Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Fill out the scavenger hunt TODAY!

Hi Vegas fans,

If you fill out my scavenger hunt today, there's a good chance that you will win a FREE PRIZE! Ya gotta do it today, though, ok?

Viva,
Mike

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Vegas and the Economy

Hi Vegas Fans,

My buddy Steve just sent me this article, which discusses gaming revenues as they relate to Vegas and other cities that are planning on reviving their economies with casinos.

I think he's very accurate and provides some good insight.
Your thoughts? Discuss...
Viva,
Mike

Friday, September 25, 2009

Bob Stupak dies

Bob Stupak, who built Vegas Word and the Stratosphere, died of leukemia today. He was 67 years old and had been sick for a long time.

Bob was a bold and charasmatic figure in Vegas for years. He won $1 million on the Bengals at +7 in Super Bowl XIII and collected his winnings from (the now defunct) Little Caesars in a brown box and a fast food bag.

He had an active life, especially in the 1990s. In 1995, he broke every bone in his face when he crashed his motorcycle. In 1996, he opened the Strat (one of my favorite places to gamble). In 1998, he sold it to Carl Icahn. He gave to charity and was a Vegas icon.

Read more about this story; read more about Bob Stupak.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Tips for Booking Flights

Hi Vegas fans,

I spend a lot of time looking for good, inexpensive flights to Sin City. This year, I've been fortunate, obviously, because of the economy. However, I wanted to pass my top 5 tips that always help me when I'm thinking about a trip to Vegas:

1. Shop early. Even if you don't plan on purchasing early, shopping early can help you by providing a baseline for what flights are going to cost you at a given time (think at least 6-8 months before your trip). You can see if rates start to rise, and if so you can buy your flight before it continues to go up in price. Even better - sign up for a website's alert program (many have them) where they email you when prices go up or down by a certain amount.

2. Look for package deals. Many people like to argue that you should book separately and use the codes available for reduce rates for hotels. However, I still find that package deals are usually a better discount for me when comparing overall price.

3. Check out at least 3 websites. Kayak and Sidestep are good meta-search engines that will surf a few different travel sites for you. Once you narrow down your results from one of these sites, go directly to the airline's site to see if you can get a better deal or flight to meet your needs.

4. Look very carefully at the times, routes, and layovers for your flights. I like to leave my home early (thus arriving in Vegas early) and leave Vegas anywhere between noon and 3pm. I try to get flights with no more than an hour layover, and I try not to fly through Atlanta airport. I've got nothing against Atlanta, but the airport is huge, busy, and can be a hassle to navigate. Memphis or Charlotte work better for me. However, for those of you on the East coast, beware of US Air through Charlotte... I've heard many a horror story about the airline, although I have not experienced problems myself.

5. Take your time and find the best flight for you. It' hard to be patient (at least for me!) when booking a trip to Las Vegas. But, I know that if I spend some time up front looking for the best flight, I'll find what I want and come pretty close to the price I want. I'm usually willing to compromise on some things. For example, if I can save $100, I'll arrive in Vegas a few hours later than I usually like. I'll fly through Atlanta if it's a good price and good timing. I'll layover for an hour and a half if it's a really good deal. Are you willing to compromise? Think about the aspects of your trip that matter most to you, and it'll be easier to book your flight.

I hope you have success the next time you book your flight when you are ready to... Go to Vegas. It's that Simple.

Viva,
Mike

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Slacker...

Hi Vegas fans,

Yes, it's been a little while since my last blog. My day job is keeping me busy. I know, I know, not an excuse. However, I plan on getting back on the Vegas bandwagon soon, starting (3...2...1...) now!

I'm going to pick up working on the 2010 version of Simplifying Las Vegas this weekend. That's right, a new Kindle and PDF version is forthcoming. I have a lot of updates, some new stuff, and more tips to my fav city.

In the mean time, I hope you enjoy the site and the free stuff online. Oh and speaking of free stuff, don't forget to fill out my September Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win a FREE PRIZE!

Good luck and stay tuned for more updates so you are well informed the next time you... Go to Vegas. It's that Simple.

Viva,
Mike

Monday, September 7, 2009

Hard Rock Las Vegas buys Michael Jackson glove

Hi Vegas fans,

What can $48k buy you? If you are the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, how about Michael Jackson's white glove?

Jackson had many connections to Las Vegas, so it is fitting that the glove wound up in Sin City.

I might try to get a picture of it the next time I... Go to Vegas. It's that Simple.

Viva,
Mike

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Compadres

Hi Vegas fans,

My compadre Steve sent me this story by Bill Simmons, which is kinda scary because I swear it parallels ours. Maybe not that scary... I think most guys decide to go to Vegas because it allows them... no, it commands them to act like idiots. Immature, irresponsible, idiots. Yup.

It's all in good fun, though. Blow off a little steam every now and then, and you are much more apt to take care of your daily life with a better perspective. That's why when I'm in Vegas, I take advantage of every second. I know how precious my time there is.

Maybe one of these days Steve and I will run into Bill Simmons and his gang in Vegas. Join forces. Create legendary stories (well... lies, really) to retell years later. That would be pretty cool. Our combined crews could do some pretty good damage. Maybe not as bad as The Hangover, but probably pretty close.

I hope to share more half-truths with you the next time I... Go to Vegas. It's that simple.
Viva,
Mike

A few of my favorite things...

Hi Vegas fans,



I've been back from Vegas a week now, and I've had some time to reflect. Ahhh. Plus, I've been very busy at my day job, so I haven't had time to blog. 8)



I wanted to share some of my fav fun things to do in Las Vegas:


  • Getting up ridiculously early and taking pictures
  • Walking through Cesars Forum shops early in the morning, before the shops are even open
  • The Peppermill
  • Living and dying with every deal of $5 blackjack
  • Battista's and Gus the accordion player
  • Picturesque mountains against clear, blue skies
  • Rum and cokes at 11am (2pm EST)
  • The goofy smell that the hotels pump into their lobbies
  • Forgetting that I have responsibilities

Yeah, it's nice to know that although Vegas changes every 5 minutes, there's one thing that I can always count on. Fun, excitement, and an escape.

Can't wait until the next time I... Go to Vegas. It's that Simple.

Viva,

Mike