NEWSLETTER NUMBER THREE

Well, it is pouring raining again. Where are we, Seattle OR London??? Anyway, I can’t finish the dock. I put in stairs into the water yesterday. My stiff sore muscles and the rain tell me that today is a rest day.

So let’s do a Vegas update.

Each day a couple more people sign on for the Vegas Birthday Bash in December. And deals are starting to come too. It is very exciting!

Here is where my planning is:

CAR RENTAL:

I locked in a good price for a compact car(Dodge Neon size) at Dollar. Dollar $98 plus all the obnoxious taxes, but minus 5% by using a Promo code FF05. For details on car rental see the post below.

It is always cost effective to rent by the week. If you are there for three or four days, see if the weekly rental is just as cheap. Sometimes you can get a few extra hours that way.

Remember that it is never too early to put in a car reservation. They do not take a charge card. If prices go down, you can always reserve again. If you decide just to use the buses and taxis and free shuttles, you can always cancel. In fact, I made three reservations today to keep my options open.

HOTELS

I had locked in the Orleans 15-27 and I added the Gold Coast 14-19. (rates listed on the Blog) Where I stay will depend on what Elizabeth does. She may not come now until the 20th. So I’ll be double booked on hotels too. Probably soon to triple booked if my past experience is any judge. I like to keep my options open. Still, it will be hard to beat the Gold Coast prices.

For now the after DEC 10th i4Vegas prices FOR BARBARY COAST, ORLEANS, GOLD COAST (BUT DON’T BOOK WITH THEM BOOK WITH THE HOTEL DIRECTLY) are still good, but they may be gone any day, so I suggest you book for insurance. They take the money for the first night, but as long as you remember to call and cancel up until 72 hours of arrival, you get it back if you change your mind.

BAD NEWS on hotels is that things seem to be booking tight during the cowboy time. My usual upscale and nice places (Orleans and Gold Coast) are generally booked, but even the nice tower rooms at Downtown’s frugally downscale (and a lot less nice) El Cortez have sold out. Very odd. Given those prices, for people coming before Dec 10th, especially just for the weekend, it may be just as cheap to go to a strip casino. Someone will be trying to offload rooms. We’ll have to look around and see. I keep thinking that Terrible’s will have a huge special since they have expanded and have these newly opened hotel rooms. That is a frugal choice, but you really need to have a car as it is maybe a fifteen minute walk from the strip. On the up side terrible’s is near the Hard Rock Casino and that huge collection of guitars and outfits worn by rockers of all eras. And on the way to the strip is Ellis Island where you can get a nice steak dinner for $5 and a $5 matchplay coupon for blackjack. (This is considered the best deal in all of Vegas) Once Terrible’s offered $9 rooms for all of December. If you hit those prices, you could afford to add a rental car at $20 a night and be good to go.

let Casino Boy tell you about the place:

http://www.cheapovegas.com/vegas_casino_full.php?hotel_id=1060

Well, I will keep looking. Perhaps after the cowboys are all booked, the prices will lighten up a bit. It is December after all!! Get real Vegas!!

RODEO

I did some research on going to the rodeo. It is pretty expensive. Actually, all the tickets are already sold, but then they are resold by numerous sites. They actually have one deal where you buy a seat that has been already sold and go there, hoping no one will take the seat. Weird. Anyway, if anyone is going early and wants that adventure, let me know. You will see the cowboys anyway as they will be all over town and lots of free country music too. There are some sites on the Blog.



SOUTHWEST

Talking to an agent gave me an estimated release of December bookings sometime in July. So if you are waiting for one of those direct flights, keep checking. I am waiting to book early because they now limit the seating for those with free tickets so the 28th may be especially hard to get.

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