VEGAS BABY!!!

[Donegeal]

Second time coming here. Last time was over 30 years ago. What did you enjoy when you were last here if you've been here? If not, what was your favorite vacation and why?

[Dinner]

I was there at the beginning of May and decided to stay downtown instead of on the strip. Circa was a nice place to stay though it is strictly 21 and up just make sure you do not stay in a room facing the pool because the noise is very loud. The rooms are less expensive downtown, the slots are looser, plus the rules on games like blackjack are far better downtown. They also give away more free comps compared to the corporate owned places on the strip.

For restaurants if you like north Italian then try Esther Kitchen in the arts district. The steak house at the Plaza was kind of over priced and meh in my book. I have stayed on the strip dozens of times over the years so if you want my opinion on that let me know.

[Ming]

We go every couple of years, and have had a blast every time. We love to gamble so we check out all the casinos.
Yes... Downtown is cheaper and a lot of fun. But I love walking the strip. We usually stay there, but then take a cab downtown.

[Dinner]

If you have kids or are just interested in Scifi (not to mention puzzle solving) the Omega Mart is a great place to visit. It was made by Meow Wolf which is an art collective founded by George R. R. Martin who is the author of the Game of Thrones series.

Tell us more about what you are interested in and maybe we can think of some good suggestions.

[Jon Miller]

As far as vacation vacations go (with no work/family connection) and cities, I enjoyed Victoria with my mother and younger siblings when I was 20 (or was it 19, London (I even met Mike and friends), Paris with my now wife and her sister, Plettenberg Bay with my now wife and her sister and Vancouver with my now wife. We have also done New York City as a family (2 young kids), which was enjoyable.

We have also enjoyed holidaying in Chicago but since we have lived there I count it as having a (church) family connection.

JM

[pchang]

If I am in Las Vegas, I pretty much just go out to the top restaurants in the area. Most of them are in a casino complex.

[Ming]

When we brought our kids... we made the rounds to all the roller coasters.

[Jon Miller]

Sorry, my post was incomplete. Plettenberg Bay fits better with Yosemite and Lauterbrunnen and Big Sur and Yellowstone which are great outdoor adventure spots (but also with niceties).

I favor museums and cafes, and unique locals and fine dining, and not gambling which is why I like Paris and London and New York and Chicago. I do like shows, so probably that is what I would enjoy in Los Vegas.

JM
(I just spent a day in Los Vegas for my sisters wedding and didn't enjoy it, I was being super cheap and didn't do much, and my vacation in Yellowstone was long enough ago that I really need to do it again.)

[Jon Miller]

Also, I lived in Brussels and went to work trips to Brussels, so Brussels is like Chicago for me. I actually think that Brussels is better experienced as a vacation than living there. I enjoyed living where I did in Chicago.

There are other spots I have been to work or even 1 day excursions, but I don't feel like I can compare them to the big ones.

JM

[Dinner]

Sorry, my post was incomplete. Plettenberg Bay fits better with Yosemite and Lauterbrunnen and Big Sur and Yellowstone which are great outdoor adventure spots (but also with niceties).

I favor museums and cafes, and unique locals and fine dining, and not gambling which is why I like Paris and London and New York and Chicago. I do like shows, so probably that is what I would enjoy in Los Vegas.

JM
(I just spent a day in Los Vegas for my sisters wedding and didn't enjoy it, I was being super cheap and didn't do much, and my vacation in Yellowstone was long enough ago that I really need to do it again.)

If someone wants to be super cheap in Las Vegas but still eat well then Ellis Island has been the go to place for something like 30 years. They have some amazing steak and other food specials; the quality is good, the prices are very low, but you won't get the nice decor of a high end steak house. Their fish and chips, which uses only large fillets of Atlantic Cod, was top notch and even beat the fish and chips at Gordon Ramsay's place. They also brew their own beer in house.

It was a must stop place for broke college students in the 1990's and has only expanded and gotten better over the years.

https://youtu.be/I5-nq1QZbFU

Jerry's Nugget is a locals casino in North Vegas (north of downtown) and it is kind of run down and in a not so nice part of town (think where strippers rent their apartment, recently released prison inmates stay at halfway houses, and nasty looking hookers propositioning ever guy so they can get their drugs for the day). Jerry's Cafe has the hands down best prime rib deal in all of Las Vegas and the quality and consistency is amazing.

https://youtu.be/Fbaa2vbRjWE

The third, and least good option in my opinion, cheap casino restaurant food is the California Hotel in downtown. They have rock bottom prices but the food quality kind of sucks. We are talking $0.99 shrimp cocktails, $2 margaritas, $7.99 steak and eggs, $8.99 prime rib (over cooked and kind of small), and a $11.99 sirloin and lobster special. The food is all kind of meh, the serve it in a Tony Roma's, and each special has a different time periods so you can't just walk in and order when you want.

[Jon Miller]

I should have clarified that just meant only. It was actually almost 15 years ago.

JM

[Dinner]

When we brought our kids... we made the rounds to all the roller coasters.

For young kids Circus Circus is still a hit every time. The NYNY roller coaster also is something they like. Don't forget the pinball museum or one of the water parks. Oh, and never actually stay or eat at Circus Circus; just pay to get into their amusement park if you have kids who want to do amusement park type stuff.

[Dinner]

I don't know if Donegal wants to spend this much but the weekend dinner buffet at Caesar's Palace is still the one to beat. The Bacchanal buffet has a steep price but well worth it for an experience. I really dislike how so many casinos are getting rid of their buffets and replacing them with "food halls" which just means an over priced mall food court.

[Dinner]

If you are interested in off strip locations The M Resort and Casino in Henderson (basically south Vegas) looks enticing.

https://youtu.be/dnJXwbjhytI

A walk through of the rooms and suites at the M. It is more like an apartment than a hotel room. 1100 sq ft. Really nice as long as you don't mind not being in the center of the action.

https://youtu.be/ecgAXZbHRLw

[Dauphin]

Berlin still tops my city break holiday list. Not sure if it is because I like Berlin, or just that drinking beers with Andz and BeBro made it a good time. I like Koln, and did Munich at Oktoberfest once which was a good experience. Going from Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau and Vienna to Budapest largely along the Danube was a good trip.

We tried to visit Bielefeld once, but we never found it.