LAS VEGAS — It’s the land of Elvis, bright lights, awestruck tourists and money flowing everywhere you look. This was my perception of the “Glitter City” before my three-day adventure last weekend. I wanted to see and experience everything from a glamorous Vegas show to fat, sweaty guys in silk shirts and lots of gold jewelry begging the dealers for another round.
But as a college student, I quickly learned that my Vegas excursion would be different. I had to travel on a budget and spend as little as possible, especially with rent due the week I returned.
My mission was simple: To make Vegas a “$5.99 All-You-Can-Eat” buffet kind of town, not a ritzy champagne celebration, and let the entertainment come at a cheap price. I’ve compiled some tips on how to succeed if you want to try Vegas “on the cheap” as well.
Tip one:
Before you arrive in the land where anything goes, reserve a room at a hotel on the strip, or not too far off it. This will come in handy after a long night of cocktails and havoc, and it will save you from a wild ride in a taxi.
The first flaw in my friend’s and my weekend getaway plan was ignoring the simple step of making a hotel reservation. By the time Friday night rolled around, desperately wanting a bed to sleep on, we found ourselves stumbling along from hotel to hotel looking for a vacant room at 2 a.m.
My salvation came in the form of the Bourbon Street Hotel & Casino. It didn’t look too shabby from the outside, but things turned south real quick once I got the $50-a-night room. With more mirrors in the room than a porn star would know what to do with, I figured the bar and casino downstairs would make things better. The real Bourbon Street is a great place to get drunk, but in Vegas no one seemed to care how many $1 drafts I knocked back, or that I was stuck playing Austin Powers quarter slots.
Tip two:
Morning hunger pains drove my travel companion and me downstairs to the steak-and-egg special. Unless you like to eat breakfast with people who are so hung over they can’t brave the sunlight to get food elsewhere, opt for a real buffet in a nice hotel. Although you can find a bargain buffet on every corner, some as cheap as $2.99, pay attention to the customers as they leave the restaurant to ensure your stomach will be able to take the brunt of digesting large quantities of lobster, shrimp and prime rib before noon.
Tip three:
As you make your way to any of the casinos, locate the nickel slots to make your dollar last. Cocktail waitresses will bring you free drinks while you gamble away, but be patient trying to flag one down. It’s cheaper than blowing money on $10 minimum blackjack tables. When the money runs out, roam the casino looking for credits on slot machines and fallen $5 chips. It may seem pathetic, but it works.
Tip Four:
Go to a show to take a break from gambling away your life savings. Despite my unexplained sick desire to see Siegfried & Roy’s “Masters of The Impossible,” I stuck to our plan and joined the mass of hippies at the Aladdin Theater for Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and The String Cheese Incident. Minus the few Vegas freaks, it was almost like I never left Eugene — patchouli-scented air and all.
Tip Five:
Find drink specials. I can’t stress this enough. At the MGM Grand, Vegas’ largest casino, indulge in a yardstick-long margarita. For $13, its one hell of a way to get a buzz and start your day fresh. Apparently, the price of these suckers has gone up $4 in the last year, but blame that on the guava plant.
Tip Six:
The best thing to do on a budget in Vegas, by far, is sightseeing along The Strip Walk in New York-New York, my personal favorite casino. You actually feel like you’re in the Big Apple, complete with a replica skyline, Grand Central Station and the New York Stock Exchange.
So after a few mistakes and lessons learned, I realized that Vegas could be a weekend made from heaven — just not the kind where you join the players’ club.