We hadn’t booked anywhere to stay for the last 4 days so once we decided to stay in Vegas it was just a matter of hopping online and making a booking through Expedia.

I opted for the Golden Nugget in Fremont St, simply because I love this hotel. The rooms are reasonably sized,  the rates are really reasonable plus the service and housekeeping is excellent.

The last time I stayed at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino I was in a room with two double beds as I was traveling with Paula, my friend and business partner. This time I am traveling with my husband so we booked a room with King sized bed.

In fact the only complaint I have is that there are no tea or coffee making facilities in the room. So we popped down to the shop and brought a couple of mugs, some tea and an infuser.

We caught the Deuce bus down from Paris to the Golden Nugget as our bags are relatively small and so were no hassle to take on the bus.

Check in was quick and the young man behind the counter was courteous.

We were given a room on the 18th floor and after taking the rather long walk past the shark tank and pool we arrive at the lifts.  On the way we are approached by the time share people, I laugh and say ‘ been there done that, but thanks for the offer.’  Just remember that those free show tickets that they offer will require you to attend a time share meeting.

The time share desk is right across from Starbucks which is just past a rather expensive clothing shop,  a restaurant, some slot machines and a gift shop where you can buy snacks, drinks and souvenirs. Near the elevators is also the business center and an area where you and the kids can  play arcade games..

There are two lots of elevators, the first set  goes to floors 2 to 9 and the furthermost set services floors 9 to 22.  As we are on the 18th floor we head to the second set of elevators.  One thing I like about the elevators in the Golden Nugget is that they are quick.  And you get to watch excerpts of the Gordie Brown show while you are in the elevator.

On the long trek to the room there is a coffee dispensing machine and a snack machine not far from the room.

Once again I like the room, it has a cosy, welcoming feel with its muted tonings and floral accents on the bedspread and the curtains.

The room has a king sized bed, which turns out to be very comfortable, the pillows are also comfy and there are plenty of them.

There is an air conditioner which is way too cold, I know it is summer and its hot outside but I don’t want to freeze in the room, so the first thing to do is turn off the air conditioner. At least we know it works well and will be handy for airing clothes.

The flat screen TV sits on a chest of drawers which are getting a bit dated looking.

There are a couple of comfortable armchairs and a table which is handy for writing up blog posts on the computer. Broadband internet is available at a cost $12.95 for 24 hours.

Room 1806 from the doorway. As you can see it is quite roomy and very pleasant.

Showing the restful muted tonings  of the decor.

The room has plenty of mirrors and seating. This photo shows the the mirrored doors on the wardrobe and the entrance to the bathroom.  In the wardrobe there is an iron and ironing board, extra bedding and pillows and a safe. There are two luggage holders in the room.

I find that the safe in the Golden Nugget rooms tends to be on the small side and it is only possible to fit extra cash, passport and a few papers in the safe.  There is nowhere to stow the laptop.

There is an ice bucket and the ice machine is just down the hall so we are able to have reasonably cold drinks.

The bathroom has lovely fluffy towels and good quality shampoo, conditioner and lotion. There is a plug in for an electric razor and a point for the hair dryer which is also in the wardrobe.  The bathroom is very clean.

The floral theme is carried through to the shower curtain. And there is the handy grab rail for safety and support getting in and out of the bath.

I love the shower head in the Golden Nugget Hotel. It releases a wide, soft flow of water.

This photo shows the doorway to the adjoining room.  On our second to last day a family had moved in, the kids were in the room next to us and the parents were further down the hall. So they would have been able to move into our room once we checked out to be closer to the kids. Apart from some noise from the kids, the rest of our stay was very quiet. Unlike last time, this room doesn’t face the road so there is no road noise.

I love the public areas of the Golden Nugget, the lighting is absolutely beautiful.

The pool with the Shark tank is a fascinating feature of a three story water slide that goes through the middle of the tank down into the pool. There are also a 7 private cabanas on the third story.

The weather was just beautiful and so the pool area was always packed with people sunning themselves or sitting partly in the water on one of the lounges that are half in and half out of the water.

While we were at the Golden Nugget we ate breakfast, lunch and brunch at the buffet which has a wide variety of delicious food, both hot and cold, and a large range of yummy desserts.  Last time we ate mainly at the Plaza across the road but I was a little disappointed in the fare after our first foray to Stuffed, which used to be Lucky 777′s.

There is plenty of entertainment inside the Golden Nugget what with the Gordie Brown show and the Frankie Moreno band. You can also dance the night away and join friends for cocktails at Gold Diggers, where you can watch the Fremont Experience from the balcony.

All in all I recommend the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino, and will certainly stay there  again in the future.

On the day we checked out we simply called a shuttle bus on the phone provided in the Business Center. There  are a number of shuttle bus company phone numbers available in case you have a preference.

Rating of the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino:

Checking in and out 4.5/5
Room 4/5
Position 5/5 (For Downtown location – right on Fremont St)
Price 5/5
Cleanliness 5/5

I booked the hotel while staying in the Paris.  We hadn’t decided what we wanted to do for the last four days of our stay and finally decided to stay on in Vegas and do the Grand Canyon tour by helicopter.

So I just hopped online and booked through Expedia.com.au.  We got an excellent rate and booking was as always, hassle free.

Now I use Expedia.com.au because it gives me the price in my currency, but Expedia.com! is just as easy to use and also gives you fantastic deals on flights, hotels and car rental not only in the US but also worldwide.

One of my favorite places in Las Vegas is Fremont St.

This is a happening place where every night there is exciting live entertainment and the fantastic Fremont St Experience – which is an awesome light and sound show.

Although it is now easy to get to Fremont St from the Strip, now that the Deuce buses run to downtown, I still like to stay in the downtown area and usually stay at the Golden Nugget.

This summer Fremont St is running the ‘Sounds of ’69 Vegas or Bust’ with live bands playing the music of the era. Which suits me just fine as this is the music I grew up with.

Two of light shows that Val and I caught were Queen and Kiss, both firm favorites of mine.

Fremont St really comes alive at night with showgirls outside a number of the casinos and the whole place is a blaze of color and music. 

So what is the ‘The Fremont Street Experience (FSE)’?

The Fremont St experience is a pedestrian mall in downtown Las Vegas that takes up 5 blocks of Fremont St. From Main st to Fourth St is covered by a barrel vault canopy or Space frame that measures 90 ft in height and is around 1500 ft long which house a 12.5 million LED display. There are also 208 speakers that pump out 550,000 watts of sound while the light show of perfecly syncopated animated images are produced by a bank of 32 computers.

 The Light and Sound Show is presented nightly on the hour from dusk until midnight.

During the day music is played in the mall but during the evening the canopy comes alive with light and music shows  .

Just before each show starts the light on all the building, including the casinos under the canopy are turned off and one of the bidirectional streets that cross the Fremont Experience is blocked off to ensure everyone’s safety.

In between the light and music shows there are free concerts held on the two sound stages.

The Fremont St Experience is a magical way to while away a few hours lost in the sights and sounds  of the light show and definitely an experience not to miss when you visit Vegas.

All the casinos have great meal and drink deals to ensure you are well fuelled.  And once you are replete of the experience it is just a short ride back to the Strip if you haven’t taken the opportunity to stay Downtown.

An example of the light show on the Space Frame. 
 

When Paula and I were in Vegas last year, the Wheel of Fortune game was one of our favorites and we had a few wins. So I had a flutter when I saw but my luck wasn’t in. But I still find this to be a fun machine. I did find a lucky machine at the Golden Nugget though which gave me a few small wins.

One of the Sounds of Summer ’69 bandstands

Val is wearing one of the ‘Summer of ’69 Vegas or Bust’ t-shirts that were very popular and similar styles were worn by all the stall holders in the Mall.

Here is Val in amongst the Woodstock crowd

Showgirls on Fremont St 

Binions Casino Fremont St

 Golden Nugget Hotel

Okay in most of the previous posts I have managed to get really long winded. So in this one I am just going to quickly add photos of some of the stuff you will see cruising the Strip.

Here is the Harley Davidson Cafe, haven’t eaten there so can’t comment on the food but I do like the sight of the Harley bursting through the wall.

I checked online and the place has mixed reviews for both the food and the service so I guess it is a matter of going in and checking the place out for yourself. Next time I’m in Vegas that’s just what I will do.

As you mosey on down the strip you come to more of the larger Casino’s.

You can’t miss MGM Grand as it has the enormous lion seated outside the entrance. It is just a short walk past Coca Cola World and M & M world , so you can pick up some goodies on your way down the Strip, and it is on the corner of  Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevarde – so easy to see and easy to get to.

MGM is always a favorite and Val and I popped in to see the Lions. The first time we went in the lions weren’t out so it meant another trip back. The lions aren’t actually kept in the MGM habitat but about 12 miles out of Las Vegas  at the  property of Keith Evans, who is an exotic animal trainer.

There is a tunnel that allows you to get up close and personal with the lions and you can view our last lion visit on youtube.

MGM Casino

MGM Las Vegas The Lion Enclosure

MGM Las Vegas Lioness

MGM Las Vegas Lions

Apart from the lions the MGM Grand has plenty of  entertainment and places to eat and drink, such as:

The Cirque du Soleil production of  ‘KA’ - an exciting tale of twins  who are on a perilous journey to fulfil their destiny.  The members of the Cirque du Soleil tell the story with superb acrobatic performances, martial arts techniques and puppetry that will enthrall and entertain you, as  the twins confront the forces of  evil.

Show times: 7pm and 9:30pm Tues – Sat
Ticket prices: $69.00 -$150.00

The Crazy Horse Paris, which is a celebration of the beauty and sensuality of women. The dancers have all performed with the original Crazy Horse Paris troupe. A stunningly beautiful cabaret featuring  a cast of beautiful international dancers trained in ballet.

Show times: 8pm and 10:30pm Wed – Mon
Ticket prices: $50.50-$60.50 includes full color program

Studio 54 (Las Vegas), which is a recreation of New York’s Studio 54 nightclub. Studio 54 has a 22,000-square-foot nightclubwhere you can dance away the night on one of the four dance floors and catch up with friends in one of the many bars.

Have a cocktail and hang out  at the ‘Centrifuge’ bar.

So lots to see and do at MGM Grand.

MGM Casino

To get to the neigbouring casinos from MGM you need to cross the road using the south bridge across Tropicana Ave to go to the Tropicana Casino and over the West Bridge across the Boulevarde to New York New York. From here you can cross the bridge to Excalibur.

There is a cable tram between Excalibur, the Luxor and Mandalay Bay however we used the Deuce bus to get to the latter two casinos.

Now New York New York is as you can tell from the name, based on New York and the exterior is reminiscent of the Manhatten skyline.  Here you can ride on the roller coaster that runs around the casino at speeds of up to 67 mph.  We filmed some of the thrill seekers who had braved the ride with its many twists, corkscrews and the 180 degree turn.

You can see the Cirque du Soleil show ‘Zumanity’ at New York New York.  Zumanity shows the sensual side of Cirque du Soleil and this show is only open to patrons 18 years and over.  It is suggested that you leave your inhibitions at the door and take delight in the explicit and sensational adult themed production.

Show times: 9pm nightly and 11pm Fri and Sat only
Ticket prices: $69.00 -$99.00, $129 (duo sofas; sold only in pairs)

New York New York Casino Las Vegas

Across the bridge at the fantasy castle ‘Excalibur‘ you can catch the Thunder from Down Under troupe where you can get up close and personal with the entertainers.

Show times: 9pm nightly and11pm Fri and Sat only
Ticket prices: $39.95 – $49.95

There is also the dinner show Tournament of Kings where you can watch kings joust, dragon warriors fight and damels dance while you dine.  A thoroughly good mediaevil romp.

Show times: 6pm and 8:30pm Wed – Mon
Ticket prices: $54.95

Also check out Defending the Caveman starring Kevin Burke, a comedy show about the relationship between men and women.

Show times: 4pm  daily and 7:30 Fri – Sat
Ticket prices: $39.95 - $49.95 -$64.95 and matinees $39.95 & $44.95

and then there is  Louie Anderson, stand up comedian and best selling author.

Show times: 7pm – Sat - Thu
Ticket prices: $54.00 & $79.00

Excalibur, Las Vegas

Val and I caught a performance of  The Lion King – an entertaining stage production full of color and great music.

And if you are looking  for a dose of comedy there is Carrot Top who features in a high energy rock n roll comedy show, or  Criss Angel Believe where Criss Angel teams up with Cirque du Soleil in a magic themed show.

Check out ‘Fantasy‘ which is an original musical choreographed by Cris Judd, and features original music and showgirls.

And lastly there is ‘Menopause the Musical’ – a comedy show about the change of life.

Luxor, Las Vegas

Luxor Hotel

These are just a few of the Casinos that you will find at heading down the Las Vegas Boulevard South.

As I keep saying, there is so much to do and see in Vegas that  you are assured of having a fun filled, senses overload holiday.

Who doesn’ t love to save money!!!!  Nobody I know that’s for sure. 

Those of you who read this blog know that we generally book our travel online through expedia.com.au or expedia.com.

 Apart from the great deals and packages that they have available, their website is easy to navigate, and it doesn’t matter if I am booking a trip with multiple stops and only want to book a hotel for part of the trip, I can do it quickly and easily through Expedia.

Now there is even more reason for Aussie travellers to put of that trip any longer – No Flight Booking Fees on Expedia.com.au until October 18th! Book a flight now. – Expires 10/18/09 .

Now although this great offer is available until the 18th October 2009,  if one million Aussies visit the Expedia.com.au  website by  that date,  they will waive the booking on all future travel. 

Well you know what this means – we will be booking our next trip very soon.  We are off Stateside again in March and taking my grandaughter Ayla this time as she will be 21 and will be able to enjoy all the fun in Vegas, such as Jimmy Buffet’s Margarita Bar on the Strip.

But as you also know we often take short breakations right here in Australia and this offer also applies to local flights and for those interstate and intercountry flights that we generally book once we are overseas.

Not booking your entire trip before leaving home means you can take advantage of great deals that come up while you are travelling.  We did this last year when we picked up a couple of really cheap deals to San Francisco and San Diego.

Plus you have the freedom to do what you like when you like by not being tied to travel plan. But that’s us, this type of existence doesn’t suit everyone.  And as I have said before – Expedia.com.au make it all so easy to plan and book all your travel requirements including flights, cars, and hotels.  In fact if you book them all together you save even more money.

So hop online, book that trip and pay No Flight Booking Fees on Expedia.com.au until October 18th! Book a flight now. – Expires 10/18/09 , or simply visit expedia.com.au to make your vote for no booking fees in the future.