Vegas on a student budget?

[Mericet]

I will be in Vegas for SHOT show arriving 16 and leaving on 21 January. Staying in the Casino Royale. Any advice, pointers and cheap (and good) places to eat etc.

Not really into the whole gambling thing.

[JJ 911SC]

Just visiting the lobbies of all the hotels on the boulevard should occupied a big chunk of your time and its free.

You can get half price tickets for some of the shows (little kiosks along the boulevard, one inside the Coke store.

[tabs]

Imperial Palace Car collection..free tickets can be had out front.

The Lobby of the Belagio has a ceiling full of Dale Chihuly Glass..whenever I see it I marvel at it...

Caesars Forums Shops...just to walk around...the Watch Shop in there is amazing. I have seen Pete Rose signing autographs for a fee of course.

Wynns...has the Ferrari Store

Marianas Grocery Store has a nice little Mexican restaurant inside...food is very good and CHEAP...Sahara & Valley View.

Get uptown on Las Vegas Blvd to Jerry Nugget for a Prime Rib Dinner...the best for the buck $12.95 and save room for one of the Deserts...to die for...

OR one of the BEST THAI Food restruants in the USA has a small lunch Buffet 11AM to 2 PM for under $10...better get there early... 600 S Sahara..Lotus Garden

Sun Coast is advertising rooms from $39.50

Food on the Strip is invariably EXPENSIVE...and quite often not very Good.

[teenerted1]

well you are already staying at casino royal, cant get much cheaper than that.

[andyt11]

Tickets for tonight, on the corner of flamingo and las vegas blvd.

Other tips include..... if someone stops you on the street and says you can have something for free, it's not free. There is always a catch.

Most honest thing in vegas is the limousine that Spearmint Rhino will send to pick your group up if you want to see strippers. It really is free, as is admission. Which is more than can be said for some of their competitors.

+2 on the car museum, I enjoyed it.

[Rapewta]

I am glad you stated you are not into gambling. Good for you.
One thing you got to do is bring your video recorder and drive from one end to the other on the main strip and film it. Crazy stuff. All walks of life.
Zany people and structures.
Not your ordinary "downtown" scene.
Lots of expensive exotic cars and woman. People "down and out".
Las Vegas covers the whole human spectrum for sure.
Put you wallet in your front pocket. Walk towards your money.
If you like shooting fully automatic machine guns, you can in Vegas.
A popular gun shop off of the strip has every kind of gun on the planet that
you "rent" at there store and they have the gallery for shooting.
Enjoy.

[Rick Lee]

I think the Wynn charges $10 to get into the Ferrari room if you're not a Ferrari owner already.

Chinese food off the Strip is killer. Yunnan Garden is the best, off Spring Mt. Rd. Orchids Garden is way up on W. Sahara, great dim sum.

The machine gun rental place is The Gun Store on Tropicana. It's crazy expensive, upwards of $1 per bullet fired when combined with rental and can be a two hr. wait to get on the range. SHOT will keep you busy. If you get a car, the best kept secret is Valley of Fire, but it's about 40 min. from the Strip up I-15 toward Salt Lake City.

And the store from Pawn Stars is the lamest, most overrated pawn shop I have ever been to. Yes, really.

[craigster59]

Fremont Street is cool at night, cheap food and trinkets. You can get some good people watching there too.

[GH85Carrera]

More than a few guys have hit vegas in a $5,000 family car and left on a $250,000 Greyhound bus. The gambling built Vegas just enjoy the sights and let the suckers gamble. You have figured that our so you are way ahead of most of the visitors.

[tharbert]

Don't try to take pictures/video inside the casinos. You'll be ushered out unceremoniously.

[Rusty Heap]

I vividly remember as a college kid, going to a Engineering Show in Vegas, and standing next to a "high roller" like a lost little puppy begging for a treat, as this guy was tossing around $100 chips like candy, he'd have $700-1200 on a craps table at any one time on a roll of the dice. Geez Dood, can I have a chip, just one chip? (insert sad puppy eyes here)

Then I was splurging by my pocketbook, at a $5 minimum blackjack table because the dealer was drop dead gorgeous like Morgan Fairchild big hair blonde. I'm scraping by at $5 a bet and a guy walks up and drops down a $100 bill. Cards go around the table, he wins, and lets the $200 ride. Cards go around, he loses, out $200. I was stunned at how to some people let the money flow, but also that no one at the big dollar tables had smiles on their faces.........I get giddy school school screaming excited to get a pay off on a nickel or dime slot machine, even to this day in my mid-40's old fartness.

If you have a rental car, northwest of Vegas is Red Rock Canyon, gorgeous formations to hike around for free. There is SO much more to do than the Strip in Vegas. Also the Carol Shelby Cobra Museum out by Vegas Speedway northeast of the strip.

[Rick Lee]

On my first trip to Vegas I set a limit of $600 for gambling. Didn't care if I lost it or not, just knew I was not willing to spend a dime more and wanted to enjoy myself with slots and blackjack for a little while. It lasted me the whole three days, I was up $500 for a bit and still lost the net $600. I had a good time and stayed within my limit. I go to Vegas several times a year now and usually am not tempted at all to gamble, except to get my bar tab comped by playing video blackjack at the bar. And that's cheaper than paying for my drinks.

[RWebb]

good rock climbing south of town

[patssle]

At least eat at one of the buffets...pricey ($25-$50 for one meal) but an experience. Food is incredible. I was VERY hesistant to pay for it when I was in college and sent to Vegas for a scholarship - but it was worth every penny. We sat there for hours.

[Dottore]

The Shelby plant north of town is worth a look.

Margueritaville is always a fine place to refuel.

[Mericet]

Thanks, looks like I will be able to fill my hours outside of SHOT show very nicely. No car this time though so my travel area is limited. A lot of thanks on the places to eat. Will try and make those.

Any Pelicans in Vegas during that time?

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Dottore

Margueritaville is always a fine place to refuel.

Coming from you, I'm shocked. That place sucks and I have no taste or class.

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Coming from you, I'm shocked. That place sucks and I have no taste or class.

What can I say? I have spent some very happy hours there swimming in very fine Margueritas. And I've always liked Jimmy.

[andyt11]

If you want to do the buffets, buy a 24hr pass at planet hollywood. It's $40. Buy it at 6:30pm, have a late supper. Get breakfast at one of the other hotels the next day and then an early supper around 5pm. 3 great meals for $40. Not bad for vegas.

[jriera]

Mericet, I will be in Las Vegas (I live here) and I plan to be at Shot Show two or three days (usually 2 or 3 hours each day).

I will PM you my cell number just in case you need anything.

Rick, are you coming this year?