I am going to be spending 7 days in Vegas in the near future. This is my first trip to Vegas, so I have a couple questions.

My suite has a full kitchen, so I would like to eat breakfasts/lunches in the room as much as possible. Am I going to have a hard time finding a grocery store within a 5 mile cab ride?

Same question regarding beer/wine/liquor stores.

If it helps, I will be staying at the Flamingo.

10/10/2012 4:56:35 PM

No problem with grocery store within 5 miles. Vonns is the equivalent of lowes or ht out there.

Beer/wine/liquor can all be found in drugstores of which there are several on the strip. The closest to flamingo will be at the Venetian/palazzo complex.

Btw. Be careful at flamingo. Had a coworker go there earlier this year and a couple girls that he and his buddy were "hanging" out with roofied them and stole their wallet and phones.

[Edited on October 10, 2012 at 5:16 PM. Reason : Z]

10/10/2012 5:15:56 PM

if you like seafood go to hot and juicy crawfish (they do shrimp, crab, etc)

4810 Spring Mountain Rd. Ste C-D
Las Vegas, NV 89102
702-891-8889
Sun-Thurs: 12:00 pm -10:00 pm
Fri-Sat: 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm


that place is awesome and not too expensive



For steakhouses, I enjoy STK


if you are going to a grocery store, you can buy liquor there. I just hit up the walgreens next to planet hollywood for all my necessities. It has everything(including cheaper liquor than the liquor stores on the strip)

10/10/2012 5:35:12 PM

If you really wanna save on groceries/booze, hit up Walmart. Most stuff near the strip= rape city.

Also, if you want to get drunk for practically nothing- penny/nickel slots ftw. seriously, i've been to vegas 4x this year and only bought a few drinks out at the club.





[Edited on October 10, 2012 at 5:39 PM. Reason : asdf]

10/10/2012 5:36:42 PM

^^^there are stories like that all over Vegas... Just don't be stupid and you'll be fine.

You'll be able to find a grocery store.. It may not be the Harris Teeter.. but it'll get the job done. There's more Alcohol in that town than anywhere else in America.. you'll find booze.

Stay off the Table games... and go to Rehab at the Hard Rock on Sunday afternoon... best club in town!

[Edited on October 10, 2012 at 5:51 PM. Reason : .]

10/10/2012 5:37:05 PM

Also the most awesome Walgreen's in the continental US

10/10/2012 5:37:19 PM

Quote :

"Btw. Be careful at flamingo. Had a coworker go there earlier this year and a couple girls that he and his buddy were "hanging" out with roofied them and stole their wallet and phones."

Well I am going with my girlfriend and 2 other couples, so I doubt that will be a concern. But then again, you know what they say about what happens in Vegas......

10/10/2012 5:37:46 PM

[

Quote :

"^there are stories like that all over Vegas... Just don't be stupid and you'll be fine."

Exactly. I got a fifth off the strip mid day so I wouldn't have to worry about it.
It sure beats paying $17/drink at the nice places.
You can drink for free if you're gambling.
I used to assume everyone knew this but I've been to many casinos in other cities where this is not the norm.

10/10/2012 5:51:10 PM

What are the open container laws like there? Can you walk down the street with a beer or no?

10/10/2012 6:12:57 PM

Yes, on the strip

10/10/2012 6:19:04 PM

I'm at 40,000 feet on the way to Vegas, if that counts for anything

I've been told to get off the strip and head downtown for a couple nights. Binion's is supposed to be a good spot to gamble/drink at. Their steakhouse sounds good and cheap.

The view at the Stratosphere is supposed to be awesome. The seafood buffet at the Rio sounds banging, as does their other buffet. There's a place near the Hard Rock called Terribles which is supposedly where some of the locals go for cheap gambling/drinking/eating near the strip. I'm planning on hitting up Club VooDoo at the Rio up one night for the views.

Who else knows of some spots not to be missed?

10/10/2012 6:20:21 PM

I'll probably go to Fremont St one night for ziplining and eat here

http://www.hugoscellar.com/ - (Steak/Seafood)

or here (cheaper steak/seafood place that got comparable reviews.)

http://www.triplegeorgegrill.com/

This place also got great reviews, and isn't too far down the strip. Pretty cheap as well.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g45963-d422690-Reviews-Lotus_of_Siam-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

Going to live it up one night and eat here. Just made the reservations for Sat, almost booked up already.

http://www.arialasvegas.com/en/dining/restaurants/sage

Ate at the Steakhouse in the Trop last time and was quite pleased with Biscayne.

10/10/2012 6:27:03 PM

Lotus of Siam is so fucking good. Definitely worth the bus ride/taxi off the strip.

10/10/2012 6:42:59 PM

after going last weekend there is NO way I could stay for more than 4 days. There is no need planning because you just always end up all over the place. That being said there is a good idea in decided what clubs or pool parties you want to go to and signing up VIP for them. I hope to go back but it might be a while!

10/11/2012 2:13:21 AM

Quote :

"within a 5 mile cab ride"

Just ride the bus, they have an excellent system. Its clean, cheap, and serves pretty much the whole city. I stayed for a week a while back in a similar place with a kitchen, and we took the bus out to Fry's to buys some electronics and to a grocery store to stock up on food/etc. Liquor is plentiful on the Strip but the really nice and inexpensive stores are a few mile bus ride out into the "normal" parts of town.

The view from the Stratosphere is indeed awesome, same applies for the Eiffel Tower. You of course have to pay to go to the top of either (Stratosphere also has rides though, which are insane).

10/11/2012 2:49:10 AM

I've never been to Vegas. I imagine it would be awesome for the first three-four days.


I would look into things to do, outside the city, in the surrounding deserts on the other three days. If you're into outdoor stuff and you've never been in a desert environment you should definitely check it out. Take a good pair of boots and some nice socks for sure.

10/11/2012 4:16:53 AM

Rent a car and go check out the landscape. Its pretty far out.

10/11/2012 4:17:26 AM

I agree a week is long in vegas. Both times we did 4 or 5 days and still wanted to get away from the strip. We did a tour that took a plane ride to the Grand Canyon south rim which was a lot of fun. It's a half day adventure. doing the morning was great even if we did wake up at 4 am. sunrise over the canyon was gorgeous. Also rented a car and drove to the Hoover Dam.

10/11/2012 5:37:04 AM

Ellis Island casino at the Super 8 just off the strip has $5 blackjack. Also has a few old ass hookers that hang around. Good for people watching.

10/11/2012 7:50:12 AM

Go see O or Ka (or both). Cirque shows are impressive.
It's been said, but I'll agree, spend a day and rent a car. We did a day trip to Death Valley last time I was in Vegas. The landscape out there is wort checking out if you haven't before.

10/11/2012 7:54:45 AM

Hoover Dam. Very close, must see.

10/11/2012 9:09:38 AM

Agreed, that the strip is perfect for a four day trip.
O was very good, I also surprisingly really enjoyed Blue Man Group.

10/11/2012 9:59:28 AM

Quote :

"Rent a car and go check out the landscape. Its pretty far out."

Already ahead of you on this one. We are renting a car probably in the middle of the week and going to Hoover Dam and whatever else is around Vegas.

And yeah, I am pretty sure that 7 days will burn me the hell out. It doesn't help that we are taking the redeye back, with a connection in Chicago. THAT is going to be a long ass day after a 6 day drinking binge.

[Edited on October 11, 2012 at 10:09 AM. Reason : a]

10/11/2012 10:07:47 AM

sounds like a fun trip.

10/11/2012 10:11:39 AM

I'm not sure if they still have it but Casino Royale (located between Harrah's and Caesar's Palace on the strip) has $3 craps tables.

10/11/2012 10:11:55 AM

The sportsbook the first weekend we are there is going to make or break my whole week. Me and my buddy plan to spend all day Saturday and all day Sunday betting on football while the girls hang at the pool.

[Edited on October 11, 2012 at 10:16 AM. Reason : a]

10/11/2012 10:16:26 AM

i keep reading this as vagina veterans

10/11/2012 10:18:27 AM

well yeah, that too

10/11/2012 10:25:54 AM

Since you're getting a car if you like hiking or just some amazing views you have Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire (better than RRC imo) within ~1hr depending on traffic. A bit further and you have Death Valley which is amazing. There's definitely enough to do to keep you busy for 7 days without getting burnt out as long as you don't actually stay in Vegas proper the whole time. You can go out and rent sand rails in the desert, fly to the GC, etc.

10/11/2012 12:58:28 PM

Between Harrahs and Paris on that side of the sidewalk you can play 5 dollar blackjack all night long. Like I said 4 days is the MOST you can take out there. I love it, but that is the most.

10/11/2012 11:35:59 PM

How was it?

10/18/2012 1:47:55 AM

Quote :

"Stay off the Table games..."

wat

Quote :

"Between Harrahs and Paris on that side of the sidewalk you can play 5 dollar blackjack all night long. Like I said 4 days is the MOST you can take out there. I love it, but that is the most."

I agree with all of this. I was there for a conference back in June for 6 days. I spent a little time at the conference, which helped to break up the trip a little but I swear, 6 days was just too much. It took me at least a week to recover from that trip. Awesome time though.

10/18/2012 4:16:51 AM

Just got back in a few hours ago. It was AWESOME, but I must say that 7 days is definitely too long. I think that 4, maybe 5 tops is plenty. By the last 2 days my ass was dragging, and was pretty much tired of gambling.

I will update all the things I did later, because now I am just ready for bed. It doesn't help that Travelocity fucked up my flight home and I ended up spending the night in some shady ass Vegas hotel last night.

10/20/2012 9:59:03 PM

I'm sitting in the Houston airport right now about to board a flight to Vegas. My first trip there as well.

10/21/2012 11:58:29 AM

http://www.vons.com/IFL/Grocery/Home



for your next trip. grab your rental car then head straight to the von's.


booze and groceries.

10/21/2012 3:27:28 PM

^ we were able to walk to a convenience store from our hotel, which was nice. Of course it was way overpriced, but so was everything else in Vegas. I paid $12 for a 6" Subway sub at MGM.

Best deal I got was at LV Hilton Sportsbook. Not only can you watch all the games in a theater (like, a real movie theater), but it was $1 Coors Light. A guy gave us bracelets about an hour into the games and all our beer/food was free. Most of the other sportsbooks I hit up charged for drinks.

[Edited on October 22, 2012 at 1:56 PM. Reason : a]

10/22/2012 1:54:32 PM

You may have/have had a different experience than I did, but this is what I took away from my 7 days in Sin City:

1. Cabs are way overpriced. A woman I met on the monorail said that even NYC cabs were cheaper. Renting a car is definitely worth it. If you don't rent a car, take advantage of monorails.

2. If you plan to walk anywhere, be prepared to WAAAAAAAALK. Shit that looks like it is only a block away, is seriously like 2 miles.

3. Every time you need an escalator, it will be not be running. (specifically the up escalators to the walking bridges that cross over the strip)

4. The whole "you will drink free as long as you are gambling" is only partially true. Sure, the drinks are free, but good luck getting a waitress. I sat at a blackjack table at Tropicana for over an hour before I even saw a waitress. Both the dealer and the pit boss requested one for us but it still took forever. Ended up playing for 2 hours with about $500 in play and only got 1 drink.

5. The drinks: Make sure you order liquor, and order doubles. Beers are a waste (for the reason listed in 4), and you can barely even taste alcohol in the singles.

6. Be prepared to spend at least double for fast food in the Casinos. The only fast food deal in Vegas is In N Out, which was priced pretty much the same as a fast food restaurant here.

7. If you are looking for cheap tables, gamble at Statosphere. Also, if you have the balls, ride the rides. That shit is crazy. I seriously thought I was having a heart attack on Insanity.

8. Fremont St. (Old Vegas) has the best prices in Vegas, both on food/alcohol and games. I wish we would have spent more time down there. Plus there is a bunch of free entertainment down there. We got to watch them film a scene of CSI, which was pretty neat.

9. Bellagio water show is badass.

10. If you can afford it, try to play at higher dollar blackjack tables, unless you have enough friends with you to fill a whole table. The $5-$10 tables attract motherfuckers that have no idea how the game is played. I can't tell you how many times I was like "Come on bro, the idea is that we all make money here, not just you".

I will add some more as I think of them

10/22/2012 2:42:50 PM

Good advice. I liked the trams but the monorail always took forever to get to since it's at the very back of the hotels.

10/22/2012 3:02:33 PM

It was nice for us because we were at Flamingo and the Monorail was right behind our room. Unfortunately it only took us as far as MGM, so we still had a pretty good walk from there to the rest of the strip. We only used it a few times though, since my buddy (who was staying at Monte Carlo) had a rental car.

[Edited on October 22, 2012 at 3:08 PM. Reason : a]

10/22/2012 3:07:27 PM

how was traffic/parking on the strip?

10/22/2012 3:17:27 PM

Cake. Free valet at every hotel/casino

10/22/2012 3:20:35 PM

Valet isnt exactly free...you still have to tip

If you gamble enough and have a player's card, you might be able to score free garage parking

[Edited on October 22, 2012 at 3:45 PM. Reason : f]

10/22/2012 3:44:03 PM

Quote :

"Every time you need an escalator, it will be not be running. (specifically the up escalators to the walking bridges that cross over the strip)"

What the fuck is up with that? I was there for 5 nights and not a single escalator was working (save for maybe one that was going down)

10/22/2012 3:45:06 PM

Quote :

"4. The whole "you will drink free as long as you are gambling" is only partially true. Sure, the drinks are free, but good luck getting a waitress. I sat at a blackjack table at Tropicana for over an hour before I even saw a waitress. Both the dealer and the pit boss requested one for us but it still took forever. Ended up playing for 2 hours with about $500 in play and only got 1 drink."

sit at the bars in the nicer casinos and put $20 in video poker (or whatever) and play slowly while you get fucked up on top shelf anything have big boobs and be nice to the bartender and you will walk away very happy.

10/22/2012 3:46:24 PM

^ I tried that and only 1 casino (MGM) would honor it. I was told the same thing day 1, but only got it to work once.

Quote :

"Cake. Free valet at every hotel/casino"

This. Sure you have to tip, but a $5 tip is WAAAAAY better than a $20 cab fare or a 5 mile walk. Shit, they charge you $4 just to sit down in a cab before they even take you anywhere.

[Edited on October 22, 2012 at 3:52 PM. Reason : a]

10/22/2012 3:51:00 PM

I mean, its pretty much known that cocktail waitresses tend to spend more time around the high roller tables...but I've never had a problem putting $20 into a slot machine and playing it slowly to get drinks.

Maybe you were just being too obvious about it?

10/22/2012 3:54:31 PM

We were playing $25 minimum blackjack, I would think we could get more than 1 drink an hour.

10/22/2012 3:58:05 PM

Sometimes you just have to flag the girls down...and order more than one drink at a time (especially if you believe that they won't be back around for a long time)

10/22/2012 4:00:52 PM

Yeah, I made sure to ask about drinks as soon as I sat down and never had any problems. Just like in real life some of the servers suck.

10/22/2012 4:04:57 PM

set em up

10/22/2012 4:08:55 PM