Trip Itinerary – Las Vegas

Since the weather has finally turned wintry here in the Northeast, I’m eagerly anticipating our trip to Las Vegas in January. Believe it or not, I’m going back less than 13 months after my first visit…to the same place I was initially convinced I would hate. Oh how wrong I was. Conveniently, Jay has an annual work conference there, so I’m tagging along this year. His conference starts on a Tuesday, but we’re flying out the Saturday before to spend a few days sightseeing and enjoying the city. Some of his coworkers are also flying in early, which should make for a fun weekend! Here are our travel plans and what we’re hoping to see while there:

Transportation:

Jay’s company pays for his flight and parking at the airport, so we tried to determine the cheapest way for me to get to out there. We ended up booking the same flight from Newark to Las Vegas and decided that we would both drive into New Jersey on Saturday afternoon. On the way, we’ll drop my car off at the Bridgewater, NJ train station where parking is only $4 a day and then drive together to the airport.

Once we land, we’ll take a taxi from the airport to our hotel, which will also be paid for by his company 🙂

On Tuesday when I come home, I’ll pay for a taxi to the airport and fly back to Newark. Newark Airport offers train service to Bridgewater, NJ, so I’m taking the train from the airport to the station where we parked my car. Not only does this save me the outrageous Newark airport parking fees, I also won’t have to deal with driving around the airport (an important bonus for someone who hates driving like I do!)

Hotel:

Monte Carlo Resort
3770 S Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89109

For some reason, hotel prices were pretty steep during our weekend in January, so we decided to use points for the most expensive night, Monday. I paid for Saturday and Sunday night using a discount website that partners with my employer.

The Monte Carlo is located on the southern end of the strip, but still within walking distance of all the major casinos and attractions.

Free Shows (fit in as many as possible):

Bellagio Water Show – This seems to be featured in every single movie that takes place in Vegas, ever. Shows are every 30 minutes before 8pm and every 15 minutes after 8 pm.

Mirage Volcano – An exploding water lava volcano accompanied by tribal drums and chanting. It goes off at 7pm and 8pm every day, with an additional show at 9pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

Treasure Island Pirate Show – Jay had me all excited about this show, but apparently it’s been closed since 2013. 🙁 Major disappointment…we will not be supporting Treasure Island anymore!

Caesar’s Moving Statues – This is also a first for Jay, so we really have no idea what to expect. Shows are every hour on the hour.

Big Elvis at Harrah’s Piano Bar – Pretty much what it sounds like, a fat guy dressed as Elvis singing Elvis songs (with some occasional hip shaking when he can catch his breath).  Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 2pm, 3:30pm, and 5pm.

Dueling Piano Twins at Harrah’s Piano Bar – A dueling piano show featuring two twins who play Tuesday-Saturday from 9pm – 2am.

Carnaval Court (Circus Bar) – Located adjacent to Harrah’s, this bar features bartenders who do ridiculous tricks as they’re making drinks.

Old Vegas (Freemont St) – Apparently free concerts are performed regularly on the street and drinks are cheap. There’s also Viva Vision, an overhead canopy light show that’s synchronized with music.

Paid Shows (a big “maybe” on either of these):

Cirque du Soleil – We’re hoping to find tickets to one of the many Cirque Du Soleil shows offered in Vegas, but are still deciding which one. We’ve heard all positive reviews about O (the underwater version), but also noticed it’s the most expensive at a minimum $100 per person.

Celine Dion – This is another bucket list show at $120 per person for the worst seats in the theater…but it’s Celine Dion.

In conclusion, we really have no set plans. We have a place to stay and two and a half days to fill. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see where Vegas takes us!

Estimated Trip Costs

Flight EWR to LAS (United)                                    $286
Monte Carlo Hotel (2 nights)                                 $275
Monte Carlo Hotel (1 night)                                   Free (15,000 Hyatt points)
Taxi from hotel to LAS airport                               $20
Train Station Parking ($4 per day)                        $20
Train Ticket (Newark to Bridgewater)                  $16
Total                                                                    $617