| A trip to Las Vegas can be a great travel bargain. It is a city where one can get a lot for a little as my recent trip with my family can attest. This city is a favorite destination of ours because it is easy to travel upscale for wholesale. Affordable opulence is how I refer to these visits to our desert mecca.
In September of 2011, my family of four left Providence and flew non-stop to Las Vegas on Southwest Airlines for the price of one ticket which was less than $300. Three tickets were gratis because of frequent flyer points garnered from a easy to accumulate Southwest credit card rewards program. Our hotel of choice for this trip was Aria Resort and Casino a property of the MGMMirage corporation. This hotel is only 2 years old and it is centrally located on the famous Las Vegas Strip. The cost of each room was a paltry $79 per night. This price was secured by an internet offer received when I joined their player's club.
  The Aria hotel houses over three thousand rooms and suites. It is a visually stunning property. It looms majestically over the south strip. It is part of a collection of properties called City Center. City Center includes the Cosmopolitan Hotel, The Vdara Hotel, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, along with private condos and an upscale shopping district called Crystals. Our room was furnished with an over sized King bed with a view overlooking the strip. The room also included two televisions, draperies, central lighting, all controlled by an easy to use remote controlled room unit. We just pressed a button and the television tuned in to one of a hundred channels, the lights rose and dimmed, and the draperies opened and closed all at will. All for $79 per night. This is why we love Vegas. 
The pools, yes there are four pools on this property, are spacious and are meticulously maintained by an attentive staff. The Las Vegas sun is extremely hot so, needless to say, a lot of sunscreen was applied. We continually waded into the crystal clear water which provided ample relief from the sweltering sun. There is also a fitness center which we visited daily. It had all the latest workout equipment and a personal trainer at your disposal.
Our daily routine consisted of a sumptuous breakfast at Aria's sterling buffet. This is a buffet where for $13 one can dive into a true gourmet experience. It included a cook-to-order omelet station, home made pastries, every breakfast meat you can imagine, even rib-eye steaks along with too many other items to describe adequately. Every choice was fresh and plentiful. Our servers were attentive and prompt. Coffee, espresso, latte, and juices were always delivered with a smile.
After waddling out of the buffet, it was pool time. It was best to get there early to ensure a prime spot near our favorite pool's edge. It was easier to take a dip when it got too hot. The morning was better for us because of the crowd and the heat.
Next, we were off to the fitness center to burn off a few of the morning's massive caloric intake. Did I mention that the fitness center supplied headphones, fluffy towels, an array of fruit, and the most refreshing lemon infused ice-cold water I've ever tasted! Remember this was for $79 per night :).
After an afternoon shower in a bathroom that was spa-like, it was off to explore the various hotels on the strip which are a show in themselves. Every hotel is a different sensory experience. The Bellagio has its fountains, the Mirage has its volcano, the MGM its lions, Treasure Island has its pirate show. We also visited the Venetian Hotel and Casino complex. This is the largest hotel in the world with over 7000 rooms and suites. Nothing in Vegas is understated or subtle, but that is its allure for us.
Each evening was occupied by trying to decide in which gourmet chef's restaurant to dine. Emeril Lagasse, Thomas Keller, Mario Batali, Kerry Simon, Bobby Flay, Marc LoRusso, just to name a few, own and operate restaurants in this city which has become a foodie's paradise. We particularly enjoyed a restaurant called Botero located in Steve Wynn's property, Encore. We came to know Chef Marc LoRusso because of our frequent visits and he always takes care of us. Let me mention that this chef is a James Beard award winner and his dishes are inventive and delectable . We dined there for a combination of my wife's birthday and our anniversary. The frozen chocolate ganache candy bar and marshmallow filled doughnuts for dessert were absolutely "life altering".
A lounge show at the Palms on a Monday night at 10:30 is always a must for us. Tickets for a group of world class musicians called Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns, a group voted the "best band in Las Vegas" numerous times, are only $7. Another great Las Vegas bargain. These guys jam every Monday night. They get together to play tunes that speak to them, because most of them are musicians for headline strip entertainers like Celine Dion, Barry Manilow, Tom Jones, Bette Midler, and others. Monday nights are their time to kick back and do their own thing.. The result is musical magic.
My family always has a great time in Las Vegas and you can too. Just be flexible with your travel dates, and join the player's club at the different properties. You can go upscale for wholesale too!
Bio: My name is Shane McCormick. I am the owner of NationalRVParks.com. I'm in my late 20's and I enjoy travel. I write about my various travel experiences. I offer tips and hints about my travel destinations.
Shane recently interviewed me for his own blog, if you want to find out more about me:http://nationalrvparks.com/
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Showing posts with label Las Vegas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Las Vegas. Show all posts
Friday, November 25, 2011
Guest Post: Las Vegas, NV
This is a guest post from a Shane at NationalRVParks.com about affordable Las Vegas!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Construction in Las Vegas
Anyone who has been to Las Vegas knows that there is often construction going on. There is always a new something being built. But with the recent economic meltdown several of the new construction projects have been brought to a halt.
On my last trip to Las Vegas the economic problems were very evident by the half built Fountainebleau on the Strip. This website shows the beauty that Founainebleau was supposed to be. But if you check out the wikipedia page you get a slightly better idea of how it looks. The tower is mostly finished from the outside, but the rest of the "resort" has no outside, just lots of contrete. The cranes are even still in place, which is bizaar. Isn't anyone looking for their cranes? And a crane on the top of a building, that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
But there are other projects that have been abandoned, but at earlier stages. There was another city center type of property being built, the frame of some of that has been built and is just standing there. I remember when I was there in 2008 that project had started, now it's a bunch of cement.
But all these abondoned construction projects are a little depressing. People go to Las Vegas for a break from their lives and problems, but now it feels like there is a constant reminder just staring at you as you drive down Las Vegas Blvd.
On my last trip to Las Vegas the economic problems were very evident by the half built Fountainebleau on the Strip. This website shows the beauty that Founainebleau was supposed to be. But if you check out the wikipedia page you get a slightly better idea of how it looks. The tower is mostly finished from the outside, but the rest of the "resort" has no outside, just lots of contrete. The cranes are even still in place, which is bizaar. Isn't anyone looking for their cranes? And a crane on the top of a building, that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
But there are other projects that have been abandoned, but at earlier stages. There was another city center type of property being built, the frame of some of that has been built and is just standing there. I remember when I was there in 2008 that project had started, now it's a bunch of cement.
But all these abondoned construction projects are a little depressing. People go to Las Vegas for a break from their lives and problems, but now it feels like there is a constant reminder just staring at you as you drive down Las Vegas Blvd.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Back from Las Vegas
Last week I was in Las Vegas with my sister, Kelly, and her family and her husband's family (this is not the sister I went to Disney with). I have taken this trip several times in the past. It's always a nice trip, but not a great trip. This trip fell into the same category as the rest. It's funny, everyone keeps going on the trip, yet no one seems to love it. But it's cheap for my family so I guess that's a big part of it.
Here is a profile of the trip: We stay at the Hilton Grand Vacations on the strip in 2 - 2 or 3 bedroom suites. We go to the pool in the morning, do an activity with the kids in the afternoon and go out for lunch. We have dinner out with the whole group (11 of us) to a child friendly restaurant. We'll usually see 1 show during the trip. After dinner most of the adults go out gambling for a few hours, the Dad's stay out later then the rest of us girls.
What I like about the trip: it's pretty relaxing. I have very little control over what we do, I just choose if there is something I want to or don't want to do. Mostly, I just go with the flow and that's nice. I enjoy relaxing by the pool with a drink and a book, chatting and watching the kids in the pool. I also like exploring Vegas. Since I have been there a few times I know the layout fairly well and have seen most of the casinos/resorts/hotels. But there is always something new there and there are plenty of things I haven't done there. But, I do sometimes have to make and find opportunities.
What I don't like: It's a little over indulgent of the kids. The afternoons often consist of trips to game rooms. There's so much there to do that has a little more substance to it, but they seem to end up in game rooms everyday and sometimes more then 1 in a day. And the game rooms aren't cheap. I'm just glad I don't have to bank roll a kid on one of these trips! Gambling, I'm not a big gambler and at night it's all about gambling. I'll go out a few nights and play some blackjack but it seems if I don't feel like going out that there is something wrong with me and I don't like that feeling. I don't think that it helps on this trip that my body was totally on the wrong hourly schedule to be gambling at night and I never adjusted. On this trip I was a little frustrated with the eating arrangements. Due to the surgery I had in July I'm a bit restricted on what I can eat - I can't use my front teeth so am forced to eat food on the softer side and I didn't feel like anyone other then my mother took that into consideration when choosing restaurants.
But in the end it was a nice vacation, I got to see a Cirque Du Soliel show which was on my things to do in Vegas list.
Here is a profile of the trip: We stay at the Hilton Grand Vacations on the strip in 2 - 2 or 3 bedroom suites. We go to the pool in the morning, do an activity with the kids in the afternoon and go out for lunch. We have dinner out with the whole group (11 of us) to a child friendly restaurant. We'll usually see 1 show during the trip. After dinner most of the adults go out gambling for a few hours, the Dad's stay out later then the rest of us girls.
What I like about the trip: it's pretty relaxing. I have very little control over what we do, I just choose if there is something I want to or don't want to do. Mostly, I just go with the flow and that's nice. I enjoy relaxing by the pool with a drink and a book, chatting and watching the kids in the pool. I also like exploring Vegas. Since I have been there a few times I know the layout fairly well and have seen most of the casinos/resorts/hotels. But there is always something new there and there are plenty of things I haven't done there. But, I do sometimes have to make and find opportunities.
What I don't like: It's a little over indulgent of the kids. The afternoons often consist of trips to game rooms. There's so much there to do that has a little more substance to it, but they seem to end up in game rooms everyday and sometimes more then 1 in a day. And the game rooms aren't cheap. I'm just glad I don't have to bank roll a kid on one of these trips! Gambling, I'm not a big gambler and at night it's all about gambling. I'll go out a few nights and play some blackjack but it seems if I don't feel like going out that there is something wrong with me and I don't like that feeling. I don't think that it helps on this trip that my body was totally on the wrong hourly schedule to be gambling at night and I never adjusted. On this trip I was a little frustrated with the eating arrangements. Due to the surgery I had in July I'm a bit restricted on what I can eat - I can't use my front teeth so am forced to eat food on the softer side and I didn't feel like anyone other then my mother took that into consideration when choosing restaurants.
But in the end it was a nice vacation, I got to see a Cirque Du Soliel show which was on my things to do in Vegas list.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Photo of the Week: Las Vegas
This is an oldie, but a goody. The volcano at the Mirage in Las Vegas, don't be confused by Treasure Island in the background. I took this back in 2002 with my first digital camera on my first trip to Las Vegas. I haven't gone to see the volcano erupt on any subsequent trips to Las Vegas though.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Photo of the Week: Las Vegas at night
Las Vegas at night, taken from the top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris, the hotel, not the city.
Why I like this photo? I learned about shutter speed a week or so before this trip and this is the result. This is one of those pictures that was a new learning experience and it's a great picture of the strip.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Hofbrauhaus
I've actually been to 3 Hofbrauhauses - Munich, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh. They're all a little different, though I've had very different experiences at each. Munich is my favorite.
How can you not love the Hofbrauhaus in Munich? The place has real live German's in it, what's not to like? But I also like that the place is hundreds of years old and although it attracts lots of tourists, it's still a place that locals go to. I'm sure the Hofbrauhaus people hate this, but I also like the painted
ceilings. In the 1930's when the Nazi's were coming and in power they often used the Hofbrauhaus and they painted the ceilings with swastikas. After the war they tried to paint over them, but the red kept bleeding through. They ended up painting designs around them. What I like about this is that it's there if you look, but it's not so apparent that you feel its presence when you're there. The ceiling was recreated at the Las Vegas restaurant, but not at the one in Pittsburgh, which was a disappointment to me. But in Munich, the food was good, the beer was good and the atmosphere fun and energetic.
I've been to the Las Vegas restaurant twice, but I've always gone for lunch with my family. It's not terribly lively there at lunch time, but it's a good place for a big group. The food is good, but I LOVE the pretzels there. I guess I should get my butt there one day for dinner. My brother-in-law who is more of a foody then I am and has been there more recently didn't seem terribly impressed with the food the last time he was there.
Pittsburgh, I've only been there once but enjoyed it. It's a large restaurant and it has a quiet room incase you want the food and not the band. It also has a patio/beirgarten, there was a gravely flooring here so leave the cute heels at home. I thougth the food was good not great, but the band was good. The pretzels were not the same as the ones in Las Vegas or Munich and weren't as good. My biggest disappointment was in the design. From the outside it has the HB look, but inside it doesn't have the contoured ceilings or the designs on them. It felt like they cut a lot of corner and made it more like a "Western" beer hall instead of it's older German sister.
How can you not love the Hofbrauhaus in Munich? The place has real live German's in it, what's not to like? But I also like that the place is hundreds of years old and although it attracts lots of tourists, it's still a place that locals go to. I'm sure the Hofbrauhaus people hate this, but I also like the painted
ceilings. In the 1930's when the Nazi's were coming and in power they often used the Hofbrauhaus and they painted the ceilings with swastikas. After the war they tried to paint over them, but the red kept bleeding through. They ended up painting designs around them. What I like about this is that it's there if you look, but it's not so apparent that you feel its presence when you're there. The ceiling was recreated at the Las Vegas restaurant, but not at the one in Pittsburgh, which was a disappointment to me. But in Munich, the food was good, the beer was good and the atmosphere fun and energetic.
I've been to the Las Vegas restaurant twice, but I've always gone for lunch with my family. It's not terribly lively there at lunch time, but it's a good place for a big group. The food is good, but I LOVE the pretzels there. I guess I should get my butt there one day for dinner. My brother-in-law who is more of a foody then I am and has been there more recently didn't seem terribly impressed with the food the last time he was there.
Pittsburgh, I've only been there once but enjoyed it. It's a large restaurant and it has a quiet room incase you want the food and not the band. It also has a patio/beirgarten, there was a gravely flooring here so leave the cute heels at home. I thougth the food was good not great, but the band was good. The pretzels were not the same as the ones in Las Vegas or Munich and weren't as good. My biggest disappointment was in the design. From the outside it has the HB look, but inside it doesn't have the contoured ceilings or the designs on them. It felt like they cut a lot of corner and made it more like a "Western" beer hall instead of it's older German sister.
Monday, August 3, 2009
California Highlights part 2
I was up around 6am to get ready and get to the Hotel where the tour would leave. When I arrived I found out I was early. I had to wait a bit to meet the Tour Manager, Dan, who sent me with coupons to get some breakfast. After breakfast I got on the bus and met Ty, who was still drunk from the night before and a couple other people. Apparently a bunch of people had stayed out all night, so I knew this was going to be a good tour!
Las Vegas was the end of the tour for those doing Western Highlights, and the beginning for those of us doing the California Highlights. In honor of us everyone had to do introductions then Dan played the day song - Around the World by Red Hot Chili Peppers. While we were on our way to Yosemite I got to see the worlds largest thermometer and windmills designed to generate electricity, which I think look kinda cool. After 2 or so hours of driving we had our first stop at an outlet center, I did some shopping (bought some sandals) and had lunch at In N Out Burger, a good opportunity to get to know people on the tour.
After that we were back on the bus and on the way to Yosemite. Our hotel for the next two nights would be Chalets on Bass Lake. The Chalets were cool, each had a kitchen and living room on the main floor, an upstairs loft and downstairs was a bedroom with two beds and a bathroom. The only drawback was that there was 4 to a Chalet so you had to juggle 4 people into the bathroom in the morning to get ready.
When we got in we had dinner at the hotel, another opportunity to get to know people. After dinner we hit the bar for drinks.
Las Vegas was the end of the tour for those doing Western Highlights, and the beginning for those of us doing the California Highlights. In honor of us everyone had to do introductions then Dan played the day song - Around the World by Red Hot Chili Peppers. While we were on our way to Yosemite I got to see the worlds largest thermometer and windmills designed to generate electricity, which I think look kinda cool. After 2 or so hours of driving we had our first stop at an outlet center, I did some shopping (bought some sandals) and had lunch at In N Out Burger, a good opportunity to get to know people on the tour.
After that we were back on the bus and on the way to Yosemite. Our hotel for the next two nights would be Chalets on Bass Lake. The Chalets were cool, each had a kitchen and living room on the main floor, an upstairs loft and downstairs was a bedroom with two beds and a bathroom. The only drawback was that there was 4 to a Chalet so you had to juggle 4 people into the bathroom in the morning to get ready.
When we got in we had dinner at the hotel, another opportunity to get to know people. After dinner we hit the bar for drinks.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Going back in time - California Highlights
I currently have a website that I had posted travelblogs about my past contiki trips. This winter I have to renew the domain name and extend my service for the webspace. For a variety or reasons I don't think I'm going to do that. However, there is tons of information that I spent a LOT of time on in the past writing up. I've decided that I'm going to add those blogs here as a place to store them for posterity and enjoyment. I'm going to start with my California Highlights trip - Las Vegas, Yosemite, San Fran, Santa Barbara and LA. This is the shortest travelogue with the least depth, but my notes from the trip were lacking so it was the best I could do when I was writing it 3 years later.
So here will be my first post from the that trip....
Prior to my tour I had a day in Vegas, this was pretty cool since it was my first time in Vegas. Too bad I was alone. I flew in around 10am and quickly made my way to the MGM Grand. I had decided to stay at a big Vegas casino since it was my first time there. The MGM Grand was very nice and HUGE. After checking in I explored the MGM Grand, figured out that the hotel where the tour left from was too far to walk, and headed to see Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, and New York New York. Mandalay Bay was nice, but I ended up walking forever to NOT see the beach or go in the shark reef, then had to walk back. I thought Luxor and New York New York were great themes. I took the roller coaster at New York New York, it was around $15 and only worth it since I wouldn't have to do it again, ever. I've been on much better roller coasters. I had trouble getting out of Excalibur, which was annoying.
After that I took a nap since I had a cold and I had been up early in the morning. When I got up I trekked up the other end of the strip. I stopped in Bellagio, very nice! I stopped to watch the water show, which was neat. Then I took the tram between Mirage and TI (Treasure Island). Then I had dinner at TI and watched the pirate show which was entertaining. After that I headed back to the MGM Grand, finally getting to see the Volcano at Mirage. My last stop was a slot machine at the MGM Grand where I made $20! I was in bed around midnight.
So here will be my first post from the that trip....
Prior to my tour I had a day in Vegas, this was pretty cool since it was my first time in Vegas. Too bad I was alone. I flew in around 10am and quickly made my way to the MGM Grand. I had decided to stay at a big Vegas casino since it was my first time there. The MGM Grand was very nice and HUGE. After checking in I explored the MGM Grand, figured out that the hotel where the tour left from was too far to walk, and headed to see Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, and New York New York. Mandalay Bay was nice, but I ended up walking forever to NOT see the beach or go in the shark reef, then had to walk back. I thought Luxor and New York New York were great themes. I took the roller coaster at New York New York, it was around $15 and only worth it since I wouldn't have to do it again, ever. I've been on much better roller coasters. I had trouble getting out of Excalibur, which was annoying.
After that I took a nap since I had a cold and I had been up early in the morning. When I got up I trekked up the other end of the strip. I stopped in Bellagio, very nice! I stopped to watch the water show, which was neat. Then I took the tram between Mirage and TI (Treasure Island). Then I had dinner at TI and watched the pirate show which was entertaining. After that I headed back to the MGM Grand, finally getting to see the Volcano at Mirage. My last stop was a slot machine at the MGM Grand where I made $20! I was in bed around midnight.
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