The Story of Las Vegas Jaunt

It started when I was 21. After a summer of jobs in California, I set off on a classic road trip through the American West and rolled into Las Vegas for the first time. I was hooked, and I never really stopped coming back.

I don't do short visits. I usually stay two to five weeks at a time, long enough to live the city rather than just visit it: the restaurant everyone is suddenly talking about, the pool that's worth the day pass, the show that changed its schedule, the hotel that quietly raised its resort fee.

I've slept in just about every hotel on the Strip and on Fremont Street. As a student, I split a $25-a-night room at the Stratosphere (now The STRAT) with three friends, back when resort fees didn't exist. These days my favorites are Aria, Resorts World and Wynn, but I still try a new hotel on every trip, from the big Strip resorts to the downtown gems.

My wife loves Vegas as much as I do. Together we've seen the shows, eaten our way from the buffets to the steakhouses, and driven out to the canyons and deserts a few hours away. And yes, I play a little in the casinos, carefully: knowing how player cards and comps really work is part of getting a good deal.

When I'm not in Vegas, I'm keeping an eye on it. Rates, special offers and ticket prices change all the time, so every deal on this site is found and checked by hand, with the date we last saw it.

That's what Las Vegas Jaunt is: the hotel deals, shows and attractions I'd book myself, with the real price up front, and the tips I'd give a friend before their first trip, or their thirtieth.