THE STRIP, Las Vegas

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Favorite thing: Las Vegas is truly in a recession mode as most casino complexes in the strip areas and some other complexes charges a daily resort fee that is included in your hotel bill and these resort fees charges differ per establishment like the wynn will charge you a $ 20 resort fee per day and the bellagio will charge you a $ 18 resort fee and others like the excalibur charge you an $ 15 resort fee that covers things like unlimited local and long distance calls (excluding international calls), unlimited wireless internet connections, use of the gymn and pools and other extras. I personally thinks this resort fees are rip offs but is an added cost when you want to stay in vegas.

for a listing of the various resort fees, please see the website below.

www.resortfees.com/las-vegas/

Fondest memory: the many resort fees being charged by most casino complexes in the las vegas areas

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Favorite thing: I always carry extra medicines because I like to be prepared encase any of us does get sick on the road or if we just need lotion or sunscreen. So when I saw a Walgreens, right next if not part of the Palazzo Hotel, I thought how nice that must be for many of guest that are staying here or any of the other hotels near by.

3030 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 642-5318

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Favorite thing: They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But nothing really stays in Vegas forever. Even some of the most famed, most celebrated casinos have bitten the dust. If you're lucky, you may get to see one of them being imploded. In any case, if you visit and return ten years later, you'll see some new places and probably notice some missing ones.

Fondest memory: Here are a few casinos that are no longer in Las Vegas. I stayed at the Westward Ho in 2004, because it was affordable and well situated right on the Strip. Too bad it's gone. I hope that the Strip will always have places to stay on a modest budget, but that appears increasingly unlikely.

For more information, go to:

http://www.jetcafe.org/npc/gambling/casino_death_watch.html

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Favorite thing: Yes, you've heard it all before.

So, what's new but different about Sin City. We all have our stories and most of them have some tangy edge here and there.

But suffice it to say that Vegas is a phenom. It's an absurd iconoclastic environmental disaster and it's a kind of bizarre necessity in the world. It channels pure hope and elemental desires into a form people can access and believe - even for an instant - that they are truly wealthy and that everything's possible.

It has a certain undeniable allure... albeit a sometimes lurid one.

Fondest memory: So, what to do in Vegas? Here's my trip/tip.

Hit the strip at 10 pm Friday with the intention of dancing the night away. Get a couple of comp tickets to clubs from your hotel. If you're a hardcore club-hopper, there are VIP services that allow you to not only get in 'free' but jump the line, to boot.

The club scene is pretty wild. Very sexy but with it's own constraints, limits and rules. You have to kind of get the rules by gestalt, but in Mirage's JET lounge, there's this raised platform where tiny 20-nothing hott supermodel wannabes in tight, short dresses and high heels seductively touch and grind against one another to a primal beat, but it was specifically taboo for men to be directly involved. So, sexy wild AND safe-ish.

And with dawn ends the first night.

Saturday, poolside, in the spa, deep relaxation of whatever sort you choose.... until the evening when an early Cirque du Soleil show followed by a late supper (or vice versa) makes for a romantic and luxurious interlude.

Sunday: fly home.

You can also gamble legally.

Favorite thing: As you walk along the strip, you might come across people who are selling cold bottled water. If you are feeling thirsty, do buy one from them as they are selling them for much cheaper prices than at the hotels or some of the malls. I came across one on a bridge near Wynn that was selling a botle for 75cents, as compared to the $2-$3 per bottle at most places.

Favorite thing: Driving the strip in Vegas can be a pain. Sometimes you can get to wherever you want to get to by walking. When you book a hotel try to stay somewhere in the center of the strip like at Ceasers Palace or at the Imperical Palace (if you're looking for something cheaper). Some hotels actually offer a shuttle service, but they may not run as late as you want them to. When I used the Rio shuttle, it was available until 2AM.

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Favorite thing: If you want to see the hotels and casinos on the strip, plan where you want to go first. The strip is very long and the distance between the casinos must not be underestemated. Use the monorail if possible, or take your car. -
If you want to see the shows or extras, make sure you know when they start. We waited for 45 minutes at the vulcanos eruption, and that's a long time to be standing on the sidewalk! The show at the Treasure island is fun to see. So is the musical fountain at the Bellagio and the talking fountain inside Caesers. Don't fall for the gondola ride. It is a real tourist trap. Than again, that's Las Vegas!

4 more images

Favorite thing: If you want to see the hotels and casinos on the strip, plan where you want to go first. The strip is very long and the distance between the casinos must not be underestemated. Use the monrail if possible, or take ypur car.
If you want to sees the shows or extras, make sure you know when they start. We waited for 45 minutes at the vulcanos eruption, and that's a long time to be standing on the sidewalk! The show at the Treasure island is fun to see. So is the musical fountain at the Bellagio and the talking fountain inside Caesers. Don't fall for the gondola ride. It is a real tourist trap. Than again, that's Las Vegas!