Las Vegas
 

Going to Vegas for two nights in late August, then to Lake Mead for one night, and Grand Canyon for five nights. Where should we stay in Las Vegas? We are really not into gambling. Will probably want to see one or two shows, however Celine Dion is way too expensive.

Any advice is welcome.

momeck

I was in Vegas over Easter. It's not the gambling subsidized cheap Mecca I remember from the mid 80's. The further you can stay from the Strip the less expensive (not cheaper) it will be. Check out the Rio. Across I-15 from Caesar's it has a shuttle to the strip. When I stayed there 10 years ago the rooms were huge and well appointed.

For old time's sake I stayed downtown at the Golden Nugget the first two nights. The room was under $100 a night. A relative bargain these days. The pool area is under construction though. It probably won't be open by August. The "Fremont Street Experience" is free. There are bands that play on the 2 stages most evenings too.

Shows again will not be cheap. It was $65 a ticket to see the drag queens at the Riviera. Great drag queens sure, but still not cheap.

For an excellent burger walk over I-15 from the New York New York hotel and go to In-n-Out Burger. It's a blessing. For a change you wait for the freshly prepared burger. It's not waiting for you.

I'd definitely stay on the strip--more to see/do besides gamble. Bally's, Paris, Harrod's are good and less expensive and centrally located. The Paris has a good coffee shop/bakery and a good breakfast buffet. Spend time walking to see all hotels on the strip or use the shuttle. Check each hotel's schedule for free events. There's so much free stuff to see. From Harrod's you can catch a bus shuttle to the Rio--it has great free entertainment. Tropicana also has a good inexpensive comedy act. Everyone needs to go to Las Vegas!

If you stay downtown, I'd recommend Golden Nugget then Fitzgeralds. Off strip, the Orleans or if you want to be closer to Hoover dam & lake Mead, you cold stay at Sunset Station in Henderson. On the strip I liked Bally's. It was connected to Paris. And the Flamingo pool area looks great. Check out tripadvisor.com for reviews and rate checking.

Why one night at Lake Mead? It's not the most scenic lake in the area.

Five nights at the Grand Canyon? Do you plan on hiking down into the canyon and spending the night? If not, then 4 days is a LONG time for the Grand Canyon.

I'd skip Lake Mead, spend 2-3 nights at the Grand Canyon, one night at Lake Powell if you want to see a lake and dam, then one night at Bryce Zion National Park and 1 -2 night at Zion National Park....making one very scenic circle back to Las Vegas.

Utahtea

For cheaper show tickets, check out the two half-price ticket sellers. One is in the strip center between Aladdin and the International Market, and the other is in the Coke bottle bext to MGM. They open at 2, and they sell half-price tickets to that night's shows. They won't have the Cirque shows, or Celine or Elton, but they do have just about everything else.