The price of gas is beginning to come down, and is now nearly as cheap as a gallon of milk. Thank heavens I can stop putting milk in my car (it really affects my acceleration, though it's convenient when I want to stop at a Rest Stop for a bowl of my good friend, Cap'n Crunch).
I'm starting to get excited about my next trip -- VEGAS, Baby! Been to Vegas recently? If not, you're missing some cool new stuff. There is so much building and expansion going on, it's a bit mind-boggling. City Center is starting to take shape. Summer is just about over, but Las Vegas really has some excellent values during summer months (even last-minute just a few days before departure, if you can still find availability). Once NFL football and Convention months arrive, it's harder to locate killer deals. But we always have something for Vegas, whether you want the old Downtown area, somewhere off the strip (such as a hotel & spa), or something right in the middle of the action.
I recently visited the new Planet Hollywood, formerly Aladdin, but if you had ever seen Aladdin you won't recognize the place now!! It's new, hip, young, energetic, and WOW. They have the Miracle Mile Shops, some of the best shopping in all of Vegas. I was fortunate enough to catch their show "Stomp Out Loud", and although I wasn't sure it would be my cup of tea going in, it was excellent and thoroughly enjoyable. As a former drummer, I was amazed at the rhythmic flow and excellent choreography of the drum work as well. Plus unlike most Vegas shows, this one has characters you can relate to, and a dry sense of humor. Great value!
Something else that's not completely new to Vegas, but has grown ten-fold, is the emphasis on celebrity chefs and food. Credit the Food Network for lighting that fire, and it's pretty cool to see restaurants run by the big boys you see on TV. Yes there's still Burger King, McDonald's, Denny's and all the buffets, but there are culinary heights to explore. I have a food "system" when I go to Vegas. It's easy, fun and literally anyone can do it. If you've ever played craps (dice), you know it's a game where money flies fast and free. I set aside a time every morning to go to the dice table, and stay 15 minutes. PERIOD (unless a roll is in progress, in which case I play until a 7-out). At the end of 15 minutes, that sets my food agenda for the day. If I'm down, it's buffets and burgers for me all day! However if after 15 minutes I'm up, I take the amount I'm up and put it into a separate pants pocket, to treat myself to at least one food venue later in the day. If you don't have pants, go put some pants on! It's Vegas, but you're gonna get arrested!! But that's my system in a nutshell -- whenever I want to visit Mario Batali's steakhouse, the dice pay the tab! Feel free to contact me any time for suggestions or rates for Vegas, or just about anywhere else.
+++++TIP ON BOOKING VEGAS+++++
Friday and Saturday nights, the hotels are double (or more) the weekday price. That's because EVERYBODY wants to go for a quick weekend, and it's not only people flying in, but the people who are close enough to drive in from LA, Phoenix, etc. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, plan on booking any days Sunday through Friday and it will save you a lot. Sometimes you can even just skip Friday and save a bundle.....on my trip, I'm flying out early Saturday morning, so I'll get all the late-afternoon NCAA football games Saturday, NFL on Sunday, and Monday Night Football as well, before coming back home. Skipping the Friday night and using this schedule saved me over $200 since the flights were cheaper that day.
Another tip, if you're ever playing poker with me and you have a pair of 3's, please go ALL IN. I could use the cash, thanks. Final tip, if you've never seen the "Second City" comedy/improv show, there is a Las Vegas chapter in the Flamingo hotel, and at about $50 per person it's one of the best value shows in Vegas. You'll laugh 'til you cry, but if you're offended by slightly blue humor, it's not a family show. But it IS a hoot.
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