The Fernstrom sisters go wild in Vegas!

My sister and I took a flight from Boise to Vegas. I was recovering from wrist surgery and was wearing a brace on my right wrist. The brace had metal in it, but didn't set off the metal detector in the Boise airport. It did go off in the Vegas airport, but the man at the metal detectors understood my plight.

Erika and I stayed at Motel 6 in Vegas and spent the first day walking up and down the Strip playing the slot machines and shopping in many of the hotels. We were also asked to sit in on a screening of a new TV show by CBS studios, and that night we watched L.A. Doctors. Erika and I didn't like it very much and said so on the comment forms they gave us. Yes, that show was cancelled after one season!

Wwe went looking in the casinos for cigars for Dad and Erika (once in a while, she likes a cigar), but we found a hole-in-the-wall cigar shop on the Strip that employed Cuban emigres who sat there and rolled cigars while you shopped. My sister even gave cigar advice to a good-looking guy who wasn't sure what kind of cigars to buy.

The next day, Erika and I met my friend Nicki at her hotel, Treasure Island, at the end of the Strip. She was with a friend, but he declined to join us girls on our adventure in Vegas. Erika, Nicki, and I had a wonderful day walking the Strip, playing the slots, and shopping. We even saw five-time Emmy-winning actor John Larroquette enjoying New York, New York with his family. Even the rich and famous like going to Vegas.

Our fun day ended at Treasure Island, where we had a buffet dinner and talked "girl talk."

Quick Tips:

Make sure you bring your ID with you and carry it with you at all times. The age to go into many of Vegas's casinos is 21, and all of the casinos must card people playing at their tables and slots if they look younger than 27. Erika and I were carded at the Hilton, and the lady taking our IDs was very nice and even complimented us on looking good for our ages. It made our day!

The cheapest and best way to eat is at the all-you-can-eat buffets in the many hotels on the Strip. Luxor has the best buffet, and Treasure Island isn't bad either, but the service is better at Luxor.

Check the Internet for hotel deals in Vegas. You might get a great deal on one of the primo hotels, but the Motel 6 on Tropicana is just as good. You are not in your hotel all day, anyway.

Best Way To Get Around:

Be prepared to do a lot of walking on the Strip. There is a shuttle from Bally's to the Hilton, and taxis only cost about to to get from one end of the Strip to the other.

There are shuttles between several of the major hotels and the airport, but at the Motel 6, you have to call a cab or ask the front desk to do so for you. It will save you money if you share a cab with other travelers. My sister and I shared a cab to the airport with a couple from Utah, and we had a driver who had many wild theories about politics. He made the ride to the airport very entertaining.

Our room was in the back of the building, but this Motel 6 is a big motel and one of the newest ones of the chain. My sister Erika and I got a room with two queen-size beds and a bathroom--all we needed since we weren't planning to stay in our room all day.

Motel 6 is located near the Strip on Tropicana, a short walk to the Excalibur and Luxor casinos. Erika and I walked through those places on our way back to Motel 6 every night.

Our room was big and clean, with a TV for when we did get back to our room to crash after a day of gambling and shopping on the Strip. The main office was a short walk away, and the staff was courteous and quick in getting us checked in and out and answering questions.

You don't need a glitzy hotel or casino just to sleep in while visiting Vegas. Motel 6 is plain and simple and near the important sights.

My German friend Nicki was staying at Treasure Island so, at the end of our great day together seeing the Vegas sights, we ended our day with dinner at the Treasure Island Buffet.

Like most of the buffets in Vegas hotels, Treasure Island had a lot to offer from seafood and barbeque, to spaghetti and desserts, etc. Nicki had the spaghetti, and Erika and I had a smorgasbord consisting of almost everything.

The service at Treasure Island Buffet was slow. Our waiter rarely came by to see how we were doing or get us drinks. He wasn't too friendly either. The food wasn't as good as the Pharoah's Pheast at Luxor, but I was happy to be with my friend and sister and talking made digesting the bland meal easier.

After dinner, Nicki, Erika, and I saw the Pirate's show outside the hotel. The show is an all-out extravaganza with fighting pirates, cannon fire, a sinking ship, and a firework finale. It was a nice end to an otherwise unappealing meal.

My sister and I received a couple of "buy one, get one free" tickets for the Luxor Pharaoh's Pheast Buffet when we participated in the free screening at CBS Studios--so we ate dinner at Luxor on two nights and breakfast one morning.

The Pharoah's Pheast has everything you could ask for in a buffet: fried chicken, tacos, Italian, etc., and that's just dinner. Breakfast had eggs, sausage, cereals, toast, bagels, and more. The food was hot and tasty, and filled us up enough to enjoy our day of gambling and shopping on the Strip.

The waitstaff at Luxor was always there if you needed a soda or coffee or tea, and they refilled glasses every 5 to 10 minutes. They were courteous and professional, and worked fast among the crowds.

Be sure to get to Luxor early in order to get a good seat and to avoid waiting in line for a table. Reservations are accepted for large groups. Luxor is open 24 hours a day for all three meals.

My sister Erika and I walked around Las Vegas checking out many of its casinos and non-gambling sights.

We enjoyed the white tigers lounging in their glass-enclosed home at Mirage Hotel and Casino. Unfortunately, we did not see Siegfried and Roy. You have to get to the Mirage at the right time to see the tigers because they have feeding times and nap times. Most of the tigers like to hide when they eat or sleep, so you only see one or two of the them at a time.

Erika enjoyed the Star Trek ride at the Hilton Hotel and Casino. I waited outside for her. The Star Trek adventure has a replica of the Enterprise and other displays of the popular TV show and its spin-offs.

You can go up the elevator at the Stratosphere and walk around the many shops there and enjoy a view of Las Vegas while having a drink at McDonald''s.

Excalibur Hotel and Casino has architecture evocative of medieval times, and there are photo studios where you can have your picture taken in medieval garb.

When you play the slot machines, be careful! They are very addictive. Stick with the 5-, 10-, and 25-cent slot machines. I went broke playing the slot machines in Vegas and had to borrow money from my sister for dinner our last night in town. Before going to Vegas, save your coins and bring them in coin rolls. Then you have gambling money and it''s separated from your spending and expense money.