Las Vegas Restaurants - Bellagio Hotel & Casino

Nobody has asked in awhile, so I'll give an update:
Recently stayed here with family because we wanted to try a hotel "off strip" and casino-free. Tossed a $20 during check-in and was upgraded from a studio parlor to a city corner suite facing Aria. Was beautiful. First thing we noticed was how clean and elegant the hotel was and NO smoke smell cus it doesn't have a casino. You can literally step outside, look left, and walk one minute to Aria OR you can stay in the hotel and use the walkway that connects to Bellagio when you wanna gamble. Vdara to Bellagio casino floor is maybe five minutes at a casual pace. People that complain about this make me giggle. It's a trivial price to pay for a chill and modern hotel.
Speaking of chill, that's another thing we loved about Vdara. Because it doesn't have a casino, it doesn't have the hustle and bustle of other strip hotels directly on the strip. Vdara is behind Cosmo and in between Bellagio and Aria so that's why I call it "off strip" in quotes. There always seems to be an employee nearby to greet you too, which is nice. Our room was immaculate. Had a Bosch washer and dryer (looked barely used), a gigantic refrigerator, an electric stove, dishwasher, and nice deep soaking tub in the bathroom, and all the other stuff you'd expect in a Vegas hotel (overpriced minibar, flatscreen tvs, etc). The staff was excellent from the valet, bellhops, front desk, and cafe, you name it. Our tv remote wasn't working and a game came to fix it (was a problem with the concealed cable box) in less than 5 minutes.
The pool was open, but we didn't use it cus it was too cold out (December). Good to know you also have access to Aria's pool as well. As Vdara is an MGM property you have access to self-parking or valet at any MGM property which brings me to my only real gripe. Behind Vdara is a huge parking garage but it's only for valet. Wish they had self-parking.
Overall, I would recommend Vdara to anyone who wants to enjoy a night on the strip but end it in a comparatively quiet and chill place. This place is also great for families or business because of the in-room amenities they offer. Coming back from business/vacation with clean clothes is super underrated! Don't be scared off by folks hating that it's not directly on the strip, it's totally fine and I'm out of shape as hell. You walk outside and take an elevator down, cross a small intersection and you're in Cosmo's parking garage.

So my family and I are going to Vegas in a week and we're really excited.
I was wondering if you guys knew of some good late night cafes (something open until midnight to 1am) on The Strip where you can get a coffee or a small bite to eat.
Unfortunately, my sister is not yet 21 so thats why I'm not really looking at any bars and The Strip location would be preferable since we're staying at The Bellagio.
Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks!

As a first road trip, I took my new 100D Model S from Los Angeles to Las Vegas this weekend. I decided to check out each Supercharging station to see which ones I would like to use in the future. For distance calculation purposes, I used the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Below is my review of them with grades on the following metrics:
Overall: Overall score
Availability: Availability of Supercharger stalls
Accessibility: How easily the stop is accessed from the freeway
Amenities: Overall grade for shops/restaurants/etc.
Restrooms: Grade for cleanliness/# of restrooms
Food: Grade for food options/quality
Proximity: How close the stalls are to the amenities
Rancho Cucamonga: 12 stalls
Address: 12642 Cultural Center Dr, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739
Distance between charging stations: 65 miles to Barstow
Distance from Vegas: 221 miles
Distance from LA: 48.1 miles
This one was full when I was arriving but luckily someone was pulling out as I came in. This seems like it is a highly trafficed spot as it's at the 210/15 merger. This location is right next to the Victoria Gardens mall (https://www.victoriagardensie.com). There's a variety of restaurants and shops you can check out on their website, along with an AMC theater. The stalls are in a back place in the parking lot that is not directly next to the mall entrance.
Overall: B+
The lack of availability brings down what would otherwise be a solid A.
Availability: C
High traffic freeway junction has potential to create more demand than supply of stations.
Accessibility: A-
Pretty close to freeway with easy on/off when there's no traffic.
Amenities: A
A full mall with movie theater.
Restrooms: A
Many standard mall quality restrooms.
Food: A
Lots of choices in the mall.
Proximity: B+
The stations are in the back of the parking lot not super close to the mall entrance.
Barstow: 16 stalls
Address: 2812 Lenwood Rd, Barstow, CA 92311
Distance between charging stations: 65 miles from Rancho Cucamonga, 16.5 miles from Yermo
Distance from Vegas: 157 miles
Distance from LA: 111 miles
I thought that this location would be very heavily used and unavailable but during my to/from trips it always seemed to have some availability. This location is next to a Chili's and Aryes hotel with some nicer restrooms in it than your normal gas station. It's a 5 min walk to In N Out/Starbucks with a large selection of almost every fast food option available too. This Barstow stop also has an outlet mall which gives further food options within it and a shopping destination.
Overall: A
Lots of food options, cleaner restrooms, pretty easy on/off, and not too far from the amenities makes this a solid stop.
Accessibility: A-
Pretty easy to get on/off but have to drive through Lenwood road a bit to get to the stalls.
Availability: A-
16 stalls offer a lot of availability but I could see it getting jammed during peak travel times.
Amenities: A
Solid food options and outlet mall.
Restrooms: A
The Ayres Hotel and Chili's have better than gas station.
Food: A+
Lots of options.
Proximity: A-
~5 min walk to almost everything.
Yermo: 18 stalls
Address: 36017 Calico Rd., Yermo, CA 92398
Distance between charging stations: 16.5 miles from Barstow, 52 miles from Baker
Distance from Vegas: 140 miles
Distance from LA: 127 miles
When Barstow is too busy, this can be a great plan B, and is a great stop in and of itself. This is my second favorite supercharging station on the trip. It has an easy on/off from the freeway and the stalls are right next to an Eddie World which offers a host of vendors and food options. Check out their full offerings on their website: eddieworld.com
Overall: A+
Very easily accessed, lots of availability, and Eddie World is a surprisingly cool stop.
Accessibility: A+
Very easy on/off the freeway.
Availability: A
Decent amount of stalls.
Amenities: A
Eddie World has everything you want from a highway stop.
Restrooms: A+
From Eddie World's website "Our beautiful 26,000 sq. foot store is designed to provide you an immaculate clean restroom experience every time you visit us. We are dedicated to clean bathrooms, it is our passion, period."
Food: A+
Lots of food options in Eddie World
Proximity: A
Stalls are a quick walk to Eddie World entrance.
Baker: 40 stalls
Address: 71808 Baker Blvd, Baker, CA 92309
Distance between charging stations: 52 miles from Yermo, 51 miles from Primm/Stateline
Distance from Vegas: 89 miles
Distance from LA: 179 miles
This is the mega charging lot with 40 stalls for maximum availability. Directly next to the station is a DQ Chill & Grill, Tapioca Express, Orange Julius and convenience store. Baker also offers a host of fast food options down the main drag, which are a bit of a hike if you're walking from the station, especially in the heat. The main food attraction in Baker is the Mad Greek Cafe which is 0.4 miles/8 minute walk from the station. There's also the Alien Fresh Jerky store in Baker, which has a variety of exotic jerkys and is about 0.7 miles/15 min walk from the station. The restrooms next to the station are "gas station gross" but not the worst ever. There's also few restrooms and tour busses stop here which can cause lines.
Overall: B
This stop is really only good for getting your supercharging on, and it does that well with 40 stalls available.
Availability: A+
Largest amount of superchargers on the trip.
Accessibility: A
Pretty close to freeway on/off ramps.
Amenities: B-
The close vendors are a bit lacking.
Restrooms: C-
Closest restrooms are on the grimier side of gas station stalls and can warrant long queues from tour bus stops.
Food: B
Smattering of fast food options and Mad Greek Cafe
Proximity: A/B-
Very close to the shops mentioned but B- for the better option (Mad Greek Cafe)
Primm (Stateline): 10 stalls
Address: 31900 S Las Vegas Blvd, Primm, NV 89019
Distance between charging stations: 51 miles from Baker charger, 36 miles from first Vegas city supercharger
Distance from Vegas: 39 miles
Distance from LA: 230 miles
This is a great stop. There seems to be a lot of availability here and I stopped on my way out and way back. This is right next to the Primm casino area which gives you a chance to do some low stakes gambling if you are so inclined. You could also walk or take a shuttle or get over to Buffalo Bills in order to ride a roller coaster or log flume Fri-Sun. There's a nearby convenience store w/ Starbucks by a gas station, a variety of fast food options, a Mad Greek Cafe and your standard array of budget casino food offerings (cheap buffets, cafes, etc.) in the closest Primm Valley Casino. There's also the Factory Outlet malls if you want to get some shopping on. Overall, this is a great place to top off to have some miles to get in/around/out of the city before you get into town or get a semi or full charge on your way out. This is my favorite one on the trip but I may skip it if there's a lot of traffic and don't need the juice.
Overall: A+
Lots to do at this stop with lots of convenience.
Availability: A
Only 10 stalls, but there was no one else there with me either time I stopped.
Accessibility: A (no traffic) or D+ (with traffic)
This is a very easy on/off if there's no traffic but could be a nightmare to get on/off if there's a traffic jam around Stateline.
Amenities: A+
Everything you want from a highway stop and more because of the casino options.
Restrooms: A
Casino restrooms are always better than gas station ones, and the ones in the Starbucks/convenience store are nice too.
Food: A
Lots of options.
Proximity of stalls to Amenities: A
Very short walk to the Starbucks, fast food, Mad Greek Cafe, Primm Valley Casino, and outlet malls.

Hello!! I posted a couple months back with questions about my upcoming Vegas stay with my two kids (ages 9 and 11). We just got back and everyone’s advice here was so helpful. So, thank you!!
Here is my report on some of the most pressing questions I had in case it’s of any use to any future travelers.
Hotel - We did end up staying at the MGM Grand. It was OK, but there was no in-room mini fridge or coffee maker, making (economical) snacking and early mornings a bit tougher. Also, the pool area was fun, but the lazy river is currently not operating (no notice and no explanation why) and the pool area is a LONG walk from the rooms. Also, and this sub warned me, it’s too far south and away from where we really wanted to be for most of our experiences. Wish we had been more central so a quick trip to something outside the hotel did t seem like a total journey.
Transportation - Just UbeLyft everywhere. We spent the whole first day doing the monorail and we spent a majority of that time walking to/from the stations and getting tired just getting to our ultimate destinations. Once we figured out ride share locations, it was a game changer and made everything a lot faster and easier. Most of our rides were like $6, and monorail passes for the 4 of us for 24 hours were $52, so probably cheaper in the end just to Lyft/Uber.
Smoke - So, it’s definitely there. One thing I didn’t like about the MGM was the smoke seemed much more prevalent than in the newer casinos, which is another reason I’d probably pick a different hotel with kids. The other thing is just being constantly on guard. I went full mamma bear once when a drunk guy smoking a cigarette tried to get on an elevator with me and my kids. I’d really like to see more places be smoke free, it just seems unnecessary and has got to do serious damage to all the people that work in the casinos.
Dining - The Secret Pizza recommendation was a great success and an awesome way for us to explore with a destination in mind that first day. We also did the buffet at the Bellagio for breakfast and Morimoto. For our last dinner. The buffet was super impressive for the kids, and I enjoyed it as well. Morimoto was expensive, I’ll leave it at that. We had fun just trying new things as they came across our path - it’s definitely an amazing foodie destination.
Other hits with the kids during the trip:

• The Hershey’s store in New York New York - OMG, had to drag them out of there after plying them with chocolate.
  
• The conservatory at the Bellagio.
  
• The High Roller - we went at night and got to watch the Bellagio fountain show from up high. Found out later that you get a significant discount with any purchase at the Flamingo, just FYI.
  
• The cupcake ATM at the Sprinkles cupcake shop at the Linq - beat the line and watch automation in action!
  
• The Milk Bar at the Cosmo - actually, that whole hotel we were pretty impressed with.
  
• The strawberry tart at the Madeline Cafe in the Paris. We really enjoyed that hotel most of all and if we came back, would probably stay there. Great location, low key family vibe, and lots of interesting dining options that are not super celebrity chef focused.
  

My only other tip would be to go during the week if you are going with kids. We noticed a significant uptick in drunken antics/big crowds/long lines from Thursday night to Friday night.
The kids had a great time and I think learned a bit. Again, I really appreciate everyone’s great advice and help - it was definitely overwhelming to get used to, but having your tips in mind helped make the transition smoother and the whole trip more enjoyable.

What a place. I have always said that I never wanted to go to Vegas, boy was I wrong.
We stayed at Aria for 6 days - This was a beautiful property and a perfect part of the strip. (We got upgraded into a suite - it was spectacular), rented a BMW, went to Red Rock Canyon (Check this place out!!!), ate a lot off the strip (Mushashi's dirty show was awesome!), saw Absinthe (got fucked in the face by Gazzilionaire!), saw O (got rained on!). Did the whole strip (9 miles of walking). Rented a boat and toured around Lake Mead for 8hrs - swam in 84 degree water. Got tattoos at Iron Horse Tattoo.
All of this stuff was done because I listened to what you guys had to say. I asked for your opinions, and for everything from mlife upgrades to the Red Rock Canyon, you all were on point.
Food highlights:

• Secret Pizza was fun - we didn't cheat to figure out where it was, but it was fun to try and find. My wife was literally pulling on every door she could find. It was hilarious. As a bonus, the pizza was great.
  
• Musashi - the dirty show was awesome. Late night was great!
  
• Strip Burger - This was a great place. Economical (not cheap though), and good quality.
  
• Cabo Wabo - Fresh salsa, guac and chips were great. Buckets of beer were required after a long day of walking the strip.
  

Ryan at Iron horse Tattoos did some ink for both my wife and I. Very easy going and are turning out well (still healing). Great experience, and he was very friendly and seemed genuinely pleased that we were already planning to get off the strip and do some stuff outside Vegas. Renting the boat (boatbound.co) was an awesome idea. It gave us the relaxation that you're looking for on a vacation. Lake Mead was awesome.
All in all, one of the best trips of my life. Thanks all for your advice.
Until next time
ERN
Edit: Since this has been linked to the sidebar, I'll give some more info:
Here's some pictures from my trip Maybe a bit NSFW
We stayed in a Tower Deluxe King at Aria. I did do the 20 dollar trick at check in, and were immediately upgraded to a strip view (had booked a mountain view.) Our check in attendant (at the invited guests line) asked if we were there for any special occasions. It was our 10th wedding anniversary, so he asked if we would like him to look for further, paid, upgrades (of course!). They offered the executive hospitality suite for an additional 100/night (a 200/night "savings") or the Tower Deluxe King room for an extra 50/night. I said sure thing! The room had 3 tv's, a living room, a king bed, and a wicked view of the strip. It also included a mini-fridge, which was great to keep our CVS-purchased beer, coolers and wine chilled. I charged EVERYTHING to my room, and was upgraded to Mlife Pearl status. This alone got us enough of a discount on our couples aromatherapy massage ($400 bucks) that it paid for the room upgrade. Our total bill for the hotel was 1800 bucks, but was reduced to 1380. 5 nights, 4 gelatos, A couples aromatherapy massage, 6x buffets (4 lunch, 2 breakfasts). Not a bad deal for sure. We only went in the pool once, for about 2 hours.
We bought most of our booze at CVS or Walgreens. It's right on the strip, and they were priced way better than the hotels.
Other than Aria, we went to Excalibur (rooms were very basic - I would not stay here), NYNY (my wifes favourite casino/shopping), MGM Grand (dated), Cosmo (nicest outside Aria - very glitz and glam, very hoity-toity), Bellagio (dated, but very nice), Caesars Palace (don't see what all the fuss is about, but didn't get to the forum shops), Venetian (beautiful "public" areas). We did not get to Paris, Wynn, or the other hotels further up the strip. Luxor was weird, but neat.
Other than the above, we ate at the Aria Buffet twice (comps from MyVegas). We got bagels in NYNY, they were pretty good. Nothing special, but not bad. We at breakfast there twice. We ate at Guy Fieres. That was not great (late night menu, buffalo fries were cold, wings were uninspired, nachos weren't great at all 4/10). Ate at Cafe Americano in Caesars Palace prior to Absinthe (I'd give it a 6/10). While on Lake Mead, we ate at Calville Bay Marina. Surprisingly good. 8/10. We also ate at Buca Di Beppo - the pasta for 4 was more like pasta for 24. It was huge. It was pretty good overall, I'd give it a 7/10.
We walked A LOT, even though we had a rental car the whole time. We used it all but one day. We did Counts Kustoms (neat, but the shop is very hot) and we did the Pawn Stars shop (of course jam packed and nobody "famous" was there). I did not expect to see the cultured stuff there that I saw. $15k -$30k prints from DeGaule, Picasso, Da Vinci, MC Escher, Dali. Neat stuff.
We got to the Welcome To Vegas sign at 7am. There was literally nobody else there. At 1pm, the lineup for photos was 50 people deep. Go EARLY!
O was AMAZING. We sat 4th row. I had to apologize to the woman sitting beside me on several occasions because I kept saying "Do you see this shit!" and "Holy Fuck" all night. SPECTACULAR. Well worth the price.
Absinthe was ridiculous. We sat front row, and from about 1 minute into the show, my cheeks were sore from laughing. Great show, not for the faint-of-heart or easily offended. The intro says it all "If you're offended by words like fuck or shit, you should have read a fucking Yelp review" Again, well worth the price.
We took a cab to Freemont Street - this place was insane. I would have liked to spend another night there just to make sure I saw it all, but I saw A LOT. Lots of half naked men and women. LOTS.
The Boat was awesome. We boated 7 miles up the Colorado River to the Narrows. We hung around there for a bit, then went to find somewhere to swim. The water was 84degrees, which for my Canadian body was like a bathtub. We went down to the Hoover Dam and up to Calville Bay. We were on the boat a total of 7 or 8hrs. Great value, and, even though my sister is petrified of water and boats, she said it was the single best highlight of the trip for her. After the boat, we went to Hoover Dam to see it from the top. Don't go if you're afraid of heights. I'm not averse to heights at all but this was really high.
Again, thanks to you all for providing such great information. If you all have any questions for me, please, feel free to ask!

I just wanna say that this subreddit and the side bar has been very helpful so I would like to give back by writing about my experience.
To/from airport: This is my first time using Uber and I finally realize why everyone recommends it. Fast, easy to use, and inexpensive. Also no need to worry about getting tunneled. My first trip was free because of the promo code. Even without the code, it would've only costed me less than $7. The return trip to the airport was slightly more expensive at $11, but it's still way cheaper than taxi.
Hotel: We stayed at Vdara and overall, it's great. I used the $20 trick and managed to upgrade my room from a city corner suite to a executive corner suite on the 45th floor with fountain view. The room was large and clean. It even has a washer and dryer WTF. I like that the whole building is non-smoking so you don't need to walk through the potentially smoke filled casino to get to your room. Location is convenient as there's easy access to Aria and Bellagio. You can walk to Cosmo by going down to street level and through their valet area. Actually, going through Cosmo is the fastest way to get to the strip as Aria and Crystals seem to make you take long indirect routes.
However, Vdara is not without faults. Their lack of attention to detail can be annoying sometimes. Our room wasn't ready when we checked in around 2pm (understandable). Was told I would be notified by front desk when it's ready. I never received any phone call, so around 5pm I had to go back to get my room. Asked for explanation but got a lame "there was a mix-up with the computer" excuse. Housekeeping is also not immune to this problem. We finally got to our room to drop our luggage so we can have dinner. Before heading out, I called housekeeping to turndown the sofabed and requested more towels (there's 3 of us but only 1 set of towels). We came back and none of those things were fulfilled. I called housekeeping again and somebody finally showed up 15min later. I also had to request more towels the next night because whoever cleaned the room also didn't leave enough towels. It sounds like I'm nitpicking but I believe it's the little things that people tend to remember during the stay.
Meals: - Bellagio dinner buffet: hands down the worst meal of the trip. I so regret spending my myvegas points for the 2for1 coupon. Not much variety and the food is mostly subpar at best. The meats section was just awful. How do you fuck up steak so badly? It was overcooked to the point that the meat was so dry and rubbery that you cant even chew it. Their bbq and ribs were also very dry and flavourless. Complete ripoff. I'd rather have McDonalds. - Eggslut: The sandwiches were very good but beware of long lineups and trouble finding a seat. - Olives: Food was good but service is lacking. Our table was right underneath where the air conditioning fan was blowing at. I had to ask multiple times before finally able to switch to a different table. The interior lighting is also a bit too dark for my liking. - Secret Pizza: Luckily, I didn't encounter a long lineup. The pizza is delicious but it may be too greasy for some people. - Aria Lunch buffet: much better than Bellagio in all areas. I was surprised to see so much seafood at a lunch buffet. If I return to Vegas, I would definitely go for Aria's buffet again. - Peppermill Fireside Lounge: Tasty food, huge portions, retro style decor, and surprisingly non-inflated vegas prices. The burger I ordered was very delicious and it was only $13. - Carlo's Bake Shop: I've seen the reality show, but this place is overrated and it's not worth the 2 long lineups that you have to endure (1 to order and the other to pay). - Vdara's Market Cafe: Only went here for a quick breakfast before heading to the airport. The food is meh, and the omelette is ridiculously expensive. $16 for just egg and cheese, while the toppings are $2 or $3 each. Also, this place has the worst coffee I've ever had.
Grand Canyon Trip: It was one long exhausting day but it was so worth it. We picked the sunset tour from grandadventures and it was really good. Since it was a small group, our tour guide was able to accommodate with everyone's needs and show us all the good viewing points as well as teach us about the history of the grand canyon. He also helped take everyone's pictures that are postcard quality.
Absinthe: very good show, but I still don't know how to describe the show when asked about it. In a way it's sort of like the "anti Cirque du Soleil"? The humor is definitely not for everyone.
Random thoughts: - I don't understand why the hotel charges a $100/night deposit. That's way too much. For me that's $400 that got held up for no real reason. This hurts me even more as I'm Canadian and exchange rate sucks. - regarding tipping, at first I felt pressured to having to tip everyone, but I just ended up using common sense and tip according to the level of service. I did tip most of the time, just not when the service was bad. - Although gambling wasn't the intention of the trip, I did end up playing 3 card poker for a bit as we got tired from all the walking. I watched a couple at my table lost 2k in less than 20min due to poor betting and blamed the dealer for it. - vegas gets busy when there's a big sporting event or holiday. The casinos were packed thanks to March Madness.
TLDR: The trip was a blast. I do want to come back again as there are other shows I want to watch but couldn't due to timing. (why did Penn and Teller had to shoot their tv show while we were there?) :(

I finished all of the classes I need for my major a semester early, so I'm done with college. I'm working a full time job as a Special Education Assistant at a local elementary school, so I still get spring break, which naturally meant a Vegas trip. My friends’ reactions varied from “weren’t you just there?!?” to “how many times have you been there?” (5, not that I’m counting), to “of course you are.” (Un)fortunately all of my buddies from college had spring break a week before mine, so I had an excuse for a solo trip.
I really enjoy solo trips. I love the freedom that comes with them, and being able to call the shots however I want without having to worry about anyone else. I like meeting people, doing my own thing, and being able to follow my whims. That said, in a crazy turn of events, I was able to coordinate a meeting with a girl I’d matched with on Tinder (hereafter referred to as Cinderella). I matched with her a year ago during a layover at O’Hare on my way back from Japan, and we’ve talked off and on. Her spring break lined up with mine, and I jokingly invited her. She actually took e seriously, and by that point I couldn’t back out, so it was on. I flew out to the desert on Sunday and came back Thursday evening, whereas I got her to fly out Tuesday and leave Thursday morning, leaving me ample time for gambling on both ends.
I budgeted my usual $100 a day for gambling, for a $500 bankroll. I’ve been refining my money management system to ensure that I keep enough in the kitty to keep gambling and keep coming to Vegas. The gist of it is that I bring a fresh $100 bill with me each day, and keep whatever I have left at the end of the day for next time. I try to protect my winnings by cashing out my initial buy in if I double it, pocketing that for the next trip, and playing only the amount of my initial buy in, hopefully with many more pocketed chips. I really have to stick to this and a preset loss limit because I’m operating on a loss limit.
I booked a flight on Allegiant, direct from Colorado Springs for $76 one way. I was hoping the flight back would go down, but it never did, so I ended up paying $170 for the flight back. Not too bad considering I had three nights comped at the Golden Gate and I didn’t have to pay for a shuttle from DIA (I just gave my buddy some whiskey for the trouble of driving me).
I maxed out my comped room offer at the Golden Gate, booking for three nights from Sunday-Tuesday. I stayed at Harrah's Wednesday, since I like to take the strip in for one day (after I get the gambling out of my system), and also because I wanted to give Tinderella the full Vegas experience for her first time.
As per usual, I fit my grossly overpacked bag under the seat as a "personal item" in order to avoid paying the exorbitant bag fees. It's a point of pride for me to be able to stick it to the airlines and efficiently pack 4 days worth of things into a small grocery bag. In a related matter of principle, my signature shooters of rum made the trip to COS with me.
A friend and his partner picked me up from the airport and we went to Pho Kim Long. It was my first time eating Vietnamese, and I really enjoyed it. I sampled some pho, grilled chicken, milk tea, and an eggplant dish. It was all so good, and I was so starving, that I forgot to document any of it.
I checked into my room at the Golden Gate, and dropped my bags off. As per usual, the room was loud and I could hear people walking in the halls, and the shower has two temperatures: freezing or scorching. Oh well, free is free.
I went down to the players club to redeem my Allegiant match play (2 $25 chips if you show a confirmation number within 24 hours of landing). I was pleasantly surprised to see the same lady who helped me last time. She remembered me and said it was great to see me again and we chatted while she redeemed my offers. It felt pretty good to have someone remember me in Vegas, although it did make me feel slightly degenerate at the same time (not that that makes me feel bad; it’s a point of pride). In addition to my room, I also had $10 of free slot play and $15 of food credit at DuPar's. Who says gambling can't pay off?
SUNDAY
I went to Binion's to play some Bonus Poker, which was more like Boner Poker. I got boned for $60 without hitting anything particularly noteworthy. The scattered straights and flushes that I hit weren't enough to bring me positive, and I was chasing my losses the whole time. I got $5 free play and a $10 food credit for the cafe on my Motherlode spins.
Down to my last $40 for the day less than 30 minutes into the night, I was pretty frustrated. Since it was already late, I decided to play aggressive and try to turn it around. I went to the Golden Gate and bought into blackjack with all of my bankroll for the night a little after midnight.
I wasn't having much luck, even though everyone at the table besides me seemed to be winning. I was down to my last $25, so I went all in with my match play. I’m a (single) red chip player, so betting green is huge for me. At a quarter of my bankroll, and all that I have left, I’m freaking out. I can barely stand to look up, and I see an Ace. I try to stay calm and not get ahead of myself, and then the second card comes: Jack! I hit a blackjack for a sweet $75 payout that brought me right back to where I'd started for the day. I pocketed 2 greens and kept playing with the remaining $50. I worked up the courage to put down my second match play after steadily increasing my chip count and pocketing a couple more greens. On the second big matchplay hand, my 17 beat a dealer bust. I pocketed another $50 and kept playing.
At this point, my bankroll management strategy is really coming into play. I’m fairly steadily pocketing greens, (and $5 worth of 50¢ chips from blackjacks). I was tipping generously, betting a dollar for the dealer every few hands. It was a good table, with a fun lesbian couple (who played with horrible strategy, splitting 10s and staying on 14s, to name a few… luckily I don’t mind how others play, because in the long run it events out) and some nice guys who came in later.
I got a pair of aces, which I split only to get 2 more aces and learn that you aren't allowed to resplit aces. My 2 12s lost to a dealer 17 which was painful, but I can't complain too much after paying for my flight with the match play alone.
A new dealer came in after a while and all of my friends left, so I was playing heads up. I wasn't feeling it, so after I lost $25 I colored up and walked away with $250 at 4:30am. It was a huge relief to lock in half of my bankroll as a guaranteed return the first night, especially after being down so fast. I was so wired after playing for 4+ hours and increasing my buy in 8x that I couldn't sleep, so I called both of my parents before they went to work and texted my degenerate cousin the great news.
$100 in, $250 out (+$150) +$150 on the trip
MONDAY I slept until noon and took it easy after waking up. I went to Mermaid's for some quick drink service to start the day, and turned $5 into $20 on a vintage nickel WoF multireel. Unfortunately the luck didn't continue, and I donked it (and $60) off at Boner Poker. I hit a few full houses/flushes/straights, but it wasn't enough to get me above water. I hit four to a royal twice, but couldn’t finish it either time.
Had lunch at Binion's, using my $10 voucher to get pancakes, scrambled eggs, and wheat toast. At least I got something (a $100 brunch) out of all the Boner Poker losses.
I bought into $3 craps at the Fremont for $21. I've been cutting my teeth at $1 craps at the Wildwood Casino out in Colorado, so I was excited to give it a shot in Vegas. I lucked out and ran my $21 up to $50. I should've pressed harder since two shooters had rolls of 26 and 27, but at least I left with something.
I went to the D for some horses and cocktails. I bought in for $30 and was hammered by the end. I had enough wins to keep me there for a few hours, including a nice 105 payout on 4-5. I called it an early night and went to bed around midnight since I was so drunk and because I'd lost all my money.
$100 in, $0 out (-$100) +$50 on the trip
TUESDAY I woke up with a nice hangover from all of the Whiskey Cokes I'd drank at the Derby the previous night, so I did the only thing to do in that situation: mimosas and a greasy burger (after buying overpriced Advil at the ABC store). I went to Flippin' Good Burgers and got my usual, the Farm Burger. It's one of all time favorite burgers and I love getting it every time! I can't recommend them enough.
I donked off $40 on Boner Poker at Binion’s and some random slots, and blew $10 at 25¢ roulette at the El Cortez. I was chasing a 20 (not sure why, I just had a hunch... Maybe Nate is rubbing off on me) and didn't hit it, so I lost after treading water for a while. After losing all this before lunch, I decided to add a discretionary $20 more to my kitty for the day.
My tinderella got in about 2:30 in the afternoon, at which point I was playing craps. I made her wait until the roll was done to go meet her, like the true degenerate I am. She wasn't happy that I made her wait with all of her bags, but I can't say that I regret my choices. After she dropped her stuff off, we went to Binion’s where I used a $10 coupon to pay for my guilty pleasure of country fried steak and eggs. I picked up the rest of the tab with comp dollars, which was pretty satisfying for a low roller like me.
After lunch, Tinderella wanted to play blackjack, so naturally I obliged. Bought in for $30 at the GG and was able to run it up to $50. She was gambling with scared money (she bought in for $5…) and didn't really enjoy it, but that didn't stop me.
We headed to the Fremont for craps, but she didn't want to play. We can't all be degenerates. I bought in for $30 and played for a while and could tell she was getting bored. I told her (in between rolls of course) that she's welcome to leave any time, and she was gone before the next shooter sevened out. I stayed for a while, and with the help of a hot shooter was able to cash out for $100.
I went to GG for $25 worth of BJ before bed, content that I'd locked in $100 on the day. I played for a good 2 hours on my $25 buy in before losing it, so I was happy. I had a massive hand where I split 2s, resplit, and doubled a 9 against a dealer 4. This took all of my money on the table, so the guy next to me (who was so drunk off of two Coronas that he couldn't add up his cards or figure out what his total was with aces) spotted me $5. Luckily I won, and had a massive $40 payout, and gave him his red back as well as betting a dealer tip for him. I was tipping the dealer very generously, and helped her color up her tokes to a a green.
Finally content with the gambling, I went up to the room to find Tinderella asleep. When she woke up she said "you weren't kidding about being a degenerate gambler." I can't say I didn't give her fair warning, so I didn't feel too bad. We had a good time and went to bed.
$120 in, $100 out (-$20) +$30 on the trip
WEDNESDAY While I was packing, I ripped my Bucee’s cooler bag, so I had to buy a souvenir Las Vegas bag. Started the day off with breakfast at DuPar’s so I could use my $15 voucher. I got a bacon avocado omelette with jack cheese and a blueberry muffin. It was delicious, as were the pancakes that I stole a bite of. Played a little blackjack and I ran $30 up to $50.
I had a Groupon at Banger Brewing, so we headed there next. $19 for a flight of 4 beers, two half-pint pours, and a one liter growler to go was a steal. I wasn’t a huge fan of the El Heffe (Jalapeño and pepper beer, although it was exactly as described). I loved the Morning Joe (coffee kolsch) however, and took my pour and growler of that. It tasted just like a frappucino without being overly sweet, and was a very unique taste.
We checked out of the Golden Gate and took the Deuce to the Strip. A guy struck up conversation with me, and we talked the whole way about solar energy. Before I got off, we exchanged numbers and he told me that, as far as he was concerned, I'd "aced the interview" and he'd "call within the month with a job offer for me" that will "pay 6 figures." I'm obviously skeptical, but it made for an entertaining ride and it was a nice confidence boost to know that I can ace an interview hammered.
Once we got to the Strip we watched the Bellagio fountains and then went to Harrah’s to check in. I paid the extra $7 to upgrade to a strip view, and the jury’s still out on if it was worth it. The room was surprisingly nice, especially after the comped nights at the Golden Gate.
We got a half hour in at the pool before it closed (which was long enough for my fair skin to get sunburned, don’t worry), freshened up, and walked to Ra for dinner.
We got lost in the mall looking for it, but we finally found it and it was delicious! Tinderella insisted on paying for dinner, and I gladly took her up on it. The sushi was incredible! The specialty rolls on happy hour were a delight, and the Viva Las Vegas roll was my favorite.
By the time we finished dinner, it was dark out and surprisingly chilly with the wind. We stopped at H&M where I found a sweater that was 50% off the clearance price, effectively making a $28 sweater $6.49. My frugality thoroughly satisfied, we walked back to the Linq Promenade for some cupcakes and Happy Half Hour on the High Roller.
I bought a cinnamon cupcake from the Cupcake ATM. It saved the wait of standing in line, and it was a pretty cool experience. The frosting was delectable, but the cupcake itself was a little dry and left something to be desired.
We redeemed a Living Social deal for the High Roller (thanks Tinderella), and were in the car within 5 minutes. As we know by now, I’m a value hunter, and even though I didn’t pay for the ride, I wasn’t going to leave any money on the table. I went in with a goal: 10+ drinks in 30 minutes. I started strong with some Jack and Cokes, and was 3 deep by the time we were a quarter of the way up. I switched to a Jack and club for a palette cleanser, and then downed two more Jack and Cokes by the time we reached the top. Once we got to the top, the car did a shot together which put me at 7. I eased up a bit, nursing another Jack and Coke on the way down (8). When we neared the bottom, I switched to a Bud Light (9). I hid it on the rail and ordered another one (10) for last call, and when the bartender told us that we could only bring one drink off, I took a big gulp and stealthily snuck one in my pocket. I made it off, and felt so accomplished!
With my buzz coming on strong, it was time for some gambling. I walked all the way to Hooter’s to sign up for the card and get $15 of match play and $10 free play. I won $12.50 on Boner Poker, which I then lost (plus another $50) on $3 blackjack. The game was so painful I don’t know why I stayed. Past a point, it was like schadenfreude. I kept buying in thinking it would turn around, only to get beat by one or two. The final hand, on which I bet $10, I got a 20 vs a dealer 3. I breathe a sigh of relief, which is intensified when the dealer flips a 10. Guess what comes next: an 8, for a dealer 21. I had a hard time shaking the loss off, not because I lost $50 (I do that all the time), but because it was at Hooter’s. Anywhere else I wouldn’t have minded, but it just felt so dirty.
Tinderella had a flight at 5am, so I stayed up with her and walked her down to the cab, and then crashed.
$100 in, $0 out (-$100) -$70 on the trip
THURSDAY I woke up at 7:45 to pee and felt like absolute death, so I was dreading my 9:15 alarm. I went back to sleep, and miraculously felt fine when I woke up, even beating the alarm by 2 minutes! My stomach didn't feel too great, but after a shower and granola bar I was good to go. I felt like a professional tetris player as I packed my personal item, which had now expanded to include my newly purchased sweater.
I checked out and cracked open the Banger growler that I'd put on ice the night before. I can't say that a liter of beer was what my body wanted after a night of heavy drinking, but I'm a man of principle and I refuse to waste beer, so I did what I needed to do. I cracked my Morning Joe open and started walking North on the Strip. A coffee kolsch was close enough to breakfast for me.
I got on the Deuce with a good buzz going, and walked to Binion's. I played Boner Poker one last time and was up $10 for the first time all trip, but it quickly went back down to $20, at which point I cashed out and called it even. Having earned 5 points, I spun the wheel and got $5 of free play, which I donated back to Boner Poker.
I decided to hit craps hard at the Fremont, buying in for $30. I ran it up to $60 in short order, but then lost it after pressing aggressively. I bought in for $25 more. I was up and down, but finally down to my last $2. I threw it on C and E and was ready to walk away when a 3 hit. The bet stayed on for the next roll (at which point I was tempted to take it off, but I didn’t), and what comes out but a yo? I parlayed my winnings into some place bets and come bets with odds, and ran it up to $81. I colored up and was going to walk with $80, but I decided to throw one more dollar yo on my way out. Guess what hits... another 11! I walked out with $95.
My flight home left at 5:47 and it was already 2pm. On the way to GG for my last blackjack buy in of the trip, I walked across the street from the Fremont to do the free spin at 4Queens. I watched in awe as 3 clubs lined up and the 4Queens hit the payline! I got $25 of free play.
I decided to press up to 50¢ 9/6 Jacks or Better in the hopes of hitting something decent, or at the very least extracting some of the cash value. Instead, I hit literally nothing in all 10 spins, cementing that it was not to be a VP trip. I was gonna try $5 more of quarters, but the bill got stuck. After an attendant came over and I got it back, I tried again only to get the same error. I took it as a sign and left to the Golden Gate.
I bought in for $50 at a table with some fellow Midwesterners (from Wisconsin). I played aggressive since I only had 30 minutes until I should leave for my flight, and I was able to color up to a black. I played my remaining $25 down and walked with $100.
Because I'd gambled so late, I missed the WAX and had to take a Lyft to McCarran. It was $30 and I had perfect timing; by the time I got through security, boarding had begun but I didn't have to rush. No stress of missing the flight, and no wasted time not gambling... Well worth the $30.
The flight was hotter than the 7th circle of hell, and ironically the warmest I was the whole trip since it was so windy every day. The air was a sweet relief, as was the water I'd filled my growler with. Uneventful flight, minus my failed attempt to eat a melted chocolate bar. I typed up the bulk of this TR and basked in the glory of my first winning trip, and tried to ignore the two-part hangover already setting in. The Vegas hangover is hard enough, so it sure didn't help to feel the Long Islands wearing off...
$100 in, $190 out (+$90) +$20 on the trip
TOTAL: $520 in, $540 out +$20 on the trip
I had an awesome trip, and am very happy to have my first WINNING TRIP even if it was only $20! I got a lot of value out of it, and think that four nights was the perfect duration for Spring Break. I got some good gambling and drinking in, but I’m definitely ready to be home and go back to healthy eating and working out. I don’t have the next trip planned, but I’m hoping to come out later in the summer, perhaps for a shorter duration so I could have a higher daily bankroll.
I hope you enjoyed reading my TR! Thanks for taking the time to read through my low-roller account!

I think it would have been nice to have a reddit meetup or something there. Maybe next year?
I went this year, and have gone to STLV maybe 8 times out of the past 12 years, or however long its been since Creation started it up. The convention used to be at the Las Vegas Hilton, where the Star Trek Experience (rides, shops, Quark's Bar) made the event a perfect match with the venue. A few years ago the LVH closed Star Trek The Experience (and the LVH has changed name twice and nearly gone under itself) so Creation moved it to the Rio.
I want to simultaneously rave about the event and gripe about the venue. I had more fun, and met more people this time, than ever before. The convention was huge, had a tremendous number of celebrities, and offered a larger slate of activities than in the past. At the same time, there are some glaring problems that I think really need work.
First, the good:

• The guest lineup was really impressive, and the vast majority of them seemed relaxed and having fun. This con gets better every year.
• The many "extras" available this year, such as the Transporter and Guardian of Forever props, as well as the Tailor Shop for Cosplay Day, were popular and well-received.
• The rooms are, as always, large enough to hold every ticket holder and have large video to make every seat a decent one.
• The "Rat Pack" show Sunday night was good beyond words. Jimmy Darren is always fun to hear, and the rest of the crew on stage put on a hell of an entertaining show. If you go to STLV, you need to see this, period.
• The vendors room was well ordered and manageable even when really crowded. It works best when things in that room are organized by topic, such as having celebrities near each other and vendors near each other, and sometimes that's the case. A large map of vendors posted at the door would have been very helpful.
• The volunteers do a great job keeping things flowing and working well.
• The cosplay focus day was GREAT! People had fun, and the themed photo shoots were very popular. This is a good idea that will make STLV even better if Creation can expand it.
• The panels are surprisingly good. This is what makes some cons "dry" to a lot of attendees, and Creation does a good job of making their panels interesting and interactive. More Larry Nemecek, please!!

The bad:

• As much as I want to like the Rio, the only good thing about it is the pool area. Yes, they have the best pools around (5 of them, I believe), but it's off-strip and not accessible by anything but cab, so you're stuck there. Food options are decent, but very limited. The Hash House is more of a novelty place, with portion sizes well beyond anything normal, but it's the only real breakfast place. Starbucks runs out of food quickly, and the rest of the food places are a little farther from the convention rooms than most attendees liked. I heard a LOT of people talk about how unhappy they were with food options there. The line at the Sports Bar deli was always unpleasantly long. The Rio is also not particularly family-friendly, other than the pools. There are a lot of people who bring a kid to these, and a lot of kids enjoy STLV. I've gone to Vegas for 20+ years and I have no problem with the myriad vices available to adults, but I prefer not to rub my kid's face in it. Unfortunately, you can't get to the front desk without seeing the nearly-nude girls dancing on top of the stage next to the tables. (I like nearly-nude girls, but maybe not everyone wants that to be the only thing you see as you and your kid walk to the poor or to the restaurant for dinner.) You can't get to the convention from either the Ipanema or Masquerade Towers without going through the casino and the non-stop loud music. You can't get to the restaurants without the same, nor to the pools from either tower. None of the restaurants offered anything kid-friendly, and there is no shortage of kids on the premises (we saw many, many families). And for some perspective, I've stayed in just about every major hotel/casino on the Strip. Many of them have made the effort and minor expense to offer their facilities to those who come there for mixed purposes, i.e. not just 20-something partiers from Cali who want to drink, gamble, and screw all weekend. The Bellagio, the LVH, Mandalay/Delano, Tropicana, the Wynn, the Luxor, Bally's, and Harrah's all offer access to hotel/dining facilities that does not always require you to walk through a twerkfest on the way to take your 5-year-old daughter to the swimming pool.
  
• Creation was also not very kid-friendly with their offerings. (One example of many: Glue Guns & Phasers is a great idea, but not from 8:00-8:45am) I know, you can't dedicate a huge pile of resources to a small number of guests, but there were a lot of kids there, and one thing ST fans value is helping to encourage new fans and younger ones to appreciate Trek.
  
• Quark's Bar was a disappointment. I cannot count the number of fans I talked to who echoed this sentiment. I love the idea, and appreciate that this was a first shot, but once again, food options for the thousands down in the convention area were limited and dry. A good little quick-serve cafe or sandwich shop would have drawn a LOT of customers.
  
• The volunteers were great, but there was no real "command center" to answer questions. Several people, for example, found an apparent error on the schedule for Saturday. Nobody at the STLV registration area knew how to answer their questions, and none knew who could. This con has gotten so big, and offers so much going on simultaneously, that problems are inevitable. I saw three or four similar things happen (i.e. the lack of badges/plastic wristbands the first two days for those who had paid) that needed someone to better communicate to attendees what was going on. Minor problems, yes, but communication was not as good as it should have been.
  
• Many, many guests complained about the schedule for panels and other events not being posted until very late. This includes the actors. These cons, despite appearances, are hard work for most of the guests, and the schedule was often demanding. Putting it out earlier might be hard, but it would help people plan better, fans and guests alike.
  
• The auctions were always too pressed for time. Seriously, Creation, I know you're not doing those just for money, because you give away NICE items to fans sometimes, and I LIKE that, but dang, you could pull in three times as much if you would slow down. I saw several auctions end with someone in back frantically trying to bid. Several ended with a huge hurry/rush while items were left unsold due to time constraints. Many people LOVE the auctions, but they seem to be squeezed in as an afterthought....and they're FUN!
  

OK, text wall and rant done. Anyone else have similar (or dissimilar) experiences? Great stories? Suggestions for 2015?

I got back from Vegas a few days ago and it was great. I like to save money so I thought I would share a few tips and tricks to save money and still have a blast.
Sightseeing
I would definitely spend a few hours just walking around to all the casinos on the strip. The best part about this is if you sign up for the Player's Club (free) in each casino, they will usually give you some sort of incentive. Treasure Island gave me $10 in slot play. Whatever you win off that $10, you get to keep. Most other casinos have a similar incentive.
Shows
If you want to see a show, then check out Tix4Tonight. They are all over the strip. They sell discount tickets for shows that are showing that night. Usually they are the cheapest, but I bought tickets to Cirque du Soleil and when I went to pick up the tickets at Treasure Island, I found out their last minute tickets were cheaper. Definitely check first.
During my stay, I found out there are also a bunch of smaller, less known shows. These tickets are significantly cheaper and sometimes free. Nathan Burton's comedy magic is a free show at the Flamingo. Be sure to pick up tickets in advance as they sell out fast. Be on the lookout for these shows in coupon books (which you can find everywhere).
Free Drinks!
If you like to drink and you like gambling, then you're in luck! Sitting at the penny slots, I had free cocktails constantly served to me. Just remember to tip your waitresses! $1 seemed to do the trick.
If you are at a table game such as Craps or Blackjack, then expect tons of drinks to be thrown at you. The casino wants to get intoxicated so you are a little looser with your money. As long as you moderate your drinking, you can keep a nice buzz and not lose too much money.
Gambling
If you are staying on the Strip then you will quickly come to realize that table games are expensive. Most minimums on table games are $5 and $10 at Caesars Palace and the Bellagio. There is one casino on the Strip, however that is a little cheaper. Casino Royal, which is across the street from The Mirage and next to Harrah's, has $3 Craps and $4 Roulette.
If you really don't want to spend that much money (like me) then I suggest you take a little trip downtown. Go to any northbound bus stop and buy a $7 24 hour pass. Hop on the bus and get off on Fremont Street. If you want to play some Roulette, then go to the El Cortez casino where they have $1 minimum and $.25 chips. Want to play Craps? Go the Western which is a little further down the street from El Cortez. They have $1 Craps.
Food
If you are staying on the Strip then I suggest dinner at Ellis Island Casino at least a few times. It is just off the strip here. Ask for the Steak Special and you will get this for $7.99. Yes, that is right, you get a soup or salad, steak, green beans, potatoes and a beer, all for $7.99.
Harrah's has a "Million Dollar Pull" where you just go up and play a slot machine for free with the chance to win $1 million. Even if you don't win a million, you will always win something. One of the prizes they have is a $20 dining voucher for any Harrah's property, which includes: Caesar's, Imperial Palace, Rio, Harrah's etc... The dinner buffet at Harrah's is $20, so there is a free meal!
When you are downtown playing some cheap table games, make sure you grab dinner at Binion's. Just sign up for their player's club and they will give you a buy one get one free entree coupon for their cafe. My girlfriend and I ate a full meal for a total of $10 there, delicious.
I know there is a ton I am leaving out, so please add any tips!