QUESTION #6

Hello, I was wondering if you had any ideas for a 25th wedding anniversary or if you can pan for gold in Vegas.

Sabrina, Omaha, NE | February 3, 2019

Hi Sabrina! First of all, congratulations on 25 years of marriage! That’s certainly an accomplishment. As a newly minted 25 year old, it’s hard to imagine living with someone else for 25+ years… I’ve had a hard enough time living with myself over the past 2.5 decades.

I can’t think of a better place to celebrate a quarter century of marriage than Sin City!

 

PANNING FOR GOLD

Silver state, north in Reno or California for gold

As far as I know, there isn’t any place to pan for gold in Las Vegas proper. Nevada is known as the Silver State, whereas California has more gold.

That said, the closest option appears to be the Eldorado Canyon Mine, which is about 45 minutes south of the Strip and offers a tour that includes a gold panning experience.

A highly coveted Silver Strike token (worth $10) in the wild at the Four Queens casino.

If you’re set on looking for some precious metal within the city limits of Las Vegas, you can hunt some Silver Strike tokens Downtown at the Four Queens. There are a couple of single line three-reel quarter machines there, and if you land the Silver Strike logo on the pay line, you’ll get a $10 silver token that’s encased in plastic. You can cash this in at the cashier, or keep it as a souvenir.

 

HOTEL

Depending on your budget, you may want to consider a fancier hotel to celebrate your anniversary. Be sure to let the agent know it’s your anniversary when booking (or leave a note if you do it online), and they may give you a free upgrade if it’s available when you check in.

The view from my 56th floor Cosmopolitan Fountain View Terrace, where I celebrated my 25th Birthday.

The Cosmopolitan offers my favorite view of Las Vegas, all from a private balcony. If you want to feel like a high-roller, look for a room that says “Fountain View Terrace” in its description. If any of these rooms are at all in your price range, you will not be disappointed.

The Wynn and Encore are two luxurious hotels on the north end of the Strip, and Aria is a swanky hotel towards the center of the Strip. The Venetian and Palazzo also have nice, but pricy, rooms. All of these hotels fall under the “splurge” category, with average room rates starting in the mid-100s per night before resort fees. These are ideal if you want to relax in the room and order room service. If you can find them at/under $120 a night before resort fees, these will provide an incredible

If you’re not looking to blow your budget on a hotel, any major hotel on the Strip should do. There are currently some great deals through Caesars Rewards, so sign up and check out their rates. The only Caesars property I would avoid is the Rio, as it is far off the Strip. On the M Life side, I would avoid Excalibur, Circus Circus, and the Pyramid Rooms at the Luxor (although the tower rooms are newly renovated and reportedly quite nice). My personal favorites are the LINQ or Flamingo, due to their affordable rates and great location in the middle of the action on the Strip.

Downtown also offers some nice values. The Golden Nugget is the fanciest hotel downtown, and is currently running a promotion where you can book without Resort Fees, which will save you ~$30 a night. The rooms at The D are also nice, but quite pricy for Downtown. The rooms at Fremont, Main Street Station, Four Queens, and El Cortez are all dated but serviceable. The California rooms are recently renovated and are nicer, but relatively small.

I’d recommend searching Vegas.com for the dates you’ll be in town to find out the general price range you’re looking at. Then check SmarterVegas.com to see if there is a promotion going on (you can sometimes get resort credit or free buffet passes.) Lastly; go to the hotel’s websites and see if you can get a cheaper rate booking direct with your players card. Avoid third-party sites like Expedia and Priceline, as they will try and sell you a room that is not on the Strip (dreaded “Strip-adjacent” hotels include the Palms, Rio, Stratosphere, SLS, Westgate, and any other hotel you haven’t heard of.)

As you narrow down your hotel options, I’d be happy to share feedback on the different properties you’re considering if you leave a comment below.

 

RESTAURANTS

I normally eat on the cheap in Vegas, but I’m guessing that you may want to go to a fancy meal to celebrate your anniversary. I haven’t been to any of the below restaurants myself, but I’ve heard rave reviews from friends with more expensive tastes than me.

If you’re a brunch fan, Bally’s Sterling Brunch is one of the swankiest brunch buffets around. The bottomless Veuve champagne, endless fresh oysters, lobster tail, premium seafood, and lamb will make for a fancy and delicious brunch; the admission will set you back about $100 per person, though, and they recommend making reservations months in advance.

If you’re looking for a steakhouse, there are many options. I’ve personally dined at BLT Steak, which I enjoyed, but found a bit expensive for what it was; while the popovers were delicious and the steak was cooked perfectly, the sides were underwhelming given the price. Charlie Palmer’s Steakhouse at the Four Seasons comes highly recommended from the crew at Faces and Aces Podcast. Downtown Las Vegas should offer your best values here, with the Top of Binion’s Steakhouse which offers a great view of Las Vegas in addition to an extensive menu, as well as Andiamo’s, an Italian steakhouse.

Hugo’s Cellar may be the quintessential romantic dinner destination, though. Famous for its tableside salad cart and classic ambience, this would be my hands-down pick for where to go if you want to splurge for a meal. Check out their menu and/or make reservations here.

 

ATTRACTIONS

Taking in the dazzling lights of Las Vegas by night is pretty romantic, and viewing it from high up is even better. You may want to head over to Paris (since it is the city of love, after all) to soak in the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower Experience. You can also enjoy it from 550 feet inside a pod on the High Roller at the LINQ. If you’re staying at a Caesars property, you should be able to get a discount on admission to either attraction; you can also often find a discounted ticket through Groupon or Living Social.

While you may have missed your chance to get married in Vegas 25 years ago, it’s not too late to renew your vows in Sin City! If you’d like, many wedding chapels will renew your wedding vows (Elvis impersonator optional). This can be a light-heartedly romantic way to celebrate the next 25 years and beyond. While I (fortunately) don’t have any experience with Vegas wedding chapels, Google has a wealth of reviews for the many chapels up and down the Strip.

 

I hope that helps a bit! If you have any questions or want more specific recommendations, please comment below and I’d be happy to oblige!

 

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