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I went to LV about 30 odd years ago for a short break and was going to do the same for a West Coast trip this year. I have return flights booked to San Fran (End of Sept) and intended on spending 5 days in both SFO and LV. I'm now thinking of forgetting about the Vegas part and hiring a car and maybe doing Napa Valley and Yosemite instead.
Thoughts if anyones done similar please.......
I would rent a car, spend a night in Yosemite, maybe drive up to lake Tahoe and spend a night there too,
Could drive the old route 1 down to Big Sur, visit Santa Barbara, finish with 2 days in LA before driving back up.
I do like vegas, but it is very much a been there done it place.
Think about your carbon footprint.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peajay
Why not get on a weekend away in Margate?
Jolly boys outing??Quote:
Originally Posted by MacAdder
I’d say a couple of days in Vegas would be enough.
If you can do drive down the Pacific Coast highway, the drive is absolutely breathtaking. I would also say, go to San Diego, it’s a beautiful place.
Vegas is really overpriced. The clubs have dress codes but the Cleopetra’s Barge bar in Caesar’s Palace doesn’t have a dress code, has a live band and dance floor and is good.
On weekends, you can go to see gigs from famous rappers and DJs but when I went, I saw all of the rappers performing so there was no point for me. And the tickets costed more than a concert in London would.
If you haven’t, go to LA. I enjoyed the vibe of the city a lot. LA Live in downtown has the Grammy Museum and Staples Center. Beverly Hills is a great area and had boutiques on Rodeo Drive, as well as the Beverley Hilton where they host Clive David’s pre-Grammy party and the Globe Awards. The Walk of Fame is great if you idolise any celebs. The Capitol Records building is iconic. Super inspiring. If you love film or music, then there is a lot you can see in LA and as a music lover, it was amazing!
I did the same. Vegas back then was a laugh but it is horrid now - party place for young people (so nice if you are a young person!)Quote:
Originally Posted by Peajay
Vegas is good as a base for Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon etc. Otherwise, skip it.
Busy, crowded, noisy, horrid.
Did the same route last year. Only did 2 nights in Yosemite which was a shame as could spend a week there easily. San Fran was amazing.
Vegas is exactly what you’d imagine so if that’s your cup of tea then well worth it, if it’s not then give it a miss.
I've been there a few times. I'm not really much of a gambler. It gets old pretty quick. If you've been there before I'd give it a miss. The hotel rooms are really nice though. If you're into drugs and/or hookers. LV is a must.
If you haven’t been for 30 years and you want to indulge yourself in opulence and some of the best food you’ll eat anywhere in the world then I’d go back to Vegas even if gambling isn’t your thing. There’s still lots of tacky shit but you can avoid it.
BUT if you’re in that part of the world and if you’ve never been I’d make a beeline for the following places in Arizona... Page, Horseshoe Canyon, Flagstaff and Sedona.
Look them up if you’ve never been or even heard of them.... you will not be disappointed. If you can only do 2, do Page and Horseshoe
I would hire a car in SF and drive down the Pacific Highway to Santiago stopping at various places on route such as Santa Barbara, the Big Sur via the 17 mile drive (Pebble Beach, Carmel etc), San Simeon, Long Beach, Santa Monica (Muscle and Venice Beaches), Malibu and many other places too numerous to mention. You can probably exchange your homebound leg from SF to Lost Angeles for free and the car hire is also a free one way drop off). That is what I did a few years back but hopefully things haven't changed. LV is great and cheap if you like that sort of thing but not for me. As for Yosemete do some research as I understand accommodation is difficult and expensive but that is only heresay on my part.
Did exactly that, lovely trip it was....Yosemite is awesomeQuote:
Originally Posted by chris lee
I was there fairly recently , paid for 3 nights and left after 2 it was my third visit and my last , But I guess you have to make your own mind up Paul .
Loved San Francisco , cycled across the bridge and caught the ferry back . Lots to see and do there .
Carmel is the weirdest place I have ever visited Everything was perfect and symmetrical , colour coordinated, clean to the extreme .
I have family in LA so travel back and forward occasionally .
Have done a boat holiday on Lake Tahoe that was fabulous .
I loved LV when i went 20 odd years ago, spent 9 days, got married, saw the hoover dam and Grand Canyon, rode some pretty cool rollercoasters, ate well, drank even better and randomly purchased a Dewalt Cordless drill ( UK price £450 , i paid under £200 for it in LV ) and saw a few bands and shows
but its a place you dont really have to go back to, once its ticked off the list, then its done
Always said i would love to see Tom Jones preform in Vegas, so maybe I'll go back
I saw a Tom Jones tribute act in Vegas. His name was Harmick. Spitting image of TJ and spoke in a Welsh accent in between songs.Quote:
Originally Posted by blue matt
Talking of Tom Jones. I recorded this at Stoke on Saturday. Pre kick off. They sing it as a tradition. But with slightly changed lyricsQuote:
Originally Posted by NYCBlue
https://youtu.be/hYl3GiwPu3M
Never liked it since the realisation that it was Stoke's anthem.Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Morris
Wales rugby fans always sing Delilah, even more reason to dislike it for many :biggrin:
Vegas is definitely not financially cheapQuote:
Originally Posted by Vindec
If you’d went 30 years ago you probably saw a better version, where gambling was the heart of everything. As people move away from gambling it’s evolved and even in the 13 years I’ve been going, the costs have noticeably increased as the city learns to derive revenue from hotel rooms and restaurants rather than blackjack.
Last time we stayed in Vegas, we didn’t actually go to Vegas at all. We used the hotel (which is still cheap relative to other cities) as a base for trips, normally at sunrise. Kayaking down the Colorado river from the hoover dam at sunrise is pretty amazing. Given your trip, I’d spend the extra time by going to Lake Tahoe and more time in Yosemite. You will get the fall colours at time you are going, which can be amazing, but accommodation costs can be pretty high to reflect that. Personally I’d not bother with napa valley unless you have a real interest in the wine from there. France is a lot closer, a lot cheaper and a lot more pleasant. Napa is OK but I don’t see what it offers that vast swathes of Europe do not.
Leave him alone! Save your scorn for Taunton Blue Genie who spends half his life travelling at 36,000 feet. He's up in the clouds more often than an air stewardess is, FFS!Quote:
Originally Posted by MacAdder
What makes his globetrotting so galling is he lives a hop and skip away from Minehead Butlin's which has all the facilities to satisfy the most discerning holidaymakers.
I'm going to report him to Greta Thunberg.
Anyone got any hotel recommendations?
Not big budget - $100/night
MGM grand is currently what we’re looking at
I have done exactly the same: Vegas years ago is very different to how it is now. It is just an annoying party town now (for younger people) and was just noisy, crowded and irritating so I’d skip it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peajay
There are some truly, truly beautiful parks to see that you can drive to. That is a better use of time IMHO.