Laughlin, NV--been there?
 

Have heard a little bit about Laughlin--but not enough to know if we want to go there. If you have any information (preferably first hand) that would help us to make up our minds, we would appreciate your sharing it with us. Places to stay? Getting to Laughlin from the airport in AZ? What to do besides gamble? How are the prices of lodging and food? Thank you!
Char

not alot to do there other than gamble. not like vegas where you can go and look at different things when you are not winning

not alot to do there other than gamble. not like vegas where you can go and look at different things when you are not winning

We went to Laughlin last summer and really enjoyed it. It is much more layed back than Vegas. We stayed at the Flamingo which is right on the Colorado River and next to many of the other casinos. It was very nice. One of the older casinos right near the Flamingo has a movie theater with current movies. Across from the Flamingo there is an outlet mall. It had recently opened when we were there, but there were plenty of shops. There are also boat cruises up and down the Colorado. There is an all day trip that takes you to Lake Havasu and the London Bridge--I've heard it's pretty fun. My husband played on a nice golf course in Laughlin, the Emerald-something. It's the only golf course in town. The restaurants are okay there, there aren't quite as many to choose from as in Vegas.

DONT GO IN SUMMER - IF YOU THOUGHT VEGAS WAS HIT - WAIT UNTIL YOU TRY LAUGHLIN. ALL THERE IS TO DO IS GAMBLE - AND NOT AS ANJOYABLE AS VEGAS. THAT IS NOT FAIR - I AM IN MY 50S, IF YOU ARE YOUNGER I DID NOTICE A LOT OF PEOPLE USING SKI-DOOS ON THE DAM THERE - BUT REALLY THAT WAS ALL. GAMBLE OR SKI-DOING IN THE RIVER AND AWFULLY HOT

We have been to all of the areas of Nevada, Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Laughlin. We have spent over 200 nights in Laughln. Each place has it's pluses and minuses. Lake Tahoe is beautiful but not a good gambling destination. Las Vegas has all of the glitz and glamor but is very expensive and the busiest. We only visit Las Vegas to check out the new stuff every couple of years. Reno is pretty good now that they cleaned it up a lot. Of the four major areas in Nevada I would probably pick Reno first, Laughlin a very close second, Las Vegas a very distant third and Lake Tahoe last. If your purpose is scenery and out doors type stuff then Lake Tahoe would probably go to the top of the list. A couple of years ago, I would have put Laughlin first because Reno was pretty run down. In fact we are leaving for Reno tomorrow for our monthly visit. We are comped in Laughlin, Reno, and Las Vegas by the Flamingo Hiltons. So our choice has nothing to do with prices. <BR> <BR>Lauglin is however very cheap compared to the other three. Lauglin is very laid back and all of the Casino Hotels are on the river except for the Ramada. Harrahs, the Riverside, and the Flamingo Hilton have pretty decent shows at a reasonable price. The others have lounge acts. Our choice is of course the Flamingo Hilton with a couple visits to AVI. There are many events now almost all year around that are sponsered by the casinos. There are outdoor concerts, rodeos etc. You can boat on the Colorado and on Lake Mojave which is about a mile north. It can get VERY HOT in Laughlin. It is one of the hottest spots in the US. We have been there when it was 125. Avoid the summer unless you want to spend all of your time inside. Tha Alta Villa restaurant in the Flamingo Hilton is rated in the top 25 in the US. It is pricey but fabulous. <BR> <BR>Where you choose to go depends on your preferences. If you want glitz and glamor and headliner shows than Las Vegas should be your choice. Lauglin is excellent if you want much cheaper accomodations and food, and you want to relax. Lauglin is safe, very laid back and has some good desert scenery as well as the river. Hotel rooms typically run less than $20.00 per room during the week and 25-65 on weekends. That is per room not per person. Because of being comped, the cost is not a concern to us but it is to many others as Las Vegas is typically 3-5 times more expensive for comparable accomodations. Go to Laughlin and enjoy. Try the Chicken and Ribs barbeque at the Colorado Belle.