VegasLinks Q&A With The Boneman

This installment of VegasLinks Q&A is with "The Boneman", the man behind NextShooter.com

NextShooter.com bills itself as "The Ultimate Las Vegas Craps Directory" with minimums, maximums, and table odds at every damn casino in Vegas.


Name or Alias

The Boneman

Website URL to link back to

Nextshooter.com

Best Hangover Food/Restaurant

Roma Deli on Spring Mountain (West Side)

Best Romantic Spot For Dinner

Steak House at the Top of Binion's (Downtown, Fremont Street)

Best Vegas Burger -Money No Object

Triple Play Sports Bar (Decatur and W. Oakey, West Side)

Best Vegas Gourmet Burger

Angus Sliders at Sammy's Woodfired, West Sahara at Torrey Pines

Restaurant In Vegas To Eat Your Last Living Meal

Steak House at Circus Circus

Best Value Hotel Room

Casino Royale, Mid-Strip

Best Upscale Standard Hotel Room

All Suites at The Rio

Best Off Strip Day Excursion Or Adventure

Red Rooster Adult Parties off of Boulder Highway

Best On Strip Adventure

The Fountains at Bellagio

Best Place To Drink And Hold A Conversation

Firelite Bar at The Peppermill (Just South of The Riviera)

Best Place To Get Your Groove On

The Sand Dollar Blues Bar (Spring Mountain Blvd. about 1/2 mile West of
Treasure Island

Must Visit Vegas Website Not Including Your Own

wizardofodds.com

Best Vegas Strip Joint

Saphire

Best Vegas Show

Le Reve at The Wynn

Best Vegas Upscale Shopping

Magic Mile at Planet Hollywood

Best Vegas Value Shopping

The Swap Meet at Decatur and W. Oakey (West Side)

Most Overrated Restaurant

The Olive Garden(s)

Biggest Vegas Rip Off

Strip Craps Tables with 3,4 and 5 Times Free Odds

Best Way For A Tourist To Get To Mandalay Bay From The Airport

Taxi

Best Way For A Tourist To Get To Wynn From The Airport

Taxi

Best Vegas Secret That Everyone Should Know About

Best Beef Ribs at Tony Roma's (3 Locations)

Anything Else You Would Like To Add

Best Craps Odds are at Casino Royale (100X) Mid Strip

Thanks for your responses- Joey

Las Vegas US Twestival 2009

12 February 2009, 19:00, The Beatles REVOLUTION LOUNGE, Mirage Resort & Casino, 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas NV 89109

On February 12th Vegas twitterati will meet at the Revolution lounge for a charity event to help bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

Here's the link-

Las Vegas US Twestival 2009

VegasLinks Q&A Dave Schwartz From The Die Is Cast

Dave Schwartz is the man behind The Die Is Cast Blog and from his blog-" a writer, historian, and Director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Schwartz’s areas of specialty include the history of gambling, casino surveillance and security, gaming and technology, and related issues."

To say David is qualified to partake in the VegasLinks Q&A is an understatement.

Name or Alias:
Dave Schwartz

Website URL to link back to: http://www.dieiscast.com and http://gaming.unlv.edu

Best Hangover Food/Restaurant: Hash House a Go Go

Best Romantic Spot For Dinner: Chicago Joe's

Best Vegas Burger -Money No Object: Stripburger

Best Vegas Gourmet Burger: Stripburger

Best Value Hotel Room: Today, everywhere's a value Best Upscale Standard Hotel Room: Wynn Best Off Strip Day Excursion Or Adventure: Turtlehead Peak climb at Red Rock

Best On Strip Adventure: I'd say it's catching a shuttle down to Sam's Town to see "Sunset Stampede." Why anyone would want to waste their time looking at the Bellagio fountains when you've got bears, wolves, and shrieking eagles just five miles away is beyond me. Extra props to the wolves laser eyes scaring the poop out of everyone under six. The whole thing is really a meditation on the moral ambiguity of the gaming business.

Best Place To Drink And Hold A Conversation: Carousel Bar at Circus Circus

Best Place To Get Your Groove On:

My groove is permanently on.

Must Visit Vegas Website Not Including Your Own:

Vegastripping.com

Best Vegas Strip Joint:

never been to a Vegas Strip Joint, so my opinion doesn't matter

Best Vegas Show:

Love

Best Vegas Upscale Shopping:
Forum Shops
Best Vegas Value Shopping:

Town Square

Most Overrated Restaurant:

Piero's

Biggest Vegas Rip Off:

$25 "non-optional" resort fee at Green Valley Ranch

Best Way For A Tourist To Get To Mandalay Bay From The Airport:

a cab?

Best Way For A Tourist To Get To Wynn From The Airport:

a limo? Beats catching teh 109A to the SSTC and then getting on the Deuce

Best Vegas Secret That Everyone Should Know About:

Reading Room at Mandalay Bay--buy some cool books and support an independent book-seller.
Thanks for your responses- Joey

Las Vegas Beer and Blog

Las Vegas Beer & Blog is a chapter of bloggers who meet regularly over beers to discuss blogging. Sounds like a freaking fantastic idea to me! The Las Vegas chapter meets regularly on Thursday nights at the Freaking Frog across from UNLV at 4700 South Maryland Parkway from 6-8PM.

From the site-
"Las Vegas bloggers meet up at to help each other with their blogs. Good times are had by all.

We meet at the Freakin Frog, a non-smoking bar with free wi-fi, 400+ different beers, and bar food. Happy hour is until 7pm with 2-for-1 on selected beers. Located at 4700 S Maryland Pkwy, across from UNLV.

Join the Beer & Blog Las Vegas flickr photo group."

Here's the link-

Las Vegas Beer & Blog

VegasLinks Q&A With Vegas Rex

Warning- easily offended folks may want to click elsewhere now.

Vegas Rex the man who I'd call pretty much anti-establishment runs his Blog VegasRex.com and although he is portrays himself as laid back his website is Raw and fantastically honest. Rex doesn't sugarcoat things. Things he likes you'll hear about but he doesn't try to pretend that Vegas is all glitz and glamor. He will take you down the back streets of Vegas with some of my favorite footage-his videos of driving around or walking around with minimal editing.

Here's Rex's take in the VegasLinks Q&A-

Best Hangover Food/Restaurant:

Hydrocodone. Watson 10/325's at Walgreens near MGM Grand.

Best Romantic Spot For Dinner:

Trick question. How is she going to eat with my dick in her mouth?

Best Vegas Burger -Money No Object:

In-N-Out Double Double

Best Vegas Gourmet Burger:

In-N-Out Double Double with extra lettuce, extra tomatoes, and ketchup and mustard instead of special sauce.

Restaurant In Vegas To Eat Your Last Living Meal:

Mon Ami Gabi, so your death will be witnessed by thousands of horrified tourists, possibly scarring them for life … or at least requiring a few years of expensive therapy which should, in turn, help stimulate the economy.

Best Value Hotel Room:

Sahara/Strat/IP/Trop … anyplace on The Strip that metrosexual posers pretend to hate.

Best Upscale Standard Hotel Room:

If you're having fun, all rooms are “upscale”.

I've stayed in every hotel on the Vegas Strip at least twice and the rooms I remember most fondly have been on the top floor of the Luxor Pyramid, view rooms at Rio, MGM Jacuzzi Suites, glass-elevator rides to rooms in The Trop, and balcony rooms in the Alexandria Towers at the Sahara. Yes, the Sahara. Fuck you. When you're asleep, Motel 6 and The Bellagio are identical, and nobody should come to Vegas to watch a plasma television in a plush bed.

That being said, if I were a non-gambling quadriplegic with OCD, I guess I would want them to park my ass in a Venetian or Wynn room.

Best Off Strip Day Excursion Or Adventure:

Sydney. It's only thirteen hours each way by air, which means that you have a complete hour to discover all that Australia has to offer, yet still be back in Vegas in time for checkout.

Best On Strip Adventure:

Simultaneously being blown by a miniature Madonna impersonator, while getting a prostate massage from a stripper dressed as a nurse, while while giving a reach-around to a rhesus monkey … all while play $5 Jacks-or-Better at the Venetian.

Best Place To Drink And Hold A Conversation:

As far away from me as possible.

Best Place To Get Your Groove On:

Carnival Court when I have a video camera. Preferably to a song by Captain and Tennille.

Must Visit Vegas Website Not Including Your Own:

There are other Las Vegas websites? What kind of pathetic loser would make a Las Vegas Website?

Best Vegas Strip Joint:

The Hard Rock Pool.

Best Vegas Show:

The Annual Steve Wynn Whore-Choking Extravaganza.

Best Vegas Upscale Shopping:

The 99 Cent Store on Flamingo Ave.

Best Vegas Value Shopping:

The 98 Cent Store on Cheyenne Ave.

Most Overrated Restaurant:

Any restaurant who's food has ever been described as “amazing”.

Extra-terrestrial encounters are amazing. Nuclear explosions are amazing. Landing an airplane intact in the Hudson River without injuries is amazing.

Food is not amazing. Ever.

Biggest Vegas Rip Off:

Anything with the word “fee” or “surcharge”.

Best Way For A Tourist To Get To Mandalay Bay From The Airport:

Commandeer a sightseeing helicopter with an AK-47, and demand that the pilot fly you to Bolivia. When the pilot tells you that he does not have enough fuel to make it to Bolivia, shove the gun in his mouth and yell “Look motherfucker, you're going to fly this thing to Bolivia or die trying!”

When the pilot turns the helicopter southeast, he will pass over McCarran airport.

Once over your airline's terminal, grab your carry-on and remove the homemade parachute that you fashioned out of two queen-sized bed sheets from your Mandalay Bay room. Throw the pilot a $20 bill, drop the gun and say “sorry about all of this” … then, while holding opposite ends of the massive sheets, jump out of the helicopter and gently glide down to your gate.

It works every time.

Best Way For A Tourist To Get To Wynn From The Airport:

Hold on to Steve Wynn's cape as he flies you there Superman-style.

Best Vegas Secret That Everyone Should Know About:

Pretending to be an undercover cop means the happy ending is free.

Thanks Rex. I think :)

VegasLinks Q&A With Hunter Hillegas From RateVegas (and a whole shitload of other projects)

The second installment of the Vegas Insider/Webmaster Q&A Series features Hunter Hillegas who operates the Trippie winning Best Vegas Blog TwoWayHardThree also known as the RateVegas Blog. Hunter also developed the iPhone app VegasMate and is part of the team that brought you EncoreOpening. To say that Hunter is a Vegas freak is putting it mildly.

So here we bring you another version of what someone that prides themselves and is a sponge of all things Vegas thinks are the best and worst of the town we love.


Name or Alias

Hunter

Website URL to link back to

RateVegas

Best Hangover Food/Restaurant

Tied: either the Caribe Cafe at The Mirage or The Peppermill

Best Romantic Spot For Dinner

Country Club at Wynn Las Vegas or Sinatra at Encore Las Vegas

Best Vegas Burger -Money No Object

Not sure that money makes the burgers better - I still think In N' Out is just as good as places like BLT or Burger Bar.

Best Vegas Gourmet Burger

BLT is my favorite of these kinds of places.

Restaurant In Vegas To Eat Your Last Living Meal

Delmonico Steakhouse at The Venetian

Best Value Hotel Room

These days, just about anywhere.

The Mirage is a good mix of modern amenities and decent value.

Best Upscale Standard Hotel Room

Encore Las Vegas

Best Off Strip Day Excursion Or Adventure

Red Rock

Best On Strip Adventure

Probably depends on how adventurous you are.

Best Place To Drink And Hold A Conversation

If you don't mind the prices, Parasol Up at Wynn Las Vegas

Best Place To Get Your Groove On

If you saw me groove, you'd agree it was a bad idea.

Must Visit Vegas Website Not Including Your Own

VegasTripping.com

Best Vegas Strip Joint

Haven't been to some of the newer ones, even though they're not new anymore...

Anything but Glitter Gulch I guess.

Best Vegas Show

So many different shows, hard to say... For Cirque, I say 'Mystere', 'O' or 'LOVE'.

Best Vegas Upscale Shopping

Via Bellagio

Best Vegas Value Shopping

Value in Vegas? Miracle Mile actually has a bunch of non super-trendy upscale shops.

Most Overrated Restaurant

Olives at Bellagio

Biggest Vegas Rip Off

Anything at a Wynn gift shop.

Best Way For A Tourist To Get To Mandalay Bay From The Airport

A big freaking limo.

Best Way For A Tourist To Get To Wynn From The Airport

A big freaking Rolls Royce Phantom.

Best Vegas Secret That Everyone Should Know About

Never wait in any line to eat - most places have a bar you can sit and eat at if you don't care about getting a table.

Thanks for your responses- Joey

Single Girl In Sin City

Single Girl In Sin City is a blog from Serena, an exotic dancer who works at Club Paradise across from the Hard Rock. Now before any of you degenerate Vegas freaks thinks I'm going out of my way stalking Vegas Strippers on the internet, I found Serena's blog from the comment she left in the Chuckmonster's Q&A segment in the post just below this one, LOL.

Serena talks about stripper names, happenings at work, and a bunch of other Vegas goodness.

From her blog-
"I am a 28 year old single girl living in Las Vegas, NV. I have lived in Las Vegas for 18 years. After cocktailing for years and getting layed off I decided to give dancing a try. I currently work at Club Paradise across from the Hard Rock. I hope to share my experiences with you as well as review everything this wonderful city has to offer."

Here's the link-
Single Girl In Sin City

VegasLinks Q&A With Chuckmonster From VegasTripping

Here's a new feature from VegasLinks. We will be featuring a series of questions answered by Vegas site webmasters or insiders.

I know the "Best of" thing has been done by many many great websites in which polls are held and votes are tallied. VegasTripping, VegasRex, The LVRJ, LV Weekly and others have Best of Vegas polls which I love to read.

What we aspire to do here is just a bit different and I hope you enjoy reading the responses. Most people that run Vegas websites all have a passion for the place. I'm sure a few make money but the real motivation for the good ones all come down to a fanatical desire to learn more about Vegas and where to go and what to eat and how to share that info with the online Vegas community. The thing that will differentiate the VegasLinks "Best of" Q&A is that it will be broken down by individual and not just any schmo from Idaho(no offense to any schmos from Idaho). Strictly Vegas Webmasters or Insiders will be showcased.

To start out we have Chuck from VegasTripping who puts together The Trippies, a Best of Vegas poll for which VegasLinks was nominated in the Best Blog category.

Name or Alias

Chuckmonster

Website URL to link back to

VegasTripping

Best Hangover Food/Restaurant

Room Service > Pancakes

Best Romantic Spot For Dinner

Room Service > In Bed

Best Vegas Burger -Money No Object

Carson Street Cafe / Golden Nugget (Turkey burger... I'm allergic to beef)

Best Vegas Gourmet Burger

Turkey Burger at Carson Street Cafe / Golden Nugget

Restaurant In Vegas To Eat Your Last Living Meal

Sinatra, Encore

Best Value Hotel Room

Right now or 6 months ago? Now - Wynn | Encore. 6 months ago - TI.

Best Upscale Standard Hotel Room

Encore

Best Off Strip Day Excursion Or Adventure
Driving around the desert at dawn, rolling on x, listening to 'Damnation' by Opeth

Best On Strip Adventure

Food court at Excalibur

Best Place To Drink And Hold A Conversation

Anywhere the conversation is interesting

Best Place To Get Your Groove On

My groove is always on

Must Visit Vegas Website Not Including Your Own

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=vegas instant vegas w/o the filter or b.s.

Best Vegas Strip Joint

Whichever one Nomi Malone is working at.

Best Vegas Show

Rope line douchebags outside of various clubs.

Best Vegas Upscale Shopping

Ha!

Best Vegas Value Shopping

The Cosby Sweater Store + The Gift Shop at Flamingo

Most Overrated Restaurant

Spago @ Caesars

Biggest Vegas Rip Off

Venetian/Palazzo's advertised room rates

Best Way For A Tourist To Get To Mandalay Bay From The Airport
Skateboard

Best Way For A Tourist To Get To Wynn From The Airport

Limo

Best Vegas Secret That Everyone Should Know About

I'm fresh out. Ask me tomorrow.

Thanks for your responses- Joey

Packing Light Resources

With the recent charges for checked baggage that has gotten completely out of control I bring you a list of resources for traveling light to avoid those fees. These links were forwarded to me by William Beem of William Beem Photography.

Thanks Beem.

Here Are The Links-
www.onebag.com
www.packinglight.net
http://lifehacker.com/software/travel/l ... 239066.php
http://www.verber.com/mark/travel/packing.html
http://www.travelite.org/
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/packlight.htm
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/public ... appy.shtml
http://www.wikihow.com/Travel-Light
http://www.howtotravellight.com/
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3778440n

Smarter Vegas Hotel Promo Codes

Here is another Vegas Hotel Promo Code page- SmarterVegas. Anyone that books a trip without looking at all teh different Vegas Hotel Promo's are crazy. You can save substantial amounts of money. In the links section to the right we have a whole category to sites that provide promo codes for different Vegas Hotels. It's a good jumping off point for planning your stay.
Here's The Link-
Smarter Vegas Hotel Promo Code Page

Whats-On Vegas

What's On Vegas is another Vegas Info site. The categories include- dining, nightlife, gaming, entertainment, shopping and spas. There is also a printable coupon page for free. Vegas pictures and videos can also be found here.

Here's the link-
What's On Vegas

Today In Las Vegas Coupons

Today In Las Vegas printable coupon page offers many new coupons for your Vegas trip. They are all free and all right here for you, ready to print out. There is a coupon for a free buffet, gun rental discounts, grand canyon and hoover dam tour discounts and more.

Here's the link-
Today In Las Vegas Coupons

Vegas Made Easy Nighclub Guide

The quintessential guide to the Vegas Nightclub/Lounge Scene. Vegas Made Easy has charts, insider info, and recommendations on where to go on what nights, and how to get in to the best joints. There are many sites out there that brush over details and just give you lists of places. If you are lucky they list the locations and hours of operation. Vegas Made Easy takes it to a whole new level with a grading system and what spots are hot on what nights, also what type of clubs cater to a slightly older demographic.

I personally think the charts put it over the top!

This is the true insider, informed guide to the Vegas Nightclub scene-
Here's the link-
Vegas Made Easy Nightclub and Lounge Guide

That Show With Those Guys

That Show With Those Guys is a video podcast with three guys from Vegas. It is hosted by the Vegas Undressed Network which also hosts, VegasCabbie, G.Spot and Stripper Method.
From the site-"Each week Those Guys invade a random Las Vegas hotel suite to record That Show for you the viewer. While the topics vary week to week, you can almost guarantee a discussion of the hotel, a segment or two on poker and the occasional reference to 80's TV or sports figures.

There is a HD version and a low res, make sure if you are subscribing for an ipod or iphone, you select the low res version for syncability.

Here's the link-
That Show With Those Guys

Travelzoo Las Vegas

Travelzoo Las Vegas Maintains an excellent database of the latest Las Vegas Deals and breaks them down in what they consider to be the best to worst. Its another excellent resource for you to check teh best rates around. Many times you can see what the best deal is offered here and then call the hotel directly to see if they will match the price (if the offer is through a third party site). I like to try to book directly with the hotel because more often than not they will allow you to cancel your reservation within 72 hours of your stay. That way if a better offer pops up you simply cancel the first one and rebook the better one.

I'll add this in the blogroll to the right under the Hotel Promo Link Category.

Sweet!
Here's the link-
Travelzoo Las Vegas

VT&T Ratings,Stats, #s and URLs

Vegas Today and Tomorrow has put together a pretty comprehensive list of Vegas Hotel Rankings, Ratings, Locations , Standard Room Sizes, Hotel Operator Telephone #s, and URLs. This is a pretty handy chart and packed with a ton of information.

Here's the link-
Vegas Today & Tomorrow Hotel Rankings, Ratings and URLs