Spring trip in LA, Vegas & more ! (1 Viewer)

[Don Clay]

Hello,

I'll be lucky to have some holidays in Western states this Spring.

Will stay à few days and nights in LA, Vegas, Wagstaff and San Diego.

Any tips or hotels (especially in Vegas) recommanded ?

Thx !

 

[Lemonzest]

What do you want to do in Vegas? Like I mean what kind of experience do you want to have? Do you want a classy time with the wife or party with the boys?

Do you plan to play poker?
Do you plan to hit the pool?
Fine dining or sandwiches?

Let us know what kind of experience you have in mind and then we can help with recommendations.

 

[dennis63]

My wife and I usually stay at.the Flamingo. (Classic old Vegas cool.) Pretty good prices and pretty central on The Strip.

Make sure to visit the Pepper Mill restaurant on The Strip. Again, a perfectly preserved piece of old Las Vegas where Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Elvis were regulars.

 

[Don Clay]

What do you want to do in Vegas? Like I mean what kind of experience do you want to have? Do you want a classy time with the wife or party with the boys?

Do you plan to play poker?
Do you plan to hit the pool?
Fine dining or sandwiches?

Let us know what kind of experience you have in mind and then we can help with recommendations.

mostly classy time with gf, at least in hotel.
I'll have a couple of cash games, at least one in our hotel and probably one in another casino. But it will be short sessions.
I'd like to have a spa too.
And free parking for my car (funky I know)

We'll probably visit a few places, pawn stars, spinettis and we'll do our shipping too. Commercial centers ?
Hopefully, I'd love to meet some pcf members I frequently pm, they'll recognize themselves
Not quite sure I'll go dring dring @Drumhoss door though

My wife and I usually stay at.the Flamingo. (Classic old Vegas cool.) Pretty good prices and pretty central on The Strip.

Make sure to visit the Pepper Mill restaurant on The Strip. Again, a perfectly preserved piece of old Las Vegas where Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Elvis were regulars.

will very probably do, thank you for this one (y) :thumbsup:

 

[Lemonzest]

I agree Flamingo is iconic but its not somewhere I would take my wife. If your gf thinks the experience and vibe of old vegas is cool then by all means stay there. If you want a higher end experience then I would recommend Bellagio or Aria. Venetian, Palazzo, and Wynn are also nice but on the more pricey side.

I highly recommend staying at the Vdara if you want a spa. Vdara is quiet with a good spa and no casino. Vegas is overwhelming and it is nice to have a quiet place to retreat to - at least for me.

I also recommend you try the Wicked Spoon Buffet in the Cosmopolitan hotel. It is an all you can eat lunch or dinner buffet but the food is insane. Just google Wicked Spoon and look through the pics.

Also be aware everything in Vegas is very far apart. Even if things look close on a map it takes a LONG time to walk. Bring comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk ALOT. The casinos themselves are so big that even if you just want to go next door it can be a 10 min walk to get out of your casino.

PS. It is often cheaper to book directly with a hotel than trying to find a deal online. Also be aware of the resort fees. In addition to whatever the nightly rate is you will be charged 15-30/night. You won't know about the resort fee until you check in and you will need to pay it then. It is stupid and expensive so just be aware of that.

 

[Don Clay]

I agree Flamingo is iconic but its not somewhere I would take my wife. If your gf thinks the experience and vibe of old vegas is cool then by all means stay there. If you want a higher end experience then I would recommend Bellagio or Aria. Venetian, Palazzo, and Wynn are also nice but on the more pricey side.

I highly recommend staying at the Vdara if you want a spa. Vdara is quiet with a good spa and no casino. Vegas is overwhelming and it is nice to have a quiet place to retreat to - at least for me.

I also recommend you try the Wicked Spoon Buffet in the Cosmopolitan hotel. It is an all you can eat lunch or dinner buffet but the food is insane. Just google Wicked Spoon and look through the pics.

Also be aware everything in Vegas is very far apart. Even if things look close on a map it takes a LONG time to walk. Bring comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk ALOT. The casinos themselves are so big that even if you just want to go next door it can be a 10 min walk to get out of your casino.

Honestly. I didn't know Vdara but it looks interesting, I'll check this tomorrow and the Wicked Spoon too

Thank you very much.

 

[Poker Zombie]

@Mrs Poker Zombie loves the spa at Caesars (Qua). Even though we've never stayed at Caesars Palace, their spa is a part of nearly every Vegas trip we take now.

Free parking sadly, is not very common anymore. I believe the Venetian and Treasure Island are the last two on the strip where you don't get charged around $13 a day. I just roll it into the price of the room along with the "resort fee" when making my final determination. So when you see an ad for "Rooms from $29" what they really mean is "Rooms from $62", and that number triples Friday-Saturday night.

 

[David O]

Honestly. I didn't know Vdara but it looks interesting, I'll check this tomorrow and the Wicked Spoon too

Thank you very much.

Vdara is nice.You should also try the Venetian. Do not stay at Flamingo. I love the chips but only good to stay there for a guys weekend.

 

[slisk250]

Hello,

I'll be lucky to have some holidays in Western states this Spring.

Will stay à few days and nights in LA, Vegas, Wagstaff and San Diego.

Any tips or hotels (especially in Vegas) recommanded ?

Thx !

To be clear, Nico is not going to visit Toby Wagstaff. He is going to Flagstaff.

 

[Don Clay]

@Mrs Poker Zombie loves the spa at Caesars (Qua). Even though we've never stayed at Caesars Palace, their spa is a part of nearly every Vegas trip we take now.

Free parking sadly, is not very common anymore. I believe the Venetian and Treasure Island are the last two on the strip where you don't get charged around $13 a day. I just roll it into the price of the room along with the "resort fee" when making my final determination. So when you see an ad for "Rooms from $29" what they really mean is "Rooms from $62", and that number triples Friday-Saturday night.

Thank you @Poker Zombie
I'll check Ceasars, it might be this one we book, and I'll add a $15 fee for the parking to room prices (y) :thumbsup:

Vdara is nice.You should also try the Venetian. Do not stay at Flamingo. I love the chips but only good to stay there for a guys weekend.

will check this one too, Thank you @David O

To be clear, Nico is not going to visit Toby Wagstaff. He is going to Flagstaff.

LOL
I need to learn my US geography before I go West !

 

[B.C.]

I'd stay at the following:

Aria
Vdara
Wynn
Bellagio
Palazzo/Venetian
Caesars - check which tower you are booking. Big difference in age/amenities between all the towers.

Forget the rest.

Oh and don't worry about paying for parking. You will put more in pre with suited connectors, than the cost to park.

 

[slisk250]

For some other info - If you want Italian food while in Flagstaff, stop at NiMarcos Pizza at 101 S. Beaver St. It is next to the University. Best Pizza anywhere within 150 miles.

If you stop at Cameron Trading post on Highway 89 before you take the east to west drive into the park, You might just need to go into the Grand Canyon Restaurant there and get a Navajo Taco. The shell is authentic "Indian Fry Bread" They are huge!

 

[Don Clay]

I'd stay at the following:

Aria
Vdara
Wynn
Bellagio
Palazzo/Venetian
Caesars - check which tower you are booking. Big difference in age/amenities between all the towers.

Forget the rest.

Oh and don't worry about paying for parking. You will put more in pre with suited connectors, than the cost to park.

Thank you BC, Caesars is one of my first choices, mainly beacuse there is a spa, so I'll check first the story about the towers

For some other info - If you want Italian food while in Flagstaff, stop at NiMarcos Pizza at 101 S. Beaver St. It is next to the University. Best Pizza anywhere within 150 miles.

If you stop at Cameron Trading post on Highway 89 before you take the east to west drive into the park, You might just need to go into the Grand Canyon Restaurant there and get a Navajo Taco. The shell is authentic "Indian Fry Bread" They are huge!

View attachment 153325

Thank you Mike,
Indian fry bread looks great


Btw, I have two questions,
is there a hotel with roller coaster inside in Veags or is ti a Park ?
I was watching a movie this morning taking place in Vegas and saw a big wheel and a roller coaster.
Wich car renter shall I choose when I land ? Some of you must be very experiences with that ?

Thank you
Nico

 

[slisk250]

You should book a rental car before you go of course. I would look on line and I bet the big companies have it in French

 

[Poker Zombie]

There are a couple of rollercoasters connected with Vegas Hotels that are still running...

New York New York has a roller coaster on the roof, and Circus Circus has a roller coaster inside. The Stratosphere has a few thrill rides on the roof, including one where you jump off (imagine jumping from 25 meters higher than tip of the Eiffel Tower ).

The big wheel (similar to the London Eye) is in the middle of the strip, behind the Linq hotel.

 

[Don Clay]

Hello,

I want to thank you all for your help, also, I hope I can meet a few of you when we're there with gf.

So the plan is clearly a road trip :

LA (2 nights), LV (3 nights), Tusayan (1 night), Yuma (1 night), San Diego (2 nights)

Do we have Yuma members here, I have a specific question ?

Thx !

 

[slisk250]

I can maybe answer your Yuma questions.

 

[pltrgyst]

Yuma. Weirdest city we've ever visited.

Surrounded by huge trailer parks and thousands of acres of the nicest produce you've ever seen -- and none of it is available to local restaurants.

 

[Don Clay]

Yuma. Weirdest city we've ever visited.

Surrounded by huge trailer parks and thousands of acres of the nicest produce you've ever seen -- and none of it is available to local restaurants.

in fact, we have to drive from Flagstaff to San Diego, Yuma will be only to stay for the night and leave very early on the morning.
We only have 9 nights and we had to make some very difficult choices.

 

[Kyle]

Have a great time!

 

[pltrgyst]

in fact, we have to drive from Flagstaff to San Diego, Yuma will be only to stay for the night and leave very early on the morning.
We only have 9 nights and we had to make some very difficult choices.

Flagstaff to San Diego is an easy one-day drive...~7 hours.

 

[Don Clay]

Flagstaff to San Diego is an easy one-day drive...~7 hours.

We've decided to give it a thought !

We would be in San Diego for 3 nights.
Would you minf how you make an esay 7h drive for Flagstaff to San Diego when Maps says 8.5 hours ?

Thank you @pltrgyst

 

[slisk250]

We've decided to give it a thought !

We would be in San Diego for 3 nights.
Would you minf how you make an esay 7h drive for Flagstaff to San Diego when Maps says 8.5 hours ?

Thank you @pltrgyst

If you average 70mph, that distance (490 miles) is easy to do in 7 hours. There will be no traffic the entire route until you approach San Diego. The freeway bypasses Phoenix and loops towards the west. The speed limits in Arizona are mostly 75mph and I think I-8 in California is 70mph until you get get to the coast. I'd drive straight through too.

 

[pltrgyst]

^^^ ... and it's a beautiful drive over the mountains into California.

 

[Don Clay]

Finally booked 3 nights in San Diego, at Humphreys Half Moon Inn
Thank you @slisk250 and @pltrgyst for the advices on this one ! (y) :thumbsup:

Now we need to rent a car !!

 

[pltrgyst]

Nice resort, but I hope you're planning to keep the car while you're there. It's over five miles to the Gaslamp District and Embarcadero, and -- most importantly? -- about thirty miles up the coast to the Ocean's Eleven Casino, with their beautiful giant inlay Paulsons.... :

 

[Don Clay]

Nice resort, but I hope you're planning to keep the car while you're there. It's over five miles to the Gaslamp District and Embarcadero, and -- most importantly? -- about thirty miles up the coast to the Ocean's Eleven Casino, with their beautiful giant inlay Paulsons.... :

sure we pick the car at LAX and give it back there too.

We plan to go dowtown for one dinner at least and go to ocean if we can be advised on one not too far and sharks free .
I think I got a pm from @Psypher1000 advising me one or two, unless I'm confusion with beach advises when we re in Hollywood :

 

[pltrgyst]

All the good beaches are on the east coast of the US. California beaches are mostly cold, rocky, and not much sand. Of course, I'm prejudiced.

And I must admit, I love Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, anyway...and the volleyball there is outstanding.

When you go downtown for dinner, it's fun to just wander the restaurant rows in the Gaslamp District, centered on Fifth Ave. between Broadway and Market St. There are lots of excellent restaurants there.

Another good choice is the Fish Market, right on the water next to the aircraft carrier Midway. Very impressive, and a great view across the water to Coronado.

And even if the beaches can be disappointing, La Jolla (about 7-8 miles up the coast from your hotel) is a really beautiful place to visit for shops and lunch. We would have seriously considered La Jolla for retirement if we could have afforded it!

Tijuana, Mexico can be a fun day too.

Enjoy the trip...

 

[timsta007]

The beaches are great if as long as you don't want to get in the water. I'd recommend the beach at Coronado (there's some other cool stuff to see here like the historic Coronado Hotel and good restaurants). La Jolla is also a great spot as pltrgyst mentioned, not for beaches but there are some beautiful bluffs and views of the ocean from there.

 

[Don Clay]

Hello,

thank you first @pltrgyst and @timsta007 for the tips above.

I'm now looking soem infos about highways fees.
Friends told me some contradictory things.

How am I supposed to pay highway fees,
A friend paid the car rent with his credit card and was charged two monthes or so after his return.

Should I pay the car rent in LA with some cash and avoid any charge ?

Thanks if someone can help !