$7.99 Steak Dinner - Review of Ellis Island Casino

Saturday, December 18th
I wake up and my back is fucking killing me. Megan closed the spa last night and she's quitting her (shitty) second job and her last day is Saturday so she's gone in early to get everything wrapped up and her exit interview. I decide to clean up my garage a bit and get some work done around the house. The morning starts off with some eggs and breakfast sausage with a tall glass of simply grapefruit. Life isn't great, but it could be a lot worse.
We are all having a little chat about life, weekends and women as I move charcoal and my dads tools around the garage when suddenly my good buddeh u/fluffy_butternut tells everyone that regular women are not damaged enough for me to enjoy. Not only is this HIGHLY insulting to me, but it reflects poorly on Megan as well.
rewind to several months before
Mrs. Fluffy emailed the whole reddit gang and told us we are invited to a surprise birthday party for the big guy. She gave us instructions/time/place, etc and everything. She did a TON of work to plan this and it shows. I was under the gun at the courthouse with a trial and I wasn't able to commit to the event and all of us have stuff going on so the odds of anyone being able to make it were not good. However, I kept her email, and her cell number on a burner.
cut to present
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyLdtG7KZvw
Did he really go there? He really went there. It's fucking on like Donkey Kong. I pull out a burner and send a message to Mrs. Fluffy asking her if the plans are still the same. She tells me when he will be arriving at the venue and I tell her I'm gonna make a big fucking scene. She is ecstatic at this idea.
I grab my packed bag from the closet and jump in the F350. I grab two organic bean to bar 88% endangered species chocolate bars for Megan and I stop by her work. She's busy, so I leave the chocolate for her at her station. I give her co-worker a note to hand to her when she gets out.
"Dear Megan, out for revenge. Back tomorrow - Will."
I start driving to MSY and traffic down I-10 isn't bad for a saturday. I phone Delta on the way there and book tickets for the flight. The only thing available is MD88 service connecting in Laguardia. In First. Being no stranger to the slightly elevated service and highly elevated price business model, I book the flight. I'm a little early so I make my way to the nearly brand new Delta Sky Club at MSY. It's new, the gumbo is tasty, the wifi is fast. Life isn't bad. Until I get the phone call from Megan.
Me: Hi sweetie
Megan: what the fuck does "out for revenge mean?"
Me: It means I'm out for revenge. I gotta do some things.
Megan: What things? We're supposed to have dinner with my brother tomorrow night!
Me: Uh. It's a long story. How was your exit interview?
Megan: It was fine. I'm leaving early today.
Me: Did you go back to your station yet?
Megan: No
Me: You should stop there again before you leave.
Megan: Why?
The airport PA screeches boarding announcement for my flight.
Me: They're calling my flight. I gotta run.
Megan: Flight? What?
Me: Gotta hop. Buy potatoes. See you tomorrow night!
I hang up and hightail it for the gate. I pop in and see the pilots before we leave and ask them what are the odds we get 31 via the expressway today. He says he was just loading it into the box. I tell him the last time I did 31 via the expressway into LGA at the Delta Museum sim, it was not good. In fact it was the worst thing to hit new york since a bunch of muslims on a tuesday in September. He laughs.
The ride into LGA is smooth as the HMG STG delivery schedule. New York is WINDY as fuck today and bumpy. I peer out the window of the left side of the plane and I get a beautiful close up photo of the statue of liberty and Ellis island. Wait. We're supposed to get 31 via the expressway. We should be on the localizer for LGA runway 4. That puts us right over my aunts place in Bay Ridge looking at the Verazanno. We're not getting 31, they're probably going to take us up over central park, back over da bronx and then in via 22.
Sure enough, we land on 22 and I ask the pilots what happened and they said the winds shifted and they had to turn the airport around. Eh, no biggie. I've seen it once, I'll see it again. It's a great approach to fly and if you ever get to experience it, it's fucking magical.
We land at LGA a few minutes late and the weather is cold, crisp and windy. I have a short connection but I head to the LGA sky club in terminal D. Life is good. I crack the laptop and do some work and as I close the laptop as they call my flight I see the very beginnings of light snow. I'm from Louisiana. I've never seen snow before. This scares me. I walk to the gate and I board in group 1 and take my first class seat. The plane is half empty. I walk up and chat with the pilots and they tell me that with the snow we are going to deice with type 1 fluid and anti ice with type 4 fluid. We will be a little delayed. As I gaze out the window from my seat, it's snowing and blowing even more.
Ten minutes later, the boarding door closes and we start to push back. Conditions have worsened significantly. We can't see the next plane in front of us, things have turned into not quite whiteout but very concerning to this southern boy. The pilots tell us we are number 3 for the deicing truck and I gaze out onto the runway.
It's whiter than an Ohio MAGA rally.
Fuck me to tears.
We deice as I check the weather in Pittsburgh. Rain/Freezing rain/Snow/wintry mix. I've never driven in snow. Fuck. Pucker factor increasing. I pull out my burner and send a message to Mrs. Fluffy and tell her I'm at the deice pad and will be there soon. We have a bumpy ride all the way across Pennsylvania and land about 30 minutes late. Hertz has me in the presidents circle but there is not a single car with local plates.
I downgrade to a 2020 white Toyota Corolla since it's the only thing with PA plates on it and I hightail it to the venue. I talk to the waitstaff and tell them I'm crashing the party and ask them to get me a tray and a vest with a nametag. The staff is laughing their ass off at my idea. I message Mrs. Fluffy and she thinks the idea is HYSTERICAL. She can't wait. I tell her I'll be there at 645.
T minus 60 minutes until Fluffy Arrival
I've never been to this part of Pennsylvania. To be honest, I am a Philly guy. The people there are angry, drunken, profane and love cheese steaks. They're my kind of people. I've never been to a Sheetz or Primanti Brothers. However, fluffy tells me some stories about how he and his wife have a good time over at the meadows. I have NEVER been to a racino before, and ever since I was nearly arrested at Wynn Las Vegas - I've been a little scared. However, it's just down the road and as some of you know, I just came into a shit ton of money.
This is not going to end well.
I drive down interstate 79 and whip into the north parking garage at The Meadows.
My pre-packed bag has four days of clothes, underwear, socks and PJ's, two kruggerands and $10,000 in cash just in case i need to flee the country. I pull out the ten dimes and make my way into the racino. The Meadows is HUGE. I get past the security checkpoint and walk around and I don't see any table games. I see a large well appointed poker room and see two craps tables working at the other end of the hall. I have no idea what table limits or odds are.
I saunter up to the table.
Me: How's the temperature guys?
Degen1: Eh it's up and down.
Me: As long as it's not as cold as outside amirte?
Degen2: haha yeah yinz been outside today? freezing rain and that!
Me: I don't know these words but whatever.
The point is on 6.
I drop $10,000 on the table.
Me: Change only. Gimme 1 small and 9 thousands.
Pit Boss: do you have a players club card?
Me: never played here before, don't worry about it for now.
Pit Boss: Okay!
The dice come out, it hits jimmy hicks and the dealers pay out all the bets. I look at the table, the minimums are $5 and everyone has pass line and numbers. NOBODY has true odds. Fuck it. Time to show them how it's done.
I drop $10 on the pass line.
Dice are out. Point is four. I look up and down the table and nobody is making odds bets. I look down at my rack and drop $100 behind my bet.
Dice come out. Six hard.
Me: Hey pit boss! How much can I put behind the line?
Pit Boss: We'll let you go to 10x, so we can take $100 on your pass line. It looks like you got $100 there but we'd count it out and if you were over we'll give you the extra back.
Me: solid, thanks!
I look down at my watch. Fluffy is due to arrive at 1900hrs. I told Mrs. I would be there at 1845. It's 15 minutes to drive from the garage to the party which means I need to be on the highway at 1830 which means I need to be out of the casino and cashed out and walking to the garage by 1825. She sends me a message asking me where I'm at. I tell her I'm at the meadows and.....fuck it's 1821.
Fuck it. Go big or go home.
I take my pass line up to $500 and shove $5000 behind the line. Everyone at the table is looking at me funny. I give $2400 to the dealers and tell them to split me the 6/8.
Pit Boss: are you SURE you don't want a players club card?
Me: no time! throw them bones!
The whip slides the dice over to the fella next to me. He throws.
Dealer: Four hard, four the hard way, four.
Everyone at the table is looking at me funny. My $500 pass line bet has paid even money. The $5000 behind the line pays true odds on a 4, at 2:1. I look down at my watch. 1829. The dealers are stacking and distributing chips with a fervor.
Me: Take down my 6/8 and color me up.
Dealer: You got it boss!
As they color up my chips, I tell Mrs. fluffy I just won a ton of money at the meadows and I'm cashing out now. I take a $100 chip, hold it up and ask if the dealers want to play it or drop it
Dealer: It's up to you man, we don't mind.
I plant the chip down on the pass line and tell them put half on the pass line ferda boys, drop the other half. They all LITERALLY clap and thank me.
Me: One more thing, where's the cashier?
They point me to the cage with the aplomb of a new airport ramper. I leave the casino with a giant wad of cash bulging in my jeans. There's no line and they count out all my cash quickly. I look down at my watch as she's counting out the last of the small bills. 1835.
Fuck. I'm going to be late. I hate being late. I jog out to the north garage and hightail it back up interstate 79.
I have never driven in snow, at night, or for that matter driven in Pennsylvania before until now. It's snowing, it's dark, the speed limit is 55 and I am the SLOWEST guy in the right lane at 80 and people are passing me going WTF ARE YOU DOING GET OFF THE ROAD judging by the horns and the flashing headlights. I am HAULING ass back up to the venue and I park the Toyota in a handicapped spot as I race into the venue. I find Harriet, the party planner she hands me a vest with a nametag.
My transition from Will the gun dealer to Mario the waiter will completed as soon as he arrives. I get fluffy's favorite drink and a plate of some food set up on a tray and I hide in the back waiting for his arrival. Here's a photo. https://imgur.com/yZP2FuI
As if it were choreographed to the minute, Mrs. Fluffy walks him in the front door at 7PM to a room full of people as a birthday surprise. He had not seen it coming. He begins making the rounds seeing everyone and saying hello. It's a big party so it takes some time. I hang back for a few minutes and let him do his thing and I give my phone to one of his friends and tell them to get this next part on video as I put on the vest and adjust the nametag.
Friendo: Sure thing "mario"
Me: shut up and just do some good camera work!
I take the tray of beverage and minature charcuterie plate over to fluffy as he's greeting the party guests and sneak up behind him. He's taking his grand old time working the room. In my best italian Pittsburgh native accent I can muster, I'm holding the tray and I walk in front of him and put on a great big smile.
Me: Can I get yinz something to drink? Or some charcuterie and that?
Fluffy: .......
(I now feign anger)
Me: OR IS THIS FOOD AND BEVERAGE NOT DAMAGED ENOUGH FOR YOUR LIKING?!?!?!??!?!?! YOU FAT DIABETIC OLD FUCK!
Fluffy: What.....are you.........doing here?
Me: Mrs told us about it and I figured I should give you a hard time after your comments this morning. Would you like some food? You know, airplane noises make the food taste better. Or are you a little too old for that? Lets give it a try!
(I grab a carrot stick and fly it into his face by making very loud airplane noises in a ballroom full of fluffy's closest friends and family making a gigantic scene with people wondering is this a joke or what horrors are about to come next. No, this is not a joke, this really happened. Ask anyone who was there.)
Fluffy: I'm good thanks
Me: you sure? (more airplane noises followed by a carrot slice raping his mouth)
Fluffy is shocked and awed. I tell him to go work the room and to have a happy birthday party. There's an open bar and I help myself to a double ginger ale, neat.
I find some millennials and we chat about Hawaiian shirts and stuff and they think my comedy is HILARIOUS. Unlike most of reddit. Fluffy saunters over and we chat some more and he's wondering WTF. I told him the wife planned it all months in advance.
Fluffy: You know u/xxxwirtydhorexxx is here.
Me: That's really funny.
Fluffy: No, he's really here.
Me: Bullshit. Then where is he?
Fluffy: He's right in front of you, 12 o'clock.
I don't see him. Then I look down and there's a guy in a boonie hat. I didn't recognize him without the dress.
Me: Oh dear god. He's really here isn't he?
Wirty gets up and walks over and he's like HI! I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU!
We have a bunch of really really awkward conversation that involves him inviting me to sit next to him and me running over to Mrs. Fluffy asking her to save me from wirty. She finds a spot at her table by her kids for me.
I forget his present, even though his wife said no presents and there's a table full of booze, scratchers, and gun stuff. I drive back up to the hotel to grab it and give it to him. He has no idea what it is. You all should ask him about it. I give it to him and Wirty starts complaining about normies.
Fluffy: Where are you staying?
Me: The Hilton just down the street
Fluffy: Oh, the one on the top of the hill?
Me: That's why it's the HILL-ton.
Everyone groans. Me and wirty talk and he weirds me out and demands to stand next to me in the group photo. I tell more jokes and the millenial group loves me. We close the place down and head back to fluffy's hotel.
BOY HOWDY LET ME TELL YOU.........if you thought MY stories were longwinded and pointless you have not met some of fluffy's friends! His local raconteur buddy was telling us at 145AM his story about being fucked by the Virginia state police for speeding. Yeah. I dump him off at his hotel and I head back up to my room. It's 3AM by the time I shower and sleep.
SUNDAY JANUARY 19TH 2020
My alarm wakes me up at 9AM. My back is killing me. My head is pounding. It's 21 degrees outside. Fuck this noise. I go back to sleep.
The hotel phone rings.
Me: Go for Hayden
Operator: I have a fluffy butternut on the phone for you.
Me: Go ahead and connect us
Operator: Thank you
(sound of dial tone)
I'm not making this up. I grab my phone and call fluffy and we have brunch at the meadows with the mrs. It's fun, we talk guns, life, liberty and the pursuit of extra sides of marinara.
I hang out with them at the slot machines until it's time to head to the airport. I gas up at the sheetz next to the racetrack and I fly back home in coach since my status on delta is radioactive dirt. The incoming flight is late from Atlanta which means we leave late for Atlanta and i get back home 2.5 hours later than I expected.
Laundry is running and I am unpacking as Megan walks in the door.
Me: Hi!
Megan: Hi. Back from revenge so soon?
Me: Yeah. I'm actually late. How was dinner with your brother?
Megan: Good. He took me to olive garden. So tell me what was so important you had to go out for revenge and come back the next day?
(I tell her the story)
Megan: Wait a minute. Your friend insulted you as a joke, so you bought a last minute first class ticket to new york and pennsylvania to fly to his surprise birthday party to yell at him in person, in january in 21 degree weather?
Me: Yeah.
Megan: Why would you do that?
Me: Well he said that you're damaged goods. He wasn't insulting me, he was insulting you. I didn't like that.
Megan: You cannot be serious.
Me: I am serious.
Megan: and don't call you Shirley?
Me: You're weird.
Megan: I'm not the one that just flew across the country to go "out for revenge", and I'm the weird one?
Me: (goofy smile)
Megan: (goofy laughter)
Have a lovely holiday weekend everyone!

Some friends of mine got married in Vegas last weekend. This was my first trip so here are some of the lessons I’ve learned after 6 days 5 nights. This is a long post, but hopefully someone will find it helpful.
Transportation
Spirit Airlines: this is a cheap way to get to/from Vegas. Expect that they charge a-la-cart for food, drinks, checked bags, overhead bin space, extra legroom and they don’t provide wifi or inflight entertainment. The luggage limit is 40 pounds. If you don’t print your boarding pass at home, it will cost you $10 a ticket to have them do it at the airport. The ticket prices for my wife and I were such that we got the first row upgrade (lots of extra leg room) one checked bag and still came out ahead. If you are tall buy additional leg space or prepare for an uncomfortable flight.
Shuttle from Airport to Hotel: This was $11 per person, if I had it to do over again… I would have just used UbeLyft
Walking: Wow, I walked a lot. My watch and phone both confirm about 60 miles of walking. (Did a lot of exploring on my first trip to Vegas). Wear REALLY comfortable shoes and/or carry flip-flops
Monorail: At one point I just didn’t want to walk back to the hotel and took the monorail to nearby. $5 a person. The view was OK, I am sure it is by far the fastest way to get around, but my hotel was still a bit of a walk from the nearest stop.
Ride Share: I had never used UbeLyft before this trip. This makes your life so much easier. My first trip was with the “GOOGLE_MAPS” code that I got when looking to see how far a walk I had to meetup with some friends. It ended up being a free ride (before tip). I had gotten a Lyft coupon handed to me on the strip for $10 off my first 5 rides…so these all ended up being less than $2 (again before tip, I gave every driver a $5 tip).
I preferred Lyft over Uber mainly because the price was about the same, but a driver that had placards for both said that Lyft took a little less of a commission.
Once I used all of my Lyft rides, I got a code for my wife $5 off 10 rides from a driver (who also gets a little something every time their code is used)
Finally, I sent an Uber invite to my wife… we got a $20 credit on her account and another $20 on mine.
Hotel
Hotel #1 Circus Circus: This was the cheapest place to stay. Absolutely do not stay here if you are over 6’5” … the light fixtures in the hall are very low hanging. Expect that you will be approached constantly by time share representatives (more on that latter) and good luck not getting offered a free sample of face cream. This hotel just kind of made me feel sad. From parents ignoring their kids to gamble to generally being run down. If you are going to spend time in the heart of the strip, it is a bit of a walk
Hotel #2 Balley’s: We spent the last two nights at Balley’s. Everything was cleaner. This was more centrally located on the strip. I liked it much better than Circus. There were timeshare reps here too, but I think there was only one stand and they were nowhere near as aggressive.
Food My wife had been playing a cell phone game that earned rewards. We ended up with 3 buy-one-get-one on various buffets
Circus Circus Buffet: At par with standard buffet places (Old Country Buffet, Golden Corral, etc…). I might be a bit soured on this because there was a screaming 4 year old for most of the meal.
Aria Buffet: Best buffet by a long shot. The food was amazing (especially the desert bar with the white chocolate mousse cake pops and gelato) and by far the best selection. Don’t bother with the “all you can drink” upgrade, the drinks are so weak I think you would hit water intoxication before you would get tipsy from their rum punch.
MGM Grand buffet: This was better than Circus, but in fairness I was a bit buffet’d out by this point. (But with a BOGO it is hard to beat a good dinner for two for $45)
McDonalds: (OMG I am so lame, I went on vacation and ate at the golden arches)… This was a quick easy breakfast when running out and about for less than $5 for the two of us.
Walgreens/CVS: I keep seeing people complain about $10 bottles of water (which I never saw)… but seriously there is a Walgreens on nearly every block; prices may be slightlyhigher than at home but much cheaper than hotel
Ellis Island: Expect a bit of a wait, this is a great value (probably why it is called out in the FAQ) and everyone knows. I was with a group of 5 that ate their late night and the bill was $35 (including 2 orders of steak and eggs). The food is a bit better than most generic casual dining. (Also, be careful how much money you light on fire in the casino waiting for your table. It can quickly turn an amazing deal into a less than amazing deal)
White Castle: I’d never eaten at a White Castle before… now I have. Perhaps this is better after drinking but I am not a fan
Mexi place in Circus: Chimichanga FTW!
Vince Neil Tatuado at Circus: Nightly karaoke and good appetizers (drinks were quite weak)
Taco Bar in Balley’s: WTF $18 for Nachos!!! Oh crap that is a lot of food. Wow, this was assembled by someone that understands how to make nachos without having you end with a pile of dry chips. Ugggg too full. Huh, that’s all this cost! This was a great deal.
Firefly Tapas: Get the bacon wrapped dates (everything was good but seriously, get the bacon wrapped dates)
Herbs and Rye: Awesome little bar (the first non-watered down drinks I had)
Boarder Grill (at Mandalay Bay): The most expensive meal I had in Vegas… but also the best quality food. The Banh Mi sliders were amazing
Must See: We only made it to one show “Vegas the show” which was amazing. Fountains are the Balagio are great but I almost preferred the very small one by the Wynn (you are right by it, the music is classic Vegas rat pack, if it is hot and windy you get the coolness of mist from the fountains). Freemont at night: this is a $8-12 Lyft from the strip and if you have any promo… it costs little more than the tip to get to/from.
Timeshare: We ended up getting to Vegas about 12 hours earlier than expected, giving us an extra day. The moment (literally) I walked into the hotel I was approached by someone trying to get me to go to a 90 minute timeshare presentation. And offering us two tickets to a show, $100 in dining/gambling vouchers, and about another $100 in various incentives. My thought was for the two of us together, we don’t make $100 an hour… might as well go to augment our experience.
First of all ~90 minutes is more like 4 hours Expect a very hard sell Expect sales people that have been exceptionally well coached on how to overcome any objections Expect that if you are contemplating but can’t buy now (for whatever reason) that there is always another product to sell you
Make sure that you take your phone and look at reviews (and figure out if the product they are selling is worth its value to you).
Several of the hotels/casinos had timeshare representatives looking for customers. They do everything they can to get you to their presentations. They look like hotel employees “welcome to , are you just getting to Vegas? Let me get your welcome kit”
TL;DR Use Sprit Air is cheap… but will nickel and dime you for everything, UbeLyft, Circus Circus is cheap but sad, My Vegas Rewards can save you a little money, watch out for timeshare reps

Just returned from the most epic week in Las Vegas with my husband! We budgeted about $1000 per person for the week, all expenses included. We went over by a couple hundred in the end. We planned a lot of activities and sightseeing in advance to avoid gambling too much out of boredom. We weren't very lucky at anything except blackjack, but we were able to leave Vegas at only $40 in the hole between the two us, which I consider a moderate success! And we weren't bored for a minute!
Day 1 (Wed 10/19)

• I flew from NC to Vegas on Frontier at $191 roundtrip after taxes and fees. It wasn't a luxurious experience, but I wasn't expecting it to be. I packed a medium-sized backpack within the "personal item" dimensions so I wouldn't have to pay a $35 carry-on fee. No employee measured (or even glanced at) my bag either way. My husband had a work conference in Vegas the following week and was allowed to bump his flight up a week, so his flight (Southwest) was already covered.
  
• Rented a car from Enterprise via a third-party site called carrentals.com. We got a new Toyota Corolla for the week at $151 after tax (just under $22/day). Used a Lyft credit to pick the car up at the location off Las Vegas Blvd, since it was about 5 times more expensive to rent from the airport location. All totally worth it! We used the car a lot each day. I would definitely rent a car again if I returned to Vegas. Next time I would probably take more advantage of free valet parking on the strip.
  
• Stopped by In-N-Out Burger for lunch. So good.
  
• Grabbed a some shelf-stable groceries to keep in our room. We made sandwiches here and there for odd meals and when we were driving or doing outdoorsy things. Saved us some money on drinks, snacks, and breakfast as well.
  
• Took a lap around Miracle Mile Shops to kill some time before check-in at 3. Pretty nice mall. Wanted to see the indoor rainstorm on the hour but never did locate it.
  
• I had booked a room at Mandalay Bay for 2 nights at $77/night with a $75 dining credit on the hotel's website using a promo code I found on smartervegas.com. At check-in I asked if there were any upgrades available, and we were offered to upgrade to the Delano for an additional $30 a night. We went ahead and did it, because why not?
  
• Before dinner, we grabbed drinks at Skyfall Lounge at the top of the Delano. We went during their happy hour, called "Sunset Hour," and watched a beautiful sunset over Vegas. Even the toilets had a view. I would recommend reservations--we had reservations and were allowed to sit at much better tables (on the balcony) than those without.
  
• For dinner, we went to Wolfgang Puck's LUPO Restaurant to use the rest of our dining credit. I also had a credit for a free bottle of wine from the MyVegas app. This meal wasn't bad, but I didn't think it was delicious enough to justify how much it cost. I had a steak that I didn't think was a great cut, and my vegetables were over-seasoned and over-salted. The atmosphere was nice but somewhat boring. I probably wouldn't bother dining here again, personally. We had a reservation but didn't need it. The place was mostly empty.
  
• After dinner, we saw Penn and Teller at the Rio. We got discounted tickets through Travelzoo at $46/person. Very good show. Penn and Teller came out front for pictures afterward. Teller talked to us!
  

Day 2 (Thurs 10/20)

• Woke up to a window washer hanging outside the window.
  
• Had a late brunch/early lunch at Ellis Island. No frills, good value and large portions.
  
• Went on a free tour of a light art installation called Akhob by James Turrell hidden in a secret floor in the Louis Vuitton Store at the Shops at Crystals. This was such an awesomely strange experience! We had fun feeling like we were "in" on a secret, and the installation itself was also very cool. Reservations are definitely required for this one. They said they were booked out about a month.
  
• Walked around CityCenter. The Shops at Crystals and Aria were beautiful and had many sights to see (water features, art exhibits, etc.). We wandered into Vdara as well, which looked very nice, but was not much to look at in terms of sightseeing.
  
• Visited Bellagio. A definite must-see in Vegas. We watched our first fountain show (our first dose of "Uptown Funk"), walked through the garden conservatory, admired the Chihuly glass in the lobby, took a look at the chocolate fountain, and shared a cup of gelato.
  
• Took a 30-minute ride on the High Roller Observation Wheel. I was lucky enough to nab a voucher for $25 for 2 for a daytime ride with open bar a couple months ago on Travelzoo (prices have gone way up since). We went right as the sun was setting and it was wonderful. The bartender was great and churned out drinks like a boss. She gave us shots to do together as a group at the top, and even made everyone drinks "to go" at the end. If you go, be sure to grab a spot on the side facing the strip (the close side when you walk in).
  
• Had dinner at Gyu Kaku using a Livingsocial voucher I had gotten with a promo code. We had never been to a grill-your-own-meat place before. We got some kind of meat sampler. Everything was delicious. My husband was obsessed. Weirdly, the place was nearly empty, even around 7pm.
  
• Wandered around Caesar's Palace and the Forum Shops. Worth a visit. Watched the fish in the big tank for a few minutes, then caught the 8pm Fall of Atlantis animatronic show. We had a good laugh at the plot of the show and lost it at the king's broken hand dangling and flopping around during his grand gestures. There must have been a screw loose. We thought it was totally hilarious, and it became a running joke of our trip.
  
• Caught the 9pm Fire show at the Mirage. Very cool free attraction to see up close...you can hear the fire whirring and feel the heat whack you in the face.
  
• Saw Cirque du Soleil Beatles LOVE show at the Mirage at 9:30. Yeah, okay, we overdid it. We were really tired at this point. I had gotten one free ticket through MyVegas so it was basically half price. We were too tired to really enjoy the show. It looked really cool, the costumes and props were spectacular, and the performers were talented, but we just never really got "into" it. We were jet-lagged and had trouble staying awake after our long day. We were in the back row of section 201, and while we could see pretty well, I think being just 3 or 4 rows closer (with a cup of coffee in my hand) would have been an improvement.
  

Day 3 (Fri 10/21)

• Decided to head out of town for Fri-Sat to see Zion and Grand Canyon, to avoid the crowds and higher weekend hotel prices.
  
• Stopped by Donut Bar in downtown on our way out toward Zion. These donuts in there were completely bonkers and we had trouble deciding which ones to get. They were very good. We got a couple extra for the next morning, but they were no good by the second day.
  
• Drove to Zion National Park, parked on the side of the road in a stretch where there were some other cars already parked, and rode the bus to the last stop to hike the Narrows. We both felt this was one of the major highlights of the trip. The hike was exhilarating and a bit challenging without being too frustrating. We had the. best. time. We didn't bother renting any gear and we were totally fine. We wore $8 neoprene fin socks for scuba diving I bought on Amazon with some old beat-up sneakers. This worked great because our feet were warm, and we didn't get blisters because our shoes were already comfortably molded to our feet. A lot of other hikers seemed to be stopping for breaks because they were having trouble with blisters and/or cold feet. We scavenged for walking sticks down at the entrance to the narrows. I had read there were usually some left there from previous hikers. My husband found a scrap of 1x2 and I found a pool cue. They looked a bit silly, but you really just need them for feeling around in the water. I doubt the sticks they had for rent would really be a vast improvement.
  
• Waited on a long line to get a bus back to the front of the park. A lady mentioned something about some kind of school holiday in the area, so maybe that's why there were so many people there.
  
• Went back to our car to find a $50 parking ticket. Damn!
  
• Drove up the scenic drive overlooking the park on the way out. It was a bit too dark to see very well at that point, but we got a bit of the view.
  
• Drove to Page, AZ for the night. Stayed at Best Western - View of Lake Powell at $94/night. I don't stay at Best Western a lot, so I don't know what they are usually like, but this was much nicer than I expected for the price! It was situated atop a hill overlooking Lake Powell.
  

Day 4 (10/22)

• Stopped by Wahweap Marina on Lake Powell to check out the views of the lake. It was very beautiful and serene here. Not too many people, either. Would be great if you have a boat.
  
• Stopped for pictures of Glen Canyon Dam, the dam that forms the lake. Cool dam.
  
• Drove to Horseshoe bend and hiked the short hike to the edge. Definitely worth a stop. Lots of photo ops. There were more people here than I expected, but plenty of rocks to climb on for everyone.
  
• Had reserved a spot on a tour of Antelope Canyon, but skipped it because we had decided to sleep in somewhat late that morning. Maybe next time. Heard good things from other travelers.
  
• Drove to Grand Canyon National Park and followed the route along the south rim, stopping at the various viewpoints (Desert View Watchtower, Navajo Point, Lipan Point, Grandview Point). It was a beautiful day to see the Grand Canyon. Ate a bag lunch at one of the overlooks. I was a bit sick with a cold and unable to hike long, but enjoyed some light walking along the Rim Trail starting at South Kaibab. If I come back in the future and I'm not sick, I'd like to do some more rigorous hiking. For our purposes on this trip, one day at the Grand Canyon was sufficient.
  
• Rode a bus to one last viewpoint for sunset. I believe it was called Hopi Point. It was a bit crowded, but a very nice view.
  
• Had some mediocre pizza at a place called We Cook Pizza and Pasta. I can't say I recommend it. It tasted a lot like frozen pizza. There really wasn't any restaurant in town we could find with decent reviews online except RP's Stage Stop, but that one closed at 5pm, so we had to settle.
  
• Stayed at Best Western again-- Best Western Primier Grand Canyon Squire Inn, in Tusayan, at $106/night. We were able to upgrade to the newest building for free by signing up for Best Western Rewards. This was another pleasant surprise! Our room was very nice, and everything was brand new. The main building had a little bowling alley and arcade, where we ran into a couple from Ireland we had encountered already at Penn and Teller and Caesar's Palace in Vegas. What are the chances of that?
  

Day 5 (Sun 10/23)

• Drove from Tusayan toward the Hoover Dam and pulled off at Williams, AZ for breakfast. This was an unplanned stop that we really enjoyed. Williams really plays up the Route 66 and "small town USA" nostalgia. We ate at Pine Country Restaurant simply because it looked popular. Our meal was very good. We enjoyed strolling down the main street for a little bit and popped in a few kitschy little gift shops.
  
• Visited the Hoover Dam. We looked at the dam from the bridge, then looked at the bridge from the dam. It is a very impressive sight, and definitely worth pulling off the highway to see it. We impulsively decided to go on the dam tour after we chatted with some people finishing up the tour who gave it glowing reviews. It was a decent dam tour, but we probably could have done without the dam tour. It was interesting, but crowded and a bit anticlimactic, in my opinion.
  
• Drove back to Las Vegas and checked into Excalibur. Definitely a step down from where we were, but not too terrible. The location was good, and the price was right. I booked two nights at $44/night with a $30 dining credit using a promo code from smartervegas.com, and the third night was free via MyVegas points. My research had indicated that the "Royal Tower" was newly renovated, so we requested a room in that tower at check-in. The lobby and hallways looked like they needed an update, but our room was pretty nice once we were in there. I had no major complaints, except that the TV gave us some trouble and Robert Irvine from "Restaurant Impossible" was peering into our window at all hours. We didn't hang out in the casino much because the service wasn't great. There were a lot of glasses and ashtrays laying around, and the machines had trouble reading vouchers. We did enjoy the $5 blackjack tables, which were a little bit harder to find elsewhere.
  
• Went on a club crawl. This was unnecessary. I booked it through Groupon in advance, thinking it would save money on cover, but we were handed a lot of "free entry" passes from club promoters on the street to get into decent clubs, so we didn't really need it. It would be good to go this route if you had a group of all males, or if you were going out on a busy weekend night, or if you just wanted to meet a group of random people. In the end, we just ended up spending half the night trying to track down our group (of about 12 male accountants who already knew each other), which wasn't really worth it.
  

Day 6 (Mon 10/24)

• Went to check out the older casinos downtown this day. Downtown was a bit more rough around the edges than the strip (as expected), but still worth the visit.
  
• My schedule had an option have breakfast at The Beat, but we decided to sleep in instead.
  
• Went to lunch at Carson Kitchen. It was raining, and everyone was kind of freaking out about how it was raining. The place was mostly empty, so we got a great seat at the counter where we could watch the chef working and see all of the food coming out. Everything we had was delicious. Everything we saw coming out looked like it would be delicious, too. Our waiter was good. He insisted we get the bread pudding, because it would change our lives. It did.
  
• Walked to Fremont Street and played the vintage slots at The D. We enjoyed a bay of penny slot machines with some sort of Inferno/Devil theme and won a bit of money. We also played the vintage horse derby machine, which ate up a bunch of our money but was a fun time. There was a lot of screaming and cheering going on.
  
• Popped into Golden Nugget and watched the shark tank for a bit. We were surprised at the number of sharks they fit in there. Very interesting to watch. Also looked at the giant gold nugget on our way out (it's just a giant gold nugget).
  
• Ate dinner at Itsy Bitsy Ramen and Whiskey. We had a Groupon again. This place was virtually empty as well (maybe it was the rain?) but was also very good. My bowl of Ramen was big enough to swim in, and the broth was perfect.
  
• Walked back to Fremont Street to watch the Fremont Experience light show at 7. It was some kind of weird alien show and the graphics weren't great, but the scale was impressive. The Slotzilla zipliners were fun to watch and added to the festiveness.
  
• Went to Banger Brewing Company because I had a Groupon to use on a flight of beers and a couple pints. We had a reservation to go on their free tour earlier in the day, but missed it because we completely forgot about it. Oops. Either way, sitting at a table in the bar to drink our beer was a good little break from the sensory overload. We sat and played a couple board games while people-watching through the window.
  
• Grabbed a couple of cocktails at The Golden Tiki. Groupon again. Just a fun little tiki bar. I had something with Dole Whip which was pretty good. It was the most busy place we had seen all day, but we were still able to find an empty table.
  
• Went back to the strip to see the Cosmopolitan. This is a very impressive, glitzy hotel. If I were to describe it in one word, it would be "sparkly." We had fun looking for the Secret Pizza restaurant. We tried to not cheat too much in looking for hints online. We were on the guest list to go to Marquee, but were too tired to get dressed up and go to a club at this point.
  
• Walked the middle part of the strip on foot. Walked farther north than we planned. Stopped in the Piano Bar at Harrah's and sang along with a few oldies. The pianist was entertaining and worked his own funny/dirty lyrics into the songs. Even more fun to watch was the crowd getting really into it. People from all walks of life belting out songs in unison. We didn't stay very long because there was nowhere for us to sit.
  

Day 7 (Tues 10/25)

• Had lunch at Capo's Speakeasy. I got a voucher on Travelzoo for $30 worth of food for $15 with a sign up discount of $10 off. I figured for $5, I'd be happy with anything. You need a password to get in. Well, kind of. It's silly and fun. They were playing some hilariously over-the-top old mob movies on the TVs. The food was pretty good and portions were generous. I really, really liked the fries drizzled with sauce.
  
• Visited the Wynn. It is a very pleasant place. Saw the flower sculptures, parasols, lake, and water features. We weren't here too long. Just wanted to check it out.
  
• Visited the Grand Canal Shoppes. Watched the gondolas and some performers milling about. Got a piece of chocolate from a guy on stilts.
  
• Visited the Palazzo. Admired the waterfall in the atrium. Visited the casino and won some money on a Britney Spears slot machine. Thus began our addiction to Britney Spears slot machines.
  
• Showed up at to the Flamingo to see a show by a guy called Jeff Civillico. Turns out, his show is cancelled through the end of the year. No biggie. The tickets were cheap on Travelzoo. They said they had already sent refunds out. I must have missed the memo. Went to look at the live flamingos for a few minutes instead. This wasn't bad, but nothing spectacular. A bit smelly.
  
• Went to Paris, walked around, and did a bit of gambling. Britney was good to us again. There was a live band playing on one side of the casino and some random exotic dancers on a bar in the middle.
  
• Had dinner at Hexx with a Groupon (of course). We had a reservation and were sat out on the deck with a good view for people watching. Our food and service were very good. We had some fries that had a bunch of gravy and stuff on top that looked like a total mess but tasted really good.
  
• Went to the top of the Eiffel Tower with a Groupon (duh) for $30 for 2. There was no line. We just had to wait for the elevator to come down. We got to the top a bit before 9pm. Of all the views of the strip we saw, this was probably my favorite. You're high enough to see everything, but low enough to hear the hustle and bustle and street performers below. The view of the Bellagio fountains from above is spectacular. We caught 2 full shows. We were even able to see the Mirage fire show again at 9.
  
• Went back downstairs to the bar at Hexx for cocktails. I had a voucher for BOGO specialty cocktails from MyVegas. They were decent. We didn't really need them, though.
  
• Went into Omnia at Caesar's Palace for a little while, mostly just to see it. Very cool atmosphere. Very crowded, even early in the night. Male to female ratio was off, if that's important to you, but that didn't matter to us.
  

Day 8 (Wed 10/26)

• Had lunch at Tacos El Gordo. We had no idea how to order, but whatever tacos we ended up with were very good and authentic. The line wasn't too bad when we got there around 11:30. We ordered 6 tacos, but probably would have liked a couple more because they were small. The line was too long by the time we finished to bother getting more, though.
  
• Popped into Peppermill Fireside Lounge nearby, just for a few minutes, out of curiosity. Very cozy, retro-looking little place with little fires at the booths in the lounge. The restaurant seemed to be popular at lunchtime.
  
• Last stop was Treasure Island. There wasn't much to see here in terms of sightseeing except a pirate ship out front and few artsy pieces here and there, but we read it was one of the better casinos on the strip for low rollers like ourselves. We found a $5 blackjack table with a 3 to 2 payout. I hadn't seen many of those on the strip. I started with $20 and walked away with a little over $80. You know we hit those Britney slots one more time before we left, too.
  
• I headed back to the airport to fly back home while my husband stayed for work the next day.
  

Thanks for reading! I might try to come back and add some pictures and links here as I get the chance. Feel free to ask me about anything we did!

This is my write-up of my favorite places (so far) here in town. Thought you guys might like it too.

Awhile Back I did a beer write-up for a new co-worker who also has a love for great beer. Here's that write-up. It's from a local's point of view, but there are some Strip locations in there too for the tourists. Enjoy!
Who’s ready for some beer? There are a bunch of cool places in town, so here is the rundown of my favorites.
(The shortened links go to a Google search for each place. Some of the websites aren’t available at work, so e-mail this to yourself at home and you can see all the beer glory when you get there).
Places to buy beer:

• Lee’s Liquor – You’re probably familiar with this one already, but Lee’s is a Vegas staple. It’s got a huge liquor selection but is also good for a solid selection of microbrews and craft beers. I usually stop by here if I’m heading to a get-together and plan on bringing a few six packs.
  
• Total Wine – Remember Lee’s Liquor? Forget everything you’ve ever learned about Lee’s Liquor. Total Wine is the Mecca of wine, beer, and everything in between. They have everything that can be legally shipped here (so no, Yuengling isn’t available). I’m not sure what side of town you live on, but the one in Summerlin in the Boca Park restaurant/shopping area is the one I go to. All of their best beers aren’t chilled, so if you plan on going beer crazy make sure to factor in the day or two it will need to be in the fridge first.
  

Places that Brew Beer:
BJ’s Restaurant and Gordon Biersch are the big chain breweries here in town. But here’s some with more of a local flavor.

• Tenaya Creek Brewery – Also in Summerlin, this is one of Vegas’ most well known breweries. I’ve been there once and have tried all of their beers either there or in restaurants around town. There are only two downsides to this place. 1.) They are a Steelers bar on Sundays (go Raiders). 2.) They don’t serve food. If you go on Sunday they usually do a potluck style things where people bring in food, and I hear they have food trucks out in the parking lot pretty regularly. If you ask super nice, or just ask normal, you can probably convince them to give you a tour of the brewery itself.
  
• Big Dog’s Brewing Company and Restaurant – There are two locations for Big Dog’s (there used to be three, but the one out near the base closed). The Draft House on Rancho is the only one of the remaining two that I have visited.
  

It. Is. Awesome.
They have their own brewed beer and house mixes (the 38-special is one I highly recommend). They are a Packer bar on Sundays, but they have great sports bar food with kind of a German feel to it. There are a lot of sausage-based entrees. I love their rib-eye sandwich and chicken strips appetizer with medium sauce. Along with their own brews, they also have guest brews from around the nation and the rest of the world. This is definitely worth going to.

• Ellis Island Casino and Brewery – This is probably my favorite place to go to in town when I’m starting the night or want really good cheap food and good beer. Really good for the price, that is. Good is relative when it's not Budweiser but it's still that cheap. Ellis Island is unique in that it doesn’t charge and outrageous amount for really good beer and it is just off of The Strip. At the Café in the casino they have a $7.99 deal 24 hours a days that gets you a steak, potatoes (baked, mashed, or fires), vegetables, a soup or salad and a 22oz glass of one of their beers (they also do root beer). I think it is the best deal in town. The deal is only available in the restaurant side of the café and will usually require a little bit of a wait, but it’s worth it. While you wait, just drink more beer. Their tall glasses of their own brews are only about 2-3 dollars a glass, which beats the $6 PBRs out on The Strip. I have no bad words to say about Ellis Island. Okay, it can be a little shady (it’s attached to a Super 8 motel), but I’ve never had any issues danger-wise. Just go there and have fun (it’s also known for the best Karaoke in Vegas in the bar area, so make sure to practice in the car on the way over).

Places for Fancy Shmancy Beer

• Todd English’s P.U.B. (Aria/City Center) – Attached to the Aria and Crystals (a high-end mall in the City Center), the P.U.B. is a favorite of mine for watching sports while eating good food and drinking exotic beer. They have all the varieties in a wide arrange of sizes (pint, pilsner, ginormous, can, tulip, etc.). They also have a 7 second pint challenge where you can get any beer for free so long as you drink it in 7 seconds. The only rule is the beer must start on the bar (but it doesn’t say you can’t start your face right next to the beer). The food has kind of an American-Asian Fusion thing going on, and it’s all good. Plus, they have cool bar games even though they are in more of an upscale environment. Foozball, sports, beer, food. It’s pretty much what heaven looks like.
  
• The Public House (The Venetian) – Editor’s Note: Do not, under any circumstances, confuse this place with the abomination that shares the same name at the Luxor. That is more of a sports bar type of place, but the food is pretty bad and the beer selection is really limited.
  

Here is my hands down, “you can die happy if you gone here”, place. Like Todd English’s it’s a little more upscale, but you don’t need to get super dressed up or anything. The “upscale” part applies more to the price than anything. The food here is great which is why it is a little pricey. But the main attraction is the beer. They have a huge list (that you get to scroll through by iPad) of bottles, drafts, cans and cask beers. Cask beer, if you don’t already know, is the purest form of beer delivered straight from the barrel. Because of this it is usually around room temperature, but it is really good. But who has the final say on what awesome beers get selected for such an establishment? I’m glad you asked.
You have heard of wine sommeliers that have devoted their life to the knowledge and drinking of wine. Well, beer has that too. A Cicerone is the same concept, but for a much more delicious product (beer!). And The Public House is home to the only Cicerone in the entire state of Nevada. His name is Russell Gardner and he is like a beer magician. You tell him what kinds of beer you like, and what you’ll be eating, and he’ll find the beer that matches you. Russell has an amazing mustache/beard thing going on and is just a really cool guy. Here’s Russell.
The Public House is my favorite beer spot in Vegas. Hopefully you’ll like it as much as I do.
Places That Eat, Sleep, and Breathe Beer

• The Freakin’ Frog – Welcome back to college, where 21 year olds drink until they puke, and play beer bong to decide who will clean the common area this week. Freakin’ Frog is home to over 1,000 beers. Yes, your mind just processed that last sentence correctly. 1,000 beers. They have a walk in fridge full of the stuff that they let you go check out if you ask nicely. It’s a dive bar in comparison to places like the Public House, but it’s definitely not the worst atmosphere I’ve eaten in. They have good bar food like the “Crack’n’Cheese” (fried macaroni and cheese) and a bible/binder full of beer. They also boast the largest whiskey selection in all of North America in the second level of the bar. The owner, Adam Carmer, is a UNLV professor for alcohol (which is probably not a real thing, but he seemed to know what he was talking about). He actually invented a new technique for tasting whiskey that is crazy in how accurate it is. I took his “class” at the bar for a bachelor party (it’s like $70) and he had us try 7 different whiskies. After using his technique, you could actually smell every flavor inside of the whiskey. Cinnamon, rye, fruits, etc. It was a really good experience. But that’s not what we’re here for right? We’re here for beer. And Freakin’ Frog is a must-see for anyone who partakes in an adult beverage from time to time.
  
• Aces and Ales - Yes, go to Aces and Ales. It has next-level bar food and great beer selection. They also have brewers that come in from the West Coast and Pacific Northwest for tastings, releases, and beer festivals (We're talking big breweries like Stone and Deschutes). They rotate their draft and bottle selection and have a knowledgeable staff that knows their beer. It's divey (and really, really dark for some reason), but they have a lot of great specials if you sign up for their e-mail list. Just today I got something from them that said if you have $20 of play you get a free 14oz Ribeye Steak Dinner, and that they were about to start hosting the home-brew competition for the area. They also show up on Groupon from time to time so you can get good deals there ($10 for $20 worth of food/drink for lunch, $20 for $40 worth of food/drink for dinner). Every kind of food I've had there is great, and they even have a new gourmet grilled cheese menu that has something like 6 or 8 different unique grilled-cheese sandwiches. Their Macaroni and Cheese, Pizza's, and Jalapeno Poppers are great. Actually, all of their food is great. I really like this place and go there for lunch sometimes since I work on that side of town. If they had a location closer to the Northwest, I'd be there every other day. This place knows beer and knows food and is a perfect location for both.
  

Beer!
-BeerTodayGoneToday
EDIT of my first EDIT: Fine, by popular demand, Aces and Ales gets a longer section.
EDIT2: And for the sake of all that is good and holy, stop mentioning the Yard House. Every write-up I do, someone mentions how I forgot the Yard House. I love 150 draft beers but 1.) it's a chain, and I wanted a more local write-up and 2.) these are my favorite places, not every place in Vegas. Please give out suggestions for your favorite places as well so I can try them out and maybe add them to my list!
EDIT3: My mini-post in another obscure thread. More of the same but, as you can see, I did mentioned Aces and Ales. I swear, I like Aces and Ales.

My lovely girlfriend and I will be visiting May 28th through the 1st. Below are some ideas we got from this subreddit (THANK YOU!!) I think we got a lot covered but I'm sure there's even more. Any suggestions would be totally appreciated! But first.. a bit of info about us. Its going to be random.. Sorry.. But thanks all at the same time:
We are in our early 20s (old enough to drink). We like to drink. We are Ent friendly. We like to eat (DUH). Not really interested in going to 'clubs'. Free is always good. Cheap is nice too but that doesn't mean we wont indulge in some fine dining or a nice show (We already have tickets to BMG and Vegas The Show). Walking isn't a problem (We will get a bus/Monorailpass). The lady will probably wanna 'shop'. Not really my thing. That is all I can think of right now.
Ok so here's our list:
Free:

• Show @ The Mirage (An exploding volcano) 7,8:30,10,11:30
  
• Show @ Treasure Island (Sirens of TI) 8-12 every hour on the hour
  
• Bellagio Fountains. Every 30 min up till 8pm then every 15 after 8pm up till midnight
  
• Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (Find this amazing treat beyond the Bellagio lobby. A 13,573 sq. ft. indoor garden extravaganza. It's ever-changing natural display has five themes per year: Christmas, Chinese New Year, Spring, Summer and Fall. Open 24hrs. daily (702) - 693-7111)
  
• Guinness Record Chocolate Fountain @ Bellagio.
  
• Atrium @ Mirage
  
• Fall of Atlantis @ Caesars Palace (The gods unleash their wrath in this animatronic extravaganza of epic proportions. Fire, water,smoke and special effects tell the tale of Atlas, Gadrius and Alia, who struggle to rule the legendary undersea city. Surrounded by a 50,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, the mythical sunken continent rises and falls before your eyes. Shows are daily on the hour beginning at 10am till 11pm)
  
• Festival Fountain @ Caesars Palace (Experience the morning sun and evening stars in a sky that changes from day to night and back again. Then see Bacchus, Venus, Apollo, and Plutus regale visitors with a magnificent sound, light, and laser show daily. Shows are daily on the hour beginning at 10am till 11pm)
  
• The Aquarium @ Caesars Palace (The Atlantis Aquarium is a 50,000-gallon, saltwater tank shaped like a horseshoe located at the north end of Caesars Palace's Forum Shops. This thank houses more than 500 colorful tropical fish, including zebra sharks and cow nose rays. Visit at 1:15pm or 5:15pm to watch the aquarists feed the fish during dive. You may even want to take a below-the-scenes guided tour of the support facilities (Monday - Friday at 3:15pm))
  
• $1,000,000 pyramid @ Binions (If you ever wonder what One Million dollars looks like? Head over to Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel and find out!. Binion's has $1 million on display. Structured in a pyramid design of acrylic glass boxes filled with cash. The $1 million is displayed in the Binion's casino near the Club Binion's Booth)
  
• Fremont Street Experience Light Show
  
• 3D Movie at M&M's World
  
• Wildlife Habitat at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino
  
• People watch
  
• Players Club Sign-Up Bonuses
  
• Find coupon books
  
• Free Hoover Dam tour and Buffet (Free sightseeing Day tour. You will experience/see Hoover Dam (includes a 20 min photo stop), a view of Lake Mead, Historic Boulder City, Ethel M Chocolate factory tour, Wayne Newton's Ranch and stop at Primm Valley Resort (for your free buffet and access to a large discount outlet shopping mall). The tour lasts 9-10 hours and operates Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays and Friday. Hotel pick up times start at 7AM. Call 702-384-7725 (24 hours daily) for reservations and pick up locations and times. Make your tour reservations at least 1 day in advance. This tour uses a fully air-conditioned 57 passenger bus with restrooms included.)
  

Not Free:

• Lee's Discount Liquor (I will be bringing two bottles on the plane as legally allowed but I figured it would be a good idea to locate a liquor store to save money if we run out. The hotels prices are toodamnhigh.jpg)
• Bus/Monorailpass
• Circus Circus Adventure Dome $30 all day pass. (Enjoy America's largest indoor theme park with 23 rides and attractions. Open daily 10am - midnight (702) - 794-3939)
• Eifel Tower (I wanna do this at night and catch a fountain show)
• The Venetian Gondola (She'll love it)
• Pai-Gow (Play it for a while and get as many free drinks as possible.. any other suggestions like this would be great!)

Food:

• The "Buffet of Buffets" from Harrah's casinos. All you can eat at as many buffets as you want within a 24 hour period (Rio, Planet Hollywood, Paris and more).
• The M. $15 lunch buffet, $23 dinners.
• Ellis Island Brewery has a steak dinner for like $8 bucks
• Dick's Last Resort, at the Excalibur (get treated like an ahole from your waitewaitress)
• Hard Rock 777 special (Gambler's special) $7.77 8 oz Steak, 3 grilled shrimp, smashed potatoes & salad.

I got back from Vegas a few days ago and it was great. I like to save money so I thought I would share a few tips and tricks to save money and still have a blast.
Sightseeing
I would definitely spend a few hours just walking around to all the casinos on the strip. The best part about this is if you sign up for the Player's Club (free) in each casino, they will usually give you some sort of incentive. Treasure Island gave me $10 in slot play. Whatever you win off that $10, you get to keep. Most other casinos have a similar incentive.
Shows
If you want to see a show, then check out Tix4Tonight. They are all over the strip. They sell discount tickets for shows that are showing that night. Usually they are the cheapest, but I bought tickets to Cirque du Soleil and when I went to pick up the tickets at Treasure Island, I found out their last minute tickets were cheaper. Definitely check first.
During my stay, I found out there are also a bunch of smaller, less known shows. These tickets are significantly cheaper and sometimes free. Nathan Burton's comedy magic is a free show at the Flamingo. Be sure to pick up tickets in advance as they sell out fast. Be on the lookout for these shows in coupon books (which you can find everywhere).
Free Drinks!
If you like to drink and you like gambling, then you're in luck! Sitting at the penny slots, I had free cocktails constantly served to me. Just remember to tip your waitresses! $1 seemed to do the trick.
If you are at a table game such as Craps or Blackjack, then expect tons of drinks to be thrown at you. The casino wants to get intoxicated so you are a little looser with your money. As long as you moderate your drinking, you can keep a nice buzz and not lose too much money.
Gambling
If you are staying on the Strip then you will quickly come to realize that table games are expensive. Most minimums on table games are $5 and $10 at Caesars Palace and the Bellagio. There is one casino on the Strip, however that is a little cheaper. Casino Royal, which is across the street from The Mirage and next to Harrah's, has $3 Craps and $4 Roulette.
If you really don't want to spend that much money (like me) then I suggest you take a little trip downtown. Go to any northbound bus stop and buy a $7 24 hour pass. Hop on the bus and get off on Fremont Street. If you want to play some Roulette, then go to the El Cortez casino where they have $1 minimum and $.25 chips. Want to play Craps? Go the Western which is a little further down the street from El Cortez. They have $1 Craps.
Food
If you are staying on the Strip then I suggest dinner at Ellis Island Casino at least a few times. It is just off the strip here. Ask for the Steak Special and you will get this for $7.99. Yes, that is right, you get a soup or salad, steak, green beans, potatoes and a beer, all for $7.99.
Harrah's has a "Million Dollar Pull" where you just go up and play a slot machine for free with the chance to win $1 million. Even if you don't win a million, you will always win something. One of the prizes they have is a $20 dining voucher for any Harrah's property, which includes: Caesar's, Imperial Palace, Rio, Harrah's etc... The dinner buffet at Harrah's is $20, so there is a free meal!
When you are downtown playing some cheap table games, make sure you grab dinner at Binion's. Just sign up for their player's club and they will give you a buy one get one free entree coupon for their cafe. My girlfriend and I ate a full meal for a total of $10 there, delicious.
I know there is a ton I am leaving out, so please add any tips!