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Laughlin, Oatman, The Strip and Downtown

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by nancydrewit26, Jul 30, 2010.

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  1. nancydrewit26

    nancydrewit26 Tourist

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2007
    Messages:
    70
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    17

    My Trip Report

    Just got back from my hubby's retirement trip! We flew into Vegas, and then, after renting the smallest car on earth, drove to Laughlin.
    Stayed at Harrah's, which was comped, and they had upgraded us to a suite, which was lovely! But boy, were Harrah's slots tight! Only luck I had was on a Wild Wolf machine, but money didn't last too long in there.
    Took a day trip to Oatman, Arizona...it's about an hour drive from Laughlin. Be prepared, the road is ten miles of rugged dirt! The scenery is lovely, though, but a Toyota Yaris is not the ideal car to do it in. At the end of the road is Oatman...as wild west a town as you'll ever see.We got there just as a "gun fight" was happening in the middle of the main (and only) street. My favorite part was the burro's that come down from the mountains in the morning and hang out in the town all day. You can buy carrots at the shops to feed them. I had one big guy follow me all down the street, nudging me if he thought I was taking too long to pull a carrot out. Be warned...don't wear white like I did; when I got back to the car I was covered with dirt and donkey drool!
    Another day in Laughin was uneventful...super hot! Then it was time to make our way back to Vegas.
    First time comped at the Bellagio...loved it! Honestly, we were treated like gold! The room was lovely, the buffet was great, and the staff were beyond helpful. Gambling was so-so for us there, but there is lots to do other than gamble...the hotel has lots of shopping and eye candy to see. We ventured down to Aria to check it out the next day...hubby won over $200 on a penny machine, and I did okay in there, myself. The drinks were particularly good in there, too! If we get an offer to stay there in the future, I think it will be our next hotel. We then went down to the MGM and saw KA...outstanding show! My only complaint is that people were coming and going in front of us, long after the show started. A steady stream of late-comers was really distracting...and odd, since it says on the ticket you must be seated by show-time.
    The next day we drove over to the Eastside Cannery. Two for one buffet from the ACG book took care of lunch...but the gambling was great! Stinkin' Rich machine gave me over 100 free spins in the bonus round...ended up with over $200. We always seem to do well there, worth the drive.
    The next day we drove out to the Silverton. Never been there, but again, the ACG coupon for the buffet got us out there. Wonderful buffet! They were having a "Grills Gone Wild" promotion at the time...a big barbeque outside, and free barbeque sauce inside. (Our suitcase ended up being overweight on the way home because of 6 bottles of Lucille's Barbeque Sauce we got comped for playing all day!) Beautiful aquarium when you walk in the door...complete with a mermaid swimming with the exotic fish. Came out ahead here as well.
    After three days on the strip, though, it was time to stay at Fremont Street. Stayed at the Fremont, which is a favorite of ours. Comped room, quiet, and best of all...close to everything! The thing I like is that you can get to another hotel from your hotel room in 2 minutes flat...at the Bellagio, it is a 20 minute walk to the lobby from your room, and another half hour if you want to go across the street. The crowds and the heat make it even longer.
    Of course, going from the Bellagio to the Fremont is quite a culture shock! But the Fremont is friendly and fun...and I like the vibe of Fremont street. And...I discovered my new favorite restaurant! We were given $30 in food comps and 4 buffets, so we tried out the Second Street Grill in the Fremont. It was elegant, but we felt at home in our day-time clothes...the prices were reasonable, the service was great....and the food....YUM! I had crab-stuffed prawns and pasta,and I can say it was my favorite meal of the whole trip. I feel this is a very underrated and under-advertised place...we have stayed at the Fremont before, and didn't even know it existed. It is right next to the Tony Roma's, but the entrance is dark and the people in front of us that night were walking away complaining that it was closed. We tried the door, however, and when it opened into a dark room, we were seated right away.
    Didn't do so well at any of the hotels in the daytime on Fremont, the California, Main Street Station, and Binions were all pretty tight. But at night, we made up our losses at Fitzgerald's and the Fremont on our usual favorite machines.
    With that, our eight-day trip ended, and it was back to the 75 degree weather of the northwest. All in all...a great trip with a few new twists!:beer:
     
  2. jpw711

    jpw711 Is that your cat?

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2009
    Messages:
    10,966
    Location:
    Southwest Missouri
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    74
    Nice trip report, Oatman sounds like a neat place to visit.

    sidenote, I'd kill for 75 degrees, even for a low at night.
     
    No reason to go home yet.
  3. VegasDiva

    VegasDiva VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2009
    Messages:
    3,104
    Location:
    Calgary , Alberta , Canada
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    16
    Wow, you packed in a lot of activities and got to try new things, like meals /restaurants :)

    Sounds like a great trip
     
  4. PokerrNutt

    PokerrNutt High-Roller

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2007
    Messages:
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    Location:
    Stuart, FL
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    21
    Sounds like you had a great time - I've been to both Laughlin and Oatman - Oatman is a lot of fun and I love those burros - so cute!
     
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