After being together for 16 years, we have found that it is important to have date weekends where everything is about us connecting as a couple. Instead of sending the kids to the grandparents and doing the dinner and a movie every date, we decided that every once in a while we need to take a weekend trip that consists of just the two of us. So for our date weekend in April, we decided to go to Las Vegas!
A few weeks before we left to go to Las Vegas, Nevada, I reached out to a good friend, that had been there before, for ideas and advice. She told me that when she is in Vegas, she goes in different casinos to buy a $1 chip to keep as a souvenir. First, I had no idea that you could do this since I had only been in maybe one casino in my life and second, I thought this was a very clever idea! After talking it over, we decided if we do this, we cannot just get a few chips, we need to get them all!
We ended up collecting a total of 40 chips. This consists of 11 from Freemont Street, 27 from the main Las Vegas strip, and 2 from hotels right off the strip that we ended up walking to. Below is every hotel/casino that we obtained a chip from. The first set of pictures are from the Freemont Street hotels, the second set of pictures are the main Las Vegas strip hotels and the very last picture is what we decided to do with them all once we got home.
Welcome to Las Vegas!!!
FREEMONT STREET CASINOS
Freemont Street was the first paved road in Las Vegas in 1925 and is the second most famous street in Nevada. The first casino in Las Vegas opened on Freemont Street in 1931, this is where it all began! The easiest way to get to Freemont from the main strip is by the RTC Transit buses. They stop outside almost every hotel and you can buy a 24 hour pass for $8/person, which is what we did. We hopped on the double decker bus which stopped right outside of our hotel and we rode it over to the very last stop which was Freemont Street. There are 11 casinos still open and operating within the Freemont Experience, we managed to get a chip from each one.
The D is the first hotel and casino that you will see on Freemont Street. The hotel has 638 rooms, a two-story casino and was formerly known as Sundance Hotel until 1987 and Fitzgerald Hotel and Casino between 1987-2012. In 2012, it was bought out, renovated, and given the new name of The D.The 4 Queens Hotel and Casino opened in 1966 and was named in honor of the builders four daughters. The 4 Queens hotel has 690 rooms, a 40,000 square foot casino and it takes up an entire block!The Golden Nugget is probably the most famous hotel and casino on Freemont Street. It is the largest hotel and casino in the downtown area with a total of 2,419 guest rooms. It was built in 1946 making it one of the oldest casinos in the city.The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, formerly known as Hotel Nevada, is the oldest and smallest hotel on Freemont Street only having 106 guestrooms. This hotel opened in 1906 and was assigned the first Las Vegas telephone with the number 1. Since 1955 this hotel and casino has went by the name Golden Gate and was made famous by serving 50 cent shrimp cocktail in 1959.The Plaza Hotel and Casino is located at the end of the Freemont Experience and was opened in 1971. Up until 1997, one of Amtrak’s train stations and ticket windows was connected to the Plaza Hotel, which made it the only train station in the United States located inside a casino.Main Street Station Hotel and Casino is located on north Main Street near the Freemont Experience. The casino is connected to The California Hotel by walking over main street through an enclosed skywalk. Inside Main Street Station is a portion of the Berlin Wall which is located in the men’s restroom.The California Hotel and Casino is located on East Ogden Avenue close to the Freemont Experience. The hotel opened in 1975 and after a slow start, the hotel decided to focus on the Hawaiian market by offering a casual atmosphere and Hawaiian food.Binion’s Gambling Hall is located in the heart of the Freemont Experience and opened for business in 1951. It was originally a hotel until 2009 when it closed its rooms and now is only run as a casino. The Casino is named after the founder Benny Binion and was the first casino in downtown to replace the sawdust floors with carpet. Seen here is the $1 million casino floor display, it contains 2,700 $100 bills, 34,400 $20 bills, and 42,000 $1 bills.The Freemont Hotel and Casino is located on Freemont Street and opened for business in 1956. Wayne Newton made his Las Vegas start at this very hotel in 1959.The Downtown Grand Las Vegas is located on 3rd street near the Freemont Experience. In 2011, after a large renovation into a boutique hotel, the owners decided to change the hotel name from Lady Luck to Downtown Grand Las Vegas.El Cortez is small casino located a block from the Freemont Experience and is famous for it’s slogan “Where the locals come to play.” It is one of the oldest casino – hotel properties that has operated in the same location since 1941.
After we spent over half the day on Freemont Street, we got back on the bus to return to the main Las Vegas strip. However, we noticed that there was a Stratosphere stop, so we decided to get off there to obtain the chips from the casinos on the northern part of the strip.
THE LAS VEGAS STRIP CASINOS
The Stratosphere Las Vegas is located just north of the Las Vegas strip. The tower is 1,149 feet tall and is the tallest structure in Las Vegas. The hotel is known for Sky Jump Las Vegas, which is an 855 feet controlled decent off the tower that opened in 2010.Circus Circus is a very well known hotel and casino located on the northern part of the Las Vegas strip. The hotel opened its doors for business in 1968 and Lucky the Clown, that is seen here, has been a part of the hotel entrance since 1976.The SLS Hotel and Casino opened its doors in 2014 after a massive renovation. The hotel was formerly known as the famous Sahara Hotel and Casino, a name it went by for 59 years. The name SLS stands for style, luxury, and service. Seen here is the entrance to the casino where the floor and the ceiling are mirrors.
Starting with the Wynn and ending with the Hooters Hotel and Casino, we walked down one entire side of the Las Vegas Strip going in and out of every casino collecting chips from each one. Listed below, the hotels are in order going North to South on the strip.
Wynn Las Vegas is a luxury resort and casino located on the Las Vegas strip and is amazing to see on the inside. It is attached to its sister hotel Encore and together they hold more Forbes five-star rewards than any other hotel and casino. Inside the Wynn there is not only this beautiful carousel but also a waterfall that falls into a three acre lake. Even if you do not stay at the Wynn, it is worthwhile to explore inside this beautiful hotel.The Palazzo is a relatively new luxury hotel opening its doors on December 30, 2007. The Palazzo operates under the casino license from the Venetian, however when you go into their casino, they will ask you if you want your chip to say the Palazzo or the Venetian because they distribute out both. The reason for this is because the Palazzo and the Venetian are a connected entity.The Venetian is the hotel that we stayed at and is one that I highly recommend. There is so much to do inside the Venetian hotel that you could spend a couple of days just exploring and never walk outside onto the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel and casino is the site of the former Sands Hotel. Las Vegas Sands owns and operates it along with the Palazzo, when combined it is the world’s second largest hotel. Seen here is the “St. Marks Square” that is inside the hotel. The Venetian also offers gondola rides and is the home of the famous Vegas nightclub TAO.Casino Royal Hotel and Casino is a small hotel that caters to low rollers, or those who bet less money at the casinos. In 2013 it became part of the Best Western chain.Harrah’s Las Vegas opened in 1973 under the name Holiday Casino, until 1992 when it was renamed. The hotel consists of two towers, the Mardi Gras and the Carnival, and the casino has over 1,200 slot machines.The Linq Hotel and Casino was formerly known as the Imperial Palace and where we stayed when we visited Vegas in 2006. The hotel was originally built in 1959 but did not become known as The Linq until 2013.The Flamingo Las Vegas hotel and casino was the third resort to open on the strip, in 1946, and the oldest one that is still in operation today. The Flamingo has underwent many renovations over the years but has always kept the Miami South Beach style. The hotel currently features the Donny and Marie Osmond headline show.The Cromwell was originally built in 1979 and was formerly known as Barbary Coast and Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon. However, in 2014 the hotel had a major renovation and is now known as The Cromwell. The hotel is known for Drai’s Beach Club and Night Club which is a pool party on top of the hotel, takes up two levels, and has an indoor/outdoor nightclub.Bally’s Las Vegas was built in 1963 and is the location of where the MGM Grand used to be. In 1985, MGM Grand sold the property to Bally’s and moved further south down the Las Vegas Strip.The Paris Hotel and Casino opened for business on September 1,1999 with fireworks shooting over the half size replica of the Eiffel Tower. The back legs of the Eiffel Tower actually come down through the ceiling onto the casino floor. This was one of my favorite hotels that we went into, the architecture on the inside is beautiful.Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino was built in 1966 and was formerly known as the Aladdin Resort and Casino. In 2007 the property was sold, renovated, and renamed to Planet Hollywood. The Casino decor is made up of glass, reflective surfaces, and plenty of neon. They have their dealers wearing lingerie, as well as, go-go dancers to keep the gamblers entertained. Plant Hollywood is where Britney Spears headlines her show Piece of Me.The MGM Grand Las Vegas is the largest single hotel in the United States with over 6,800 rooms and the second largest resort complex only behind the Venetian. This location opened in 1993 and the bronze Leo the Lion, seen here, was added in 1998. The statue is 45 feet tall, not including the 25 foot pedestal, weighs 50 tons, and is the largest bronze statue in the U.STropicana Las Vegas opened in 1957 and has changed hands several times through the years. Today, the hotel has been renovated into a South Beach feel and offers a historic wedding chapel to guests that seats up to 100 people.From Tropicana we walked a block off the strip to the Hooters Casino Hotel. It opened in 1973, but did not take on the name of Hooters until 2006. Hooter’s has one of the lowest gaming revenues for the Las Vegas Strip.
After we left Hooters Hotel and Casino, we then crossed the street and started with Mandalay Bay going in and out of every hotel and casino ending with Treasure Island. Listed below, the hotels are in order going back up the strip South to North on the opposite side of the street.
The Mandalay Bay opened in 1999 and has the largest unobstructed ballroom in the United States. Seen here is the bridge walking into the Mandalay Bay.The Luxor Las Vegas is named after the city Luxor in Egypt and opened in 1991. The hotel and casino is in the shape of a pyramid and is similar to size of the Red Pyramid in Egypt. One of the things the hotel is known for is the Skybeam which is a light that shoots out of the top of the pyramid at night and can be seen from anywhere on the strip. Even if you do not stay at this hotel, it is worth walking in and looking around.The Excalibur Hotel and Casino opened in 1990 with the medieval theme and was named after the sword of King Arthur.Between The Excalibur and The New York New York is Tropicana Blvd. We decided to walk to In and Out burger to grab some food for a late lunch. On the way, we passed by The Wild Wild West Gambling Hall and Hotel. This is not on the Las Vegas strip, however, we still stopped and obtained a chip from the casino. In 2009, when Days Inn bought the Wild Wild West the rooms had to be remolded to bring them up to Days Inn’s standard. To say the least, after going in and out of all the elaborate hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, this particular casino was somewhat of a culture shock.The New York-New York opened in 1997 with the architecture modeled after the New York City skyline. The hotel is also home to The Big Apple Coaster and Arcade which is a full size roller coaster on the outside of the hotel. The individual ticket price for one ride is $14 or you can get an all day pass for $25.The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino opened in 1996 and is named after the Place du Casino in Monte Carlo. Hotel 32 is located on the top floor of the hotel and is an ultra-luxury boutique hotel with penthouses up to 2,000 square feet.Aria Resort and Casino opened in 2009 and is made up of two curved glass towers that are adjoined at the center. The interior decor incorporates natural materials such as flowers, glass, wood, stone, and foliage. The hotel name is based on its placement as the center feature of the strip. This is also where they have a buffet for $40/person and the chef will personally come and point out all the dairy free and gluten free foods for you.The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opened in 2010 and features the Chandelier Bar. The bar is on multi-levels and is surrounded by the largest Chandelier in Vegas; it is 65 feet tall and covers a 10,000 square foot space.There is so much more to the Bellagio than just the dancing water fountain, inside the hotel is the Conservatory and Botanical Garden which changes out its theme five times a year. When we went in April, the spring theme was on display. The Bellagio opened in 1996 and at that time was the most expensive hotel ever built.Caesars Palace opened in 1966 and in 1967 Frank Sinatra began performing at this hotel. There are statues throughout the hotel, casino, and shopping area depicting the Roman Empire. The Colosseum was built in 2003, seats over 4,000 people, and is currently where Celine Dion headlines her show. Caesars Palace is one of the largest and most well known hotels in Las Vegas.The Mirage opened in 1989 and was the host of the famous Siegfried and Roy show until it ended in 2003. The Mirage is also known for the artificial volcano the “erupts” every night at 7pm and 8pm.Treasure Island Hotel and Casino opened in 1993 and used to have nightly pirate battles on the ships in “Buccaneer Bay” in front of the casino entrance. In 2003, Treasure Island dropped the kid-friendly place to stay and jumped on the bandwagon of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” by remodeling the hotel and gearing it more toward adults. This is where we seen the show Cirque du Solei, Mystere! It was a great show and one that I would recommend, as it is the original Cirque du Solei.Once we returned home, we decided to frame our chips. To do that, we picked up a 16 x 20 regular picture frame and a piece of black photo matte from Hobby Lobby. We used one of our photos of the Las Vegas sign and printed it as a 5 x 7 from Walgreens, which we placed in the center. After that, we arranged the chips how we wanted them and measured everything out so they are evenly spaced. We used double sided tape to stick them to the black photo matte board and slid the matte board into the frame just as you would a photo. The end result is a clever souvenir that we get to hang on the wall!
