Tag Archives: deals

Access Vegas Insider Vibe December 14, 2011

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AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe

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
Featured Shows

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

Hello From Las Vegas! – We’re inching toward Winter Solstice (Dec. 22) and I’m looking forward to the days starting to get longer again. The fact that Las Vegas is sunny just about every day means nothing when the sun goes down so early! As we get toward the end of the year here, the news cycle has slowed down a little bit. The next couple of issues will be “kitchen sink” issues (everything but the kitchen sink). A mish-mash of news and thoughts that haven’t made previous issues, but should be interesting to most nonetheless.

New Years Eve – Next week, we’ll have all the details but expect business as usual with a nearly 9 minute fireworks show going off from The Tropicana to The Stratosphere. (Be warned that no hotels between Venetian and Strat will have displays). Let’s hope for better weather than last year when midnight temps were slightly below freezing. I’m getting too old for that! Tip for locals: One of the best “up close” views of the show is from the top of Palace Station parking garage. They close off the top floor and welcome everyone up for the look-see.

Celebrating All The Holidays – We know that Las Vegas goes “boom” in a big way for New Years Eve. Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day also result in big weekends. The LVCVA (Convention and Visitors Authority) is now suggesting turning more special event days into “Vegas Holidays”. As usual, the LVCVA is just sobering up and way behind what is actually already happening. I’ve been screaming about this for years!

Halloween has morphed into a Vegas Holiday with the nightclubs really stoking that fire. Cinco De Mayo has turned into a pretty big celebration. Not because of the LVCVA, but because of various casinos and bars doing events. Check out this video of Harrah’s 2010 Cinco de Mayo outdoor celebration. I’m completely floored that we don’t do Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday here. Are you kidding me?!?!? We could out-do New Orleans (and The Strip doesn’t smell like urine). Better late then never. More events for our visitors!

All Drinks $2 – Once again this year, the South Point is serving all drinks at their casino bars for $2 through December 24. I know that some of you gasp in horror at the thought of leaving The Strip, but this is quite the excuse to see how the locals eat, drink, and play at one of the city’s newer properties. (South Point is known for loose slots and good payback on video poker). They have a shuttle (schedule) for $8 round trip or the 6 mile cab fare will run you about $15 each way.

Tour Helicopter Crash – I like to focus on the good news and fun involving Las Vegas. However, I’d be remiss in mentioning the helicopter crash that took the lives of two couples and the pilot. One of the couples was celebrating their 25’th wedding anniversary, the other were newlyweds, and the pilot himself was a newlywed. Without singling out any particular tour companies (including the one involved in this horrible accident), let me note that when it comes to tours, you often get what you pay for.

We’ve been happily associate with a certain helicopter company (which I won’t name in this instance because this isn’t about capitalizing on tragedy) for well over a decade now. They are pretty much the most expensive. They also fly some of the newest equipment and can afford some of the best pilots. Guess what: They have an amazing safety record.

This extends to other aspects of your visit as well. The 1/2 price ticket booths are very popular. But keep a couple things in mind: At any given time, any show can end up for sale that day. Even the top shows rarely sell out every seat, every night. BUT… some showsáend up there day in and day out, and with good reason. They aren’t great shows. And since you’re the last one to buy tickets, guess where you’ll be sitting? Don’t get me wrong, if you just want to kill 90 minutes (shows are often cheaper than gambling), what the heck. But if you want good seats to the better shows, go ahead and book well in advance.

The Defenders – For those who blinked and missed the Jim Belushi/Jerry O’Connell Vegas-based show called The Defenders, Netflix is streaming all 13 episodes.

Special Christmas Menus – Similar to Thanksgiving, many of the restaurants in the hotels will be featuring a special holiday menu (in addition to their regular menu). If spending Christmas here in town (many families do), you might inquire with the restaurants that catch your eye to check options for Christmas dining, reservations, etc. ASAP upon your arrival.

Like And Tweet – Enjoy our information? Share it with your friends and followers (Click to Like or Tweet, hover over the share button for Email A Friend menu):

 

Enjoy This Issue!

Associate Editor: Amy Rayner-Cooley
News Researcher/Editor: Rick Ziegler

Skip the airport taxi hassles and arrive at your hotel in style: Check out driver and limo service availability now!

 Book A Las Vegas Limo Today!

Winter in Venice, Christmas, Venetian, Palazzo, WinterThe Venetian and the Palazzo Las Vegas First-Ever Winter in Venice Holiday Celebration Continues – The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas are hosting Winter in Venice, the first true celebration of the winter season on the Las Vegas Strip. Winter in Venice is the ultimate destination for an unforgettable holiday experience through Jan. 8. The whimsical festivities features an enchanting ice skating rink above The Venetian’s picturesque outdoor Grand Canal, welcoming skaters to make figure-eights or glide hand-in-hand with loved ones. Surrounded by snowflakes, strung overhead holiday lights and an awe-inspiring 65-foot LED holiday tree sitting atop the Doge’s Palace fountain, guests are entertained by strolling candy cane stilt walkers, puppets, jugglers and magicians.

Odgen, Pool, Downtown, Upscale, kitchen, living room

The Return of Upscale Living in Downtown Las Vegas with The Ogden – Renovations to Streamline Tower Reveal Premium High-Rise – Located in the heart of Las Vegas’ flourishing arts and entertainment district, The Ogden offers an unparalleled experience with front-row seats to the downtown revitalization effort along with an alternative solution for residents that prefer a chic lifestyle paired with a convenient leasing option. The new Ogden will offers contemporary living without the long-term commitment.

Cabo Wabo, Sammy Hagar, I can't drive 55, dollar nachosCabo Wabo Ups The Ante With Sammy Hagar’s ‘I Can’t Drive 55’ Dollar Nachos – Cabo Wabo Introduces its Most Extreme Menu Item – Everyone knows the Red Rocker can’t drive 55, so Cabo Wabo has decided to up the ante with its newest extreme dish, Sammy Hagar’s ‘I Can’t Drive 55’ Dollar Nachos. This colossal appetizer includes Cabo Wabo’s signature tortilla chips piled high with 20 tasty toppings, available for $55. And because the Red Rocker is certain that this dish will take an entire army to finish, he invites guests to take his ‘I Can’t Drive 55’ Dollar Nacho challenge. Cabo Wabo threw just about everything in the kitchen, minus the sink, into this massive mound of nacho goodness.

Ice Skate, The Villiage, Lake Las VegasThe Village Lake Las Vegas Kicks off the Holidays with Skating on The Lake – Bringing back an annual tradition with the world-famous floating ice rink – It wouldn’t be the Holiday season without a spin around one of Las Vegas’ most celebrated attractions. The one-of-a-kind floating ice rink has become a quintessential Vegas winter experience among locals and tourists alike. Guests bundle up and head to this destination attraction to skate on the unique platform that holds up to 75 skaters at one time with the picturesque back drop of The Village Lake Las Vegas.

Yoga, Spa, Mirage, DolphinThe Mirage Nurtures Nature – Offers Yogis One-of-a-Kind Yoga Class With Dolphin Views – The Spa at The Mirage is taking downward-facing dog to the dolphins with a new, one-of-a-kind class, Yoga Among the Dolphins, offered in a serene, underwater viewing area within Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. ”Guests from all over the world cherish the dolphins at The Mirage,” said The Mirage Spa Director Stephanie Doud. ”When I looked at adding yoga to our spa menu, it only made sense to take advantage of the property’s exotic, wondrous dolphin world and the atmosphere of relaxation provided by the animals.”

Maverick Helicopter River Rafting TourMaverick Helicopter Combo Adventure with River Rafting Tour û Our Wind Dancer Flight with an added thrill of rafting the Colorado River through Black Canyon. An adventure of a lifetime! You will begin your day with complimentary hotel pick-up and your jet helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon. Your pilot will bring you back to the Boulder City Airport to be greeted by the river rafter team for a motorized 10-mile float.

Click To Book Maverick Helicopter Combo Adventure with River Rafting Tour Now!

What We’re Watching – Vegas Videos You’ll Enjoy

  • Motley Crue Residency At The Hard Rock – In 2012, the world’s most notorious rock band will take on the world’s most notorious city for the first ever hard rock residency in Las Vegas. Enjoy this ”barely safe for work” preview.
  • Book Tickets Now: Motley Crue
  • Historic Railroad Trail At Lake Mead National Recreation Area – The historic railroad trail was a railroad right of way originally used to haul equipment and materials for the construction of Hoover Dam. The railroad was decommissioned in 1961 after the last power generator was installed in the dam. The trail is 3.7 miles one way and goes from the trailhead near the Lake Mead NRA Alan Bible Visitor Center to the Hoover Dam visitor parking structure.
  • Pahrump Valley Winery – Not far from the strip is Nevada’s most award winning winery, Pahrump Valley Winery. You heard me right, our neighbors out at Pahrump are growing their own grapes and turning them into award winning wines. And if that isn’t enough for you to make an easy hour drive, well, you can also stroll their beautiful grounds and grab a bite to eat at their gourmet restaurant Symphony’s, named after their Gold Medal winning wine of the same name.
  • Las Vegas in Kodachrome c.1962 – 16mm Kodachrome home movies from a group of Chicago Police officers and their wives while they visit Las Vegas in the early 1960s. The opening sequence takes place in a bus with long curved plexiglass windows (which makes for easy viewing of the Nevada / Arizona country) and is perfectly clear and in focus – incredible stuff.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Note From Ted: This week (only) we’ll be featuring some of the feedback toward our decision to move to a paid subscriber newsletter model. Should you wish to chime in, you can use the contact information at the end of this segment. You know that I’m always transparent in addressing reader thoughts and concerns.

Next week, we return to the normal format for this section with lots of reader reports, tips, and questions answered!

We will be so sorry to lose this e-mail from you. Being retired and on a fixed income, and everything still going up, we cannot pay for anything that is not essential. I do save a bit for vacations, etc., and hope to visit once in a while. Just have to watch our pennies to do so. Perhaps we are two of your oldest subscribers as we have been long time readers. Good articles!!.

We thank you for a great newsletter and appreciate all the news about one of our favorite towns. Good luck in your new venture. Will miss you!!

Kay G

 

Ted Responds:

Thanks for the note. The bottom line is that we can’t continue to publish with the current scope for free at the expense of properly maintaining and upgrading our website, which is capable of reaching far more people.

Just as you would not want to work for free, I certainly can’t ask my small crew to put in extra hours off the clock to maintain both the site and the newsletter. Nor can I do it all by myself.

I crunched some numbers: Let’s say that the average cost of a Las Vegas vacation is $1000 a couple just for room, air, and food. Let’s say that it is a four day, three night stay which comes to around 60 waking hours here. That right there is $16.67 per waking HOUR while you are here. Just to be here.

If our information just saves you 1.5 hours of otherwise wasted or wandering time (because you know what is going on), it has paid for itself. Add to that deals we scour the web for that you can take advantage of on your trip, and you’ve more than covered the modest fee we’ll be asking.

Add into that the hours and hours that someone would spend trying to look up and find all this info on their own, and a couple of bucks a month to save all those hours turns into something that actually saves you, not something that costs you.

I appreciate that you may not be able to spare $2 per month for what we do. I respect that and thank you for being a long-time reader. Understanding that the economy is bad, I purposely kept the price as low as possible. To put it in perspective, another long time Las Vegas newsletter (which I have immense respect for) only publishes monthly and charges upwards of $40 per year.

But the simple economics are to cut way back on the information in the newsletter (an option I don’t find acceptable), or to ask readers who find it of value to help us out with $1.99 per month.

Thanks for your feedback,

Ted Newkirk
CEO, Managing Editor
AccessVegas.com

Your newsletter indicates that you are start charging in a few weeks. I can not find where to sign up. Help!!

On another note, I’ve returned from a trip mid November, stayed at the Aria. Used the $20.00 upgrade move and got a wonderful room. Two suggestion when staying there. One, request a room near the elevators, I need a pack mule for supplies to get from the elevator to my room. Two, be careful in the showers, the floor are polished smooth and of course, get them wet, they get slippery.

I have trouble using the electronic to operate the TV but that was probably my fault.

I agree with one of your readers in that they need to install a moving sidewalk to get the general public into the casino. And also for the guests for the Aria that want to go out and wander the Strip.

Dennis Hall

 

Ted Responds:

We’re still getting everything prepped. Don’t worry, we’ll provide plenty of advance notice. I’m so excited about the great, new things we’ll be able to do in 2012 once we’re able to better staff our little operation here! I can’t count the number of great ideas we come up with that we just don’t have the manpower to implement.

We have to keep most of them under our hat, but one is video: The internet is flooded with Vegas video, but 95% of it is unprofessionally produced and you have to sift through so many videos to (for example) find a good walk-through of a hotel room or an attraction you may want to know more about. If you find the “official” video for something, it is usually a 60 second advertisement that does not help much.

We’d love to shoot a series of 3-4 minute videos covering much of what Las Vegas has to offer, well produced, no BS. This would be invaluable to our members, as you could take a nice overview of something from the comfort of your home, and then decide whether it is up your alley. As opposed to coming here, trying it, and maybe finding it wasn’t for you (which wastes your time and money). As you can imagine, that takes time my present crew simply does not have.

Another example: Las Vegas is flooded with deals. I don’t mean a couple of ongoing steak specials. I mean happy hours, limited time prix fixe meals, much more. We’ve had endless requests to make a part of the site featuring all of this and we simply don’t have the resources to do so (it requires so much research to stay on top of it all as deals change weekly and even daily). Once we’re able to increase staffing, we’d like to keep this updated information in (what will be) our members area. That alone will save everybody the cost of the yearly subscription!

Thanks for the feedback on Aria. I agree and we’ve suggested in the past that in really big properties like Aria and MGM, the rooms can be quite a hike if you are don’t get put near the elevator banks. You aren’t the first to struggle with the Aria features. Cutting edge, but perhaps they should come with an operations manual!

We’ll keep an eye on what CityCenter does once The Harmon comes down. They’ll have a second chance to make the property more friendly to those walking The Strip.

Love your newsletter and donÆt mind helping out with the paid subscription. This route certainly makes sense. How will it work? Will you send out e-mails to let us know the new newsletter is off and running with the address to which the check should be sent? Just want to know so that I wonÆt be left out or miss the info. Thanks again for this helpful newsletter and your attention to detail.

Edith

 

Ted Responds:

We’ll have numerous payment options including the ability to send in a check. We’re in the process of working it all out.

Thanks in advance for the support. With everyone pitching in just a little bit, we believe that we’ll be able to produce the most amazing resource out there for Las Vegas visitors!

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

  • Want to comment on a current reader post? Use the comment box on that particular web page. Many of the stories we post also have comment boxes at the end of the story. Make your voice heard!
  • Drop us an email at AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

More Las Vegas News – Shows – Events

Access Vegas Insider Vibe û September 10, 2009

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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
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

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

Hello From Las Vegas! Lots of newsáfeaturing a few very well known Las Vegans so we’ll jump right in:

holly madison peepshow las vegasHolly Madison Peeping Through Fall Of 2010 – No one will fault Holly Madison’s work ethic or love of Las Vegas. Since moving here after her reality show “breakup” with Hugh Hefner, she’s turned herself into Miss Las Vegas. Many performers who come for a run here (whether a few months or a few years) often do their show but otherwise have no real interest or involvement in the community. In fact, at least one very prominent Las Vegas headliner is reputed to fly in for each show and flies right back out again the same evening (and does this multiple nights per week).

Others seem to embrace and enjoy Las Vegas. Celine Dion and her husband Rene Angelil were known for not only settling here (in Lake Las Vegas, about 17 miles southeast of The Strip) but were pretty active in the community and local charities. Celine was even spotted a couple of times shopping at the Henderson Wal-Mart!

Holly Madison has even stepped it up a notch from that. It isn’t “where has she been seen” but where “hasn’t” she been seen. Baseball games to bikini walks to charity events… she is seeminglyáeverywhere. (Holly can still usually go out without being mobbed. We aren’t making trying to compare her activities to Celine, who would have been mobbed walking down The Strip). Every writer who has interviewed her, both big and small, has glowed at the access she gives and how down-to-earth she is.

Disclaimer: I have a soft spot for her because we are both native Oregonians and both studied psychology at Portland State University (a few years apart… she’s just turning 30… and that number is firmly in my rear view mirror).

Madison has now signed on to continue her “Bo Peep” roll in Peepshow at Planet Hollywood through fall of 2010, both an indication that Peepshow will continue to enjoy a long, successful run here and that the love affair between Las Vegas and Holly Madison might have an equally long run as well.

Click to purchase Peepshow Las Vegas Tickets

Vince Neil Ink Opens This Weekend At The Rio – Vince Neil (infamous lead singer of Motley Crue) moved to Las Vegas not long after I did, and hasn’t exactly been a stranger himself.

This weekend, he’s opening his second Vince Neil Ink Tattoo Shop at The Rio (the original is at O’Sheas) in partnership with rock star chopper builder Danny Koker (known as Count) of CountÆs Kustoms. The whole thing kicks off this Saturday evening with a free Vince Neil concert at 8:30 PM in the Masquerade Village, and the tattoo shop opening to the public at 11:00 PM.

vince neil ink tattoo salon rio las vegas

vince neil ink tattoo salon rio las vegas

We were able to get our own tour over a week ago, and got a great photosáof the shop, Vince Neil memorabilia, and the bikes on display. All can be viewed in our new Vince Neil Ink Tattoo Rio Las Vegas 2009 photo set.

Speaking of Mr. Las Vegas – According to Norm! of the Review-Journal, Wayne Newton is back in negotiations to be a permanent headliner at the revamped Tropicana in 2010. Given that the Trop is a quick and easy 6 mile drive from Newton’s Casa de Shenandoah and current rumbles that Newton could use the cash (plus the fact that both the hotel and Newton are embedded in the legacy of Las Vegas), I’d bet we’ll see this deal happen.

One Cool Photo – Leaving The Rio and Vince Neil Ink, we captured the following picture:

rio las vegas palms playboy sunset

It is now my computer wallpaper and I want you to enjoy it as yours also (obviously at no charge). Instructions are simple:

  • Click on the above photo which will take you to our photo gallery for this specific photo.
  • On that page under the image is a small link that says Full View. Click that link.
  • The full size photo will fill your browser. (It might appear too big… don’t worry about that).
  • Right-click your mouse on the photo. A menu will pop up. Choose “Set As Desktop Background” (Vista only: use the “Stretch” option in the drop down menu).
  • Mac users: I have no clue how to do the above on a Mac, but since you guys are smarter than us Windows users, I’m sure you already have it nailed.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

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

Las Vegas Is On Sale!
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Las Vegas Show Reviews

Lion King Las Vegas – Truly A Spectacular Event

lion king las vegas

“The Lion King” is truly a unique addition to Las Vegas. By bringing this award winning show to a town that is not always “kid friendly,” Disney has given visitors and locals alike an opportunity for a truly unforgettable night with the entire family. It is also an excellent choice for a romantic night out.

As the story progresses, we see young Simba fall into trouble as his evil Uncle, Scar, would like to be king. Scar readily admits that he is no physical match to Simba’s father, Mufasa; however, he insists that he got the brains in the family and should be the rightful king. Unfortunately for Scar, Simba’s birth meant that he would never have the opportunity.

R&B Superstar Jamie Foxx To Take Over The Colosseum At Caesars Palace – Jamie Foxx will bring his Blame It Tour to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for an evening of live music on Friday, October 9. With Intuition, Foxx’s newest musical release, he sought to create a state-of-the-art R&B album that will solidify his place among music’s elite.


Photo Credit: Jacob Andrzejczak

Phantom Fans Week – Don’t Miss Out On The Chance Of A Lifetime To See Phantom Up Close And Personal – In less than a month Phantom Fans from all around the globe will gather in Fabulous Las Vegas to take part in the first ever Phantom Fans Week. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the most well known musical masterpiece of all time like never before. Phantom fans from all over the world will join together September 16 û 20 at The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino and enjoy the production, get exclusive access to the show at special Insider Sessions and hear from the biggest names in the Phantom world, including honorary guest and legendary director, Hal Prince.

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!

Members Mania is the last thing I do before sending this out. I had some great letters and answers to send out today… only to wake up to a house without water! The water company was reading my meter and noticing it was using 6 gallons of water per minute. Which would only make sense if you were filling a swimming pool.

So… I spent much of the day dealing with the preparations to locate and fix the leak. Finding the leak is complicated by the fact that with our sandy/rocky soil, water doesn’t saturate and end up bubbling out of the ground. It simply seeps down and down and down into the earth.

I don’t want to delay this issue as we have so much great news and info (plus some of you will want to hit the free concert at The Rio on Saturday).

Since I don’t have any water coming out of my taps… I guess I’ll have to go look for something else to drown my sorrows in. This section should return next week.

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:

  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (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 18-20 (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)

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

September 9, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – July 16, 2009

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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
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

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

Hello From Las Vegas! Well… we’ve escaped the triple digit temperatures. Until now. The next week or so will bring constant daily temperatures of 110 (F). Hard to complain as we’ve really had some pretty nice, moderate weather the past few months. However, if you are coming to town the next few weeks, two very strong words of advice:

  • Go nuts with the sunscreen, and I mean the 30 SPF stuff. Apply often. Las Vegas sits at 2000 feet above sea level, which makes the impact from the sun’s rays stronger than where many of you live. And… you’ll be in the sun more than you realize you will.
  • Water, water, water, water, water. Drink plenty of it. Dehydration can creep up on you. Here’s what you don’t realize: You perspire here just as much (if not more) than you do at home. However… our dry climate wicks it off your skin so quickly that you often don’t realize it. You are losing far more moisture to the atmosphere than you realize, and if you areáboozing, you are further dehydrating yourself. Nothing wrong with asking for an ice water (with lemon slice, if you prefer) on the side when you order that cocktail, or even that beer. (Yes, beer actually will dehydrate you also).One final note: Our tap water may taste a little different than yours because of all the natural minerals in the Colorado River (our water source) but it is 100% safe to drink. For those who don’t to spend the money on bottled water, better to drink some so-so tasting tap water and stay hydrated than to end up with heat stroke.

Limited Beyonce Tickets Available – Beyonce is performing a series of very intimate shows at Encore (Wynn) July 30 – August 2. Few tickets are left, and they aren’t cheap. BUT… this is a very rare chance to see her take a break from the current arena tour in a special setting. Click for Beyonce at Encore Las Vegas Tickets

Although I’ll comment on local politics from time-to-time, we are not a political newsletter. Having said that, you don’t get to spend time with the mayor everyday and we unearthed some pretty interesting news. If the following isn’t your cup-of-tea, keep scrolling. We have the usual landslide of Las Vegas announcements, deals, and news in this issue!

Governor Goodman? – We enjoyed a nice chat with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman at “Martini’s With The Mayor” held about a week ago at Hemingway’s Cigar Lounge here in Las Vegas.


Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman smoking a premium hand-rolled cigar. Clark County (Las Vegas) Commissioner Larry Brown seen over the mayors shoulder back against the display case.

When introduced to those gathered with the usual accolades, Mayor Goodman chimed in with “don’t forget, hardest drinking mayor as well!”

I was fortunate enough to spend some one-on-one time and complimented Mr. Goodman on the stance he took when fellow Democrat President Obama gave a speech that pretty much killed the Las Vegas convention business for a number of months. The Mayor took time to tell me the following:

When he and his wife first moved to Las Vegas, they had been registered Republicans. He went to work in a law office that included (eventual) U.S. Senator Richard Bryan and told me that if you lived in Las Vegas and were in the legal field back then, you were a Democrat and that was that.

His (all but officially announced) run for Governor will have him running as an independent. To those who follow Nevada politics, this is politically expedient. The sitting governor is a Republican, and already has a strong primary challenge from former State Senator Dr. Joe Heck. (Disclaimer: I’ve had numerous contacts with Dr. Heck and have the utmost respect for him. I with he’d run for U.S. Senate instead of Governor). On the Democrat side, Rory Reid is the gubernatorial front-runner. (If that name rings a bell, yes… he’s U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s son).

Having said all of that, Mr. Goodman isn’t being disingenuous by running as an independent. He’s never been bound by party. If he’s had to take on the unions or environmentalists, he’s done so despite his official political affiliation. He’s all about Nevada, not political party.

If you are in town on July 31, you can head downtown to Mayor Goodman’s 70’th birthday bash (and most likely the official announcement of his run for governor). We have full details here: Help Celebrate Mayor GoodmanÆs 70th Birthday July 31 2009 At The Fremont Street Experience!

mayor oscar goodman business cardmayor oscar goodman business card
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman’s “business cards” are replicas of $100 chips used in casino table games. (No… mine is NOT for sale.)

Bourbon Street West – Just a couple of years ago, breathy bloggers were claiming that the demolition of the Imperial Palace was imminent. (I’m was on record at the time laughing and saying probably not). Harrah’s (the casino group, not the specific hotel) has announced plans to build a restaurant and bar complex/walk from O’Sheas to The Flamingo along the backside of the properties (think back where the monorail is).

Harrah’s (the hotel) was really the first one to offer a street-type party atmosphere with their wildly successful Carnival Court. The only question: How will they draw people back to this new project? I’m sure they have something up their sleeve…

Take Me Down… To Cabo Wabo – Sammy Hagar is bringing his Cabo Wabo Cantina to the Las Vegas Strip! We’ve heard rumblings for a decade that a Cabo Wabo would be coming to Las Vegas, and it finally looks like the time has come! The are taking over the Trader Vic’s spot at Planet Hollywood.

To be honest, I expected Trader Vic’s to do much better here. Trader Vic’s has locations literally around the world in some of the hottest business and tourist destinations. However, they might not have been a good fit for the current budget-conscious Las Vegas visitor. Cabo Wabo notes: Offering a blend of live music and coastal Mexican fare, Cabo Wabo Cantina will serve up an all-day and all-night party that will guarantee guests a good time at a price that won’t break the budget.

What Gamblers Want – I had to love the following letter to the editor of our local paper. Well worth a read: Casinos learn gamblers want the human touch

P.S. We’ve chosen and emailed the winners for both our Summer of ’69 and Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular contests. You may want to check your spam folder just to make sure you didn’t miss a possible notification.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

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 $33, Fitzgeralds from $23, Hooters from $20, Orleans from $27, Riviera from $27, Sahara from $23, Stratosphere from $42, Tropicana from $28, Tuscany from $22, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Crystals At CityCenter Reveals Unparalleled New Collection Of Luxury Retailers And Restaurants – CityCenter, the spectacular multi-use development opening later this year on the Las Vegas Strip, announced today an unparalleled collection of unique luxury retailers and restaurateurs that will join the already outstanding lineup at Crystals. The 500,000 square-foot retail and dining district is certain to become Las Vegas’ premier shopping experience. Opening December 3, Crystals will showcase an unprecedented array of the world’s most exclusive retailers including many flagship stores.

Fremont Street Experience Hosts NASA Astronaut Scott J. Kelly – in Celebration of “One Giant Leap: 40th Anniversary of Moon Landing”

WHAT: Fremont Street Experience will host a special educational forum with NASA Astronaut Scott J. Kelly for students of the Clark County School District on Monday, July 20 and Tuesday, July 21 at the 1st Street Stage area. Kelly will conduct three, one-hour sessions each day at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., discussing his two Space Shuttle missions and including a Q&A portion at the end. The forum will also include items such as a NASA spacesuit and Apollo 11 replica. The public is also welcome to attend.

The schedule is as follows:

WHEN: Monday, July 20 and Tuesday, July 21 À 10 û 11 a.m. À 11:30 û 12:30 p.m. À 1 û 2 p.m. WHERE: 1st Street Stage area at Fremont Street Experience

The Alan Parsons Live Project To Perform At Cannery Casino & Hotel – The Alan Parsons Live Project will perform their hits on Saturday, August 8. The special one-night performance begins with Paramount’s Original Laser Spectacular choreographed to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon.” The band will continue the show with live performances of the hits of the Alan Parsons Project. The show starts at 8 p.m. and doors open at 7 p.m. British progressive rock band, The Alan Parsons Project, is best known for its complex compilations of instrumentals and revolving lead vocalists.

Hollywood A-Listers And Top Poker Pros Help Raise $362,000 During The 3rd Annual Ante Up For Africa – Actor Don Cheadle and poker pro Annie Duke yesterday co-hosted the third annual Ante Up For Africa tournament, which is hosted on the eve of the World Series of Poker Main Event and since 2007 has raised nearly $2.5 million to build awareness for the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan, and support those who are victimized by it. Everyone who participates in Ante Up For Africa pays a $5,000 entry fee and is encouraged to donate a portion of any winnings for the immediate benefit of ENOUGH and the International Rescue Committee. Last night’s winner û Alex Bolotin of Brooklyn, NY û donated half of his winnings. In all, the third annual Ante Up For Africa raised $362,000.

Gladys Knight Returns To The Orleans Showroom August 7-9 – The legendary “Empress of Soul,” Gladys Knight has had a deep influence on the music world throughout her five-decade career. From August 7-9, Knight will be bringing her one-of-a-kind performance to The Orleans Showroom. Gladys Knight made her solo singing debut at the age of four in a Baptist church in Atlanta. In 1952, shortly after winning a prize for her performance on the televised Ted Mack Amateur Hour, eight-year old Gladys formed The Pips with her brother, sister and two cousins.

Drew Carey And The Improv All Stars To Perform At The Mirage – Stand-up comic, producer and writer Drew Carey, brings his award-winning talent to The Terry Fator Theatre at The Mirage Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29 at 10 p.m. Carey is best known for his self-titled series “The Drew Carey Show,” the innovative improv show “Whose Line is it Anyway?,” and for hosting the hit CBS television show “The Price is Right.” Joining Carey is the talented cast of The Improv All Stars: Ryan Stiles, Kathy Kinney, Chip Esten, Jeff Davis, Sean Masterson, Julie Larson and Laura Hall on piano. Carey will start the show with his stand-up comedy, and then the cast will join him onstage for an unscripted, unrehearsed, no-holds-barred laugh fest.

Sean Hannity Hosts Freedom Concert At Orleans Arena August 8 – Talk radio and television personality Sean Hannity will headline the Freedom Concert at the Orleans Arena on August 8, beginning at 8 p.m. All proceeds from the concert series, now in its sixth year, will go toward the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund for the dependents of U.S. military personnel who have been killed or permanently disabled in an operational mission or training accident. This year’s concert will feature performances by country music sensations Billy Ray Cyrus and the Charlie Daniels Band, contemporary artist Michael W. Smith, and the legendary Lee Greenwood.

Las Vegas Dinner in the Sky

las vegas dinner in the sky

Dinner in the Sky Las Vegas is the most original fine dining adventure you’ll ever experience! Seated at your dining Sky Table, you’ll float gently into the air to enjoy fine food and wine, surrounded by unique views of the illuminated Las Vegas Strip. Dinner in the Sky is truly a night out in Las Vegas like no other! Click to Book Las Vegas Dinner In The Sky

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!

First off I want to thank you again for the informative newsletter! I got back from a stay at Bellagio May 10-16, and had a great time. I read the comments from the fellow low minimum craps/blackjack player and I wanted to share with him the great help that I had gotten from you. You turned me on to the nextshooter.com website, where I learned that even though you might be staying at one of the nicer strip hotels, you can still find crap tables with a $3 minimum at the Casino Royale, which is right on the strip. They even offered $1 margaritas and $1 Bud in bottles!

Having followed you super-secret parking advice, I was able to leave Bellagio and be at a $3 minimum craps table in a matter of a few minutes! It was the most fun I’ve had playing craps in many years. I’ve been visiting Vegas two or three times a year, for a long time, but recently the fancier hotels have not been offering craps for less than $10 minimum. Maybe they’ll wise up and start listening to your advice. You’re right about word of mouth, I can’t tell you how many folks I’ve told about Casino Royale since I got back two days ago!

I really appreciate the amenities that Bellagio has, such as, the great spa, pool, etc., but as for gambling, I have restricted my gambling to their blackjack machines at the sports bar. (I don’t like machines, but what else could I do?)

Renting the car turned out to be a very good idea this time. I always fly in. But, sometimes I like to get out and take a drive to Red Rock Canyon and really appreciate the clear, quiet of the desert. By the way, for people who like to ride a motorcycle, but have flown in, like I always do, one of the Harley-Davidson dealers rents bikes by the day, week, etc. I thought about it, but it turned out to cost more to rent it for one day than the car rental was for a week!

Dave Durbin

Ted Responds:

red rock canyon las vegas nevadaRed Rock Canyon is one of the amazing desert scenery locations within 30 minutes of The Strip, and a must-see for the regular visitor. We’ve mapped it on Google maps: Las Vegas Strip to Red Rock Canyon. Still not sure if worth the visit? Check out our Red Rock Canyon Photo Gallery!

The parking secret tip that Dave was referring to was one I noted a few months ago: Directly behind the Casino Royale sits a four floor parking garage that always has plenty of room (except on New Years Eve).

Because the casino is so small, it is less than a 30 second walk from the parking garage to the sidewalk on The Strip. Now… there are signs that note parking is for Casino Royale patrons only. So grab a drink at the bar or drop a buck in a slot machine. They don’t have people monitoring who is parking and where they go, but tossing them a couple of bucks for the ease of parking is a small price to pay. We park there when heading to Venetian (right next door). Beats the heck out of trying to navigate the Venetian garage and the walk along the front of (and into) The Venetian on foot is a true pleasure.

Love your newsletter! My friend and I will be coming to Vegas. We will be staying at Wynn. Unfortunately, we wanted to see Danny Gans again. I am not for sure if anyone will be in that showroom when we are there. We have seen so many of the other shows in years past. Do you have any suggestion for a new good show?

Thanks,

Sara from Houston, Texas

Ted Responds:

Various touring artists are being added to the Encore schedule (as we’ve noted with Beyonce), and this was already in the works before Danny died.

For the money, Larry G. Jones is an excellent “Danny Gans” style performer: http://www.larrygjones.com

Terry Fator is knocking them dead, and Lion King has opened strong. Although not new, Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular sounds like it may be along the lines of what you are looking for.

A long time ago, i used to take a free shuttle to The Rio from the Strip but last time i went (4 years ago) i couldn’t find the spot. Do you have this information? i will be there next September 11th.

Monique Lavigne from Canada

Ted Responds:

Shuttle information changes from time-to-time, which is why we don’t attempt to keep of list of their schedules. (If you print out a shuttle schedule, it may be out of date when you arrive here). My advice? Call The Rio when you get to town. Sam’s Town, Orleans, Gold Coast and M Resort also have free shuttles to their properties and a quick phone call to the resorts in question will get you pick-up locations and times.

My mother turns 50 in January of 2011 and we have decided to go to Las Vegas to celebrate her birthday (what better way to take her mind off the big 5-0 than distract her with the excitement of Las Vegas). There will be 12 of us going so we will need 6 hotel rooms. Is there a way to get a cheaper rate for hotel rooms or flights when you are booking for this many at once? Just want to do as much research this far in advance cause the more we can save the more we’ll have to spend when we get there! Thanks for your help.

Heather

Ted Responds:

Generally speaking, anything over 10 rooms is a group rate situation.

Regardless of how large (or not) your Vegas-bound group is, call our friends i4Vegas.com at (800) 442-4002, tell them you are an Access Vegas reader, and ask about group rates. Tell them how many rooms you need and what either your price range is or any hotels you have in mind. They should be able to do something really great for any of our readers who call! Because they contract with hotels to buy big blocks of rooms, they can provide for just about any size group and pass along the bulk rate savings to you and your party.

Hope this helps. Make sure to tell everyone coming to subscribe to our newsletter to keep up on Vegas!

Was in Las Vegas May 17-21, and stayed downtown at the Four Queens. I enjoyed staying downtown and not having to walk forever to get anywhere. There were some very good food deals downtown also. Getting to the strip one day was no problem (I was traveling alone and time was not an issue so I used the Sam’s Town shuttle) and I realized how good downtown was after going back down that day to the strip and getting worn out from all the walking.

Sure there is not the glitz and glamor of the strip, but there are street bands and the Fremont Street experience, and no porn slappers downtown. I will definitely stay downtown again the next time I go to Las Vegas.

M. Jones from Grand Island, NE

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:

  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (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 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • 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

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!

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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 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

July 15, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – July 7, 2009

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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
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

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

Hello From Las Vegas! July 4’th hit the Las Vegas Strip with a (literal) bang. Displays by Mandalay Bay, Caesars Palace, and Palace Station pretty much assured that no matter where you were, you could see fireworks. Also, kudos to the financially strapped Station Casinos company for shooting off a display from each of their nine properties around the Las Vegas Valley plus displays by M Resort and others. If you couldn’t see fireworks somewhere in Las Vegas, it was only because you didn’t step outside!

Fewer people are moving to Las Vegas due to the economy. Hence, I haven’t published a “so you want to move to Vegas” segment in a long, long time. However, the housing market has created a prime opportunity for those in a position to make the jump. Whether you are serious about moving here now, perhaps thinking about it for the future, or simply hold is as a “someday” dream, I’ve written a few words of advice in this issue.

Concert Goof – Last week, we somehow ran 2008 concert listings on the sidebar of the newsletter. Amy (who literally rarely screws up) inserted the wrong ones. Worse yet, Mark missed it and then I missed it. However… many of you didn’t and wrote us about it (which we appreciate)! I’m happy to report that we are running the proper listing this week. Also, keep in mind that you can always see the latest listings by week and by month on our Las Vegas Entertainment Concert Calendar

Our Phantom contest is coming to an end very quickly. If you have yet to enter, don’t delay. If you aren’t interested, I’m sure you know others who are. Make sure to note this on your Facebook, Twitter, tell your “Vegas” friends at work, at the bar, anywhere you know of people who’d enjoy winning this:

Enter To Win Tickets For
Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular

Grand Prize Winner Will Also Enjoy Dinner at the Fabulous New FIRST Food & Bar at Palazzo Las Vegas

Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular Entry

More Than Just Dinner and a Show…

Grand Prize: You and a guest will enjoy dinner at the brand new FIRST Food & Bar restaurant inside The Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Following this unique dinner, you’ll move over to Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular’s custom theatre to be seduced by this exhilarating “Only In Vegas” rendition of this world famous, award winning show.

Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular Entry Page

Limp Bizkit Fan Appreciation Show – This notorious 90’s band is playing a “first come, first served” no ticket charge show at The Palms on July 18. Details are sparse at this time. Fans are urged to check out http://www.limpbizkit.com

Still Thinking Of Moving To Las Vegas? – We have readers who dream of living in Las Vegas, and those who are seriously considering the move. Every few weeks I remind people that this is a lousy time to move here. How lousy? The Review-Journal had a recent article about people from places like Detroit who were actually leaving Las Vegas and moving back to Detroit!

You know it is a tough job market here when people consider Michigan’s economy a better bet. Nothing against Michigan — we count numerous Michigan residents as readers — but they will probably be the first to tell you that their economy isn’t exactly humming along.

But… if you are moving here anyway, some tips:

  1. Most think of Las Vegas as this little island of a place in the desert. Nothing could be further from the truth. The populated portion of the Las Vegas Valley is about 25 miles north/south and 20 miles east/west. Don’t just assume you can plop down anywhere regardless of where you may be working or any special needs/desires (such as an interest in visiting The Strip on a regular basis or the need to fly often). Also, don’t simply assume that a real estate broker will take any of that into account. They all have their preferred areas of town that may be fantastic for them, but lousy for you.
  2. Plan to take a trip here solely based to scout the town. Stay downtown or at one of the chain hotels along Paradise Road (see our handy new Paradise Road hotel map) or an off-strip locals hotel such as Gold Coast or Orleans. You’ll be making a number of trips per day to scout out Las Vegas, and nothing is more miserable than having to deal with Strip traffic and parking multiple times a day. (Take it from us who have to do it from time to time for our jobs).
  3. Scout pretty much the entire Las Vegas area. I don’t just mean driving down a couple of main streets. Get off into a few neighborhoods here and there. Some of the “best kept secret” nicer neighborhoods (in all price ranges) are just off of main streets that otherwise look a bit dated or not-so-upscale. Break the Las Vegas area up into 3-4 sections and plan to spend a few hours a day on this driving quest.
  4. If you mark almost any spot on a Las Vegas map and draw a 5 mile radius line around it, you’ll find just about every kind of neighborhood and just about every price range of home and condo. I can’t emphasize this enough: Don’t let someone tell you what area you should live in. Do your own driving around.

    For example, a Realtor might try to steer you to the very nice, new community of Southern Highlands (the first developed area you see on your left when driving in from Los Angeles). Upscale, many gated communities. However… you may be someone who prefers a great view and would be much happier in the eastern foothills of Sunrise Mountain even though some a Realtor would rarely steer you to that part of town.

  5. The housing market here will be in the ditch for at least another year. If practical, figure out the area of town you think you want to live in and then rent for 6-12 before you buy a home. Nothing is worse than finding out that your “perfect” area might not meet your needs after all.

    Just ask many of the residents in Centennial Hills, which is the far Northwestern area of Las Vegas. A nice area? Yes. But so far from anything and everything that many of us long-timers call it “South Reno” (as it is so far north that it almost seems you are closer to Reno than Las Vegas). You’ll find yourself 25 miles from the McCarran Airport, 20 miles from The Strip, and with only one “usually congested” freeway between yourself and downtown. Move there then end up with a job in Green Valley and you are screwed into a Los Angeles style commute of 35 miles each way. Probably not what you moved to Las Vegas for.

    My tip? If you don’t have the time/ability to do the kind of research I outlined, lean toward the Southeast part of Las Vegas (anything between The Strip and Henderson). You’ll find out that your are no more than 15 minutes from just about anything important in our area.

Billy Mays R.I.P. – This has absolutely nothing to do with Las Vegas, but many us in the Access Vegas circle loved watching Billy Mays. Like him or not, his TV presentation style was unmistakably successful and we were also big fans of the show Pitchmen on Discovery. In this line of work, I can usually eventually find a way to meet people I want to meet (getting convention passes or whatever) and Billy Mays was way up there on my “want to meet” list. Our best to his family and friends.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

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

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

Bally’s from $49, El Cortez from $17, Fitzgeralds from $20, Hooters from $17, Orleans from $26, Riviera from $27, Sahara from $20, Stratosphere from $27, Tropicana from $28, Tuscany from $20, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Las Vegas Show Reviews

Gordie Brown Live at The Golden Nugget

gordie brown las vegas

Impressionist, singer and entertainer Gordie Brown takes you on a wild ride, in his show “Gordie Brown Live” at the Golden Nugget, and you wonÆt want to get off. Most of the show is made up of songs heralded by famous musicians and spoofed by this amazing talent. In addition to his phenomenal mimicry, Gordie replaces the song lyrics with his own and you canÆt stop laughing. Brown is backed by a talented band.

He nails Randy Travis singing without moving his lips, jumps around the stage as an aging Mick Jagger, shows us what an oversexed Tom Jones looks like and hurts himself in order to reach the high notes as Joe Cocker. We hear Bruce SpringsteenÆs take on Internet Dating, Barenaked Ladies ordering a meal with Chris Isaac finding a roach in his soup. Brown moves seamlessly from performer to performer, poking fun at the idiosyncrasies that set each one apart. One of the highlights of the show is of Sean Connery, Ray Romano, Nicolas Cage, John Travolta, Christopher Walken and Chris Rock all auditioning for the role of Batman.

The Minus 5 Experience Unveiled The Life-Size “Ice Portrait” of Mayor Goodman – Minus 5 Experience unveiled their life size “Ice Portrait” of Mayor Oscar B. Goodman. The ice portrait is based on a photograph provided by famed photographer Tomas Muscionico (who’s photo credits include portraits of A-list celebrities including Ray Charles, President Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and Steven Spielberg to name a few). Professional ice sculptors took approximately 32 hours to carve the portrait, utilizing more than 10 different tools to meticulously shape 550 pounds of crystal clear Canadian ice. The cool replica will remain on display throughout the summer, allowing visitors the opportunity to cozy up to the legendary Mayor.

Phantom û The Las Vegas Spectacular Celebrates Three Smashing Years At The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino – Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular, celebrated its third anniversary on June 24 as one of the most successful and longest-running musical theater productions on The Strip. After three thriving years and 1,353 performances, the cast and crew celebrated with an exquisitely decorated Phantom-themed cake during the curtain call at last night’s performance. Photo credit: Tom Donoghue.

Tickets For Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez Go On Sale – Fight Rescheduled For Saturday, September 19 at MGM Grand – Sports fans around the world can celebrate again as it was announced today that the highly anticipated 12-round welterweight showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez has been officially rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19.

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!

I am visiting Vegas July 19-23. Contrary to your assertion in your 6-29-09 newsletter, the airfares are not coming down. I am traveling from Sacramento to LV and priced the round trip costs for two for five weeks. They never went down. Actually I think the airfares contribute to the tourism dwindling because of the economy and rates not traveler friendly.

Walley

Ted Responds:

We noted that according to the Associated Press, they are at the bottom and likely will be rising over the next few weeks. Let me quote:

Airfare Hitting Bottom - A very recent Associated Press story noted that airfare prices are at the bottom. The price of oil is starting to rise and people who cut back spending during the recession (but never lost their jobs) are starting to loosen up their spending a bit. They suggest that if thinking about a trip, book your airfare now.

Las Vegas visitor volume has been on a slow but steady upward trend as the extremely low room rates more than offset the price of airfare. Having said that, Las Vegas as a destination has absolutely no control over airfare. Airlines set their own prices.

Hope that helps explain it better!

I am not sure of where the airfare is way down but it sure is not BOSTON.

Gail Parkinson

Ted Responds:

Boston isn’t noted for having low prices for much of anything. As a business hub, the airlines that serve it know they can get top dollar.

Mark Jacobs (of our staff) if from Boston, so we are well in tune with your area.

You have to take the good with the bad, I guess. You have great sports teams, and are a center of education and commerce. The flip side of the coin is the cost of living (including the cost of flying).

I do appreciate you input. Please continue to enjoy the newsletter.

Love the newsletter. Thanks for all the useful information. One question though. Me and my wife venture to Vegas quite frequently (3 to 4 times per year). We stay at a new location every time. On our most recent trip (May 2nd through 5th) we were staying at the Encore. I decided to try tipping the front desk to get an upgrade, which you have talked about a few times in the news letter.

Since it was a pretty upscale place I decided that a $50 would be the right amount. I folded it and placed it between my I.D. and credit card and handed it to the lady at the front desk, making sure that the denomination of the bill was clearly showing. She saw it and responded, “you don’t need to do that sir, I will do my best”. Needless to say, we did not get the upgraded room as I had hoped. My question is: Did I not tip enough, or do they just not take “bribes” at the Encore? Or did I do something wrong? Please advise.

Thanks for all you do.

Scott Etherington

Ted Responds:

$50 should have been fine for Encore, and I’ve heard of the tip working at Wynn.

Having said that, it is not a guaranteed deal. I’ve had it both work and fail at the same hotel. Various hotels have various directives, plus some clerks are more “by the book” (if you want an upgrade, you pay for it), than others.

ALSO, you’ll usually have better luck with it on non-convention weekdays when the hotel might not quite be as full.

Bottom Line: It is always worth a try. If it doesn’t work, it’s not a personal rejection of you. Various reasons beyond your (and sometimes their) control. You are in Las Vegas to gamble. Might as well take a “can’t lose” shot at the upgrade. It is the one bet in town that doesn’t cost if you lose.

P.S. The trendy new name to call Wynn and Encore that seems to be starting to catch on (and that Steve Wynn probably hates): Wynncore

Just want to mention that we always stay “Downtown on Fremont Street” Have stayed at the Plaza, the Lady Luck and will stay at The golden Nugget this year… If anyone knows about “Downtown”, they will remember Lady Luck is/was at one end of Fremont, and The Plaza is at the other end.

While I have been with Family, Husband and best girl friend, I have always felt very safe on Fremont Street from one end to the other. Often, I am alone and going back to my room at 3am or later… walking by myself…. I have never felt unsafe or been approached in any way…and I also know that should this happen, all I need to do is walk into the door of a Casino for help. The casino’s are so close together that this would not be a problem.

Off Fremont, I would not venture though…and although the El Cortez has been upgraded and is very nice, I would think twice about venturing there by myself after dark… but we do visit from early AM thru Dusk… and enjoy it very much. However, if I had a partner to walk with me, I would not hesitate to go there and play later… just not by myself.

As for Fremont Street, I feel very much at ease and very safe alone. So Ladies, this comes from one of your own… and I would not hesitate to tell you to visit or stay at the Casino’s “Downtown.” And Ted is right about the Taxi service at every hotel… usually there is enough Savings on your rooms “Downtown” to pay for your Strip Visits by Taxi, and still come out ahead $$ wise. Food for thought!

Sherrie Brickey

Ted Responds:

Thanks for the input. Especially the great point about being able to walk into any casino if you even feel at all threatened. Pretty much every inch of a casino (except the restrooms) is always on camera and being recorded! If you ever feel unsafe at any time for any reason in any of the tourist areas of Las Vegas (highly unlikely), simply duck inside a casino.

I guess no matter where ya go politicians can find a way to spend tax dollars in weird ways, i.e. not to benefit of the most. I came to Vegas in Sept 2000 for the first time. My first vacation in 20 years. It was (I thought) just to appease my wife. She was telling me how I should visit as she had years before and how great it was. I thought O.K., one visit and get it out of my (our) system.

That trip, then one April 2001, Oct 2001 (5 weeks after open heart surgery 45 years old, I’m ex-army and terrorists will not dictate my life!!!) were great. We stayed at Treasure Island and always had a great time. We came out at least twice a year and once made it three times (son turned 21).

But I noticed as you talk about, all of a sudden things started changing, and drastically. Where we once felt we were welcome, it started to feel like we were a bother. Even when we did get offers from several properties for free or discounted rooms, we choose not to use them. We had 3 free nights at Treasure several years ago, and my wife was so upset with the way they changed, we walked out and went to the Riv. Then we made the big mistake, we bought a time share and have since upgraded it to Tahiti Village. The actual cost per night/lifetime use is pretty steep. However, the amenities are great and discounted tickets, free breakfast etc. can count for something.

We do very little gambling now as we rent a car all the time, and do shows and movies. Don’t get me wrong, we still enjoy Vegas, just not as much or in the same way we used to. And that is to their detriment. Before we would think nothing about putting back thousands in winnings (and did) because we could have fun doing it. That has changed. I probably spend 40% of what I used to.

I guess what I am saying is this. Politicians don’t know what entertains the common folk and the casino/resort owners better get back to what the used to do, entertain us. Even if they don’t like us anymore, they can hire people to fake it.

And to you I say, thanks for wanting us to come out and visit!!!!!

Richard Faw

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:

  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (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 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • 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

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 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

July 8, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – June 24, 2009

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.

Can’t see all the great photos and graphics? Click to Read This Issue Online! Need to contact us? Send feedback to AllVegasTV@aol.com

Share the info: Click to Email this newsletter to a friend! Missed an issue? Click to Read Back Issues Online.

This newsletter is published exclusively for visitors to AccessVegas.Com and can only be signed up for there. We do not buy or rent lists, and this information is only for our members and guests. If you feel you have received it in error, click the unsubscribe link at the bottom. To subscribe, visit our Newsletter Site.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

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

Hello From Las Vegas! Weird week as we say goodbye to three entertainment icons: Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon. Plus, it was overcast with light rain here for a couple of days. Just a weird week. This newsletter is going to be all over the map. If a section doesn’t interest you, just keep scrolling! On to some fun and winning…

Enter To Win Tickets For
Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular

Grand Prize Winner Will Also Enjoy Dinner at the Fabulous New FIRST Food & Bar at Palazzo Las Vegas

Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular Entry

More Than Just Dinner and a Show…

Grand Prize: You and a guest will enjoy dinner at the brand new FIRST Food & Bar restaurant inside The Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Following this unique dinner, you’ll move over to Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular’s custom theatre to be seduced by this exhilarating “Only In Vegas” rendition of this world famous, award winning show.

Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular Entry Page

4’th Of July – We’ve continued to add quite a bit of information to our Fourth of July 2009 Las Vegas page. If you are going to be here this coming weekend (or even thinking about it), make sure you find out what is going on. It is going to be one huge weekend in Las Vegas!

New York, New York Roller Coaster – Certainly one of the wilder rides in Las Vegas, but not cheap at $14 for the first ride and $7 for each re-ride. (Co’mon guys… Every time we drive by, it is running nearly empty. Could it be the price)? However… for those who are true thrill seekers, they do offer a $25 all-day Scream Pass.

I haven’t done the NY, NY ride but a few years ago bought an “all you can ride” pass for the rides atop Stratosphere Tower (currently running $33 for Tower admission and all the rides you can handle) and went on the Big Shot ten straight times. (That is the ride which shoots you straight up off the top of the tower). Once you get used to both the height and the weightlessness, the view is unmatched!

Play The Machines Loaded – Very recently, I stopped to toss a few bucks into a Megabucks slot machine (our version of the lottery). The last person to play it before me had only bet two coins instead of the maximum three one can bet on this machine. Like just about every other “progressive jackpot” machine (where there is a huge top prize), you must play Megabucks “loaded” (full coins in) to hit the top prize.

If you line up the winning symbols but are playing for a smaller bet than the maximum, you won’t get the top prize. Even if you line up the highest winning symbols! If a certain progressive jackpot machine beckons you but is a little bit out of your financial league, do one of two things: 1. Plan of playing fewer hands or 2. Find a machine that is in your price range. Never, ever “try your luck” with less than the maximum bet allowed on a progressive.

New Las Vegas Deals TV Show – Our friend Alan Mendelson (long time Southern California newscaster) is bringing a new type of TV infomercial program is coming to Las Vegas TV called Vegas Best Buys. Unlike traditional TV infomercials that have advertising from one company, Vegas Best Buys will feature “mini infomercials” from ten to twelve advertisers with each advertiser getting a segment of several minutes on the program.

Alan has been producing the “Best Buys TV Show” in Los Angeles. The shows — both the Los Angeles and the Las Vegas versions — follow a “news format” that Mendelson developed while doing bargain shopping news reports for the CBS TV stations in Los Angeles. Interested businesses should contact him through his web site www.AlanBestBuys.com. Alan has told us that there will be no charge to the businesses that are picked to participate in the pilot. So pass this along to any local business owners you know.

Airfare Hitting Bottom – A very recent Associated Press story noted that airfare prices are at the bottom. The price of oil is starting to rise and people who cut back spending during the recession (but never lost their jobs) are starting to loosen up their spending a bit. They suggest that if thinking about a trip, book your airfare now.

If coming to Vegas, don’t forget to compare hotel prices with our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals. How do they keep their prices so low? They buy rooms in bulk, at wholesale prices from the hotels (who are willing to do so because it guarantees that the rooms are sold). They then pass the savings along to you.

Lowest Graduation Rate – Nevada has the lowest high school graduation rate in the country, with less than 50% of students grabbing that diploma. In the past, this was attributed to the ease of getting a good paying job in hospitality or construction (or on a stripper pole) without an education. Given the 11% unemployment rate and the end of the “gravy train” of high paying, low skill jobs because of the economy, let’s hope we see that number start creeping up a bit.

Summer Of ’69 Contest – If you missed our last issue (or just forgot to enter), you only have a few more days to take a shot at our Summer Of ’69 giveaway of lots of cool and unique Vegas stuff. Details are in the archives of our June 17, 2009 Access Vegas Insider Vibe.

More Members Mania – I’ve had to skip doing our very popular Members Mania section of the newsletter (scroll down about 2/3 of the way) a couple times in the past two months. So… we did a double-dose for you this week.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

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

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

Bally’s from $49, El Cortez from $23, Fitzgeralds from $23, Hooters from $20, Orleans from $28, Riviera from $27, Sahara from $23, Stratosphere from $25, Tropicana from $28, Tuscany from $31, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Las Vegas Show Reviews

Barbra & Frank, The Concert That Never Wasà

barbra streisand frank sinatra las vegas

“Barbra & Frank, The Concert That Never Wasà” at the Riviera Hotel & Casino is pure Vegas entertainment. Imagine if you will, an evening with two of the greatest musical icons of the 20th Century û Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra, together on the same stage. It never happened. It never could have happened. But Sharon Owens and Sebastian Anzaldo will make you feel as if it did, with you right there in the audience. Frankie starts the night off with the classic “I’ve Got A Crush On You.”

Anzaldo is dapper and debonair as Sinatra and quickly pulls you into the illusion. He’s got Frankie down. The voice and the physicality is unmistakably Sinatra. Owens’ Streisand has all the mannerisms of the real Streisand û the long nails, the hair. But it’s when she opens her mouth that she becomes Barbra. Her nasally speaking voice is true to character. She delivers the songs like a pro.

Penn & TellerÆs Magic Keeps Las Vegas Mesmerized

penn teller las vegas

In terms of upholding their reputations, the two do not disappoint here at The Rio. Employing a variety of standard magic bits from a simple Cups & Balls illusion to the more dramatic Sawing a Lady in Halves, Penn & Teller manage to inject their unique take and unexpected punchline every time. Other parts of the act incorporate totally unusual devices, such as an Airport Metal Detector. And PennÆs romantic fire-eating interlude is in a category all its own, as is his nail-biting nail gun routine. Teller, despite his trademark staunch silence, shines every bit as brightly in many acts highlighting his deft sleight of hand skills.

“Sgt. Pepper Live” Featuring Cheap Trick Exclusive Las Vegas Hilton Engagement – “Sgt. Pepper Live,” featuring Cheap Trick, will be presented at the Las Vegas Hilton September 13-15, 17-19 and 21-23. The performances, with special musical guests to be announced, will feature a full symphony orchestra, audio production by Geoff Emerick and set design by Rene Lagler. “One of America’s greatest bands ever, doing their live interpretation of this classic rock album, an album nobody believed could be performed outside the recording studio, sets a new standard for rock and entertainment in Las Vegas,” said Ken Ciancimino, executive vice president of the Las Vegas Hilton.

One Less Timeshare Company?

This past week, the company that probably was THE major timeshare company in Las Vegas (and one of the biggest in the U.S.) declared bankruptcy. These are my thoughts:

The economy has forced Consolidated Resorts into bankruptcy this past week. You might know then as the people behind Tahiti Village, the timeshare resort on the very, very, very south end of The Strip (2 miles south of Mandalay Bay). This may mean less people stopping you along The Strip at various hotels and asking you if you want free show tickets in return for listening to a timeshare pitch.

What remains to be seen will be the impact on the various shows which they promoted. They would actually buy the show tickets (presumably at some discount) then give them away. Various shows over the years continued to soldier on largely in part due to this guaranteed revenue.

Believe it or not, their preferred method of getting people to take timeshare tours was NOT stopping people on The Strip. It is costly to rent the space, put up the incentives, etc. Consolidated had an widespread radio campaign (featuring celebrities like Rosanne Barr and Tanya Roberts) and were in the process of developing a very aggressive internet presence in order to target regular Las Vegas visitors who would be interested in a dedicated place here.

How do I know all of this? We had discussions a few years ago regarding working with them on this effort, and again last fall a few more informal discussions regarding their internet marketing strategy.

The great thing about the internet is the ability to target those who might be interested in a product without the “in your face” presentation you (as a visitor) get from the sales people while you walk down The Strip. Final Note: At this time, Access Vegas own the undeveloped properties FreeStayVegas.com and FreeStayLasVegas.com. They are currently for sale or lease. Interested parties should email allvegastv@aol.com

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!

I am bringing my grown up family to America in June/July – (3 nights San Francisco, 2 nights Lake Tahoe, 7 nights Las Vegas and 3 nights LA). The last time I visited Las Vegas for a few days was pre-Wynn hotels. Our week in Vegas commences 30’th June. Apart from the Grand Canyon, what are the top five places I should show them whilst there?

Graham

Ted Responds:

That sounds like quite the trip, and you are sure to enjoy yourself!

Las Vegas has so much to do and see, and everyone has different tastes. Hence, a “Top 5” would be impossible to come up with.

If you go to our newsletter archives site at https://las-vegas-news-reviews.com and scroll down the right sidebar, you will see links to years worth of archives. You may wish to scroll though them and see what catches your eye!

I have read that the M resort shuttle to and from Fashion Show Mall is only available to residents of the hotel, is this fact ? We would like to visit M on our next trip but the thought of return cab fares from Wynn would be prohibitive for a lunch outing at Studio B. (This may sound strange but I am happy to gamble say $500 on our visit there but reluctant to pay a return cab fare! More to play with I suppose).

Regards,

Annette & Bill from the UK

Ted Responds:

Nothing wrong with saving your money for playing the machines or taking in some great shows!

I personally called M not long ago was told that anyone can use their to come on down and visit the hotel. My advice? Call M when you are in town to double check. Tell them you are staying on The Strip and want to come down to eat and do a little playing. And, ask the M shuttle driver when you get in the shuttle to confirm.

P.S. Many don’t know this, but it is a proper courtesy to give a shuttle drive $1 per person tip upon exiting the shuttle.

I first visited Vegas in 1960, on my way to being sworn-in as a new Navy Medical Officer. Over the years, my wife and I have visited Vegas many times. Over the past 20+ years we’ve averaged visiting once a year (our most recent visit was in January) and what a change we’ve noted over the years.

I enjoy Blackjack but I couldn’t find a decent game anywhere on the Strip what with hardly a $10 minimum, 3:2 Blackjack payoffs, Dealer hitting Soft 17, No Late Surrenders, etc.. And, hardly anyone at the tables. Vegas is going down the tubes & it’s not just because of the economy. The MBA bean counters are ruining it for everyone. I think things were a lot better during the Bugsy Siegel era (from a gaming standpoint).

Ham

Ted Responds:

Thanks for reading and thanks for your input. Surrender (a blackjack rule that lets you save part of your bet) went away years ago. It made the game too advantageous for card counters. Having said that, downtown still has plenty of lower limit blackjack with a full 3:2 payoff for a blackjack.

We’ve been talking about downtown quite a bit the past few months because downtown is still very much run the old way. Smaller operators (or single casino owners), food deals, cheaper drinks, looser slots, and better table game rules.

You can win or lose anywhere on a given day, but we continue to encourage people who want to do some serious gambling without breaking the bank to plan a session or two downtown. Fremont Street downtown is no longer as far removed from The Strip as it once was. The Deuce bus runs every few minutes, 24/7 and you can hop off at The Sahara and catch the monorail to most parts of The Strip in a matter of minutes.

The only way the casinos on The Strip will get the message to bring back decent rules and lower limits is if more and more people take their gambling downtown.

I am planning a trip to Vegas sometime this year and I would like to bring my 17 year old niece with me. She has a great interest in singing and I would love to take her to see some of the shows. Are there any age restrictions for the shows? I know there are age restrictions for the casinos and of course, the X-rated shows, but, is there anything else I need to know?

Thanks for your help.

Heather Rhind

Ted Responds:

Except for any show that features some form of nudity (or some of the comedy shows because of content and/or a bar setting), shows generally don’t have age restrictions.

I say this generally, because some may not encourage (or actually have a ban on) young children.

However, a teenager won’t have any issues. Especially a 17 year old girl. You won’t see or hear anything at most Las Vegas shows that they already see or hear on MTV.

Thank you for your continued excellent newsletter. Being from the UK itÆs a great way to stay in touch with all the latest gossip from your wonderful city. We are planning a trip in the summer with our 3 kids and their partners, 2 of whom are vegetarian. Can you suggest the best places to go for good ‘veggie’ food at reasonable prices, credit crunch problems here in UK means we donÆt have as many US$ as we would like to spend!!

CanÆt wait to see Vegas again soon. Keep up the great work we really appreciate it!

Kind Regards,

Kim from Essex U.K.

Ted Responds:

As you can imagine, Las Vegas isn’t exactly a bastion of vegetarian dining. Your best bet for a variety of non-meat items would be the various hotel buffets. Buffet prices vary widely and you get what you pay for.

If renting a car, you’ll find major grocery stores just a couple minutes east of The Strip at Flamingo/Maryland Pkwy. (Albertson’s) and Tropicana/Maryland Pkwy. (Vons) where you will be able to find plenty of food that should suit your needs. Plus, you can buy a cheap, disposable cooler to keep in your room and keep it filled with ice from the hotel ice machine.

Any word on the Lady Luck Casino???

We visit Vegas about once a year and have stayed there a couple of times. We thought it was a lot of fun (we prefer the smaller casinos) and the food was great! Hope it returns.

Judy from Minnesota

Ted Responds:

Nothing will happen to it until the economy improves. Sadly, it probably won’t be the same when it re-opens. Different owners, etc.

I miss it, too. Really enjoyed it. Over the years when heading downtown alone (strictly for research purposes, or course), I’d usually park at the Gold Spike for some $1 blackjack (back when the Gold Spike was a dive), and hit the Lady Luck for a couple of cocktails and 25 cent video poker before moving on to dinner somewhere on Fremont Street.

My dad & I returned from an 8 day stay at the Flamingo earlier this year. The closet was broke in the room and I don’t think the maid vacuumed the whole time we were there. One day, she never even left any towels! We will not be staying there again.

Did get to Fremont Street this trip. it was wonderful, just wish we would have eaten in the Golden Nugget sooner. Best buffet we ever had! Marvelous time at the Wayne Newton show at the MGM. Had fun at the meet and greet after the show. Wayne is soooo gracious and really gives everything hes got at every show. Cant wait till next time!

Donna

Ted Responds:

A word to the hotels who have been cutting staff to the bone in an effort to save money: This is what you are getting. Unhappy customers.

Never be afraid to call (or visit) the front desk if service is lacking. Something as simple as “It doesn’t appear that our towels were changed out nor was our room vacuumed today. Can you send someone up to take care of this” should suffice.

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 I4Vegas Discount Las Vegas Reservations and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (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 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • 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

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 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

June 24, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – June 17, 2009

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
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

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

Hello From Las Vegas! Usually I tell you how busy things have been on the Las Vegas Strip, but we experienced a little bit of that June lull mid-week this past week. With the weather getting nice in the northern hemisphere and graduation taking center stage, June represents soft travel to Las Vegas. Things are set to pick back up again as summer gets into high gear!

We continue to add fireworks, concerts, and other events to our Fourth of July 2009 page. If you are coming for The 4’th, keep an eye on it. We add to it every couple of days as information becomes available!

Summer Of ’68 Giveaway

Las Vegas Summer Of 1969

We have brand new software to help us do promotions and giveaways, and you are going to help us crank it up. All summer long, the Fremont Street Experience downtown is doing a Summer of (19)69 celebration and we got our hands on a grab bag of cool promotional stuff. We don’t sell, trade, or share entry emails. You can enter with confidence. More details and email entry form:

Las Vegas Summer of ’69 Giveaway

Ensign Oooops – We don’t do much politics here, but occasionally I’ll offer a little local insight on a national story that has Las Vegas connections. This past week, US Senator John Ensign (R-Nevada) admitted to a 9 month affair with a close family friend. Given Ensign’s family values platforms, this obviously wasn’t his best career move.

Having said that… the fallout is pretty tepid. This is a real “live and let live” state. I’m not defending his actions, but the buzz surrounding this story seem to pale as compared to the new of the cause of Danny Gans’ death. Speaking of…

Danny Gans Death – Was determined to be from a very powerful painkiller that was in his system. He had a prescription for it, but that prescription was five years old. Although he hid it well, those close to Gans said that he was in constant chronic pain from years of athletic endeavors (including a stint in minor league baseball) and from the pounding his body took during his show.

Obviously, plenty of conjecture as to why. It was noted that the pain medication in combination with his high blood pressure medication and a heart/blood condition may have all come together in a very bad way. Word to the wise: Before digging out that old prescription, make sure it doesn’t mix poorly with what you presently take or any physical conditions that may have worsened over time.

Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood – Photographer Greg McFalls got a pile of great new photos from the Miracle Mile, including their new indoor fountain show! Go shopping in Las Vegas with out spending a dime by clicking on either of the photos below and enjoying the entire photo set:

Miracle Mile Shops Las Vegas Planet Hollywood

Miracle Mile Shops Las Vegas Planet Hollywood

MGM CityCenter Progress – Shopping not your thing? CityCenter is roaring toward completion and towering over the middle of the Las Vegas Strip. Greg McFalls also got a huge set of incredible shots of Las Vegas’ newest monstrosity. Click on either photo below to enjoy the entire photo set:

MGM CityCenter Construction May 2009

MGM CityCenter Construction May 2009

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

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

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

Bally’s from $49, El Cortez from $23, Fitzgeralds from $23, Hooters from $20, Orleans from $28, Riviera from $27, Sahara from $22, Stratosphere from $26, Tropicana from $28, Tuscany from $32, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Las Vegas Show Reviews

George Wallace: I Be Thinkin’

george wallace las vegas

George Wallace has been thinkin’, and his audience is privy to the hilarious results in his show, I Be Thinkin’, in the Flamingo Hotel Showroom.

Attendees are treated to a classic show experience similar to what visitors of Vegas’ heyday must have experienced. Guests aren’t merely herded into a huge theatre constructed with hundreds of seats. Instead, a more genteel, supper club atmosphere is arranged in the showroom, more conducive to a comedy or variety show. A tuxedoed maitre ‘D greets guests and politely ushers audience members into the intimate yet comfortably sized showroom.

Bite: A Glimpse Into The Dark Side

bite las vegas

A vampire king that is who strikes a not so surprisingly similar look to that of the James Bond character DR-Death from the movie Live and Let Die. Throw in some magic coffins that make women disappear, a large black grand piano that helps the vampire ladies appear and some rather predictable rock tunes (Born to be Wild) and you have an erotic but decently priced show that caters to an audience who are very comfortably accommodated in an excellent cocktail lounge.

No Doubt To Rock The New Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Friday, August 7 – No Doubt will return to Las Vegas this summer with special guests Panic at the Disco and The Sounds to deliver a high-energy show to their fans in Vegas’ top rock venue. No Doubt will take the stage at The new Joint at Hard Rock Hotel Casino on Friday, August 7. The legendary high energy live act No Doubt were formed in Anaheim, CA and reached international success with their 1995 release Tragic Kingdom. That album, including the mega hit “Don’t Speak” among many others, has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.

Krug Announces The Creation Of The First Krug Room In The United States At Restaurant Guy Savoy At Caesars Palace Las Vegas – Representatives of Krug, the world’s premiere champagne, and acclaimed French chef Guy Savoy today announced the opening of The Krug Room at Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace Las Vegas û the first of its kind in the United States. A proven success story. Krug Rooms are private dining rooms in exclusive locations around the world where groups can gather to enjoy superb cuisine, stimulating conversation and, of course, exceptional champagne.

Easy 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!

My husband and I have been traveling to Vegas for several years now and enjoy each trip. We just recently returned from a 6 day holiday. We stayed and The Venetian and once again, it was excellent. The rooms are large, beautiful and most of all clean! The Grand Lux coffee shop is well priced with huge portions. Actually we found pricing better in comparison to Bally’s coffee shop.

After several years of saying we’ll try it, we had dinner at Battista’s – A Whole in the Wall. It was fantastic and brought back memories especially drinking wine out of the juice glasses! That’s how it is in Italy – Mama Mia!

For the first time though we found it very annoying all the people trying to sell time shares or “tickets for free”. They were everywhere we turned it seemed and in our face all the time.

I been an avid reader of your newsletter for years! Thanks for keeping me informed of my favorite city in the world!

Grace Pochodaj

á

Ted Responds:

Thanks for the great letter! The casinos are trying to make an extra buck with the time share people (who rent the space they use). The best way to ditch them? Tell them you are leaving the next day (or that you live here).

Battista’s Hole In The Wall is loved by regular visitors from around the world. A true one-of-a-kind place. It is a little tough to find: It sits in a mini-mall just behind the Flamingo Hotel at Flamingo and Audrie (just where the monorail crosses Flamingo). The nice thing? It is literally a 3 minute walk from The Strip and well worth the time for a visitor to at least poke their head in and take a peek!

I’ve been enjoying your newsletter, but I miss your podcasts. Your genuine enthusiasm and really knowledgeable comments and news were fun to hear. The newsletters are great, but there was something special about hearing you podcasting.

In all the years I’ve been coming to Las Vegas, I’ve only ventured downtown once since the old days and that was just to see the fabulous sound and visual display, the Fremont Experience. However, since my primary gambling is craps and blackjack, I’ve been interested in your suggestions about heading down there because of the looser slots and possibly lower minimum bets. The slots have almost no appeal for me, but I have always enjoyed the live excitement of the table games. Since I came of age in a time when the men played the tables and the ladies played the slots, I’ve always felt uncomfortable sitting at those silly machines. Now they are even sillier since they look like video games for kids.

The trouble is that over the years, the minimum bets have risen way beyond the $5.00 or $10.00 bets I was able to feel comfortable with. When I was a lot younger and learning how to play craps, there was a particularly memorable visit downtown where I could, risk as little as 25 cents on the pass line! I don’t expect the MBA types who are likely are running the show these days can understand how on earth they could make much money that way. The fact is that one visit made me a lifetime craps player, because I was able to play long enough to learn the game well.

The result is that even though my hotel preferences are Bellagio, Mirage, etc. because of the ambiance, pools, spas, lounges, shows, etc., I don’t get much of a chance to have fun gambling anymore, since after a few bad rolls of the dice, my daily self-imposed limit is reached and exceeded. Yes, I could afford to play the higher priced minimum tables, but the fact is that it’s not fun anymore, because I would lose money more than I care to.

Could you do a quick survey and let us know whether there are any $5-$10 craps and blackjack tables in the downtown area? Maybe there are some other casinos, not too far from the strip where I might go. What about the places actual locals go? Many years ago, when my parents were living in Vegas, they always knew the best casinos where you had a reasonable chance. They also knew all the best restaurant deals too. They are gone now, but fortunately we have Ted Newkirk to give us good advice from his unique perspective as a resident and enthusiastic Las Vegan (?) (but you do eat meat, right?).

Thanks for the terrific job you do!

David Durbin

á

Ted Responds:

We are still hoping to get back to the podcasts. We are finally (and I mean FINALLY) wrapping up an expansion that has taken over a year. As we’ve gone along, things just got bigger and bigger. We’ve added many things we never envisioned a year ago like our new EasyVegasDeals.com, Twitter feed, and huge expanded restaurant listings including the ability to make restaurant reservations online (going live in the next couple of weeks).

Soon will also be debuting a vastly expanded activities section where you can find out about (and book) activities ranging from Dinner In The Sky to VenetianáRomance Packages (think gondola and a romantic meal) to Tandem Skydiving over Las Vegas! Then, we’ll look to dust off the podcast equipment.

Table limits are always in a constant state of flux (depending on time of week and time of year), but $3 games can still be found in many downtown casinos. The Orleans is rumored to have a $2 game some of the time, but we have yet to confirm that.

Although people who live in Las Vegas are called Las Vegans, I certainly am no stranger to a good steak!

Ted, I love reading this newsletter. I think one of the failing casinos should hire you to run it (I will be your assistant) as you know and understand why people who made this city come here. We come to eat cheap, drink cheap, sleep cheap, with the hopes of winning enough to pay for it. If any of these three are not available we stop or cut back on our visits. The high rollers didnÆt make this city and they wonÆt bring it back! Keep up your hawking of down town we love it!!!!

Howard

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:

  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (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 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • 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)

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

June 17, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – June 3, 2009

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
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

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

Hello From Las Vegas! I never thought I was going to get this issue out. This was supposed to be our 10’th Anniversary Issue and we have tons of new photo sets, show reviews, new giveaways and even more to roll out.

We played with the idea of making this a double-sized issue or doing two separate huge issues. But with Las Vegas heating up again (both literally with the weather and figuratively as visitor volume starts to return), this next year in our company history looks to be the biggest ever. So I sat down and said “Let’s celebrate our 10 years for the entire coming year. More photo sets, more in-house articles, more giveaways.”

We’ve hooked up with the various hotels, shows, and attractions to do just that. We already have a “line around the block” of PR friends setting up everything with us. Stay tuned and stay subscribed. This will be an amazing year for both us at Access Vegas and Las Vegas in general.

Fourth Of July – We already have people asking what will be happening, especially as this holiday falls on a weekend. We’ve set up a Las Vegas Fourth of July page you can follow. Please note that fireworks events are typically not announced until a week or two ahead of time. When we start to hear about specific events, we’ll certainly be listing them on that page, and here in the newsletter.

Bellagio Gardens Summer Display – New (to us) photographer Greg McFalls went over and took some incredible photos of the latest display, which is open to the public at no charge. You can view the entire photo set by clicking on either picture below!

bellagio gardens las vegas 2009

bellagio gardens las vegas 2009

The New Tropicana? – Tropicana Las Vegas owners are vowing a major $100 million upgrade of every facet of the resort. The Tropicana was the pride of The Strip at one time and actually still continues to be a very popular resort because of the location, price and famous pool area. (See Tropicana Las Vegas pool photos).

With the financial troubles of MGM Mirage and Harrah’s (the two big companies that each own a number of hotels), I believe we’ll see quite a resurgence of some of the older properties like the Tropicana, Riviera, and Sahara over the next few years.áDon’t be surprised if Circus Circus is eventually sold off and upgraded to its former state as a prime attraction as well. Hey, it could happen.

Over the decades, the Las Vegas Strip was at its best when many different groups owned the various hotels and competition for your gambling dollar was paramount. Side Note: The rumored shut-down of The Sahara for remodeling and upgrades at this time has proved to be just that: A rumor.

Rio and Girls Of Sapphire Charity Bikini Car Wash – Last week, The Rio hosted a charity car wash… Las Vegas-style. The girls of Sapphire offered plenty of eye candy in Sapphire bikinis as they lathered up cars for the cause. All contributions were donated to the United Way and festivities included a dunk tank, McFaddenÆs-sponsored food booth and even sno-cones. The days total netted more than $1700.áClick on either photo below to view the entire photo set of the event.

bikini car wash las vegas rio hotel saphire pool

bikini car wash las vegas rio hotel saphire pool

I can hear many of you sayingáHey Ted, you didn’t tell us about this… I would have been there! Actually… yes we did. News of the pending event didn’t make the newsletter in time, but we posted it on both our EasyVegasDeals.com site and on our Access Vegas Twitter Feed. For instructions on how to follow our regular specials and event updates, please see our Easy Vegas Deals section later in the newsletter.

El Cortez June Food and Booze Specials – The El Cortez Hotel downtown is newly remodeled (and looking quite good, see for yourself with our El Cortez Hotel Photo Set). And… they get it. Get you in the door with some great specials and you might enjoy yourself so much that you stay and play. The following are available June 2009:

  • Idaho Trout Special – The Flame Steakhouse now features Idaho trout flown in fresh weekly for the Friday and Saturday night dinner special. Idaho trout special is only $14.95.
  • Cafe Cortez Dinner Specials – Visit Cafe Cortez for prime rib dinner only $7.95. Meal includes choice of soup or salad. CafÚ also offers a fajita dinner for just $8.95.
  • Graveyard Specials Cafe – Cortez serves a limited graveyard menu Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. Specials include:
    • Two eggs with choice of bacon or sausage, breakfast potatoes and toast for $3.75 plus tax.
    • Ham and two eggs, breakfast potatoes and toast for $7.25 plus tax.
  • Martini Madness û Daily 2-for-1 happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. û at all casino bars (martini menu only).

And yes… the above also already went out on our Twitter and Easy Vegas Deals feeds.

Bootlegger Open Mic Returns – For much of this decade, a popular locals secret was the Monday night “karaoke” at longtime famous local hangout Bootlegger Bistro. The place would be packed, often with celebs and performers of many popular Las Vegas shows just having a drink and having some fun.

The tradition is revived on Monday nights at 9 PM with Kelly Clinton returning as host. Bootlegger is located three miles south of Mandalay Bay on Las Vegas Blvd at the corner of The Blvd. and Robindale (just south of the huge outlet mall). Maybe not a must-do for the first time visitor, but if you are a Las Vegas regular always looking for a special slice of our special culture, this is worth a couple hours of your time.

Viva Las Vegas – The 1964 Elvis Presley movie shot on location here airs this coming week at 11:15 AM Pacific Time on Turner Classic Movies (check your cable listings). Turner airs films un-cut and has no commercials. Set your DVR’s and tape decks.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

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

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

Bally’s from $49, El Cortez from $23, Fitzgeralds from $33, Hooters from $20, Orleans from $28, Riviera from $27, Sahara from $25, Stratosphere from $26, Tropicana from $30, Tuscany from $20, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Las Vegas Show Reviews

Le Reve: A Surreal Journey Above and Below A Dream

le reve las vegas

Dreams can often be ethereal and elusive, and Le Reve is no different. Watching Le Reve is in essence watching someone elseÆs dream, which is represented through a bed that floats away in the beginning of the show. Nonetheless, if most peopleÆs dreams mirrored the spectacles and intricacies in ôLe Reveö it would be baffling if anyone would ever want to be awake!

The Wynn Theater, which is home toáLe Reve, is in and of itself an act. The round and tiered theater is drenched in rich colors and fabrics and eludes a sense of comfort and tastefulness. But the eye catcher is the center, the stage, if you will, which is water. Not water as in a small pool, but entirely consisting of water. However, all of the action is not in the water alone, quite a few of the intrepid acts also take place in the air.

Anthony Cools Induces What Happens In Vegas

anthony cools las vegas

Crude, crass, and utterly amazing easily describes the laugh out loud performance of Anthony Cools, hypnotist and comedian extraordinaire. The Anthony Cools Experience is a tremendous exercise in what can happen when you give someone else power over your mind, pushing you to do things you probably would not consider.

As you enter the theater, you pass a sign stating that you are waiving any rights to what happens in the theater and that the Anthony Cools Experience has the right to videotape and sell what happens during the show. At the start of the show, a little white rabbit greets the audience with warnings about the vulgar language and acts that will be performed; however, the rabbit does issue caveats regarding specific words that may not be uttered. This bunny sets the few lines that Cools will not cross.

Escape To A Tropical Paradise With Hawaiian Tropic Zone’s Lei-Monade Cocktail – This June, Hawaiian Tropic Zone inside Miracle Mile Shops features the tantalizing Lei-Monade cocktail, a refreshing libation perfect for visitors looking to flee the sizzling summer heat. Boasting a flirtatious pink hue, the sinfully delicious cocktail is a swirl of Finlandia Grapefruit Vodka, Patron Citronge liqueur, cranberry juice and fresh lemon sour mix. Served up by one of the beautiful and bikini clad Hawaiian Tropic Zone girls, the Lei-Monade is sure to drive taste buds wild.

Stone Temple Pilots To Play The New Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino July 2 – Marking the first national tour for Stone Temple Pilots in almost eight years, the tour will bring the iconic band’s charismatic musicianship and exhilarating live show to The new Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on July 2. STP will kick-off July 4th weekend festivities in true rock style! Since the moment they appeared on the scene in the early 90’s, Stone Temple Pilots dominated the decade from start to finish, racking up 15 singles on the Billboard Top Ten, winning a “Best Hard Rock Performance” GRAMMY in 1994 for “Plush,” and having their five albums sell more than 35 million copies worldwide.

Blink-182 To Play The New Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Friday, July 24 – blink-182 is reuniting for their first tour in 5 years and will be bringing their highly-anticipated show to The new Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Friday, July 24. Joining blink-182 for this incredible show will be indie-rockers Chester French and punk-rockers Motion City Soundtrack. Travis Barker, Tom Delonge and Mark Hoppus, better known as blink-182, set the alternative nation abuzz with excitement and anticipation earlier this year when they officially announced they are back together.

Limp Bizkit To Perform At Mandalay Bay Beach As Part Of UFC 100 Event Weekend – The most historic event in UFC just got bigger with the announcement that rap-metal pioneers Limp Bizkit will bring their Unicorns N’ Rainbows tour to Mandalay Bay Beach Friday, July 10. This will be the band’s first North American concert in eight years as they kick off the UFC 100 weekend. Once the hits “Break Stuff,” “Rollin” and “My Way” blast through the speakers, guests will have all the adrenaline they need for UFC 100 the next night. The concert is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. with special guest BoneyB.

Easy Vegas Deals

These are only a few of the many Easy Vegas Deals we find each and every week. For a complete and constantly updated listing:

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Members Mania will return next week, and I’m happy to announce that we’ll soon have an expanded Members Mania in the form of a web forum. Long time readers probably remember that we used to have reader forums. The ancient software we were using finally pretty much ceased functioning and we didn’t revive them at the time.

I’ve been putting Las Vegas information online since 1995 and on an internet site since 1996 with our original In-Vegas.com (which ironically we are reviving in the form of a Las Vegas news feed which aggregates from a number of sources). Blogs didn’t exist and web forums were clunky at best. All of the early software we used for everything from building the site to sending this newsletter became obsolete over the years. We’ve spent the past year completely starting from scratch with (mostly) custom built solutions that will continue to grow with us over the next many years.

We are putting the finishing touches on our new Members Mania forums and you’ll obviously be the first to know when they are up!

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

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:

  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (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 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • 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)

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 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

June 3, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – May 6, 2009

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
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

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

Hello From Las Vegas! Highs in the 90’s (F), low humidity, warm evenings this past week, what more can you ask for? Those of you who have been able to visit the past couple of months couldn’t have hit a more perfect time. Great weather, record low room rates (for the modern era), plenty of food and booze deals, show deals (see sidebar), the dollar went a long way. But…

The Word Is Getting Out – The economy never went into depression (and probably wouldn’t have gone into such a hard recession if our politicians didn’t scare us to death with the “end of the world” talk that made everyone stop spending). Then, the word started getting out about what a bargain Las Vegas currently is. March saw 3.2 million visitors. Bookings are up (and our web traffic and newsletter subscriptions are on the rise). Which means…

If you want to visit, plan and book now. Rates will probably stay pretty low for the hot summer months, but fall is prime time here and rates are expected to really start ticking upward.áVisit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals, poke around to check out some fall or even winter dates during which you can swing some time off, and really consider locking things up at current prices.

Same with show tickets. As things pick up, you’ll stop seeing some of the discounts like the ones our sponsors are offering. Similar with airfare: Oil prices seem to be ticking up, which will result in higher airfare. Lock up your fall visit now or pay more later.

Danny Gans Memorial Service will be later this month at Encore and by invitation only. An autopsy did not reveal the cause of his death. Hence, it will be a few weeks before toxicology and similar test results are available. Everyone is still pretty stunned a week later.

Lance Burton broke his foot about 15 minutes into a recent show. The show must go on and he finished it (his first on-stage injury in 15,000 shows over 30 years), but will miss 19áshows. Tickets may be refunded through point of purchase. We wish him well in his recovery.

New Feature: Easy Vegas Deals – debuts in this issue. Every week, we scan every source we can to find specials and deals. This will be a regular feature we know you’ll enjoy.

Perl Software Person Needed – No, I’m not talking about The Pearl at The Palms. We have a legacy (Perl/CGI) software that lets us run our contests. It “broke” when we upgraded servers a while back. We have the original software and need someone with Perl experience to re-install it and get it running properly so we can get back to doing all the great giveaways we were once famous for.

The person who can help us will be fairly and generously compensated (plus thanked by our tens of thousands of readers so we can start giving stuff away again)! Contact us at allvegastv@aol.com

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

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

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

Bally’s from $49, El Cortez from $33, Fitzgeralds from $33, Hooters from $25, Orleans from $40, Riviera from $54, Sahara from $42, Stratosphere from $44, Tropicana from $45, Tuscany from $37, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Las Vegas Show Reviews

This week, we feature reviews of two recently opened shows at Planet Hollywood:

Peepshow – The Transformation From Nice To Naughty

by Denise Almas

Peepshow Las Vegas

Scantily clad, the performers of Planet Hollywood’s Peepshow bring high energy to an array of sexual fantasies. At the start of the show, we see a short video about a young woman who comes home to a dog and an empty house. As she falls to sleep, she is enveloped by the sexual fantasies of her dreams and her quest to find a man.

Peepshow Las Vegas

The cast, currently led by former Spice Girl Mel B and Kelly Monaco, bring these fantasies alive through dance and song. Throughout the show, the performers are careful not to bare it all. Instead, they attempt to tease audience members by showing just enough flesh to augment the fantasies they are portraying.

Viva Las Vegas! Experience The Elvolution

by Nicole “Niko” Acevedo

Hip-shakin’, heel-tappin’, finger-snappin’, and smooth-talkin’. Trent Carlini is back on his hog and ridin’ into town with an all new ôElvolutionö show for Elvis fans of every generation. On my left sat a sweet couple delighting in Carlini’s vibrant tribute of the Elvis they once knew, reminiscing of the good ol’ times after the show. Elvis once shined under Las Vegas lights, performing at the International Hotel (currently the Las Vegas Hilton). Now with his slicked back jet black pompadour and waaaay cool sideburns, Trent Carlini keeps the ladies screaming with excitement and stealing kisses from him all night long.

elvolution las vegas elvis trent carlini

Elvolution highlights Elvis’ successful musical career starting with the classic rock n’ roll tunes of ôBlue Suede Shoesö, ôDon’t Be Cruelö and ôShake, Rattle & Rollö. Carlini’s voice is strong and wide-ranging, his movements engaging. With every sway of the hip the audience can’t help but dance in their seats and clap to the beat.

Easy Vegas Deals

These are only a few of the many Easy Vegas Deals we find each and every week. For a complete and constantly updated listing:

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

My husband and I saw Danny Gans last year. He was one of the best shows we’re ever seen. He repeatedly thanked the audience for coming to his show. He was humble, happy and so talented. Even when we went to pick up our tickets, the woman at the window told us what a nice person he was and how we would love his show. She was right. We were looking forward to seeing him again. Love and prayers to his family…

Carol from Trumbull, CT

I was so saddened to hear of his passing. I have seen him 3 times and he was such a wonderful entertainer. I can’t agree more with what you said about him. He will be sorely missed.

Doris Osborne

Hi Ted and Crew: Love your news letter. We are Canadians and just love Vegas. Have visited 4 times in the last two years. Coming back again in July to experience your summer Heat. We have been asked why not go to Mexico, Cuba or the Dominican instead. We have experienced why. Please let all our Canadian friends know why Vegas is the ultimate Holiday experience.l

Thanks

Brian and Judy from Regina Saskatchewan, Canada

First in response to Barbara from Switzerland (previous issue): Amen that a month is not long enough! My mother in law has been going to Vegas twice a year since 1991 but would only stay 3 to 5 days. Two years ago we convinced her to stay a week and she loved it! It was my husbands first time going and he was like a kid in a candy store, we have already booked our trip for this September.

We are going for his birthday, if we ever get the chance we will some day live in Vegas, the people are friendly and there are so many great things to do. It is ever changing, and its very easy to miss something, thats why we keep coming back for more!

Love, love, love the newsletter. Keep the news coming!

Tina Holmes in Ohio

We got back from Vegas in March. We saw the show The Rat Pack is Back and have to say it was fantastic. If anyone is looking for a decent show to see this is the one. Also wanted to say that it didn’t seem to me that the economy was hitting Vegas tourism too hard. We were there M-F and it seemed like Monday was a little slow (it was also cold) but the rest of the week picked up a lot.

We stayed downtown at the Plaza in a suite (if you can call it that) definitely not worth the price upgrade. For our next trip we will probably stay somewhere else. Although the Fremont Street view rocked. Keep up the good work and can’t wait to get back to Vegas.

Crystal in Colorado

Ted Responds:

Thanks for the report! Plaza is planning for room upgrades once the economy turns around. They were just about to go forward with them last year.

Everyone raves about The Rat Pack show. Probably a best kept secret! Everyone can check out our review here: Indeed, The Rat Pack Is Back In Las Vegas

I am coming to Vegas for the 6’th time in May. I was reading some of your letters and tips. I would love to go downtown at night but I did this once before and I was a bit intimidated by some of the people hanging around. Is it safe as we are two women on our own without husbands with us? I love Vegas and I don’t mean to be rude about the place but i was told not to walk about at night down town. Would we be able to get a cab back to the MGM from downtown? Thank you.

Margaret

Ted Responds:

If you stay on the Fremont Street Experience (the main part of downtown) and go down in the evening (not late night), you will find no safety issue.

Yes, you can get a cab to anywhere in Las Vegas (including the MGM) from virtually all of the downtown hotels(at their cab stands).

Hope this helps and thanks for telling your friends about our newsletter!

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 I4Vegas Discount Las Vegas Reservations and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Memorial Day, U.S May 23-25 (3 day weekend)
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (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 18-20 (3 day weekend)
  • 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

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 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

May 6, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – January 21, 2008

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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
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

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

Hello From Las Vegas! We continue to escape the bitter cold that has even enveloped South Florida this past week. Highs generally well into the 60’s although we are having a couple of rainy (yes, real rain in the desert) days as I type. Should be moving through soon.

Speaking of moving… we are in the process of relocating locally to be closer to the heart of The Strip and downtown to provide even a better level of coverage for you! Because of those responsibilities, my sections will be abbreviated this week. However, this issue still has the great Las Vegas news and happenings that you come to expect from us, and we’ll be back with our next issue the first week of February.

Folies Bergere Las Vegas Showgirls

The End Of The Showgirl? – After a nearly 50 year Las Vegas run, Folies Bergere is calling it quits. The 80 person cast and crew apparently no longer works out economically for a mid-priced show. This is a true shame as we’ll be losing one of the last remaining vestiges of “Old Vegas”.

Folies Bergere Las Vegas Showgirls

My advice? See this show while you still can. Many of you may not be able to say that you were ever in the Copa Room at The Sands (where the Rat Pack played and subsequently hosted other big name performers over the years) or that you actually drove a car down Fremont Street (the part which is now the Fremont Street Experience downtown) or that you even saw the Siegfriend and Roy show live.

If you are visiting between now and the end of March, absolutely make a point to see Folies Bergere. Whether you are 21 or 81 (or any adult age), you’ll enjoy this true, living slice of the way Las Vegas used to be. Even the ticket price is easy on the wallet compared to many other Las Vegas shows. Click for Folies Bergere Las Vegas Tickets.

Side Notes: The showgirls are covered (have tops on) in some shows and are traditional (sans tops) in others.

  • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday – 7:30p Covered, 10p Adult.
  • Tuesday & Friday – 8:30p Adult.
  • Saturday – 7:30p & 10p Adult.

Can’t make it to town in time? Treat yourself to Jubilee! (Click for Jubilee! Las Vegas Tickets). Not quite the same, but still that Old Vegas stage show vibe and well worth seeing while it is still around.

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

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

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

Aliante from $40, Boulder Stn from $29, Fiesta H from $29, Green Valley from $125, Palace Stn from $24, Red Rock from $125, Sunset Stn from $40, Texas Stn from $25, Wild Wild W. from $20, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Jersey Boys Is Las Vegas’ Number One Show – Jersey Boys Takes The Top Spot In Las Vegas Review-Journals’ 2008 Top Ten List – The smash hit Jersey BoysClick Here at The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino has been named the number one show of the year by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada’s largest newspaper. In a year of stiff competition, JERSEY BOYS claimed the top spot for entertainment in 2008 ahead of such celebrated productions as Bette Midler “The Showgirl Must Go On,” Cher and Donny and Marie Osmond. Click to Read The Full Story …

The Mirage Las Vegas Launches Wine Nights Featuring Half-Prices Bottles Of Wine – The Mirage Hotel and Casino, much like a fine wine, gets better with age. This year, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, The Mirage is offering its vino-loving guests the chance to purchase bottles of wine at 50 percent off the regular price. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, half-priced bottles of wine are available for purchase at Onda Wine Lounge, Kokomo’s Steak and Seafood, Samba Brazilian Steakhouse, Caribe CafÚ and Cravings. With more than 900 labels available, even the most discerning palate will find a wine of their liking.Click to Read The Full Story…

Wolfgang Puck Satisfies Dessert Cravings with the New Seasonal 15-Layer Carrot Cake – Wolfgang Puck invites patrons to indulge in the 15-Layer Carrot Cake, a unique take on the traditional dessert. Director of Pastry Kenny Magana created this mouth-watering temptation which is composed of fifteen savory layers of cake and adorned with candied walnuts, filled with a delectable cream cheese filling and complemented with ginger ice cream. For $12, the seasonal dish is available at Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois and Spago, located inside The Forum Shops at Caesars, as well as at the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, located inside MGM Grand. Click to Read The Full Story …

Special Performances Of The Beatles LOVE To Benefit Nevada Public Radio – Nevada Public Radio listeners and members have a special opportunity to support public radio while experiencing a little love. Two benefit performances of The Beatles LOVE at the Mirage Hotel and Casino are scheduled for 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 5. (Ticket Link For Non-Benefit Shows) All of the proceeds will benefit Nevada Public Radio and must be purchased through Nevada Public Radio. A special feature to this benefit is the “Help! I need somebody” section. When a single ticket is purchased through Nevada Public Radio, that seat will automatically be placed with other single public radio fans. You never know, you might just “find somebody to love.” Click to Read The Full Story and Benefit Ticket Info …

Celebrate Year Of The Ox At Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens – Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens ushers in the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Ox, with a spectacular new exhibit. The majestic centerpiece will be a 15-foot-long ox comprised of more than 10,000 living plants. The ox is the second animal in the Asian zodiac. Just steps away, an 18-foot-tall Chinese God of Wealth and Fortune will stand amidst golden lucky coins. Visitors also will delight to discover a trio of charming, 6-foot-tall giant pandas. Made of more than 9,000 living plants, the pandas will frolic in a lush garden filled with towering bamboo. Click to Read The Full Story …

“Defending The Caveman” Settles In Permanent Cave At Excalibur – “Defending the Caveman,” Broadway’s smash hit about the sexes, will begin a permanent performance schedule at Excalibur Hotel Casino beginning Tuesday, January 13. (Tickets) “Defending the Caveman” performances take place at 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday with additional performances at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. “Defending the Caveman” has experienced tremendous success in Las Vegas, racking-up an impressive 700 performances since its Las Vegas debut in June 2007. Click to Read The Full Story …

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Memebers Mania will return next issue. This is the section where we feature reader feedback and questions and I give my personal insight to help you have a great Las Vegas vacation!

Wish me luck on this move.

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

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:

  • Chinese/Lunar New Year January 26
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 14-16 (3 day weekend)
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 12
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 10
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (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 18-20 (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 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

January 21, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – January 14, 2008

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
Featured Shows
Photos and Wallpaper

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

Hello From Las Vegas! – Winter is finally over here in the beautiful Desert Southwest. I just got back from a walk in the 65 degree (F) sun, wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. If winter is in full swing where you are, come on out and visit. Our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals have unbelievably low room rates ranging from basic rooms at $25-30 a night to the very top hotels in Las Vegas (and in the world, for that matter) for under $200 a night. And… last I checked, airfare is down a bit.

I’m not surprised. The past few years, many of you have written and said “Las Vegas no longer caters to the middle class” and has gotten too expensive. Time and time again in this newsletter, I simply said: Give it time. All of these posh new hotel rooms are going to have to be filled and the rates will be adjusted to fill them. I said how Las Vegas will again be an incredible bargain with the ability to rent rooms for a fraction of what a similar hotel room would go for in another city. (Check out what $100 a night will get you in New York or San Francisco, then what it will buy you in Las Vegas right now).

Yes, times are tight right now. If you are in a very unfortunate job or financial situation and a trip just isn’t in the cards, by all means stay subscribed and we’ll bring a little bit of Las Vegas to you each week until you can come back and see us again. But if you even have a few bucks to spend, come on out and enjoy a few days. Nothing takes your mind off of things like a visit to Las Vegas.

Largest Hotel In the World Coming To Las Vegas! – Oh please… how many times have I typed (and mocked) this headline. And yet another group is claiming that they are going to do just this:

A 6,745 room, four tower hotel. And… not even on The Strip. Instead next to the Hard Rock Hotel (on the site of George Clooney’s project that never got off the ground… and that was in good economic times). Bottom Line: If this thing actually goes somewhere, I wish the developers well and (as always) we’ll keep you up-to-date on the progress.

las vegas wetlands park
Photo Courtesy Access Clark County (government)

Las Vegas Wetlands Park – Wetlands in Las Vegas? You bet! Now… if you are in town for a few days to see how much drinking and gambling you can accomplish, this might not be for you. However… if a local or a tourist who enjoys renting a car and seeing things like Red Rock Canyon, you may find the Las Vegas Wetlands a fun adventure for a couple of hours.

The Las Vegas Wash (a wash is what we call a creek here in the desert) has been cleaned up over the past few years, with weirs built to slow down the water flow and create lush, green areas teeming with wildlife. Finding the wetlands is simple: Head east on Tropicana (from The Strip) for exactly 7.9 miles and make a left on Wetlands Park Lane. For more info, read Wetlands Park expands with opening of bridge

Lion King Las Vegas To Play Full Show – Many Broadway style shows have (and continue to) enjoy great runs here, but are often a condensed version of the Broadway hit. The standard notion: With so much to do and see, people don’t want to sit through a really long show. (And the notion that the hotels want you back in the casino spending money more quickly).

The Lion King is going to buck the trend and perform the nearly 2 1/2 hour show, with a standard 15 minute intermission. It will be interesting to see how it works out (and how many people get on a hot gambling streak during intermission and simply don’t make it back into the theatre). Ticket sales are expected to be brisk as this show looks to be a major draw. You may wish to reserve now: Click for Lion King Las Vegas Tickets

Is The Club Scene Over? – We’ve received very mixed reader email on the club scene boom here. Some of you enjoy them, others feel priced out by those willing to spend thousands of dollars in just one night in a club. Readers of all ages have bemoaned the loss of many of the hotel lounges, and I’m among you. Hotels wonder why their gaming revenue is dropping. Could one reason be that the excitement of live music playing on (or just off of) the casino floor made the gambling more fun? DUH!

Local columnist Norm Clarke had an interesting article Celebs cut back on making it rain that is worth a read. Truth be told, Las Vegas being a little less of a celeb hot spot may be a good thing. The focus is coming back to our core business of the past many decades: Give you a reasonably priced room, good food, favorable gaming odds and some of the best shows and entertainment you’ll find on the planet, and you’ll keep coming back for more. Which leads me to these comments…

Loose slots

The Eggheads Just Don’t Get It – Nevada gaming revenue is in a free-fall (down around 8% in 2008). You aren’t gambling as much when you visit, and we don’t blame you. We’ve noted how recent years have brought tighter slots and unfavorable table game rules. Casino management blames it on the economy. I blame some of it on the guys running the casinos:

Even after the mob pretty much left town, Las Vegas was run by guys with resort, gaming, and tourism backgrounds. Not that many years ago, signs likeá99% Payback On Slots, Better Odds On Craps/Blackjack and others regarding easy comps were common up and down The Strip.

Now, things are run by a bunch of guys with educations from prestigious eastern universities whose backgrounds are Wall Street, not Las Vegas Boulevard. And it shows (just look at how Wall Street and Banking have been doing). They don’t seem to understand that you’ll come and (probably) lose a pile of cash. And still enjoy it and tell others what a great time you had doing so.

But… only if you are getting some value out of it. Only if the gambling lets you have a few win streaks. Only if you can go home and tell your friends about the incredible meal deal you had. Only if we offer you some real fun, a chance to win, and value in hotel and meal prices.

The word is starting to resonate. Read (from our local paper) Strip’s Salvation Lies In Offering Value

We’re Number Eight? – After being tops 19 out of the past 21 years, Nevada has finally given up the longstanding “fastest growing state” mantle. Neighboring states Utah and Arizona took the top two honors with Nevada falling to the #8 spot.

When people inquire about moving here, I suggest they check out Salt Lake City, Phoenix (and Albuquerque) as well. I love Las Vegas and it is an amazing place to visit, but unless your fortunate enough to be one of the (maybe) 100 people here with a job like mine, living here isn’t all about shows and buffets. It is about the daily grind just like you’d find anywhere else (even for people like me).

Why Salt Lake City, Phoenix or Albuquerque? All are short non-stop flights to your favorite vacation destination (Las Vegas, of course). Salk Lake offers traditional winters (snow and skiing), Phoenix offers a major city atmosphere with big league sports, and Albuquerque is a mid-sized city which has the beautiful desert mountain scenery of Las Vegas without our 110 degree summers.

Finally, let me leave you with an amazing Las Vegas photo blog find I found. A couple who recently married here posted photos ranging from their plane over the desert and on approach to some very cool shots all over The Strip and Downtown Fremont Street. Enjoy LAS VEGAS marriage pics. Picture Heavy!

Enjoy This Issue!

Ted Newkirk
CEO/Managing Editor

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

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

Boulder Stn from $25, Fiesta H from $29, Green Valley from $125, Red Rock from $125, Santa Fe Stn from $39, Sunset Stn from $40, Texas Stn from $29, More Savings At All Vegas Hotels!

Motley Crue To Pass The Joint Into A New Era At The Hard Rock – As the saying goes, “as one door closes, another one opens.” The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas will close its legendary concert venue, The Joint, on February 7, 2009 to make way for a brand new expanded and state-of-the-art Joint. As part of their Saints of Los Angeles 2009 Tour, M÷tley Cr³e will help close The Joint doors in true rock ‘n’ roll fashion with two closing weekend performances scheduled for February 6 and 7. (Tickets). Click to Read The Full Story …

RA Sushi Bar Restaurant Celebrates Four Years In Las Vegas – RA Sushi Bar Restaurant will celebrate four years in Las Vegas with a prom-themed anniversary party on Saturday, January 24. The event begins on Saturday, January 24 at 9 p.m. and features live entertainment from Last Pop Nation, Justin Carder and RA’s own DJ G-Raw. Ladies are encouraged to don their most gaudy dresses and men in the craziest tuxes they can find to celebrate the prom-themed event. Click to Read The Full Story …

Celebrate Chinese New Year 2009 AT Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens – Beginning January 14, Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens will celebrate the 2009 Chinese New Year, the Year of the Ox, with a unique display filled with hidden meaning. The Conservatory’s design will be guided by the ancient practice of Feng Shui û the art of using surroundings to attract harmony, balance and positive life energy. The dramatic centerpiece of this exhibit will be a botanical 15-foot-long ox. Click to Read The Full Story …

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Hello. Love your newsletter!

A group of us just visited Vegas Dec. 7-11, 2008 (we have visited 2 or 3 times a year since 2003). Had a wonderful time as always. In these past years of visiting Vegas right up to our recent trip last week, we have always wondered why a 24/7 city closes most, if not all, of its restaurants at 10 or 11 pm. The fine dining establishments i can understand… but I have always wondered why more casual to fast food places donÆt stay open 24 hours.

Each hotel has ONE restaurant that stays open all nite and the wait is usually unbelievably long, not to mention how long it takes to get waited on and served. It seems a Subway shop or a 24-hour deli would be appropriate for those who want to party until all hours and THEN grab a quick bite to take back to their room.

I stayed at MGM again this trip (which I love, by the way) and they have a Deli that stays open until like 1 am and the line at 12:30 goes on forever. So I canÆt believe that a 24-hour fast food place wouldnÆt make money in the middle of the nite. I was just curious if anyone had any insight as to why all the food courts close at 11’ish and why more casual places donÆt stay open all nite.

Thanks,

Sharla from Columbus OH

Ted Responds:

I’m probably not making any friends in casino management in this issue, and we’ll be returning to our more Las Vegas news in future issues. However, these issues do need to be addressed.

The decision makers at hotel casinos are apt to be tucked into bed and asleep at midnight. They don’t know what is going on in situations like this. They forget that you are partying, boozing and having fun well into the late night and wee hours. And… what does just about everyone want to do after a long night of imbibing? EAT. (Visit any Waffle House or similar restaurant at 3 AM on a weekend. This isn’t just a Las Vegas phenomenon).

The best we can do is highlight the concerns of our readers and let them filter to the decision makers who simply have no clue what is really happening during those late night “Prime Time In Las Vegas” hours.

My wife and I have been coming to Vegas every year since the late 70’s and have seen to many changes. I enjoy playing blackjack, but this year I played maybe twice. The 6-5 payoff on a blackjack in most every casino has taken away the enjoyment of the game. Let’s get the bean counters out of Vegas.

Love your newsletter.

Bill from Orlando

Ted Responds:

For those unfamiliar with what Bill is talking about, the original rules for blackjack (and the rules in Las Vegas for decades) was that you get 3 chips for every 2 chips you bet when you are dealt a blackjack. 15 chips when you bet 10. Now, most Las Vegas casinos only pay you 6 chips for every 5 bet or simply 12 (instead of 15) for every 10 bet.

The El Cortez downtown is still dealing with the original rules and if you really hunt, you may be able to find some others. Bottom Line: If you play a blackjack game where they are only paying you 6 to 5 on a blackjack, you are getting ripped off. Keep walking. How much of a difference does it make? You get dealt blackjack more often than you realize. This can add up to a substantial amount of money per hour that should be in your pocket, but isn’t.

We have been subscribing to your newsletter for several years now and really enjoy it!

We’ve been coming to Vegas for four years for the first weekend of the PBR finals. Your newsletter has been extremely helpful.

We’ve stayed at the Excalibur the last couple of years. The first year the rooms were OK, but this year we stayed in one of the remodeled rooms and were very impressed with it. We got to look out over the pools and the improvements in the rooms were really nice.

This is the first year the finals have been at the Thomas & Mack Center instead of the Mandalay Bay Events Center. We were a little worried about transportation, but were pleasantly surprised by the taxi service we got all three nights. Our taxi cab drivers were very pleasant and we felt like they did a great job getting us there and back.

We are auto enthusiasts and really enjoyed the Auto Collection at the Imperial Palace.

Thank you for your newsletter and keep up the great work!!

Debbie R.
Kansas

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 I4Vegas Discount Las Vegas Reservations and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

  • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, U.S (Observed) January 19-21 (3 day weekend)
  • Chinese/Lunar New Year January 26
  • Lincoln’s Birthday, U.S February 12
  • Valentine’s Day February 14
  • President’s Day, U.S (Observed) February 14-16 (3 day weekend)
  • Washington’s Birthday, U.S February 22
  • St. Patrick’s Day March 17
  • Easter Sunday April 12
  • Cinco de Mayo May 5
  • Mother’s Day May 10
  • Father’s Day June 21
  • Canada Day, Canada July 1
  • Independence Day July 4
  • Civic Holiday, Canada August 1-3 (3 day weekend)
  • Labor Day, U.S September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Labour Day, Canada September 5-7 (3 day weekend)
  • Jewish New Year September 19
  • Halloween October 31
  • Veteran’s Day November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day, U.S November 26-29 (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 2008 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.
Hotel Rates Published Accurate At Time Of Publication

January 14, 2009 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us Privacy Policy

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