Gold Coast or Orleans

Hi all

I will be returning to LV in May 06 for another great visit. I normally stay at the Gold Coast and love it, however everyone seems to be raving about the Orleans. Sould I move my booking to Orleans, why is it so good? I don%26#39;t care for the strip hotels anymore.

Thanks all

Gold Coast or Orleans

Newer hotel, better management.

Gold Coast or Orleans

Orleans better but I do better on tables at Gold Coast.

thanks for the positve feedback, I will now look at prices for Orleans.

zuki,when was your last visit to the GC?since april there has been a lot of changes,new furniture,bathroom%26amp; coffee makers.If you loved the GC before,you will like it better now.I like the Orleans but it is totally different, much more modern.GC is also much closer to other casinos,as you allready know!! also it is harder to get on the shuttle to the strip from the Orleans.

Hey Wally, you must have reas my mind. I was just about to ask what the bathrooms are like at the Orleans. Don%26#39;t get me wrong, I%26#39;m not whining however the GC bathrooms are a tad small and I find the baths (with overhead shower) very high. You say they have renovated%26gt; I was last there Sept 05. The room we had that time had a disabled bathroom so it turned out to be the size of a ballroom. This time my friend and I are travelling so back to normal room. I had already booked at GC and wa thinking of changing to Orleans. I really love the GC and would like to hear more of your thoughts. Ta very much

zuki,the bathrooms are still small,but have allnew fixtures.did Dr.Who have you already stay there in Sept.05,what is it like in the future?(only kidding!!)When are you staying!we are there again oct. 25-nov 1.For the sake of Allah,bring me a Big Ben pie if you are there on ANY of these dates,or I may have to take the big trip to OZ.!!

Wally, see what happens when I eat lunch late...can%26#39;t think! We will be there May 18 - 23 2006. My friend hasn%26#39;t been to the great USA before, so I will be in tourist mode. Big Ben pies YUK....we only eat the yummmmmmy ones from bakehouses which are home mae (so to speak). If you hit here you have to go to a bakehouse for a pie and follow up with yummy cakes. All our cakes are med with fresh cream. My relatives in Baltimore love my visits as I bring a lot of ingredients from home and made the best ever aussie foods.

Are you hungry???Maybe I had better send you some great recipes???? Ciao

Stayed at the GC for my last trip a few weeks ago. It now has an ironing board with an iron and also a coffee maker in the room. The bathroom and the pool are still small but I just love staying at this hotel. Somehow it just gives off a ';homey'; feeling that I don%26#39;t feel at the Orleans. I found the service and cleanliness to be great. If you read the posts about kids almost everyone tells families to go to the Orleans. From what I have read the place is now crawling with kids and I am afraid it is going to get worse now that everyone says it is better than CC or Excalibur if you have children- just something to keep in mind. I also like the idea of being able to go to the Palms and Rio with no hassle and the shuttle does run faster than the one from the Orleans. I always do better on the VP machines at the GC than I do with the ones at the Orleans.

VP,thats because they are 9-6 insteasd of 8-5,Crikey, I won 240 $ on a nickel triple bonus machine there!!zuki tell me how to make R00 TAIL soup!!,and dont tell me to catch a roo first!CHOOKS for sale!took me a while to catch on to that one!!

I always look and make sure I play 9/6 machines. There aren%26#39;t too many places left that have these machines- almost everywhere else they are 8/5. Most people don%26#39;t care but I do.

Wallace vs. Carlin,

Sounds like most who have seen both would prefer Wallace. Is that the case? Maybe we%26#39;ll check him out instead.

Wallace vs. Carlin,

I would do Wallace before Carlin

You might want to consider the Comedy Stop at the Tropicana.

There you will see 3 relevent up and coming standups for 20 bucks. All are respected comedians, just haven%26#39;t reach mass audiences, yet.

Wallace vs. Carlin,

We didn%26#39;t see George Wallace in June, but we saw George Carlin at the MGM in November. One word, AWFUL. Whole show revolved around the theme of a suicide reality show. But maybe it was AWFUL because we saw him 2 weeks before he entered rehab.

ok I saw george wallace, First off he really makes an effort to please the audience his show lasted a long time, he has a few adult type jokes but in no way gets vulgar like most vegas comedians do, plays a little with the audience but in a freindly way, does a little racial stuff but nothing insulting. He has a ton of material, if you don%26#39;t like the joke just wait for the next one. I really found him funny and it is good to see someone who can be funny without throwing out the f word in every other sentence. I would love to see him get a long term contract, he deserves it.

I saw George Wallace, too. The nice thing a about him is it isn%26#39;t a set act. He feeds off the audience and and that drives the show. His opening act (cannot remember his name) was great, too.

I think he said he was signed for a couple years.

George Wallace hands down. George Carlin was funny back in the dyas but he seems to have lost his touch or just ran out of good material.

HELP - First time Vegas in September

Will be travelling in mid - Sept to Vegas for the first time (can hardly wait as its my first time out west) and wanted to know a couple of things:

1. The weather - will it be hot or cool like autumn back east?

2. Best places to eat on a budget

3. Do i need to make reservations for buffets or are walk-ins ok

4. I%26#39;ve never gambled before - are slots my best shot for fun as a novice?

5. If i had to see just one show, which one should it be (are there any vegas showgirl type classics - like i%26#39;ve seen on tv - rhinestones n feathers)

6. What%26#39;s the driving time from Vegas to South Rim Grand Canyon

Would appreciate any tips. Thanks.

HELP - First time Vegas in September

1. Weather will still be quite warm.

2. http://www.bigempire.com/vegas/cheapeats.html Orleans has the best buffet on a budget.

3. All buffets are first come first served basis, they will not take reservations. You can get a line pass if you are a guest of the hotel in question which is basically a seperate line from the general public.

4. Only if you plan to loose.

5. LOL To many to name. Stick with one of the Cirque shows or something like Blue Man Group

6. 4 to 5 hours.

HELP - First time Vegas in September

2. Ellis Island Casino. A couple block behind Ballys. Good, inexpensive food including a great $4.95 Steak Dinner.

3. No, but if the buffet at your hotel is busy, ask if they offer line passes.

4. Vegas.com has a list of gaming classes and wizardofodds.com will help you learn almost anything online.

5. Never done a showgirl show but there are several. Try Legends in Concert at Imperial Palace or Clint Holmes at Harrahs.

1. The desert west is NOTHING like autumn ';back east';. Check weather.com a week before you leave for a ten-day forecast.

2. Ellis Island has a very good sirloin steak dinner for $4.95 that is served 24 hours a day.

4. Slots are for Blue Hairs and chain smokers. I would suggest learning how to play Video Poker before you arrive (on-line or buy a CD). Bob Dancer%26#39;s WinPoker is very good.

Most FUN table game with decent odds of winning is Craps. Also, learn this game before you arrive. Other ';fun'; things to wager on include horseracing and sports events.

If you are looking for showgirl type classic, Folies Bergere at the Tropicana might interest you. It is like the oldest running Vegas showgirl production. They offer 2 shows one is topless and the other is not.

I think Jubilee at Bally%26#39;s is better than Follies Bergere, its been around for over 20 years, I know, a newbie compared to Follies but Jubilee is excellent for a real Vegas show girl type show and their late show is also topless, class looking girls, too, my husband is still drooling.

If you are looking for the classic (as seen on TV) Vegas show with show girls, a little nudity (topless) and dancing and music and magic my vote goes to Bally%26#39;s Jubilee....

I agree ...spend a little time learning VP...it%26#39;s much more fun than the slots..

If I were coming to Vegas for the first time I would want to stay on the strip. Try the Monte Carlo. It will still be warm in September. I definitely think that VP is much more interesting to play than the slots and it is not difficult to learn. Just don%26#39;t play any game (other than slots) unless you know how to play. If I had to choose one show I would pick Mystere (with O coming in a close second). Do not go see Splash- it is really not good. The Orleans has some nice restaurants and a good buffet that are good values for the prices. You can get there by taking their shuttle from the Barbary Coast.

Family day trip from Reno

I plan to visit Reno with my wife, 16 year old son and 12 year old daughter. Which would be the best day trip out of N.

Tahoe, S. Tahoe, N.Lake Tahoe , S. Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Nev. or Tahoe Cali.? What%26#39;s the difference? Are some of them the same place?

Family day trip from Reno

One nice day trip I liked doing was traveling from Reno towards Lake Tahoe, first on I-395, on to Hwy 431 (Mt. Rose Hwy) to Inclive Village. Make a left on Hwy 28, which borders the lake, to Hwy 50. Make a left on 50 and head for South Lake Tahoe. From there you can continue to Emerald Bay (50 to Rte. 89).

On your retun trip don%26#39;t turn left on 28 from 50, but continue towards Carson City. Keep on 50 past Carson City to Rte. 341 and head for Virginia City, which is an State Historical Park.

Return to Reno by continuing on Rte. 341. You would have made a long circle trip and it will take you pretty much all day.

Enjoy.

Family day trip from Reno

Thanks! What%26#39;s the total mileage for this trip?

Thanks again. I think this is the 72 mile shoreline drive.

There are several towns located around Lake Tahoe, and the Nevada/California state border runs right down the lake. Therefore there is a Nevada (eastern) side and the California (western) side. The largest towns are Stateline (southshore on the - duh - state line) and Tahoe City (northern shore).

Hello! I had responded to your questions about buffets and now just saw this.

I posted a review of the Cal-Neva Lodge in Crystal Bay. It is North Lake Tahoe I think. I had seen a show about it on Discovery Channel about how Frank Sinatra owned it and it has a tunnel which is haunted. Probably not true of course, but we stopped there anyway. I happened to be in the restaurant and the waitress said to go and ask the security guard about the tunnels. We did and he offered to give us a tour. I don%26#39;t remember his name but I may have put it in my review. I think it shows my excite email address. Go check it out. Lake Tahoe has SOOO much and it SOOO beautiful. We went at the end of Feb and we were lucky to be able to get up there. Driving thru the homes along Incline Village was also just spectacular! Feel free to email me if you have questions. Either michelle_obos @ excite.com OR aloha_mu @ yahoo.com.

Also about Cal-neva, if you check out their website, it has a nice map of the area too. Also I think I remember that they are doing construction now. They were supposed to take the Marilyn Monroe/JFK/Sinatra cabins and move them, then build a museum. Some of the reviews say the place is old, but I thought it had AMAZING history and just a cool feeling.

Michelle

Thanks a lot for all the info. We plan to make the drive and also take a lake cruise. Thanks again.

';Tahoe, S. Tahoe, N.Lake Tahoe , S. Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Nev. or Tahoe Cali.? What%26#39;s the difference? Are some of them the same place?';

1/2 of Lake Tahoe is in California; the other half is in Nevada (the half with gambling!).

Best day trip? Depends on what you want to do. The communities around the lake are all different. North Lake Tahoe tends to be more resort-y. My hubby doesn%26#39;t like the casinos, personally, on the north shore. But the beaches are beautiful, and with teens, let them get some swim time. The water is so clear that you can see down 67 feet; by the shore it looks like tropical island water (but much colder!). There are some nice beaches on north shore. Near north shore is Squaw Valley, which has horse stables. My 11 year old begged for a trail ride. The scenery was gorgeous...lots of waterfalls. You%26#39;ll see the horse stables on your way up Squaw Valley. In Tahoe City, we loved the Sunnyside Hotel/Restaurant/Marina on the water for Sunday brunch. You can rent a boat at the marina.

Towards the south side of the lake (South Lake Tahoe) there is Camp Richardson, with horseback riding. We also like to swim at Pope Beach. Good eats at Izzy%26#39;s on Highway 50 on the shore side, a hamburger shack, reasonable prices. My hubby likes to gamble at the south shore casinos. Harvey%26#39;s casino in Stateline (south shore, NV side) has a great arcade for the kids. Zephyr Cove has horseback riding, and I think they rent waverunners and kayaks. Good swimming there, also at Nevada Beach nearby. Take a gondola ride to the top of the mountain at Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe (a ski lift in the winter). There%26#39;s also parasailing at both ends of the lake. When you%26#39;re in Reno, pick up one of those freebie tourist magazines, that might help you decide what to do, too.

I%26#39;m back from Reno. I took the drive around the lake. I took highway 341 to Incline Village. The rental car had a really hard time climbing those mountain roads. The scenery is just beautiful. I also took 89 to Truckee and I-80 back to Reno. Just remember to keep the lake on the right hand side.

Did you get out anywhere? Or eat anywhere? Let us know what you liked and didn%26#39;t like!!

We had lunch in Heavenly nd browsed some of the shops there. We stopped of at several scenic view areas and took photos. Along the way we stopped at a beach area and waded in the COLD waters of Lake Tahoe. Most of the drive was spent enjoying the scenery, taking videos and photos along the way. The drive itself took most of the day. We just ttok our time. Enjoyed the drive itself except for the mountain drive to Mt. Rose.

blemishes

Hotel specials for Labor day weekend?

Going to Vegas August 31 (Labor Day weekend). Interested in Venetian, should I wait for later in the month for better hotel deals or willl prices go up as we get closer

Hotel specials for Labor day weekend?

prices will definitely only get higher, especially on a busy weekend like labor day. book now. if prices do go down, you can just cancel and rebook.

Hotel specials for Labor day weekend?

It%26#39;s a holiday weekend that has sold out Las Vegas every year for the last 20 years - and you are wondering if you should wait to see if the rates may go down???

Solo in Vegas

Hi everyone,

I went on my first trip to Vegas for Spring Break in March with all of my girlfriends. Now I want to treat myself in Nov or Dec. with a solo trip. I%26#39;m 21, would going solo be a good idea?

Solo in Vegas

YES. I do this routinely that time of year. You don%26#39;t have to worry about anyone else having a good time - you can be selfish and do what you want to do. Rooms are usually pretty cheap during that period, too.

Solo in Vegas

Sure. You should be completely safe on the strip; however standard big city rules apply. Being from Atlanta, you no doubt aren%26#39;t naive when it comes to bars and clubs-the same savvy applies to LV- as I%26#39;m sure you and your friends discovered. The advantages of being alone are you do what YOU want, WHEN you want to do it. Plan out a few things you wish to do again-and some stuff you wanted to do, but didn%26#39;t get the chance and enjoy.

It%26#39;s great going solo, do anything you want at any time. No one is slowing you down at any time, no arguements, no one to worry about. But do remember to be in a safe area.

Atlanta is probably more dangerous than Vegas; you%26#39;ll be fine.

Solo in Vegas is the only way to fly. You set your own pace %26amp; do your own thing. No one dragging you to see Elvis or some other attraction. You can play all night %26amp; sleep all day. Or any combiation of the two to fix your desires. I never had a problem making conversation with the person seated next to me at a blackjack table. The friendliest people are the fellow players right next to you !1 Enjoy

I have been going to Vegas for 13 years and for the last 6 I have usually gone alone-once or twice a year. And I wouldn%26#39;t have it any other way!! I eat where I want and when I want. If I decide to go see something I don%26#39;t have to worry about dragging someone with me who doesn%26#39;t want to go. I see the shows I want, keep the hours I want, go to the attractions I want- it is purely my ';me'; time that I absolutely love!! I never feel unsafe at any hour on the strip and I am never ever bored or lonely. You will meet people from other states and other countries. It is fabulous!

With a name like ';Toya W'; from Atlanta, my guess is that you are African American.

I am also from Atlanta/Cobb County and I would highly recommend against going alone as an AA female.

At night, the Las Vegas strip and the casino bars are filled with the same type of women who hang out on Ponce de Leon and Stewart Avenue in Atlanta.

Don%26#39;t be offended by this, but my advice is to dress conservatively or you will run the risk of being mistaken.

Deacon,

So, she gets mistaken. Makes a few extra $$ on her trip. Where%26#39;s the harm??

hi toya, im going alone for the first time and i am so excited. I leave this Saturday. Im going to see Jill scott at the Mandalay Bay this Saturday , treat myself to a couple of spas, go shopping, swimming, clubbing and try my luck as well! dont worry about a thing life is too short.

Lucky you!! Treat yourself to some spa treatments or if you can afford it, a whole day at a spa, a Canyon Ranch day would be awesome. If you like to shop, that could take a day or two at least. Add in some pool time and meals (play keno while you eat!) and your days will be more than full! Spend evenings people watching, gambling at the tables or the machines, video poker is fun and the time flies by. At the end of the day you will be glad you are alone and will be able to fall asleep easily and sleep as long as you like!! Have a ball!!

Best dinner buffets under $20

Which are the best buffets for dinner under $20?

Can someone comment on the following buffets:

Flamingo

Tropicana

Luxor

Stardust

Stratosphere

Monte Carlo

Which one would you recommend? Other suggestions?

Best dinner buffets under $20

Other suggestion would be Orleans for $11. Better than any of the ones listed. Catch the free shuttle at Barbary Coast.

Best dinner buffets under $20

Without trying to sound facetious, if you%26#39;re going to spend up to $20 for an ordinary buffet, you would be better off going up to $25 for a very good buffet, such as Le Village Buffet at the Paris.

The food there is very good, and we find it%26#39;s the only buffet in Vegas with any sort of ambience.

And if you get there at about 5 -5.15 pm, you%26#39;ll get into dinner at the lunch price.

Start and/or finish with drinks at Napoleon%26#39;s Bar (adjacent) to make it a wonderful evening.

Go to ratelv.com for full details, prices and reviews of all the buffets in Vegas.

I had the Stratosphere buffet twice for dinner. Once on their ';seafood night'; and I liked it. Once on a regular night and it seemed very mediocre. The only things I really liked were the turkey and stuffing and the make your own sundae area. (Both times it was free tho so I certainly got good value and am not complaining.)

You didn%26#39;t ask about it, but the Riviera%26#39;s buffet is gross.

The Palace Station (off strip - free shuttle picks up at Fashion Show Mall and Tropicana every hour) has a very decent and cheap buffet. It%26#39;s like $6 or $7. The Main Street Station (downtown) also has a good and cheap buffet.

Haven%26#39;t eaten at any of the other ones you listed.

Was pleasently surprised by the buffet at Luxor. No crab legs or jumbo shrimp but other then that it had pretty much everything and the quality was good. Thought the bufet at MC was average at best.

I%26#39;ve had the Monte Carlo buffet but none of the others on your list. It was fine - I think it was around $17? It was more than decent but nothing fancy. Of course, I would rather spend that amount for a lunch buffet at Paris or Bellagio though...

Of those on your list, I%26#39;ve done the Luxor, Flamingo and Stratosphere buffets. Of those three, only Luxor was good enough for a repeat visit. Stratoshere was edible, Flamingo was nasty bad.

went to the buffet at the Luxor for lunch. Thought it was great.

mfj wrote: ';Paris- And if you get there at about 5 -5.15 pm, you%26#39;ll get into dinner at the lunch price';

That is a GREAT tip. Especially considering there are a lot of folks from one to three time zones east of Vegas, 5:00pm is really more like 6pm or 7pm, the usual dining hours.

Been to Luxor and Monte Carlo - the only stuff I liked at Luxor was the salad bar. I have been twice to the Monte Carlo buffet and really liked it, not as much choice but much better quality than food at Luxor

You just might catch the free shuttles for Sam%26#39;s Town or Orleans, they have really good buffets. The Luxor buffet isn%26#39;t bad. The buffet at the Hilton is not bad either, and the dinner buffet offers free wine or beer for about 17 bucks. Except for the setting, the Flamingo buffet is pretty bad. Last time I ate at the Tropicana is was bad too, but this is years ago.