Milestones

Hi all,

When I started my Flickr group a few months ago, I didn't know what to expect. It has taken off, and this week it topped 1000 photos from over 100 members. Of course, it's more about the quality than the quantity. And there's plenty of fantastic pictures out there.

It's amazing to me that whenever I glance at the pictures, I see a lot of similarities. There are lots of shots of the Bellagio fountains, Paris Eiffel Tower, the Wynn and Encore, the Strat, and the Fremont Street Experience. All iconic views of Vegas. Everyone's take is just a little different, just enough to make these scenes unique.

I love to see the pictures of odd places or seldom seen scenes, like the motels downtown or a closeup of a slot reel in black and white. These are difficult to get - at least I think they are. When I'm in Vegas, I don't want to think too much about taking a picturesque snapshot, or waiting until dawn Ansel Adams style for the right moment to take a picture. I'm lucky if it's in focus. My main goal is to get some good, small shots that I can put on the website and save to my screen saver on my home computer. Anything more than that is a bonus.

But for all you photographers and photo lovers out there, please feel free to look at the pictures and, if you'd like, add your pix to the group. You'll be in good company.

I'll have more to add in August when I take my next trip. Starting to count the days till I live up to my motto... go to Vegas. It's that simple.
Viva,
Mike

News N' Notes...

Hi Vegas Fans,

Notes

March Madness... what a time to be in Vegas! Wish I was there right now, but I've got this full time job thing that keeps me busy. And off the streets.

There are some cool promotions out there, and I've got some suggestions for where you can watch the games:

• Las Vegas Hilton - ginormous sports book
• Caesars - cool setting, nice TVs
• Las Vegas Club - best downtown casino to watch sports

Don't forget to bet, or pretend you're betting, so that you can get free drinks.

News

I'll be a contributor for tomorrow's Las Vegas Advisor Question of the Day, so stay tuned and check it out. Good stuff.

I updated the tables on the website. Whew! This is a lot of work. Venues change, clubs close, new restaurants open... all the time in Vegas. Keeping up with it is a task. Please let me know if you find any broken links, mistakes, etc.

Thanks all and have a great rest of the week. And remember, especially during March Madness... Go to Vegas. It's that simple.

Viva,

Mike

Updates coming soon

Hi Vegas fans,

The website is undergoing another round of table updates. I haven't done this since November last year (that's like a zillion years in Vegas time), so it's due. One thing I've noticed is that there are not a ton of changes since my last update.

I'm wondering if that's because I've been periodically making changes when I notice them, or because it wasn't that long ago since I've made some updates, or if that the economy is affecting Las Vegas in a way such that there's not a lot of movin' and shakin' going on right now. hmmmm.... maybe all of the above.

I'm also thinking about adding a new "Gambling" tab to the website. More to come on that initiative soon...

I'm also very excited that I'll be a guest on the Las Vegas Advisor again on March 20th. Stay tuned and be sure to check it out and lemme know whatcha think.

Can't tell ya how happy I am that we are planning another trip to Sin City in August. Looks like we've nailed down August 22-27ish. We are waiting to get a great deal on a hotel. Right now MGM is running a special for $52/night (weeknights) and $111 on weekends. We are hoping that the deals will just keep getting better, but at some point we run the risk of waiting too long. I'll keep you posted, and if you know of great deals, pass them along through a comment here on the blog so we can all oohhh and ahhhh.

Viva,
Mike

News n' New Stuff

Vegas News
Looks like construction will begin on the Mob Museum, brain child of Mayor Oscar Goodman (and former defense attorney), this spring, with an expected completion date of 2010. It's gonna cost $50 million. That much? Really? Really!

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of a Mob Museum. And Mayor Goodman has been a good man for the city. But I think some of that money would be better spent on promotions (I'm recalling how great the 100 year anniversary was...), especially during these tough economic times. Vegas is suffering. Travel is down. A Mob Museum might attract some people, but probably not enough to justify $50. I hope I'm wrong and that it's a successful venture, but I have my doubts.

Invitation
My wife got a form letter from Encore yesterday, inviting her to spend some time there for only $100/night. Now, that's a pretty decent deal for a fine, fine establishment like Encore. But the chances of us spending that kind of money on a hotel in Las Vegas are about the same as me watching a movie with Hugh Grant in it. That is, slim to none. And Slim's on a horse outta town. Or maybe on his way to the Mob Museum.

Website Notes
I have again updated the website with some cool new features. First, you can now create your own travel itinerary without having to wait for me to email you! That's right, you just check the items that you want to include and, voila, your info displays automatically. If you are more interested in a detailed, personalized itinerary, you can order one when you purchase my book. For those of you who have looked at the create-your-own flavor, please let me know what you think (post comments on this blog, email me, etc.)

I also added a new twist to those of you who would like to win a free Las Vegas luggage tag. I have a scavenger hunt on the website. Answer 3 simple questions for your chance to win the March prize. I'll update the scavenger hunt monthly, so keep visiting the site to ensure you can answer those questions correctly.

Have a great week, everyone. And remember... Go to Vegas. It's that simple.
Viva,
Mike

Coming Soon and News Items

Hi Vegas fans,

You'll soon notice some new features on the website. I'm still testing some javascript to make some groovy things work (this is a fancy way of saying I ain't done coding yet), but be on the lookout for these new features:

• An Itinerary Creator: you choose from a list of items, and voila, you'll see my suggestions for an itinerary automatically! Pretty nifty, eh?
  
• Scavenger Hunt: Want to win a free prize? All you have to do is find some stuff on the website, then submit your answers. One winner will be chosen at random per month. You like free stuff, right?
  
• Gambling Information: This is long overdue and will include some tips and humor from my long-time friend and fellow Vegas aficionado, Steve Reed. You'll read, you'll enjoy, you'll save a few shekels. No big whoop.

I hope to have at least some of these changes done by the end of this week. Then, I plan to revisit the tables on the website to update some of the changes that are constantly taking place in Vegas (new shows, current shows changing venues, price differences, etc.). Whew!

Vegas News:

Two Vegas items that caught my attention this week.

1. Part of the Stimulus Package includes an idea that I would love, but it is drawing fire because it costs a few gazillion dollars.

The idea? A train from Anaheim (CA) to Vegas. I like to visit California during my longer trips to Sin City, but the deal usually involves me getting up early and driving to LA, with Steve nodding off in the front seat and my wife stretched out in the back seat reading Vogue or snoozing.

We drive back that same night. Steve takes the wheel and I tell bad jokes, try to find a good satellite radio station, and get slap-happy silly from little sleep. My wife stretches out in the back seat and reads Vogue or snoozes.

I know there are buses and planes to California, but they do not suit my needs. I might do a bullet-train if it didn't take too long and didn't cost too much. OK taxpayers, you can throw stuff at me now.

2. The Palms is opening up a cool art-house type movie venue. I like me some artsy movies (although I don't know I'd see flicks while in Vegas!), but this is pretty cool, especially for locals.

That's all for this week, folks. Remember the golden rule... go to Vegas. It's that simple.

Viva,

Mike

Wow

Good morning Vegas fans,

It's Thursday, and I'm a day late for the usual entry for my blog. Why, you ask? I've been swamped since answering last Thursday's Question of the Day on the Las Vegas Advisor. I had 44 people fill out a form for a free itinerary! Yowza. I am just about caught up, and I plan on finishing the last 6 tonight.

Thanks to you all for your comments and questions. There have been a lot of visitors to the site, and a lot of great feedback on a number of my initiatives. Please continue to visit and comment, ask questions, rant, joke, criticize, etc. I'm always happy to hear what your thoughts are on my thoughts on Vegas.

I will probably answer another Question of the Day again soon, so I'll keep you posted. In the mean time, I have a lot to do on the website. It won't go through another facelift (well, not now, anyway), but it will get some updates and some new stuff. That's all I'm saying for now, so you'll just have to keep on a-visitin'.

In other news... I received these two links from a co-worker and Vegas fan, so I thought I'd share them with you:

• Casinos are warned about card counting and the iPhone
• Oscar Goodman says President Obama should apologize for Vegas statement

That's it for this week, folks. I'll have more news n' notes soon. For now, remember my most important rule. Go to Vegas. It's that simple.

Viva,
Mike

New... stuff!!

Hi Vegas fans,

A few new items to discuss this week. First, I'm very happy that I will be a guest expert again to answer tomorrow's Las Vegas Advisor Question of the Day. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Once it is on their site tomorrow, I will get a lot of hits on my site, and it will certainly keep me busy for a while. I'm ready!

Second, you probably heard that Amazon is releasing a new Kindle (version 2). The good news is that even if you have a copy of Simplifying Las Vegas and purchase a new Kindle, you can download it to your new device with no problem. I'm excited about the new version, and I can't wait to see it. I have not ordered one yet, but my one of my co-workers has, and I'm sure I'll test his out before buying one of my own. It looks very slick, though.

And... I'm really thinking about the possibilities of another trip to Vegas in August. As soon as we figure out how much money we're getting back from our taxes, I'll know for sure. Wish me luck!

Have a great week.

Viva,
Mike