Question of the Day - 19 August 2009

Yesterday we covered your tips about food and drink; today it's transporation, lifestyle, hotels and casinos, and a handful of miscellaneous tips. Thanks again to everyone for the great suggestions.

TRANSPORTATION:

• "CarRentals.com: Our last three trips we’ve rented a car for $9 a day. It has opened up a whole new Vegas experience for us. Free parking abounds in Vegas and we don’t have to rely on shuttle buses and expensive public transportation."
• "If you purchase a Skycap for handling your luggage . . . they can cut to the front of the taxi line. You look importantly kool when it’s crazy busy at the airport and it saves you mucho time and $$ -- unless the limo is waiting out back for ya ;)"
• "Renting cars anywhere besides the airport reduces the taxes significantly."
• "Not really a secret, but I consider the Monorail to be a gem to get from one part of the Strip to a distant other. There is always room to ride, no wading through crowds on the Strip, cheaper than a cab, and is equally useful for speed or to alleviate tired feet. I know it is probably years away, but I look forward to seeing the airport connection and westside-Strip projected segments completed and in service."
• "What about the Paradise Road bypass of the Strip?" [Ed: It’s a fair point, but that corridor seems to have been plagued with roadworks for forever, plus the lights at Paradise and Sands seem to be some of the longest in town, and you run the risk of getting caught up in convention traffic the further you head north. Then again, if the traffic’s really bad, you can always stop off at Gordon Biersch or Firefly while you wait for the congestion to alleviate.]
• "If using the bus for transportation from the Downtown Transportation Center to the Strip, forget the $3 one-way Deuce. I’ve been on the Deuce and gotten off mid-Strip after riding on the bus for more than 2 hours! Even at 1 a.m the Deuce is still packed to the brim. So, take the CAT 116 bus that travels the Industrial Rd/Koval route parallel to the Strip on its east side. For only $1.75 one-way you can get all the way from the DTC to the Luxor at the south end of the Strip in 25-40 minutes maximum. In addition to the CAT 116 being cheaper, faster, and far less crowded (sometimes you have to wait for more than one Deuce to come by because they are full), you get to observe what Las Vegas life is like off the Strip. It’s an interesting and refreshing ride that leaves you much more relaxed and ready to indulge in all the wonders of/on the Strip. However, if you’re on your way from the Strip to the DTC around 2 a.m. or later, the Deuce can be a great ride from the upper level/front seats. The lights are fantastic and you can get a great view of how good the bus drivers are at avoiding all the crazy traffic situations that arise. Not to mention it’s safer to catch transportation on the Strip rather than one of the far less populated streets behind the casinos. Visit the Regional Transportation Center online for information.

LIFESTYLE:

• For morning joggers, running along the palm tree-lined 1/2 mile Howard Hughes Pkwy, east of the Flamingo Hotel. It's easily accessible from mid-Strip casinos, off E Flamingo or Sands, and unusually cool due to the grass, trees, and frequent watering. It's on a bit of a hill, and you can run in the street or on the sidewalks. It is a four-lane local road. Drop a bottle of water at either end and have fun running up and down. The area is safe and secure.
• Caesars Palace's Brahma Shrine. Before I place even one bet in Las Vegas, I must go through a gift-offering and incense-burning ritual."
• I really enjoy spending a couple of hours at the Gamblers General Store, just a couple of blocks off the Fremont Street Experience. What fun to get up to your elbows in bins of poker chips!! Cool gifts! !"
• "I really like the ABC store downtown. While it's not hidden, it is a gem. Where else can you get all your Hawaiian needs met? It (like its sister stores in Honolulu) has lots of touristy things and then it has Spam maki."
• "The Dead Poet Book Store is an excellent used and rare book store. I am a collector and when I win big I often head there and invest in a signed first edition and some reading books. The owner is knowledgeable and personable."
• "KSHP Radio shopping for Vegas deals!!! On AM1400.
• "I chose "other" because we have two hidden gems for people who travel to Vegas. One is Casa Fuente in the Forum Shops. It offers me a chance to sit, drink, and smoke a cigar while my wife goes shopping. It's also a routine stop for the guys when we make our ‘boys’ trip. They have a great staff, a good selection, and a happy hour during the week. It also is a great place to sit and chill after a show on Friday or Saturday night. My other hidden gem is Ellis Island. A local casino that offers a great steak or BBQ, good micro-brewed beer for $1.50, and a great place to sit and relax. We usually arrive in town on a Sunday and make it habit to stop for the steak and eggs special for $4.99."
• "The 99-cent stores. Always go there right away to buy our water for the time we're there."
• "It has to be Bloomers Florist on Sahara!!! On my first trip to Vegas in '06, I was in need of a florist to get some flowers to take to a Certain female performer... Well, I stumbled onto Bloomers ( it was the closest to where I was staying) and I was blown away and thrilled. The Flowers were gorgeous, the arrangement was stunning, and the price was flat-out amazing. I've been giving flowers since like, well just before the invention of dirt, and these were some of the best I've ever seen and the people there are so nice to work with. Every trip I get flowers for at least one and usually two ladies in shows and they have never failed to stand head and shoulders above any other place I have looked. Actually, I never even look anywhere else any longer. If you go to Vegas or live there, check them out. It’s a tiny shop and easy to miss, but the flowers and service will never miss and you will become a customer for life, just like I have!"
• "My favorite gem is a person named Ellen, who owns the Jon Ric Salon in Sam's Town (which itself most people don't even know about!). Ellen is a massage therapist with several qualifications who has been therapist to the stars in Vegas for many years. Due to being in such high demand for so long, she's now in semi-retirement, which is why she bought the salon & gives massages there, as well as some of the stars half-time. I go for at least 1-2 massages while I am in Vegas because she is the best there is! She's not afraid to really dig in & do a proper deep-tissue massage! I also get my hair done there and it's top notch!"
• "I love the Ghirardelli shop between Imperial Palace and Harrah's -- free chocolates and yummy ice cream sundaes. Plus, with each purchase you get a coupon for % off your next purchase!. And they have a public restroom!"
• "I suggest this little known gem to everyone I know that heads to old Vegas. Go to the Main Street Station casino: In the men’s washroom behind the main bar is a large piece of the Berlin wall that has the urinals on it. The only thing stranger than relieving yourself on a piece of world history in the middle of Sin City is the amount of females walking into the guy’s bathroom to sneak a look/picture while you are doing your business."
• "Rock climbing/scrambling in Red Rock Canyon. Most Vegas visitors don't realize that you can actually -- in only about 20 minutes -- visit the mountains that rise in the distance off the Strip. Call Neil at HikeThisLasVegas.com and you'll have the most breathtaking views of Vegas you've ever seen, you'll work off all the buffets you ate, and have fun!"
• "I like the consignment shops around LV & Henderson, both for designer clothing & furniture."
• "Don Pablo cigars."
• "Foundation Room on Mondays at Mandalay Bay. " [Ed: Did you know the Foundation Room is now open to everyone nightly after 11 p.m., with everything from a tapas night to Jazz Burlesque Sundays!]
• "I have been going to the Imperial Palace for 19 years. A lot of people have said many nasty things about the place but what I like the most is the race and sports book -- very quiet and peaceful and a great staff, plus a sandwich shop just 20 feet away and a restroom 20ft away in the other direction. One of the best known secrets on the Strip for a long time. So...hell with all you naysayers out there, I love this place and always will." [Ed: Good on ya! We like it too.]
• "Local Charms is an artisan jewelry store with one-of-a-kind pieces at moderate prices located in the Fashion Show Mall. Also Twenty, located in Bally's shopping arcade, has some very moderately-priced jewelry and mementos (no more than $20 each)."

HOTELS & CASINOS:

• "One nice hidden gem is the Rampart Casino. Good video poker, good blackjack, and the food ain't bad either."
• "This will sound funny but it's downtown Las Vegas. Most people I talk to have never been downtown and there is great food, gambling, music, sites, etc. Everybody talks about the Strip but to me downtown is Vegas. "
• "El Cortez!"
• "O'Shea’s, ‘cause it's so rowdy."
• "Mermaids, downtown on Fremont Street. If you want to get smashed, check out these sultry babes and don’t forget to get your beads and/or pictures on the way in!"
• "Entertainment by Lake Las Vegas on weekends. Plus, sign up for a players card at Casino Montelago, show your card at the casino restaurants, and get 20 percent off!"
• "One of the places we consider a ‘hidden’ gem is the Tuscany Suites casino. Nobody ever seems to mention it but it's a beautiful place with a really nice casino. Plus, you earn both comps and points for your play. The restaurant (Marilyn's Cafe) has good food 24 hours a day. We haven't eaten at the Italian restaurant yet. FREE wireless internet. And it's convenient!! Right down Flamingo Rd on the way to Terrible's."

ENTERTAINMENT AND SIGHTSEEING:

• "Vinnie Favorito. Someone gave me a 2-for-1 coupon for his show back at Fitzgeralds. Funniest show I've ever seen. We went back to see him this year at Flamingo - even paid full price this time. Vinnie is the best kept secret in Vegas."
• "My favorite thing that is somewhat lesser known is the rare car collection at Imperial Palace. My grandma took me there first and I have taken my friends there to see it and they are always impressed."
• "The mermaids at Silverton :)"
• "This vote goes to Valley of Fire State Park, just a 45-minute drive north of Vegas on I-15. Some of the most spectacular scenery I've ever seen. Hard to believe colors this bright and varied can be concentrated in one area. Also surprising how many Vegas natives not only haven't been there, but barely know it exists!! Honorable mention goes to Death Valley National Park -- only 2 hours away. Also surprisingly scenic and largely ignored by the locals."
• "We did a Segway tour of the Strip in May. It was a lot of fun and we’d recommend it to anyone." [Ed: There are no longer any companies* in Las Vegas offering Segway guided tours, but there are a couple that will deliver a Segway to you so you can do your own. You’ll find details in the "Rides & Activities" section of the LVA Visitor Guide.]

• "Springs Preserve."
• "While stumbling up Fremont from the El Cortez I heard an angel singing and stopped in to watch at Don't Tell Mama, which appears to be some kind of hangout for theatre types. I didn't really fit in with the crowd but still had a nice relaxing hour listening to the staff and a couple walk ins singing. Though it's an open mic format it definitely was not karaoke. The singers were all very talented."
• "Wetlands Park (off far eastern Tropicana)."
• "Mine is the Cyber Speedway racing simulators at the Sahara. Not that it's really secret, but definitely seems to be hidden and never see any advertising about it. It's been there for years and we love it, but when I mention it to anyone, even Vegas regulars, they have never heard of it. We have sent several people over there who’ve ended up being wild about it also. It's a blast and well worth checking out."
• "The Virgin River Gorge, north of LV."
• "Feeding popcorn to the carp at Lake Mead and going to the petting zoo at Bonnie Springs".
• "Caroll Shelby Museum."
• "We like to take the short drive out to Ethel M's Chocolate Factory in Henderson. The quick tour with some delicious samples is a change of pace from the action on the strip. They also have the cactus garden to stroll through, which is an interesting display (although not as enjoyable at 115 degrees in the middle of July)."[Ed: You should check it out if you’re ever in town around Christmas time, when they decorate all the cacti with lights.]
• "My two favorite secrets are in Bellagio: The Gallery of Fine Arts museum shop and the free exhibit,The Art of Richard MacDonald, presented by Cirque du Soleil, which is next to the O shop."
• "Mix at Mandalay Bay. You can avoid the cover charge if you arrive before 10:00 pm and it has a great view of the Strip!!"

MISCELLANEOUS TIPS:

• "Pet Kingdom." [Ed: Exotic pet store with huge number of reptiles etc. 2431 East Tropicana, 702/451-9123.]
• "Our favorites are the unadvertised specials, like the $7.77 special at Mr. Lucky’s. Of these, our favorite is the earlybird breakfast special at Bill's Gambling Hall. This was continued from the previous restaurant before Harrah’s bought it. We like to get up early (especially when we first get there from our Central time zone) and walk a mile or so before breakfast, so it fits us well."

• Aha! We have just learned that You Can!! Segway is still offering guided tours.