Wow, it's been a year since my last post on this blog. I guess now I've got to work at getting all my readers back - is anyone still there?
The blog has also been broken for a while. Thanks to Heather, of Goofy Girl fame, I think she fixed me up so that the background image shows again. Yay!
So . . .
What's new in the world of travel and Carmen? Well, I recently booked my 8th trip to VEGAS! We will be rockin' it out at the Bellagio this time, since we like the central Strip location. We'll be revisiting some favorites - the Paris breakfast buffet, Freemont Street, etc. We're also looking forward to seeing the brand-spankin' new City Center, getting some shopping done (window shopping only) and seeing why it is that nobody seems to like staying at the Aria. Everywhere we looked, it got bad reviews. What's up with that?
We will be taking a side trip to Zion National Park as well. We'll rent a car and make a day of it. The Internets tells us that it'll be a 2.5 hour drive - we'll see. But, it's supposed to be beautiful, and I can mark Utah off of my states-visited list.
Sorry for the long time between posts. I got busy with the book and all of my other endeavors, and just got lazy with this blog. I'll try to write more.
Showing posts with label Freemont Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freemont Street. Show all posts
Monday, March 08, 2010
Monday, May 05, 2008
Freemont Street: Trip Report
You might not realize that there is an entirely different part of Vegas than the Strip.
Welcome to Freemont Street - part of the old, downtown part of Vegas. Here, the casinos are smaller and smokier, but offer you a lot more bang for your buck. The slots are much more loose, offering you a bigger win on that 20 cents play (if you're playing the penny slots.) This year's penny slot favorite award goes to the Elvis penny slot. If you bet the max of 60 lines (that's 1 cent per line), you can play up to three spins. If you win on the first spin, you're bumped to the second, if you win the second, you're bumped to the third. If you get the bonus, well, you're just lucky enough to not only win the money, but you get to hear ol' Elvis sing (guess which song makes the applause-o-meter above you register the highest.) Or, you could get to put pictures of Elvis (hopefully the cute, skinny ones) in an album, or guess which album will hit platinum status. It's a cool, interactive game. I really brought the BF over to the penny slot dark side!
And if you're looking for single-deck blackjack? Forget it if you're on the Strip, but on Freemont, it's not hard to find. Combine that with a $5 minimum bet (the minimums go up during busy times, like Sat. night) and you've got yourself a blackjack hootenanny. We had a dealer at Binions, Terry, who taught me more about how to play blackjack than any book ever did. If the dealer is showing a "2", chances are that he's going to win. That's his best card. If the dealer is showing a 3, 4 or 5 in single deck blackjack "There's a 10 coming and you don't want it. Make the dealer beat you." Always assume that the dealer has a 10 card under whatever he's showing. Always hit on a 16 ("Have you ever seen a dealer stand on 16?") and double down on a hand of 11. It was awesome. I had to borrow money from the BF, because at another table I'd previously lost the last of my gambling money, but here, with Terry's help, I won back enough to pay BF back and leave with a little extra.
And after you spend a whole day gambling away your shirt, around dusk you can take a moment and look up to enjoy the Freemont Street Experience - a show that takes place on the canopy above you that's filled with millions of tiny light bulbs. It's amazing how they make the images look so "movie like" with those lights - plus it's put to music.
Here's the full video of one performance. It's about 6 minutes long, my arm got tired holding the camera, but it's pretty cool video, if I do say so myself.
Welcome to Freemont Street - part of the old, downtown part of Vegas. Here, the casinos are smaller and smokier, but offer you a lot more bang for your buck. The slots are much more loose, offering you a bigger win on that 20 cents play (if you're playing the penny slots.) This year's penny slot favorite award goes to the Elvis penny slot. If you bet the max of 60 lines (that's 1 cent per line), you can play up to three spins. If you win on the first spin, you're bumped to the second, if you win the second, you're bumped to the third. If you get the bonus, well, you're just lucky enough to not only win the money, but you get to hear ol' Elvis sing (guess which song makes the applause-o-meter above you register the highest.) Or, you could get to put pictures of Elvis (hopefully the cute, skinny ones) in an album, or guess which album will hit platinum status. It's a cool, interactive game. I really brought the BF over to the penny slot dark side!
And if you're looking for single-deck blackjack? Forget it if you're on the Strip, but on Freemont, it's not hard to find. Combine that with a $5 minimum bet (the minimums go up during busy times, like Sat. night) and you've got yourself a blackjack hootenanny. We had a dealer at Binions, Terry, who taught me more about how to play blackjack than any book ever did. If the dealer is showing a "2", chances are that he's going to win. That's his best card. If the dealer is showing a 3, 4 or 5 in single deck blackjack "There's a 10 coming and you don't want it. Make the dealer beat you." Always assume that the dealer has a 10 card under whatever he's showing. Always hit on a 16 ("Have you ever seen a dealer stand on 16?") and double down on a hand of 11. It was awesome. I had to borrow money from the BF, because at another table I'd previously lost the last of my gambling money, but here, with Terry's help, I won back enough to pay BF back and leave with a little extra.
And after you spend a whole day gambling away your shirt, around dusk you can take a moment and look up to enjoy the Freemont Street Experience - a show that takes place on the canopy above you that's filled with millions of tiny light bulbs. It's amazing how they make the images look so "movie like" with those lights - plus it's put to music.
Here's the full video of one performance. It's about 6 minutes long, my arm got tired holding the camera, but it's pretty cool video, if I do say so myself.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Vegas Trip Report
I'm Ba-ack!
The weather in Vegas was sunny and dry, unlike here in Virginia, where I think the May flowers will be very happy with the April showers.
This being my fifth trip to Las Vegas, I feel uniquely qualified to offer my own best of Vegas list.
1. Best Hotel: Mandalay Bay. More on this in a later post, but the hotel is beautiful, the rooms are great, the pool is super fun - it's awesome.
2. Best Cirque Show: Mystere. I say this because it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and it's lots of fun. I've got to say, I was a little disappointed in "O" (the water show at the Bellagio, named after the French word for water). The tickets were ridiculously priced, and while entertaining, I was left wanting.
3. Best Steak: It's still Prime in the Bellagio, but the steak we had at BOA Steakhouse in Ceasar's Palace was quite yummy. BOA had their own version of A-1 sauce called J-1. It was really good.
4. Best Place to Gamble: Freemont Street. Again, I'll dedicate a whole post to this, but Freemont Street has the best minimums, the most helpful dealers and of course, the light show.
5. Best Breakfast: Many of you already know this, but Le Buffet in Paris Hotel is to die for. I had my raspberry-filled crepe with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar, with some sliced almonds. I'm drooling as I write this.
6. Best Free Show: Bellagio Fountains. Video below. Please ignore the loudmouths beside me that wouldn't shut up. I wanted to pop them. :)
And now, for the photos: Highlights of Vegas
The weather in Vegas was sunny and dry, unlike here in Virginia, where I think the May flowers will be very happy with the April showers.
This being my fifth trip to Las Vegas, I feel uniquely qualified to offer my own best of Vegas list.
1. Best Hotel: Mandalay Bay. More on this in a later post, but the hotel is beautiful, the rooms are great, the pool is super fun - it's awesome.
2. Best Cirque Show: Mystere. I say this because it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and it's lots of fun. I've got to say, I was a little disappointed in "O" (the water show at the Bellagio, named after the French word for water). The tickets were ridiculously priced, and while entertaining, I was left wanting.
3. Best Steak: It's still Prime in the Bellagio, but the steak we had at BOA Steakhouse in Ceasar's Palace was quite yummy. BOA had their own version of A-1 sauce called J-1. It was really good.
4. Best Place to Gamble: Freemont Street. Again, I'll dedicate a whole post to this, but Freemont Street has the best minimums, the most helpful dealers and of course, the light show.
5. Best Breakfast: Many of you already know this, but Le Buffet in Paris Hotel is to die for. I had my raspberry-filled crepe with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar, with some sliced almonds. I'm drooling as I write this.
6. Best Free Show: Bellagio Fountains. Video below. Please ignore the loudmouths beside me that wouldn't shut up. I wanted to pop them. :)
And now, for the photos: Highlights of Vegas
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Vegas Tips
I think I've mentioned it about a googillian times (as Ben Stiller said), but next week, I'm going to Las Vegas. This will be my 5th trip to Sin City, and I've managed to accumulate some helpful information that I'd like to share with you.
1. Bring comfy shoes: You're at New York, NY. You want to walk to Paris, Hotel. It's right there! A half hour later, it's still right there! The scale of everything in Vegas is a trick. There will be lots of walking.
2. Go in the spring or in the fall: During the summer, it's scorching hot. You may get better deals, because everyone else has decided that melting their shoes on the asphalt isn't what they want to do. The weather in the spring and fall is terrific.
3. Make reservations: If there's a restaurant you want to try, or a spa treatment you want to get, call and make a reservation. Up to a month in advance for restaurants, and most spas do their calendar a week or two out.
4. If you want to play table games, head to Freemont Street: Downtown Las Vegas is the home of the $3 blackjack table, whereas it'll cost you at least $15 per hand on the Strip. On Freemont Street, you can play longer for less money, and the slots are a bit more loose. Plus, there's the free light show after dusk.
5. Speaking of free, you'll find several attractions that are: Watch the fountains at Bellagio, watch the volcano explode at the Mirage, watch the Sirens show at Treasure Island, and just mosey through the theme hotels.
6. Take a day trip: After about 3 days, the clinking and dinging and smoke starts to get to you. This year, we'll go to the Grand Canyon and Red Rock Canyon.
7. Bring lots of ones. You'll do more tipping than anything else. And bring your cash with you. While getting cash out of the ATMS in the casinos, you'll feel like you're "winning", but really, you're losing, because of the ridiculous ATM fees.
I really need a vacation. Four days left. :)
1. Bring comfy shoes: You're at New York, NY. You want to walk to Paris, Hotel. It's right there! A half hour later, it's still right there! The scale of everything in Vegas is a trick. There will be lots of walking.
2. Go in the spring or in the fall: During the summer, it's scorching hot. You may get better deals, because everyone else has decided that melting their shoes on the asphalt isn't what they want to do. The weather in the spring and fall is terrific.
3. Make reservations: If there's a restaurant you want to try, or a spa treatment you want to get, call and make a reservation. Up to a month in advance for restaurants, and most spas do their calendar a week or two out.
4. If you want to play table games, head to Freemont Street: Downtown Las Vegas is the home of the $3 blackjack table, whereas it'll cost you at least $15 per hand on the Strip. On Freemont Street, you can play longer for less money, and the slots are a bit more loose. Plus, there's the free light show after dusk.
5. Speaking of free, you'll find several attractions that are: Watch the fountains at Bellagio, watch the volcano explode at the Mirage, watch the Sirens show at Treasure Island, and just mosey through the theme hotels.
6. Take a day trip: After about 3 days, the clinking and dinging and smoke starts to get to you. This year, we'll go to the Grand Canyon and Red Rock Canyon.
7. Bring lots of ones. You'll do more tipping than anything else. And bring your cash with you. While getting cash out of the ATMS in the casinos, you'll feel like you're "winning", but really, you're losing, because of the ridiculous ATM fees.
I really need a vacation. Four days left. :)
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