Vegas Trip Diary March 2025

 March is a great time to go to Vegas! We visited the first week of March, and the weather never went above 60 degrees (the air was cool and crisp!) and it wasn't crowded at all!

Since we're frequent visitors to the 9th Island, our trips have gone from "go-go-go" to "slow-slow-slow" so it was definitely a relaxing trip. We stayed the Cal, Hawaii's home away from home, and ventured out to the Strip on one day.

Here's how it unfolded . . . 

Did you know that if you show your boarding pass at the El Cortzel player's club/rewards desk within 24 hours of arrival you can get some freebies? It includes $10 free slot play, $25 match play and a free drink. This perk is available once a year; multiple if you earn 100 tier credits on your prior trip that year.

I put in my free $10 slot play into this Happy Prosperous slot machine and was lucky to hit a bonus! This was a great way to start our trip! 

I started playing video poker on this trip and I had a nice win during this session. Unfortunately I wasn't lucky enough to replicate this. LOL.

Wheel of Fortune remains popular, but there aren't as many machines as before. This was a nice bonus.

We played bingo at the Plaza. I haven't hit bingo yet out of the several times we've played, so on our next trip, I'll still play, but I won't buy as many cards.

There was a two-day Super Bingo Tournament at the Plaza when were there, so we needed to wait until the sessions were over. before we played in the late afternoon. A huge convention hall had tables and tables of bingo players. With your entry, they provide you breakfast and lunch and there are special room rates as well. I think I may do this one day! :-)

Unfortunately, our trip coincided with the week that switched out the conservatory display. One week earlier, we would have experienced the Chinese New Year display; one week later, the Spring display.

It's kinda cool to see them putting everything together.

I'm sure these pictures won't do the actual display justice.

We could still walk around the back portion of the conservatory, so I was able to view this live floral frame. 

It was very windy on the day we visited the Strip.

We visited this really cool art installation called Colors of Mexico, showcasing the culture of Mexico. Located at Fashion Show Mall with FREE admission, it consisted of several rooms with displays, including digital ones. It was really cool. Does anyone know how to add video to Blogger? There is an option to upload media, but it never works. I would love to be able to include videos on this blog to show you how cool it was.

Every time I go to Vegas, I get obsessed with something, whether it be a new machine, a new souvenir or things to do. This time it was Silver Strike slot machines that dispenses collector coins.

This one was from the Plaza. Each machine has several different, limited edition coins you can collect. 

This one is from Four Queens. The machines are quarter machines and you play three credits per pull. I didn't have to play a lot before I got the coins. It says on the coins that they are worth $10. Not sure if I actually tried to redeem them at the cashier's cage they would give me $10? I looked it up on the internet and a $10 Silver Strike coin are 42mm in diameter, has a .999  pure silver core and a heavey gold electroplated outer brass ring. Total silver content is about .65 oz. There's even a Silver Strike Club where you can buy/sell/trade coins, and they hold meet-ups in Vegas!

There was this really cool racing game that I found at New York New York. It's a slot machine and the bonus rounds allows you to race a car, similar to Mario Cart.

It was super fun! I didn't win a lot on the racing rounds. I only bet the minimum and I didn't do very well (as usual) during the races. I think I raced about 4-5 times and I won less than $2 each time. But it was sure fun! I will definitely be back to play this machine.

On our December 2024 trip to Vegas, we stumbled upon a wrestling match at the Container Park. On this trip, we witnessed the 2025 World Sign Spinning Championship on Fremont Street! Yes! Who knew there was such a thing! We only stayed to watch a few contestants, but we were impressed by their skills. Again, I wish I knew how to upload videos to Blogger!

This post is getting pretty long, so I'll do a food post separately. I'll end here with a congratulations Boyd Gaming who is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. A lot of the staff were wearing "Cheers to 50 Years" shirts (I asked if customers could buy them, but unfortunately we can't), the table game felts had 50th anniversary branding as well as chips and player's club cards. Happy Birthday Boyd!

Thanks for reading!

More from this trip:

• Vegas Eats 2025

The Vegas Shopping Primer

Since a lot of Mainland stores have opened (Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, Forever 21) or are opening (H&M, Urban Outfitters) in Hawaii, shopping is not that much of a priority for me when in Vegas. But who can resist passing time by shopping or even just window shopping? Not me. Here's my guide to shopping in Vegas.

Fashion Show Mall
Located on the Strip, on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Spring Mountain Rd., Fashion Show Mall is not for the timid. You'll need both time and stamina for this mall. It houses over 250 stores and boasts seven anchor tenants: Macy's, Dillard's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Forever 21 (yes, Forever 21 is considered an anchor store). I won't spend an entire day at Fashion Show Mall anymore for reasons stated, but I will stop by for an hour or so to pop into specific stores such as Zara and TopShop.

Las Vegas Premium Outlet - North
Before this outlet opened, I used to take the 45-minute drive to Primm to shop at Fashion Outlets Las Vegas. Now outlet shopping is very close to home base (especially if you're staying Downtown) with Las Vegas Premium Outlet - North. It offers 150 stores including some high end ones like Burberry, St. John and Dolce and Gabanna. I stopped by Burberry to see what the price point was, and even at 50% off, most things were at least $200 and up!

If you're craving sushi, there is a Makino located here. There's also a Las Vegas Premium Outlet - South (formerly Belz Factory Outlet World -- the carousel is still there), which is located about two and a half miles from the South end of the Strip, and includes 140 stores. Both these malls are managed by the same company as the Waikele Premium Outlet.

Shops at Crystals
If you're in the market for high-end designer clothing, then the Shops at Crystals is for you. Located at Aria at City Center, it is the place to go when looking for designer wear. There's about 30 stores here, including Prada, Gucci, Fendi, Tom Ford and Jimmy Choo. I've yet to step into one of these stores (too intimidating); I've only walked through this high end mall and window shopped. But it's a nice stroll as they have interesting art pieces throughout the center.

Town Square
Located about a mile and a half South of the Strip, Town Square is an outdoor mall that is modeled after a European village. It's like Green Valley Ranch's The District on steroids. You meander through streets lined with shops. For a rest, park yourself on a bench under a tree. If you have kids, there's a great little park and a train. It offers the typical mall-type stores. There's also a Whole Foods and a movie theater.

The Forum Shoppes at Ceasars Palace
Offering 160 mall and high end shops, The Forum Shoppes is a must-visit for the decor alone. It's one of those "indoor as outdoor concepts" that Vegas does so well. You walk on cobblestones paths with clouds overhead in the sky. You pass by fountains and attractions inspired by the Roman Empire.

Until H&M opens in Hawaii, visit their three-story shop (it replaced FAO Schwartz) and then refuel at Max Bremmer for some delicious chocolate (or other) fare. It you love Anthropologie, there's a location here as well.

Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood
This mall used to follow the "indoor as outdoor" concept but it's slowly being renovated. Some of the cobble stone-lined walkways have been traded for hardwood floors and some of the Morrocan theme faces have been replaced with more modern touches.

If you are staying at Planet Hollywood and are renting a car, you're forced to walk through the mall on your way back to your room. It's a long walk when it's late and you're tired.

Miracle Miles does offer an Urban Outfitters, which is accessible from the Strip, as part of its 170 stores.

It also has a rainstorm attraction. I missed it on many of my visits due to timing or maintenance, but this time, I caught the 5 minute (or so) show. It was "meh", but kinda cool for kids.

Regional Malls
Similar to Pearlridge and Windward Mall, Meadows Malls and The Boulevard and regional malls in Vegas. With the same stores found on the Strip, it's not necessary to venture out to these malls, although they are minutes from the Strip.

This is just the tip of the ice berg. There are other tons of places to shop, such as the Mandalay Bay or Wynn, but these are my recommendations. Oh yeah, there's an All Saints at the Cosmopolitan too!

Happy shopping!