The following thread is NOT about the Turd and his war crimes

I'd like to think that the current hopeful trend will persist. However, if the last 25+ years are any indication, Bargain Time is transitory and Gouge Time will resume just as soon as the current terrible numbers begin to climb.

I wouldn't go to Vegas in August at gunpoint, but in the past, at least that was Bargain Time. Not in the past few years, though!

Ironically, the longer Trump's campaign to bankrupt the nation and stuff his pockets lasts, the better it will be for Vegas visitors. Trumpcessions spawn bargains, as the vast majority of Vegas visitation is discretionary and many people suffering financially from Turdiffs, DOGE, etc. will say the hell with it and take cheaper vacations or none at all. So the casinos find themselves half full. Or less.

I just don't like the cynical and exploitative nature of The Gouge and don't like the idea of visiting a hotel/casino that may be offering bargains now but a year ago, was in full gouge mode. Fuck 'em then and now, I say.

Remember just a short time ago Kevin said the thread shouldn't be about Trump. 

The first time I went to Vegas as an adult was in August. The heat was ridiculous. If I recall correctly it was well over 100° when I landed at 11:00 p.m.  I swore I would never do it again. The next time I went in April and it was much better. 

Two years ago the commissioner of my fantasy football group decided to host a draft party in Vegas rather than his house. It felt like a good enough excuse. I split my stay between the El Cortez and Circa. Got that same all in package at Circa. 

Last year I lobbied for Reno or Tahoe as a destination for a draft party. I lost the vote and we ended up in Vegas again. 

I lucked out both times and the heat wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. We spend the vast majority of the time inside with air conditioning anyway. 

This year I'm going to push for a Tahoe or Reno trip again but I'm pretty sure I will lose the vote to Vegas. It has more shows and entertainment for the non gamblers in the group. 

As time goes on my net worth gets bigger....and I can afford to do things in Vegas now I couldn't even 10 years ago.    I wouldn't be caught dead dropping $100 on a steak in a celebrity chef restaurant then.    Now it's a luxury I like to indulge in at least once or twice per trip.    So I'm kinda rediscovering the city in ways I was unfamiliar with before.      

i used to spend my trip chasing coupons, comps, and mailing offers.    I still do to some extent but it doesn't determine m6 agenda like it did before.     

Vegas is still my favorite destination.   Almost anywhere I vacation I'm ready to go home by day 5.     Vegas is the only place I'm happy to stay the whole week or even longer.

Well, to be fair he said that the thread is "Not about the turd AND his war crimes" (emphasis mine).

He did not say "the turd OR his war crimes" 

Difference between "and" and "or" changes the meaning of the sentence

Mentioning Trump in a post doesn't make the whole thread about him. And what I said was 'the Turd AND his war crimes." 

You really need to take some reading lessons, and somehow triple your intelligence level so you would at least be average.

That's why I think Reno might be better for a group that isn't all gamblers. Group A hits the slots. Group B drives up to Lake Tahoe or Virginia City. Everybody meets at the Slipping Silver for dinner.

There's plenty of entertainment in Reno, and it's far cheaper than Vegas and easier to get tickets. I can't think of a single thing you can get in Vegas that you can't get in Reno, except traffic jams, awful heat, and overall aggravation.

Yes, Vegas as a place to blow money is a different experience than Vegas as a bargain vacation destination. Certainly, the casinos have been striving for decades to paint Vegas as a let it all hang out don't worry about the money party party party let yourself go destination.

Which is why I don't do it.

I've never been willing to pay too goddamn much for something regardless of how much money I've had. I do acknowledge that just saying "fuck it" and opening the ol' purse strings can feel kind of liberating. But you know what? You spend twice as much, you almost never get an experience that's twice as good.

I remember when 20 years ago, I ate at the French restaurant atop the Palms. The bill was $215. Across the street, you could get a steak dinner at Gold Coast for $40. Was the former experience five times as good as the latter? Not even close.

Reno seems to have fewer shows and concerts. Less entertainment generally. At least right in the easy walk/quick Uber distance. 

Does Reno have any long-standing shows worth seeing? Any decent comedy clubs? I think that would interest the group. 

I need more non-gambling sales points for Reno. With priority given to things that are either walking distance or within a reasonable uber/lyft. We would prefer to avoid renting a car but we'll get one if we must. 

Right now I basically have:

River Walk

Car Museum

Nevada State Museum

I'm hoping to win the group over with my sales pitch this year. 

My main argument last year was lower prices and cooler weather. But that wasn't enoug. I need more. 

Better and lower-cost gambling, if that matters to your group. Almost all blackjack is 3:2 and $5 minimums are easy to find. Ditto $5 craps. The VP is better than Vegas's.

There are quite a few good non-casino restaurants with a five minute walk of downtown. 

The Reno Aces, a minor league baseball team, play in a cool little stadium two blocks from downtown.

There's a huge bowling alley--one of the country's largest, a block from downtown. Tournaments are regularly held there, and open bowling is always available.

Concerts are held year-round at an auditorium three blocks south of downtown.

The University of Nevada at Reno is a quarter mile north of downtown. A lot of events of all kinds, open to the public, are held there. Including athletic events, of course.

I don't know what specific shows or comedy clubs exist there right now, but there have always been some, and the quality and price of those I've attended in the past have been excellent. A good number of small, intimate venues.

There were still at least two operational buffets downtown, last time I checked.

Downtown bus service to South Virginia Street (Peppermill and Atlantis) is excellent. Ditto to the Sparks casinos.