To Vegas or not to Vegas...

[Malarky]

It depends.

I'm not the type to blow my hard earned money on a game of chance.

I went for my 50th with a friend...but we were using it as a home base to get to the Grand Canyon and other national parks.

We did do some of the sights...spent an afternoon and evening on the strip.

I found myself saddened and appalled.  It's all pretty and shiny on the strip, but there are creepy men on the street trying to lure young girls to parties.  It all seems to have an air of desperation...

But once you leave Vegas-there's the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam and other amazing places to see, that are so far removed from the reality of New England.

But if you like to gamble and are looking for a Hangover-the movie type experience, go for it.


I did also have a CSI experience one night-off the strip-really bad neighborhood-fatal shooting. Not a place I travelled to willingly.  Tossed the GPS that led me astray in the hotel trash can.   

[ZaireinHD]

yea
I consider Vegas to be an expensive place to go
also too hot for me
lastly I had not heard of anyone returning back from a trip to Vegas without spending over a grand!

now if that all sounds negative to you which is NOT my intentions
everyone that I have heard stories of returning from a trip to Vegas has had a GREAT time and wished to go back!
gambling options are plentiful
food options are plentiful
show options are plentiful

go and have a great time!

[zibazinski]

I've been twice and had a ball! I don't gamble but with hotel, airfare, and food/shows, I spent well over a grand! Worth it. I intend to go again as soon as I'm able.

[zibazinski]

DS and his girlfriend went. They loved it!

[zibazinski]

Yup, makes perfect sense. I did a Thursday thru Sunday, leaving Monday. Thursday and Sunday, dirt cheap. Friday and Saturday? NOT!!!

[Deleted]

Vegas can be a very inexpensive vacation. Flights and hotel are inexpensive. Food you can splurge on. Shows are expensive.
Vegas is one of those places that everyone should go at least once. 

If anyone has a gambling problem they should not go at all - way too much temptation everywhere you turn.

I have only been on business or awards trips, so haven't gone with kids; but if you want a sunny place to sit around a pool, wander the boardwalk, and take in a show or two with kids I think it is great.

Why does your wife hate the idea?

[TheOtherMe]

Vegas can be very inexpensive if you go during the week and don't gamble.  I don't enjoy it enough that I care to go again.  I've been there several times and I did enjoy myself.  Back in the day when I gambled, I would only gamble a set amount and then I stopped.  One time, I hit a royal flush on my first set of quarters and that was the end of the gambling for that trip.  Instead, I ate better and went to some shows I had not planned on.

I will never go in summer again as it is way too hot, even in the evening and late at night.  It does not cool down. 

The casinos got hit hard by the recession and many of them only have certain restaurants open at certain times of the day.

[Shooby]

Omg! I am dying to see Britney Spears.

[Deleted]

Ratchets Where did you end up locating yourself in the US?

Circus Circus in Vegas makes the top 10 list for family vacations. I might try out the Treesort in OR that's in this article!
www.travelchannel.com/interests/family/articles/top-10-family-vacations

[ZaireinHD]

oh yes + yes
I-MAX
when movies are offered in I-MAX I pay the extra money to see
the down side at my advanced age - LOL
even sitting in the far back of the theater I think I am unable to see all of what is happening on screen?

as for 3D - ehhh not all the time do I pay for the extra to see a movie in 3D

[beergut]

I go once a year in March, and am going for a second time in August. 

My rooms are comped because the last few times I've gone, I've won enough that they want me to come back and lose it back to them. 

You can easily make it a kid-friendly trip.

Go downtown. Watch the light show at night. Take them to Pawnstars, which is downtown. 

Take them to Binions, and let them take a picture in front of the $1 million display. 

There is a shop there that is made for family fun, they have a life-size chess board, they have soccer-pool, where the billiards table is a field, and you play pool by kicking the ball. 

There are usually traveling museum exhibits in at least one casino. I think Bellagio still has a ton of artwork.

You can have them walk to every casino on the Strip, and buy a $1 chip in each one for them as a souvenir. It is a ton of walking, but it will wear them out. 

Go downtown one day, walk the Strip one day, do a pool day where you all go swimming, maybe go out and do a Hoover Dam tour. 

That is three days of activities to do. 

And Circus Circus is a rundown pit. They're ripping you off at $35 a night. 

[plugginaway22]

We used Vegas as our start/stop town for our 'out-west' vacation with 3 kids. Flew in from Baltimore, rented a Yukon, spent 2 nights in Vegas at Paris before heading to Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Sedona.  We are not big gamblers, but did leave our oldest in hotel room with kids one night to explore the casinos. Our kids have great memories of that trip and Vegas, especially the pool, walking around at night to see fountains, MGM had animals, the lobbies were amazing in all these hotels. We took them to the top of Stratosphere? where DH and kids got on some terrifying ride and I just enjoyed the fabulous views. Definitely our family's favorite trip!

[wvugurl26]

Jul 3, 2015 19:24:43 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

@rockit - She said a few times that she's really worried about it not being kid-friendly.  I think she's worried that both there might be bad influence kind of things all around, and also just that there won't be anything for them to do there.  I went to Vegas in either 2005 or 2006 and thought the strip was fine as far as that goes.  My trip was for work and I think we only got one day off, so I didn't really get a lot of time gamble and see shows and stuff, but we did walk up and down the strip and see some of the casinos and it seemed ok for kids.

Neither of us are huge gamblers.  She's played the slot machines on this little river cruise we went on, and I played blackjack in vegas and Biloxi and stuff like that, but overall I'd rather go just to see the attractions the casinos have like the Bellagio fountains and either a comedy show or burlesque show - which I'm assuming the comedy shows are mostly geared towards adults?  I did see Jeff Dunham does a show there and his videos seem clean enough to take the kids too.

Really I think the most fun way to do it would be to go with friends, that way you can drink and talk and joke around and all that.  But for the friends we have here (well, in Phoenix), one couple doesn't really drink or care to party plus he'll admit he's too lazy to go LoL, and the other couple would have a great time but he is limited on his time in the area - he stayed in England when she moved here to care for his mother, and he's passing through on his way to Korea.

We did ask that couple if they wanted to go, and they're supposed to get back to us. I think it's pretty unlikely they'll want to though, I'm sure he probably wants to spend the time seeing his family more than going to Vegas, and it might be hard to work out a date anyway.  But we'll see.

I saw Jeff Dunham Thursday night. He said whether it was family friendly depended on your family. I've seen a ton of kids here. Teenagers would probably be okay but the five six year olds running around under foot is annoying.

I've stayed at Luxor before. Never again. I'm allergic to cigarette smoke and it was everywhere in that place in 2011. This trip it seems far fewer people are smoking. I like my location this time better as well.

We saw 311 and a fireworks show last night at Mandalay Bay Beach. We also rode the roller coaster at New York New York and went to Hershey World there. We did CSI at MGM which was pretty cool. Going to do the Secret Garden at Mirage and see the tigers and dolphins.

The flower garden at Bellagio is insane. There's always the fountain show there too. I wanted to see Blue Man Group but timing didn't work. We are seeing O at Bellagio as well. There are much cheaper Cirque tickets though. I'm sure that's the most expensive one. Pools are always good too.

And we're going out to Red Rock Canyon and Hoover Dam. If you weren't staying for days on end I think it would be fine to leave the kids in the hotel one night. Yours are old enough. Let them get room service, watch a movie, etc. They'll enjoy their own night.

[wvugurl26]

Las Vegas is the only place I know that allows it in public places.

CSI was a lot if fun. Look into the 3 for $57 tickets if you go. It's a MGM deal so you can buy tickets to multiple things. Cheaper and it cuts down waiting in line to buy tickets.

[TheOtherMe]

I've heard Circus Circus is a , not a bargain.

Look at places like TravelZoo, Groupon, etc. for entertainment deals.  We got some really cheap tickets for a show that we would not have attended for $5.  It wasn't that great, but at $5, it wasn't a waste of money either.

You can smoke about anywhere in Vegas, which is another reason I don't like it.and the former SO did. 

[Deleted]

Jul 4, 2015 16:45:41 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

Did you see the big aquarium? I forgot which hotel it's at, but it looked cool.

That's the Mirage.  I've been to Vegas only on business and I stayed there both times; they have a great swimming pool and that's important to me.

I wouldn't go on my own money.  DH once said, "They didn't build all that fake European statuary, the imitation Eiffel Tower,  the giant volcano, etc. because they like you - they do it to make money off of you".  I can't get into gambling at all even though I'm comfortable taking risks in the market.  I find things are pretty expensive (the sticker price of a buffet, for example) and I suspect they're marked way down or comped for the high-rollers but for me it's no bargain.  All the casino/hotels are structured so you have to wend your way through the slots to get to the elevators and it's depressing to see people drinking beer and playing the slots at 7:30 AM.  Finally, I can't get into shopping at the designer boutiques.  And yes, it's hot.  Show me the way to the pool!

[beergut]

Jul 4, 2015 19:50:08 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Jul 4, 2015 16:45:41 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

Did you see the big aquarium? I forgot which hotel it's at, but it looked cool.

That's the Mirage.  I've been to Vegas only on business and I stayed there both times; they have a great swimming pool and that's important to me.

I wouldn't go on my own money.  DH once said, "They didn't build all that fake European statuary, the imitation Eiffel Tower,  the giant volcano, etc. because they like you - they do it to make money off of you".  I can't get into gambling at all even though I'm comfortable taking risks in the market.  I find things are pretty expensive (the sticker price of a buffet, for example) and I suspect they're marked way down or comped for the high-rollers but for me it's no bargain.  All the casino/hotels are structured so you have to wend your way through the slots to get to the elevators and it's depressing to see people drinking beer and playing the slots at 7:30 AM.  Finally, I can't get into shopping at the designer boutiques.  And yes, it's hot.  Show me the way to the pool!

If you don't truly enjoy playing games, Vegas is not the place for you. I love playing games. My parents enjoy the slots, because they view them like they view arcade games. They only play multi-level games, so you're trying to advance to the next level like you would in any other game. Playing poker or craps or blackjack are also games, but instead of keeping score with points, you do it with money. 

As long as you are responsible, and responsible with your bankroll, you can have a great time gambling. Your bankroll has to be money you are willing to lose, and CANNOT be money you need for bills or any necessities. That is where people get in trouble. If you adhere to a win limit (where you win a certain amount and walk away) and a loss limit (you lose a certain amount of your buy-in, you walk away) with your bankroll, you can play multiple sessions, always walk away with money, and always have a good time. 

A rule of thumb for food/restaurants/buffets is to plan to spend $100 each day you're there. That is more than you'll really need, but budgeting that much will lessen the sticker shock. I also recommend going to at least one restaurant that is nice, to treat yourself to a good meal. 

Remembered two more suggestions for the OP:

Visit Ellis Island Casino & Microbrewery, and get the best deal in Vegas, the top sirloin steak special. Think it is now $6.99. Salad, steak, two sides, and a drink, for only $6.99. 

Go to the Hofbrauhaus across the street from the Hard Rock Casino. They have a huge beer hall, and a polka band. Get the big pretzel, it's worth it. And if you like German beer and German food, this is the place to be. They also offer a burger and fries if the kids are picky eaters. This is another place I think the kids will like because of the atmosphere.