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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 Amazingly Easy Strategies to get Cheap Eats in Las Vegas

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With any trip to Las Vegas, it isn’t just the hotel and the airfare.  You have to eat also.  The first trip we had we were going out for a friends wedding and a delayed honeymoon.  Very little money and very little knowledge of Las Vegas.  Back then luckily you could eat at a Coffee Shop or a buffet for cheap.  Nowadays that isn’t as much of an option.  There are options for cheap eats Las Vegas style.  Additionally, check out our article Where can I purchase snacks while visiting Las Vegas?

My Cheap Eats Las Vegas Strategy

Plan for only two meals.  If you eat a more substantial meal in the morning most likely you will find you can get by with just dinner after.  I found I don’t eat as much with walking.
Food is always cheaper off the strip.  Depending on if you decide on a rental car, you can find some hidden gems that are reasonably priced.  Buffets at most off strip casinos such as Main Street Stations or other Boyd properties can be a diamond for your budget.
Fast food is your friend for Cheap Eats Las Vegas Style! There are McDonald’s and other fast food areas all down the strip.  I have found that I tend to eat a couple of times at Denny’s.  If I do not want to venture off the strip, it is a quick meal with their $2-$6 side menus.
Watch hotel booking deals – Usually, every trip when booking the hotel, there are usually food/drink credits depending on when you book.  This is a great way to assist with some of the splurge restaurants.  Check out our favorite hotels to stay at in Las Vegas: Preferred Options: MLIFE Casinos and Hotels
Off menu items.  If you research beforehand, you can find off menu deals.  Sometimes you just need to ask for what some of the specials are.  It can be that simple.  Otherwise looking online you can find hidden options such as “$7.77 special” at Mr. Luckys at the Hard Rock Casino.  Steak and shrimp for under $10.00 were always one of my friend’s favorites.
The biggest thing is to plan accordingly.  If you do not plan where you will end up eating, your cheap eats will be expensive eats.

3 Amazing Breakfast in Las Vegas places you must visit!

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As many are aware I feel like Las Vegas is my second home. Unlike most in Vegas, I am an early riser.  My habit of getting up early drives Joni nuts.  I do prefer getting up early before the crowds hit, especially if you want to go site seeing.  If you are going site seeing check out our article on how to find snacks in Las Vegas. With getting up earlier, I have three places I love for breakfast in Las Vegas.  Two of the best breakfast in Las Vegas places are off of the strip; one is on the strip.

Off-Strip Breakfast in Las Vegas places

Dupars at Suncoast Casino.  Dupars has some of the best pancakes you will ever have.  Keep your diet at home.  The melted butter is poured onto these pancakes by the spoonful.  Dupars is a 24-hour coffee shop, but it is about 20-minute drive off the strip.  With this being a 24-hour coffee shop it has everything that you would expect from burgers and fries to french toast.  If you are looking for something for that sweet tooth, they always have multiple kinds of pie and donuts at all times of the day.  Prices are higher than a standard coffee shop but are a must for my trips.  They had several of these located in California and used to be located down on Fremont Street before that location closed.
Mr. Lucky’s at Hard Rock Hotel.  Mr. Lucky’s is another coffee shop that seems to have everything.  It is a little more expensive, but the portions are worth it.  I love the Cornflake Crusted French Toast. Just make sure to bring your sweet tooth as this delightful breakfast in Las Vegas is a fan favorite.  Mr. Lucky’s is another 24-hour restaurant that will give you an extensive menu of options

On Strip

Avenue Cafe at MGM Grand.  This place typically ends up being my most expensive breakfast in Las Vegas.  Usually, this will be one of my comp meals for food/drink.  This place is a favorite for the Fried Brioche French Toast.  The French toast usually comes with berries and white chocolate.  It is very sweet but my one splurge on the trip and it’s so worth it. If you are a fan of French Toast, this place has to be on your list of places to visit.  This meal is more expensive than some of the other breakfast in Las Vegas options. I think you will agree that it is worth the cost once you’ve had a taste with this fantastic treat/splurge.
This again points to the cost of meals being significantly more expensive on the strip.  The more you can plan to eat off strip the more affordable of a trip it will be. Check out our article: Las Vegas Fast Food: 5 wonderful places you need to try.
3 Amazing Breakfast in Las Vegas places you must visit!

Where can I purchase snacks while visiting Las Vegas?

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Who wants a $5.00 bottle of water or a $4.00 bag of chips?  You will pay that price if you are purchasing snacks using those convenience stores in the casinos.  I didn’t like this idea, so found a few quick tips for getting Vegas snacks for cheaper. If you plan you’re snacking you can do better too.
Keep in mind most hotels do have a fridge but do not allow you to put your stuff in those.  They keep their $8.00 bag of M&Ms for you in there.  One of the exceptions I use often is Vdara.  Some of the suites have a full refrigerator to allow you to keep your stuff cold.   Of course, you could always pack snacks into your luggage and bring some with for the hotel rooms. Personally, I never know what I’m going to want so this doesn’t always work out for me. Below are two options I have for getting your Vegas snacks on the cheap.

Walgreens/CVS

1.)    As you walk down the Las Vegas Strip you will see that there seems to be one of these every block.  These will be cheaper than the alternative inside the casino. I usually would stop each day to minimize the amount I have to carry…if I didn’t rent a car.

Target/Wal-Mart.

2.)   If you rent a car, there are Targets and Wal-Marts all over Las Vegas.  Stopping in for five minutes to grab your snacks and water for your room. Renting a car and going to get snacks helps with packing as I have been able to grab those items you forget in the packing rush.
You will notice also during on the summer you will see someone screaming “Water! Water! One Dollar!”. Purchase at your own risk.  What they are doing is technically illegal.  I have heard of stories/rumors of people reusing the water bottles and personally, do not take that chance.
Las Vegas wehre can I buy cheap snacks? #vegas #lasvegas #snacks
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Cheap or Splurge – Las Vegas Strip Hotels

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Las Vegas Strip Hotels

On the Las Vegas Strip there are two companies that own majority of the casinos.  The two companies with the most Las Vegas Strip Hotels are MGM Resorts (MLife) and Caesars (Total Rewards).  Most die hard “Vegas Trippers” have their favorite and tend to stick to one of those two groups.  I personally prefer MGM Resorts and I have stayed at several Caesars properties over my last thirty or so trips.  My personal opinion is for the cost of the hotels I have found I got a nicer room; that I personally enjoyed more with MGM Resorts.  Caesars has recently gone through Bankruptcy but are in the process of updating some of their casinos.  It will be interesting to see within the next couple years.

How do you choose where to stay?

One of the reasons I have stayed with MGM Grand is the snowball effect.  The more you visit, the better deals you would continue to get through their hotels. Keep in mind one thing you will see at almost all hotels in Las Vegas is the dreaded “Resort Fee”.  These will cost about $30-$40 a night depending on the hotel. You should consider this fee this when deciding where to book.

When booking my rooms I go through three groups of choices.

  1. If you have been to Las Vegas before, always sign into your account online to see if you have any good offers. You can sometimes get free rooms, discounted rooms, or free play and free food/beverage towards your stay with MGM Resorts and/or Caesars Resorts.
  2. One other group of hotels/casinos is owned by the Sands Group and those are the Venetian and the Palazzo.  I do stay at those usually once a year because they are also partnered through www.IHG.com which is the hotel group that includes the Holiday Inn.  By having a Chase IHG credit card that has an annual fee of $49.00, I receive one free hotel night at any IHG hotel.  I have been able to pair this free stay up last year for a December 30th stay that was asking over $300 a night.  That alone was worth the $49 annual fee.
  3. My favorite site I use for hotel bookings in Las Vegas is My Cheap Vegas.  They do all the leg work for you by search all over for the booking codes that you can use to book at a discount.  I’ve used this and ended up with a reduced rate along with an additional $120 food/beverage credit for the trip.
Keep in mind most of the time these are refundable rates.  You can book your room months out from your arrival date.  If a different deal comes along that is better, you can cancel and book that new offer with no penalty.  A few do have “Non-Refundable” rates so make sure you read the fine print before booking.

On the Cheap:

If you really wanted to go on the cheap, you can always stay down on Fremont Street or one of the Travelodges on the strip.  My option I do not consider ‘cheap’ but more as frugal.  When I am on vacation, I do prefer having a bed softer than a plywood board and some place better than the standard hotel room.  I have found my two choices most recently have been MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay.  I have stayed at these two hotels for most of my trips the last year.  Some people may question the Mandalay Bay choice.  I did stay there a week after the incident in Vegas.  That would be a choice only you could make.  Some of the nicest staff and great rooms I have had have been here.  I have started to move towards MGM Grand also due to more of a convenience.  Both locations are easy to get in and out with a rental car.  Both locations have good buffets and restaurants that I frequent for breakfast or lunch.  The reason for the nod towards MGM Grand is that it is closer to T-Mobile Arena.  Most of my trips now revolve around the UFC fights.  When you have so many people going to and from the arena after a UFC fight or a Vegas Golden Knights hockey game, I found it beneficial to be just a casino away from my room.

Room to Splurge:

When I splurge, I still try to stay within a budget.  You could say a penthouse at the Bellagio, but not many could that be realistic.  When Joni and I go down to Las Vegas, I will always try to get a couple nights at the Vdara which is an Mlife Hotel.  Notice that I did not say casino, because there is no casino at this all-suite, non-smoking hotel.  It is right on the strip and steps away from the Bellagio and Aria when you have that itch to gamble.  I usually book a “Vdara Fountain View Suite”.  Many nights we have just gone back to the room early and watched the Bellagio fountains from the comfort of our room.  The non-studio suites come with a full refrigerator with chilled water, which is awesome after a full day of walking around. In addition you get a Dishwasher, Laundry washer and dryer and other amenities.  These rooms are up for purchase as living quarters so you have all the comforts of home while over looking the fountains.  These rooms are a little more expensive but can be rented for $125-200 a night depending on the week night.  If money was no issue on any of my stays, these rooms would be my choice each time due to space, location, comfort and views.
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Home Sweet Second Home – Las Vegas

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I am currently on trip number thirty to Las Vegas. Actually by the time you read this I’ll already be there… and No, not my thirtieth airplane flight…my thirtieth trip to Las Vegas.  My first trip was way back in March 2003 as a postponed honeymoon for Joni and I, while a friend of ours was getting married out there.  2003 in Vegas years was forever ago.  The first hotel (The Frontier) we stayed at is no longer standing.  I’ve seen many implosions and new hotels since that first trip.  The days of the easy $5.00 supper are long gone, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have some Las Vegas Travel Tips (we will get to those in a future blog article).
Funny thing is now, even though traveling is more expensive, I have found ways to spend less money. I travel to Las Vegas a lot so finding tips to cut down on expenses is a must. Last year was seven trips alone to Las Vegas, this year will be another four or five.

Do you just love to gamble?

This is probably the most common question I get asked… but people… Las Vegas is more than just gambling.  I have seen some concert greats over the years such as George Strait, Garth Brooks, John Fogerty, and Reba with Brooks and Dunn.  Over the last two years, my trips have now started to focus around UFC Fights and UFC Fight Week. Outside of the UFC fight week, my trips usually are an early flight out on Thursday with a late flight on Sunday night.
Vegas is not just gambling, I gamble very little.  Its the weather, concerts and people watching.  In March, I catch my fourth NHL game (first Golden Knights game) prior to the UFC fight.  One night in 2016, I was able to walk through NASCAR cars from the presentation banquet, catch my favorite music band of all time and UFC Ultimate Fighter Finale in person.  Where else can you do that.

Las Vegas Favorites

Just like when you are home, you develop favorite places to go.  One restaurant (Dupars), the wait staff even recognizes me and just brings out my order.  Kind of strange being a regular, and them knowing your order, when you live 1,000 miles away.  I have started to stick to the same three to four hotels that are part of the same hotel group (MGM Resorts).
Joni has her favorites too that we can’t avoid if she joins me. Luckily for me she typically only joins me for a trip or two per year. Joni loves to go look at the Bellagio Fountains and the gardens. We usually spend a night downtown so she can get her slushy drinks and people watch. We enjoy watching the free entertainment downtown like the spray painters and typically you can see some other interesting street vendors.
Favorite places to eat include Dupars, In and Out Burger, Peppermill and Hollywood Cafe. Some of our favorite things to go see  (which happen to all be free) are neon lights downtown, Eiffel tower at night and the Mirage Volcano. And last but not least our favorite hotels to stay at are Mandalay Bay, Vdara and MGM.

After the shooting….

Hardest trip I have ever had, was the one this past October.  It hit me hard.  Earlier that summer, spent several days debating on if I could guess when the October UFC fights would be or if Joni and I would go the Route 91 music festival.  I had thought about going to that concert for almost a whole year as I had missed it by a week back in 2016. I decided to guess on the UFC fight weekend which ended up being correct. Had we gone to the concert we would have been in the middle of that shooting since we are big fans of Big and Rich and Jason Aldean.
After landing at the airport for the UFC fight, we were driving up to our hotel I booked for the trip, Mandalay Bay with the window boarded up.  Knowing I was one decision from being at that festival the weekend before was surreal. Joni knows I would have been there.  Cheyenne knows I would have been there.  At times, I still feel a pull in my mind to the what ifs, and I don’t think that will ever go away.  But this alone will not keep me from going to my second home.
As I go back, I go back to my second home, proud of how the real residence of my second home came together, give thanks for the angel that told me to take that fork in the road.  Vegas will always be my second home…
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Home Sweet, Second Home - Las Vegas