Las Vegas continues to be a destination of choice for many roadtrippers, please use the poll above to share what time of year would be your choice for such a visitation.
Also, do you go for a specific event or just to kick back?
Thanks,
Mark
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Las Vegas continues to be a destination of choice for many roadtrippers, please use the poll above to share what time of year would be your choice for such a visitation.
Also, do you go for a specific event or just to kick back?
Thanks,
Mark
I usually do not have a specific activity planned for trips to Las Vegas -- I just like to experience the excitement of the city occasionally. Some past reasons have been weddings, and visiting friends. I've been once or twice (years ago) for racing events.
As always almost, my favorite times are Spring and Fall.
I love going to Vegas in early December, during the couple weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The weather's perfect, and even better, its the slowest time of the year for tourists. The same excitement, with fewer crowds, and most importantly great deals. Many hotels slash rates just to fill up the rooms and the casino. 2 years ago, I stayed Downtown, right on Freemont street for $6 a night, over a weekend! By far, the best deal I've ever gotten on a trip.
The resort industry has worked hard to elminate that soft spot in the calendar and the days of inexpensive lodging this time of year are long past. I am not sure you can find any motel on Fremont Street (or anywhere else in LV) for less than $35.00 per night and the average for "normal" motels is closer to $65.00 per night. The average for the better properties this time of year is $120. Plus with the activites of the National Finals Rodeo, the Billboard Music Awards and several new conventions, the traffic counts are still in the 25,000 visitor per weekend levels. More importantly for us locals, is that the nicest restaurants and shows don't have the once-traditional "dark" periods any more.Quote:
Originally Posted by imported_Midwesterner
Mark
I got those deals just two years ago, so I'm a little surprised that things have changed that fast. But if anyplace is going to dramatically change in two years, I suppose Vegas would be the place.
We used to go almost every spring vacation from 1983-1994. From what I have seen and heard, there are quite a few changes, many that I don't think I'd like. It used to be that you could really get a good deal on rooms, drinks, and food.
Does Slots of Fun still have those $1 jumbo dogs and 75 cent Coronas and Heinekins?
Deals still exist but the minimums have gone up.Quote:
Originally Posted by RoadDog
Where is Slots of Fun? I have never enjoyed cheap food -- I think you can find $1 Coronas and Heinekins but that would be about the lowest. Here are a few of our favorite things about this place.Quote:
Does Slots of Fun still have those $1 jumbo dogs and 75 cent Coronas and Heinekins?
Mark
Slots o Fun is right next to Circus Circus.
As of last spring, they still had the $1 1/2lb dogs, but the beers had "gone up" to $1 too.
While usually I'm a big fan of cheap and/or free food, the Slots Hot Dog might be the nastiest thing I've ever eaten - I think I could actually taste the hooves. I try to stick with the 99 cent Golden Gate Shimp Cocktail or the $1 Fried Twinkies and Fried Oreos at another little place on Freemont.
Yeah, I drove by it last night -- they still have the $1 dogs, and now that I have read your dining review, I am even less tempted!Quote:
Originally Posted by imported_Midwesterner
, Although not quite free, I did discover that the booze and wine on sale in the gift shop at the brand new South Coast Casino has the best prices we have ever found anywhere in Las Vegas -- go figure!Quote:
While usually I'm a big fan of cheap and/or free food
Megan really likes those $1 shrimp cocktails (I avoid shrimp) and the sheer volume of shrimp that is available on a daily basis in this berg boggles the mind!
Thanks for the news about those hoof-laden dogs.
Mark
when ISN'T it a good time to go to vegas? lol. i am in Los Angeles though, so it's easy for me!
Agreed, but we live here...Quote:
Originally Posted by thefotoguy
Mark
I think weather-wise, spring and fall would be the best times to go. I have been to Las Vegas twice, once in the winter and once in the spring. Neither time was I of legal gambling age.
The first time I went was shortly after Christmas of 1986. We drove up from L.A., and stayed at the Tropicana. So I guess I saw the "old Vegas" then (before they started building the huge new hotels). We drove up from L.A., and stayed at the Tropicana. I remember having fun at Circus Circus, and swimming in the indoor/outdoor pool at the Tropicana. Rather cool weather for swimming though!
The second time was in March of 1994, I believe. We toured the fancy new hotels like the Excalibur, Luxor, MGM Grand, Treasure Island, etc. Of course we went to that theme park at the MGM Grand, and to the medieval feast at the Excalibur. We visited The Sands and stayed at the Hacienda, both of which have since been torn down.
I love Las Vegas and oddly enough, I don't gamble. In fact, I've gambled exactly $3.50 in that city and won back all of it. I just did it because I wanted to say I gambled in Vegas.
Mostly, I love the city and the surrounding area and the easy drive to Arizona. Rental car prices were reasonable and hotel costs were average price I pay in most of the country.
I think my favorite visit was for the New Year holiday, 2000-2001. The weather there was gorgeous even though the rest of the country was frozen and many areas were having record snows, even in the South. The temperature in Las Vegas was about 60-75° the whole week we were there. Perfect. Only problem I had was at the airport. My flight was delayed, as were all the others, because of heavy snow storms in most of the nation. I think the delay was 3 to 4 hours. Even that wasn't terrible because there were lots of nice people to talk with and lots of stuff to do in the airport.
Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! Thanks for sharing your impressions of this place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexa
You were very lucky that year -- those were warm temps for that time of year -- it is usually closer to 45 to 65 degrees and we normally get a light dusting of snow that week.Quote:
I think my favorite visit was for the New Year holiday, 2000-2001. The weather there was gorgeous even though the rest of the country was frozen and many areas were having record snows, even in the South. The temperature in Las Vegas was about 60-75°
Mark
Quote:
Originally Posted by Editor
I would have loved to have a light dusting of snow! Being from the Deep South, I treasure each little snowflake I encounter.
Thanks for the kind welcome.
I did almost the same, except I managed to go to Vegas and not put a dime in a slot machine! In fact, on the morning I was due to fly out, I was determined to say I'd at least done that. So, with a pocket full of quarters, I set out to do that and could I find a machine that didn't take bills or tokens?! Could I, hell. I had to go through the airport detectors three times because I kept finding yet more coins in my pockets! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexa
i second the sentiment for anyone living in Los Angeles, going to vegas is always a randon occurence for me. but yeah i just dont like driving down there. lol. but yeah i usually tend to go during the summer cause thats when im most free as well as my friends.
Me too i was on a superbike race there last year - awesome!Quote:
Originally Posted by Arizona Bob
I voted Spring and Fall.
This thread my be dead, but just in case, we flew in to Vegas in November and rented a motorhome to check-out the sites close to Vegas. We visited the Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion, which are unreal. I would advise anyone going to take 3+days and do the same.
We wanted to see Death Valley, but there was an early snow and was restricted.
We live in Scotland and "found" Las Vegas 12years ago. Now that we are retired we make an attempt to visit every year. In fact we are addicted, not to gambling, but the 5* hotels. There is no other place on Earth that can give you the opulence of a 5 star hotel for as little as $140 a night. Last October it was the Palazzo for that price and we also got a $30 a day food allowance thrown in. Ten years ago we were happy to pay that for Ceasars Palace so prices have not really risen much. After our trip from Scotland jet lag gets us up at 6am and after a twenty minute walk we were at the Bellagio for their breakfast at 7am. $16 each with as much good food as one can eat. ( "Bad for you" food as well if you are that way inclined) Fillet steak and egg for breakfast. If you have never been to this buffet try it. After breakfast we walk slowly back "home" through all the casinos just people watching and sometimes wasting a few dollars in a machine. Evening we spend in the piano bar nursing a drink. Drinks in bars are so expensive we sometimes take a break at a machine and ask for a malt scotch when the waitress appears. $2 instead of $12. Next visit is going to be June and July. Hot I know but it will be the start and end of a road trip through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. You guys have such a great country. :O) Looking at the worst snow St. Andrews has ever had and wishing I was somewhere else! See you soon Las Vegas.
Upon your next visit, you ought to check out the M Resort -- St. Rose Parkway and Las Vegas Blvd. lots of beautiful wood treatments in the hotel -- and actual windows so you can see the beautiful mountains from the casino floor!
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for that. Never heard of it but checked it out on line and it is a definite possibility for next summer.
Cheers, Dave
I agree. Spring is the best time to head out to Vegas. Lots of cheap food and drinks to go around. Weather is also just perfect for me.
Old post but it may revive so thought I would comment
We just came back from spending a day and two nights there .This was truly one of the biggest let downs we have ever experienced
We made resverations by phone and the cheapest we could get was 90.00 a night with what was to be the resort fee waived.
We arrive in the after noon and there is a line of 50 plus people at the hotel. We thought having already prepaid would help it didn't and hour latter and finally I get to the clerk. Now the arguemnet starts over the resort fees pay them which have gone up an another 3 dollars a night pay it or not stay
We go out to the casino and several more over the day and two nights and the town is dead. We did not see more than 50 people in a casino and in places no more than 5 or 6
We were really surprised how dead the town was.
Our plans had been to stay 3 or 4 days and nights .We left the morning of the second day
The few we saw playing in the casinos were not playing more than a few pennies .
We love casinos if nothing more just to walk around in and look at the different machines and design work in them and surprised to see a lot of old machines that no longerexist in casinos in other states
It seems that the casinos there are using some misleading info to lure you in such as a voucher for free play for staying,you get the same voucher if you saty or not with a card. Th eother is the free internet well it is but only for 8 hours. If you turn it on at 8 in the morning and leave it on till 8 that night that is 12 hours ,you then only get 4 more hours after midnight that night or if left on for 16 hours then after midnight or any further use is extra. If you only spend a day and a night then you will owe when you leave if iver the 8 hours. I do not think turning off counts you have to disconnect to stop the meter from running
If you do not go a lot then suggest really be care of what you are told and if not in writing do not believe and then only believe half if it is
What casino hotel were you staying in?
Your experience certainly differs from mine! I live and work in Las Vegas and I can tell you that the Strip was packed this last weekend. The MinEXPO was in town and, as a result, lots of money flowing around the city.
The city was as lively as any time I've seen it recently, so your field report really has me scratching my head. Sorry you didn't have a better time!
Mark
Usually we only stay in Vegas on the way to or from a national park. I've been there near New Years (not doing that again) and twice last year in the summer. New Years is far too crowded for my liking.
Because their promotions are so cheap, I'm making the rounds at the Station hotels. The reviews on yelp and some other sites looked pretty scary, but our $17-per night stay at Fiesta Station in Henderson last year was actually OK (especially for the price). Not only was it 109 degrees the August day we stayed, but the winds were also gusting around 30 mph. We got naturally blow-dried rather quickly after getting out of the pool.
Our stay at the Alliante Station was decent for the $69-per night charge, also. Newer facilities and a more comfortable room made it worth the extra cost for a 3 1/2 to 4 star hotel.
Next month I plan to try Boulder Station because they have rooms around $20 per night (not including the $12.99-per night "resort fee"). We're not going there for the ambience, after all, and it's close enough to the Valley of Fire State Park. We'll see if being so cheap (i.e. keeping a budget of $100 for a family of four for 2 nights and 8 breakfast buffets) pays off or if we end up getting only what we paid for.
I think late spring will be best for visiting Las Vegas because the desert wildflowers are in bloom, but I'll see how mid-autumn works out.
Hey guys, what do you think about going in August? Because I found a pretty good hotel deal and I want to take it to be honest. I am just worried that it would be too hot...
Hello Louis and welcome to the RTA forums !
It's gonna be hot outside, no doubt about it ! There is a lot to see and do in the comfort of the air conditioned hotels through the day though.
Yes, in August it will be hot. But everything is air conditioned except maybe some of the public transportation. Every place has an outdoor pool, and some of them have indoor pools. Our one and only 3-night stay in Las Vegas was in August!
Donna