Category Archives: Las Vegas Newsletter

Access Vegas Insider Vibe March 31, 2010

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AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Seasonal Vegas Information
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! I’m celebrating a milestone this month: 17 years here in Las Vegas. Wow… it has certainly flown by. I was 27 when I showed up to town and the 90’s were a great time to be that age here.áNot without a few ups-and-downs, but certainly no regrets. Witnessing the explosive growth in both the Strip and the residential areas has been mind-bending. I’ve seen more implosions and construction than I ever dreamed.áI’m looking forward to another 17 years here and then some.

Living here this long has led to some interesting insights (which I’ll share later in this column) regarding who likes it here, who doesn’t and what the future may hold. As always, if you just want to get on to the “what is there to do on my next visit” stuff, just scroll past the commentary segments that do not interest you.

$481.57 – Is the average gaming budget per person in 2009, down nearly 10% from a year ago. No surprise given the tight economy and the (deserved) perception that slots are tighter and table game rules (particularly blackjack) are less player-friendly. Only 83% of all visitors gambled, and first-time visitorship was up slightly.

This is all incredibly ironic as those who have never visited consider Las Vegas to be a gambling destination and don’t understand any other reason one would want to visit. However, many of you return home and tell them about the incredible shows, celeb chef and award winning restaurants, tours (you have not lived until you have seen the Grand Canyon — check out the Western Territory tour banner on the right sidebar) and simple carefree fun and (usually) sun that we offer. Keep spreading the word and remind them to subscribe to our newsletteráor at least read it online. A few weeks of reading and anyone will be convinced of the amazing variety of activities Las Vegas offers!

Ace and Deuce Bus Route Notes – The changes have been made in the bus line(s) that serve visitors. Once there was only The Deuce which ran from downtown Fremont Street all the way to the south end of The Strip. And it took (literally) forever because it stopped every block.

The best way to think of the new Ace and Deuce service is this (thinking in terms of a subway, metro rail or similar):

The Ace is the limited-stop express. The Deuce is the local service. If you near an Ace stop and the place you are going to is near an Ace stop, by all means get right on the Ace. However, if you are nowhere near an Ace stop, get on the Deuce (which stops every few hundred feet) and take it to the very next stop that it shares with the Ace. Get off and wait for The Ace.

Now… if you are headed between two locations nowhere near an Ace stop (For example, Tropicana to Harrah’s), just stay on The Deuce. It will take you more time to transfer. However, if headed to the Convention Center, Fremont Street downtown, either outlet mall,áTown Square or a hotel with an Ace stop, absolutely jump from Deuce to Ace at the first available stop they both share. (If you are new to this conversation, please read Las Vegas New ACE Bus Service Strip-to-Downtown Pictures and Info).

Station Casinos Breakup – Some of you may have heard that Station Casinos (in bankruptcy) might sell off all but four properties, essentially leaving the founding Fertitta family with Red Rock, Palace Station, Boulder Station,áSunset Station, and the Wild Wild West (which I believe the family still sees the spot they will eventually build a Palms-like property). This is just an early proposal and we’ll let you know if it progresses. A surprising number of you who come to town for extended stays and rent a car tell us you really enjoy the various Station properties.

I Was Wrong – A few weeks ago, I noted (as an educated guess) that approximately 20% of the people living in Las Vegas didn’t like it here (and noted that the town will be better off when those people leave). A recent UNLV survey puts that figure at 40%. No lie… 40% of those living here don’t like it but many can’t leave because they are upside down in their house, can’t find work if they moved or similar.

Understand that some of that dissatisfaction is due to where someone is at in life. If you are upside down on your home and unemployed (or under-employed) you probably won’t be happy anywhere. But there is a significant swath of the population for whom living here simply does not agree with them. This is NOT a normal city by any stretch of the imagination. And, I hope it never becomes one!

These numbers dovetail in with some other recent stats: Visitor volume is roughly where it was in 2004. The job base (the amount of jobs in town) is at 2004 numbers. We had a population of 1.7 million in 2005. In many respects, the addition of that last 200,000 people who moved here the last five years pretty much sunk the boat. We are an island in the desert with tourism as our main economic driver and in reality can only comfortably sustain so many residents. Take away 200,000 people and our unemployment rate goes below the national average and would be in line with the long-time tradition of Nevada being recession-proof. (Current unemployment in the Las Vegas area: 13.9%).

Now, don’t get me wrong: This is not a blanket condemnation of those who moved here during any certain time period. I have deep appreciation for recently minted residents who embrace and love Las Vegas, Nevada for what it is (as opposed to those who come from somewhere else, then want to turn us into the area they came from). And, there will always be room for those who are Nevadans at the core of their soul.

But, we’ll be a lot better place to live once those who don’t embrace this nutty city give up and move back. After all, those are always the people telling us how great their previous city was. If it was that great, please return to it! Once we get back to all the people serving you while you are here being people who truly love the area and appreciate our visitors, we’ll see many decades to come of Las Vegas being the greatest place to vacation on earth.

Las Vegas Streaming Video Circa 1991 – I found some great YouTube video of someone who filmed their drive up the entire Las Vegas Strip nearly 20 years ago. In which is pretty much looks like it did when I showed up in town. Well worth tanking a couple minutes to enjoy whether you remember Las Vegas from this time, or just want to go “Wow… it looks so different”. Check out Las Vegas Circa 1991 Driving The Strip from the Welcome Sign

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Rhumbar Brings In “The Cooler” – Rhumbar’s Refreshing New Cocktail Will Cool Down The House – With the Vegas weather heating up, RHUMBAR, the stylish drink spot with a Strip-view patio at The Mirage, has decided to bring in “The Cooler.”

“The Cooler” recipe:
1 Grapefruit wedge
1 Lime wheel
1 Orange wheel
10 Mint leaves
¥ Rock candy
1.5 oz Bacardi O
Splash of Sprite
Muddle together the grapefruit, lime, orange, mint and rock candy in a zombie glass. Add rum and stir. Add a splash of Sprite and garnish with a mint sprig. To be enjoyed outside on RHUMBAR’s lush 3,000-square-foot patio, cigar optional.

Cabo Wabo Cantina Presents Rockin’ Mariachi Sundays – Brunch Specials And Live Mariachi Entertainment To Spice Up The Weekend – Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina presents Rockin’ Mariachi Sundays, a sizzling new brunch featuring Mexican-inspired brunch specialties and live Mariachi music by Los Viajeros every Sunday. In addition to Cabo Wabo’s traditional menu, the Mariachi Brunch will offer Mexican favorites including chorizo, egg and cheese tacos, a big breakfast burrito filled with chorizo, scrambled eggs and cheese, and the huevos rancheros which includes two corn tortillas topped with chorizo, scrambled eggs, red sauce and cheese. Drink specialties include Bloody Marias, micheladas and classic mimosas.

Sweet Twist On Easter Treats At Jean Philippe Patisserie In Vegas’ CityCenter – World-renowned pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury of Jean Philippe PÔtisserie in ARIA Resort & Casino may already be known for his artistic expressions in the dessert world but he is springing forward with his newly available treats, just in time for Easter. He is combining ultimate indulgence with adorable figures to celebrate the sweet side of the holiday. Jean-Philippe Maury is the executive pastry chef at Jean Philippe PÔtisserie inside ARIA at Vegas’ newest Strip development, CityCenter. The European-style pastry shop specializes in cakes, crepes, panini, pastries, cookies and a variety of chocolates featuring an exclusive line of bonbons and truffles and 24 house-made gelatos in unexpected flavors.

Casino Essentials Opens At Luxor – Casino Essentials sells an array of womenÆs purses and shoes from such noted brands as Steve Madden, Baby Phat and Betseyville. Also available are assorted snacks, liquors and non-alcoholic beverages. The store, formerly the site of Fashion 101, is located adjacent to LAX Nightclub on the casino floor. Casino Essentials is open Wednesday û Saturday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

Two Days Of Free, Open-To-The Public All-Star Concerts With Lady Antebellum & Miranda Lambert At Fremont Street Experience Friday, April 16 & Saturday, April 17, 2010 – The Academy of Country Music is hosting two days of all-star concerts at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas during The Week Vegas Goes CountryÖ! ACM Weekend on Fremont Street Experience will feature top newcomer category winners, Luke Bryan, Joey + Rory and Gloriana, special guests and headliners Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert performing on two different stages to crowds downtown. The weekend-long party leading up to the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards is sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and will feature Emily West, The Band Perry, Danny Gokey, David Nail and Lady Antebellum on April 16, 2010 and Joey + Rory, Gloriana, Randy Rogers Band, Luke Bryan and Miranda Lambert on April 17, 2010.

Men Of “X” Whistle Dixie’s At Hooters Casino Hotel – Men of “X,” the sexy male revue at Hooters Casino Hotel, is taking its show to another level û eye level that is û with their move from the Night Owl Showroom into Dixie’s Dam Bar. The show, which just celebrated its first anniversary, will become even more interactive inside the 3,000 sq. ft. space, allowing the Men easy access to mingle with their audience. “Dixie’s Dam Bar is a great venue for the Men of ‘X’ to showcase their assets up close and intimately interact with the ladies,” said producers Angela and Matt Stabile. “The show will really become more like one big party with everyone dancing out of their seats.”

M Resort Spa Casino Announces April/May “As Single As I Wanna Be” Saturdays Inside Hostile Grape – Back by popular demand, the Hostile Grape, the city’s sexiest wine bar at the M Resort Spa Casino, announces all new themes for its “As Single As I Wanna Be” Saturday events. Quickly becoming the Saturday hot spot for singles, the Hostile Grape’s “As Single As I Wanna Be” Saturday parties provide the perfect atmosphere for guests to drink, dance and flirt the night away starting at 8 p.m. Throughout the month of April and May, different themes will be offered weekly where participating guests can receive a complimentary bottle of wine*.

Gambling Talk: Video Slots – Open The Vault – with Victor H. Royer. As promised, in this issue û and the following issues û I will now write a little more about some of the favorite slots that my readers have told me they like to play, and later also show you some of the great new slots that are about to be released. In this issue, I present: Open The Vault video slot machine from WMS.

This game uses what are called “cascading reels”. In place of traditional reel spins, the reel symbols cascade into place as if dropped from above. All winning combinations pay as normal, but then something extra happens. The symbols in the winning combination disappear and new symbols cascade down to take their place. This process continues until no new winning combinations appear. Click to Read Complete Article…

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I come to Vegas a couple of times a year, last 2 times stayed downtown, the first at the Plaza, disappointing, second time at the Nugget, great room, friendly staff, love the short walks to the many casinos, felt safe the whole time, which was not true 15 years ago on my short visits downtown. Love Vegas, will stay downtown on next trip as well, enjoy your newsletter!

Susan Roberts

Ted Responds:

Downtown has unquestionably changed radically in the past 15 years. Some hotels like The Plaza are badly in need of room upgrades (which won’t happen until the economy turns) but OK if you are just looking for somewhere to crash. The Golden Nugget just finished a nice new tower and is well worth staying at for the money right now.

Downtown has changed drastically since I moved here (which wasn’t long before your original visit). Plenty of security and a friendly party atmosphere that is lots of fun without getting out-of-control.

We will be in Vegas from 4/17/2010 to 4/23/2010 and want for a change to visit more of the off strip casinos? Which do you recommend?

Gail from Cheektowaga, NY

Ted Responds:

If you don’t have a car or just want a quick taste of “locals” casinos, visit the Gold Coast (across the street from The Palms). The Orleans (just a couple miles west of the MGM on Tropicana) is actually pretty nice for a locals place that has been around a while.

As noted in recent newsletters, The Deuce bus route (that runs The Strip) now terminates at Palace Station. Note: Nothing wrong with Palace (it is my “locals” place to go bet sports,áput a few bucks in video poker, or grab an inexpensive buffet that is decent for the money), but it is a very run-of-the-mill place with no extra draw except for good food values. Of note: Pasta Palace (inside Palace Station) just won the Best Of Las Vegas in the local paper readers poll for Italian restaurant in a casino. And, the have All-You-Can-Eat Pasta for $8.99 From 4pm û 5:30pm. Oh, and it is a nicer place than Olive Garden.

M Resort is well worth seeing (very, very nice — nicer than some Strip properties), and they have a free shuttle for the 15 minute ride down there (less time than it takes to get from one end of The Strip to the other). Sam’s Town has a free shuttle from Harrah’s and you can walk to the (relatively new) Cannery East from Sam’s Town. As shuttle info always changes, call the hotel in question when you arrive for details.

If you have a car, hit the M and South Point one day. And/or Hit Boulder Station, Arizona Charlie’s East, Sam’s Town, and Eastside Cannery on another.

Speaking of food values, check the menus at the locals casino restaurants when you visit. Generally much cheaper than The Strip, and since they have to cater to locals (who won’t come back if something is bad), you’ll often fine a very nice dining experience.

We just arrived back home after 6 days at the Rio. Had a wonderful time as always. We went to the Terry Fator show and it was the best show I have seen in Vegas in a long time. Terry is very gracious to the audience, thanks them often, lets you take pictures, even allows short videos on your cell phones. The show makes you laugh, cry and love life. It is a must when you are in Vegas.

The only problem we had was with Showtime Shuttle bus. We reserved a handicap shuttle, they send a regular shuttle, when the handicap bus arrived the driver was rude, demanding an made me help put my husband on the lift. I called and complained to Showtime shuttle and called the Rio concierge who made the reservation, so they would be aware of the poor service. Then, the driver drove 30 mph from the Rio to the airport, knowing we were running late due to their mistake, to show us he was in charge. We had the last word, when we left him standing outside the shuttle without a tip.

Connie from Hawthorne, FL

Ted Responds:

Everybody raves about Terry Fator. People questioned how a “puppet show” would work on The Strip, but Factor’s ability to combine his ventriloquist and impressionist talents have been a big hit.

No question that you handled your complaints the right way. Tips are to be earned. Don’t get me wrong… I have no problem tipping (and tipping well) for good, helpful service. Especially if they go the extra mile. But, do not hesitate to withhold tips and also complain if service is lacking. With the economy the way it is today (local unemployment over 13%), people should be thankful they have a job and do their best to provide optimal customer service to our visitors.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 29-31 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 20
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada July 31-August 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 9
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 25-28 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 15-17 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 3
  • Super Bowl Sunday February 6
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 19-21 (3 day weekend)
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • Mardi Gras March 8
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 24

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RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

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All contents copyright 2010 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

March 31, 2010 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe March 23, 2010

Posted on by

AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Seasonal Vegas Information
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! Holy cow and my-oh-my (to use family friendly phrases)… is Las Vegas ever packed and jumping. The scares regarding Mexican travel have helped push an extra-large spring break crowd our way. Add March Madness to that and people are partying like it is 2005.

And… we’d have some video of the above. But it is in the middle of an 11 hour YouTube upload. So, we’ll have that next week.

ACE Service In Operation! – I was surprised at the significant number of emails that came in here about the new express ACE bus service to downtown. So on a beautiful, sunny day this past week, we actually drove the route.

The ACE has designated lanes throughout much of downtown. Although it will mingle with traffic on The Strip, it makes only a handful of stops and thus should provide a much quicker trip. As noted, The Deuce no longer goes downtown. If you stay aboard northbound, you’ll get an enjoyable trip over to Palace Station instead. Granted, Palace Station is similar to most of the downtown hotel casinos. But… it certainly isn’t downtown.

ace-bus-service-downtown-las-vegas-march-2010-07
Note: the 5’th Avenue Liquor Sign (pictures here above the Ace stop) is one of the many historic Las Vegas signs being refurbashed and put on display as public art throughout the downtown area. The Neon Boneyard is under renovation and will becomse a public park/display serving the same purpose. More on this in a future issue.

ace-bus-service-downtown-las-vegas-march-2010-04

Yes, you can transfer from The Deuce to The Ace (or visa-versa). Same bus company. However, NOT the same company that owns the monorail so no transfers there. Our tip? Both buses share stops along The Strip. Make the transfer over to the ACE (from Deuce) as quickly as possible to save the most travel time. Routes, pricing and other details available at Las Vegas New ACE Bus Service Strip-to-Downtown Pictures and Info

Las Vegas Podcasts – No, me doing one is not yet on the radar. Maybe down the road as I transfer some of my duties to new staffers we are looking to bring on. In the meantime, I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with the people behind a couple of other very informative Las Vegas podcasts you may want to check out:

  • The Vegas Tourist – Mark and Sazzy take you on a wild ride through everything Las Vegas. Mark is a professional tour guide and Sazzy is a member of the paparazzi (shooting red carpet events regularly) and these two can tell you what is going on in their own inimitable way.áMight take a couple episodes to get familiar with all the cast of characters so just hang tight. They have interviewed people ranging from casino owners to high profile (and now retired) mobsters to famous race car drivers and more. Both are originally from Minnesota and bring their Midwest twist to this fun, home-grown show.
  • Living In Las Vegas – Scott and Melissa Whitney escaped Silicon Valley about six years ago have have not looked back. On their second marriage and with college-aged kids, they live in the Las Vegas suburb of Aliante. Scott owns Podworx (check them out if you need to be doing audio or video streaming for your company or group) and Melissa is an Human Resources expert who has worked for major hotel casino companies here. You’ll learn the good, bad, funny, and amusing of what it is like to call Las Vegas your home. Topics range from their “Staycations” on The Strip to their lives and neighborhood issues. Basically, the ability to follow a couple as they live in Las Vegas.

BTW, there are a number of other great Las Vegas podcasts and I’m in the process of reaching out to the people who do them to maybe have a bite or libation together and we’ll look to feature them down the road.

Anybody Remember These Things? – This is an old school video poker machine. No bill acceptors. It takes in (and spits out) real quarters. These particular ancient models were on their way out when I moved here in 1993. The Plaza still had a few up through the late 90’s and I’d get a kick out of buying a roll of quarters and feeding the machine one-quarter-at-a-time. Old school, nearly full pay 9/6 Jacks or better. None of the new, rip-off triple-double-mega-
bonus-whatever.

So why am I bringing this up? I took this photo last week. The machine (and a number of it’s siblings) are fully functional and running at the (still relatively new) Cannery East on Boulder Highway. They have an entire section of functioning, retro machines! Getting to The Cannery is actually pretty easy. Catch the free shuttle from The Strip to Sam’s Town (call Sam’s Town for current operational times) then take the 1/2 mile walk or quick cab ride down the street to Cannery.

Yuma, Redding, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tuscon – Florida may call itself the Sunshine State, but if you really want some sunshine, the cities just listed are the top 5 cities based on percentage of annual sunshine. Reno came in at #8. Florida’s highest ranking cities? Key West was #12 and Miami was #27. Now… please, no hate mail from Florida. I enjoy visiting the state and you have something we don’t: Beaches! You can see the complete list of cities here.

Claim Your Baggage, And Your Liquor! – Serious consideration is being given to putting a liquor store in the baggage claim area at Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport. Savvy travelers already have their cab stop at a liquor store on the way to their hotel, and the airport (operated by the county) could use the revenue to keep the costs to the airlines low. One of the reasons that Las Vegas is one of the more affordable places to fly into is that everything is done to keep the local ticket surcharges and airline fees low so the savings is passed on to you.

Another thing we’re seeing more and more of are people buying cheap disposable styrofoam ice chests when they arrive and buying a couple cases of beer to fill them. Add ice from the hallway ice machine, and you have instant in-room refrigeration. On a similar note: Price of a Heineken at Wynn/Encore? $7 dollar. Price at Sam Boyd’s Fremont Hotel downtown? $2 dollars.

R.I.P. Lee Pete – Who the hell is Lee Pete? Only probably the most legendary sports radio guy to ever hit the Las Vegas airwaves. If you live in one of the 11 western states where 720 AM KDWN can be heard overnight and were flipping around the dial in the 80’s and 90’s, you probably caught his show at one time or another.

One of his major sponsors locally was the Four Aces Menswear Shop downtown. They advertised Florsheim shoes and every color of Sansabelt slacks available in sizes up to 60. (I’m not making any of this up). I’ve never owned Florsheims or Sansabelts, but loved listening to Lee, both when I live in Portland, Oregon (where KDWN comes in great at night), and after moving here. He hung up the mic at the age of 76 and passed at 85 after suffering from ALS the past few years. Rarely without a cigar or an fascinating (and colorful but true) story, one of his favorite quotes was “Nothing scares me. I’ve been married twice”. Lee was a part of old Vegas and will be missed.

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Las Vegas Show Reviews

Frank Caliendo: Impressionist Master

frank caliendo comedian las vegas

Only in Las Vegas might one find a gathering of politicians, celebrities, icons and even puppets together on one stageàin this case, all these personalities are voiced by a lone performer. Popular comedian and “MadTV” alum Frank Caliendo headlines at the Monte Carlo, presenting his much celebrated and beloved impressions of stars and celebs including John Madden, Dr. Phil, George W. Bush and Al Pacino. Boasting some of the StripÆs most comfortable accommodations, including legroom aplenty, the Lance Burton Theatre houses the impressionistÆs show from Thursday through Saturday at 9:30 p.m., as well as Sunday and Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Entering the theatre, guests may purchase cocktails from a handsome bar just outside the showroom. Once the audience is settled in the grand theatre, a live band performs rock classics and campy TV theme songs, warming up the eager audience. The band also occasionally accompanies Caliendo during the show. Next, comedian George Cantor provides the opening act prior to CaliendoÆs anticipated appearance.

Dennis Miller Returns To The Orleans Showroom Las Vegas – Following multiple successful engagements in The Orleans Showroom in 2009, five-time Emmy Award winner and crowd favorite Dennis Miller brings his hilarious stand-up routine back to venue, April 16, 17 and 18. Celebrated as a witty comedian with an entertaining and intriguing stand-up routine, Miller keeps audiences laughing with his irreverent observations.

Caesars Palace Las Vegas Debuts Eight Stunning New Pool Experiences For World-Renowned “Garden Of The Gods” – Five-Acre Oasis Creates New Destination for Sun-Worshippers, Gods and Goddesses. With the famed Las Vegas pool season about to heat-up into full swing, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas is ready to take the summer crown with the inspired new Garden of the Gods pool oasis, which makes its grand debut on Friday, March 19.

Note: Link below contains streaming video of Caesars and the Garden Of The Gods new pool experiences. Check it out:

Bellagio Establishes New Record As Home To The Most Master Sommeliers In The World – Bellagio is proud to announce the appointment of Darius Allyn, a distinguished member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, to the position of Sommelier for Osterio de Circo and Sensi. Allyn becomes the fourth on the already impressive team of Master Sommeliers, joining Joseph Phillips of MICHAEL MINA, Robert Smith of Picasso and Director of Wine Jason Smith. This honor further validates Bellagio’s commitment to excellence and establishes it as the only hotel in the world with four Master Sommeliers at a single property.

Rhumbar Offers Signature Mojito And Premium Montecristo Cigar Pairing – RHUMBAR, the stylish cocktail lounge at The Mirage, has paired two of its signature specialties û hand-muddled libations and fine cigars û and made them available in one enticing offer. Throughout the month of March, cocktail lovers and cigar aficionados will enjoy RHUMBAR’s signature mojito paired with a premium Montecristo cigar, available for just $20 through the end of March 2010. “The mint mojito is an ideal complement to the medium-bodied Montecristo cigar,” said Michael Frey, owner of RHUMBAR. “The smooth, creamy texture of the tobacco counterbalances the tartness of the lime and sweetness of the rock candy syrup for a well rounded pairing.”

Giada De Laurentiis Visits Miracle Mile Shops To Sign Copies of Giada at Home – Bestselling author and Food Network star, Giada De Laurentiis, will personalize her new cookbook Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California and greet fans at Sur La Table inside Miracle Mile Shops Monday, April 5 at 5 p.m. Fans must have a ticket to gain access to the cookbook signing and meet and greet. Tickets can be obtained by purchasing a copy of Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California at Sur La Table’s Miracle Mile Shops location any time between now and April 5.

‘The Ultimate Tribiute To Sir Elton John & Billy Joel’ Opens At Las Vegas Rocks CafÚ’s Embassy Theatre – “The Ultimate Tribute to Sir Elton John & Billy Joel” starring veteran tribute artists Jeffrey Allen and Michael John will open for a limited engagement at the Las Vegas Rocks CafÚ’s Embassy Theatre on Thursday, March 25, 2010. They will headline on Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 9 p.m. Jeffrey Allen and Michael John have joined forces to create a highly successful show that has audiences raving. Just like the original tour, each artist performs a solo set with a killer five-to-six piece rock ‘n’ roll band, and then culminate the show with a face-to-face set featuring both of them playing together on two pianos and trading off lyrics on each song they perform.

Jackson Browne With Special Guest David Lindley At Hard Rock Las Vegas – Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne will take to the road this summer with his band and longtime friend and musical co-conspirator David Lindley. Comprising dates in the U.S. and Europe, the Jackson Browne with David Lindley Tour follows the May 11 release of Love Is Strange (Inside Recordings), a 2-CD live set capturing a tour of Spain that Browne and Lindley did in 2006. Stateside, the Jackson Browne with David Lindley Tour gets underway July 20 at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Sexy Sirens Of TI Sizzle Into Summer Season At Treasure Island Las Vegas – Treasure Island changed the schedule for its popular Sirens of TI show, which appears nightly in Sirens Cove near the casino’s entrance. The Sirens of TI features a clash between mesmerizing Sirens and their rebel pirate prey, transforming a 17th century story with a 21st century twist of song, dance, seduction and danger. New schedule in link below.

Carole King And James Taylor ‘Troubadour Reunion’ Tour Comes To Las Vegas – Iconic recording artists Carole King and James Taylor announced additional North American dates for the highly anticipated “Troubadour Reunion” tour which features a stop at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, July 17. This once-in-a-lifetime, intimate, in-the-round performance will bring two of the most beloved singer/songwriters together on tour for the first time in four decades.

Actor and comedian, Martin Lawrence was at Rain Nightclub inside Palms Casino Resort Friday night (3.19.10) with 15 of his friends. Sitting at a table on stage next to the DJ, they drank Kettle One with Red Bull. Later that evening a Playboy Bunny presented Lawrence with a coveted Playboy Club key. Photo Credit Sean O’Neil

Cool Off This Summer At Miracle Mile Shops With A Frozen Treat From Red Mango – Red Mango, a pioneer in all-natural frozen yogurt, is now open inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Red Mango frozen yogurt is all-natural, nonfat, gluten-free and freshly delivered to each store. Red Mango combines tantalizing flavors such as Original, Pomegranate and Tangomonium with fresh and delicious toppings including mango, banana, raspberries, granola, mochi, almonds and more to create a nutritious dessert. Perfect for any time of day, the Miracle Mile Shops location offers frozen yogurt, fruit parfaits, smoothies, iced teas and more.

Gambling Talk: Video Slots – Carnival of Mystery – with Victor H. Royer. As promised, in this issue û and the following issues û I will now write a little more about some of the favorite slots that my readers have told me they like to play, and later also show you some of the great new slots that are about to be released. In this issue, I present: Carnival of Mystery video slot machine from IGT.

This is the fascinating Carnival of Mystery video slot machine from IGT, presented in the Game King Upright 19″ video cabinet. Click to Read Complete Article…

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Just got back to NY after spending a wonderful week with the wifey in your town! This was her first time and she hit for $1000.00 bucks on that BIG slot machine in the Nugget by Fremont St! What a thrill for her! Was comped at the Palazzo and Sahara for a total of 8 days! Palazzo was awesome. Standard rooms (mini-suites) are drop-dead gorgeous!

The Sahara on the other hand needs to renovate badly! I realize I’m talking apples and oranges here but it really does need a little updating! My only real gripe is the extravagant add-on costs of renting a car at the airport. With all the misc. taxes and fees, the cost of the weekly rental is actually DOUBLED by the time it is added up! Keep up the good work!

Ruben & Kathy from Chester, NY

Ted Responds:

You certainly got to see both ends of the spectrum: One of the nicest places in town, and one of the more moderately priced hotels.

The owner of The Sahara still has big plans to make it really nice. But… those will wait until better economic times.

I agree that the high airport rental car taxes leave a very bad taste in people’s mouth. So much of the room taxes are basically wasted, that if rental car taxes were lowered and room taxes were used more effectively, it would be a win-win for all. We’ll keep fighting the good fight for all our visitors.

Great to hear about the huge win. Even more fun on those big machines because there are usually people standing around watching you play!

You have a wonderful and informative newsletter. I used to drive longhaul truck and would get through Vegas every couple of months. I got off the road about a year before Star Trek the Experience closed. I used to stop there every time I was in town. Any word on when or if it really is going to reopen at Neonopolis?? Thank you for your time

Robert D.

Ted Responds:

No new word as of yet. And no real word on why it didn’t open. We’ll let you know if we ever find out anything. However (while I’m at it), those who keep asking about the Lady Luck will be pleased to know that plans should be coming before the city within the next couple of months. What morons they were to close that place down. Hopefully, it will be back in some semblance of what it was.

Great to keep up with the news from Vegas each week looking forward to my next visit in May. Have I read the new buses correctly? as the new bus service on the Ace seems to make the strip journey worse if you are staying at the north end.

For instance we stay at Circus and to get to Fremont or the Outlets we will now have to travel down to Fashion Show on the Deuce and cross over to the Wynn to pick up the Ace and then travel back up. And again if we visit the Outlets South we will have to get off the Deuce at Mandalay and transfer to the Ace. Will this not cause a bottleneck at both transfer points?? The old route long as it was seems so much simpler to me. Get on/off at Circus and on/off at Riviera.

Karen from Jersey

Ted Responds:

Travel from Circus and Riviera will now involve a transfer if you want to go downtown or south of Mandalay. We advise the following:

1. Spend the few bucks on a cab to get you to the nearest Ace stop. The Sahara for northbound (Ace stops behind the Sahara across from the monorail stop), Fashion Show Mall for southbound.

2. If you get on The Deuce first, transfer to the Ace ASAP. For example southbound, take the Deuce to the Fashion Show mall then switch to the Ace if going all the way to the Belz Outlet Mall down on the south strip. On your return trip, take the Ace all the way to Wynn then transfer back to Deuce.

People will be transferring at any number of stops. And… by the time the Ace hits Mandalay Bay, it will be empty enough that there won’t be any issues.

Because the Ace will save so much time as an express route, it was really needed. The problem with the Deuce is that it was incredibly slow. So… now we have a local (Deuce) and express (Ace).

First of I would to thank you for the great job you do letting the world know all the goings on in Las Vegas. My wife and myself have been coming to Vegas 2-3 times a year since 2000. Never have we had a bad time. There never seems to be enough time in the day when we are in Vegas. In Vegas there is always something new to see and do. Whether itÆs a new hotel, show or dining you canÆt go wrong here.

I here some people complaining about the treatment. Well I am from New York and everyone has an bad day. We have never encountered any bad treatment in Vegas. If you canÆt just smile kick back enjoy this town with all it has to offer then your in the wrong town.

Thank you,

Mr. & Mrs. V

Ted Responds:

Thanks for putting things in perspective. Customer service issues have come to the forefront as hotels have cut staff due to the economy. But all-in-all, I’ve found that if you treat the help nicely (and a nominal tip here and there when deserved doesn’t hurt), service here is still pretty darn good when compared to some other areas.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 29-31 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 20
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada July 31-August 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 9
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 25-28 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 15-17 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 3
  • Super Bowl Sunday February 6
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 19-21 (3 day weekend)
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • Mardi Gras March 8
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2010 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

March 23, 2010 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe March 17, 2010

Posted on by

AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Seasonal Vegas Information
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! The great news: Spring has spung and temps have been (and will continue to be) in the 70’s. It has been NICE, pools are opening up, The Strip is crowded even on weekdays. St. Patrick’s day was out-of-control (in a good way).

Look over our Las Vegas St. Patrick’s DayáEvent List 2010 to see what you missed, and see if you need to be thinking about booking for next year. In the meantime, try this one of for size at home:

St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail At Fusion Mixology Bar – Drink name: The Height of Folly; Bar: Fusion Mixology Bar, The Palazzo Las Vegas

Ingredients:
2 oz. Bushmills Irish Whiskey
1 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
¢ oz. Half n Half syrup
¢ oz. simple syrup
Garnish: “Green” white chocolate syrup swirl in glass
How to assemble cocktail: Shake and strain into Martini glass

Why Not Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday? – Given the rousing success of St. Patrick’s day, I’m completely surprised that Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday are not more actively promoted here in Las Vegas. Yes, Mardi Gras is associated with New Orleans (although it is celebrated in many Southern U.S. cities). But, Las Vegas’ forte is taking what other cities do well and putting it over the top with our own twist. New Years Eve has traditionally been linked to the New York City ball drop. We’ve blown the roof off of that one (see video of Las Vegas New Years Eve Fireworks). Super Bowl? More people come here to party and enjoy it than go to the host city. Fat Tuesday (the culmination of Mardi Gras)? Next to nothing.

We did head out for Fat Tuesday last month. First stop was Harrah’s and their Carnival Court. Carnival is “Mardi Gras” is other parts of the world. The celebration at Harrah’s? Zilch. On to downtown, where we credit the Fremont Street Experience for havingáDixieland (see above) and Zydeco bands getting the crowd in the mood. Some impromptu bead-tossing was going on from the Vue Bar at Fitzgerald’s (overlooking Fremont Street) and yes… women were doing what women do for beads. But as a whole, the celebration was poorly promoted and most of the people downtown were those who would have been there anyway.

I don’t expect the LVCVA (convention authority) to step up Mardi Gras promotion next year. We’re talking a group of people (LVCVA) who couldn’t find their posterier with both hands. However… if the Fremont Street Experience is more proactive on getting the word out earlier and if the major Strip Resorts craft some events and marketing around it, Mardi Gras 2011 in Las Vegas could easily pack the city with a memorable, festive event matching St. Patrick’s Day!

Lance Burton’s publicist provided us with this photo of Lance Burton with Siegfried and Roy at a recent Las Vegas magic gathering. While their performing days are over, it is good to see them together and Roy out-and-about in his magical circles. Lance Burton continues to be a great show every multi-visit Las Vegas tourist should enjoy. Click for Lance Burton Las Vegas Tickets.

New Bus Lines For You! – As promised, here are the links to the schedules and routes of the new bus routes serving the Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street Downtown.

  • The Deuce – Will continue to serve the Las Vegas Strip from The Sahara to Mandalay Bay, making all of the present Deuce stops. The Deuce actually turns west at Sahara and continues on to Palace Station. Deuce Las Vegas PDF Route/Schedule
  • The Ace – New Service that will run from Las Vegas Premium Outlets downtown over to Casino Center Drive (cutting right through the middle of Fremont Street Experience) and on to The Strip. Important Note: This is a limited stop service along the Las Vegas Strip. It will make much better time than The Deuce, but beware to not overshoot your stop or you’re in for a long walk back! Ace Las Vegas PDF Route/Schedule

Both schedule changes (and new Ace service) start on March 28. I’ve read that the Ace service will be complimentary (no charge) the first week. Ace service requires ticket purchase at the bus stop (from a ticket machine) prior to boarding. Rides are $3 each or a $15 3-day pass can be bought online here.

Enjoy this issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Crosby, Stills & Nash – Friday, June 4 At The Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – The legendary trio Crosby, Stills and Nash (CSN)ùDavid Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nashùwill tour the western United States in late spring, making a stop at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Friday, June 4. Most recently, CSN was a featured part of the all-star tribute to Neil Young û their longtime partner in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young û at NARAS’ 2010 Person of the Year gala honoring Young that kicked off this year’s GRAMMY weekend festivities.

New Wynn Wine Bar Debuts Later 2010 – Wynn Las Vegas is proud to announce a partnership with the N9NE GroupÆs Michael Morton to open a wine bar at Wynn Las Vegas. Beginning Fall 2010, the wine bar will elevate the celebration of wine to a multi-sensory experience including food, mood and music with innovative design features. Intimate and edgy, the wine bar will feature handcrafted wines culled from the best vineyards around the world. A selection of artisanal beers, organic spirits and specialty cocktails will compliment the comprehensive wine list.

The wine bar will pair the sophistication of the wine with an accessible neighborhood hideaway to welcome the connoisseur and the novice alike. A gourmet, chef-driven menu serving house-made and artisanal charcuterie, farmhouse cheeses, hand-cut crudo, tapas Ó la plancha and bite-size desserts will also be offered. Musical inspiration will derive from rhythms from around the world including Italy, Spain, France, Argentina, Chile and Australia.

Matt Goss Live From Caesars Palace Produced By Robin Antin Debuts – Opening night of Matt Goss Live from Caesars Palace Produced by Robin Antin at The Gossy Room in Cleopatra’s Barge. Backed by a 9-piece band and sexy female dancers known as The Dirty Virgins, Goss’ new production blends original music from his “Gossy” album with classic covers influenced by the Rat Pack.

Cabo Wabo Cantina Presents March Entertainment Schedule – Live Entertainment Friday, Saturday and Sundays – Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina will rock out every Friday and Saturday night with live classic rock music beginning at 9:30 p.m. The rockin’ fiesta continues on Sunday with a Mariachi brunch featuring a live Mariachi band from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and live Rockstar Karaoke beginning at 9 p.m.

Barry Manilow Premieres New Show At Paris Las Vegas – Legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is making music and magic at Paris Las Vegas with a new resident show. On Saturday, Manilow threw open the doors to the Paris Theatre at Paris Las Vegas with a reimagined stage show that is both more intimate and more exciting than ever before. Manilow will perform 78 shows each year for two years at Paris Las Vegas. The shows are produced by AEG Live in conjunction with Paris Las Vegas. Tickets for performances through July 18, 2010 are currently on-sale.

MGM Grand To Host An Evening With Sting And The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Conducted By Steven Mercurio Friday, June 18 – Live Nation announced today that Sting, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, will embark on a world tour this summer including a performance Friday, June 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Sting will perform his most celebrated songs re-imagined for symphonic arrangement while the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be conducted by Maestro Steven Mercurio. Mercurio has conducted shows for other stars including Andrea Bocelli and the late Luciano Pavarotti. The concert spectacular is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

The First Todd English P.U.B. Now Open At Crystals At CityCenter Las Vegas – Celebrity Chef Todd English creates a modern interpretation on a traditional English pub with international draught beers and signature pub fare. Three-time James Beard Award-winning celebrity chef Todd English debuts his latest culinary eatery, Todd English P.U.B. inside Crystals, CityCenter luxury retail and entertainment district. Todd English P.U.B. (an acronym for Public Urban Bar) is a modern interpretation of an authentic English pub.

Gambling Talk: Video Slots – Wizard of Oz – with Victor H. Royer. Along with Dorothy, and all the characters from the popular MGM Musical from 1939, Starring Judy Garland, in this video slot machine we are also invited to follow the yellow brick road to lots of pays. This game has a high hit frequency and many lines for lots of big pays.

There are 30 line with characters of Dorothy, Toto, and a three pack square with the Cowardly Lion, The Scarecrow, and the Tin Man. Also featured are Ruby Slippers, Houses, TornadoÆs, Hot Air Balloons, and of course the Wicked Witch of the West. In addition to the base game, there are also 3 different bonus rounds. Click to Read Complete Article…

Las Vegas Deals

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

We got back yesterday and wanted to drop you a few lines. Saw David Copperfield, what a great show. Really cool that he comes out into the audience and does close up magic. He is great at what he does and surprisingly VERY funny.

BUT even better than David Copperfield was Viva Elvis at Aria in City Centre. Being a HUGE Elvis fan I was a bit skeptical of how they would portray Elvis and how the “impersonator” would be and having never seen a “Cirque” show how the acrobatics would fit in..

There is NO impersonator; Elvis is up there on a BIG screen in actual footage. The only other singers are four women that are great with some incredible voices. Whoever did the film editing is a genius û although the pictures change throughout a song the movement of his lips is ALWAYS right on cue.

The acrobatics are there but it is far more dancing/choreography numbers. There is one scene with trampolines that is absolutely unbelievable and will leave you positively amazed. After the show a reviewer from Belgium interviewed my daughter to get the take on the show from a younger generation point of view. She was thrilled to say the least.

She is already talking about our trip for next year and making plans. What a GREAT city, what a GREAT job you do. Keep up the hard work WE all so appreciate it and look forward to your newsletter each week..

Mark from Cape Cod, MA

Ted Responds:

Thanks so much for the great feedback and all the info about Viva Elvis (Cirque du Elvis Tickets). Local critics have been lukewarm to it and I have not seen it yet (had the invite, but had a conflict). BUT… the Cirque people note that it gets a standing ovation every time. So… looks like they might have a hit on their hands. And Aria has another way to get people all the way back to their hotel/casino which is a good hike from The Strip.

Love your newsletter, have been reading it for over 10 years.

I am very concerned over the way Las Vegas has lost its glitter, service is lousy, even the city buses break down often and all these construction sites vacant with no signs of any work being performed.

Someone needs to let the big shots know that a major attitude adjustment needs to be done for customers to feel like they are wanted, and casinos need to loosen up a bit on the the game payouts and give better service, otherwise it will remain bad or worse in the coming years. I will not be back and also letting all my friends and people I come in contact with that VEGAS is not a place to go for fun anymore.

G and K Smith from Fremont, CA

Ted Responds:

We’re stuck with the half-finished buildings for a while. Fortunately, most visitors just look at them and think “Oh, they are building something new there.”

Visitor volume is starting to rebound, the excitement vibe is coming back (people aren’t feeling as guilty to be here in light of the economy). With any luck, the next 2-3 years should bring improvements in customer service and resumption of construction on halted projects.

Las Vegas isn’t going anywhere. Sit it out for a while and see if you miss it or not. Try back in a couple of years. If there is one constant here, it is change. The pendulum is swinging back toward Las Vegas being the premier destination (for the money) in the U.S.

My wife and I love Vegas ! We would go 2 times a year if the plane fare wasn’t so high. We usually go one time a year but have missed a few in between. There is so much to see and do there. Went last year with 3 other couples and we were like the tour guides for them – they loved it. Please poke the airlines to make flights more affordable and you will see much more tourist there to spend money, I am sure this applies to everyone that reads this post.

Thanks,

Ray from Ellington, N.Y.

Didn’t I just read recently that the monorail (the one so far behind the casinos that you can’t even find it) is in trouble again. I always wonder… Why isn’t there an attractive, efficient easy to use elevated monorail that runs above the center of the strip from the airport to Fremont street?

Surely it would be a first rate feature in Vegas that every one would love to use. (Ever try riding the surface “Deuce” bus up the strip takes “hours”) Maybe Vegas could get the Feds to pay for it by calling it “high speed rail”.

Anyway, thanks for the nice Vegas news site.

Les from Ellicott City, MD

Ted Responds:

The monorail finally officially declared bankruptcy (which was no surprise). Cab companies (who are very, very powerful) would most likely fight any new kind of transport. Also, the monorail is a private entity and some wrangling would have to be done to get it qualified for federal funds. Having said that, with all the money in the trough for construction projects to stimulate the economy, it does seem interesting that there isn’t a bigger clamor for action.

As noted earlier in the issue, a new more express bus will be running down The Strip. Although it will still be subject to the traffic, fewer stops mean a quicker trip.

I’m with you 100%. I’ve wondered why not a big tram (the kind they have in Albuquerque and Palm Springs) running through the air high above each side of The Strip. Some way to get people around above the traffic with a great view. With the recession, traffic isn’t awful except on weekend and big conventions. But as things pick up again with the addition of new rooms, Strip traffic will be a big problem again.

I just wanted to let you know your newsletter is great. A group of six of us were in Las Vegas for the Valentine’s Day weekend. We had a great time. We stayed at The Flamingo. The staff was great. Our room was clean. But the food was not good. I would suggest to everyone going to Las Vegas to go to the Mandalay Bay and have their buffet. We went because my boyfriend read that it is the BEST buffet in Vegas and it DEFINITELY is. I can’t wait to go back.

Tara Audette

Ted Responds:

Thanks for the great report. Flamingo often gets low marks for food, although as a seafood lover, I enjoy their buffet. (Those who are not into the “from the sea” stuff should skip it).

Top three buffets in Las Vegas are arguably Wynn, Bellagio, and Planet Hollywood. Although Mandalay Bay regularly gets high marks.

Thanks for reading and make sure to tell your friends to subscribe!

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 29-31 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 20
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada July 31-August 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 9
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 25-28 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 15-17 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 3
  • Super Bowl Sunday February 6
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 19-21 (3 day weekend)
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • Mardi Gras March 8
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2010 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

March 17, 2010 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe March 3, 2010

Posted on by

AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Seasonal Vegas Information
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! Guess we’ll call this our jackpot issue as a number of really big jackpots have been hit the past couple of weeks. Looking forward, temps will start to flirt with the 70 degree mark just as March Madness hits full swing, and many of the “daylife” pool parties are getting ready to gear up for the season. Bring it on!

Obama’s Come And Gone – The President came to town, said that he loves Las Vegas, and that he didn’t mean to slight the town. Mayor Goodman was satisfied that the stink he raised got his point across. Harry Reid was able to announce $100 million in federal funding to help Nevadans with homes in foreclosure (to combat the image that he’s not been doing anything for the state).

Ironically, Obama’s visit had originally been scheduled for the opening of CityCenter but needed to be moved due to scheduling conflicts. Although his speech took place at CityCenter, he ironically made no mention of the project. Despite the “green” LEED certification and job creation of the project (two things you think he’d be all over). Obama’s current approval ratings in Nevada? 39% favorable, 46% unfavorable.

Top 10 Famous Movie Hotels – Tripadvisor included Bellagio Las Vegas at the #2 spot on their Top 10 list based on the resorts role in OceanÆs Eleven and OceanÆs Thirteen.

$877,061 Jackpot At Hard Rock – A visitor named John (last name withheld) won $877,061 after putting $100 in a 25 cent progressive Wheel of Fortune slot machine Saturday, Feb. 27. As you might expect, he spent the rest of his visit at the Hard Rock. (Note: Win that kind of cash, and you’ll usually find yourself 100% set-up with whatever you want or need for the rest of your stay). Or course, that’s nothing compared to…

$10,422,754.08 Megabucks Jackpot – Recently won at the Reno airport by John W. Johnson of Denver (who I’m sure now has lots of “long lost” friends and relatives contacting him at this very moment). He had just deplaned, stuck $20 in the machine, and hit after only four spins. A $12 investment. Amazing. So much for the old wives tale that it always hits at new hotels. Everyone was expecting it to hit at CityCenter’s Aria!

Dropouts Down – Clark County (Las Vegas) is seeing a record low number of dropouts. In years past, students would bail school knowing that plenty of (educationally) unskilled, good wage jobs existed in the area. Oh… how things have changed. You know times are tight when your check-out girl at the mini-mart looks like she’d be making $80,000 a year serving cocktails in a better economy.

Neither Democrat Nor Republican Welcome? – Both major political parties have expressed interest in having their next presidential nominating conventions here in Las Vegas. The problem? Setup time for these conventions borders on 90 days. Space needed during that length of time has already been booked by other conventions, and even if it was available, tying it up for that period of time just isn’t a good financial move for Las Vegas or the facilities in question. However, the Tea Party Nation will be holding a national convention here in July. Details: Second Tea Party Convention Planned for Vegas in July and Tea Party Nation

Truckloads Of Condos – When you think “condo” in Las Vegas, one usually thinks of the high rises on The Strip where prices start at hundreds of thousands of dollars. What many don’t know is that the current real estate market has resulted in a significant number of decent to nice (usually) 2 bedroom condos just a few minutes from The Strip. More importantly, these units are running in the $30k – $40k range. Now… I wouldn’t go buy one strictly for an investment. The condo segment of the market may be the slowest to recover, especially with $100k homes in decent parts of town available.

But, doing the math just might make it work out for those of you who visit regularly. For example, places in this complex (Example 1, Example 2), are literally two blocks from The Rio, The Gold Coast, and The Palms and a mile from The Strip. Mortgage is going to run you maybe $300 a month. With so many people leaving town, you can Craigslist up furniture for the place over a weekend.

And… you are likely to spend less money on your visits because you can keep food at home and you won’t be walking by slot machines 24/7. Plus (take it from those of us who live here), while it is great to be out on The Strip, it is really, really nice to come home and shut the door and turn it all off when you want. Most condo pools are open 24/7 and not nearly as crowded as hotel pools. (And, you don’t need to pay $10 a drink from a waitress). Zip Codes to check out for these kind of deals: 89102, 89103, and 89146 (basically the area bounded by Sahara, Rainbow, Tropicana, and The Strip).

Whoops – Nevada’s major casinos lost $6.8 billion during the last fiscal year. The only bright spot was that baccarat wins were at an all-time high. Obviously, this is because baccarat is a game usually played by the very wealthy so huge amounts of money are bet. And even with the house’s low vigorish (percentage they make), the revenue from it adds up. However, it is still one of the most player-friendly (you have a chance to walk a winner) games.

The good news? You don’t have to be wealthy to play baccarat. Many casinos offer mini-baccarat: Essentially the same game the “big boys” are playing, but where players sit around a blackjack like table and the betting minimums are much lower. Plus, it is super-easy to learn as there are only a couple basic bets. Give it a try next time!

Victor H. Royer’s Gaming Column – Starting next issue, we’ll once again have a fresh series of articles by prolific gaming writer Victor H. Royer. If you want to be a better, more informed player (and cut your losses) enter Victor H. Royer into the search at your favorite online bookstore and check out his offerings. The price of a few books is a fraction of what you could end up losing without his knowledge.

Tons Of Responses – Thanks to ALL who gave us their thoughts on “tiered hotel pricing” (see Feb. 17 Access Vegas Insider Vibe). We are compiling them, will publish them soon, and they will be passed on to those studying the issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Bellagio Gallery Of Fine Art Debuts Docent Tours – New Educational Opportunity Allows Art Lovers To Expand Their Horizons – Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (BGFA) broadens its role as one of Las Vegas’ premier cultural destinations with the debut of docent tours. Designed to appeal to art lovers of all ages, participation requires only an enthusiasm for fine art and a willingness to learn. Derived from the Latin word “docere” meaning “to teach,” a docent is a trained guide who leads visitors through a museum and delivers an educated commentary on the works in an exhibition. BGFA’s Docent Tours are offered five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, on a first-come, first-serve basis.


SI Swimsuit models Genevieve Morton, Cintia Dicker and Julie Ordon pose in front of Lagasse’s Stadium
photo credit: Imagesofvegas.com/IS Photography

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Models At Lagasse’s Stadium – Sports Illustrated swimsuit models Julie Ordon, Genevieve Morton and Cintia Dicker were at Lagasse’s Stadium on February 11, 2010 autographing the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The models were having fun with their fans, signing the SI issue and taking photos. Close to 300 guests attended the event to tailgate with the supermodels!

Frank Marino Unveils Dazzling Drag Spectacular At The Imperial Palace – Las Vegas entertainment icon, Frank Marino unveils his new dazzling drag spectacular “Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas” tonight at the Imperial Palace. As part of the celebration, Marino will also receive a second star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. The self-proclaimed “Peoples’ Diva,” is the first entertainer to earn two stars on the famed boulevard û one outside the Riviera and one outside the Imperial Palace. Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas is a 75-minute, contemporary and up-beat production, full of male, lady look-alikes performing parodies of some of entertainment’s most beloved superstars.

$108,060.33 Paid Out On Monopoly At Hooters Casino! – Donna Egan came to Hooters Casino Hotel on her birthday looking for some big fun and to win a little on her favorite slot machine, Monopoly. What she didn’t expect was to win the progressive jackpot for $108,060.33! Donna was elated to win the big jackpot at Hooters Casino on her birthday. Her husband told Hooters executives that she had been keeping the fact that it was her 60th birthday a secret until she hit the big jackpot. Once she hit the jackpot, she started telling everyone that it was her 60th birthday. It goes to show you that a big jackpot can make you feel pretty good about turning another year old!

Peepshow Brings Sexy Back With Holly Madison As “Bo Peep” At Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino – PEEPSHOW, Las Vegas’ hottest show and striptease spectacular, brings sexy back to The Strip on Monday, March 1. Holly Madison returns to her starring role as “Bo Peep,” a modern woman who discovers her newfound sexuality. Madison is now the darling of Las Vegas after starring in the hit TV show, “The Girls Next Door,” on E! for five years and will soon star in her all-new show, “Holly’s World,” on E!, which season premieres in May. Madison will star alongside a sizzling ensemble of sexy PEEPSHOW GIRLS, showstoppers from film, TV and Broadway who were handpicked to perform in this enormous production.

Eva Longoria Parker Celebrates “Eva Longoria Parker Day” At Eve Nightclub In Las Vegas – Eva Longoria Parker celebrated “Eva Longoria Parker Day” with family and friends, and was presented with a prestigious award to acknowledge her outstanding entrepreneurial success at the Latin Chamber of Commerce 35th Installation Celebration at Eve, her CityCenter nightclub in Las Vegas. Chairman of the Clark County Commission Rory Reid and Las Vegas Councilman Ricky Barlow each presented her with a proclamation on the red carpet to declare the day in honor of Longoria Parker, who was recognized as the sole woman restaurant and nightclub owner on the Las Vegas Strip. Longoria Parker looked ravishing in a grey leather Bagdley Mischka dress and black YSL pumps as she walked the red carpet outside of Eve nightclub with her very proud parents, Ella and Enrique Longoria.

Back Alley Bar At Stratosphere Hotel & Casino New Home For Country-Rock Music On The Strip – With bars catering to country-rock music fans in short supply, the Back Alley Bar at Stratosphere Hotel & Casino steps in as the best place on the Strip to party, drink and do the occasional Texas two-step. Every Thursday through Monday at 10 p.m. one of Las Vegas’ most popular country-rock bands, WolfCreek, will rock the house.

Misura, Optica Debut At Street Of Dreams In Monto Carlo – Misura, a menÆs fine apparel boutique specializing in European designs and exceptional tailoring, and OPTICA, the premier distributor of luxury eyewear in America, are now open within Monte CarloÆs Street of Dreams.

  • Misura – For the man with impeccable taste, Misura offers a remarkable selection of clothing, shoes and accessories from some of the most desired designers in menÆs fashion including Hugo Boss, Zegna and Cole Haan.
  • OPTICA – A trendy optical boutique, OPTICA offers innovative designs from such iconic fashion brands as Cartier, Giorgio Armani, Roberto Cavalli, Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Ed Hardy, Tom Ford, Chrome Hearts and Tag Heuer.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I really enjoy your newsletter, and look forward to getting the insider scoop every edition. We come to Vegas about twice a year and have stayed at Encore, Treasure Island, Imperial Palace, and The Palms. This time around we used Vegas as a lay-over on our way to Maui, and stayed in a friend’s condo in the country club area, and went to the Hilton Sports book to watch the championship football games.

I really love going to spas, and have used the spa at Treasure Island and Encore. They were nice, but I always left feeling the massage was so-so, extremely overpriced, and the therapists had to charge more money to give me a better experience (with deeper pressure or therapeutic technique).

Today I was falling asleep during the football game (our red-eye from Maui left me really tired), so I ended up finding the spa in the Hilton and asking if they had anything open. They were very accommodating, and while the facility wasn’t the fanciest I’ve ever been to, my massage therapist was excellent! They allowed me to relax and just nap on the chaise lounge after sitting in the whirlpool, and next thing I know, I’d passed 3 hours and was very rested! It was an incredibly relaxing experience, and the price was a little cheaper than the other resort spas I’ve been to ($105 for a 50 min massage).

Also, we accidentally ended up at a Japanese restaurant called Aburiya-Raku and had an incredible experience. We have both lived in Japan and were impressed with the authenticity and how delicious everything is. We found the restaurant just by driving around and using my google application on my phone. We were able to read reviews of the restaurants listed in the area, and that one had 5 stars. We are looking forward to going back next month when we’re here with our extended family, and already have reservations. We highly recommend it!

Just one warning about Aburiya-Raku: make a reservation! We almost didn’t get to try it, and were walking back to our car after walking in unannounced and being turned down until 10pm. They came running out and offered us two spots at the bar. Most things are bite-sized, just 2-3 bites per order. The homemade tofu in warm broth was incredible!!!! My husband doesn’t like or eat tofu, and he ate over 2/3rds of it. It’s almost like a custard or creme brulee consistency. I would recommend sticking to the menu and staying away from the specials board. We got two specials, the kobe beef tataki and the grilled unagi (eel). They were both good, but extremely expensive ($36 for a small plate of beef and $45 for the unagi- which was a whole fish), and we saw other things from the menu come out of the kitchen that we would rather have tried.

Thank you again for such a great newsletter,

Carie

Ted Responds:

I know what you mean about massages. Too many times, one pays top dollar and walks away without the feeling that much had been done. Various spas will allow you to relax and use the facilities after a treatment (but I’d always inquire ahead). No question that hitting the spa can get a great way to rest and rejuvenate yourself when in Las Vegas.

Now you have me wanting to try Aburiya-Raku! It is only about 5 minutes from The Strip (5030 Spring Mountain Road — Spring Mountain is where Treasure Island meets The Strip).

Thanks for the tips and great report!

I just read the article about the increase cost to ride a bus. It said that a one time ride would be $2.00 and a 24-hour pass would go from $4.00 to $5.00. However, when I was there in August it cost $3.00 for a one time ride and $7.00 for a 24-hour pass. I did ride the Deuce bus with the 24-hour pass. Why the stated difference of $4.00 (now $5.00) to ride the bus when it cost me $7.00 for the 24-hour pass. Don’t understand this discrepancy.

Mike Heady

Ted Responds:

The Deuce has always had a slightly higher fare structure. However, you can save by purchasing 3-day passes for any route in advance, online for $15 at http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/fares_passes.cfm

Also, on March 28, a new express service called The Ace will be running The Strip with limited stops to provide faster service. We’ll have all the details next issue.

Just wanted to let all your readers know. Stayed for the fourth time at the Circus Circus. Heard it was going to be torn down. Hope that doesn’t happen. Had a spotlessly clean and fresh room. A little distance from the action, but was certainly cheap and the walk did us all good. Check in and out was fast and if they are still there next year will make every effort to stay again.

Sharon Palmer

Ted Responds:

Circus will be there for a long time. Las Vegas is overbuilt with expensive rooms so it would be foolish to tear down Circus and build something new right now.á Thanks for the report!

We fell in love with Las Vegas the first time we came and have been back every year since then. My eldest son visited Vegas for the first time in 2009 and fell in love with Vegas, just like we did and has just got engaged and intends to get married in Vegas. Any suggestions on good value and venues or anything to avoid would be appreciated.

Greetings from a cold and wet England.

Janet

Ted Responds:

Your safest bet is to go with one of the hotel packages. Just about every hotel has a wedding chapel offering a broad range of packages. Best to hit the actual hotel websites individually for initial research then perhaps call the hotel wedding director with any questions.

Another popular option is to rent a really nice hotel suite for a day or two and have the hotel do basic catering. Someone in catering or the hotel concierge should be able to help you advance plan getting a minister or wedding official. Plus, the bride and groom get to enjoy staying in the suite.

Conversely, if you have a car and want to get your own cake, food, liquor and similar, Albertsons full-service grocery store is only 2 miles east of The Strip on Flamingo at Maryland: 1300 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV (Google Map) – (702) 733-2947 NOTE: With anything and everything, always call ahead. Anything with a business is subject to change.

Maverick Helicopter Tours will marry you over the Las Vegas Strip or in the Grand Canyon. Info at Maverick Helicopter Tours and click on weddings.

If choosing a traditional Las Vegas wedding chapel, we like Little Chapel Of The Flowers (www.littlechapel.com). A number of years ago, we did a video preview of this chapel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1FaYwqNxWI

Hope this helps!

When you click on the photo gallery pictures, you can save & set as a desktop background. WHY are they ONLY a 4″x4″?? They just will not get any larger?? Nothing to do with my computer, its the pictures themselves. PLEASE make these Large for a desktop!!!

Thank You,

Zerlene

Ted Responds:

Some of our oldest pictures are smaller. The vast majority of sets are large enough to use as desktop. Scroll through http://www.accessvegas.com/pictures and see if you can find another set that interests you.

Also, once the picture is saved to your desktop, you can use your computer settings to tile it, or stretch it to fit your computer screen. Rest assured that all newer photo sets from the past 3-4 years and all the new photos we shoot now are plenty big and will make great quality computer desktop pictures!

Editors Note: We constantly get questions along the following lines:

Planning trip to Las Vegas. Any suggestions on good shows and places to eat?

Ted Responds:

With 60 casinos (each with numerous restaurants and shows) and each visitor having their own specific tastes, it is impossible to provide person-specific suggestions that are right for each individual.

Work your way back through our newsletter archives: https://las-vegas-news-reviews.com and I’m sure you’ll find things of interest!

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 29-31 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 20
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada July 31-August 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 9
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 25-28 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 15-17 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 3
  • Super Bowl Sunday February 6
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 19-21 (3 day weekend)
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • Mardi Gras March 8

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

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All contents copyright 2010 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

March 3, 2010 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe February 17, 2010

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Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello from Las Vegas! After four weeks of party-to-mostly cloudy with rain a few days a week, Spring has (more or less) sprung! Balmy temps in the low 70’s F with plenty of sunshine. It won’t last yet (50’s for next week), but nice to start seeing.

We’re finishing up this issue just asáPresident Obama visits Las Vegas (hence, no reports or updates about anything he may say). I do want to acknowledge and thank those who have continued writing and sharing their opinions on the matter. We have not had this much reader interest in a single issue since a few years ago when “Should you bring your kids to Las Vegas” became a hot topic in the wave of all the nightclubs openings. I enjoy the feedback on all levels: It helps us put out a better newsletter for you.

The sentiment ran pretty strongly anti-Obama (in relation to his remarks) but I must point out it is by no means a scientific sample. I can say that Mayor Oscar Goodman declined to meet The President at the airport, noting that he already had a very busy day scheduled many weeks ago and unless an apology was forthcoming, Goodman would be keeping his original obligations.

Grandstanding? Maybe. But Goodman spent the past year getting an earful from people in the hotel and convention industry who really took a hit following Obama’s 2009 remarks. Maybe grandstanding to represent your electorate isn’t such a bad thing.

Goodbye Hawaii, Hello Country? – The Hawaiian Tropic Zone at Planet Hollywood (I almost wrote “The Aladdin”… that is what living here nearly 17 years does to you) is closing in just a few days to make way for “PBR Rock Bar”. We’ve heard rumblings it is going to be like Gilly’s, but nothing confirmed. Professional Bull Riders Bar? Pabts Blue Ribbon Bar? We’ll let you know more when we do!

Hawaiian Tropic Zone was a nice place, sorry to see it go. We were there for the pre-opening and more recently for one of the MMA bikini contests and have the photo sets to prove it (lots of bikini girls in both):

Aladdin Implosion, Looking Back – Nearly 12 years ago, on April 27, 1998, the Aladdin Las Vegas was imploded to make way for a new, bigger Aladdin built to keep up with the era of Las Vegas megaresorts such as Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, and Paris Las Vegas. This was one of the many amazing Las Vegas implosions I witnessed live and maybe one of the most beautiful as The Aladdin fell like a graceful deck of cards. Thanks to YouTube, a fullá45+ minute Aladdin implosion special (filmed live at the time) is available to enjoy. Click to watch Aladdin Las Vegas Implosion Video from April 27, 1998

A Better Pricing Model? – One of the biggest complaints from travelers (and especially Las Vegas visitors) is the so-called “Resort Fee” that charges you sometimes $10-15 (or more) for either services that seemingly should be included in your stay (free phone calls) or services that many are not likely to use (the hotel gym). Local writer, blogger, and UNLV Center for Gaming Research Director David G. Schwartz recently floated a proposal for a tiered pricing level:

A guest booking a room at the “standard” rate would receive a room key and not much more. He or she would have to pay extra for virtually every other hotel service; for example, to visit the health club, use the Internet, or make phone calls.

At the “gold” rate, customers would receive everything that came with the standard, plus free wireless Internet, phone calls, bottled water, copies of the local paper, etc.

For guests looking for more, a “platinum” rate could deliver all the benefits of the gold rate, plus several extras — dining credits, a selection of prix fixe menus at select hotel restaurants, tickets to the hotel’s big show, complimentary spa services, and nightclub admissions.

He (and many here in Las Vegas) are very interested in your thoughts. If you’ve ever thought about writing in on an issue and you have any feelings one way or the other, this is the time so speak up! First, go ahead and read the rest of the article Tiered room pricing: A modest proposal (an easy read). Second, email your thoughts to us at allvegastv@aol.com. We’ll be sharing all of the responses with “Dr. Dave” (he has a PhD) and the gaming/hotel industry here as well.

Cutting is short this week (for my segment). Co’mon… the weather is beautiful. If you aren’t here right now to soak up the sun, I’m going to do it for you. (Never let it be said that I’d ask you to do anything I wouldn’t do).

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Celebrates National Margarita Day On February 22, 2010 – Margarita lovers will receive specials and incentives throughout the day: 2/22 Birthday Specials, 2/22/22 Free Birthday Meals,and Free Margarita Mix if your name is Margarita or Rita! On Monday, February 22nd, America will celebrate National Margarita Day, and there will be no better place to take part in the festivities than Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville locations across the country from Key West to Las Vegas to New Orleans.

Zero Gravity Corporation Brings Sky High Adventure To Sin City With Exclusive Weightless Flight, February 27 – Zero-G To Fly From McCarran Airport Inviting Fliers To New Heights – On February 27, Zero Gravity Corporation’s (ZERO-G), G-FORCE ONE will take off from LAS Airport offering fliers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to defy the laws of gravity. Guests will have the unique opportunity to float freely in complete weightlessness during ZERO-G’s weightless flight. ZERO-G is the first and only FAA-approved provider of commercial weightless flights. Flying ZERO-G is a rare opportunity that only a select few have experienced calling it amazing and life-changing. The Weightless Experience is an extraordinary and exciting luxury travel experience.

“Seinfeld’s” Jason Alexander As “Donny Clay” Begins Limited Engagement At Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino – Renowned comic Jason Alexander, of the hit comedy sitcom “Seinfeld,” performs his uproarious show “The Donny Clay Experience” at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino beginning February 11. Actor, Director and Producer Jason Alexander, star of the Broadway stage, motion pictures and most notably the award-winning actor who played “George Costanza” on “Seinfeld,” now portrays the character “Donny Clay,” the world’s fourth-best motivational speaker. “Donny Clay’s” world famous seminars entail hilarious evenings full of comedy, music, self-help and partial nudity all combined to leave you laughing as you discover the YOU inside of you.

Singing Sensation Matt Goss Live From Caesars Palace Produced By Robin Antin Set To Debut In The Legendary Cleopatra’s Barge – International pop sensation Matt Goss will continue the rich history of headline entertainers at Caesars Palace debuting Singing Sensation Matt Goss Live From Caesars Palace Produced by Robin Antin on Friday, March 12, at Cleopatra’s Barge. Presented by Robin Antin, creator of The Pussycat Dolls, Goss’s show will offer a dynamic blend of musical talent. Backed by a 9-piece band and sexy female dancers known as The Dirty Virgins, Goss, who has sold more than 17 million albums worldwide, will entertain guests with a production featuring a mix of his career hits, songs from his new album and popular covers.

Alicia Keys’ Freedom Tour Comes To Mandalay Bay Friday, April 9 With Special Guests Robin Thicke & Melanie Fiona – Twelve-time GRAMMY«Award-winning singer/songwriter Alicia Keys, named one of Billboard’s Artists of the Decade, will bring her Freedom Tour to the Mandalay Bay Events Center Friday, April 9. The concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. and also will feature special guests Robin Thicke and Melanie Fiona. Keys’ latest album, The Element of Freedom, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B Albums and Digital Albums charts and No. 2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart.

Celebrate Year of the Tiger at BellagioÆs Conservatory & Botanical Gardens – Majestic Botanical Tiger to Usher in Chinese New Year 2010.áBellagioÆs Conservatory has ushered in the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger, with a spectacular new exhibit. The magnificent centerpiece is a tiger comprised of dried yellow and orange marigold petals. The tiger is the third animal in the Asian zodiac. Just steps away, an 18-foot-tall Chinese God of Prosperity stands amidst golden lucky coins.

Visitors also can discover a trio of charming, 6-foot-tall giant pandas. Made of more than 9,000 living plants, the pandas frolic in a lush garden filled with towering bamboo. The dramatic design found within BellagioÆs Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is guided by the ancient practice of Feng Shui û the art of using surroundings to attract harmony, balance and positive life energy. Guests are invited to celebrate the Chinese New Year in the Conservatory through February 28.

Nevada Ballet Theatre Presents Brave New World, March 27 & 28, Featuring Three World Premiere Ballets – Captivating, never-before-seen works by cutting-edge choreographers including local artist Gail Gilbert, New York powerhouse Thaddeus Davis and nationally renowned choreographer, James Canfield. Nevada Ballet Theatre announced today it will present Brave New World, featuring three world premiere works: Song of the Nightingale, a story ballet based on the original Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Nightingale, choreographed by local artist Gail Gilbert; a fascinating new work by Wideman/Davis Dance Company Artistic Director Thaddeus Davis; and Cyclical Night, a tango-inspired piece by Nevada Ballet Theatre’s own Artistic Director James Canfield.

The Forum Shops At Caesars Introduces Another New Restaurant, New Retailers For 2010 – Painted skies, living statues and Las Vegas’ first celebrity chef. The Forum Shops at Caesars continues to lead the retail industry both domestically and internationally by setting trends and being “first” in the Las Vegas market. Early 2010 will be no exception as Las Vegas’ first Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man and Christian Audigier are set to be opened this year.

The Stratosphere Hotel To Host Dale Earnhardt Foundation Celebrity Poker Tournament February 25, 2010 – The Stratosphere Hotel, one of the most recognizable icons on the Las Vegas Strip and one of the most recognizable names in NASCAR history join together to present the “Dale Earnhardt Foundation Celebrity Poker Tournament.” The Dale Earnhardt Foundation’s mission is to continue Dale’s legacy through charitable programs and grants that sustain his lifelong commitment to children, education and environmental/wildlife preservation.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I have been reading articles about Boyd Gaming’s bid for the Station Casino properties with great interest. We have stayed at Boulder Station on vacation for the past 3 years (I have stayed there 5 times in the past 10 years) and have been pleased with the hotel. Its location has been ideal for us – close to the freeway and only a short drive to the strip and downtown areas. A rental car has been a necessity. We have spent a considerable amount of time taking day trips to Arizona, Utah and sightseeing in Nevada. My husband loves the breakfast buffet. We have also visited Sunset Station and Palace Station.

We did go to Sam’s Town, visited the casino and tried the buffet. We felt that the quality of the food is better at Boulder Station and that the casino was not as dark and smoky. Boulder Station also is a smaller hotel and the rooms are more than adequate and quiet. I am concerned that if Boyd Gaming’s bid for the Station properties is successful, that it will not be the same hotel and casino experience that we have enjoyed.

Any thoughts on the Boyd’s bid for takeover?

Regards,

Elizabeth from Massachusetts

Ted Responds:

As I’ve noted in the past, I used to have a condo am very familiar with Boulder, Sam’s Town, etc. Great location for doing all that you do, and I agree: A quick run to downtown and easy escape to Arizona.

Sam’s Town is an older property. So, don’t be so quick use it as an example of all Boyd properties. Main Street Station (ironically not part of Station Casinos) is also a Boyd property, as is Orleans. All very different properties.

Also, Boulder had significant improvements just a few years ago.

Station will fight the buyout/takeover with everything they have. If it happens, hard to tell what changes would occur at Boulder. Stick your head into Arizona Charlies and Eastside Cannery and see if they look like somewhere you’d want to stay if Boulder changes on you.

Not to kill your strip business but as a former resident there for 5 years let it be duly noted by myself and wife that there is no doubt that OFF strip casinos (locals play) are the best places to gamble for your money. The machines and odds are so much better and the service is quicker also. The high rent strip hotels with there big overhead are No comparison to the off strip joints. My advice is NEVER gamble on the strip as they are mostly ripoffs, try the others and see for yourself. I know this to be a true fact.

Former Resident Bob from Florida

Ted Responds:

Most people won’t leave the touristy/Strip area so we at least remind people to check out theádowntown hotel casinos.

A few issues ago, I did a piece comparing hotel construction costs and inflation. Because of construction costs, places like Wynn literally can’t offer $1 beers or they would go out of business!áAlthough… paying $7 for a Heineken (Wynn price) never sits easy with me. We have a surprising number of readers who are regular Las Vegas visitors and enjoy checking out non-Strip properties.

Thanks for reading and telling your friends to subscribe!

At one time you had a site: Printable Las Vegas Food Specials. It listed Las Vegas Cheap Food Deals. Do you still have a site like this.

Thanks,

M. Brown

Ted Responds:

We had to unfortunately end that section. It became way too hard to keep up on everything. Then… if a special we notedáhad expired by the time people got to town, we got yelled at by readers. Even though we also noted that people should always call ahead and check to see if a special is still running!

We DO post food deals we come across or are informed about at http://www.easyvegasdeals.com. Also, we welcome readers emailing us about any special they come across using the email at the bottom of this section.

We receive your newsletter and enjoy it very much. We are British living in the South of France with a second home in Las Vegas. We always hire a car when over for 6 weeks at a time and was interested in your article stating it was cheaper to hire elsewhere than from the airport. I compared our dollar Rental charge from the airport to picking up as an example from the MGM hotel and it was more expensive. Perhaps you could give me some tips. Or is there a local car rental we could pick up from our house off Silverado Ranch area.

We love Vegas and all our friends and family come through the year and spend their money there.

Regards,

Jacqui

Ted Responds:

I used to live over near the Silverado Ranch area (89123 zip code). A great place to live or have a vacation home because you are a very quick jump on the beltway or I-15 to from both The Strip and the airport. Renting at the airport “entitles” you to pay more fees and taxes. And the crazy thing is that the car rental facility is a couple miles from the airport terminal!

As we’ve noted in previous newsletters, most major hotels have a Hertz counter. However… for someone headed to your area, “A Frugal Car Rental” at Wigwam and LV Blvd. might work (8480 Las Vegas Blvd S #140, Las Vegas, NV 89123) They have been in business there for a few years, although let me note that I have never used them. So this is not an endorsement. But if they are a “mom and pop” operation, you may be able to negotiate a good multi-week rate and have then make the short drive to get you.

Enterprise car rental company will pick you up from anywhere in the area so at least compare them to Dollar’s pick-up services. Hope this helps!

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

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  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 29-31 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 20
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada July 31-August 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 9
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 25-28 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 15-17 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 3
  • Super Bowl Sunday February 6
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 19-21 (3 day weekend)
  • Mardi Gras March 8

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February 17, 2010 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe February 10, 2010

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Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

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Seasonal Vegas Information
Featured Shows
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Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! Well, the firestorm of comments regarding President Obama’s Vegas remarks (see last weeks Vegas Vibe) came in hot and heavy. This kind of reminds me why we steer way clear of politics here. Don’t get me wrong: I’m an adept pundit on politics, but we’re all about Vegas and fun.

However, the Obama remarks could not be ignored. Especially in light of news this week that convention visitor volume fell almost 25% in 2009. Can some of be attributed to the recession? Of course. But even if Obama’s February 2009 comments were responsible for only 5% of that (and conventions did cancel Vegas and move elsewhere at that time), that would be 5% too much.

Don’t Shoot The Messenger – We’ll publish a fair sampling of reader input on this issue in Members Mania. As always, I’ll lay my best thoughts out on the table in response. If you don’t like what some people wrote, don’t yell at me. I’m mostly acting as the conduit. Also, we’ll go heavy on real estate news this issue as people have been inquiring.

The Tide Is Turning – We’ve seen four straight months of rising visitor counts. From time-to-time we get email saying Las Vegas has changed and we’re never coming back. Well… Las Vegas has changed again, and people are coming back. Rooms are dirt cheap, many fine dining restaurants are offering incredible prix fixe (fixed price) meals in the $40 and $50 range, and show prices have moderated. Oh… almost forgot:

Another Super Sunday In The Books – The most watched game in Superbowl history created a jam-packed, adrenalin filled weekend here. Over $82 million was bet on the game and because of a combination of some huge money (multiple $1 million-plus bets according to many sources) on the Colts combined with the popularity of parlay cards (rip offs in most cases… go play roulette instead), sports books held on to almost $7 million.

NFL vs. Las Vegas Continues – For years, the NFL prohibited anything Las Vegas (the hotels, the city, you name it) from advertising on the Superbowl. This year they mildly relaxed their rules stating that an ad simply shouldn’t show hotel/casinos or anything related to gaming. While the LVCVA (people who spend the bed tax money) opted not to place an ad, car maker Kia featured a memorable Las Vegas segment in their commercial airing during the third quarter of the game: Click to view Controversial Kia Sorento “Las Vegas” Superbowl Commercial

The commercial “broke” the NFL’s rules and got them in a huff. Las Vegas got “advertised” on the “big game” without spending a dime. Mayor Goodman even commented that the ad was better than some of the ads LVCVA puts out (as the LVCVA had no involvement in the creation of the commercial). The LVCVA tried to take some credit, by noting how strong a “brand” Las Vegas is. (A brand they seem to take credit for building and maintaining).

I see it as more proof that the LVCVA is borderline inept and that if they ceased to exist, it would make little impact on visitor counts. The hotels are still going to promote the city, travel sites are still going to promote the city, and just about every one of you returns home from a vacation here spreading the word. The LVCVA’s attempt to take credit for every iota of Las Vegas’ success is getting old. They got “punked” by a car maker who put out a better “Vegas” ad than anything they’ve done in a while.

Gaming Revenue Plunges – Gaming revenue (the money that you leave behind at the tables and slots) fell over 10% in 2009. Obviously, part of this is due to the economy. However, I can’t ignore the strong reader input noting that your gambling money just doesn’t last as long as it used to, and you are instead spending it on shows, dining, shopping, and tours. Still enjoying Vegas? Yes! Gambling as much? No.

Signs Of Recovery? – Analysts note that the Las Vegas economy will not recover until jobs in both tourism and construction return. (Duh). My prediction? Tourism jobs will slowly return over the next 2-3 years. Construction jobs will not.áThe population will stay stagnant for the next few years as construction workers leave, most likely being replaced by retirees flocking for the nice weather and dirt cheap home prices. Speaking of…

Another Wave Of Foreclosures – Is imminent. These homes will start to hit the market later this year, possibly pushing prices even lower. I’ve been following the market for a long time. If you are thinking of house hunting here, later this year and on into winter will probably be prime time. Hard to predict bottom, but the saturation point at which prices get so low that people simply don’t sell (hanging on to the house or walking away) is primed to be later this year. And speaking of…

$7000 Las Vegas House – We usually only hear about homes this cheap in Detroit. But a home here in Las Vegas has an asking price of $7000! Now… it obviously needs some work, and it is in a neighborhood some would call questionable, but co’mon. Think about a house that many can pretty much put on their credit card! Click to view $7000 Las Vegas House For Sale

FAO Schwarz – Has let its lease run out at The Forum Shops and closed. It was a cool, store… great fun to browse and shop in. But… Forum Shop space is very expensive to lease and high-end toys probably don’t have as much of a market as they did in better times.

Celine Returns – If you follow our Twitter feed, you already know that Celine is back for an extended run. This isn’t “A New Day Part II”. Celine will be performing hits from throughout her career, backed with a band and orchestra, and new video theming. Click for Celine Dion Las Vegas Tickets

Death Valley? – People know that the Grand Canyon as a day tour from Las Vegas, and forget that Death Valley is also a day tour. You’ll see amazing desert scenery, Scotty’s Castle, visit the lowest spot n the Western Hemisphere, and more. Just make sure to book in for the next 3 months or so. July – September can be brutally hot. Check out our Featured Tour section for more.

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:


Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist and Las Vegas headliner, Carlos Santana presents Andre Agassi with an autographed guitar for the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy’s music department.

Carlos Santana Encourages Donations To Andre Agassi Foundation For Education During February Performances Of Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through The Hits – Launching his partnership with the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist and Las Vegas headliner Carlos Santana today joined Andre Agassi for a tour of the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, meeting with children and offering his support. Santana is encouraging public donations through video messaging during his live performances of Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits this month.

Terry Fator Celebrates First Anniversary As Las Vegas Headliner With Introduction Of New Character – Over the past year, Terry Fator has been entertaining the masses as a Strip headliner in Terry Fator & His Cast of Thousands at The Mirage. Without moving his lips, Fator has left audiences stunned by his talent and cheering for more as he takes them on a journey through the idiosyncrasies of characters, including Winston the Impersonating Turtle, Cowboy Walter T. Airedale and Duggie Scott Walker, five nights a week. Vikki “The Cougar” was the first new character introduced for Fator’s headlining show.

Rockhouse Rocks Spring Break With “Sprink Broke 2010” – Spring Break Student Specials March Through May At Rockhouse – In the midst of an economic recession, Rockhouse Bar and Nightclub has the solution to the Spring Break epidemic that is sweeping the nation. College students across the country have been forced to adjust, or in the worst case scenario, abandon their Spring Break party plans. Rockhouse’s “Spring Broke 2010” will pickup right where it left off last year, with a memorable Spring season full wild parties and drunken all-nighters for those party-hard Spring Breakers that are still “Spring Broke.”

Daughtry To Play Orleans Arena April 29 – Following the success of its nationally televised New Year’s Eve performance in Times Square, Daughtry recently revealed plans for the second leg of its U.S. arena tour, which will be making a stop in Las Vegas at the Orleans Arena on Thursday, April 29. Singer Chris Daughtry, bassist Josh Paul, drummer Joey Barnes, and guitarists Brian Craddock and Josh Steely will be joined by special guests Lifehouse and opening band Cavo.

Martin Lawrence To Perform Two Shows At The Pearl At The Palms – The Pearl Concert Theater inside Palms Casino Resort is proud to present comedian Martin Lawrence for two Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. Martin Lawrence has established himself as one of America’s most popular actor/comedians with starring roles in such hit movies as Big Momma’s House, Bad Boys and its sequel Bad Boys II, Blue Streak, Wild Hogs and National Security among others.

New Michael Jackson Tribute Artist Added To American Superstars At Stratosphere Hotel & Casino – The AMERICAN SUPERSTARS show at the Stratosphere Casino & Hotel is excited to announce Corey Melton as the new Michael Jackson tribute artist. “We’re thrilled to have Corey join our incredible cast. He is an amazing talent with a lot of energy and his resemblance to Michael Jackson is uncanny. Together with his incredible voice and dance moves we have the perfect tribute to the King of Pop,” said Donny Moore, co-producer of AMERICAN SUPERSTARS.

International Superstar Lionel Richie To Perform At The Colosseum At Caesars Palace March 26 – 27 – International music icon Lionel Richie will bring his four decades of chart topping hits to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27. One of the most distinctive and instantly recognizable voices in music, Richie is excited to introduce fans to songs from his new album JUST GO which is a remarkable music marriage of his timeless style and a collection of contemporary material.

Featured Tour û Enjoy Las Vegas!

Death Valley Day Trip from Las VegasDeath Valley Day Trip from Las Vegas – Escape to the desert on day trip to Death Valley during your Las Vegas vacation. You’ll travel through the magnificent Mojave Desert and visit the Spanish-style Scotty’s Castle for lunch. Tour Ubehebe Crater and visit the atmospheric Furnace Creek Ranch Museum and Rhyolite Ghost Town. And as a special memento of your adventure, you will receive a Death Valley Explorer Certificate! Highlights

* All taxes, fuel surcharges and service fees included * Free hotel pickup and drop-off included * Breakfast included * Lunch included

Click For Details And Book
Death Valley Day Trip from Las Vegas Now!

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

My wife and I visit Las Vegas 2-3 times per year. We live in Alberta, Canada and find Las Vegas offers so much more than gambling. Reading your recent news letter I was quite upset to hear Obama’s remarks about avoiding Las Vegas for a vacation or convention and to then spend your money on your kids college education? Does he think people are that stupid that they would waste their college money?

Las Vegas earns more money from my wife and I in their fabulous shopping centres and evening shows than the hotel we stay in does. Each visit we spend $2,000-$3,000 on shopping items and about $500 on shows. Maybe $200-$300 in the one armed bandits. (Can we still call them that)? He should really think sometimes before he speaks. Please pass this email along in your battle against his remarks. We love Las Vegas because there is so much to see and do other than gambling.

Regards, Brent Your Canadian Eh !!

Ted Responds:

I think you really hit on the point that others may be missing: You can gamble your brains out here if you want, but it has almost become a secondary activity. The world class food, shows, and shopping are a huge attraction. I was just over at CityCenter and saw this represented: The Aria was buzzing pretty good with people, not not a huge amount of gamblers. People were eating, people were shopping, people in lounges drinking.

Some think we (Las Vegas) deserve the Obama comments because we have been selling “What Happens Here, Stays Here”, but that slogan isn’t a gambling slogan (except for the joke that your money stays here). We’re selling the vibe. The party. A place where you can live differently than you live at home, cut loose, have some fun, no last call, maybe splurge on buying something nice, seeing a nice show, eating at a celeb chef restaurant. In fact, I think that our newsletter is testament to all of that: We seldom cover gambling. But we’ll sure let you know what the latest food, shows, bars, and shops are.

One armed bandits is still an appropriate term, although many of the newest slots no longer have handles. Which is kind of a bummer: Once in a while, it is fun to actually pull a slot handle!

As a manager of a New York State travel agency I agree very much that the LVCVA is totally useless and we have not used their services in many years. What they do with the money they are given is beyond me and should be investigated.

As for President Obama, you have a right to be upset because of your city but I donÆt think you are looking at the whole picture and you should know that many people feel that your mayor is less than reputable. Also, regarding Rush Limpballs [sic], you really shouldnÆt praise him being in Las Vegas. He will do whatever it takes to get attention for himself and not necessarily what is best for this country at all. Just my own thoughts-thanks for listening.

Cindy Maloni
1stchoicetravel.com

Ted Responds:

Thanks for the thoughts. Per Limbaugh, I wasn’t praising him for being here. Simply exploring reasons why Obama would make the kind of comment he made, at the time he made it. To varying degrees, the media has played Limbaugh as a thorn in Obama’s side. Limbaugh spends a week in Vegas and apparently enjoys himself. The next week, Obama uses Vegas as a negative connotation. I’m just looking at various angles.

I realize that our gin-swilling, shoot-his-mouth-off mayor is not everybody’s cup of tea. But he’s ours, and we like him. He was re-elected in a landslide for his second term, and recent polling indicate that he’d fare better than Harry Reid if he (Goodman) ran for Senate: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman Would Do Better Than Harry Reid in Nevada Senate Race

Most politicians say one thing, then do another. Goodman doesn’t. Everybody knows where they stand. If someone were to decide against a Las Vegas visit based on Goodman, they are probably someone who wouldn’t enjoy it much in the first place. BTW, I’ve had feedback from people who say they love Las Vegas, but really have trouble stomaching a place that supports Harry Reid (see following letter). So… it cuts both ways.

Per the LVCVA: Questions were brought up a few months ago about the juiced-in, three decade relationship with the advertising agency they use, and the huge amounts of money the ad agency was allowed to spend without oversight. The ad agency did decide “based on the economy” to cut their fee from 15% to 12.5%: LVCVA votes to continue R&R pact. Past that, not much came from it. The LVCVA is so powerful (and has so many people involved) that very few are willing to take them on, and really no one willing to take them on who could rock the boat hard enough to get a good look going on.

I have been coming to Las Vegas a couple times a year (or more in good years!) for the better part of 25 years. I appreciate all the good information you disseminate in your newsletter. I always check it out, and sometime plan a visit around information I learn for you!

I appreciate you taking the service workers to task in your comments about tipping. At least a third of the dealers are more adept at running customers off, then working to be nice and get a tip!

Finally, politics is something I have always put aside when in Las Vegas. However, with all the controversy Nevada Senator Harry Reid has caused; his backroom deals to push through health care legislation, and is seemingly deaf ear to the general policy, itÆs time the people in Las Vegas realize, he is bad for business! I find it hard to support a state that supports Senator Reid. IÆm certain many others are starting to connect the dots and take their hard earned cash to another vacation destination. As they say, a word to the wise…

Kind Regards,

Steve from Cincinnati, OH

Ted Responds:

If it makes you feel any better, Nevada does not support Harry Reid. His polling numbers here have stayed low despite a TV commercial blitz designed to raise them, and if the election were held today, any of his three main challengers running in the GOP primary would beat him unquestionably. Reference: Polls Still Not Reid’s Friend (scroll down to that section)

There was some talk is that he may think about retiring similar to what Chris Dodd (D-CT) did. However… Reid is a scrappy fighter and will have plenty of support from his party all over the nation. Reid has won many elections during his tenure in politics by amazingly slim margins. Hence, no one is counting him out.

On the flip side, keep in mind that Nevada is bleeding the union jobs (with many of those people leaving the state, and even more gone by election time after unemployment has run out). And… the union rank-and-file here traditionally vote for the Democrat candidate. The unions work very hard on “turn out the vote” campaigns among members. Without those votes, Reid could be even more vulnerable.

Reid’s other uphill battle will be to prove his effectiveness for Nevada. The pro-Reid argument is how great it is to have someone from Nevada in his position of power. However… it seems that both stimulus and foreclosure help money are bypassing Nevada.

In addition, needed transportation initiatives sit idle for a city which revolves around getting people here. Forget about a high-speed train to L.A. We don’t even have Amtrak service of any kind out of Las Vegas. How great would even a Friday/Sunday train catering to L.A. visitors be? It is certainly worth a try. We don’t even have a four-lane highway (let alone Interstate) completely connecting Phoenix with Las Vegas. How’s that for a project that would both create jobs and provide an indefinite benefit to both areas!

So in the infamous words of Ricky Ricardo, Reid “has some ‘splainin’ to do” to the voters here this fall.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Access Vegas Insider Vibe û February 3, 2010

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AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Seasonal Vegas Information
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! Brrrrr, brrrrr, brrrrr, brrrr, brrrr. No… not here. I mean the rest of the U.S. After some Saturday rain, Sunday is shaping up to be mostly sunny and with an “unseasonably cool” high of 60 degrees. Not much cooler than Miami is for the Superbowl. Speaking of…

What Recession? – I want to make it very clear that I understand plenty of people are hurting badly. And, much of Las Vegas is no exception. But reports of Las Vegas’ demise are 100% premature. Visitor volume for Superbowl weekend is up almost 15% over last year. Most other visitor-related numbers are rising. If you aren’t here, someone else is sleeping in that hotel room, enjoying your favorite buffet, and seeing that show you really want to see!

Yes… we are going to talk all things Obama vs. Vegas with Oscar Goodman pleading our case. If you missed the flap and care to catch up, click to view Las Vegas Mayor Oscar GoodmanÆs Brash Remarks About President Obama. If you don’t care, don’t worry. Scroll past my comments and you’ll find our usual massive array of Las Vegas information to keep you up-to-speed for your next visit.

“A Real Slow Learner” – is how Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman referred to President Obama’s remarks about Las Vegas. To those of you who feel this is blown out of proportion and that Obama was simply giving sound financial advice, please let me note the following:

  • This is the second time in a year that Obama has specifically pointed out visiting Las Vegas as a negative example in a speech.
  • Last year when he suggested companies getting government bail-outs should not use the money to go to Las Vegas, the repercussions went much farther. Numerous conventions and gatherings already scheduled for Las Vegas were moved to other cities (all of which are much more expensive for conventions) just to avoid the negative stigma Obama suggested.
  • Obama could have simply said that you should save for college instead of blowing money on vacations or used any number of generic examples. Some would consider a trip to San Francisco (which is beautiful, great history, arts, food — well worth visiting) as “blowing” money. Some would consider a visit to the Gulf Coast for a charter fishing trip as “blowing” money.

    What else is a vacation, except a time to go “blow” some money in exchange for a great time? Is spending $400 on a helicopter ride to see the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas any different than spending $400 a night for a bed and breakfast in wine country? Is spending a couple hundred dollars on Las Vegas show tickets any different than spending a similar amount at all Orlando has to offer?

  • Some might say “Well… he was talking about gambling your money away.” Mmmmm…. like that can’t be done in the Chicagoland area that Obama otherwise calls home? Or numerous other states with casino gambling?
  • Obama has no problem taking vacations: New York, Hawaii, you name it. Which is all fine and well with me. I’ve never been one to gripe that a president spends time where he wants, regardless of politicaláparty. The White House could make anyone stir crazy. But… he didn’t say “don’t blow money on a trip to Hawaii…”.
  • Is it really Obama’s job to give us financial advice? Perhaps he should leave that to Dave Ramsey or Bob Brinker and instead focus on the business of the country’s finances.

    By the way… someone saving for college is under 21 and absolutely should not be coming to Las Vegas. If he was referring to parents saving for their kids’ college education… we have no law (as of yet) mandating that parents must skip vacations and instead placing the money budgeted in their child’s college savings account.

I’ll give you one more angle on this that I have yet to see anywhere:

Obama nemesis Rush Limbaugh (YouTube) spent the previous week here in Las Vegas judging the Miss American pageant. I didn’t hear any of Limbaugh’s shows, but by all accounts he thoroughly enjoyed his stay. Contrary to some of the rumors, Obama’s remarks about Las Vegas were indeed scripted. They were in the copy of the speech given to the press. Somebody specifically thought the Vegas line out. Could this have been a dig at Limbaugh that simply got out of control?

Sadly, the very rank-and-file hotel union members who supported Obama and helped him win Nevada were the very people his comments last year hurt. And… who are likely to be hurt again with continued comments about Las Vegas which make groups and conventions think twice about how appropriate a Las Vegas visit is.

If you are still in the “this was no big deal” camp, please tell that to the people hurt by the first set of remarks in a town with over 13% unemployment. Mispronouncing the word nuclear may make you look stupid, but kicking a city when it is down shows bad judgment.

Related Videos:

You Can Comment at Las Vegas Mayor Oscar GoodmanÆs Brash Remarks About President Obama
Note: All Views Are Welcome But Comments Will Be Moderated If Not Appropriate

Louie Anderson, Sammy Shore, Rich Little, Pete Barbutti, and Lance Burton (all pictured) joined George Wallace,áBobby Slayton,áPam Matteson,á, Vinnie Favorito, Kathleen Dunbar, Kathy Walker, Pete Barbutti, Rick Faugno, Manny Oliveira, Frankie Scinta and Jeff Hobson performing before a full house at the Funny Bone fundraiser to help animal rescue organizations. It was a full house at the Key West Showroom in The Palms and admission was only $20.

Wait Ted… I would have liked to go. I don’t remember reading about that in the newsletter! You are correct. You didn’t. Show information came too late to be included in our last issue. HOWEVER… we did post it on our Twitter feed http://twitter.com/accessvegas and we often post late breaking info. You don’t have to sign up for Twitter to access the feed (although you should follow us if you have a Twitter account). Simply visit the above link every day or two and see what is new!

The Return Of Jimmy Hopper – Long time Las Vegas visitors know and love Jimmy Hopper (video preview). He was the main headliner at Fontana Room (Bellagio) for years, also playing stints at The Rio and Luxor. He’s now back at The Palms. WHEN: Sundays beginning Sunday, February 14, 2010 7:00 p.m. û 10:00 p.m. WHERE: The Lounge inside Palms Casino Resort COST: Performances are free and open to the public; 21 and over; seating is first-come, first-served.

Mozy Saves The Day – This newsletter almost didn’t make it. A software glitch overwrote/erased it (taking all of my parts with it). We back up on a regular basis, but this happened while I was working on it. Fortunately, I signed up for Mozy.com a couple of months ago. Mozy works in the background, backing up your computer through the internet. I was able to download a backed up version from the day before which had much of my work intact. Very impressive.

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Jay-Z To Perform At The Pearl At The Palms With Guests Young Jeezy And Trey Songz – After a stellar 2009, surpassing Elvis as the solo artist with the most #1 albums, scoring a #1 single with the anthemic “Empire State Of Mind” and a list of other accolades and performances, Jay-Z launches his BP3 2010 North American tour which will now conclude with a stop at The Pearl Concert Theater inside Palms Casino Resort on Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. Special guests Young Jeezy and Trey Songz join Jay-Z on the tour.

Ring In Chinese New Year 2010 With MGM Mirage – Resorts Set To Offer Festive Cultural Offerings – MGM MIRAGE will celebrate the 2010 Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger, with exhilarating lion dance performances, a concert at MGM Grand and authentic cuisine at a variety of resort restaurants. The Tiger, the third animal in the Asian zodiac, is a symbol of competitiveness, natural leadership and self-reliance.

Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant And Wine Bar Raises Funds For Red Cross Aid For Haiti – Las Vegas Renowned Restaurateur and Philanthropist Gino Ferraro is raising funds to be donated to Red Cross for their efforts to aid Haiti. Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar has been serving Las Vegas since 1985. Since, Ferraro’s has been a leader and staple in Italian fine dining and wine selection, quality standard and service.

Offer Your Heart On A (Shoe)String (Budget) – Las Vegas Values Allow Sweethearts To Impress While Saving Cash – This month, the resorts of MGM MIRAGE offer couples a way to add sizzle to their relationship without causing their bank accounts to fizzle. Twosome travelers are invited to indulge in a romantic getaway they’ll cherish for years at savings they’ll value today. Treat your loved one to a tantalizing dinner for two at prices too tempting to resist. Restaurants throughout the resorts of MGM MIRAGE will present enticing Valentine’s menus at incredible values.

Kenny Chesney Returns To The Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas – Kenny Chesney may be taking the year off from one of his giant tours, but Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas has country music’s biggest ticket-seller for four shows in its premiere rock & roll venue The Joint. Easily the most intimate opportunity to see the man who’s won 4 consecutive Academy of Country Music and 4 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Awards, the Hard Rock has over a third of Chesney’s live appearances in 2010.

The Gilley’s Bull Returns To The Las Vegas Strip – The mechanical bull that had been victorious in numerous battles waged by tourists, locals and bikini-clad riders is back to defend its new home at Treasure Island, when Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall and Bar-B-Que opens April 16. Situated next to Siren’s Cove, Gilley’s will have retractable glass for outdoor Strip seating, and will be accessible from inside the casino and via a newly constructed bridge in front of the Siren’s ship.

Las Vegas Deals

These are only a few of the many Easy Vegas Deals we find each and every week (many of which happen too quickly for newsletter deadline). For a complete and constantly updated listing:

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

We were in Vegas Dec 24 – 27, 2009. We stayed at the Imperial Palace & enjoyed the central location. We also saw the Matsuri show here. Great show. We enjoyed the shopping at Miracle Mile Shops & Fashion Show Mall and also the Bellagio Buffet on Christmas Day.

The traffic on the Strip is really bad. We were going to buy a 3 day transit pass but decided against it when we inched along the Strip the 1st night. We decided to walk everywhere instead. Have they considered have a BUS ONLY lane since there are 4 lanes of traffic ?

Angela

Ted Responds:

Keep in mind that the traffic was holiday traffic. I drove down The Strip on the Sunday night after New Years weekend and it never got backed up at all. A dedicated bus lane would unfortunately make The Strip completely not drivable. And yes… ideas have been floated regarding banning cars from The Strip or making it a one-way street.

If in town during a busy time and staying at (or near) a monorail stop, getting a $30 three-day monorail pass is your best bet. For the price of one traffic-plugged cab ride, two people can ride all day. Your vacation time is valuable when you factor in the cost of getting here, staying here, food, entertainment, etc. Spending a few bucks to save time is a no-brainer.

We have visited Las Vegas several times and really enjoy our stays. However, we have never been to the Grand Canyon. We are coming to Vegas this April and would like to do the Gand Canyon bus tour. Could you recommend which tour company to contact as there as so many different ones. Also, is the south rim the best one to visit at the Canyon. Thank you for your help.

J. Berberich from Ontario, Canada

Ted Responds:

Grand Canyon by bus is one very long day. Air costs 3-4 times as much, but only takes 4 hours and you see so much more. If going by bus, check out http://www.accessvegas.com/tours/grand-canyon-west-rim-bus-tour

However, watch the video at http://www.aaavegas.com/fun-and-thrill/grand-canyon… before making your decision.

Thanks for the news letters, they are great. My husband & I have been going to Vegas since 2001. In response to Neil Thompson on his order of Chivas on the rocks… I believe that there is no real alcohol in any drink that you order from the cocktail waitress or at the bar. We here in Canada has an alcohol content on the beer bottle label, down there, there is no such thing, even on the imported brands. The only time I have really felt any “buzz” was drinking Fosters ale or a real expensive glass of wine in Paris. We even had one of those yard long drinks from Harrah’s one year, nothing. Pretty disappointing when you spend so much on a drink. And what’s with the bartender pouring you a drink through a fountain apparatus, appears that he is giving you a cheap mix. I just don’t waste the money anymore. We tend to buy from a liquor store & have a drink of two in our room.

Aside from that, Vegas does offer great restaurants, fun in the sun, places to see like Valley of Fire, Mount Charleston, Red Rock Canyon & a short hop to other things to do & see besides the usual gambling. We love it.

Keep up the great work. Hope to be down there again sometime. You are very lucky that you live in such a beautiful part of the world. We’ll probably drive next time seeing all the hassles at the airports.

Regards,

Marilyn from Alberta, Canada (eh)

Ted Responds:

Beer in Nevada has no alcohol restriction on how high the content can be and is usually around 5% if memory serves me correct. And, shots of a drink are the real thing. If you are sitting at a bar, you can watch them pour it and I’ve always experienced getting the proper taste. IE, if I ordered Crown Royal, no question it was Crown.

True that in mixed drinks, you don’t know what you are getting. Nor do you have any control over how strong the drink a waitress brings is.

Best current drink “deal” in town? Casino Royale always has $1 beer (selected bottled brand) and $3.50 call shots.

You brought up something that has become increasingly popular as casino resort bar liquor prices have gone up: People are having their cabbie stop them at a liquor store (usually the one across from the Hard Rock) and stock up. The gift shop kittyûcorner from the Sahara also has an extensive liquor store attached. Neither of these outlets are really cheap, but compare it to buying drinks at bars and the savings is substantial.

If in a pinch, most of the hotel gift shops sell a basic liquor selection by the bottle. Prices are higher than you may find at home, but you don’t have to cab it somewhere.

Last tip: Beer in the gift shop is usually cheaper than at the bar and you don’t have to tip anyone. However… pack a cheap bottle opener as the gift shop may otherwise try to sell you one.

Couldn’t agree more on your comments on Red Eye flights – we get to spend a whole extra day when we fly Jet Blue and take their 11:50pm flight back to Boston. More money that gets spent in the city too!

I visit Las Vegas 3 – 4 times a year from Cape Cod, MA. My 14 year old daughter and I have a Father/Daughter week long vacation every year over Presidents Day Weekend and for the 4th time in a row she has chosen Las Vegas. I would love to able to take her to a “BIG” show. What would you consider to be an age appropriate show for me to take her to? Something more “glitzy” than the Pet Theatre Show at Planet Hollywood though. Cute but rather lame to put it nicely.

Thanks for putting out such a great tool in promoting Las Vegas. I hope you are recognized by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Bureau as well as the City of Las Vegas for the outstanding job you do in promoting your great city.

Neil Thompson

Ted Responds:

14 is an interesting age because in many ways , she has an adult mind and mentality and Pet Theatre just won’t cut it. Understood. Tournament of Kings has enough flash and action to be very interesting, and a show that is fun to bond over as you cheer for your knight.

Lance Burton… you can’t go wrong for any age. Lion King should not be overlooked. Have her YouTube Terry Fator and see if that is up her alley. Cirque’s O is always spectacular.

The LVCVA (Convention Authority) probably hopes that no one ever finds out about me! They manage to flush the greater part of $230 (2010 budget) million of room tax money down the toilet every year, taking credit in the good times (with no acknowledgment to those like me, let alone the massive marketing efforts by all the hotels or other Vegas travel sites) and shrugging their shoulders in the bad times while they keep burning through the cash. Don’t take my word for it. Check out this article from our local paper: Think tank critical of LVCVA

They even put out a lousy little monthly email newsletter, selling stuff in direct competition with people like me. I’m competing against a government body that is supposed to be helping people like me, and I’m arguably doing a better job of it. My staff budget would barely be considered petty cash to them and yet they don’t come close to disseminating information in the way we do.

I have over 13 years in this business and just about everybody has reached out to work with me in some way or another. The hotels, the shows, the PR agencies, various media outlets (local and national), Vegas writers, bloggers, you name it. Except for the LVCVA. I’ve kept pretty quiet about this until now… but it dawned on me: What do I have to lose by piping up? Exactly the same amount of assistance I’ve been getting from the LVCVA for 13 years: Nothing.

End of rant!

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • Mardi Gras February 16
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 29-31 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 20
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada July 31-August 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 9
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 25-28 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 15-17 (3 day weekend)

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2010 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

February 3, 2010 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe û January 27, 2010

Posted on by

AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Seasonal Vegas Information
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

We had one more day of rain to get rid of this past week, but we’ll looking at weather in the 60’s F and mostly sunny (pretty much average for this time of year) for the next couple of weeks. Not too shabby compared to the rain and snow blanketing large parts the Northwest and Southeast United States as this goes out. Stay warm and dry. Or… hop a plane our way!

Super And The Saints – If hitting Vegas for the Superbowl, St. Valentines Day or St. Patrick’s Day sounds like fun, check out the event links in the Quick Info Menu (directly above this column). You may wish to check back to each link often as information for Superbowl and Valentines Day pours in almost daily.

Fontainebleau Is Sold – Financier Carl Icon looks like the winning bid for the unfinished Fontainebleau (the big, tall, blue building between The Riviera and Sahara). Before you make plans to attend the gala grand opening, hold your horses. Estimates to finish the nearly 4000 room property start at well over a billion dollars. That simply isn’táeconomically feasible right now. While the shell of the building is done, the floors remain unfinished.

What we’d like to see? Get the casino, restaurants, and bars open. At least space that fronts The Strip. Get some life in the place and a few bucks rolling in. Then as the economy improves, start to build out a few hotel floors at a time from the cash flow. We’ll keep you posted.

Unhappiest State? – A recent poll ranked Nevada the 39’th least happy state in the union. At first, I figured they must have interviewed a known Las Vegas blogger who hates living here (yes, one really exists). But the survey was actually based on “… research suggest(ing) U.S. states with wealthier, better educated and more tolerant residents are also happier on average. The reasoning is that wealthy states can provide infrastructure and so it’s easier for residents to get their needs met. In addition, states with a greater proportion of artists and gays would also be places where residents can freely express themselves.

I found that interesting because Las Vegas’ “live and let live” attitude is pretty gay friendly and the arts scene has been developing the past few years (although no one will mistake us for New York City). The other weird thing? We must have gotten dinged on the education front (most residents have a lower-than-average level of education) and the recession has taken a toll on median income. Hey… I’m happy here no matter what the poll says.

What Will A Dollar Buy? – We get regular emails bemoaning how Las Vegas is so much more expensive than it was 20 and 30 years ago. However… one sometimesáforgets to index things for inflation. This is a TV capture from a 1976 TV show and although fictional, it drove me to look a couple things up. It takes 3.5 times as many dollars to buy the same thing as it did 30 years ago. 1.8 times what it did 20 years ago. So for you long-time visitors remembering the $25 show you saw 30 years ago, keep in mind it is the equivalent of an $80 show today (and many of today’s Las Vegas shows are far more spectacular). Puts it in perspective!

Aladdin Cards Winner – Doug Tao of California was one of 15 people who wrote in with the correct answer to our photo contest (see January 6 issue). He wrote:

The photo is where Binion’s Horseshoe displayed their $1 Million. Binion’s Hotel (now closed) used to be the Mint.

Now, somewhere in my old junk is a deck of cards from the Mint…

Hope I’m right,

Doug Tao

Well Doug, now you have a deck of Aladdin cards to join the Mint cards!

Probably the most interesting entry was this one:

That looks like the area of the Horseshoe (now called Binion’s) where about 40 years ago, I had my picture taken next to a million dollars. I was 17 years old and the picture would not be ready until a day or 2. I made my father take me there to pick up my picture before going to the airport to go home. It’s a good thing we didn’t miss our flight! I still have my picture.

Linda from Bergenfield, NJ

Fighting Cancer? – When you think of the American Cancer Society, you probably think of a group looking for a cure for cancer, and educating the public on how to reduce cancer risk. So why are they suing the state of Nevada? Our smoking ban was amended to allow smoking at tobacco conventions. Normally, convention rooms and ballrooms are non-smoking (due to our smoking ban). The change in the law now allows smoking in an enclosed convention space specifically and only during tobacco retailer shows.

We’re not talking about day care or restaurants or other situations where the smoke can drift into the public realm. The law simply and specifically exempts invite-only conventions of tobacco retailers.

Think of all the donation money being spent on lawyers for this crazy suit. Money that could be used to help continue to find cures and treatment for cancer. Think about that the next time the American Caner Society asks for your donation. With smoking on the rise for the first time in ages (despite smoking bans), perhaps it is time to spend more on youth education and less on lawyers and private bans. Speaking of…

Goodman Bows Out Of Governors Race – After taking the steps needed to run and showing all indications that he would, Mayor Oscar Goodman has announced that he will NOT be running for Governor of Nevada. He cited the laws dictating that the governor must live in Carson City (Nevada’s state capital) and that he doesn’t want a job that would keep him from waking up next to his wife each day. His wife is very involved in Las Vegas business, society, and charities. And… may run for mayor herself. Now, the reality is that the governor can pretty much spend all the time he wants in Las Vegas except during legislative sessions. And technology lets work get done from just about anywhere.

The most likely reason? A few days before his announcement came dire predictions of state revenue shortfalls over the next few years (not to mention the projection of Nevada losing 100,000 residents by 2015). Goodman is no stranger to rolling up his sleeves in politics, but no one is going to come out of this a winner. The legislative battles will be brutal. My suggestion? Upon his retirement, the new mayor and city council should officially bestow him the title Mayor Emeritus with a four-year commission to continue to be an ambassador for the city at events locally and worldwide.

When Do You Like To Visit? – Help us test our new poll software by telling us your favorite time of year to visit Las Vegas! Simply go to AAAVegas.com and look for the poll on the right sidebar. Results will be displayed in real time.

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Blue Man Group Adds A Spin Of Excitement To A Special Las Vegas-Themed “Wheel of Fortune” – Blue Man Group joins Pat Sajack and Vanna White for a special Las Vegas-themed “Wheel of Fortune” show on Monday, Feb. 8 (check local listings). The one-of-a-kind blue-faced trio will be on hand to entertain the crowd, as well as hosts Sajack and White, giving the audience a look into the exciting and euphoric experience only found at Blue Man Group’s Venetian show.

John Mayer Brings “Battle Studies” Tour To Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, March 27 – Seven-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter/guitar player/producer John Mayer will perform at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, March 27. The concert, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., will feature Mayer along with special guest Michael Franti & Spearhead.

Fiesta Like A Rockstar Under The Sombrero At Tacos And Tequila – T&T Introduces Spicy Weekend Fiesta Friday And Saturday Nights – Friday and Saturday nights at Tacos & Tequila (T&T) just got even hotter with the spiciest party under the sombrero. T&T’s Spicy Weekend Fiesta, hosted by the Sexy Elissa, is a delicious and exciting way to liven up the weekend with irresistible Mexican food, mouth-watering handmade cocktails, and of course, enough tequila shots to go around. For those that are over the “club scene,” but still want some extra pep in their weekend lineup, T&T’s Spicy Weekend Fiesta is on the mark.

Academy of Country Music, Dick Clark Productions & CBS Television Announce The 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards – Hosted By Reba McEntire to Be Broadcast Live From MGM Grand In Las Vegas Sunday, April 18 On CBS – Country Music’s Party of the Year, the 45th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, honoring country music’s top talent and the industry’s hottest emerging talent, will be broadcast live Sunday, April 18 at 8 p.m. live EST/delayed PST on the CBS Television Network inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Academy also will tape an all-star concert special, ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena Monday, April 19 which will air at a later date on the CBS Television Network.

Legendary Comedian Don Rickles Returns To Orleans Showroom February 20-21 – The much-honored comedian will launch his 51st consecutive year as a Las Vegas headliner when he brings his one-of-a-kind humor to The Orleans Showroom February 20 and 21, marking his third consecutive year of performances at The Orleans Showroom. Rickles took his first step toward national fame in 1957 when Frank Sinatra wandered into the small Hollywood nightclub where Rickles was performing.

Rousing Musical Review Oh What A Night! Brings The Hits Of Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons To The Suncoast Showroom February 27 and 28 – The extensive hit songbook of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons comes to life in Oh What A Night! at the Suncoast Showroom, February 27 and 28. Oh What A Night!, written and directed by independent Motown producer and creative consultant George Solomon and award-winning producer and director Michael Chapman, is an exciting tribute show that takes audiences on a musical journey through the hits of the famed group that formed in 1960.

Embrace The Romance With S’Mooches, S’Mores And Snuggies At Rhumbar Celebrate With Rhumbar’s Delicious Valentine’s Day Cocktail – Snuggle up with your significant other this Valentine’s Day at RHUMBAR. Beginning Monday, Feb. 1, the stylish cocktail lounge inside The Mirage will introduce its delicious S’mooches and S’mores cocktail, while inviting couples to smooch and snuggle on the intimate patio under the warmth of a Snuggie. Guaranteed to melt your lover’s heart, “S’mooches, S’mores and Snuggies” will be ongoing throughout the month of February. In addition, for those that want to shower their lover with adoration, a promotional package is available for purchase, which includes a RHUMBAR embroidered Snuggie and a signature S’moches and S’mores cocktail for $35.

Former Mobster Frank Cullotta Presents Mob Chronicles At The Stratosphere – One-Time Charity Event To Benefit Opportunity Village – Former Las Vegas mobster and hit man Frank Cullotta will present the Mob Chronicles in the Stratosphere Theater of the Stars on Thursday, February 18th at 7:30 p.m. This one-time charity event will benefit Opportunity Village. After eight years of prison and 20 years of witness protection, Cullotta is going public with his speaking tour, Mob Chronicles, about the history of organized crime and his unique insights into the mob life. Joining him will be various members of law enforcement who worked for years in attempts to indict Cullotta.

Tito Ortiz’s Punishment MMA Store To Celebrate One Year Anniversary At Hooters Casino With Autograph Session – On Friday, February 5th, Tito Ortiz, Jenna Jameson, Punishment Athletic and TapouT will celebrate the one year anniversary of the Punishment MMA Store located in Hooters Hotel & Casino. When you hear the name Tito Ortiz, you may think of the words “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” or you may think of his hip and trendy Punishment MMA clothing store at Hooters Casino Hotel. If you are thinking of the later, you may find it hard to believe that Friday, February 5th marks the One Year Anniversary of OrtizÆs Punishment MMA Store.

Featured Tour û Enjoy Las Vegas!

Las Vegas Bus Of The StarsLas Vegas Double-Decker Bus of the Stars – Hop onboard with your favorite celebrities and tour the world-famous Las Vegas Strip! This one-of-a-kind tour takes place on an original London double-decker bus and every sightseeing show is varied, ensuring a unique experience every time!

Highlights: * Choice of several departures throughout the day * Choice of seating available * Receive discounts at selected restaurants, shops and attractions * Pick-up from a centrally located meeting point

Click To Book Las Vegas Double-Decker
Bus Of The Stars Now!

Las Vegas Deals

These are only a few of the many Easy Vegas Deals we find each and every week (most of which happen too quickly for newsletter deadline). For a complete and constantly updated listing:

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Your newsletter continues to impress, keep it up, your the best.

Got back two weeks ago from my 18th Vegas visit and before I went I planned my daily schedule and I have to pass on recommendations to your readers about off strip casino-hotels. Along the Boulder Strip – Boulder Station & Arizona Charlies’ are wonderful stops and within walking distance of each other. Very friendly laid back places.

Another 20 mins slow walk and Sam’s Town is a total delight, I could’ve spent all day in there with a huge western store “Sheplers” too, but the jewel to me of the ‘Alternate Strip’ has to be The Eastside Cannery. The place looks futuristic in day time and amazing at night with it’s exterior lighting show. Very friendly inside plus loose slots and high quality cheap meal places. I’d rate this a 6 star Vegas resort above the mega resorts (i.e. Bellagio, Venetian etc.) for customer service and friendliness. Easily reached from downtown on the 107 bus route.

Last recommendation is ‘Longhorn Casino’, a true local’s casino with amazing meal-deals too ($4.25 steak and fries) and very loose slots (ended up in profit on the day thanx to Longhorn).

Next visit will probably be October 2010 and the ‘Alternate Strip’ will be my first stop.

Owen from South Shields, England

Ted Responds:

Great suggestions. I used to live out that way and enjoyed visiting all the places you mentioned! Plus… those locals casinos tend to have the best gaming odds year-after-year. You can’t screw the locals and drain their wallets or you lose your customers, and all of those properties in close proximity have to compete for a set local audience.

For the first (and second and third) time visitor, obviously The Strip and downtown have plenty to do and see. However, seeing the “Boulder Strip” combined with visiting Hoover Dam is a great 3/4 day activity (start after brunch) to rent a car for. You can visit Boulder Station, Arizona Charlies East (much newer and nicer than the one on the west side of town), Sam’s Town, Cannery, Lake Las Vegas, take a scenic drive along Lake Mead and end up at Hoover Dam. I’ve Google Mapped it here:

Hint: Returning from Hoover Dam is much, much quicker. Head back toward Las Vegas from Hoover Dam on the highway that crosses Hoover Dam. (Don’t turn back off to the Lake Mead scenic drive). It will eventually turn into a freeway. In Henderson, get on to the Beltway (I-215) headed west until you reach Las Vegas Blvd. (The Strip).

If you want someone else to do the diving, we have a number of great Hoover Dam tours available on our Hoover Dam Tours page.

I live in Las Vegas and love your newsletter. Recently my 13 year old grandson came to visit. We were looking for inexpensive things to do with him, and happened upon the Las Vegas Speedway. Because it was not a race day, we were able to drive right up close and park by the fence right outside the speedway.

We walked over to what is normally the pit area. They were offering ride alongs but because we didn’t want to spend any money, we just watched. It was really fun to watch the race cars go around, and my grandson really liked it. Just thought I’d pass this along.

Thanks,

Marlie

Ted Responds:

You know… I never even thought of that (and I’m a NASCAR fan). I’ll suggest people check ahead to find out the times of day they do the ride alongs, but what a great way to see action at the track without fighting the crowds!

I plan to be in Vegas and we are staying at the Flamingo, but we would like to visit the new M. Which is the best or cheapest way to get there.

Bob Mangan

Ted Responds:

Visiting the M Resort is turning into a popular activity as people find out how really nice the place while maintaining that locals casino friendliness. We covered the free shuttle in our July 24, 2009 issue (second letter in Members Mania section).

Just come back from Vegas had a great time as usual. Stayed in the Excalibur and everyone there was friendly and the food was fab.

Gillian

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Super Bowl Sunday February 7
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • Mardi Gras February 16
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 29-31 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 20
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada July 31-August 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 9
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 25-28 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 15-17 (3 day weekend)

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2010 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

January 27, 2010 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe û January 20, 2010

Posted on by

AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Seasonal Vegas Information
  • Superbowl Events
  • Valentine’s Day Events
  • Mardi Gras Events
  • St. Patrick’s Day Events
  • March Madness Events
  • Spring Break Events
  • Cinco de Mayo Events
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

If it seems like it’s been a while since the last issue, it has! We had a scheduled week off the second week of January and this past week foughtáinternet outages that our provider blamed on the rain.

Yes, I said rain. Lots of rain. Pacific Northwest type rain and clouds for the past entire week. These are the same storm systems that have been slamming California and Arizona. The last time I remember this kind of persistent cloudy, rainy weather was about five years ago. This coming week will bring clearing but still unfortunately cool temps topping out only in the mid-to-upper 50’s F.

Barry Manilow Debuts New Album Live From Paris Las Vegas – Manilow has moved from the Las Vegas Hilton and is prepping for his run at Paris Las Vegas. He will be on QVC at 6 PM Pacific January 29 to perform some of his new music. Although the rumored start of his run was for Valentines Day, the actual first performance will be March 5. Click for Barry Manilow In Las Vegas Tickets

Speaking Of Valentines Day – We’ll have news and events about Valentine’s Day 2010 in Las Vegas starting next issue. However… it isn’t that far off. With the incredible low room rates right now, how can you not afford take your special someone here for the special day! Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals for great deals and current Las Vegas promotions.

World Renowned Pianist Danny Wright – now has a permanent home at Bar Moderno located inside the new Aria Las Vegas. He tinkles the ivories Wed. – Sun. starting at 7 PM. To find out if he’s your cup of tea, Rhapsody users can check him out at http://www.rhapsody.com/danny-wright

Wrapping Your Mind Around CityCenter – Chances are you’ll be checking out CityCenter on your next visit so you can see what $8.5 billion buys these days. The L.A. Times did a nice interactive graphical presentation that should help you get a feel for how CityCenter is set up: Interactive graphic: A new center in the city

Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport – saw traffic fall nearly 9% in 2009. Much of this was due to capacity cuts by US Air (Airways… whatever). For the better part of two decades, America West Airlines used Las Vegas as a key hub. But as the merger with US Air was integrated, the redundancy of having hubs in both Phoenix and Las Vegas combined with US Air being less aggressive than America West with pricing has led to the cutting of Las Vegas as a hub.

For many years, American West ran a strong “third shift” operation at McCarran with hordes of planes landing around 11 PM for midnight red-eye flights to points around the nation. Generally speaking, the more hours per day an airline can keep an aircraft in the air, the more it can make against the fixed costs of owning or leasing the plane. However, the softer tourism demand of the past couple of years stopped making many of red-eyes feasible.

I’d love to see them return. Nothing beat parking myself at the airport viewing area about 11 PM on a hot summer night and watching continual landings and departures. And for many of you, nothing beat maximizing your time in Las Vegas by staying the entire final day of your trip before catching an overnight flight home.

A Great Place To Live If – For well over a year, I’ve been noting that Southern Nevada is a great place to move if one is financially stable (won’t need to look for work here), including for retirees. Housing prices are at historic lows and all projections maintain low Las Vegas home prices throughout all of 2010.

Economic analysts are now jumping on that bandwagon, noting that seniors bring disposable retirement income while not consuming high-cost government services like schools. These analysts are suggesting that money be spent to market Las Vegas as a retirement location.

In related news, Las Vegas is looking at zero job growth in 2010 and recent reports predict around 100,000 people leaving Nevada in the next 5 years. Is the contractionáa bad thing? Not necessarily. Las Vegas grew WAY too fast, and a few years of stabilization will be good in the long term.

Las Vegas Growth Video – Sometimes it is difficult to comprehend how fast and huge Las Vegas grew in a mere 25 years. Check out the following short video: Growth In Las Vegas 1984 to 2009

But The Good News For You Is – Deals, deals and more deals! Hotels are fighting each other to out-offer bonuses for staying with them. Starting this issue, we’ll be listing a number of those bonus offers each week.

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Jon Stewart To Perform At The Mirage February 5 And 6 – Television star and stand-up comic Jon Stewart, brings his award-winning talent to The Terry Fator Theatre at The Mirage Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6 at 10 p.m. Jon Stewart is considered one of America’s top social and comedic voices. Over the past 10 years, Stewart has redefined political satire in American culture from his perch atop the anchor chair on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” To date, Stewart and “The Daily Show” have received 28 Emmy Award nominations and won 13.

Bellagio Fountains from Fontana Lounge

Bellagio Introduces Las Vegas’ Most Stunning Sunday Brunch Experience – Fountains Brunch at Jasmine Delights Senses by Pairing Delectable Gourmet Dishes with Breathtaking Visual of Resort’s Iconic Dancing Waters. For the first time in the AAA Five Diamond resort’s history, guests of Bellagio are invited to partake in an unrivaled brunch experience, featuring a bevy of gourmet and traditional cuisine, while enjoying sweeping views of Bellagio’s lake and world-renowned fountains. Fountains Brunch at Jasmine now redefines Sunday brunch in Las Vegas.

United Way’s Annual Women’s Leadership Luncheon Features Keynote Speaker Marie Osmond – United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council hosts its second annual Women’s Leadership Luncheon at Paris Las Vegas on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. and welcomes celebrity keynote speaker – and renowned philanthropist – Marie Osmond. The exclusive event also honors three outstanding women leaders in United Way’s focus areas of education, health and financial stability. Serving as the event’s keynote speaker, internationally-recognized celebrity and local headliner Marie Osmond will discuss her own charitable work and the inspiring stories she’s helped to create along the way. Osmond is the co-founder of the Children’s Miracle Network, which has helped more than 17 million kids obtain quality healthcare. She also serves as the spokeswoman for the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign.

The Stratosphere Las Vegas Hotel & Casino To Add World’s Highest “Skyjump” To Their Collection Of Thrills – The Stratosphere Las Vegas Hotel & Casino today announced the addition of their next big thrill – SkyJump Las Vegas. What will undoubtedly become one of the top tourist attractions in North America, the skyjump is best described as a “controlled freefall.” Lucky adrenaline junkies and average Joes alike, will have the opportunity to plummet 855 feet at a scream-inducing speed of up to 40 mph – all while enjoying breathtaking views of the world famous Las Vegas Strip…if they can bear to keep their eyes open.

Featured Tour – Enjoy Las Vegas!

Hoover Dam Tour Ultimate Hoover Dam Tour – This is the “Best of the Best” Hoover Dam Tour! Your professional tour guides will educate and entertain you on all aspects of Hoover Dam in an informative and interesting way, allowing you to enjoy every moment of your visit. Not only will you join the Government’s Power Plant Tour and Visitor Center Tour, the Ultimate Hoover Dam Tour is one of the only excursions from Las Vegas to offer an exclusive 45-minute Walk On The Top tour. Highlights: * Informative, friendly and professional guide * All entrance fees included * Lunch included

Click For More Details And Book
The Ultimate Hoover Dam Tour

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I just got back from Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, why do they have all those people down by Paris handing out those cards of the girls? You try to ignore them and they snap them in your face. Very scary for two senior citizens. That spoiled our other wise nice vacation.

Lorraine

Ted Responds:

With the help of the ACLU, what they do (handing out the “girls to your room” cards) has been determined “protected” as free speech.

Just ignore them. They can’t make any contact with you or touch you in any way (or it could be construed as misdemeanor battery) so I just continue on my way and stay my course. Others choose just to move to the other side of the sidewalk.

They are clustered together in certain areas of The Strip because laws were able to be made restricting the zones people can hand out solicitations in.

Was in Vegas over Thanksgiving. We read comments positive and negative about the Rio. Our stay was excellent. Our flight was early and we were allowed to check in @ 10:00 am. When we got to our room we had a problem with our safe. Help arrived in 10 minutes.

Our suite was very clean.The shuttle to the strip was great and on time. The only problem was on Friday the 27th around midnight. There was a shooting at Caesars and the strip was shut down.

We saw 4 great shows. David Copperfield, Carrot top, Love and Le Reve. Carrot Top was a great surprise. We are looking forward to returning in the spring for”Dinner in the Sky” which was canceled for the winter.

We have stayed at most of Harrah’s hotels.Flamingo, Caesars, Bally’s,and Rio.The only thing that I noticed that more and more kids are in the casinos. This was in almost every casino we went to. Wynn, MGM, Luxor not just our hotel. Thanks for your newsletters, they are great. Sorry for your loss.

Jerry Mclaughlin

Ted Responds:

Thanks for the condolences. Has been a tough few weeks.

You are going to get lots of kids over Thanksgiving weekend. Over the past few years, far-flung families have made it more and more of a tradition for everybody to meet up in Las Vegas. Everybody can get together for a Thanksgiving dinner at just about any restaurant ranging from buffets to fine dining.

The most common thing we hear about Carrot Top (and I agree) is that people didn’t think he would be that great, and they ended up loving the show. He is really, really funny and full of energy. His success here is not a fluke.

Dinner In The Sky returns March 19 of this year! It is a little pricey but an experience you’ll never forget. People can book it now: Las Vegas Dinner In The Sky

I just got back from Vegas and realized something. The job market is tough and competition for business is high. Why don’t the casinos do a better job of hiring dealers that speak well and that are very friendly?? We went up to play at some of the tables and a word was never spoken by the dealers! It happened at several different casinos.

Don’t the casinos realize that if you increase your customer service you will get more people coming in the door to your casino, there are many to pick from. Heck, the Walmart greeters are more friendly than most dealers. If they were required to learn everyones name and where they were from it would open up some dialog. And if the dealers were nice and smiled that may be a plus too!

P.S. If the dealers were more friendly don’t they realize they would make more money from tips!

Gary Nawrocki

Ted Responds:

Funny this should come up because I recently saw a craps table where the dealer was so unfriendly and gruff that a couple of guys with hundreds of dollars of chips each in front of them literally scooped them up and went to the cage.

Here is what is happening (and yes, the dealers and others service industry workers are shooting themselves in the foot):

For decades, those living and working in Las Vegas knew it was all about the customer. Take care of the customer, the money will follow. People moving here and looking to get into casino work understood that it was the SERVICE industry.

As Las Vegas started to boom, word got out that Las Vegas was a great place to make good money doing marginally skilled labor. Instead of moving here for the weather or the libertarian live-and-let-live atmosphere, it was for the buck. And… the money was good through the boom. People got spoiled and started expecting it.

Now, the gravy train is over and the service workers are mad that you aren’t spending like you used to. So instead of trying harder and really working to earn those tips (like they used to), now they just mope. When in reality, they should be thankful they have a job right now!

What can you do? Don’t be bashful about withholding tips (when appropriate) or tipping low for lousy service. You don’t own anyone your hard-earned cash unless they in return earn it. Also, if you really encounter a bad-attitude employee or simply terrible service, don’t be scared to pull a pit boss or manager (whatever applies to the situation) aside and politely mention it.

I’m probably not making very many friends in the service industry with these comments, but guess what guys: Tips are earned.

Just got back from another fantastic trip. We go about twice a year. We stayed at the Sahara and to be honest I was a little worried after all the reports I was hearing but my worries were unfounded. The rooms were fabulous, the entire staff friendly and professional, and we actually won a little bit of money.

The Riviera on the other had was a complete disappointment, they should change the name of that place to the Morgue. There was no one there gambling and we went on two separate occasions, and to top it off after a couple hours of play nothing to show for it.

Thank you for putting out a wonderful newsletter, keep up the good work.

Gary & Crystal from Colorado

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Super Bowl Sunday February 7
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • Mardi Gras February 16
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 29-31 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 20
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada July 31-August 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 9
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 25-28 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

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All contents copyright 2010 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

January 20, 2010 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – January 6, 2010

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AccessVegas.com InsideráVibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
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Photos and Wallpaper

Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

If you were not in Las Vegas the past week, bummer for you as our part of the country was one of the few that escaped the bitter cold that extended all the way down into Florida. We’re looking at plenty of sun and highs right at the 60 degree (F) mark the next 10 days or so. If you need to thaw out, a spur-of-the-moment Vegas trip is in order! As always, visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals for really great hotel rates.

New Years Eve Was HUGE – No recession in sight as 315,000 people flocked to Las Vegas to welcome the new decade. The fireworks were shot off from seven hotel roofs giving just about everyone who braved the cold (upper 30’s, roughly 10 degrees colder than normal) on the Las Vegas Strip. Every hotel and nightclub had numerous indoor parties for the less hardy who enjoyed watching the fireworks on high-def big screens.

New York can have their boring ball drop where the crowds were searched, no bags allowed, no booze allowed and people just about froze to death waiting for an anti-climatic one-minute countdown. The only reason we have not far surpassed them as North America’s #1 New Years destination is that by the time our party is in full swing, much of the U.S. is already asleep due to the time zone differences and never gets to see it live on TV.

Don’t take my word for it. Many of you probably watched that ball drop (hope it didn’t get you blood pressure up too much… yawn). Check out the first link in this story list and watch the full 7 1/2 minutes of what Vegas did to ring in 2010:

Planet Harrahswood Is Close – All seems to be in place for the Harrah’s (corporation) buyout of enough Plant Hollywood debt to take over the place. Many have mixed feelings on this one. Some really like Harrah’s properties. Others are lamenting the loss of what is considered an “indie” property that really tried harder with good gaming value and solid customer service.

My prediction? The new Tropicana (currently undergoing extensive remodeling to a South Beach theme) is poised to become the new Plant Hollywood. The upgrades and re-theming will make the once-aging property very attractive and hip. The “old-school” executives and management who have left other properties to go to The Tropicana will likely bring back some of the more traditional good gaming odds and customer service that some see as currently lacking.

Speaking Of… Look What I Found! – Down in the bottom of a box from my move almost a year ago, I found a deck of playing cards from The Aladdin (the hotel that became Planet Hollywood). These were used in actual play, have been sealed every since, and are now obviously a collectors item.

Guess what? I’m giving them away. But… I’m making you work for them. You need to tell me two things about the following picture:

The location in the above picture used to be the exact spot of a world famous Las Vegas exhibit seen by hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) over many decades. 1. What hotel is this? 2. What exhibit used to occupy this spot? Send an email with the word Aladdin in the subject line to allvegastv@aol.com and the answer to both questions. On January 20’th, 2010 we’ll pick a random winner for those answering both questions correctly.

Holidays In Las Vegas – Just about every year prior to Thanksgiving, I note that more and more extended families decide to come together and meet in Las Vegas. While not originally the case in decades past, Thanksgiving and Christmas (when it falls on or near a weekend) are now two more popular times of year here. 2009 was no exception as business was brisk on both holidays!

We are always searching for Vegas comments on blogs to gauge the pulse of how the world sees us. I recently saw a number of posts saying (to paraphrase): Vegas must be dying. We were there the week before Christmas and it was dead. DUH! These people obviously were not here on Thanksgiving, Christmas or especially New Years Eve. In fact…

Hint for December 2010 – The week before Christmas has always been the slowest time of the year. If you want the cheapest room rates, least amount of crowds, and virtually no lines, visit 7-10 days before Christmas (and especially on weekdays). My advice? This coming year, get your holiday shopping done early then reward yourself with a pre-Christmas trip to Las Vegas!

Nevada Unemployment Drops – While this may look like a good sign for the state, I borrow from the famed broadcaster Paul Harvey and note that you need to hear “the rest of the story”. For about the first time in 100 years, Nevada’s population dropped almost 30,000 people from 2008 – 2009. People are simply “getting out of Dodge” which has helped employment pressures.

To those thinking of moving here, I continue to give this advice: Only move to Las Vegas if you are independently wealthy or have a very stable job that allows you to live just about anywhere you have an internet connection and can get to an airport. If you fall into those categories, Las Vegas housing prices are very attractive. If you don’t fall into the above categories, just keep enjoying the historic low hotel rates and dining values on your visits. (Hint: Find them by following our EasyVegasDeals.com blog). There has never been a better time to stretch your dollar in Las Vegas!

You Too Can Jump Off The Stratosphere Tower – This is breaking news so we’ll have full info next issue. The Stratosphere is going to give peopleáthe opportunity to plummet 855 feet off the side of the tower. The “ride” will be called SkyJump. Stay tuned next issue for full details and a photo.

Welcome To 2010 – Can you believe that this coming May will mark 11 years I’ve been publishing this newsletter? It started out as Las Vegas’ very first blog (way before the term was coined). Look where we are today. I wish you and yours a far better 2010 than 2009, and know that your 2010 trip(s) to Las Vegas will be some of the highlights of your year. We’ll do everything we can to help that happen.

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Mark Jacobs

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
Get Great Rates At All Hotels:

Bally’s from $39, El Cortez from $40, Fitzgeralds from $23, Hooters from $24, Orleans from $33, Riviera from $29, Sahara from $27, Stratosphere from $26, Tropicana from $28, Tuscany from $25, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Disney’s The Lion King Shatters Its Own Box Office Record At Mandalay Bay Theater In Las Vegas – Disney’s landmark musical event, THE LION KING, has broken its own Mandalay Bay Theater box office record with a gross of $1,314,161 during the eight-performance week of December 21-27, 2009. The previous Mandalay Bay Theater record held by THE LION KING was a gross of $1,200,128 (set week ending July 26, 2009). For Las Vegas, Disney hand-selected an international cast of performers who have won acclaim in productions of THE LION KING across the globe, including Broadway, Taipei, South Africa, London, Los Angeles, Australia, Toronto, Shanghai, Paris and Holland.

World’s Largest Helium Balloon On THE Las Vegas Strip – Cloud Nine offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the famed Las Vegas skyline from nearly 500 feet in the air. The balloon is tethered to the ground and can quietly/safely elevate up to 30 passengers at a time. Ticket prices start at $17.50 for children and $22.50 for adults.Tickets are available for purchase at the location. Directly across from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Cloud Nine, the world’s largest land-tethered, helium-filled balloon and is open to the public.

Devi Kroell Now Open At The Forum Shops – Borrowing from the aesthetic traditions of iconic Viennese artistsùfrom Gustav KlimtÆs rich, saturated palette to Adolf LoosÆ streamlined structuresùAustria-born , New York-based Devi Kroell debuted her eponymous collection in Spring 2004. First focusing on understated, sculptural handbags rendered in exotic materials, Kroell expanded into footwear in Fall 2006, and unveiled her first ready-to-wear collection for Spring 2009.

Mandarin Oriental Grand Opening Gala – Taiko drummers rhythmically set the pulse as guests filed in to the richly decorated morning ceremony, hosted on the hotel port-cochere. Speeches included comments by Edouard Ettedgui, Group Chief Executive, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Jim Murren, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, MGM MIRAGE, William Grounds, President and Chief Operating Officer of Infinity World Development Corp., Congressman Dean Heller and General Manager Rajesh Jhingon. Guest proceeded to the hotel’s 23rd Floor Sky Lobby for a champagne reception and preview tours.

The Gallery To Present ‘Chihuly At CityCenter’ – Dramatic Exhibition Venue To Feature Stunning Chihuly Collection Upon December Debut – Chihuly at CityCenter debuts a dynamic exhibition space located within Crystals at CityCenter in Las Vegas. Spanning 4,350 square feet, the compelling presentation features a diverse representation of world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s sculptures, drawings, editions and prints. Recognized for his masterful use of color, fluid forms and large-scale glass installations, Chihuly’s CityCenter exhibitionáhighlights a number of his important works.

MMA Retail Stores Debut At Mandalay Bay and Luxor – Fans of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) can punch-up their wardrobes at two new retail stores dedicated to this increasingly popular sport û Fight Museum within Mandalay Bay and LX Fight Shop at Luxor.

  • Mandalay Bay – Fight Museum features trendy, MMA-associated clothing brands such as Xtreme Couture, TapouT, Silver Star Clothing and Hitman Fight Gear. Collector’s items such as signed memorabilia and clothing worn by well-known fighters can be purchased as well. Location: Near main lobby
  • Luxor – LX Fight Shop also sells fashionable MMA-related attire as well as books, DVDs and a wide range of energy drinks, diet supplements and other sundries associated with this intense action sport. Location: Atrium Level

Rick Faugno Reprises Acclaimed, One-Man Song And Dance Show At South Point Casino Showroom January 24 – Rick Faugno, one of the Strip’s popular Broadway imports who currently stars as Frankie Valli in “Jersey Boys,” will reprise his critically-acclaimed, one-man song and dance show and release his first CD, “Songs My Idols Sang (And Danced!)” on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m. in the 400-seat South Point Casino Showroom. The triple-threat Faugno, with his professional dancing, singing and acting talents, premiered his solo show last August and sold out two performances in 48 hours. “I’m especially excited about my first CD and re-creating the magic that I was able to capture on stage with my musical director Keith Thompson, my band and in the recording studio,” said Faugno. “And I’m thrilled about sharing some of my favorite music from the Great American songbook, as well as presenting it in a new light.”

Las Vegas Deals

These are only a few of the many Easy Vegas Deals we find each and every week (many of which happen too quickly for newsletter deadline). For a complete and constantly updated listing:

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Why don’t you run a commentary about the outrageous car rental prices now being charged at the airport? Also what drew people to Vegas was the cheap food and cheap Hotel rooms 10-20 years ago. Maybe the hotel owners should get together and go back to their roots and roll back prices to bring affordability back into focus for the average Joe.

Perry

Ted Responds:

We were vocally against the rental car tax increases last year (to fund a performing arts center). We also noted just a few weeks ago that you can rent a car at a number of hotels on The Strip and avoid the very high airport rental tax. Use a shuttle to get to your hotel, then rent a car only for the time/days you need it.

Hint: When you go to respective car rental websites, ignore the searches that include major airports. Instead, search by zip code. 89119 if you are staying south of Flamingo Blvd. (on the Strip), 89119 if north of Flamingo, 89101 if staying downtown.

I agree that you should not need to pay outrageous airport rental car taxes when alternatives are available. Cities don’t understand the bad taste high rental car taxes leave on a visitor. You get somewhere and have rented a car for $50 a day only to find out the fee (after taxes) is nearly double. And… that is your very first impression of a place after stepping off the airplane!

Hertz has a booth at many of the major resort casinos. Also, Enterprise will “pick you up” so you may want to look into them as well.

As we’ve been discussing over the past few months, the economy has forced properties to start to make changes. For example, Harrah’s (corporation) has just stopped charging resort fees, meaning no hidden surprise when you check in or check out. For gambling, walk your business downtown where the table game rules tend to be better for the player, the food cheaper, and the machines seem to be looser.

My partner and myself are coming for the first time to Vegas around the 25th of June 2010 for 7 nights and would like to know what show stars are appearing at Vegas at that time. Can you give me some help and what site to book tickets? Your help would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Steve Easthope

Ted Responds:

In every newsletter on the right hand sidebar, we list all coming concerts that are booked at any given time. By clicking on any of the concert and artist links here in the newsletter, you can buy tickets.

You can also go to http://entertainment.accessvegas.com and check your dates and see what is available.

The best way to stay up-to-date info on all coming happenings, what’s new in Las Vegas, and other information you need is to simply stay subscribed!

I have a suggestion for David from Canada regarding cash (ATM’s and similar). I also don’t like to carry too much cash so I opened a “line of credit” at one of the casinos. I am now able to cash a check without being charged a fee. Usually I carry only two checks with me with the amount in my checking account “set” so I can’t get carried away. Asking for a “marker” and then settling up at the end of the trip is also an option. But, you MUST be disciplined so you don’t gamble away your house:-)

Diane Podemski

Ted Responds:

Good suggestion, although you are correct: Many might perhaps feel an obligation (or temptation) to gamble more than they otherwise would. Which is the reason casinos give you a line of credit in the first place!

Just returned from Vegas, staying at the Hilton. Great hotel! Visited the Palazzo and while playing a slot machine ordered a Chivas on the rocks. The drink arrived but it sure wasn’t Chivas. I had a couple of sips and then left the drink. Why should the Palazzo receive so many diamonds when they serve a cheap replacement for Chivas? My first and last visit to the Palazzo has just happened.

Neil Thompson

Ted Responds:

Interesting note. Chivas has a very definitive taste so no question you’d know if you were getting it or not.

I’ve heard rumblings that some properties pour generic booze even if you ask for something specific (sometimes depending on what level you are playing at). I know that I’ve called for Jack/rocks and what I got wasn’t Jack Daniels, which has a specific, recognizable taste as well. Be interesting to see if we get any other stories about this or if Venetian responds.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 16-18 (3 day weekend)
  • Super Bowl Sunday February 7
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 13-15 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year February 14
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • Mardi Gras February 16
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 4
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 9
  • Memorial Day, U.S May 29-31 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 20
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada July 31-August 2 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 4-6 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 9
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 25-28 (4 day weekend)
  • Hanukkah Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
  • Christmas December 25
  • New Year’s Eve-Day December 31 – January 2 (3 day weekend)

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend!

For comments or questions regarding our content or this newsletter write us at allvegastv@aol.com.

New to the list? See our Newsletter Archives for back issues and subscription info. Don’t hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates.

All contents copyright 2009 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

January 6, 2010 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

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