Blog Entry 27 of 51
The Lakewood Lowdown
Hi, I'm Erin Feese, a community journalist here at YourHub.com.
As journalists, we are always seeking to uncover the newsy, the exciting, the weird and the heartwarming stories going on around us. The greatest part of YourHub.com is that you can be the one to tell your story. In this blog you'll find highlights of the Lakewood and Edgewater sites, as well as the musings of your friendly neighborhood journalist. So go ahead, uncover what's going on around you, and don't be afraid to share what you find.
Livin' large in Las Vegas
Contributed by:
Erin Feese/YourHub.com
on 9/26/2007
So we've been pretty crazy here at
YourHub.com, rolling out a whole new look to the paper (you can check it out Sept. 27). So I am finally getting a chance to blog about my trip to Las Vegas over Labor Day weekend.
So I had never been to Vegas before -- my boyfriend,
Gabe, has been there many times and insisted he had to take me. I was a bit wary -- what can be so compelling to make him return again and again?
Well, I cannot exactly put my finger on it, but there is something addictive about Vegas ... something that has you planning your trip back before you're even left. Despite the droves of people around every corner, the stifling heat and the noisy, overwhelmingness of it all, there is something about Vegas that just grabs you.
Perhaps is it because there is so much incredible stuff to see, it is escape from reality that we all crave during vacation. And of course there is the gambling.
From my earlier experience in Atlantic City, I wasn't really feeling the whole gambling thing. Yeah, it's amusing for like five minutes, but watching the slot machine gobble up my $5 without so much winning a penny left me feeling not so enthralled. That could have bought me a latte, people!
However, Gabe introduced me to craps. And I must say, once you get the hang of it, it's quite fun. In short, the people around the table take turns throwing dice, and if they avoid rolling the dreaded "7" (when the point is on) and hit the right number, everyone makes money. And we did luck out one night -- this girl rolled for about 45 minutes straight, and turned my $25 into $130 (now, I realize this was NOT typical, but it sure was fun). Even when I lost money, the energy was high, the free drinks were flowing, and it was a pretty good time.
Other highlights of the trip included our amazing hotel room -- the Venetian is probably the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in (I had no idea what to do with 3 TVs!) and it had some of those great fluffy robes to lounge around in. Also, the pool was completely gorgeous. Just had to be sure to stay away from the room's minibar ($5 bottles of water and $15 chocolates? No thanks).
The Venice-inspired canals with the boat rides that wound through the hotel were fun to look at as well.
Also, I met up with an old friend from high school,
Chris, who works out in Vegas now. Basically, he has the coolest job ever -- he designs special effects for some of the amazing shows like Cirque du Soleil and
Phantom.
Speaking of, the Phantom theater happens to be in the Venetian, and Chris gave us a little bit of a backstage tour. The sets for the show are incredible, and he showed us the complex mechanism that controls the show's chandelier (which, he so kindly explained in simple terms for my benefit, breaks away like tiers of a wedding cake and swings over the audience).
Unfortunately, we did not budget any money for a show, so I did not get to see
Phantom live, but that is definitely on the top of my list when I go back (see! Already talking about going back). Although there is plenty of free stuff to see (just walking through casinos is pretty entertaining and the swanky stores make window-shopping plentiful) I would recommend anyone going for a visit to try to catch a show, because I have heard such amazing things about them.
Now, I also have a few tips if you're trying to not break the bank during your Vegas trip. First, you can find great hotel deals at
Travelzoo.com -- that's where we found our Venetian room for half price! Also, I think you can book shows on the same site.
As for where to gamble -- Casino Royale. Yup, a bit of a dive, and lacking the glitz and glamor of some of the other casinos, but it has the cheapest craps and blackjack tables around. They are also really good about offering free drinks if you're gambling, and if you're not -- $1 frozen margaritas and Michleobs (seriously). It also is in a really good location -- right next to the Venetian and across the street from Caesar's on the center strip. And -- if you're looking for cheap eats -- Casino Royale is right next to Chipotle and McDonalds. (It has a Subway in it, too, but I'd recommend Chipotle, because at least the prices are the same as here. I unwittingly ordered a 6-inch sub at 2 a.m. and had to fork over 7 bucks). For more cheap food, the Venetian's food court is pretty good.
All in all, it was a blast ... did I mention I want to go back?
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