My friend and fellow blogger John Wilson just returned from Las Vegas with his wife and five month old baby. John’s been to Vegas before, and like me he’s quite the Vegas nut, but this was a little different because it was his first trip with his baby. I sat down with him and asked him about his vacation.
SLV: So, John, you just returned from Vegas with your family. Your posts on whereisjohnwilson.com
JW: About $1,000 not put into a slot machine. In all seriousness, going to Las Vegas with my wife and our new baby was a great deal of fun. It’s a completely different experience, however, than many of your readers may be used to. I spent almost zero time gaming and tons more time resting, sightseeing and taking pictures.
Some highlights of our trip include going to Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon and some sights from TV shows such as The Ultimate Fighter, the World Series of Poker and Pawn Stars.
I think it’s a great place to vacation if you go in knowing it will be different.
SLV: It must have been time-consuming getting from point A to point B. I know you rented a car. What do you think about renting a car in Vegas vs. public transportation?
JW: Renting a car is a great idea unless you’re only staying for a weekend of debauchery. Any more than casino hopping on the South end of the strip would best be served with an automobile. If you add up all the inconvenience of the monorail and the high costs of cabs and include the missed opportunities to visit the locations above, it’s well worth the time and money to get a car.
I have some tips over at the site for getting the best use of your car and some hints for getting around.
SLV: I know you usually stay close to the Strip. But for this trip, you stretched your Vegas legs and went further out than usual. What was that like, and what was your favorite non-Strip excursion?
JW: We stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations just behind the Sahara. It was a great alternative with the baby. The hotel had its own swimming pool, outdoor bar, grocery store with cold sandwiches and it was only 30 yards from the Hilton Las Vegas. Though we had a car, the monorail station at the Hilton would have been incredibly handy.
The problem with the North end of the strip, as commented in your most recent post, is its relative “deadness” compared to its brethren to the South. My take on the issue with this end of the Strip is the distance between hotels. It’s a long walk with not much to look at between. Even though it takes forever to walk from the Bellagio, past Caesars to the Mirage, there are ton of people, things and shenanigans to keep you interested. North of Encore, it’s pretty sleepy til you get to the Sahara.
I think you nailed it about the Sahara’s secret to longevity. I consider myself a pretty decent poker player. I get pot and implied odds, I play tight aggressive, etc – and I always play at the Sahara. There are some very nice poker rooms all over the Strip – but the 2/4 Limit HE at Sahara is always full of very nice tourists acting as calling-station ATMs. The strong drinks, $1 blackjack and $3 roulette keep the place full.
SLV: It was pretty danged hot when you were in Vegas. What were some of the ways you beat the heat?
JW: Because of our son, we took LOTS of naps. One piece of advice for folks taking their family traveling from the East Coast is to never bother getting off of Eastern Standard Time. We did more before 9am (and before it was 300 degrees) than most people do all day. All of the casinos are open, no one is getting in your way (or grabbing your baby’s cheeks) and there are virtually no lines.
The weather while we were there stayed around 104 most of the time, with 0% humidity. Living in South Carolina, I thought 104 with no humidity was a cool day. We walked around for hours and never worked up a sweat. We always had tons of extra water to keep us all cool throughout the day.
Thanks John... I'm sure you're already looking forward to your next trip to Vegas.
Viva,
Mike
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