Viva Las Vegas

Late this past July a bunch of our friends hit the road and took the short drive to Las Vegas for the weekend. One of the major perks of living in Los Angeles is that Vegas is just 4 hours (with no traffic of course) driving. It's great because we almost never fly and road trips with a bunch of your friends are always a blast. 13 of us headed out to Nevada desert for some fun and adventure and were definitely not disappointed.

Courtney, Emily, Leilani, Kelly, Jacqui, Me and Laura at dinner.

My sister-in-law, Laura, joined us for the trip and we had a great time. When we go on trips like this with the big groups we like to do Vegas on the cheap. We share rooms and usually split guys and girls. Also have a hint about Vegas, if you go in the summer, stay based on pool reviews, not hotel reviews. Often the swanky hotels and casinos only have so-so pool scenes and if you are going to spend the afternoon at the pool anyways its best if you are staying there. Also since it's easy to to navigate the strip, you can hit any casino for gambling you want very easily, so the mid range hotels are usually a great deal. Save some cash and stay at a three of four star option, rather than a 5 star hotel and have more money for shows, gambling and food.

Dancing with my sister-in-law Laura

The pool is always a great daytime option during the spring and summer months although during winter trip, you have to be more creative with how to spend your afternoons. We usually hit a Sports Book to check out some games and place some bets, walk the strip or go explore the Old Strip on Fremont Street. But in the summer, the pool is where it is at. If you have a group, a cabana or lounge chair can be a great deal. This past trip we rented a lounge bed for the entire group which gave us waitress service and a home base for the entire day.

A good pool scene is key

While a big group is fun, it can be difficult to keep coordinated with everyone. The pool is usually a great time for everyone to hang out with one another as well as big group dinners, but evenings can be  hard to stay as a group. We usually would split into smaller groups based on what people wanted to do and therefore everyone has a great weekend.

The gang at the pool.

I love Craps. It is my favorite game to play. I love the community atmosphere, the cheering and giving nicknames to all the rollers. The table wins and loses together and there is never any real animosity between players. Also it is usually the best odds in Vegas.

It should be said that you can do Vegas on the cheap. You don't need to spend a ton to have a great time. The big thing is just to prioritize what you want to do and know what your spending limits are. Like I said, I love to play craps, but since odds is your best bet, I don't want to play tables with minimums higher than $10, so you will very often find me at Casino Royale where during high season tables are $5 minimums and during low season tables are $3 minimum, both with 20x odds. I also love to dance, but hate the covers clubs charge. As a result, I love a great lounge. The Beatles Revolution Lounge at The Mirage is one of my favorites. Very often they have free drinks for girls until 10 or 11 and guys get in free. Club admissions are also very dependent on your guy-to-girl ratios. If you are even or have more guys, you are going to wait if you don't want to buy bottle service. In that case, I would recommend every time to hit a lounge.

My other biggest piece of advice is to do what you want to do. Vegas can be fun for almost any type of party. You can gamble, go to a club, shop, go line dancing, see a show, have a 5-star meal, hit a piano bar, etc. Really the options are endless, you can make Vegas the vacation or weekend getaway you want it to be.

Jacqui, Me and Leilani at Beatles Revolution Lounge at The Mirage

I think 3 days is the perfect length of time. A long weekend really gives you the opportunity to explore everything the City of Sin has to offer and make it your own. I've been on girl's weekends with my sorority sisters, group trips with friends, couples trips, birthday trips and more. Every trip is different which makes it fun and exciting each time I go.

Me, Laura and Leilani at dinner.