Las Vegas Vacation Blog Blog

Now a website exists that makes it easy to find and identity where to go and what to do with kids while in Las Vegas. Created by Las Vegas Retreats, Vegas Vacation Village lists most major and minor activities that a great for kids. Along with listings for shows, tours, excursions, and other good kids stuff, you’ll find information about what makes each item kid worthy and general reviews as well.

Featured in the Frommers Travel Guides “Alternative Las Vegas” and “Las Vegas with Kids”, Las Vegas Retreats also boasts an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau. Additionally, the company was listed as a “Top Ten” choice for alternative lodging by the Los Angeles Times.

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NO. I visit a casino/hotel just like you. I check in just like you. I pay for my room just like you. I eat in the same restaurants. I don’t get any special treatment, and the casino/hotels don’t know that I’m coming for an “inspection.” As far as they are concerned, I’m just another visitor. And I am. I just share my experiences on the Internet with as many people as possible.

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What is Earth Hour?  It is an event where participants around the world turn off their lights for one hour in order to bring attention to the problem of climate change, and to demonstrate action and commitment to finding solutions.

Organized by the World Wildlife Fund, they initially asked Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., of Las Vegas to participate.  Harrah’s kept the ball rolling and their enthusiasm caught on in a big way.  Now, Las Vegas is an Earth Hour 2009 flagship city, one of 10 flagship cities.  This year over 2500 cities in 82 countries, literally hundreds of millions of people, will be participating in Earth Hour.  Truly a historic event.  Happening on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. local time.

Harrah’s properties, which include Caesars’s Palace, the Flamigo, and the Rio, among others, in Las Vegas will turn off their marquees, along with their lights, in observance of Earth Hour.  MGM Mirage and their extensive Strip properties will also follow suit.  Four of the most iconic symbols of the Las Vegas Strip, the Volcano at the Mirage, the Fountains at the Bellagio, the Luxor Beam, and the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign will be dark.

Other Strip area properties participating include the Venetian, the Wynn, Planet Hollywood, TI, the Stratosphere, the Riviera, the Palms, the Sahara, the Tropicana, the Hard Rock, the Four Seasons, the Las Vegas Hilton, Hooters, and the Gold Coast.  Off-Strip properties participating include Eastside Cannery, Arizona Charlies, J.W. Marriott, the Orleans, Sam’s Town, and the Suncoast.  Downtown Fremont will show their solidarity by showing a 3 minute video on Viva Vision, the largest television in the world, about Earth Hour, and having a countdown before going dark.  Non-gaming participants include local businesses, local government, and the planned community of Summerlin.

Really, anyone can and should participate if possible.  Simply turn off your own house lights and spend time with family and neighbors. If you do have to go out, here is a list of some things planned around the valley:

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Credit Insurance is a must!

On a vacation in the desert you’ll need a lot of water. It seems that every business on the Strip is trying to take advantage of that. Hotels and casinos have their own branded bottled water which costs $3 for a small bottle.

Avoid paying such prices by knowing where to find a local drugstore. There are two places along the Strip: a drugstore across the street from the Sturdust hotel on the northern end and a drugstore near the MGM Grand. If you are in Downtown Las Vegas, there is a drugstore near the entrance to the Fremont Street Experience.

If traveling around the strip, walking is a reasonable option as hotel-casinos are found close to each other. In fact in most cases, at least two hotels are connected to each other either by bridge or underground or in the case of Excalibur, Luxor and Malanday Bay, by a complimentary rail shuttle. Be aware that during the summer, the oppressive heat during the daylight hours may make walking a very uncomfortable activity. So if you don’t feel like walking or are staying at a hotel off the strip or better yet renting a home in Las Vegas here are some options:

he Las Vegas Monorail [11], +1 702 699-8200, runs on the east side of the strip with stops behind several of the hotels and at the Las Vegas Convention Center [12]. It costs $5 one-way, $9 return and $15 for a one-day pass. Do the math before boarding, it could be cheaper for a small group to take a taxi. Because the monorail stops at the back entrance of the hotels, it takes a long time to wind through the maze of casinos, often taking 30 minutes to an hour to get from one point to another on the Strip - if you’re in a hurry take a taxi.

Taxi

One of the easiest ways to get around is by taxi. It is relatively cheap to go from hotel to hotel. The cab driver is required to turn on the meter and to take the shortest route to your destination. There is a surcharge for rides originating at the airport, but not for extra passengers. Taxi lines (queues) are typically found at the front of hotels. You would be unwise to attempt to hail one on the street, especially on the Strip as it is illegal for a cab to stop traffic to pick up or drop off a passenger. The best way to hail a cab outside of a cabstand is to use the following method: if you are wanting to go north on the strip, stand on the east side about 20 feet before a turn off. The cab you want to wave over will have the yellow lights off. Standing like this allows the cab to turn off the road and pick you up. It is customary to tip the hotel taxi dispatcher $1 or more; tip the cab driver at least 15% of the meter, and about $1 per piece of luggage.

Renting a Car in Las Vegas

Renting a car at McCarran International Airport is fairly cheap and popular. The opening of the new rental car facility has increased the wait time to get your car. All the rental agencies are now located under a single roof and all use the same shuttle from the airport to the facility. There have been reports of an extra 30 min increase in the time it takes to pick up and/or drop off your vehicle, so please add this to any arrival and departure times so you won’t be late for anything important. Expect to pay about 50% more for your car rental due to recent tax increases.

Illusionists Siegfried and Roy gave a “final” performance Saturday in Las Vegas, one that included a surprise guest star: Montecore, the white tiger whose mauling of Roy Horn in 2003 effectively ended the duo’s career.

According to an Associated Press story, the duo performed a trick that placed Siegfried in a cage that was briefly covered in drapes. When Roy removed the drapes seconds later, Horn appeared on the other side of the stage, and in the cage stood Montecore.

The performance, at the Bellagio hotel and casino, was part of a benefit for the soon-to-open Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The two have not performed at The Mirage, the site of their 13-year run in Las Vegas, since Roy’s mauling.

The Bellagio performance will air Friday in a one-hour special on ABC-TV’s ” 20/20.”

The city of Las Vegas and all its vistitors will miss this great duo. Which las vegas shows compare to them?

Do you mind mid 70s weather? I didn’t think so.

Right now, as you can see on the Las Vegas weather forecast here it is just very that weather in Las Vegas, making it an ideal time to take your Las Vegas vacation.

While you’re out there don’t remember to consider renting a home instead of the hotel stay, it is a much better experience.

Bright lights, fun, games, big shows. It’s hard not to find something to make a vacation visit enjoyable in Las Vegas.

And with the economy cutting into attendance these days, the resorts and casinos are working a little harder to keep people coming, making it easier to find package deals and lower rates that will stretch your travel budget. Just remember, like the song says: You gotta shop around.

Start out by getting acquainted with the city at the official tourism web site - which offers to tell you all about places to stay and play. And they display “Special Offers” right up front, linking you to a page where you can search by date and section of the city. Back on the main page, click on “Play” to search schedules of shows (Jay Leno is at the Mirage, two dates only, in late March, and Bette Midler is at Caesars Palace in late March and early April). You can also check out sports events. “Play” also gets you to a searchable directory of all the casinos in town. Read it all..

Customer service positions are historically low-paying jobs and Las Vegas is no exception. The people you interact with count on tips for a decent living so don’t forget them while you’re on your trip. They often get stiffed or are treated rudely when people take their lousy luck out on them. I generally tip as follows:

* At the Craps table: When the shooter’s point is a six or eight I’ll occasionally throw a dollar chip down on the layout and say “Hard six for the boys” or “Hard eight for the boys”. It’s a dollar bet that pays $10 if the next six or eight is thrown “the hard ways” (as doubles) and it’s a way to not only tip the dealers but get them into the action. (Note that if the number your hard bet is on is shot easy, i.e. not as doubles, the dealers don’t get the dollar, the house does, but the dealers still appreciate your getting them in the action.) Another way to get the dealers in on the action is to place a chip next to your chip(s) on the Pass Line. This is a Pass Line bet for the dealers. When you do this, the stickman will often say “Dealers on the line”. (I usually do this when it’s my turn to shoot the dice.) Another alternative is to simply throw about 5% to 10% of any winnings down on the layout “for the boys” as an out-right tip when you’re ending your session.

* At the Blackjack table: I tip the dealer a buck or two out-right (when playing $5 or $10 hands) if they deal me a “natural” (ace and a ten-value card). If the dealer has been dealing me a good percentage of winning hands I’ll occasionally place a $5 chip on the layout between my bet and the dealer. This is a bet for the dealer getting them into the action. You can also do the “end of session” 5% to 10% thing mentioned above.

* If you like playing the slots, ask the slot attendants (located in the center of a large carousel of machines) or roving change attendants which machines are “loose”. They’re around those machines all day and have no problem helping you get some of the boss’ money. But be sure to tip them if you walk away a winner.

* Cocktail Waitresses: Drinks are free while you’re gambling. I usually give the cocktail waitress a $1 chip or $1 slot coin each time she brings me a drink.

* Shuttle bus drivers: The standard for airport shuttle bus drivers is $1 or $2 a bag.

Tipping drivers of the free shuttles which run between hotels is at your discretion. They often have a cup near the front of the bus for the tips but I usually hand $1 to them directly.

The shuttle bus drivers for the various off-Strip activities will often return you directly to your hotel rather than to the central pick-up point so tipping them for this time-saving service would be appropriate also.

* Bellman: $1 to $2 a bag is the norm.

* Maid: I leave a $5 tip each day, mainly because I shower each day and that involves extra effort on the maid’s part. Some guides say to leave one large tip at the end of your stay but I feel this is unfair. You may have several different maids during your stay due to their work schedules and assignments, and your tip could go to someone who didn’t touch your room while you were there. Plus doesn’t it make more sense to reap any benefits of your generosity (such as extra towels, etc.) while you’re still there ?

* Room Service: $3 to $5 depending on how fast I get my order. Either write “Tip=$5.” on the room check or they’ll gladly take a chip from the hotel’s casino.

* Buffet waiters/waitresses: The buffets usually have waiters or waitresses bring you your drinks, and refills are no problem. I tip $2 to $5 depending on how attentive they are.

* Don’t try and hail a cab in front of a hotel/casino. The cabbies will only respond to doormen. Get your cab through them and tip them a buck or two (more for more people).

* Cabbies: 15% is the normal rate but you may want to add a couple bucks if you ask for advice on a good place to play or eat.

* If you’re driving, valet parking attendants usually get $1 to $3 depending on how fast they are.

* If you’re taking a commercial (non-charter) flight and things are so busy at the ticket counter that a sky-cap takes care of checking your bags at the curb, tip them a couple bucks per bag for speeding you to your gate.

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Check-out time at most hotels is noon. However, most offer a “late check-out” option for a price. If your flight doesn’t leave until the evening, using this late check-out option can give you another all-nighter at the tables or another day of sunning out by the pool. Simply ask a front desk clerk for check-out times and costs.

If you have a players card for the hotel because you were getting your play rated, ask about getting this late check-out as a comp.