Las Vegas on a Budget

[Halloweenqueen]

Zion is about a three hour drive, but the drive is gorgeous. Virgin River Gorge is one of the most scenic and fun drives on any US highway. I would drive straight to Zion. You use the free park shuttle during the summer months and stop at points of interest. Then continue driving the park to the east, through Zion tunnel (so cool!). The eastern park is an incredible drive with neat rock formations.

Then head south. I would skip Bryce. It is quite a drive northwest of Bryce and you would need an overnight to be there at the right time of light (sunrise/sunset). There is Pink Sand Dunes State Park about 15 minutes past the Zion east entrance. Then continue south through Kanab, Utah. That's where we usually stay. Great area to stop. It is known as the Hollywood of the West, where many westerns were made. From there you continue south to the North Rim. We prefer it. A lot less crowded and a beautiful drives with many cool trails.

Death Valley is otherworldly. So many Americans don't appreciate it. We always feel like foreigners there because the majority of tourists are from out of the country. We go there every couple of years. Just spent 4 days there in January. It is the largest park in the lower 48. So much to see! Ghost towns, mountains, deserts, salt flats, sand dunes! You can go from the lowest point in the US to the highest mountain in the 48 (Mt. whitney) with an 80 mile drive. The stargazing it the best. We would go out every night. The Milky Way is clearly visible from there. You can drive for many miles and not see another car. We always go in winter/fall. I would think places like Badwater and Furnace Creek would be incredibly hot, but the altitude changes so dramatically there.

There are plenty of other NPs in Utah to add to Zion...Escalade, Capital Reef, etc. Buy an annual pass for $80.

We go to Vegas to see relatives and have done much of the Vegas stuff. Leave Vegas and explore!

 

[jsmla]

Halloweenqueen: Thanks for the information on Zion and Death Valley. I'm relieved that you seem to be able to see so much without long hikes. I'm used to hiking but mostly in the Smoky Mts. Death Valley in August was making me nervous. DH is super excited!

We have been to Vegas before for DS's wedding but that sort of thing really isn't us. I love Broadway, though, and would like to see a show one evening.

 

[Lewisc]

Cirque is running a promotion on tickets.
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/destinations/las-vegas/home.aspx

Unless something has changed Cirque shows don't show up that often at the Tix4Tonight. I'd get tickets for Love (or Mystere) in advance. Use Tix4Tonight to fill in any open nights.

Do you have to pay (cash,points,exchange credit....)for your timeshare for the entire week? I'd consider staying at Las Vegas for 2 or 3 nights. Stay at the GC. Drive to Bryce. Stay overnight. Visit Zion on your way to back to Vegas.

This is the budget board. El Tovar is the most expensive hotel on the rim. You can try to stay in one of the other properties on the rim, or even stay at one of the chain motels just outside the GC. You want to stay on the rim. The less expensive hotels are booked. Ask when you check in. They should let you downgrade, subject to availability. Unless something has changed you'll get a full credit for the difference in room rates.

 

[jsmla]

Cirque is running a promotion on tickets.
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/destinations/las-vegas/home.aspx

Unless something has changed Cirque shows don't show up that often at the Tix4Tonight. I'd get tickets for Love (or Mystere) in advance. Use Tix4Tonight to fill in any open nights.

Do you have to pay (cash,points,exchange credit....)for your timeshare for the entire week? I'd consider staying at Las Vegas for 2 or 3 nights. Stay at the GC. Drive to Bryce. Stay overnight. Visit Zion on your way to back to Vegas.

This is the budget board. El Tovar is the most expensive hotel on the rim. You can try to stay in one of the other properties on the rim, or even stay at one of the chain motels just outside the GC. You want to stay on the rim. The less expensive hotels are booked. Ask when you check in. They should let you downgrade, subject to availability. Unless something has changed you'll get a full credit for the difference in room rates.

Thanks for the Cirque link


The timeshare was a gift. I'm not budging on the Grand Canyon hotel. I'm fairly sure this will be my one and only trip to GCNP. DH wants to be in one of the old lodges on the rim and I insist on AC and a private bath. Gambling and eating out aren't priorities for us so I was mostly looking for free/cheap things to do while we're actually in the city. I don't mind a bit of a splurge to get a bit of comfort at the end of a long, hot day spent driving to (DH has big plans involving Rt 66) and visiting the park.

And, since it's been brought up twice, I'm well aware that this is the budget board and feel I made it pretty clear we'd be splurging on the hotel in my OP. Have y'all never looked to cut corners on one thing in order to treat yourself to something else?

ETA: Right now I have Freemont Street, the chocolate tour and the Pawn Stars place on the list. I may ask for show tickets for my birthday.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Do you watching Counting Cars? They allow you to tour Danny's car and motorcycle collection. Free and a lot of fun if you are into the show!

 

[tazdeb]

Do you have a face book page? If so join a game called My Vegas. It is a free Farmville type game where you play slots ( free) and earn points that can be used to buy things at all Caesars' resorts. I've been playing for 15min a day for 4 months and have over 100,000 points, enough to buy free steak dinner and buy 1 get one free to "O", Mystere, Love, etc. If your on a budget check it out.

 

[pandamom]

Do you have a face book page? If so join a game called My Vegas. It is a free Farmville type game where you play slots ( free) and earn points that can be used to buy things at all Caesars' resorts. I've been playing for 15min a day for 4 months and have over 100,000 points, enough to buy free steak dinner and buy 1 get one free to "O", Mystere, Love, etc. If your on a budget check it out.

I second this! dh and I both have accounts and the comps covered all our meals on our last 3d/4n trip. I'm getting ready to pick the rewards for our summer trip now that we are in the 90 day window. Hope you have a great time!

 

[imsayin]

Do you have a face book page? If so join a game called My Vegas. It is a free Farmville type game where you play slots ( free) and earn points that can be used to buy things at all Caesars' resorts. I've been playing for 15min a day for 4 months and have over 100,000 points, enough to buy free steak dinner and buy 1 get one free to "O", Mystere, Love, etc. If your on a budget check it out.

I did this and got a BOGO for Love. I did not have to accumulate a ton of points for it either.

 

[Egdisney]

Thanks for the link! We went to Red Rocks, Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire when we were there for our son's wedding. Not interested in any buffets. They don't suit the way I prefer to eat. We will be having breakfast in the condo and a lot of picnics. We wouldn't do Zion and GCNP on the same day/outing. I google-mapped it and it looks like Zion is a 3-3 1/2 hour drive from Las Vegas and we're comfortable with that. We do a lot of beach day trips from home which involve a longer drive than this. I want to spend the night (with AC and my own shower) on the rim at the Grand Canyon. It was my condition for going in the first place We are really planning on mostly day trips, don't think Las Vegas itself will be the main focus. We could get a Wyndham timeshare for Las Vegas, Orlando (BIG no from DH-we were there on business in February and are returning in October) or Willamsburg where we have family nearby and wouldn't need accommodations. I'm thinking: 2 days at GCNP 1 day at Zion 1 day driving Death Valley (not 100% sold on this one yet!) That leaves a couple of days for Las Vegas itself-pool during the day and maybe a show or the Strip at night. What about the Freemont Street Experience?

We really enjoyed the Fremont Street Experience. If you are going to be in Vegas, I think it should be done once. Also, I had seen pics of one of the casinos done there that has a pool area with an aquarium. Apparently you come through a waterslide as if you are under the sea. It is something I want to see in person.

 

[Lewisc]

And, since it's been brought up twice, I'm well aware that this is the budget board and feel I made it pretty clear we'd be splurging on the hotel in my OP. Have y'all never looked to cut corners on one thing in order to treat yourself to something else?

I do that all the time. People I know in real life do it all the time. Posters on DIS NO. More then once a poster said saving $2 is enough to buy half a gallon of gas. Booking the most expensive hotel in an area isn't something I'd expect from a poster on the DIS budget board. I understand your point. Having a "splurge" hotel or activity on a vacation is something I do.

FWIW I doubt you'll be in the room during the day. Temperature drops during the night (mid 40s to upper 50s). AC isn't as important as people think.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

We do MyVegas as well. We play for show tickets and free buffets. Great game and fun perks!

 

[jsmla]

Thanks for the MyVegas tip. I've loaded the app but have zero idea on what to do with it! Do you just keep hitting the button or is there a strategy? I've never played a slot machine in the real world!

 

[bearzabout]

We spend 2 weeks to a month in Vegas every year and found some great budget things we do every trip.

We buy tickets one month out by bidding on vegasforlocals auctions on ebay. We saw the Scintas and Jeff Civillico for about $2.50 per ticket. They have some great deals on not so popular shows.

We love Vegas museums. You can get two tickets to the wonderful Atomic Testing Museum for about $3 through the vegasforlocals ebay auctions. We always go to Springs Preserve. It is always free to walk the interesting gardens. Entrance to the buildings is free the first weekend of the month with Bank of America's museums on us program if you have any kind of account with them.

The Clark County museum only costs about $2 each and is worthy of a stop. The curator is frequently seen on Pawn Stars. He is quite a character.

If you are over 62, you can get an senior annual pass into the national parks for free, saving you $25 on the Grand Canyon alone.

We eat like a local, enjoying many of the budget "essential 50" Las Vegas dishes in local establishments. We love the short rib grilled cheese at Fat Choy, the lunch buffet at Lotus of Siam and tasting our way through Chinatown. Le Thai downtown is our new favorite. We just love the Fremont Street Experience in the evening.

We never miss the $7.99 steak special at Ellis Island. It comes with a salad, baked potato, green beans and a 20 oz micro brewed in house beer or rootbeer. Get one of their cards first, play $1 and then print a coupon for the dinner.

We do the CBS Test America at the MGM where we rate a new and often not yet released TV shows. We never miss the garden display in the Bellagio. Ethel M is a must stop and we see Red Rocks and Lake Mead on each visit since we love the scenery so much.

We always get a car and have found that although driving is a challenge there, it is worth it to get off the beaten path and live like a local.

 

[jsmla]

Thank you so much for the info, bearzabout! I'll definitely take a look at your suggestions!

On another note-I took another look at the hotels, removing AC from my must-haves but all the private baths are booked. I played with the dates in the process and ended up canceling EL Tovar and booking Kachina Lodge. It was (gasp!) $20 more but has a King instead of double bed and a partial canyon view as opposed to one of the service area at El Tovar.

Am I banned from the Budget Board?

 

[bearzabout]

Have you ever been to Sedona? It is a bit south of Flagstaff. It is unbelievably beautiful. Do a search on images and you will see what I mean. Zion is amazing but a long drive. You could always add a night in Sedona instead and do Zion with Bryce in a future trip.

We grab a Subway footlong on the way into the Grand Canyon and enjoy a nice picnic lunch by the edge. Make sure to catch the ranger talk if they have one the night you are there.

 

[jsmith]

Seems everyone as covered what to see and do. My contribution is this-my mother owns points in Wyndham and I have stayed at the Grand Desert as it is the home resort. The Grand Desert is quiet nice, and there will be a fully equipped kitchen. There's also a fairly decent pool. Its a few blocks off the strip and there is a decent shuttle to Harrah's. Ellis Island, the paradise of the 7.99 steak dinner is near by. In the event that the resort finds out you are not already a wyndham owner-AVOID the sales pitch at all costs.

 

[vegasnative]

I'm getting almost 6 hours to drive to GCNP from Las Vegas and DH is going to want to stop along the way. We're from Louisiana and he's fascinated by the geography out west. The plan is to spend the day driving over, catch the sunset, spend the night and then be up early for sunrise and the drive back.

I'm not going to lie-I'm the kind of person who can give the greatest natural wonders in the world about 5 minutes before I start thinking about what's for lunch. It's VERY important to DH though. He's all giddy.

Since your DH likes the west, you should stop in Oatman, Az on your way to GC. It's a little cheesy, but cool at the same time. Burrows just wander around the town with cowboys, then a staged gunfight breaks out, very Wild West.