Leaving Vegas Happy

Winning in Vegas isn't about going home rich; it's about not going home broke. You've probably heard many horror stories about people loosing it all their very first night in Vegas. The sad truth of the matter is that it happens quite often because it is so terribly easy to do. Casinos have many tricks (whether deliberately contrived or accidentally achieved) that help you make poor decisions as a result of slightly impaired judgment. The bells and whistles of casinos are fun for the first few hours, after that they tend to become dull and mind numbing. You'll even find that those who have been at the casino for a while will show slower and less enthusiastic responses to jackpots after a few hours. This is part of the process. We become number and mindlessly feed our 1's, 5's, 10's, 20's, 50's, and 100's into the machines and loosing count along the way.

Casinos are also kind enough to allow many people ups and downs along the way. They are quite smart in doing this. Many people find that they can get pretty far ahead early on and then are surprised to suddenly find themselves falling behind at an alarming rate. When they have you is at the moment you put yet another bill into the machine intending to get back the money you lost. Most of us manage to get back our original investment but decide that we want what we had won earlier and end right back at the bottom again starting the entire process over. Don't do that, I can tell you it hurts the next morning when you're kicking yourself for being stupid.

This of course brings me to my next point. Ever see a sunrise from the inside of a casino? Me either, but I've walked out into the blinding light of day before. It's very easy to loose track of time in a casino. It's dark in there and the only lights are quite often from the slot machines and blinking neon signs. There are no indicators for the passage of time and unless you are clock watching, which most of us are not when we're having fun, it is quite easy to lose many hours of time and find yourself suddenly very tired and making poor decisions and taking risks you'd normally not take rather than cashing out and going back to the room for the night. This is another one that generally hurts when you wake up.

In order to avoid things like this set a vibration alarm on your cell phone and have it buzz you when it's time to go. Only bring in a certain amount of cash into the casino and when that's gone it's gone. Don't go back to the room and get more money or make costly trips to the ATM. Those trips will suddenly add up and find you with no true idea of how much money you've spent or have left in your bank account.

You can quite easily win at the casino game on your trip to Vegas as long as you remember that you are playing at a casino and making a conscious decision not to be played by the casino. Common sense will help out some but avoiding traps is the difference in spending your 'mad money' at the casino and going home busted or spending your next few paychecks at the casino long after your vacation is over.

Vegas for Animal Lovers

Wildlife is something that big and little kids from all over the world find fascinating. Whether the wildlife is marine, mamma, reptilian, or bird in nature-even insects, kids find intriguing and love to explore. In Las Vegas there are many casinos that not only offer shows that center around animals but also offer shows where animals are the stars. This is one of the few cities in the world that will offer quite the variety of fun, adventure, activity, and fantasy to its visitors. It's a good idea to sit back and enjoy as much of that as floats your boat while you're here.

Some of the great animal offerings you can explore and enjoy while visiting Las Vegas include the Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park. This zoo makes up in quality what it lacks in size. This is a relatively small zoo but offers some rare offerings that make this zoo very much worth visiting. Among the rarities at this particular zoo is one of the last families of Barbary apes in the U.S. In addition to these creatures, enjoy watching wallabies, flamingos, chimps, emus, and exotic reptiles.

Zoos aren't the only businesses in the business of housing animals. It seems that many museums are cashing in on this act as well. Even if some of the shows are offered free the casinos are definitely cashing in on the big rewards that hosting these animal acts offers. The Mirage is home to quite a selection of animals among the offerings here is a White Tiger Habitat at the Mirage. These magnificent creatures are extinct in the wild. Visitors to this free exhibit are fortunate to be able to view them in their snow-white surroundings (this allows them some degree of security and the ability to 'blend in' with their environment).

In addition to the White Tiger Habitat, the Mirage is also home to the Mirage Aquarium. This aquarium is home to more than 1000 animals (60 species) that ordinarily would call coral reefs their home. The coral reef within the aquarium is one hundred percent artificial and there is no actual coral reef in this aquarium at all.

The Mirage is also home to the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. I guess you could say that really do love their animals over there. The goal of this project is not only to provide a safe environment for dolphins but also to educate visitors on the important roll in the ecosystem that these wonderful animals have. The admission to the Secret Garden is $15 for adults. For $500 you can become a trainer for the day if you are over the age of 13. This is a wonderful experience for those that are willing to pay the price.

Mandalay Baby Shark Reef offers glimpses of some rare and not so rare marine life. There are free aquarium experiences around the city but none of them actually quite compare to the scope of the Shark Reef, which is one of the largest exhibits of its kind in North America. The Shark Bay is open daily from 10 am until 11 pm and adult tickets are $15.95 while children's tickets are $10.95 (4 and under may enter free). This is probably one of the best things to do and see in Las Vegas and well worth the price of admission.

This is only a small taste of the wonderful animal centered activities and events that take place in Vegas each and every day. Animal lovers beware, there is much to see and do here.

Side Splitting Vegas Shows

If you're looking for a great laugh, a great drama, a great show, then Vegas is definitely the way to go. One of the great things about Vegas is all the other great things you get to do while waiting on show time. This is a great city for vacations and you rest rather secure in the knowledge that you can taste a little of the sin in Sin City without getting your hands smacked. At least you can always look. While the shows mentioned here will be rather tame when compared to some of the racier Vegas shows they are still quite edgy and great fun for everyone in the audience

The first show worth mentioning is one that is appealing on so many levels. The Sopranos last Supper is a musical comedy that offers a four course dinner. You'll laugh, you might cry, you'll have a little wine and crack some jokes. It's entertainment at its best with an intimate cast of 20 and a captive audience. Seriously if you're looking for a great Vegas experience this night of singing, dancing, and Italian food in an audience participation driven show is a great way to enjoy just that. Tickets for this splendid dinner and show start at $95 and are a real bargain when you consider all you're getting for your money. The show lasts a little over two hours and your sides will probably be a little sore from all the laughing and dancing. Show time at Aladdin is 6 pm Thursday through Tuesday and Wednesdays are dark.

The Las Vegas Hilton is home to Menopause the Musical. If you're looking for an irreverent look at growing older as women in the world of today, then look no further. This show has won rave reviews all over the world as one of the most honest looks at life before, after, and surviving "the change". This is definitely a must see for every woman facing--ahem--29 in Las Vegas.

If you want a glimpse of dysfunctional America check out Tony N Tina's Wedding playing at Rio. This show plays nightly at 7 pm and it might be a good idea to warn you that you aren't merely watching the show with this one. You are the show! For the price of your entertaining the actors you'll get to have a nice meal, dance a few dances, drink champagne, toast the lovely couple and have a little cake. If you've ever been to a big Italian wedding you know just what to expect so sit back and bring your funny bone.

With so many wonderful selections for family fun, adult oriented, and sometimes just plain grown up fun it's often hard to pick and choose between so many wonderful shows and experiences and settle on one or two that you feel is absolutely the must see show or review that you won't regret not having taken the time to see during your stay in Vegas. Of course you could always go ahead and make the reservations for your next trip and make plans to see the shows you missed this time. The problem is that there are so very many shows and only a limited time that you will be around to see them-and for some a limited amount of money in order to fund the tickets. Pick and chose and be happy with the choice you made. Focus on the wonderful shows you saw and the great time you had and you'll find that you forget about the ones that got away over time.

How to Really Break Even in Vegas

If you're thinking about a Vegas Vacation you are probably thinking about casinos. Most people who have ever gambled harbor no fantasies of striking it rich when going and playing in casinos. Most of us know the ultimate goal is to go in, play a while, have some fun, get some comps, and go home with about what you walked in with.

Many who gamble on a regular basis no to only bring in a certain amount of money and to not mix gambling money with money that is earmarked for other things. There are a few things that those who are new to the world of gambling can do in order to avoid spending more than you intended. Anyone who has spent much time in a casino will tell you that it is easy to get your money mixed up and end up spending every dime you walked in with thinking you had more money hidden elsewhere.

That being said there is a profound difference in a casual gambler and someone that is willing and expecting to come in and make a hefty investment in the casino. These investments sometimes pay off big time for those who can afford to lose the money. They also can end up costing them big time and taking a while to recover. I recommend starting light.

Hopefully these tips will help you go home with a little money in your pocket.

1) Set a spending limit for each day and night of your stay. This sounds simple enough but it you'd be surprised at how difficult this bargain you've made with yourself can be to keep.

2) Bring only that amount of money into the casino with you and bring it in cash.

3) Lock all other ATM, Debit, and credit cards in your room safe along with any traveler's checks and other cash that you have. This prevents the temptation to get one more twenty or fifty until they are all gone. This sounds like a little bit of overkill and people often think they have plenty of self control but there is something about a casino, I swear you sometimes loose every bit of common sense you had when you walk in the door. This prevents you from getting in over your head and taking desperate measures.

4) Set a time limit for your casino fun and when that time limit is up for the evening/day get up from the table and leave the casino whether you are on the hottest winning streak of your life or not. Winning streak ultimately end at some point it is better to leave on a high note and have a little extra money to play with the next night (or better yet to take home with you). Leaving at a set time prevents you from getting over tired and making poor decisions based on the altered state of being sleep deprived.

5) Win and lose graciously. It will earn you a lot more respect from staff and the other players and you may find them wishing you luck because of your graciousness. In Vegas you can never have too much luck but woe to those whose luck has run out.

Believe it or not, these five things can save your more money and win you more friends than almost anything other than a super hot winning streak.

The Vegas Experience

Vegas stands out like a jewel across the desert. The bright lights can be seen from great distances and act as a beacon bringing in droves of visitors in search of riches, romance, and a myriad of other goals year after year. If the lights weren't enough from a distance, once you've entered Vegas you will discover that the lights and sounds are even more pronounced up close and personal. Vegas is probably the ultimate experience in sound and light. If you're not hearing the chinking of slots or music from the Elvis impersonators you are hearing chapel bells from someone getting married along the strip.

Whether you are coming to Vegas for the casinos and hopes of finding fame and fortune, the fabulous shows and big name headliners, the wonderful food that is one of the biggest sins to be found in this city, golf, marriage and happily ever after, or the nightlife that has earned Vegas the title of 'Sin City'. You are well on your way to an experience you are unlikely to forget.

While Vegas has not always been thought of us an appropriate vacation destination for those with families, this city is really trying to mend its ways and foster a more family-friendly reputation. They are even developing resorts and hotels with kids and family entertainment in mind. From theme park like atmospheres to everything in between the Vegas hotels of today are marketing to a much younger audience.

If you haven't checked out some of the newer hotel and resort experiences in Vegas, perhaps now is the ideal time in which to do so. There are so many fun ways to enjoy your time in Vegas that the problem isn't choosing which casino to visit or which hotel you want to stay in, it's deciding which attractions you must see and which attractions you can actually live without.

In order to attract visitors hotels and resorts are going to further and further extremes and levels of competition. Some of these hotels have even gone to the extent of bringing thrill rides into the mix in an effort to attract new guests and thrill seekers. If it isn't rides that are being offered it's the biggest shows and brightest stars to perform for your pleasure. With the tight competition among casinos for your business it's hard to imagine just how much money these hotels and casinos are bringing in each and every year but you can rest assured they wouldn't be constantly building, upgrading, and offering more and more features and services if it wasn't a highly profitable endeavor for them.

The fierce competition among hotels and casinos is good news to some extent for you as a potential guest. The tightness of the competition keeps the prices relatively affordable and allows you to pick and choose which hotel you want according to the services and amenities they offer rather than by the prices of the rooms. In fact, if you find another hotel that you aren't as interested in for less money, try bartering with the hotel you prefer. It is very possible to get a lower price by going back and forth between two or three competing hotels.

Saving money is a great idea in Vegas, the more money you save on hotel accommodations, the more money you'll have to spend on the entertainment of choice. Also consider some of the 'perks' offered by hotels when considering the price of the rooms. Some of the perks will include complimentary breakfast buffets or lunch and dinner buffets. Compare the price of buying breakfast to the price difference in the room before you make your ultimate decision. Some of them offer show tickets or discounts such as buy one get one free offers for attractions that may have been on your itinerary at any rate. It's always good to shop for the best bargain and Vegas is one of those cities where it can't really hurt to ask for a better deal.

The Romance of Vegas

A trip to Las Vegas is an experience of its own. No matter what time of year you visit there will be some manner of climate that will be new in some way, shape, form, or fashion to those who are visiting. There will be some star in the night sky that seems a little less bright when compared to the glam and glitz that defined Las Vegas and what has become known as "The Strip".

Your trip to Las Vegas will be no more or no less than you make it. The problem with gambling destinations such as this is that if you spend your entire allotment of funds in the first few hours you are in for a very long and quite boring and possibly hungry vacation. Self control is not what this particular city is famous for and yet it requires a great deal of self control in order to really win at the games that are most often played in this city.

From the bright and glittery nightlife full of dancing girls, flowing booze, and the eternal ringing of the slot machine, Las Vegas is a city that was quite literally built on broken dreams. If you do not realize this going in, the chances are rather great that you might learn the lesson the hard way. This is in no way whatsoever meant to discourage your from visiting or from taking the gamble in the casinos. That is after all the main attraction for a visit to this city. The warning is a friendly reminder that in all things moderation is not really all that terrible a thing. If you're going to risk at all, at least wait till you're getting ready to head out of town rather than doing it your first night in.

Las Vegas has a deeply interesting history to it, the kind of history that legends are made of. There have been Hollywood movies, a great deal of novels, hints, and innuendos and even more plain out speculation on some of the central characters that have come and gone during the process of building this glittering desert icon. Beneath the lights and the glitter lies a heart that built this oasis from the desert sand.

If you get the chance during your visit find out all you can about the history of this city. I think it will make the trip that much more meaningful to you and might romanticize your time in the city a little bit too. Plus, for your guys, the girls love a good story and if you can woo them with grand stories of Vegas lore, then perhaps you will find a little luck of your own during your visit.

Through the years Las Vegas has had both vocal critics and outright devotees, they've legalized prostitution, kept gaming alive and well where others had failed to do so and stood against and corrupted more local and national government officials than anyone might ever care to admit. If one had all the facts about this city and it's oh so interesting history I would certainly love to read this tell all book.

Even more than the past, the presence of Las Vegas is raising many eyebrows across America in disdain while others look on with rapt attention. From the gambling and the dancing girls, the bright lights, the games, the gold, the glam, and the glitz there are people that love it with the equal intensity of those that hate it. I guess some things about Vegas will never change.

I would choose to visit Las Vegas over many American cities because its history isn't painted as lily white. This is one city that lives in sins and relishes that fact about itself. While some may call it 'Sin City' I prefer to think of it as a city that is unburdened by the sins of its past. When you think about it, those that are simply passing through commit most of the sins of Vegas.

Vegas Weddings for all Tastes

Vegas is almost as famous for weddings as it is for some of its more questionable roots and activities. In fact there are wedding chapels on almost every corner and in almost every major casino on the strip and beyond. There are themed weddings, elegant weddings, simple weddings, alien weddings, and all kinds of weddings in between. Other than gambling, it seems that Vegas knows the most about weddings.

If you're planning a wedding, thinking about a wedding, or simply want to avoid a wedding and would like to run away and get married, might I suggest one of the many wedding chapels in Vegas? It takes all kinds of people to put together a fairy tale wedding however it can be done in Vegas in a matter of minutes. There are even wedding chapels in Vegas that will rent you costumes in which to get married. There are also those that rent the dresses and tuxedos for the more traditionally minded among you.

There are all kinds of wedding packages that can be ordered from the plain Jane and simple Sue wedding packages that offer no frills and no fun to those with more bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at. Where I come from there are plenty of sticks to be shaken. From professional photography to full service spa packages before the wedding for the bride and the bridal party there are all kinds of luxurious wedding touches available to those that are willing to pay for the service offered.

Vegas is probably the only city in the world that has professionals dedicated to throwing bachelor and bachelorette parties for brides and grooms to be. It really does beat all you've ever seen and more than most have ever dreamed of. While many people had dreams of fairy tale weddings and mom and dad paying for it, there are just as many who have had romantic dreams of getting married in Vegas since the very first time they heard it mentioned in movies or on TV. There are those that want Elvis impersonators singing as they share vows and others that want him to officiate the services. With so many tastes and wedding wishes, Las Vegas has come through with shining colors as far as making dream weddings possible for all those who enter.

It would seem that in Vegas, no wedding request (as long as it is legal) is out of the question. From the simply elegant to the outrageously campy there are chapels of love for all persuasions from pink fuzzy carpet and candles to outrageous dungeon looking rooms and all kinds in between weddings have been performed for many different walks of life and to confirm commitments for all manner of people and relationships from many countries around the world. Vegas is one of the easiest cities in the world in which to get married and all kinds of people take advantage of that fact for a quickie wedding. The one rule is that all parties must be of legal age and must be consenting. Consent is quite recognizable on your wedding day in most cases.

If you're planning a Vegas wedding, you are not alone and I wish you the absolute best of luck as you begin your new lives in this infinitely fascinating city of many dreams.