Las Vegas

This was an absolutely beautiful hotel! It was decorated like a Parisian village. Our room was large and had upscale decor. The bathroom was quite large with a huge tub and separate shower. The price was great at only $90 a night which was much cheaper than the other hotels on that level.

You have to check out the buffet! Get there as early as possible, because the line gets long. The food was great. So much to chose from and a selection of things I have never had before. The desserts were out of this world.

After finding out there was a huge convention going on at the same time we would be in Vegas we had a hard time finding a hotel at a reasonable rate. Each hotel we looked up was at least three times as much as they were at the same time last year. So we decided to venture off the strip. After reading good reviews for the Orleans I decided to check it out. The rooms were only $50 a night which was a steal compared to the high rates the usual budget hotels on the strip were going for that week. Since the casino is off the strip we decided to rent a car for our stay.

The hotel rooms were excellent! I was very happy with the generous space of the rooms. Each room has a living area with a couch and chair. The bathroom was also large. I was very intrigued with the window in the shower. I quickly noticed they were tinted so no one could actually see you in the shower. It was kind of a fun addition though.

My first visit to Vegas we stayed on the strip only venturing off to visit downtown once. Since we were already off the strip we rented a car and had a lot of fun just driving around and site seeing. With a car your dining options are greatly multiplied too. If you rent a car I have one word for you...valet parking! Do not use the parking garages at the casino hotels which are as far from the action you can get. We made this mistake once at the Venice and after walking an eternity to get to the strip we decided to pay for the convenience then on out.

It was always nice coming back "home" to the Orleans. It was always easy to get on a low dollar amount table. Which seems almost impossible at the more popular casinos on the strip. My first trip to Vegas left me a little intimidated to gamble. The laid back atmosphere of the Orleans gave me the confidence to give the black jack tables a go. Although I didn't come away a winner I felt proud that I was finally a gambler.

The buffet was pretty decent. Definitely not a Paris, Bellagio, or Spice Buffet, but was better than expected.

I wasn't to impressed with their 24 hour cafe. The food and wait staff was sub par.

All in all the Orleans is a very good option for those looking for a hotel on a budget, but don't want to miss out on all the bells and whistles like the larger, strip hotel.

I am a foodie so I had to check out one of Emeril's restaurants. Emeril's Fish House is located in the MGM. There was no wait, but we were there on an off time. The restaurant is tastefully decorated. Everything on the menu sounded delicious. Since this was going to be a once in a lifetime thing, we decided on the chef's tasting menu. Wow we got a lot of food! Everything was beyond delicious! With the chef's tasting menu you get an appetizer (scallop on a bed of lentils), a salad(crab salad with blood orange vinaigrette), three entrees(beef tenderloin on mashed potatoes, mushroom crusted fish with foi gras sauce, and tuna steak on beans), and dessert(raspberry pound cake). Everything was perfect! The scallop on a bed of lentils was the best dish I had ever had anywhere. Serive was impeccable!

After seeing the Hash House A Go Go featured on a few shows on the Food Network and Travel Channel I decided to check it out. Their slogan to describe their food? Twisted farm food! Sounds interesting right? The best way to describe the decor would be "industrialized farmstead". We couldn't ask for more from our server. To make it even more fun she fit in with the look of the place. Sort of a "twisted Heidi". She was very warm and friendly which made us feel at home right away. She was also very knowledgeable of the menu and food. I would say she was one of the best waitresses we've encountered. My husband and I both ordered the sage fried chicken. While you wait for your food they give you huge, homemade biscuits to snack on. They were delicious.

While waiting for our order we caught glimpses of other diner's plates. WOW! I have never been to a place that served so much food! Just humongous plates! One woman was sitting in front of her salad that could have served at least six people! I then understood why there is a charge for extra plates. Each entrée could definitely serve two or more. Which if we would have known beforehand my husband and I wouldn't have ordered the same meal. Our chicken came and it was definitely a site to see! Two huge servings of fried chicken breasts on top of four bacon waffles with a mound of fried leeks on top. Add the stalk of rosemary that held it all together the presentation probably reached a foot in measurement. The chicken was moist and delicious. The puffy waffles had two large pieces of bacon each.

The only negative I would give this meal was that there wasn't enough maple reduction for me. But, it was delicious nonetheless. We asked the waitress if she has seen anyone actually finish this meal and she laughed and said no. The leftovers made for a great late night snack after a long night of gambling and drinking though.

This trip we were on a budget, so what better place to go than a restaurant that offers a five dollar steak dinner right? Wrong! We are greeted with a sign saying that the kitchen is closed for cleaning and they are only offering a few menu options, and of course the steak is not an option. They were offering a prime rib dinner so we decided to stay and try it out, because we were too hungry to find another spot to eat.

We are seated and wait. We wait. We wait some more. Finally a friend goes to see what's going on. We are told our waiter will be with us as soon as possible. About five minutes later our waiter makes an appearance. More than twenty minutes have passed. We hurry up and order our dinner in case we don't see him again for a while. Thirty minutes have passed since we have sat down until we finally receive our drinks. We are famished, tired, and quickly loosing our patience.

I decide to go to the restroom hoping to pass time with the long walk more than anything else. As I am using the restroom I look up at the light above me and notice little shadows in the fixture. I take a better look and see huge roaches! I quickly decide this is the reason for the "kitchen closed for cleaning" sign. I go back to the table and let my party know and we quickly leave. Now forty minutes have passed and all we have to show for it is our hunger and now our willies at the thought of the roaches. Never again will I set foot at Ellis Island.

I really wanted to see a Cirque Du Soleil show so we decided to go see Zumanity. The tickets were $90. It seems kind of pricey, but this is the average price to see the well known Las Vegas acts. The show was great. The beginning of the show there was a lot of crowd interaction that was very funny. The show was very provocative and adult oriented, due to the sexual theme. The costumes were amazing. The show was amazing. We were glad we went.

I was really not interested in going to see the Hoover Dam, but my husband wanted to go. We set up tour through a local company that cost $30 each. We took a bus to get there. I absolutely loved seeing Lake Mead it was beautiful! The bus driver even stopped on the way back so we could take photos. Being from Indiana I have never been to the west and seeing the mountains was nice too. The scenery was worth the trip to me. The Hoover Dam was magnificent! The size is just unbelievable. The scenery here was worth the trip also. Great photo opportunities! The tour was pretty boring for me. I am just not into the workings of a dam. I am glad I went though.

I have seen the strip in movies, TV, and photos, but you really have to see it to believe it. There is so much to see that one trip is not enough. For people on a budget the strip is great due to the free shows. There is the Bellagio Fountains, Treasure Islands sinking ship, the volcano at the Mirage, and much more. Everywhere you look is a photo opportunity.

I have been to a few live comedy shows and have had a pretty good time at each. Being a very shy and reserved person it takes a lot to get me to really laugh out loud and let go. This was not a problem at the Vinnie Favarito show! I laughed out loud until it hurt and had tears running down my face. This man is hilarious! He is an insult comic so he isn't for those that are easily offended, so be warned. While waiting for the show to begin they play recorded videos of Vinnie at various comedy roasts. My husband and I both love comedy roasts and insult comics so we were really looking forward to the show. Not to mention the fact that my husband was the only black person in the audience so there was no doubt in our minds that we would get a little attention, haha.

The show starts out with Vinnie cracking jokes at random stars, women in his life, and himself. He does a great job including the audience at all time. Then the second half of the show he just goes through the whole audience making fun of everyone. No one is safe and it's great! As assumed earlier my husband does get a lot of attention from Vinnie! So much that he chose my husband to receive the free autographed t-shirt he gives out to one person every night after the show for being a good sport.

If you get a good chuckle at the politically incorrect and the offensive then make sure to check Vinnie out you will not be disappointed. I have seriously never laughed so hard in my life! He is now my husband and I's favorite comedian.

Stay far, far away! This place was such a rip off! We bought tickets to the Vinnie Favarito show and ended up paying twenty dollars more than if we would have bought them directly at O'Shea's. They also lied and said that they only sell "premium seating". Our seats were at the back of the very small theater. We will definitely never use again. Buyer beware.