[TheJagMan]

Looking for a week long trip in mid October...Will be flying out of the south east, either Atlanta or Florida...1st time to L.V and San Diego...Would you guys recommend flying to S.D. CA first, bus to Vegas? Or should I stay in Vegas first? Also looking to visit the Grand Caynon and Hoover Damn. Are buses, from S.D., to Hoover and the Caynon safe?

Also what hotels in Vegas would you recommend for mid-late 20s partiers...Hard Rock and the Stratophere?

Thanks

[swagger]

I believe that Hard Rock and Planet Hollywood are pretty popular with the younger crowd. I'm an "old man" by your standards and don't do any partying these days, but I hear those two places mentioned a lot by the "kids" (twenty-somethings) I play poker with.

The buses should be fine, if that's what you want to do. The dam is only about a 30-40 minute drive, though. You might want to consider renting a car, instead. That'd allow you to be on your own schedule and give you a lot more flexibility. If you do, make sure you can take it out of state - they all have GPS trackers on them and they'll send you a whopper of a bill if you breach the contract by speeding, taking it out of state, etc., if you're not supposed to (just an FYI).

The canyon is much further - plan on making that at least an overnight thing, but probably two nights. We have yet to visit the canyon since we moved here, but I've looked into it a bit and it's not a day trip sort of thing. If you do bus tour, all that will be planned out already, I'm sure.

Have a good trip!

[aqualung8705]

I'm partial to MGM Mirage properties, and the Gold Coast, since my sister and brother-in-law works for them respectively. I really like the Luxor, and if you're a guest, you can get into their nightclub, LAX for no cover charge. It is one of the better clubs in town.

[Kalbo]

I also recommend going for a rental car. Hard Rock gets my vote.

[Jonotastic]

Don't stay at the Stratosphere! Visit it once at night for the view and maybe a thrill ride.

Hard Rock is a good choice, but I'd also recommend a car because it's not on the strip. Body English is a nice club. If you're a guy, go on a Sunday night because women that dress like a naughty school girl get in for free =).

I'd recommend staying at the MGM Grand. Their rates are reasonable, they have a great pool scene and it's a younger crowd, but still very nice.

Favorite clubs: Moon, Body English, XS, Tao, Pure

There are many tours that provide transportation from Vegas to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam.

[olecapt]

I recommed a week in SD and then come back next year or the year after to Las Vegas.

Or come to Las Vegas for a week and then do SD in a year or two.

Both are too much for a single week.

One or the other. Not both.

[tijlover]

Perhaps these people only have a week's vacation a year. Or they may think like I do when I travel: I may not be alive next year or I may not have the finances next year.

Nothing wrong with a hurried pace vacation. I've been on many of them, one day here, one day there, and scoot off to the next place. I call it "wine tasting" travel. Then, after it's all over, you know next time where you want to spend even more time, going from "wine tasting" to "food sampling"

I once bought a Round-The-World Pass, went around the world in 5 weeks, fly in here, fly in there, zoom off to the next city. It was exhausting, but great fun. Later on, as a result, I made more extensive trips to China and India.

If you only have limited time to travel each year, then I say go for it and have fun!

[gweilo845]

When you say "bus", do mean Greyhound? SD to LV is a 4-6 hour trip by car - if you're on a bus, you'll probably end up eating a whole day, if not more.

And if it's your first time in Vegas, don't stay at the Stratosphere. The property itself is okay, but it's on the far north end of the strip, and you'll end up spending a lot of time/money on getting to other paces.

Hard Rock, Planet Hollywood, and Palms are good places to go if you're in your 20's an looking to party. If you're on a budget, then something like Bill's or Imperial Palace might be more up your alley. Not the fanciest of places but you'd be right in the middle of the strip and walking distance to a lot of other casinos.

[Buzz123]

What are your expectations in San Diego? There are lots of nice things to see there but it all takes time, and money. You'll need a car in San Diego anyway, so I wouldn't waste time on a boring bus ride, or the time you'll waste in a nasty dirty terminal waiting for a bus. Fly to San Diego if you must go there at all, fly back home from Vegas. If you can't afford to fly from San Diego to Las Vegas, rent a car in San Diego that you can drop off in Vegas. I rent cars all the time and I always drive it in different states and I've never asked, and never been asked. I've even driven twice to another country (Canada). They don't care what you do with it as long as you give it back with the same outward appearance (no dents). Like the old saying goes, the best off road vehicle is a rent a car. Dollar Rent a Car has the best deals, but they charge a drop off charge if you don't bring it back to where you rented it from. National doesn't charge a drop off fee, so it comes out cheaper than Dollar if dropping off at a different location. If you check with Southwest Airlines you might find a heck of a deal from San Diego to Las Vegas, but the rental would be a lot cheaper and easier and take up a lot less of your vacation time.

San Diego to Vegas to the Grand Canyon is pretty ambitious for a week long vacation. You'll spend all your time driving. The drive from San Diego to Vegas is about five to six hours as you'll probably stop for gas and maybe food. To Hoover Dam from the Strip is a half day trip (2 hours if you're in a hurry). You can get there in under and hour. To the Grand Canyon, which is the best of all your choices, takes about 4½ hours, depending on traffic at the dam (you have to cross it to go to Arizona), and traffic going from Williams, AZ, to the Park.
Driving Directions from Las Vegas, NV to South Rim Entrance Station, AZ

As long as you're wishing and planning, throw this into the mix; the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is nicer than the touristy South Rim, higher in elevation, thus a whole lot cooler, and gets about 1/10th the visitors, so it's not always crowded like the South Rim; and you can drive it in almost the same amount of time; and there are other better sights to see up that way as well. The reason it isn't crowded is that most people are not aware of what I just told you.
Driving Directions from Las Vegas, NV to North Rim, AZ

Note when going to the North Rim how close you come to Kanab, Utah. Kanab is where hundreds of Cowboy movies and TV shows were filmed. Kanab, Utah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And it's the home to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary that was featured on National Geographic's cable channel.

Best Friends Animal Society Home Page

THIS is the best kept secret of the southwest, and Las Vegas is the jumping off point:
Grand Circle | Utah.com

[Buzz123]

I just noticed you said mid-October. It is beautiful up in southern Utah in October, but in higher elevations the Aspen leaves would have dropped, although there still should be some color, especially at lower elevations. The North Rim closes for the winter usually sometime in mid-October so you'd need to check that, and you'd need jackets. Doubtful you'd see any snow, but I suppose it's possible. The Grand Canyon is incredible from any location at any time of year. The North Rim is just a little more incredible. Your only choice at the time you're coming may be the South Rim which you'll also love.

Grand Canyon National Park - How Do I Get to the North Rim ? (U.S. National Park Service)

Grand Canyon National Park - How Do I Get to the South Rim ? (U.S. National Park Service)