Beginner’s Guide To Las Vegas

TMP 67 - Vegas
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Meggan: Hey everyone. Welcome back to the Travel Mug podcast. Happy 2023. Woo.

Jenn: We made it .

Meggan: So far so good. . So we are now in our third year of podcasting, which Jenn, can you even believe it?

Jenn: No.

Meggan: Nor can I, but we are like so excited to be here with you guys. Thanks for listening. This is the first episode of 2023 and we're gonna chat about a beginner's guide to Las Vegas. I don't know where you're listening from. We have listeners all around the world. We're very lucky, but we are in Canada and it is winter.

Jenn: Yep.

Meggan: Yeah. Yeah. And Jenn and I, neither of us are huge fans of winter. And you might not be thinking this year of going to the Caribbean, let's say, but maybe like a warmer destination like Las Vegas might interest you. Now, of course, keep in mind, and we'll talk about the weather a bit more, but it can be chilly at night, during the winter months. So if you do intend to go, don't let that surprise you, . So we've each been a few times, we don't claim to be experts about Las Vegas, but that's why we do these types of episodes, like to help first timers or infrequent visitors have like a bit of a plan or an idea of what to do.

So, Jenn, when were you there?

Jenn: I was there at the end of May in 2018. I went with one of my friends and then we met some other friends there and it was one of my favorite trips. It was really, really fun. We were there like five days I think, and I found that to be like a good amount of time for Vegas. . And it also happened to be the year that the Golden Knights, it was their first season and they made it to the playoffs

Meggan: I remember.

Jenn: And so that was just kinda a wild time to be there. Unfortunately, we couldn't get affordable tickets to the game while we were there cause it was real expensive. But we did, we did stand outside the stadium and they showed the game on a big screen outside. , but then we had to go inside cuz it was too hot to stand outside for a whole hockey game.

Meggan: Yeah, no, no, I can imagine for sure.

Jenn: When, when were you there?

Meggan: So I've been there several times over like a weird span of time. So I was there in September of 2006 with Peter June, 2009, he and I went, we were there with four other friends. So that was kind of a different experience than just the two of us.

And then in October of 2019, I went with a friend Brianna, who was on the podcast previously, we went to see a Lady Gaga concert.

Jenn: Ooh.

Meggan: And now we're pondering sort of fall 2023 maybe. So we'll see what happens. I know.

Jenn: Exciting. I really wanna go back to Vegas.

Meggan: Yeah. Yeah. He and I need to do it up differently. Like 2006, Peter, Meggan versus 2022. Peter and Meggan. Or 2023, I guess. Oh yeah, we're but different people, so,

Jenn: we're different people. .

Meggan: I think we could have like a, a really good time. So, but really like why Vegas? I think that's a really good question. Like why do people go there so much and like, what is a bit of the history I think is important to cover too.

And you know, they say New York City is a city that never sleeps, but honestly, I kind of feel like that's Las Vegas. .

Jenn: Yeah, .

Meggan: It's a true adult playground, which I think is the lure of the strip itself. Mm-hmm. . It's filled with of course casinos and high-end shopping ,shows, the ability to stroll around with a drink in your hand while you're on the streets.

Jenn: That's weird.

Meggan: You could go to clubs and bars at all hours. If you smoke, you can kind of smoke anywhere. It is just kind of like a wild place .

Jenn: It is.

Meggan: Now apparently a man named Thomas Hut is credited with opening the first hotel called El Rancho Las Vegas in 1941. And of course, the strip has ties to like olden day gangsters and mob money with the Flamingo actually being originally owned and opened by Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky.

Jenn: Mm-hmm. very fun.

Meggan: Mm-hmm. . Oh. So interesting. Now, the website, Las Vegas for newbies, which I thought was a really great place to quote.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: They tell us that in the early days there was no speed limit, there was no sales tax, there was no waiting period for marriages. There was no state income tax if you lived there. And gambling was like totally unregulated. So we think Vegas is wild now, , can you imagine? What it was like then?

Jenn: No, the true wild West. Yeah. .

Meggan: Exactly. Gamblers actually used silver dollars, which were later to be replaced with silver dollar size plastic chips, which I guess is eventually how that progressed right now.

By the early 1950s, Vegas had become a true vacation destination, the era of Elvis, the Rat Pack and Liberace. It was also the quickie divorce. and marriage capital of the US like everything happened there. Swear to goodness, . I know. So from this era of the strip has kind of continued to grow. It's expanded with new construction all the time.

I know for me, from when I went in 2009 until I went back in 2019, so much new stuff had spreaded up. Even more hotels, even more stuff to do some of the stuff we'll talk about today. So it's ever changing and evolving. So Vegas today. Likely won't be what Vegas looks like in 2033.

Jenn: Right.

Meggan: So, yeah, so I think, you know, I don't think you can really get bored because there always seems like new stuff to do.

Jenn: I know. I don't think you could ever get bored. Like there's so much

Meggan: you can get overwhelmed, but you won't be bored.

Jenn: Isn't that the truth?

Meggan: Definitely. So we mentioned weather earlier, so sort of talk to us a bit about that because people kind of probably are trying to think like what might be the best time to go that wise?

Jenn: Yeah, so I think a lot of people assume that Vegas is hot all the time. I know I did and I had friends that went in like, I think it was February and I remember she was like, I had to wear my winter coat. Like it was cold. So just keep in mind, like November to March, the daytime highs are in like the teens or the low twenties Celsius. Of course, yes. And it can be close to or below freezing at night, so,

Meggan: well, the desert can be really cold at night, so that makes a lot of sense.

Jenn: But then, however, you have June, July, and August with the daytime highs are in the forties. Celsius. So like it's all over the map here and it did not cool down.

Meggan: No, and it's like preference too. Like if you don't want it to be blazing hot, those other months might work for you.

Jenn: Yeah, so I think like May April, may and like October, maybe late September, October would be kind of the sweet spot for me because I do want it to be warm. I wanna be able to get in the pool.

But I, I, when I went at the end of May, I think we flew home on June 1st, so that's kind of the time we were in. It was hot, like it was really, and it's dry and everybody's like, oh, it's a dry heat. It's not as bad. But when you live where we live by, you know, the water, I can see the ocean basically. We are used to having so much humidity that in Vegas, when you step outside and you breathe in and all of the moisture's just gone from your face, it's just, it's not what you're used to.

Meggan: No. Like, like we're a damp people.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: Like dampness is in our DNA and so when it's like taken away from us, like our body, my body just shrivels

Jenn: yeah.

Meggan: It's not a good situation.

Jenn: No, no. And, and we'll talk about this. Stay hydrated. Stay hydrated. People .

Meggan: Hundred percent I would say for me outta the three times I was there. Also, June as well as September, October, weather was definitely the most comfortable and enjoyable still warm during the day, so getting into the AC was still a bit of a relief.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: And it was hot, warmish hot during the height of the daytime, but still, I would say overall evening, morning, afternoon, still the most enjoyable. So I would say it was probably October.

Jenn: Yeah, I think that's, that's when I would go next.

Meggan: Definitely. Now, where do you think like people should stay? Now we're of course not gonna make specific hotel or resort recommendations. That's all up to people how much they wanna spend because the budget can range from lower budget to higher.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: But in terms of like location, what do you, what are you sort of like advising?

Jenn: Yeah, so I think, in my opinion on the strip is where you should be staying or maybe slightly off strip, but like you really want to be close to all of that, the action, right?

Meggan: Mm-hmm. .

Jenn: That being said, the strip is long and so choosing somewhere central on the strip maybe makes more sense.

We stayed at Treasure Island which is kind of like North Strip, and I would say that is as far as I would go north it,

Meggan: yeah.

Jenn: Even though it was kind of far away from some stuff, like when we were walking at night, sometimes it was really far to go back. We did take an Uber which seemed ridiculous to me, but like from one end of the strip to the other, and I don't even, I think it's like. That, that Uber ride was maybe like five kilometers and it felt like a huge waste of money to me. But anyway, we did it cause it's, it was long.

Meggan: Yeah. And if you walk just so much, you're like, I don't have it in me any longer.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: You know?

Jenn: No. But like a lot of. Of the hotels on the strip have a ton of amenities. We had, at the Treasure Island, we had a casino, of course.

Meggan: Mm-hmm.

Jenn: A spa that we didn't use. There was shopping, like there was a C v S attached, which was like pretty nice if you had to go in and like, grab stuff. Multiple restaurants and like basically every resort is gonna have all of that stuff.

Meggan: Yeah.

Jenn: Pretty much. With some added and maybe some taken away. We wandered through a lot of resorts on our trip just cuz it was fun to kinda walk through them. And I think I'd stay at the Flamingo next time.

Meggan: Hmm, you wanna visit Bugsy Siegel's stopping grounds.

Jenn: We just finished watching the Sopranos for the first time, so I'm like really into the mob right now.

Meggan: I love it. You're gonna go back to those mob roots.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: Well, I have to agree, like, you know, if you're going to Las Vegas, and again, your budget will be dependent whether it's on or off strip, and we totally get that. But if you are going to Vegas for that Vegas experience somewhere on the strip, central would be best.

I found one end or the other, like you mentioned, a very long walk and at some point during the day, like I'm over it.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: And we stayed at the Flamingo in 2006 and in 2009 or 2008, I can never remember which year it was, Peter would know if he was here, . We stayed in like a cheaper, a mid strip hotel that honestly isn't around anymore.

It's actually now called the Linq, which we'll talk about in reference later. And while it wasn't fancy then, although I think it's definitely been upgraded, it was the best location. It was mid strip, it was perfect and it was a great bargin, honestly.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: And then in 2019 we stayed at the New York, New York. It was very enjoyable. It had everything we needed. It was close to the concert location for Lady Gaga, so it was a perfect for what we needed it for.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: But really, honestly, in my opinion, no matter what, be prepared to do a lot of walking. Take your comfy shoes. Pack properly.

Jenn: Yeah. Yeah. Flip flops are not gonna cut it here.

Meggan: They're just gonna melt into the sidewalk after a while. I swear. , you'll not be happy with the flip flop choice.

Jenn: No, you'll not be happy with the flip flop unless you're going to the pool.

All right, let's talk about stuff to do. What are do, so the first thing that we have to talk about obviously is gambling. It's Vegas, right?

Meggan: Right.

Jenn: Now I'm not personally a gambler but I did have fun playing a couple of machines, so it's kind of fun to just like partake obviously within your limits. You know, a lot of people go to Vegas for the casinos, but if gambling's not your thing, like that's okay. And there are so many other fun things to do besides gamble.

Are you, you a gambler Meggan?

Meggan: Really not . Again, like you, I putting some money once in a while into a machine you happen to walk by is kind of fun.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: But I've like never played a card game at a table. Peter does enjoy blackjack, so he's played some table games. He enjoys it as well, but we both know our limits and neither of us are real big gamblers. So dabbling, I would say just a tiny bit. So it's not why we go.

Jenn: Yeah, totally fair.

Meggan: Now one of the things you can definitely do, and I stayed, I referenced New York, New York earlier, is there is a roller coaster there. There's lots of thrilling things to do in Vegas and at New York, New York, the big Apple roller coaster is the thing to do there.

So there seems to be a little bit of a theme where daytime pricing and nighttime pricing is a thing. of course make money where you can, I guess. So on this rollercoaster, a daytime ride's gonna cost you 19 American, of course most of the prices we'll reference, I'm sure are American, and then nighttime is $23.

You do need to book in advance. Now the rollercoaster sounds a bit terrifying. So 67 miles per hour with the world's first 180 degree twist and dive maneuver with a 203 foot drop.

Jenn: It's not for me. It's not.

Meggan: I know and at one, at one point, I think it must have been 2009, I tried to get Peter to like go on it just once and he wanted like, no part of it. He avoided the conversation completely and now I'm not even sure that I would, cuz apparently I was. I heard in, when I went in 2019, I asked about it again. Just still curious.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: And someone mentioned that it's hard on your neck and like I kind of have a lot of chronic neck pain anyways, so I'm like I think I'm just gonna skip it.

Jenn: Yeah, I mean it would either cause you more pain or it would fix everything. One of the two ,

Meggan: I'm, maybe it's exactly what I need. Who knows. But either way I bet it would be like a terrifying thrill.

Jenn: Yeah, it looks it's not for me, as we've talked about, I think before in the podcast that I'm not super into those type of roller coasters, but two of my friends went on it when we were in Vegas and they had a great time.

Meggan: If it's your thing, live it up..

Jenn: All right. Shows, concerts, all of those things. So practically every hotel is going to have some sort of entertainment going on. So like a comedy show, Cirque du soleil, magicians, concerts, there's like everything you could possibly imagine.

Meggan: Yes.

Jenn: We saw Criss Angel. He was performing at the Luxor back then. He's not at the Luxor anymore. I can't remember where he. Anyway uh, not important. He was, he was great. We had a really good time. The show was really good. I would love to see Penn and Teller the next time I go because I loved their TV show and yeah, I would definitely love to see that. I know you said you went to Lady Gaga. Is there any other shows that you've gone to besides Lady Gaga?

Meggan: We have done a magic show, a comedy club, and we did do one of the Cirque du Soleil shows. It was like a sassy, sexy Cirque du Soleil.

Jenn: Oh, oh,

Meggan: I know. It was, it was actually kind of cool. I enjoyed it very much so yeah. We've probably done that. I enjoy comedy, live comedy. It's, it makes me anxious and, and awkward , but it's, it's not, I'm not up there. So I, I do sit through it and I enjoy it, but so we usually try to check out that kind of thing. But yeah, so a few things and you don't need to pre-book everything. Some things you can just drop into like the magic and the comedy stuff. It doesn't need to be as big of a production if you're going to like a concert or something.

Jenn: Yeah. Yeah. I think if there's something that you really want to see, obviously book tickets in advance.

Meggan: Yeah.

Jenn: But if you're just like, Hey, what? What can we do tonight? and then find something.

Meggan: Exactly.

Jenn: I think

Meggan: exactly.

Jenn: Happy medium there.

Meggan: Yeah, no, for sure. So seems like I have all the thrill rides, but this one isn't that much of a thrill. But we're gonna now talk about the high roller observation wheel. So I mentioned the Linq hotel or resort earlier, attached to that is like a Linq promenade. So on the promenade is a bunch of shops and restaurants, et cetera.

And I did this high roller observation wheel when we went in 2019. It wasn't there for any of my other visits,

Jenn: right

Meggan: as it is fairly new. So it's very similar to the London Eye. With some great views of the strip and surrounding landscapes, and of course, landscapes just outside of Vegas are beautiful.

So it's very different from what you would see in London. And it is the second tallest Ferris wheel in the world, I think, behind one that's in Dubai.

Jenn: Huh? .

Meggan: Yeah. Another location where the cost differs from day to night. Okay. , the daytime cost is about $23.50 for adults, $8.50 for kids. Nighttime. It does go up, of course, to $34.75 for adults, $17.50 for kids. Definitely book your tickets in advance. That is what we did as well. Now, would I recommended for the money? I don't know if it's your thing. Sure. I've done the London eye. I enjoy having the experience, whether it's worth the money or not, that's up to the individual. I don't regret it, you know, it was still cool to see the sights and it was, it was something enjoyable to do and it wasn't, you know, like a rollercoaster, so you didn't have to be terrified of the experience. you know, heights aren't your thing. Maybe don't do it.

Jenn: Yeah. .

Meggan: But I do enjoy it. But again, it's, it's up to you to decide if that's where you wanna spend your money.

Jenn: Gotcha. Yeah, we didn't do it, but those, like, I haven't, I didn't do the London eye either. Like they're just not, observation decks are like, not really my jam really.

Meggan: Yeah. Yeah. I enjoy a moving, like piece of equipment. I'm like, let's get on. I, I. I wanna ride that. So if you're not into the wheel, what else could we do?

Jenn: All right, so there is a mob museum.

Meggan: Of course there is.

Jenn: Of course there is. So, obviously, like we said, Vegas has ties to the mob and so the building that the museum is is in, opened in 1933 as a US Pos Office and courthouse.

Meggan: Okay.

Jenn: That's very cool. It's where a lot of the mob trials happened. Yeah. And then in 2012 it opened as the Mob Museum to kind of explore the complicated history of the mob and it's mostly hidden role in society. Of course there's a speakeasy in the basement because.

Meggan: As there would

Jenn: Why wouldn't there be

Meggan: Right.

Jenn: I really enjoyed this museum. Of course by now we know that I like museums. But I think, you know, Vegas is fun and it's kind of a crazy wild drinking, entertainment, gambling place. It's kind of cool to take in the history as well. And I don't, it's not a huge museum. I think we spent maybe two or three ish hours, maybe two, I can't remember. But it was, it was a good time and I really enjoyed it. And this that's in downtown Las Vegas, so it's not

Meggan: Okay.

Jenn: Close to the strip.

Meggan: Yeah. Okay. Cool. And how had you heard about it?

Jenn: I think I was just googling things to do in Las Vegas.

Meggan: Look at you using google.

Jenn: I know the google machine

Meggan: I tell you . All right, well next we're gonna head, I think to sort of one end of the strip.

I'm pretty sure the stratosphere is down one end. Don't ask me which end, I'm not good with North, East, South, West. but the Stratosphere has a lot going on. Again for the thrill seeker. So there is an observation desk deck. It's like a tower, let's say like maybe in Seattle where they have the space needle, very similar looking. There's an observation desk, a sky jump. Thrill rides such as Big Shot, which shoots 160 feet into the air at 45 miles per hour. You're seated, like locked in kind of thing. There's a rollercoaster called X-scream , and there's one called Insanity where you dangle over this strip in this big mechanical looking arm thing.

Anyway, I've never done any of of these intense looking activities, . , and I would love to think I'm brave enough to try, but I'm really, I'm probably just saying that for the podcast. um, All activities do cost money. So again, do your research in advance to see what thrill you want for your buck. It can be really busy, so book in advance.

We did line up like back in the day before you had to book every single thing in advance for the observation deck. But honestly, the line for that was so long we eventually just gave up. But there is also a restaurant there and a place where you can grab some drinks and the view, I'm sure is spectacular.

So you don't have to do the, the thrill seeking side if you wanna maybe have a good meal and enjoy a good view as well.

Jenn: Fair.

Meggan: So I'm gonna guess you wouldn't do any of that stuff.

Jenn: No, no, no. I, I just no. .

Meggan: Now, does Ryan like that kind of stuff?

Jenn: Yeah, he's definitely way more into that than I am, but I still don't know. Like if it was just the two of us there, he probably wouldn't do it because he wouldn't wanna like line up and like take the time when I'm not gonna do it.

Meggan: Yeah, that makes sense.

Jenn: Yes.

All right, let's talk about the Fremont Street experience.

Meggan: Okay.

Jenn: We're going back to downtown Las Vegas. So . . I don't know how far it is from the strip, but it's like a, it's like a drive or an Uber or a

Meggan: Yeah, we took like a bus.

Jenn: Okay.

Meggan: And we've taken a cab before as well. You can do either from the strip. It's not far.

Jenn: It's not far, but like, you're not gonna walk it.

Meggan: No.

Jenn: Yeah, no. So it's a, the Fremont Street experience is a two kilometer covered pedestrian area. At the focal point, there's like an LED canopy above you that comes on at dusk and there's lights and there's sounds and it's, it is really cool. Back on the ground, there is sound stages. So you'll have live bands, street performers, chippendales men out there uh, casinos, bars, restaurants, all those things. It's a big old party, realistically. And, and if you are into the thrills, there's a zip line above, above you in the canopy called Slotzilla. So you can,

Meggan: because it would be,

Jenn: you can zip line. We talked about doing that. I would do a zip line. But the line was really long and it's, it's expensive. I can't remember how much it was, but I was like, nah.

Meggan: Yeah. Well, speaking of zip lines, I mean, Back at the Linq Promenade um, there is the Fly Linq Zipline there. So if you weren't going to do the Fremont Street experience, but you wanted to Zipline, this is another spot you can do it. So the promenade itself, I mentioned it earlier, but it's been open since about 2013.

Like I said, it's kind of busy with shops and restaurants and bars. Here, you can also do the zip line, which opened in 2018. So it's 12 stories above the street. And you zip over the promenade itself and you actually sort of come to a land at the base of the high roller Ferris wheel.

Jenn: Okay.

Meggan: Two people can go at the same time. So if you're with someone else, you can go together. And I think that part would be cool, looks a bit frightening, but to me, not too crazy. I think it's doable for sort of the average person, if you can handle a little bit. Again, if it's not your thing, whatevs, but you do get up to 35 miles per hour but it only takes about 30 seconds.

So again, weighing out, is that worth it to you for the monies? You know, do you wanna spend your dollars there. So you can buy tickets at the gate or ahead of time, which is a cheaper option, of course, tickets are around 21 to 26 US dollars for 30 seconds. So really you decide. , you decide if that works for you, and there is a skip the queue option to buy in advance, which of course costs more, but you don't have to stand in line.

So again, if you wish to spend even more money for 30 seconds, you can do it. Vegas has everything.

Jenn: Vegas. It truly does have everything.

Meggan: It does indeed.

Jenn: All right, back on the museum train.

Meggan: All right,

Jenn: Jenn's museum train. Have you ever wondered, Meggan, where neon signs go to die?

Meggan: I haven't.

Jenn: You haven't, but it's the Neon Museum.

Meggan: Oh,

Jenn: of course. That's where,

Meggan: I mean, where else would that be?

Jenn: Where else would it go? So there's a neon sign, boneyard, so it has more than 250 unrestored signs, they are illuminated at night. And then there's also like numerous restored signs that are illuminated all of the time. Highly recommend buying these tickets in advance because they do sell out.

General admission is $20 and you only have an hour. So like it's,

Meggan: oh.

Jenn: You timed. It's in downtown Las Vegas, not far from the Mob Museum. I'm really sad that I missed this when we went. We just ran out of time and

Meggan: Sure.

Jenn: Couldn't do everything. But like real good for the gram, you know?

Meggan: I bet.

Jenn: Yeah. Beautiful.

Meggan: Definitely. Be a good thing to do. Never heard of that.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: Look at us, learn new things, . I know. Well, you know, drinking is definitely a part of what people do if they go to Vegas. Not everybody drinks, but if that's your thing, I have a recommendation just for like a kitchy fun thing. So back in 2009, and again, that's the year I'm picking cause I can't remember if it was 2009 or 2008, we went to an ice bar. So, Back then we went to one, I don't remember the name, but there's a few options now. Literally if you Google them, they'll come up. We made a reservation in advance. The bar was literally made of ice. It was inside of a, a specific hotel, I wanna say the Mirage, but again, I could be lying. They provided jackets and mittens and gloves.

The drinks were actually served in cups, made of ice. You were like in a room that was completely ice, ice benches, ice, everything. The bar was made of ice. And you have to be careful though if you are a slow drinker because the drink might actually eventually leak through your cup. I think, peter's not a fast drinker, so his, his did. I'm, I'm a fast drinker, no matter the bevy. But his started to leak through. It's really more of a novelty than like a bar where you'd spend your evening, but it was fun and it's kind of a, a nice way to kick off your evening, if that makes sense. That's kind of how we treated it, was like our first stop and it was just kind of interesting.

Jenn: Yeah. I mean... That I. Yeah. That is weird. .

Meggan: I know, I know.

Jenn: Sure.

Meggan: only in Las Vegas. Oh, actually I'm probably sure it's other places, but it's I'm sure place I've ever done it.

Jenn: Yeah. I mean, I guess I've done it in Halifax, but it was outside in the winter, but the bar wasn't made of ice, so I guess There you have it. Speaking of ice, Let's talk about the .

Meggan: We have like a bunch of amazing segues on this episode.

Jenn: Wow. We're amazing .

Meggan: So what else could we do around ice ?

Jenn: It's almost like we planned this. So the Vegas Golden Knight and their arena, the T-Mobile arena are right in the heart of Las Vegas.

Meggan: Yes.

Jenn: Like in the strips. So if you go during hockey season, OC early October through April or further, if they make it into the playoffs and you want to experience a live sports game you can probably walk from your hotel. So that's amazing. . Like I said, we were lucky kind of to be there during the final round of the N H L playoffs in 2018.

Vegas was playing Washington and the energy was just wild. Like it was a lot of fun and I'm really glad that we got to experience it. I'm really sad that I, I, we just couldn't swing like it was like, I think probably $600 to like a thousand dollars for a ticket. I can't remember what it was, but I remember we looked at it and we were like, oh, no,

Meggan: We simply cannot do this.

Jenn: We cannot, we cannot. But a regular season game, you can get from like a hundred dollars. And up. So a lot more reasonable.

Meggan: Well, playoffs are definitely, that makes sense. And when we were there in October for Lady Gaga, the, each day we were there, I swear I'm, I'm sure it wasn't, but it felt like it. But there were games happening and the amount of people dressed up and like the gear and stuff was like overwhelming. People are serious.

Jenn: Yeah. No. It was really fun to be there during that time. And I don't know if they do it during regular season. Probably not. Maybe, I don't know. Somebody tell us, but we when we were there, we got to watch part of the game standing outside the T-Mobile arena and they had projected everything outside onto like giant screens and so it was fun and hot. So we left and watched the rest of the game in a restaurant in I think New York New York.

Meggan: So dandy.

Jenn: I know. Alright, so , we talked about a lot of things that are expensive.

Meggan: costs a lot of money.

Jenn: Yes. So let's talk about maybe some free things.

Meggan: Okay. Well, and I think too, with the free things, just for a heads up for the listeners, we're not gonna go into like a ton of detail. We just kind of have like a little bit of a comprehensive list. We're gonna go over, jot some stuff down if it interests you and, and take a look at it, because these are just literally some of the things you can do day or night. Just that, you know, aren't gonna cost you either anything or very little.

What's up first Jenn?

Jenn: Container Park, which. I, we stumbled onto this by accident and it was so much fun. So it's like a playground and it's adults only after like 9:00 PM so that was really fun. So there's like a tree house, sometimes they have free concerts or like a show. There's also like restaurants and retail shops and a tattoo parlor all kind of in this area. Obviously those aren't free, but yeah, the the playground was pretty fun. I have to say . Obviously there's a lot of window shopping you can do where you don't spend money. Fashion Show Mall has over 250 stores, so, and that's just one mall. There's a lot more.

Meggan: Yeah. So if you can control yourself and not blow money there, you can at least like look at all the things.

Jenn: Yes. Bellagio Fountain at night, in my opinion, must do,

Meggan: oh, it's probably one of my favorite things.

Jenn: Checkout where Pawn Stars is filmed. 7 1 3 Las Vegas Boulevard Fremont Street we mentioned earlier is free to visit and stroll around. , obviously you have to get there. So Uber or Bus, but Bus works and is very cheap.

Meggan: Yep, yep.

Jenn: People watch, we love the People Watch and there are a lot of people to watch and they're entertaining.

Meggan: Yes. My God. .

Jenn: And there is a Walk of Stars as well, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, vegas style, of course.

Meggan: Mm-hmm. . Yes. And some other things that could be of interest especially maybe if even if you do have kids with you you could do the Mirage Hotel has volcano shows.

Jenn: Yep.

Meggan: There's a circus act at Circus Circus

Jenn: that was fun. Like I would uh, side note, I would not stay at this hotel. It. Yikes, yikes on bikes. I mean, maybe it's been completely redone since I was there in 2018, but No, no way friend would you get me in a room there. But anyway, the circus part was very fun.

Meggan: There you go. Yeah. Walk the Linq promenade, we mentioned it earlier. So of course there are things there to pay for, but again, you can do some window shopping, people watching along there. This is also a favorite of mine, which is the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden. . Don't miss the chocolate fountain inside.

I don't think I've ever seen that, but when I was doing research, people were like, don't miss it. And I'm like, I think I did.

Jenn: I missed it!

Meggan: How could I have missed it? The Flamingo Wild Habitat at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino. Also check that out. Back in the day, so 2006 there used to actually be Lions kept at the MGM Grand. That is not the case anymore, so thank goodness. Hopefully they're living their best lives somewhere else. And then not completely free but a short Uber from Mandalay Bay is to go to the famous welcome to Las Vegas, sign and take pictures. So, apparently though, watch out for scammers here who act as like official photographers.

You get to do your own thing and you're in no way obligated to pay these people or use their services. That sign is free for everyone to just take pictures of.

Jenn: Yes. I'm so sad that I did not go see the welcome to Las Vegas sign.

Meggan: Like I only did on my last trip. The first two we didn't, and we did this Brianna and I did this tour and one of the little, it wasn't long, but one of the stops was the sign. And I have to say, I was very excited.

Jenn: Yeah, I got the, I gotta do that next time. .

Meggan: Yeah, definitely.

Jenn: All right, so Vegas is great, but it's also a really good kind of jumping off point for,

Meggan: and it's also a lot, after a while

Jenn: it is. Like you kind of wanna leave the like city and kinda maybe see some nature .

Meggan: Yeah.

Jenn: So where can we go, Meggan?

Meggan: Well first and foremost, of course, we would suggest, and we've both been there as the Grand Canyon. So we rented a car right on the strip. It was a convertible, so that was fun. We drove through the desert and got to the Grand Canyon, and back in one day. That included a stopping over at the Hoover Dam, which of course is on the way to the Grand Canyon.

So you kind of get to do all that at once. Now, if we did it again, Present day, Meggan and Peter. We likely would stay somewhere, spend some more time there, see, you know, other rims of the canyon than what we did. But we were, we were young and foolish. Um, But I think the Grand Canyon honestly was just like a truly wow experience, like a holy shit moment.

Like I just couldn't believe. What I was actually seeing, it's so beautiful and vast and like awe inspiring. I do wanna note it was about a four plus hour drive to get there, and that's with, with no stops. So it's either gonna be a really long day for you as it was for us, or again, you should kind of plan to stay overnight to get the whole experience and not be rushed.

How did you do it?

Jenn: Yeah, so we did a bus tour that included the Grand Canyon, west Rim, and a very brief stop at the Hoover Dam. So we went with a company called Canyon Tour. So they picked us up at our hotel. It actually included lunch as well, which was really nice. And we stopped at this like Hualapai Ranch, which is like a replica village. I probably wouldn't recommend stopping there. It is very kitchy. . Um, And then we went to Eagle Point, which is where you'll find the skywalk where you can go out. We didn't go out and do that. It was an extra cost and I didn't really see the point. . And then finally we went to Guano Point, which I think is the best place to stop. Best views for sure. We had a really good time. It was a small bus tour, so it wasn't huge. And we actually had really great guides who were fun and super knowledgeable and they basically did like a photo shoot with us, with me and my friend. We have all these really great pictures and they took us to some spots where we probably wouldn't have gone for pictures.

Kind of away from the crowds and that sort of thing. Honestly, we had a really great time on this tour and I would go with them again, if you're looking for an option that's not a drive yourself option.

Meggan: Yeah, no, definitely. And, and talk to us a little bit about the Hoover Dam as well.

Jenn: Yeah, the Hoover Dam. I'm really sad that we didn't spend more time here because it looked really cool. It, and my parents kind of did a Vegas Route 66 trip, and they spent a lot more time here. And so I'm a little jealous. But the Hoover Dam was constructed between 1931 and 1936.. It's in the Colorado River, so it's a concrete arch gravity dam.

Meggan: Mm-hmm. .

Jenn: So you can take tours and kids under eight years old are not allowed prices. $30 and it's a one hour self-guided tour. So you kind of gadget yourself through I, I would like to do this tour.

Meggan: Yeah, me too. Like we didn't have enough time there because again, it was a one day thing for us, so I would definitely stop if we had more time do the tour for sure.

One other spot we wanted to mention that isn't as far honestly is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. So during 2009 we also rented a car with the friends we were with, we drove from the strip to Red Rock Canyon. It. Truly beautiful, and it was only a 20 mile drive from the strip, so it's really not far at all.

So if the Grand Canyon isn't what you wanna undertake, this is a really good alternative. It's in the Mojave Desert, and again, coming from the ocean climate that we do, it's such a different experience. Yeah. And the park is essentially a 13 mile drive with really great scenery. You can stop and hike, again, just make sure you're prepared. If you're not used to like hiking in the desert, there's, you really should take all the necessary things with you. So make sure that you do that as well. or you can just stop every now and then along the drive and take some really great pictures.

I think it's it was just fascinating cuz of course, a, a landscape we're not used to, but the Red Rock kind of reminded me a little bit of Prince Edward, Edward Island.

Jenn: Oh yeah.

Meggan: Um, Without the desert, of course, but but yeah, the scenery was unreal. It's not far from the strip. I really highly recommend it. Did you make it to the conservation park?

Jenn: No.

Meggan: Next time.

Jenn: Next time. Next. . All right. It is the return of the fun facts.

Meggan: Yay.

Jenn: I know, I know. Everybody was missing the fun facts.

Meggan: I know. . All right, what's up first?

Jenn: All right, so up first, the strip is actually not located in the city of Las Vegas. What the heck? It's in an unincorporated town and , census designated place in Clark County, Nevada. So it's adjacent to the city of Vegas called Paradise and it was formed on December 8th, 1950.

Meggan: We were watching a show not long ago, and it actually said that how, like the strip isn't even located in Las Vegas. And I'm like, what the, what? What ? I know. And then it's called Paradise. And I'm like, okay, well that kind of makes sense a little bit, I guess as well, but it's kind of crazy.

Jenn: Also weird. Yeah. like we just did this entire episode about Las Vegas and the strip is not,

Meggan: did we?!

Jenn: About paradise, I guess, but ,

Meggan: well, speaking of paradise, over 300 weddings a day. Take place there.

Jenn: I would like love to renew my vows in Vegas. I think that would be,

Meggan: that would be so fun. Yeah. If Benifer can do it, we can do it.

Jenn: We can do it. You know, definitely.

The Bellagio Fountain uses gray water cuz imagine the waste of actual drinking water, the clean drinking water it would use. So they instead use recycled sink tub and shower water.

Meggan: I love that. Yes. Yes. Water is a, a commodity to be reserved. Yes. The light from the Luxor hotel costs around $15,000 a month to operate.

Jenn: What .

Meggan: I know.

Jenn: Is that worth it? Is that worth it luxor?

Meggan: Someone feels it is. I guess cuz they keep doing it

Jenn: crazy.

Meggan: I know.

Jenn: Speaking hotels, Las Vegas is home to 15 of the world's top 25 hotels. That is wild. That includes the Venetian Caesars Palace and the bi Bellagio just to name a few.

Meggan: If I had the moulah or was gonna splurge, I would love to stay at the Bellagio.

Jenn: Yeah, that'd be a good one. Yeah,

Meggan: that would be my choice.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: And then finally, speaking of hotels, again, Vegas has over 150,000 hotel rooms. So it being sold out and nowhere for you to stay is almost next to impossible.

Jenn: Why?

Meggan: Gotta love that.

Jenn: I mean, that's like overwhelming to choose where to stay.

Meggan: It is. It is. And oftentimes I'm sure people go by price, so that's probably how they end up choosing.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: It's the only way to narrow it down, .

Jenn: Alright, that is it for this week's episode and the first episode, 2023 in the books. Happy Planning to Las Vegas. Or paradise, I guess,

Meggan: whichever .

Jenn: We are so excited to be with you here in 2023. We got a lot of great shows coming up this year. It's gonna be a good year. It's gonna be a good travel year, and just it is, know it. So you can always support us with. Buy me a coffee link is in the show notes there. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook at Travel Mug Podcast and on our website of course travel mug podcast.com.

And yeah, we're excited. We're excited, Meggan.

Meggan: We are indeed. Thanks so much everyone. Bye.