Shado43 Craves Food, Booze, and Shopping in his "Vegas Musts" • Vegas Bright

Shado43 shares his Vegas Musts…

Being as I am in Las Vegas once a month (hey you try living in Lake Havasu and tell me you wouldn’t be too) and only 2 hours away, there are musts I have to do regardless if it’s just for fun or a shopping trip.

Check into a hotel.

Which one? That depends on the mood. Mostly it’s Harrah’s, The Linq, or Caesars. Lately, I have been taking advantage of MGM’s “MyVegas” rewards. So my last stay was “The Mirage” which I liked as it is right where I want to be, Center Strip.

Next stop “FOOD.”

Being as I work until 5 pm, we don’t get to Vegas till 7ish, so it’s dinner time. Our first night is usually either Kung Fu (at Valley View & Spring Mountain) or Crown and Anchor (the original on Tropicana & Maryland Pkwy) Being as we don’t have Thai food in our city it’s usually Kung Fu. This restaurant has been around since 1974 and has the best Thai food in Chinatown. Crown & Anchor is my home away from home. If you like English food this is the place. I suggest the Cornish Pastie.

Next stop, Casino Royal.

Besides the Thai beer or Willy Wonka martini with dinner it’s time to get some fun time in. I stop by for my many $1 Michelob lagers and a chat with my favorite bartender that I have known for years.

By the time I’m done it’s time to hit the local bars in town. I stay away from Strip bars and clubs as they are WAY over priced and are usually full of tourists getting drunk and stupid.

DAY TWO – First stop, Bloody Mary’s then… The Malls

What’s a trip to Vegas if you don’t shop. First stop is The Forum shops which usually take us about 4 hours including a light lunch and a Fat Tuesdays drink. Then it’s back to the room to drop off the goodies and trek out to the next mall. Fashion Show Mall is so big it takes us at least 5 hours with dinner.

And speaking of dinner, they just opened up a Benihana’s. So this has become our new staple in Vegas. Service is fantastic and the food incredible compared to its counterpart in the Westgate. At this point, we are pooped. Time for a cocktail and relaxing at a slot machine. So it’s back to Casino Royal then to the hotel where we gamble and stumble back to the room.

Our final day when we leave, we head down to IKEA then off to Green Valley Ranch at “The District” for lunch at “Due & Proper” This is a fun little pub that has the best Burgers.