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3 Essential Things to Pack for Traveling

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I have just completed my 36th trip to Las Vegas and have two more planned over the summer months. With all those takeoffs and landings, I have found there are three essential things to pack for traveling. I believe in them so much, I refuse to leave home without them.

Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds

The first of my essential things to pack for traveling is my Bose Quiet Comfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds. There are many FREE sights to take in when traveling and especially in Vegas, but having options when you want to cancel out the hustle and bustle around you is needed. I use my earbuds on almost every flight I take and sometimes when sitting at the pool or on bus rides between destinations too.

I have two other pair of Bose noise canceling earphones but stick with the earbuds. The one downfall I have with the full earphone version is that I wear glasses, but my wife who wears contacts likes these better than the earbuds. The glasses cause just enough of a gap that the noise canceling does not work as well. With using the earbud version that issue is resolved. I find that they feel lighter on my head and can block out a significant amount of the noise around me.

Hardshell Suitcase

Hardshell suitcase is essential for all year round travel. Several years ago both Joni and I each bought a set of beautiful hardshell luggage. We have had these six suitcases for over five years. Traveled with them on 30 separate trips and only one has been cracked. We have even carted these luggage pieces around us when going to eat and needing to check out of our hotels.

A lot of people still say that their cloth suitcase can do the same thing. But one of the benefits of the hardshell case is helping against the weather. I have seen my bags sitting, waiting to be loaded in the plane during snow storms, thunderstorms, and other incitement weather. Where my old cloth suitcases had my clothes damp if there was bad weather. These keep my clothes dry except on the zipper seam.

My carry on is also hardshell, and I often place my computer inside. This helps protect it against the other fliers. I have found that they like to cram anything and everything in the storage bins. That extra protection keeps damage to a minimum. Plus it allows you some extra leg room instead of having to protect your computer at your feet.

Power Bricks

The final thing I find to be on my list of essential things to pack for traveling is the cheapest. The last thing I won’t leave home without is several of the power bricks for my phone and iPad. I never buy the expensive ones as I would prefer to have two or three. They are easy to charge and throw in your pocket in case the plane you have does not have a charging outlet or if it is not working. Also if you end up losing it or forgetting it in your hotel room when you check out, you are only out $5 for one of them compared to the nicer chargers that are $40-50 each.

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Things to do in Las Vegas for FREE!

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Las Vegas can be an expensive vacation but can be cheap depending on what activities you do. As casinos have started to nickel and dime the visitors with the addition of parking and resort fees. Here are some of my favorite things to do in Las Vegas for FREE!

Bellagio

Everyone starts with the Bellagio fountains and there is a reason for this as it is the most popular thing to do in Las Vegas for Free. Beginning in the afternoon, they go off every half hour but around 8 pm they start going off every 15 minutes. The best time to see them is at nights with the backdrop of the lights. They rotate through songs so during a trip you may hear the same song a couple times, but each time it is an experience that is unique. Both Cheyenne and Joni like to find an area up front and watch them for an hour or so as they go off at night.

Bellagio Conservatory is a great place to have pictures taken. They rotate scenes throughout the year. Almost everything the display is made out of flowers and is always very busy as people walk through. With it being “alive” there will be times throughout the year that it is closed as they update the display.

Bellagio Chocolate Waterfall is in the walkway between the Bellagio, Vdara and the tram. There is a small dessert place that has the largest chocolate waterfall in the world and it is pretty spectacular to see. This is one of those not as well known things that I like to make sure to show newcomers on their first trip. Especially if they have a sweet tooth!

Mirage

I still have a soft spot for the Volcano at the Mirage. It has changed over the years. Watching fire dance on the water is always awesome to see over and over. They use gas tubing that then lights the gas as it goes off with an island drum going off in the background. You can feel the heat as you sit and watch it. This does not go off as often as the fountains and is a farther walking distance from the fountains so you will need to plan accordingly to catch these.

Cosmopolitan

The chandelier at the Cosmopolitan is always a quick fun stop for pictures. If you are on the high road walkway bridge between City Center and Planet Hollywood, at the intersecting corner, you can enter into the Cosmopolitan. Just a couple steps in you can look over the Chandelier Bar which has a multi-store Chandelier in place. You can get some stunning pictures with that chadelier as the backdrop, which is why it makes our list of things to do in Las Vegas for free.

The funny thing is, the original company that was building the Cosmopolitan before they ran out of funding originally was planning on putting a giant robot in that spot. I think it is safe to say the chandelier was the better choice.

Las Vegas Sign

Last but not least one of the things to do in Las Vegas for free is to visit the Las Vegas Sign. Depending on the route you take from the airport to get to the strip, you could drive right past it. It is on the south side of the strip past Mandalay Bay. I would recommend not walking due to the traffic and the on/off ramps for I-15, and 515 is a dangerous area to walk. Also, try planning to stop by earlier in the morning to minimize waiting in line.

No trip is complete with a stop at the Las Vegas sign. Depending on your route you take from the airport to get to the strip, you could drive right past it. It is on the south side of the strip past Mandalay Bay. I would recommend not walking due to the traffic and the on/off ramps for I-15, and 515 is a dangerous area to walk. Also, try planning to stop by earlier in the morning to minimize waiting in line.

Route 91 Festival

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It seems like it was forever ago but also like it was just yesterday. If it weren’t for the UFC fights the week after, I would have been there for the Route 91 festival when the shooting took place. I would have been in the crowd as Jason Aldean would have been one of the main acts I would have wanted to see.

Route 91 Shooting

Part of me changed the day of the with all the what ifs. Now Cheyenne will be going with me on the next trip at the end of the month. She knows of everything out there, she knows how close I was to being there at that time. Cheyenne has asked a lot of questions over the last several months, but even more recently about Las Vegas. A lot has changed in the 7 and a half years since she was there last.

Las Vegas Changes

The strange thing is the little things that have even changed in the last several months. I have been there eight times since the shooting, and you pick up on small things that you didn’t see before.

  • I have noticed more secondary security throughout the casinos along with upgraded elevator security.
  • Some of the higher end casinos always had a guard at the elevators.
  • Now even some of the lower to mid-end casinos have either guards placed or at least working badge scans that lock the elevators down from going up without an active room key.
  • You do see an increase in the cameras watching above if you look closely as you walk around The Strip.
  • There seems to be more police presence on the street, and they are now more grouped together; it seems but never makes it feel like the area is unsafe.

They have been able to maintain that ‘free spirit’ attitude on the strip but also seems more secure as you look around and notice the small things.

At the age of six, Cheyenne wanted Bellagio Fountains and Mirage Volcano…Now at the age of 13, it is still those attractions, but now it also is the Las Vegas Sign and Mandalay Bay and the fence across the Route 91 festival grounds to pay her respects.

Finding the Best Regional Fast Food

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It seems like our teenage daughters phone is always attached to her hand.  That phone always, and I do mean always, has YouTube playing in the background.  My generation listened to the radio for background music; she watches YouTube.  With all that time looking at strange YouTube videos, one of the things that she has learned about is the different fast food restaurants. There are so many around the United States that seem to be more regional fast food options compared to the McDonalds and Subway options. 

Regional Fast Food Options

Check out our favorite Las Vegas Fast Food places to eat!

One of the things I realized over the last year or two is that Las Vegas has a lot of regional fast food options. There seems to be one on every street corner. Ever since our daughter found out In-N-Out Burger was located in Las Vegas, she has been asking to go back. Trying the food at In-N-Out Burger is on her ‘bucket list.’  Here in central Wisconsin, we don’t have that as an option. 

One of my personal favorites is the French Fries from ‘Steak and Shake.’  There is not even a ‘Steak and Shake’ located in the state of Wisconsin, but there are several in Las Vegas. Iincluding one just off the strip at Hooters Casino.  

Maybe Shake Shack is your preference.  That is based off the east coast, but they have a couple in Las Vegas, including one on the Strip and one also included inside T-Mobile Arena.  Closest Shake Shack to us is now at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. 

Maybe you are looking for White Castle?  I would suggest skipping it personally as I was never a fan. However they do have several on the Strip.  Several of these have just have opened within the last several years. 

There are many other regional fast food places and have added other sit-downs ranging from Tilted Kilt to Twin Peaks to a 24 hour Buffalo Wild Wings right on the strip.  I would not be surprised to see more of the regional restaurants open their doors to the Las Vegas area. 

Next Regional Restrauants?

I would love to see a Whataburger or even Waffle House in Las Vegas. Maybe they will move in soon. After all, there is money to be made from tourism. Many people visiting Las Vegas want to try these regional pieces of Americana.

5 Tips for Planning the Perfect Cheap Hawaii Vacation

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Previous posts I have always listed as something like “Las Vegas on the Cheap.” Unfortunately, there is nothing cheap on the islands of Hawaii.  So the biggest thing is reducing the costs.  This article covers some of our favorite cheap Hawaii vacation tips.

1. Flights for your Cheap Hawaii Vacation

When Joni, Cheyenne and I flew out to Hawaii, we did this on miles.  Luckily for us, we found an excellent redemption deal on United Miles for 45,000 miles each round trip for a non-stop flight from Chicago.  This still took a long time to save up for, but this also gave us time to plan out our trip.

Southwest Airlines is currently looking at having flights for Hawaii.  Rumors are that they will be available within the next year and that will most likely cause more significant competition meaning more affordable flight costs. These new flight option will be great for anyone trying to plan a cheap Hawaii vacation.

2. Plan for Parking Concerns

Something we learned while we were out there is that the cost of driving in Hawaii is unreal.  We did get a rental car deal going through Enterprise with our work account which was better than anything else I could find.  The rental cost isn’t the issue; the cost killer is the parking. 

With the island being so tight for space, parking costs are at a premium.  Most hotels charge for parking which will add another $40 a day to most hotel stays.  Vacations are also meant to be relaxing.  The bumper to bumper traffic that is so bad, that even the interstates have speed limits of 45 MPH makes it a pain to get from point A to point B. 

We ended up returning our car several days early because of this and the upcoming hurricane.  We did not want to deal with any weather damage claims and saved ourselves the extra parking fees as an added bonus.  The best benefit of the car was those off the path restaurants (Like KoKo Head Cafe) and getting to some of the tourist destinations (Like beaches and Shaved Ice) we wanted to see again.  

3. Best deals for Hotels in Hawaii

With Hawaii being so famous, you have many choices when it comes to booking your hotel stays. Options ranging through Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton are plentiful. Almost every major hotel chain has a hotel and many let you use points you have accumulated.

We ended up staying at a boutique hotel that is part of the Marriott group right of Waikiki Beach.  Not only is this a great tourist destination it puts a lot of things within walking distance.

4. Best Tourist Destinations

Luckily Joni did the research on the site seeing and the best deals. If you don’t plan ahead and just show up at the events day by day, you will find the costs to be huge, or not even able to get access as entrances at certain items are limited. 

The “Go Ohau Card” is part of the “Go City Cards.”  These cards allow you to visit several tourist stops throughout several days depending on the options you purchase. Usually, these are a good deal if you plan to visit a number of the locations the cards offer anyway.

Our Go Oahu card gave us a choice of using a premium feature such as swimming with dolphins.  We were able to then purchase these cards through a shopping portal through Groupon to get even more travel points instead of getting them through their website alone.  The tours are highly recommended, especially the circle tour at the beginning of the trip.

The tours gave us a chance to see some of the tourist places around the island and even if we didn’t stop during the tour we were able to take our car and visit the next day. The things we did were:

  • Pearl Harbor
  • Oahu Hidden Gems and Snorkeling with Turtles
  • Makani Catamaran Sail
  • All of Oahu in one day Tour
  • Iolani Palace
  • Bishop Museum

5. Be Patient

This trip took almost two years for me to plan out and ten years of Joni asking for us to go to Hawaii. The biggest and probably most important tip is to be patient with your planning. Maximize your points and take advantage of points deals to get bonuses and extra savings. If you are looking for a cheap Hawaii Vacation, you will probably need to plan it for several months.

Las Vegas Transportation – Planes, Trams and Automobiles

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Once you get to Las Vegas there are going to be additional expenses. You will need to pay for food, activities and the additional transportation costs of getting around.  Las Vegas transportation can be hard to understand. After all those hotels aren’t really that far apart are they? Um…. yes, yes they are. A lot of the decision on whether to get a rental car revolves around what you plan on doing or if you will be drinking.  

Las Vegas Transportation

When I first visited Las Vegas I never got a car rental.  I found it too much of a pain getting around with the traffic and the other tourists who had no clue how to get to point A to point B.  Nowadays, I have found it easier to get a car since I have been there so often.  Below are some of the expected costs without a car.  

City Bus

Your first experience with Las Vegas transportation is going to be at the airport. Getting to and from the airport you have the options for a city bus (also known as RTC), taxi or shuttle bus.  I’ve found that the City bus is a pain as they only stop at the airport a couple times an hour.  You then are trying to maneuver your luggage on a city bus to save a couple bucks.  Not worth the headache. 

Shuttle Bus

The shuttle buses cost about $6.00 one way and is my preferred method of travel from the airport if you aren’t getting a car rental.  Keep in mind though you are sharing the bus with others, so I have had a wait of almost 45 minutes to get to my hotel. Taking that long to get dropped off would typically only happen if you were one of the last stops the shuttle bus was making.

The shuttle bus is still a great alternative to the city bus when considering all your Las Vegas transportation options.

Taxi, Lyft, Uber

Taxi cab costs will vary around $10-25 depending on which hotel you are coming from or going to.  You have the possibility of getting long hauled, which has happened before to me where they take a longer way to try getting a bigger fare. 

I do use this on my return trips to the airport as the shuttle buses you have to Taxicab up earlier than you should to get to the airport on the flight home.  I have not started to use Uber or Lyft yet but that will be something I will be looking into on future trips without a rental car.

Tram

The trams are great if you are trying to quickly navigate between hotels. Not every hotel has a Tram (monorail), so you need to know which ones do and don’t. We almost always use the Tram between Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur. Other trams such as Mirage and Treasure Island we rarely have used.

The Tram that runs between SLS and MGM Grand charges you to ride. For additional information on the Trams check out this article on the Las Vegas Monorails.

Car Rental

My current favorite way to navigate Las Vegas transportation needs is getting a rental car. Right now this options is pretty inexpensive at around $25 a day after fees.  When I take into consideration if I go to an off-strip casino and the cost of having to use a taxi, I make up my cst. 

I use the rental car as an opportunity to stop at Target to load up on water and snacks compared to paying for it on the strip.  When you can get a case of water for the cost of two bottles on the strip it makes a difference.  I aso have found that eating options are cheaper off the strip. 

Another factor on your Las Vegas Transportation needs is taking into consideration if you are looking at going to the Hoover Dam or other tourist spots that are farther out of the way.  And don’t forget about those parking costs which can quickly add up if you aren’t prepared for thm. Check with your hotel to see what they charge.

So you can see we vary our transportation options when we visit Las Vegas, but you should be aware of what your options are and make sure you understand some basic navigation tips when visiting.

Happy Vacationing!