As you make your way through the Las Vegas list of 'must do' attractions, remember to leave plenty of time for relaxation! The town will definitely push you to 'do it all' and it's very easy to get run down and broke in the first day!

My favorite budget Vegas sights and attractions are the Freemont Street Experience (it's free!), viewing the white lions and tigers at the Mirage (free!), penny slots and .99 late-night breakfast at Barbary Coast, swimming in the Flamingo hotel, and the Pirate show at Treasure Island.

Quick Tips:

Join the slot clubs if you plan on playing any slots and then try to stick to one place. Often you are given some incentive to join: free drinks, free slot tokens, etc. and if you play often enough you can earn free comps such as a free buffet or free room.

If you're coming to Vegas only to gamble and you don't gamble big - stay downtown. The rooms are much cheaper and the odds are better than the theme park hotels on the Strip.

Finally, drink a lot of bottled water. It's a desert out there! The local water has given many people 'Vegas tummy', so I'd recommend bottled.

Best Way To Get Around:

The Lady Luck focuses on gambling, not posh rooms or amenities. There is a pool, but it is a small roadside Inn variety. As of March, there was no show in the Lady Luck, other than watching the casino denizens react to their gambling wins or losses. Many people seem to be repeat customers, and for good reason. Members of the Lady Luck club (Mad Money) get offers for rates as low as $12 during the week. The casino is small, but well-equipped and the drink service is good. We didn't sample the buffet, but the rumor was it is not nearly as good as the Golden Nugget just down the street.

Lady Luck's location just down from the Freemont Street Experience makes it a very good budget choice. There is a bus that runs from Freemont Street to the Strip for $2 in about 15 minutes, which makes it possible to stay cheaply at the Lady Luck and sample the higher-end dining and amusements of upscale Vegas.

With the emphasis on theme, you might be surprised to learn that the drinks and food have gained a good reputation. The menu is limited, but has a variety of salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, and hamburgers. They serve large portions of entrees that match the huge drinks. The atmosphere is more suited to groups and parties than a quiet dinner. With the unusual number of roaming staff and gawkers, it can get quite noisy. Quark's is definitely not the place to bring your loved one for a romantic date, unless they happen to be a die-hard Trekkie!

There is an actual bar at Quark's as well, so those hoping to just have a drink and soak in the scenery can be accommodated. Given the rather high prices (even for Vegas), I would advise those doing Vegas on a budget to avail themselves of the bar and split one of the over-sized drinks.

Like most buffets, it's all you can eat and serve yourself. The dress code is casual and it's family friendly, though due to the clientele at Ballys' (mostly older gamblers), there were few children.

The food was good and the selection was the usual: omlette station, fruit and breads, pancakes, etc. There was no 'stand out' item on the breakfast buffet, except for the service. In comparison to the other buffets in Vegas, Bally's wait staff did an excellent job bringing us our drinks! When dining buffet style, I expect the servers to be responsive, as their only duty is bringing us drinks, and I was not disappointed.

For the price ($11 for breakfast), I feel the food and service were fair. The worst part of the experience is finding The Big Kitchen buffet. It's hidden upstairs in the back of the Casino!