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Archive for June, 2009

June 24, 2009

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – June 24, 2009

June 24th 2009 Posted to Las Vegas Newsletter

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.

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 I4Vegas Discount Las Vegas Reservations. 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 Was…

barbra streisand frank sinatra las vegas

“Barbra & Frank, The Concert That Never Was…” 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 – 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 – 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 & Teller’s 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 Penn’s 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 http://www.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 it’s 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 don’t have as many US$ as we would like to spend!!

Can’t 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

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June 17, 2009

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – June 17, 2009

June 17th 2009 Posted to Las Vegas Newsletter

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
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 – 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

 

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

 

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 Venetian Romance 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 didn’t make this city and they won’t 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 I4Vegas Discount Las Vegas Reservations 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

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June 3, 2009

Access Vegas Insider Vibe – June 3, 2009

June 03rd 2009 Posted to Las Vegas Newsletter

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
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. Don’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, McFadden’s-sponsored food booth and even sno-cones. The days total netted more than $1700. Click 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 saying Hey 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. Café 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 – Daily 2-for-1 happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. – 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 else’s dream, which is represented through a bed that floats away in the beginning of the show. Nonetheless, if most people’s dreams mirrored the spectacles and intricacies in “Le Reve” it would be baffling if anyone would ever want to be awake!

The Wynn Theater, which is home to Le 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 I4Vegas Discount Las Vegas Reservations 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

Comments Off