If you are in Vegas, you can zip down there for free for a day. They have busses from a bunch of hotels that go down for the day. You travel with the blue-hair-group but its not a long trek. Get a free lunch and they do have these blackjack tournies that don't cost a lot and you can win some decent cash.
Pretty much every hotel is Geezers Palace though...so expect to get ID'd at every table if you're under 40.
Pretty much every hotel is Geezers Palace though...so expect to get ID'd at every table if you're under 40.
Actually, IMHO, Laughlin has its own charm. Much smaller and nowhere near as glitzy as Vegas, but sometimes that's a nice change. Totally different than Reno. Tho I do like the latter also, very funky town.
Laughlin is right on the Colorado River, the Ol' Man Ribber of the West. A little further south it cuts deep into the Grand Canyon. There used to be a free river boat taking you from casino to casino, but I think there is a smalll charge now. (Most of the casinos have their back door on the river.)
Some of the buffets are great, matching or exceeding Vegas in my view. Tho not exotic fare - it is generally an older crowd, as well as water sport enthusiasts and some bikers. Worth at least a half day visit.
Laughlin is right on the Colorado River, the Ol' Man Ribber of the West. A little further south it cuts deep into the Grand Canyon. There used to be a free river boat taking you from casino to casino, but I think there is a smalll charge now. (Most of the casinos have their back door on the river.)
Some of the buffets are great, matching or exceeding Vegas in my view. Tho not exotic fare - it is generally an older crowd, as well as water sport enthusiasts and some bikers. Worth at least a half day visit.
TT,, I go to laughlin every month or so,,, I have stayed a most of the casinos,,, and sd2 is right, it kindof has its own charm,,,
in Vegas they play games with you and comps,,, there,, you are a High roller with 25.00 chips,, I get everything comped at any of the casinos,,, a few of them will geve me 2 rooms if I ask and want to bring friends,,,
Don Laughlins casino hass a classic car showroom,, its kindof cool,, remember I said Charm,,, (there are only 20 cars in there)
to each his own,, there is No comparison to Vegas, However, Laughlin is Great for me, I live in Phx, it takes me 2.5 hr drive to get there, compared to a 4 hr drive to Vegas,,
Ive been tryin to find a reason to go there in the next few weeks, if your gonna be there say so, and I will try to meet you there If you want someone to Hang with.
tater
in Vegas they play games with you and comps,,, there,, you are a High roller with 25.00 chips,, I get everything comped at any of the casinos,,, a few of them will geve me 2 rooms if I ask and want to bring friends,,,
Don Laughlins casino hass a classic car showroom,, its kindof cool,, remember I said Charm,,, (there are only 20 cars in there)
to each his own,, there is No comparison to Vegas, However, Laughlin is Great for me, I live in Phx, it takes me 2.5 hr drive to get there, compared to a 4 hr drive to Vegas,,
Ive been tryin to find a reason to go there in the next few weeks, if your gonna be there say so, and I will try to meet you there If you want someone to Hang with.
tater
sd2 said:
When residing in Vegas, I spent many days in Laughlin and was practically a resident at times.
Not sure what sd2 sees in the buffets, as most are not good.........only Harrahs and the Ramada being the decent ones imo.
I spent many days there as they had many, many great +EV slots and video poker plays.
TTinCO---I would recommend taking a jet-ski for a spin down there and head down the river for a few miles..............did this numerous times in my times there.
The sportsbooks there are basically small joints with low limits..................lots of smoke filled casinos in Laughlin too.
If your visiting in the summer, expect temps in the 110-120 range and more humid than Vegas.
I grew to like Laughlin after spending mucho time there and actually almost moved there(or across the river in Bullhead City).
As sd2 mentioned, being only 90 miles from Vegas, worth a one-time look for sure.
-FH-
ps= If anyone needs any more info, feel free to ask, because as mentioned spent many days/weeks there and know the little town fairly well.
tatehill2000 said:
...from mapquest.com...
Phoenix, AZ US Revise | New Directions
Total Est. Time: 4 hours, 19 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 272.67 miles
no way you make it from Phx to Laughlin in 2.5 hrs!
doug stewart said:...from mapquest.com...
Phoenix, AZ US Revise | New Directions
Laughlin, NV US Revise | New Directions
Total Est. Time: 4 hours, 19 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 272.67 miles
no way you make it from Phx to Laughlin in 2.5 hrs!
Tate is correct, yes you can.......at least to the suburbs of PHX.
FROM VEGAS, I could make it to PHX WELL UNDER 4.5 HOURS, and LAUGHLIN is 80 minutes closer to PHX than VEGAS.
Laughlin to PHX AREA can be accomplished in 2.5-3.5 hours.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=491 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=white>
Be sure to visit...
</TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=white></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Be sure to visit...
[SIZE=-1]Oatman began about 90 years ago as a mining tent camp and quickly became a flourishing gold-mining center. In 1915, two miners struck a $10 million gold find, and within a year, the town's population grew to more than 3,500.
Oatman was named in honor of Olive Oatman, who was kidnapped as a young girl by Mojave Indians and later rescued in 1857 near the current site of the town. Oatman was served by a narrow gauge rail line between 1903 and 1905 that ran 17 miles to the Colorado river near Needles, California.
But both the population and mining booms were short-lived. In 1921, a fire burned down many of the smaller shacks in town, and three years later, the main mining company, United Eastern Mines, shut down operations for good. Oatman survived by catering to travelers on old U.S. Route 66. But in the 1960s, when the route became what is now Interstate 40, Oatman almost died.
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]
Oatman is a fun place to visit -- an authentic old western town with burros roaming the streets and gunfights staged on weekends. The burros are tame and can be hand fed. When my wife and I visited in January of this year, I was surprised to see five old Model T Fords out for a Sunday drive down the main street of Oatman. The cars fit right in with the romantic image of this old town, taking us back to the 1915 era old west.
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]The Oatman Hotel, built in 1902, is the oldest two-story adobe structure in Mojave County and has housed many miners, movie stars, politicians and other scoundrels. The town was used as the location for several movies such as How The West Was Won, Foxfire and Edge of Eterni
ty.
Clark Gable and Carol Lombard honeymooned at the Oatman Hotel March 18, 1939. Their honeymoon suite is still one of the major attractions that keeps the Oatman Hotel open. Gable returned here often to play poker with the local miners and enjoy the solitude of the desert.
There are plenty of shopping opportunities in Oatman. Many of the shopkeepers make their own products and obtain other rare and interesting items from far and near. There are many handmade leather goods, handmade Indian jewelry and excellent knives sold right from the wooden sidewalks running the length of the town.
One of the more colorful shopkeepers is known as Betty the Bead Lady, who for many years, drilled beads and sold them to the Navajos for their jewelry making. She is still a fixture in downtown Oatman operating three retail establishments -- stop in and visit her.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]
My wife Donna found more than a few encumbrances she couldn't resist, and that's the only reason we didn't stay longer. But shopping does make you hungry so we stopped at a little bar and restaurant on the main street called the Mission Inn. We ordered a hamburger and some of he best chili we ever tasted, then sat back and listened to some great country music while sipping our beers. Next to us sat a group of locals, including a woman who was telling some hilarious stories. She called herself a "sit-down comedian." What a fun time!
There are two m
ain roads linking Oatman to State Highway 95. One is paved and the other is a dirt road leading to Bullhead City about 25 miles away. The dirt road is in fairly good condition and is certainly a pleasurable egress from Oatman. The scenery along this route is excellent and will really make you feel like you're back in the untamed days of the old west.
You can see the old mine tailing piles and a fascinating variety of desert vegetation and rock formations. We always like to stop along the road and enjoy the sights, the smells and the silence of the open desert. Most of today's cars would have little trouble on this road when it is dry. Your cellular phone will probably work most of the way, too.
We're headed over to Chloride for a little mountain air. Maybe we'll run into you there. Till then, keep your eyes peeled for varmints. This applies double if you're headed back to the city.[/SIZE]
Oatman was named in honor of Olive Oatman, who was kidnapped as a young girl by Mojave Indians and later rescued in 1857 near the current site of the town. Oatman was served by a narrow gauge rail line between 1903 and 1905 that ran 17 miles to the Colorado river near Needles, California.
But both the population and mining booms were short-lived. In 1921, a fire burned down many of the smaller shacks in town, and three years later, the main mining company, United Eastern Mines, shut down operations for good. Oatman survived by catering to travelers on old U.S. Route 66. But in the 1960s, when the route became what is now Interstate 40, Oatman almost died.
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]The Oatman Hotel, built in 1902, is the oldest two-story adobe structure in Mojave County and has housed many miners, movie stars, politicians and other scoundrels. The town was used as the location for several movies such as How The West Was Won, Foxfire and Edge of Eterni
Clark Gable and Carol Lombard honeymooned at the Oatman Hotel March 18, 1939. Their honeymoon suite is still one of the major attractions that keeps the Oatman Hotel open. Gable returned here often to play poker with the local miners and enjoy the solitude of the desert.
There are plenty of shopping opportunities in Oatman. Many of the shopkeepers make their own products and obtain other rare and interesting items from far and near. There are many handmade leather goods, handmade Indian jewelry and excellent knives sold right from the wooden sidewalks running the length of the town.
One of the more colorful shopkeepers is known as Betty the Bead Lady, who for many years, drilled beads and sold them to the Navajos for their jewelry making. She is still a fixture in downtown Oatman operating three retail establishments -- stop in and visit her.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]
There are two m
You can see the old mine tailing piles and a fascinating variety of desert vegetation and rock formations. We always like to stop along the road and enjoy the sights, the smells and the silence of the open desert. Most of today's cars would have little trouble on this road when it is dry. Your cellular phone will probably work most of the way, too.
We're headed over to Chloride for a little mountain air. Maybe we'll run into you there. Till then, keep your eyes peeled for varmints. This applies double if you're headed back to the city.[/SIZE]
