Las Vegas NV / San Diego CA

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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:01 pm

Real life can be so difficult at times.
I have to go to Las Vegas for 4 days and then San Diego for 10 days.
I'm leaving Holland on 8th May for this trip and have yet to book some accommodation.

There's two of us (young lovers) travelling together.
We'd prefer to be off-strip in Las Vegas and to be on the beach in a small friendly, relaxed and casual place in San Diego, or even somewhere not too far away from there.

Any and all suggestions would be welcome.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:44 pm

Bread:

I have not been there, but the Rio is supposed to be nice in Vegas. The Palms or Hard Rock are both off strip and supposed to be trendy night life places (probably expensive as a result?).

If you are looking for a nice romantic dinner the Paris Hotel has a VERY nice resturaunt half way up the Eifel Tower. You need to make reservations and a man should probably wear a coat and tie there. About 3 years ago the wife Mrs. The Man and I spent about $200 for dinner there. We each only had one drink! The Chef's tasting menue is fantastic. It is like 5 or 6 courses, but everyone at the table has to order it.

Enjoy yourself!

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 577

The Riviera is one of the oldest casinos still left. It's on the edge of the strip and a nice place. Not in the middle of things - but you can walk the strip.

There are some nice motel / hotels in the Mission Beach area of SD. There are a lot of funky shops and beautiful beach. Lots to see and walkable. Maybe 20 minutes north of downtown and not far from Seaworld.

Don't miss the botanical gardens downtown - or the famous SD zoo.

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:58 pm

I don�t know too much about San Diego although I have been sent there a few times for training. I stayed at the Hyatt once. It was nice and within walking distance to the beach and a tourist/shopping area. The last time I went I stayed somewhere downtown. I went for a walk one night and I would describe the area as both rich and poor. On one side of the street there were nice restaurants with valet parking. On the other were homeless people sleeping under alcoves. About ever tenth person that walked by me asked me for money.

Although there was a strong police presence, there were a lot of drug dealers/users around. There were people drinking and urinating on the street not 50� from where the police were. Three guys tried to mug me that night but I guess that was my bad for walking so far. If I remember correctly I stayed somewhere near a bus station as I saw a lot of transit police around.

I just remembered I took pictures from my hotel room. I stayed somewhere near Port of San Diego 10th Ave Terminal.

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 12:38 am

YMCA? Need I say more? Wink

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 12:39 am

Thanks KD,
We can always look to you for good advice Laughing

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 1:11 am

Ghost gives good reasons to stay away from the downtown area of SD. It is a little ragged even during the day. This is not to be confused with Old Town. A walkable older tourist area. Not bad for a few hours. Other places to go-

SD Zoo. Make sure to get the triple ticket thing, that's the tram, skyway and admission and time your adventure to the animal shows. Save some time for the rest of Balboa Park. They have a science center, botanical garden, model train museum, air and space mueseum.

The USS Midway is a retired carrier. Cool flight deck.

Bridge over to Coronado Island and walk into the Hotel Del Coronado. Don't stay there, just pretend like you own the place. Have some ice cream.

Sea World? Mffff... I've banned captive sea mammal shows and I quit my dealings with Budweiser. Do the Chula Vista nature center instead. Pack a lunch, some field glasses and take your honey. You will have a better time.

Research high and low tides and go to La Jolla to see the tidepools. Dinner is very $$$ there so again a picnic lunch is good. Mother's beach has pinipeds hauled out. Stay 5o meteres away.

Let me think about Los Wages over dinner.

419Eater is my life Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 482

When we visited Vegas in 2004, we stayed at La Quinta Inn on Paradise Road for about $70 per night. It has a nice swimming pool, within easy walking distance of the strip. About a 15 minute walk will put you in the MGM Grand, go across the street to the Tropicana, and there is a walkover bridge across the strip to I forget which hotel, and from this vantage point, you can keep walking through several hotels continuously, including the Luxor, maybe the Mirage, I've forgotten which all are connected by the walkway.

You'll need to catch a cab over to Caesars Palace - I'd suggest their breakfast or lunch buffet, or dinner buffet for that matter. Caesars is a great place for picture taking.

San Diego, have not been there since Sea World ate up Mission Bay, but I might suggest a good place to stay would be a motel out on Point Loma - Google result produces one promising 3-star motel the Best Western Posada at the Yacht Harbor, 5005 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA, 92106-2307 Phone: 619-224-3254 will put you in a nice view of the harbor and downtown, a short cab ride across Point Loma to Sea World. A bit pricier is Best Western Blue Sea Lodge, right on the ocean front, 707 Pacific Beach Drive, San Diego, CA, 92109-5028 Phone: 858-488-4700 will put you just north of Mission Bay, probably within walking distance of Sea World, the Zoo, and an easy cab ride down Point Loma to see the big lighthouse.

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 2:35 am

Last time I was in Vegas I stayed at the Tropicana - that was two decades ago, more or less, and it was a bit dated then. So I'm afraid I can't offer advice as to a hotel.

However, I have heard glowing reports about this show:

O

Should be particularly nice for young lovers such as yourselves. I have also heard that it sells out well in advance so best to look for tickets now if you're interested in going.

Master Baiter Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 128

I live in San Diego. yay. um i like using yelp for reviews at least food wise. hey you have to go to In and OUT. i dont know what fast food is like in holland but this is the best that the US has to offer. Sea world is ok, havent been yet, bunch of seals and a whale and one lousy coaster for i think 50 dollars. a nicer deal is going down to pacific beach, looking in all the skater/stoner shops. then rent some boogy boards for like 5 dollars and just hang at the beach. theres a wonderful park though, it has a zoo, many musuems of art, history, etc. and a disc golf course. http://www.balboapark.org/

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 2:59 am

Last time I was in San Diego, (1970's) I was swimming in Mission Bay, and 3 Harbor Seals popped up all around me. A bit creepy, but fun!. I live in Northern Nevada, and you couldn't pay me to go to Vegas. What a hole. Just my 2 cents worth. Yosemite and Tahoe are much nicer places. Boy, that's going to be a long flight! If you can get to Yosemite, do it! Or Tijuana! ( Twisted Evil

) See the "pony lady".

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 4:55 am

Well I've had me supper and still can't suggest much for Sin City. I once drove through town 10 times in a row without stopping even for gas. My military son and three of his comrades in arms borrowed a family vehicle and put on 1860 miles on it in less than a week this spring. Lost Wages was one of their destinations for some unknown reason. Being 18 they can die in war but they can't go into a casino.

See who is playing where during your visit. That may determine where you are going to stay if you are interested in seeing a show. Some of the matin�es are just as entertaining as the old names playing the big rooms. I've found that dresses and slacks get seated closer than jeans and tee-shirts in the smaller rooms.

So if you are going to go, do Glitter Gulch at night. That's downtown. Its like weak acid. Do all the strip stuff that you can also. There are cool things to see at night on the southern strip, but it does mean walking. You are going during one of the nicer climatic periods. If the monorail is going, utilize it to get up and down. Being from Europe, you should stay out of the Bellagio's Gallery of Art or any museum. Lots of my Trekkie friends do the Experience at the Hilton. Mmmmfffff. Those were my classmates in school. Caesar's has a mall downstairs that is well done. One last point. The food is basically being subsidized by the casinos. Take them up on it. The Rio's World Buffet is pretty good. Circus Circus is a Circus.

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 5:04 am

Honestly, I don't know if you can travel much while in sunny California, but the further North you go the prettier it gets (at least to me). Up after San Francisco you start getting into beautiful forests that meet the beach. Plus SF is pretty relaxing unlike SD in my opinion... SD is great for a wild party with it being right near the Mexican border... but SF and some of the wine country in San Luis Obispo (inbetween SD and SF) are extremely relaxed and not as rushed in my opinion. However SD does have some nice beaches, places to go, and things to see... just don't swim in the water (to close to a third world country that has low sanitation standards... you just don't want to know the details). Shocked

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 5:28 am

I must be getting old. I was going to post up the Bahia-
http://www.bahiahotel.com/
it's on Mission Bay and is itself a resort. It was old when we went there but I thought for $80 bucks for a room with a view its not bad. Well it is bad. I checked their prices and almost crapped. Not $80 bucks anymore. Horrible music that won't stop either.
There are a bunch of motels along Hwy 8. I've stayed in most. They are OK. Humphries is nice if you ask for a room overlooking the boat docks. Its only good if your company is paying.

There is one place I have been looking at. I have driven by a few times. I have not stayed there and its not been rated. Its in Imperial Beach close to the Mexican border and cheap. A room can be had for under $90. A suite with a full kitchen and an ocean view is under a hundred if you can swing a discount. $109 otherwise. I don't have a link.

Seacoast Inn
800 Seacoast Drive
Imperial Beach, CA 91932 US

I also found this place on the beach at Ocean Beach.
http://arestravel.com/682_hotel-photos_h1036.html

Could someone post up if this is a nice place? It's also under a hundred for an ocean view on the beach. Is it rated? Is the neighborhood safe?

Master Baiter Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 128

i havent lived in san diego long enough to know if the neighborhood is good.

Embers: i am from east bay area and i find that San Diego is very mellow in its own way, so many people getting up to surf in the morning, calm sunny skies. oh and the water is only bad really close to the border, mission and pacific beach and farther north are just fine. of course there is a huge party scene but thats only part of the town. I enjoy our small chinese area in Convoy and our even smaller italian district.

If you go south of the border you can get extremely cheap hotels that are very grand however the whole of tiajana is really shady slash puke

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 7:07 am

Stay in Holland. Thats the ideal vacation spot anyway

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 11:50 am

Well LV is really just ONE strip - - and if you can stay in the middle of it - then it will be a good trip for you. It's going to be HOTTER THAN HELL there. I've been many times - - The Sahara is decent but it's near the end of the strip - and seems too far to walk to everything.....MGM studios is in the middle....Treasure Island is kind of toward the end of the strip....There are family places in the center - like Circus Circus - - which really isn't so bad - I stayed in there for 2 weeks after having an operation 4 years ago. I had someone taking care of my kid while I was getting better....so anyway I have spent several weeks in LV - - and stayed in a few different hotels.....so I just suggest the middle section of the strip.

As for LA - - dunno.

HAVE FUN!!!

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 12:32 pm

Thanks for the tips, (well, the helpful ones anyway Laughing

) here and by pm.
I think that I'm sorted in Las Vegas - the Tropicana - that'll do for a few nights.

San Diego is proving difficult. Most places are fully booked at the time I'm intending to be there . . . unless I want a janitors closet or a presidential suite.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 3551

We always buy bottles of water at a quick stop and store them in the fridge, then carry them with us on our treks. You have to drink a lot of water to deal with the heat and dry air. Drinks in the hotels and casinos are small and pricey.

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 2:47 pm

I booked three rooms at the Tropicana two years ago. It was the best package I could find at the time. It was nice but the towers were in the back and I must have known everyone on our floor. Scary. The size of the place makes for a nice walk in the complex just to get to the car. Nice pool. Be sure you bring bathing suits as I found that nudity is not appreciated.

Do not attempt to stay in TJ. Going there or not is up to you. You miss nothing really. If you go in, just spend a few hours by walking in. Don't take a taxi, just walk in and walk out. Stroll down Avenida Revolution. Avoid Adelita's Bar and the Chicago Club. You do not need to pay for sex. If you go during the day, TJ is not dangerous, just poor.

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 4:16 pm

@ Connie

Yeah TJ is also a good place to pick up illegal contraband... but then again I wouldn't suggest trying to haul it back across the border your first time down there and I definitely wouldn't suggest using some of the specific types of contraband down there lol.

@ B & B

Word of advice if you do visit TJ... don't ask where the nearest taco bell is unless you're wearing your running shoes... or some ass kicking boots. Laughing

Are you planning on gambling while in Vegas? If so sports bets are a good way to go as far as the amount of free drinks that usually hit the room (if you're in a decent casino). If you lose you paid less for your drinks and if you win... drinks on the house (kind of but still a lot cheaper).

[edit]

@soldatman

True, there are good parts in any town... I'm just brainwashed as I've been living most of my life in central and northern CA. I've been brainwashed into the SLOw life you know? Wink

Master Baiter Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 128

@embers
actually san diego should be like a 3 day trip at best, then just go to LA. were just a bunch of marines and college students.
I went to TJ and tried to get a room with cash and none of the nice hotels would take me, they all said they were booked. spent the day driving around in the taxi libre and going to Senor Frogs and getting one burrito at a place near by. best burrito ever, carna asada and avocado sliced right in instead of guac.

@ B& B
I dont know what to tell you hotel wise, i always just find the cheapest place around. Maybe Ocean Side has something but i dont know if you want to go that far from the city. 30minute drive i think? OH and in TJ get ready to feel really bad about yourself when all the little mexican children come up and try to look really sad while offering that you buy ssomething.

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 5:27 pm

@ soldatman

I must be cold and heartless... because I wait for the crowds of little kids to come flocking over towards me and then I show them a hand full of American change. I then throw it to watch them fight over it and go grabbing for it. Looks like a cross between a mosh pit at a death metal concert and a bunch of kids rushing for candy from a pinata. Got to love the border town scene.

Bread and Butter, if you want to go further into Mexico it does get very pretty and less of a border town rush. BTW if you want to travel about 5 hours up north there are a lot of wineries in San Luis Obispo county. You can tour them and walk out of there smashed as they will let you sample different types of wine. Also you could see who's playing a shows in Los Angeles. Lots of talent down that way. Also I don't knw if you're into sushi or not, but I have noticed that San Diego does have the best, as albacore, yellowtail, and tuna are coming in fresh off the docks there on a frequent basis.

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 6:25 pm

TJ would not be my first recommendation to someone visiting San Diego. However, there is a great hotel in TJ that is very understanding about me receiving lad calls. Rosarito Beach and Ensenada are a different story. Both of these places are easily reached by bus and have a lot to offer--especially the seafood.

Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 6:39 pm

As far as Vegas, I recommend The Orleans. It's a bit off the strip but reasonably priced and clean. If you go there, I'll tell you where a slot machine is that has ALWAYS returned 40 bucks to me when I've inserted a twenty. I mean it!! It's a quarter machine, I'll put in a twenty, get 40 credits and it has never failed to pay me at least 80 credits before my initial bet is gone. As soon as I get over the 80, I cash out. I'd say I have played this slot at least 30 times over 6-7 trips to Vegas and I've always gotten the same result.
Now, if you're REALLY looking for some fun, fly to Chicago and stay at the CASA DEL REPROB8 for a few days. It's rent free, the meals are great, and I can show you and your sweetie some fun places in Chi-town.

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