The Strip Podcast Blog

Here is a good source of Vegas news brought to you by ubergay Steve Friess and his partner Miles. Steve and Miles do excellent reporting and have interviews with Vegas icons like Steve Wynn and just about every major Vegas player.

Steve is currently at the center of the controversy surrounding an article that he did for the Sunday Telegraph in London about the Planet Hollywood grand opening. The Man behind the relaunching of Planet Hollywood, Robert Earl didn't like the headline that was attatched to Steve's piece and called him personally to chew him out You can read about that drama here- http://thestrippodcast.blogspot.com/2007/11/robert-earl-hates-me-column.html

Steve and Miles do a great job covering all the latest happenings in Vegas and the podcst they do is very entertaining as well.

From the site-"
THE STRIP PODCAST GUYS
Las Vegas, NV, United States
Steve Friess is a podcaster and Vegas-based freelance journalist who writes regularly for USA Today, The New York Times, Newsweek and many others. He's also co-host of The Petcast. Miles Smith is Executive Producer of KVBC-TV, Channel 3, in Las Vegas. Miles and Steve are a couple who also co-host The Strip Podcast together. "

What Brian Thinks

Here is a site by a guy named Brian that has hotel reviews, food reviews, a pretty active forum, and random Vegas stories. A good place to spend some time researching all things Vegas. The forum seems active with knowlegable Vegas folks contributing. So go check em out and leave a comment if you like what they are doing over there.

From the site-"So Who The Hell Am I, And What's With This Site?
Vegas is now run by lawyers and advertising executives.
Like a used car dealer, these are the same guys you’ve seen in every other profession who try to take everything they can from you, while giving you as little as they can in return. These are the same guys who would prefer to spend money on advertising that TELLS you something is good, rather then actually making it good.
Like you, I'm just a guy who likes to go to Vegas. I don't have any special connections, I don't get comp’ed the best of everything, and Dennis Rodman doesn't invite me to parties. Like you, I don't get to go to Vegas as often as I'd like, so when I'm there it really bugs me to spend money and time on something that doesn't rock.
That’s why I made this site.
You can learn from my mistakes, and benefit from my experiences. This site is nothing but my opinions; take them for what they're worth, and use them however you like.

Here's the link-
http://www.whatbrianthinksaboutlasvegas.com/

Flirtatious Disaster Blog

Here is an interesting blog from a nice young lady from Las Vegas. Her Recurring Lesbian Dream entry is particularly entertaining and worth a bookmark IMHO.

From her profile- "A long time ago I fell in love. Gave myself to a boy and broke his heart. Guess I didn't learn the 1st time and did it again. Now I'm older and wiser (hopefully) and looking to smile everyday and shed no more tears. Love is a crazy thing and I don't want it! I'm a tainted soul so watch out! I might DO U good!! "

Enjoy her interesting stories.

Here is the link-

http://www.flirtatiousdisaster.blogspot.com/

This Ain't Iowa

First link of the day today is to a must listen to podcast of NotIowa.com. In the Wednesday November 28 episode Tommy Dutch, one of the hosts gives a recount of his first trip to The Green Door (a Vegas swingers club). He gives vivid details about how the whole place is set up for all you freaks or curious folks.

About the Show-
Originally a strictly Las Vegas podcast, the show has changed format and now covers a variety of topics including Sin City.
This Ain’t Iowa is produced three times a week and encourages all fans of the show to participate.
Monday:A sports show from a Las Vegas perspective. Anyone who gambles on sports, plays poker or wants to stand a chance of profiting on their next Vegas vacation should tune in.
Wednesday:Generally the show with the least content and the most entertainment value. Pop culture is always discussed, but usually the hosts get sidetracked and wander into random and strange conversations.
Friday:A show for anyone who visits Vegas, which nearly maintains the structure of the original program. The guys review all things Las Vegas and always conclude the show with a story that proves “This Ain’t Iowa.”

Here is the link-

http://notiowa.com/

LV Casino Info Property Maps

This Site has just about every Las Vegas Casino property map available for download in Low- Res, High-Resolution , and PDF form. If you want to know where everything is laid out within each property, this is the spot to find it. After reading about the owner and man behind the scenes at this site, Rob LoBue I knew he was just like me, obsessed, LOL.

From the site-"I have built LVCasinoInfo.com for several reasons. First, it helps "get that Vegas fix!" In between trips, it is a great way to keep up with what is going on around town. Second, there are so many Vegas sites out there that are practically worthless and are nothing more than giant ads for some room reservation service. There are only about 3 of them that are worth a damn. Even some of the casinos' own sites are woefully weak. Since this web site is a one man show by a guy who actually has a real job that pays my bills, I will give you my straight opinion (after all, I am a New Yorker) as well as the opinions of others who have actually been to these hotels and restaurants. The website includes a wealth of information, including Property Maps from virtually every casino on the strip, room photos from a wide selection of different hotels and loads of pictures taken of landmarks around town."

A very valuable site to have bookmarked for every Vegas lover for sure. Thanks Rob for the clean cut, layout and valuable information.

Here is the link-
http://www.lvcasinoinfo.com/propmap1.html

Mecca Entertainment

This is a pretty simple website but as a reference for the Las Vegas Partier there is simply no more valuable link listed. Mecca Entertainment is Bill Le's VIP hosting company. He has the connections to get you into the very best Vegas Nightclubs on the hottest nights. You tell him what type of nightlife experience you are looking for and he and his crew of friendly hosts will make it happen.

I guarantee this is the guy you wanna call when you have a bachelor or bachelorette party to put together and you want to make sure it is a memorable experience for everyone involved.

Just ask for Bill

Here is the link-

http://www.mecca-entertainment.com/index.htm

LV Strip History

Thanks Marty for the link to Las Vegas Strip History.

Las Vegas Strip History is a site that documents the history of strip properties and what has sat on each hotel from the early days to present. It also has a whole section with links to various Strip maps. Pretty cool for the Vegas historian in all of us.

Here is the link-
http://www.lvstriphistory.com/ie/index.htm

McCarran Airport

Here is the Official website for the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. It has plenty of info such as flight information incoming and outgoing, flight watch where you can see a flight on a map in real time, links to ground transportation, parking and travelling tips.

Here is the link-
http://www.mccarran.com/

The Deuce

Here is the link to the official site for "The Deuce" which is the double decker buses that travel up and down the strip. During slow traffic times taking the Deuce is a cheap way to see the strip. During Rush hour it can take well over an hour to travel from Mandalay to Venetian (I know from experience unfortunately) Anyway, the site has tours of teh doubledecker buses, route info, fare info, and an interactive route map.

Here is the link-
http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com/deuce/

Las Vegas Monorail

Thanks to Troy for reminding me to include some Transportation links.

The Monorail has a pretty slickly designed site. Even if you have no intention of riding the monorail the interactive maps on it's site list the route, hotels and nearby attractions. It is worth a visit just to check out it's interactive map.

Here is the link-
http://www.lvmonorail.com/

Trip Advisor LV

Thanks to Sheltie Lover from the Las Vegas Advisor forums for recomending the Trip Advisor Las Vegas site.

Trip Advisor has a ridiculous wealth of information including hotel reviews, dining, attractions, deals, forums, and maps all with detailed Vegas information. A great resource for any Vegas traveler.

Here is the link-

http://las-vegas-hotels.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g45963-Las_Vegas_Nevada-Vacations.html

All Vegas Poker

Thanks Aquaman from the thisaintiowa forums, for the link to AllVegasPoker.

From the website-"All Vegas Poker provides poker room reviews, tournament schedules, and news for poker players visiting Las Vegas, Nevada. Visitors are encouraged to contribute poker room reviews and submit trip reports to help make All Vegas Poker a quality resource for poker players looking for information about Las Vegas card rooms."

There is a complete listing of all poker tournaments in Vegas broken down into easy to read charts. A great resource for the Vegas Poker Player.

Here is the link-
http://www.allvegaspoker.com/tournaments.php

Vegas Taxicab Confessions

Thanks Pam for the link to Vegas Taxicab Confessions.

This is a similar site to the blog lvcabbiechronicles. Man these guys have stories to tell. It may not be the most glamorous job but reading the stories they encounter is a great way to pass time for any Vegas afficianado.

Here is the link-
http://vegastaxicabconfessions.blogspot.com/

Guide to Vegas on 25 Cents a Day

Thanks Marty for the link to The Big Empire Guide To Las Vegas on 25 Cents a Day. Vegas For The Cheap at Heart.

From the site-"Some people call it the City of Lights. We call it the City of Free Lightbulbs. Folks ask if you can live in Vegas on only one quarter a day and the answer is "absolutely," but you have to win a jackpot with it. Failing that, you can cut corners with the tips and tricks we've learned from years of living low on the hog (like near the teats)."

Here's the link-

http://www.bigempire.com/vegas/

NextShooter.com

Thanks Louis for the link to http://www.nextshooter.com/ which bills itself as "The Ultimate Las Vegas Craps Directory with Minimums, Maximums, and Table Odds for every damn casino in Vegas. Its pretty thorough with all kinds of craps info broken down into tables for each location in Vegas. I've yet to see a more comprehensive site detailing everything craps in Las Vegas.

Here is the link-

http://www.nextshooter.com/vegas

How To Beat The Casinos

Here is a blog from David Pom, who is barred from all UK casinos-

He shares his formulas on how to beat the casinos-

From his blog-
"Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog! Recently barred from all casinos in the UK, I've decided to share the information I've built up over 15 years of playing blackjack, roulette and all other manner of casino games with you - in the hope that you'll be able to succeed in beating the casinos! The tips, tricks, and information given in this blog will help you whether you're looking to beat real land-based casinos, online casinos, or alternative venues (i.e. cruise ships etc)."

Here is the link-
http://beatthecasinos.blogspot.com/

Cheapo Vegas

Thanks to English Bob and AcerockollaUK for reminding me about a glaring omission- CheapoVegas.

CheapoVegas was actually one of the first Vegas websites that I'd ever spent time doing Vegas research. I have no idea how it wasn't in my original list of favorites. Anyway it's a must visit site for its humor and excellent "cheapo" reviews.

The site breaks down hotels, pools, buffets, poker rooms, sportsbooks and a whole lot more sprinkling plenty of humor throughout. This site is a must read even for the seasoned Vegas traveler.

Here is the link-

http://www.cheapovegas.com/index.php

Vegas Today and Tomorrow

Thanks to Elvis66 from the VegasRex forums for the link to www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com.

From the site-
"Vegas Today and Tomorrow is an up-to-date, comprehensive collection of current news, maps of Las Vegas, plans and renderings of proposed and future projects in the Las Vegas valley. The site is packed with over 1,200 photos on 150 pages of developments under construction as well as future and proposed projects."

The site owned by Mark Adams is very comprehensive and boasts some of the best Vegas maps going.

Here is the link-

http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/index.htm

BigEyeInTheSky.com

Thanks to AcerockollaUK from the This Ain't Iowa forum for the link to BigEyeInTheSky.com.
This site features the panoramic photos of Ed Fink.

From his website-
"I'm Ed Fink, and these are my 360 degree panoramas. I believe I'm the first VR photographer in the world to do high resolution spherical panoramas from a helicopter. The 360 degree aerials are such a blast they're my main focus now, although I still shoot lots of ground-level VR, like crowd panoramas, building interior/exteriors, and even cars."

here is the link-

http://bigeyeinthesky.com/Default.asp?CID=Las_Vegas

VegasRetro

Thanks to MartyAllen from the VegasRex forums for the link to VegasRetro.com. Its a look at the work of Robert Scott Hooper who has taken some classic Vegas photos over the course of three decades. From the site- "Live show shots that move and convey the real excitement of the moment during a stage performance and multiple exposures on one piece of film , were created in the camera, long before Photoshop and computer manipulation. "

Here's the link-

http://www.vegasretro.com/about_hooper.html

Vegas Values Report

Thanks to AlanLeroy of http://forums.lasvegasadvisor.com/index.cfm?nocookies=yes fame for the Link to the Vegas Value Report from the American Casino Guide. Its a blog that details current Vegas deals from its "roving reporter" Scot Krause. The feed is listed below for your convenience so if you check back every so often you can see the latest deals listed at the bottom of our little blog.

Murraymints Vegas Photo Collection

Here is a collection of Vegas photos from someone that goes by Murraymints. I have no clue what Murraymints stands for, but the pictures provided are some of the best Vegas Photos I've ever seen.

here is the link-

http://www.pbase.com/murraymints

P.S Love Blog

Here is a blog I subscribe to, written by Pam. She is a regular contributor at the http://www.vegasrex.com/forums/ and her blog lists Vegas deals, reviews Vegas books, and has links to current Vegas Hotel Promotions which can save you dough on your next trip.

So swing by her site and leave her a comment, I bet she'd like that.

Here is her site-

http://www.psloveblog.com/

Frontdesktip.com

Here is a fun site that explains how to attempt the infamous twenty dollar trick (whereby you slide a $20 bill between your credit card and drivers license in hopes of getting a room upgrade).

It is a well laid out and simple to use site that explains how to attemt the twenty dollar trip and allows user comments that breaks down success rates at each Vegas hotel based upon those user comments.

You can click on each hotel to see what your odds are in pulling off a nice score on your next trip to the Holy Land.

http://www.frontdesktip.com/index.php

Some of the user comments are pretty amusing and it's a good way to burn some time.

The Who, Why, and What

I'm Joey and I love Vegas.

What may be strange is that I love researching and planning my Vegas trips almost as much as the trips themselves. Over the course of the past four years I have collected many usefull Vegas links which I've decided to share with anyone that has the same type of admittedly sick obsession with learning everything they can about the place.

If you would like to contribute, feel free to send along Sin City links that I dont have listed. My goal is to complile a running blog of new Vegas websites that we can review. Currently the links that were in my favorites are all listed in the right hand column. As we find new ones or if anyone suggests one to me we will list them here and provide a brief commentary about them.

Ready, Set, Browse!