Last year, I decided to try hosting a meetup for any readers of my blog who happened to be in Las Vegas when I was. When you’re traveling solo, being able to schedule a meetup ahead of time with people you have something in common with can be a good way to build in some social time and mix things up a bit. The meetup turned out to be a fun way to meet and connect with a couple of readers of my blog (thanks again, Nate and Janice!). So, I’m going to do it again this year.
The First Annual Vegas Solo Meetup
I’ve now booked my airfare, so there’s no going back unless (God forbid) I get hit by a bus or something. I’ll be in Las Vegas once again during my favorite time of year, Labor Day week. I don’t have a specific date or location in mind just yet for the meetup, but count on it being sometime between September 2 and September 6.
So if you’re planning on being in Las Vegas in that time frame, mark your calendar! I’d love to meet you live and in person. I’d also love some feedback from you on date, time of day, and location of the meetup. In keeping with my rules of solo travel, it will be held in a public place. You can reply in the comments below or send me an email any time between now and August if you have any thoughts on this. (Hey, there’s no such thing as starting to plan your next Vegas trip too early!)
That’s pretty much all I’ve got for you this week, I’m afraid. Except this photo of the wave pool at Mandalay Bay to kick off dreams of summer fun:
Spring is coming, and that can only mean one thing: Pool season in Vegas!
Posted in Las Vegas by .
Warning: Rant ahead. If you have no interest in reading this rant, feel free to check back next week when I’ll go back my regularly scheduled non-ranty content. This week’s topic is something that’s been bugging me for awhile now, and while I’ve touched on it briefly in my post titled 10 Things I Don’t Like About Las Vegas, my annoyance continues to grow, so I thought it was time to go ahead and dedicate an entire post to it, just to get it off my chest.
Costumes that make sense in Las Vegas....
Some people look down on Las Vegas because of the fakeness of its tourist facade. The Strip, after all, is made up of a fake Rome, a fake volcano, a fake Venice, a fake Paris, a fake pyramid, and a fake New York City (not to mention all the fake boobs and fake tans and. . .you get the picture). Sure, it’s fake, but to me, that was part of its charm. I mean, where else in the world can you see Rome, New York, and Paris all on one street? But something has changed since I first started visiting, and I don’t find it so charming. And that’s the proliferation of fake people in the form of costumed panhandlers on the Strip and Downtown.
Posted in Uncategorized by .
I haven’t spent any significant time in the Monte Carlo in recent years. There just hasn’t been any reason to. I’d seen Lance Burton’s magic show many years ago, and then he left the Monte Carlo. During the construction of City Center, the tram between Bellagio and Monte Carlo was down, eliminating the need to go through Monte Carlo as I made my way from North Strip to South Strip or vice versa. And frankly, there just weren’t any shows or attractions or restaurants that appealed to me here.
What is that eyesore in front of The Monte Carlo? Oh, it's Diablo's.
I also have to admit, I’m not always crazy about the changes that resorts implement to their properties. I used to love the classic beauty of the Strip-facing resort entrance at the Monte Carlo—it had a high-class, romantic look that evoked the feeling of having traveled through time and space to the real Monte Carlo. So I was very disappointed when they built Diablo’s Cantina right in front of it. Diablo’s might be a great place to eat, I don’t know, but I felt this really cheapened the appearance of the resort. Then one day before my last trip, I read about Dragon Noodle’s $8.95 lunch special. I’m always on the lookout for cheap meal deals in Las Vegas, so that was enough to get me into the Monte Carlo for the first time in years.
Posted in Restaurants by .
Las Vegas is a party town pretty much every weekend of the year, but certain holidays do seem to call out for a little “extra” celebrating–New Year’s Eve, the Fourth of July, Halloween, and of course, St. Patrick’s Day, which is right around the corner. If you’re going to be in Vegas for the Irish holiday weekend, here are some places you can celebrate and show off your green pride. (You can also celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by turning yourself green riding the Big Shot or X-Scream at the top of the Stratosphere. Just a different way to go. Heh.)
Posted in Holidays Restaurants by .
Mar 12
4
Free Shuttles in Las Vegas
So you’re visiting Las Vegas, but you’re on a budget and can’t afford a rental car. Is this going to be a problem? Heck no! One of the reasons I can get away with not renting a car when I visit Las Vegas is that most of what I want to see and do is in a compact, easily walkable area. If it’s not, I will take the occasional cab, or public bus. But I also try to take advantage of free hotel shuttles whenever I can. There are several in Las Vegas.
The most obvious benefits of using these free shuttles are: To save money on transportation and possibly hotel costs (if you stay at one of these off-Strip hotels), and so that you can feel free to drink as you please because you don’t need to drive anywhere afterwards. There are drawbacks as well: If you plan to use the shuttles exclusively, you’re on their timetable, not yours. Some of these shuttles run infrequently, and many fill up fast, so you might have to wait even longer for another shuttle. How patient are you?
Posted in Transportation by .
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