn't matter the amount that you've placed into the machine you just need to look like you're playing ... or about to play. You then play at the machine, preferably talking to your friend the whole time, until your drink arrives. When it does give her a tip of some sort. I've found that if there is a group of you if you all give her a $1 then she knows that everytime she brings you a drink she'll make $5. Simple.

Note: If you plan to stick around at that area for a while give her a 'good' tip. Anything over $2 (again $5 is better) and say, "keep them coming" or something to that affect.

There you have it. It has worked at every casino in Las Vegas and we've never had to pay for a drink using this method. Do you have a different way of getting free drinks in Vegas?

Hotel Review Excalibur Las Vegas

As this is my first hotel review I thought I'd start the reviews in the order of the places I've stayed for each of my trips.

The Excalibur Hotel is one of the first 'resort type' hotels in Las Vegas. Although it is only a three star hotel it is one of the more prominent features on the strip as it is a BIG WHITE CASTLE!

Rooms

The hotel rooms are fairly sub-standard. They're dark because of the small windows in each room and fairly small. However, if you can get a view of the strip then your view is usually quite good as it'll be looking out at NewYork NewYork or MGM grand.

Theme

The theme of the Excalibur Hotel is the Medieval period meaning knights, castles, drawbridges, etc... The people who designed the Excalibur did are a very good job in keeping with the theme. It is portrayed throughout the entire hotel including the hotels featured show, The Knights of the Round Table.

Casino

The casino itself is what you'd kinda expect from Vegas if you went to Vegas only seeing movies from the 80 and 90's. ie: National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation (classic).

The poker room is a friendly, open concept poker room with some low limit Texas Hold'em action. The players are known as being fairly soft, therefore, the 'sharks' do visit the room. However, they usually stick to the no-limit or the 3/6 tables rather then the simply 2/4 tables. This is a great place for a beginner to cut their teeth as the dealers will be particularly helpful.

Overall

All in all the Excalibur is a slightly better then 3 star hotel. It definitely beats most three-star hotels in most cities around the US. However, in Vegas it's considered a lower-end hotel.

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Waterfalls at Parasol Up at Wynn Las Vegas is a Great Date

One of the times we went to Las Vegas we went and watched Avenue Q at the Wynn Las Vegas. (It was a really great show but is now discontinued. If you can find a place to watch the show we highly recommended it). Anyway, after the show we headed to the Wynn Las Vegas' restaurant / bar named Parasol Up.

Parasol Up is more of a bar then a restaurant wrapping around one of the curved escalators just outside the main casino area of the Wynn. I'd say it's a nice bar/lounge. Anyway, the view of the waterfalls outside is quite nice, especially in the evening. in the evening they have a light show, which is basically different colour lights that are beamed onto the waterfalls. It pails in comparison to the Bellagio fountain show, however, it is also much quieter and subtle.

To get a seat outside we simply walked up and asked to be seated outside. Our wait was about 15 minutes and were seated at the back of the patio... With obstructed views... So when people left we just moved forward. We were able to get a patio bench facing the waterfall. It's a really nice and romantic way to have a glass of wine.

Be warned though that you should dress a little nicer for Parasol Up and the Wynn in general. We found that your attire had a large effect on your service.

Anyway, once people left we just moved to their seats and

I Heart Las Vegas and The Superbowl!

As I'll be recapping some of my previous travels for the next month or so I thought i'd start with one of my favorite places to travel, Las Vegas.

Why do I love Las Vegas so much?

It's NOT because It's the city that never sleeps, although that is pretty cool. And NO it's NOT because I like to gamble. It's because it's a really cheap easy way to take a vacation.

Some of you are saying, "What? Vegas is NOT cheap!". Well, I beg to differ. If you can get a resonable flight to Vegas, get a great rate on a hotel room and not lose all your money gambling it can actually be a great price. I'm under the impression that I'd rather take 2 (or 3) mini-vacations rather then one 1-week vacation.

Anyway, I digress. I love Vegas because it's a great little 3-4 day vacation that can really clear your head. Vegas has been really good to me. Here's a great story from one of our trips to Vegas during the Superbowl....

Watching the Superbowl at the Mirage Sportsbook. We flew into Vegas on Superbowl Sunday and headed straight to Casino Royale for $1 Michelob then headed over to the Mirage Sportsbook. Found the lines on the game and decided to make a bet on the game and the spread. We walk up to the window and the guy in front had a bet of $800. The guy on our right had a WAD of $100's that he was counting out.

"Um, $5 on the SeaHawks and $5 on the over please"

We go find a spot to watch the game. While watching the game we start chatting to the people next to us.

"Who you cheering for?"

"Seahawks! you?"

"Steelers... I have $25K on them but don't tell my wife"

"Ummm, Go Steelers!"

WOW! ... needless to say we through our $5 away and started cheering for the Steelers.... who ended up winning. Phewwwf!

In the next few post I'll talk about places I've stayed (hotel reviews), things I've seen and shows I've been too.