First Trip to Vegas

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If, after first arriving at the casino, you sit down at a $50/hand blackjack table and lose 12 straight hands (with 19s and 20s, no less!), just grab your bags and head back to the airport, because the "best" thing that will happen to you the rest of the weekend will be when you're at a bar, you turn around carrying a round of drinks, get bumped, and spill one on a Playboy playmate's chest... (Although her bodyguards won't be thrilled about it...)

There used to be a great site with all sorts of inside information on Vegas called cheapovegas, supposedly written by a cab driver. Best buffets. Best shows. Best free stuff. Scams to avoid. I just checked and it looks like it’s now just another hotel booking site. Too bad. If anyone knows of something similar to cheapovegas, I’d be interested.

Given today's climate. I think its too early to plan everything. You don't know what will or won't be open. Post this like a week before you come

Depends on what you like to do for fun. Clearly there are plenty of options for gambling, regular clubs/bars/restaurants, strip clubs and escorts but there are other ways to have fun in Vegas as well.

If you like nature there are some beautiful places to visit like Antelope Canyon, the Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon. There's also always Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.

If you like unique museums I would suggest the Mob Museum and the Haunted Mansion. I've also heard good things about the Atomic Weapons Museum and the Neon Museum but I haven't been to either yet.

For essential Vegas sights to see I would say Fremont Street and the Volcano Show at Mirage but both are night time events so your existing plans may not allow you to do these. My Ex enjoyed the fountain show at the Bellagio and the gondola ride at the Venetian but

(where's that damned edit button when you accidentally hit post too soon)

My Ex enjoyed the fountain show at the Bellagio and the gondola ride at the Venetian but while the fountains were decent I wouldn't go out of my way to see it again and the gondola ride bored the hell out of me.

There are also some great and unique firing ranges around Vegas if you want to go shoot some cool guns.

I would recommend going to Sapphires and Rhino in the afternoon because they used to have great bottle specials during the day, reduced cover and a more chilled out less pressure atmosphere, at least that’s how they were before COVID.

Go to “Steak” inside Circus Circus for dinner. Don’t laugh, it’s an awesome old school steakhouse that’s on the top 10 list of the Robb Report. Probably the cheapest and also one of the best on the entire list.

And if Scores is still open (no clue, but it was in 2005), do NOT pass out in a room upstairs, after drinking hard for 23 hours. It will not be cheap.

If you have time to kill go down to Old Vegas and check it out. It’s fun to go down there and walk around exploring while drinking. It’s not a must, and if you’ve done it once you never need to do it again, but you should at least do it once.

Where are you staying?

The hotel/resort you select will largely determine how your visit goes. Restaurants. Pool. Gaming. Shows. Clubs. Odds are, you’ll just stick to that location out of convenience. Choose wisely.

Top hotels described:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cntrave…

what happens in vegas stays in a bad credit card debt.

Don't take a cab or an Uber to a strip club. The clubs have to pay spiffs (commissions) to them, and that translates into you and your buddies getting charged a LOT more for entry. Either call the club for a free limo pickup from you hotel, or rent a car. If the cars aren't crazy expensive (Hertz pricing is outrageous right now - others are more reasonable), rent a car so you can hit several places conveniently. If you drive, make sure you tell the window girl/greeter that you drove yourself. At Rhino, they'll probably take your word for it if you arrive early enough, at Sapphire, they'll radio out to the front to confirm. All bets are off on getting in for less if you get there when the places are busy and they can't be bothered with checking whether you got there by driving yourself.

On recommended things to do - I'm no expert but ICEE apparently is. In addition to clubs (obviously), check out the restaurants. There are some places that used to have food challenges where if you finish the challenge in a certain amount of time, your meal is free. Dunno how many of them are still doing them though during the Corona era. There are a ton of YouTube channels that recommend things to do. One that I like is Turn It Up World - a mixed couple that produces pretty high quality videos on them doing things in Vegas. They put out new videos pretty often.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. We're staying at an apartment right next to the airport (by the tropicana). Yeah, I'm definitely concerned about the covid situation - hopefully, things will still be open when we're there. Whodey, haha yeah I can see the gondolas being boring. Might be different in italy and enjoying the history but I would imagine that it would hit different in Vegas

During the day, go to the Sapphire Pool Party.

If I were to suggest places that are open now.


Downtown...

Atomic liquor....I think the best bar downtown.

Whiskey liquor up...hit waitresses. Views of fremont Street. Best Buffalo chicken sandwich I ever had. Great wings.

Tony romas....$12 steak and lobster. Best deal downtown.

Fremont hotel casino... $3 coronas. Cheapest place to get drinks on fremont.


Off the strip...

Casa Calavera....its the best dining experience off the strip. Great for groups.

Tacos tijuana... the best tacos in Vegas and cheap.

On the strip...

Yellowtail... I think the best restaurant in vegas and the best sushi I've ever had.

Chica... Great for drinks and appetizers

Avoid the hotel cafes. Most serve sub par food at high prices. And avoid fast food in touristy areas its more expensive.


I'd recommend day clubs to night clubs but I don't know if they'll still be open on a month coz they usually close during the fall.



Best advice for clubbing or the strip clubs.... if you get a cab or uber let them drop you off a building down or across the street. If the club asks say you took your own transportation to avoid paying the kickback they give drivers. In the club tell dancers you're locals. Dont act like tourists or you'll just be marks.

Strip clubs are a better deal than regular clubs if you want bottle service and all that.