#OldPeopleVegas

So there are an alarming number of people that take the time to #OldPeopleVegas in reference to Laughlin, Nevada. But if you've ever had a chance to attend, you would do just the same.

This place. For those of you have never been or never heard of it, Laughlin is much like Vegas in that it is strategically placed in the middle of nowhere desert. Though it's not quite as large and glamours, it offers many of the same amenities, ie lots o' casinos and cheap hotels!

I've never been of legal age to consume alcohol while in Vegas so I can't give a proper comparison, but I can give you a few tips and tricks about how to conquer the sister city of Sin City.

5 Tips for Laughlin Getaway: 

1. Go to every casino you can and sign up for their rewards programs. I went to 7 casinos and I got $5 free play at all but two of them. The Tropicana doesn't give you free play, but if you loose more than $10 and up to $100, they will send you that money back in free mail, via snail mail. The Aquarius only gives you some valuable coupons of the BOGO variety. I went to the Riverside, Edgewater, Colorado Belle, Pioneer, and Golden Nugget to get me free play.

2. Buffet is your best bet. There are a multitude of buffets spread across the entire main road of this desert oasis, but the best bang for your buck is to pick one of them. I ate at the Colorado Belle for their breakfast buffet and for $8 you can't beat their made to order omelet bar and fresh fruit selection. I also ate at the Riverside Buffet and with a BOGO offer, it was $15 for two people. They had every type of food you could want from salad bar, sandwich station, to Mexican and Chinese. And the dessert options were endless.

3. Gamble. Not only can you use your free play to win lots of money, but the more you gamble the more you get. Drink wise that is. All drinks are compensated for those who are using the machines and tables. So drink away because it's free.

4. Don't pick your hotel for the views. So this marvelous city is stationed parallel to the Colorado River and many of the hotels sell you on their river adjacent views. But for the best deals, don't buy for the view. If you go during the week you are likely to get a decent room for around $18 a night. I stayed 3 nights during the week and payed a little over $63 for all 3 nights including tax. I didn't have a river view, but I found the river walk just as exciting.

5. There is always something to do, cheap. So if you're not a big gambler or like me, you only came for the free play, there are plenty of other things to do in this sprawling city. There is an outlet mall just across from the Edgewater filled with great deals. There are several movie theaters, a bowling alley, and a classic car showroom (Riverside). There are comedy shows on the weekends for around $10 a person and plenty of well know entertainers that grace the stages surrounding this retirement crowd haven at a decent price. There is the river itself which offers plenty of amusement for those who enjoy the water. There are water taxis, dinner inclusive boat rides, and jet ski and kayak rentals.

So no matter what your preference, this city has it all. Just a 3 hour drive from Phoenix and you're on your way to 65 and up paradise. On my trip I didn't gamble too much but with all of my free play I only spent about $10 on the machines. Next time you're thinking of hitting up Sin City, take a second and see if you'd rather save and hit up her sister city.