Biking From Salzburg to Prague

1. Sobering thoughts The French Quarter may be one of the nation's main party zones, but it has its quiet spots. Duck into Kitchen Witch Cookbooks and you just might find a first-edition M.F.K. Fisher (631 Toulouse St., 504/528-8382, kwcookbooks.com). Arcadian Books & Art Prints is a tight squeeze, but it's a trove of books about Louisiana's history and culture (714 Orleans Ave., 504/523-4138). 2. They put the art in party Held the third Saturday of every month in Markey Park, the Bywater Art Market showcases local artists and a food truck that sells boudin balls (breaded and fried sausage). You'll find paintings, photography, jewelry, and boxes made from recycled lumber. Royal St. and Piety St., art-restoration.com/bam, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 3. High on the hog Culture-conscious chefs are reviving recipes from the old-time boucherie (butchering) tradition. Tory McPhail's dinner menu at Commander's Palace recently offered pork-belly pie and house-made bacon (1403 Washington Ave., 504/899-8221, commanderspalace.com, entrées from $27). At Cochon, chef-owner Donald Link turns boudin balls and cochon de lait (roasted suckling pig) into delicacies (930 Tchoupitoulas St., 504/588-2123, cochonrestaurant.com, entrées from $14). At his newest restaurant, Lüke, John Besh serves choucroute maison, the house sauerkraut, with house-made sausages, pork belly, pig knuckles, and cochon de lait (333 St. Charles Ave., 504/378-2840, lukeneworleans.com, $13). 4. Acadian rhythm A two-hour drive from the city, Breaux Bridge, La., is the perfect place to dip a toe into Acadiana, a.k.a. Cajun Country. Start by tuning the radio to KBON 101.1 FM; DJs speak in the local dialect and play Cajun and zydeco music. Visit Poche's for hog's head cheese and boudin (3015A Main Hwy., 337/332-2108, poches.com) and Mulate's, The Original Cajun Restaurant for gumbo, étouffée, and alligator (325 Mills Ave., 337/332-4648, entrées from $12). The owners of Bayou Cabins, Rocky and Lisa Sonnier, do a trade in cracklings (similar to pork rinds) and sometimes fry breakfast beignets in the fat. "That's some good eating, chère," says Rocky (100 W. Mills Ave., 337/332-6158, bayoucabins.com, from $60). 5. Take me to the river Audubon Park is an urban paradise for golfers, runners, bikers, picnicking families, and napping students. Audubon Zoo is on the grounds, along with one of the city's best views of the Mississippi. At sunset, crowds gather at the riverbank with soccer balls, six-packs, and peel-and-eat crawfish. auduboninstitute.org. 6. Helping hands Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation is helping to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward, with an initial goal of constructing 150 affordable, relatively hurricane-resistant homes (makeitrightnola.org). More than a million people have donated elbow grease, money, and time, and the state of Louisiana has a website—volunteerlouisiana.gov—for people looking to lend a hand. 7. Sounds nice To really savor jazz, go where you can sit. In the French Quarter, the best options are Preservation Hall (726 St. Peter St., 504/522-2841, preservationhall.com, $10) and Fritzel's European Jazz Pub (733 Bourbon St., 504/586-4800, one-drink minimum). Nearby, Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro hosts legends like Ellis Marsalis (626 Frenchmen St., 504/949-0696, snugjazz.com, from $15). 8. Catch-as-catch-candy The first Roman Candy Man, Sam Cortese, entered the taffy-pulling trade in 1915 after he lost his legs in an accident. Today, his grandson Ron Kottemann traverses New Orleans in Sam's old mule-drawn cart, selling vanilla-, chocolate-, and strawberry-flavored Roman Chewing Candy, while Ron's son Daniel sells his wares from a cart at the zoo. romancandy.gourmetfoodmall.com, 75¢. 9. Iris fidelis Louisiana's state flower is the magnolia, but the fleur-de-lis is the ultimate expression of New Orleanian loyalty. Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the iris has been a top choice for tattoos. For a less permanent memento, check out Mignon Faget jewelry (multiple locations, mignonfaget.com) and Scriptura stationery (5423 Magazine St., 504/897-1555, scriptura.com). 10. Storied history It's nearly impossible to make it through a day without hearing about the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, or the pirate antihero Jean Lafitte, or how much of the French Quarter's architecture is actually Spanish. Get beyond local lore at The Historic New Orleans Collection, a museum and research center. 533 Royal St., 504/523-4662, www.hnoc.org, free, tour of the permanent collection $5. 11. Home cooking Zoning laws allow businesses in some residential neighborhoods, so restaurateurs set up shop in cozy houses. Enjoy rabbit-and-andouille gumbo in what feels like a friend's dining room at Brigtsen's Restaurant (723 Dante St., 504/861-7610, brigtsens.com, gumbo $8.75). Dick and Jenny's is a clapboard cottage where soft-shell crabs come in a Thai green curry sauce (4501 Tchoupitoulas St., 504/894-9880, dickandjennys.com, entrées from $16). 12. A ringing endorsement "We're known internationally but not so much locally," says Jill Abbyad, who has run Chimes Bed & Breakfast with her husband for 22 years. Guests enter through a side gate and access the rooms from a communal courtyard. 1146 Constantinople St., 504/899-2621, chimesneworleans.com, from $99. 13. Let the good times roll Mid City Lanes Rock 'n' Bowl is one of the hottest venues for Louisiana-style music and dancing. The ambience is retro, and the clientele is multigenerational. Thursday is Zydeco Night. 4133 S. Carrollton Ave., 504/482-3133, rockandbowl.com, $18 per lane per hour. 14. Rifling through architecture A shotgun house is a narrow, often one-story affair with each room situated behind the other. (The idea is that if you fired a shot at the entrance, it would travel through every room and out the back.) The city's shotguns tend to be colorfully painted; a row of them strikes a picturesque pose. Driving through the Upper Ninth Ward, Bywater, Faubourg Marigny, Irish Channel, Uptown, and Riverbend neighborhoods provides concentrated viewing. New Orleans' Favorite Shotguns, by Mary Fitzpatrick and Alex Lemann, is a useful companion; buy it at the Preservation Resource Center. 923 Tchoupitoulas St., 504/581-7032, prcno.org. 15. Just off the boot A wave of Sicilian immigrants in the early 20th century created some beloved food traditions: muffulettas at Central Grocery Co. (923 Decatur St., 504/523-1620, $13), spaghetti with red gravy and Italian sausage at Mandina's Restaurant (3800 Canal St., 504/482-9179, mandinasrestaurant.com, $12), and gelato and cannoli at Angelo Brocato Ice Cream & Confectionery (214 N. Carrollton Ave., 504/486-1465, angelobrocatoicecream.com). 16. Stars in stripes Seersucker is a summer staple in New Orleans. Perlis, a favorite local clothing retailer, is the place to go to outfit the entire family. Flagship store, 6070 Magazine St., 504/895-8661, perlis.com. 17. What's old is new A close cousin to the old-fashioned, the modern-day Sazerac is a cocktail incorporating rye, Peychaud's Bitters, pastis, sugar, and a lemon twist. Try one at the Hotel Monteleone's rotating Carousel Bar. 214 Royal St., 504/523-3341, hotelmonteleone.com. 18. Gumbo guidelines Every Louisianan has a set of rules about the famous stew: A gumbo must contain a roux; or, a roux isn't necessary if you use okra; or, okra should be used only in seafood gumbos. To taste multiple styles, visit the Gumbo Shop in the French Quarter. 630 St. Peter St., 877/525-1486, gumboshop.com, gumbo from $8. 19. A fresh approach New Orleanians enjoy changes of seasons—seafood seasons, that is. That means oysters during fall and winter, crawfish in spring, and shrimp and crabs all summer long. Casamento's Restaurant, located Uptown, is famous for its raw oysters and fried-oyster loaf (4330 Magazine St., 504/895-9761, casamentosrestaurant.com, oysters $8.75 per dozen). Big Fisherman Seafood specializes in boiled crawfish (3301 Magazine St., 504/897-9907, bigfishermanseafood.com, crawfish $2.50 per pound). And Tommy's Cuisine is revered for its crabmeat au gratin (746 Tchoupitoulas St., 504/581-1103, tommyscuisine.com, entrées from $21). 20. Magnificent MiLa Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing fell in love as young cooks in New Orleans roughly a decade ago and then moved to Manhattan to pursue their big-city dreams. Now they've returned to the South and opened MiLa (an amalgam of Mississippi and Louisiana); they take the products of an area farm and turn sweet potatoes into pappardelle and muscadine wine into a dessert gelée. Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel, 817 Common St., 504/412-2580, milaneworleans.com, entrées from $19. 21. Southern hospitality Two blocks from the French Quarter, the International House hotel offers New Orleans–style glamour with a nod to the city's penchant for superstition. In the plush lobby, a West African fertility bench is covered with so many pillar candles that it seems more like an altar than a decoration. Rooms have bedside tables with cruciform feet, said to act as talismans for guests. 221 Camp St., 800/633-5770, ihhotel.com, from $119. 22. Drink locally Abita Amber, produced by Abita Brewing Company, is a favorite New Orleans brew—the caramel flavor complements long, slow nights. But since its creation after the hurricanes of 2005, Abita's Fleur-de-lis Restoration Ale has become a new favorite. 21084 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs, 985/893-3143, abita.com, brewery tour free. 23. Progressive parties Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs celebrate local traditions by high stepping through the streets in what are called second-line parades. There's always a brass band and sometimes outfits with sashes and feather fans. For routes and to learn more about second-line traditions, visit the Backstreet Cultural Museum. 1116 St. Claude Ave., 504/287-5224, backstreetmuseum.org, $8. 24. Class transit Gravely damaged after Hurricane Katrina, the St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street streetcar lines are operational again. Tourists ride knee to knee with commuters and kids, for whom the streetcars serve as school buses. $1.25 per ride; exact change required. 25. You're invited! Festival season runs spring through fall, and if there's a town, a food, a craft, or a cause, Louisiana celebrates it. You might know the biggies: the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest), French Quarter Fest, and Essence Fest. But what about the Creole Tomato Festival? Or, 85 miles southwest of the city, in Morgan City, the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival? neworleansonline.com/calendar.

Hold a dress rehearsal "Each year before we go, we set up our tent in the backyard or in our living room, roll out the sleeping bags and pads, and spend the night. That gives all of our kids a chance to say, 'I need something softer,' or, 'My sleeping bag isn't warm enough,' before we're in the middle of the woods." —Steve Long, director of government relations, the Nature Conservancy, Boston, Mass. Make food fun "Adults tend to forget to do that. But for kids, roasting marshmallows or the fact that dad can make blueberry pancakes might become the most memorable part of the trip. Another tip is to bring two coolers: one for drinks and snacks that people grab all the time, the other for items only used at mealtimes. That way, kids can pull out a drink or a snack without creating a fuss." —Jim Reid, spokesman for Coleman, a leading manufacturer of camping gear, Wichita, Kans. Involve your children "It's frustrating for kids to sit around and watch you fumble with tent stakes. The more quickly you can say, 'Look, I don't know how to do this, so let's figure it out together,' the faster they'll get involved—and start having fun. Help them relax by lowering your standards. Sometimes their fondest memories will be of things going wrong." —Bill Vecchiarelli, program director, Outward Bound, Midpines, Calif. Stay close to home "Sometimes people think they have to go to the most beautiful park or else they won't have a good experience. But that's not true. Almost everyone lives within an hour of some public forest or park, and those spaces can offer fun experiences—and get you out of your comfort zone—without the hassles of making you travel a long distance." —Adam Howard, editor, Backcountry Magazine, Jeffersonville, Vt. Get up early "You'll have the woods all to yourself. I've learned this lesson during family camping trips. Sure, it's interesting to see how a bear or a buffalo can cause a traffic jam at Yellowstone during the middle of the day. But observing a park when the light has its early-morning exquisiteness, and when the woods are so private, you're sure to find magic moments all your own." —Dayton Duncan, writer and filmmaker, who recently collaborated with Ken Burns on The National Parks: America's Best Idea, which will air on PBS in 2009 Indulge a bit "I'm a minimalist, but I think pillows make everything better. No one can have a good time if he or she hasn't gotten a good night's sleep. And don't forget: A bottle of wine can turn a simple one-skillet meal into a really good one." —Alysia Schmidt, interpretive ranger, National Park Service's Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, Calif. Call a campground manager "Ask key questions. For example: What kind of wildlife may you encounter? If there are bears, you might be required to store food in the trunk of your car or hang it in a tree. In some places at certain times, there are bans on open fires or camp stoves—or rules that you must bring your own wood. And do you need to reserve a spot or buy a permit?" —Jennifer Peter, camping consultant, Girl Scouts of the USA, New York, N.Y. [Editor's note: You can often find the phone number for a campground manager on the Web, such as at the official sites of Kampgrounds of America (koa.com) and the National Park Service (nps.gov).]

GETTING TICKETS Despite the weak buying power of the U.S. dollar in Canada, the Winter Olympics will be relatively affordable. A large chunk of the 1.6 million-seat pool for sport event tickets is priced under $100 each, including all luge, bobsled, and biathlon competitions—and some freestyle skiing races. Even the most popular events, such as giant slalom and speed skating, will offer back-of-the-venue seats for under $100. Even better: Over 100,000 tickets carry a face value of just $25. No, these seats aren't in the inner circle, but you won't feel like you're viewing the action from Mars, either. Vancouver's largest Olympics competition venue, Canada Hockey Place, has about 18,000 seats, making it far smaller than Beijing's 91,000-seat behemoth, National Stadium. In addition, about 800,000 tickets will be available for ceremonies and cultural events at affordable prices. The Vancouver Games kick off in February 2010, but the first round of ticket orders will be placed on October 3, 2008. It is a ticket request lottery, but it's not as random as it sounds, because you can pick the events you prefer to see. Snub the official Games website (vancouver2010.com), which only sells to Canadians. Americans should place ticket orders through two authorized sellers: Jet Set Sports (908/766-1001, jetsetsports.com) and its sister company, CoSport (877/457-4647, cosport.com), which also provide full lists of events to help you choose your favorites. Be ready with your choices on October 3.* The date when remaining tickets will go on sale hasn't been announced yet, but it is expected to fall between early and mid-2009. The second round is not a lottery; buyers will purchase seats directly, at face value, on the Jet Set and CoSport websites. As with any Olympic Games, it's best to keep an open mind about events. Even watching a less glamorous round of preliminary contests live in Vancouver (for between $25 and $80 a seat) will still be more thrilling than watching an Olympic sports event on TV. KEY EVENTS Vancouver will have two Athletes' Villages: one in Vancouver proper and the other at the Whistler Blackcomb Resort, two hours north along the scenic Sea to Sky highway (Route 99). Events will be split between the two locations: The opening and closing ceremonies, freestyle skiing and snowboarding, ice hockey, and figure and speed skating take place in Vancouver and in Richmond (a city roughly a half-hour drive south of Vancouver), while many other events (such as alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled, and ski jumping) are in Whistler. GETTING THERE If you intend to fly directly to Vancouver, book early. Airlines start selling fares about a year in advance, so plan to start looking in February 2009. You could fly to Seattle on a discount airline (Virgin America, JetBlue, and Southwest), and drive three hours to Vancouver, but we don't recommend it: Border-control delays are notoriously unpredictable, and heavy restrictions on roads and parking during the Games will make it a liability to have a car. Other options include Amtrak, which connects downtown Seattle and downtown Vancouver on a roughly four-hour train route that typically costs between $60 and $92 round trip. Buses connect Seattle airport with downtown Vancouver (quickcoach.com and gotobus.com, recently about $100 round trip). GETTING AROUND As we noted, forget about driving to—or in—Vancouver during the Games. Even now, this environmentally minded city is pushing its citizens out of cars and onto bicycles, buses, and mass transit including the SkyTrain and a new rapid transit system, The Canada Line (canadaline.ca), opening in 2009. Don't stress: Vancouver's public transportation system is comprehensive. LODGING Forget staying on the U.S. side; it's simply too far. Seattle, for example, is about 140 miles away, and border-control delays amplify the distance. Greater Vancouver is a major metropolis with nearly 24,000 hotel rooms, offering a variety of lodging choices. But don't wait too long to book. Many hotels will begin taking reservations in early October after tickets go on sale. Act before travel agencies and tour providers book up blocks of rooms. You can cut your costs by staying outside of the city in a neighborhood linked by public transportation. Consider finding a hotel, inn, B&B, or apartment in a suburb such as Burnaby, Horseshoe Bay, or Richmond, which are near Olympic venues. For a greater list of serviced suburbs, check the official public transport site (translink.bc.ca). Some private homes will be offered for rent through traditional travel agents, while others will be rented out via online sites like van2010rentals.com. PACKAGES If you don't want to bother with ticket lotteries, pay a little more for a package that includes tickets and a hotel stay. For example, Sports Traveler, a Chicago-based sports tour operator, provides accommodations ranging from two to five stars, but it won't release its 2010 packages until next year (888/654-7755; sportstraveler.net). CoSport hasn't announced its package prices for the Games in Vancouver yet either, but they'll probably be similar to prices for previous Olympics. Consider that for the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, packages that covered four nights of lodging and tickets to one event, but not airfare, started at about $2,700. PASSPORT PROCEDURES Before the Winter Games commence, the Canada-U.S. border crossing rules will change, and documents such as a birth certificate and an ordinary driver's license will no longer be sufficient for authorities. The simplest, most surefire strategy in 2010 will be to bring your passport. If you need to start from scratch and apply for a new passport, know that it currently costs $100; you may prefer to apply for a passport card, which costs only $45. For more info on passports and passport cards, visit the Department of State website (travel.state.gov). By 2009, some states, such as Washington and New York, will be offering enhanced driver's licenses that will be about as cheap and effective as passport cards. You will be able to use a passport, a passport card, or an enhanced driver's license to enter and exit Canada by car, bus, rail, or cruise ship. If you fly between here and Canada, you'll need a passport. *CLARIFICATION (Oct. 8, 2008). Due to an editing error, the original version of this article included the phrase "The lottery favors early birds." By that phrase, we meant to say that it would be advantageous to apply for tickets in the first round rather than wait. We did not mean to imply that it is a "first-come, first-served" lottery. We should have been more clear in explaining that ticket applications in the first round are given equal weight (and are not prioritized according to the date they were submitted).

Sara Benson: Hello! This is Sara Benson, and I'm thrilled to talk with you today about Las Vegas. Let's get started! _______________________ Belleville, N.J.: Sara, my wife and I have been to Vegas twice together, and naturally, we took a beating at the casinos both times! We may be going back again next month as my wife has to go out there for work, but I doubt I'll be seeing her much during the trip. Any recommendations on what I can do with my time alone, besides laying at the pool? (I'd like to try to avoid gambling in the casinos, since her company is paying for the room and I'd actually like to save the money I'm saving!) Sara Benson: So, you're looking for attractions that are not too temptingly close to casinos and don't cost much, right? That pretty much eliminates the entire Strip! That said, if you have enough willpower to resist stepping inside the gaming areas, there are plenty of low-cost attractions at the Strip's casino hotels, including free shows such as the Bellagio's dancing fountains, the exploding volcano outside the Mirage, the sexy pirate show at TI, circus acts at Circus Circus, celebrity-impersonating "dealertainers" at the Imperial Palace, the wildlife gardens at the Flamingo, the walk-through lion habitat at MGM Grand—the list just goes on, and on. Off the Strip, you can peruse rock 'n roll memorabilia for free on the walls of the Hard Rock casino (though again, don't step up to the gaming tables!) or watch the cheesy sound-and-light shows downtown at the Fremont Street Experience, but it's located on Glitter Gulch's casino row. If you don't mind paying for admission to a place where you can safely spend a few hours away from the ding-ding-ding of the slot machines, zoom up the Stratosphere Tower to test its high-elevation thrill rides. Then head off-Strip to the historical Atomic Testing Museum, the eccentric Liberace Museum or the eco-conscious Springs Preserve, a cultural and natural history museum complex with a "green" desert living center, outdoor xeriscape gardens and interpretive trails atop the original site of the natural springs that gave Las Vegas its Spanish name, "the meadows." _______________________ Portland, Maine: Hi, Sara! I am planning my first visit to Las Vegas coming up in early February. I will be traveling with my girlfriend to celebrate her 50th birthday, but we are not gamblers. I know there are some amazing sights, shows and shopping, and some great natural sights outside the city. But what are the "not-to-be-missed" sights for a first time visitor? Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to reading the chat at the end of my workday. Sincerely, Brad Sara Benson: You're right. Las Vegas has a lot more to offer non-gamblers these days. For starters, see my answer to Belleville, N.J., above. Other not-to-be-missed sights include the neon lights of the Strip at night and the half-scale Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, which has grand Strip views from an outdoor platform high in the air. When it comes to Las Vegas shows, tickets tend to be expensive and can sell out far ahead of time, especially for Cirque du Soleil spectaculars or a Broadway-style production like Jersey Boys at the Palazzo or Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular at the Venetian. If you're not too picky about which shows you see, you can score same-day discounts tickets at Tix 4 Tonight, which has five locations downtown and on the Strip, including at the giant Coca-Cola bottle, just north of the MGM Grand. When it comes to shopping, just about every high-end casino resort, including the Bellagio and Wynn Las Vegas, has a luxurious shopping arcade. The biggest shopping malls on the Strip are the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood and the Fashion Show, north of TI, but the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace and the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian are more better places to stroll while being entertained and doing some window shopping. The discerning Shoppes at Palazzo are anchored by Barneys New York department store. If outlet shopping is more your bag, head west of downtown to the Las Vegas Premium Outlets, the city's best budget-saving shopping pick. For natural escapes from the urban jungle, Red Rock Canyon is just a 30-minute drive from the trip. It should be on everyone's must-see list, but fortunately isn't. The startling contrast between the Strip's artificial neon glow and the awesome natural forces of the canyon can't be exaggerated. A 13-mile, one-way scenic driving and cycling loop passes by panoramic viewpoints, while rugged hiking trails leading to seasonal waterfalls. Even more popular for first-time visitors is the art-deco Hoover Dam, once the tallest in the world, and still an engineering marvel. Bus tours from Las Vegas are a good deal and guarantee a ticket for the tour, which lets you ride an elevator 50 stories down to see the massive power generators, then zoom back up to view the exhibit halls, outdoor spillways and the Winged Figures of the Republic memorial. _______________________ North Vancouver, B.C.: Are there still buffets in Vegas that are a good value? Sara Benson: Definitely. The days of $5 steak-and-eggs buffets after midnight are gone, though. You'll pay through the nose for a top-class buffet at the Wynn Las Vegas or Bellagio resorts, which charge around $15 for breakfast, $20 for lunch and $35 or more for dinner. For solid-gold value on the Strip, my personal favorites are Le Village Buffet for breakfast or brunch at Paris Las Vegas or the Spice Market Buffet for lunch or dinner at Planet Hollywood. If you're going to gorge on seafood, hit Asian-flavored Todai seafood and sushi buffet at the Miracle Mile Shops, next door to Planet Hollywood, or the Village Seafood Buffet over at the Rio casino hotel, west of the Strip—the latter is pricey, but worth it. _______________________ Port Richey, Fla.: My husband and I (50ish) will be staying in Vegas on September 11 and 12th. What is the best low-cost hotel (3 or more on strip or downtown) for a week and weekend day? I'm looking at Harrah's and Hooters at this time. Thanks! Sara Benson: Wherever you stay in Las Vegas, weekend rates are going to be significantly higher than on weekdays. Weekends often required a two-night minimum stay (i.e., no Saturday check-ins). While it might be tempting to mix and match hotels by staying somewhere different each night to score the cheapest rates, I wouldn't recommend that strategy. Honestly, the hassle of changing hotels twice is not worth the cost savings. Because you are leaving less than a month from now, you may find that the cheapest rooms are already gone at casino hotels. However, some of these rooms might be released again a few days before your departure date, if the casino hotel has many cancellations. That said, you probably don't want to wait until the last minute to book your hotel room and take a chance on having nowhere good to stay. Right? Hooters has an inconvenient off-Strip location and a hurly-burly crowd. Harrah's is a reliable standby with a location smack dab in the middle of the Strip. You may be able to find cheaper rates almost next door at the Imperial Palace, although the quality of the rooms doesn't compare. Conveniently, these casino hotels—and many more—are owned by Harrah's, which means you can quickly compare rates for over a half dozen casino hotels, both on and off the Strip, with just one click of the mouse on Harrahs.com. If all that matters to you is paying rock-bottom prices, try the Orleans, located west of I-15 but offering free guest shuttles to the Strip, and the Sahara, on the far northern Strip, but with its own monorail station. If you are willing to pay a little more to stay on the Strip, the Monte Carlo, which suffered a fire in early 2008 but has completely re-opened for business as usual, has been offering some good deals these days. Last but not least, I've often found budget-minded Travelworm to be a better all-around source of Las Vegas casino hotel deals than some competitors like Orbitz. _______________________ Conroe, Tex.: We will be visiting Las Vegas for 3 days and 4 nights the first week in October for my birthday (#38). This will be our seventh trip there. The last time we were there, we had lunch at Bobby Flay's restaurant in Caesars. Is there any other place similar to this in food quality and price? We are not big eaters but we like good tasting food. Sara Benson: Wow, what a question you've asked! There are so many restaurants to choose from in Las Vegas, one could write an entire book about them—in fact, some people have. A few top picks on the Strip that you might enjoy: Olives at the Bellagio; Table 10 or Dos Caminos at the Palazzo; Social House at TI (Treasure Island); Tao or David Burke at the Venetian; or Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at the MGM Grand. If you take time to venture off the Strip, you'll often find better bargains serving outstanding food. I'm a big fan of Firefly, Origin India and Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe along Paradise Road east of the Strip. It's worth driving out to Summerlin, far northwest of the Strip, for long-standing locals' favorite Rosemary's Restaurant or newcomer Vintner Grill—but be sure to make reservations before you do, to avoid disappointment. For the low-down on buffets, see my answer to North Vancouver, B.C., above. _______________________ Union City, Calif.: I am planning a road trip with my mother from Sept 23 thru the 26. My question is: My mother can out gamble me; she can stay up and out all night long. I would like to book a room where I can leave her in the casino and go to bed and not worry about her security. I wanted to spend less money on the room since we only need to sleep and shower but worry that security will not be very good. Also I hear there is some sort of ghost town on the outskirts of Vegas that I am interested in visiting. Do you know anything about this town? Sara Benson: Thankfully, you don't have to sacrifice security to find cheap sleeps in Las Vegas. If you stay at just about any casino hotel, security guards are omnipresent and "eye in the sky" surveillance runs 24/7/365. For you and your mother, I wouldn't hesitate to reserve a hotel room anywhere along the Strip. For some of my favorite budget choices, see my answer to Port Richey, Fla., above. In downtown Las Vegas, casino hotels around Fremont Street can attract a tougher crowd, but the quaint neo-Victorian Main Street Station and the glitzy Golden Nugget are great choices, especially for women travelers. Ghost towns? Nevada is full of 'em, but none are too close to Las Vegas. I'd recommend visiting Death Valley National Park, which has several Old West mining ghost towns. Just east of that national park near Beatty, Nevada, is the ghost town of Rhyolite, which has some impressive ruins, including a skeletal three-story bank and a historic miner's house made entirely of recycled glass bottles. But the place you might be thinking of is Calico Ghost Town, along I-15 east of Barstow, Calif., a convenient stopping point about halfway between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It's he most expensive ghost town to visit, with most of the family-friendly activities such as gold panning and riding the historic narrow-gauge railway priced a la carte. _______________________ Byron, Minn.: We are planning a trip to Las Vegas September 4th-7th. Is a day trip to Death Valley worth the trip? This is specifically a hiking, nature-related weekend trip. Thanks, Craig Sara Benson: Absolutely, although a day trip is really rushing it—make sure you get a very early start! Otherwise, an overnight stay in Death Valley will give you more time to explore and to soak up a fantastic sunset and sunrise. If you're a fan of desert scenery, there are great outdoor-oriented places closer to Las Vegas, such as Red Rock Canyon (see my answer to Portland, Maine, above) and Valley of Fire State Park. Just across the Utah border, Zion National Park is almost the same distance from Las Vegas as Death Valley, and can also be visited as a day trip. For first-time visitors who love hiking and the outdoors, the most popular excursion is to the south rim of the Grand Canyon—if you haven't been there yet, I recommend it highly. Although it's a significantly longer day trip than to Death Valley, there are organized bus tours that you can take, which makes the excursion a little less tiring, if you're willing to sacrifice your travel independence and just go with the flow (e.g., there probably won't be much time for hiking around or down into the canyon). _______________________ Shawnee, Kans.: How efficient and reliable is the public transportation in Las Vegas? If I want to fly in for a short trip, can I easily get from the airport to a strip hotel using the public transit? Sara Benson: To get around Las Vegas without a car, you can rely on a combination of taxi, bus and monorail rides. Occasionally, it may be faster to just hoof it up the Strip, rather than waiting for a double-decker Deuce bus or wending your way through a purposefully confusing casino to the monorail stations hidden out back. But that's only once you've already gotten to the Strip. Coming from the airport, public buses do not travel directly to Strip, although they do connect with a few inconvenient monorail stations and eventually downtown's transportation center. Your cheapest option is to take a free airport shuttle, if your hotel offers one. Otherwise, airport shuttle buses are relatively inexpensive (charging from $6 per person to the Strip), but notoriously slow. If you take a taxi to the Strip, expect to pay at least $15 to $20 or maybe more, depending on your destination. _______________________ Lincoln, Nebr.: What would you consider to be a good, reasonably-priced, central or accessible location for someone to stay if they don't plan to rent a car? Sara Benson: See my answer to Shawnee, Kans., above. If you stay anywhere along the Strip, you won't need a car. Some off-Strip casino hotels such as the Orleans, Rio and Hard Rock provide free guest shuttles to take you to and from the Strip, although they don't run around the clock. Downtown casino hotels are another option, as long as you're prepared to take taxis or ride the slow double-decker Deuce buses south to the Strip. _______________________ Washington, D.C.: I am going with 5 other ladies in December for 4 nights/3 days. I want to stay at the MGM, but a friend of mine seems to think that the Mandalay Bay is the best of the 2. Can you tell me? I am going on a package deal (hotel/flight) but I want a nice bed (2 queen size), smoking, and separate shower/tub, which I see MGM has. Let me know what you think. It is costing us $532.00 for this package including transfers to and from the airport, which is also close, right? Sara Benson: The airport is reasonably close to the south end of the Strip, where both the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay resorts are located. Which hotel is better is a moot point—what matters is the room type that your package deal is offering you. The most basic hotel rooms at the MGM Grand do not offer the same upscale amenities as the freshly renovated rooms that you'll find at Mandalay Bay. Both resorts have amazing pool complexes, but only Mandalay Bay has an artificial beach. In my opinion, the MGM Grand has better-value restaurants, including some designed by star chefs Wolfgang Pack, Michael Mina and Joel Robuchon. The MGM Grand also has its own monorail station and is closer to the rest of the Strip. Mandalay Bay has eclectic shopping in the adjacent Mandalay Place shopping mall, as well as sky-high lounge Mix, which has a glass elevator and sunset views of the desert and mountains. So, which hotel is best? Pick either the one that has the most important perks for you personally, or the one that offers you the highest-class room along with your package deal. Hopefully, those will turn out to be the same place! _______________________ Montoursville, Pa.: In April '09, the World Cup equestrian competition (jumping and dressage) will be held in Las Vegas's Mack Center. I've got tickets that cost a mint and want to save as much as I can elsewhere. I'll be there for about a week. How can I "shoestring" my lodging, food, and transportation requirements? Sara Benson: One of my favorite budget hotels these days is South Point, a short drive or free hotel shuttle ride south of the Strip. With its own equestrian events center, you'll find lots of rodeo folks staying here, too. Spacious, immaculately kept rooms with comfy beds go for as little as $50 on weekdays. If you sign up for the hotel's mailing list, special deals like stay-1-night-get-1-free coupons will be sent to you periodically. If you want to really scrape the bottom of the barrel, boring chain motels line Paradise Rd, east of the Strip. When it comes to transportation, you usually don't need to rent a car in Las Vegas unless you're venturing outside the city limits. You can get around much more cheaply, if slowly using public buses and the monorail system on the Strip. That said, the Thomas & Mack Center is on the UNLV campus east of the Strip, so unless you're willing to walk quite a distance from the nearest bus stop, rent a car or plan on taking taxis a lot. Saving money on food in Las Vegas? That's a tough one. At Strip casino hotels, you'll find a few inexpensive food courts like the Village Eateries at New York¿New York and Cypress Street Marketplace at Caesars Palace. Downtown's Fremont St has cheap, but not necessarily good eats. Some tastier locals' restaurants are found east of the Strip along Paradise Rd and in Chinatown, which sprawls in strip malls along Spring Mountain Rd west of I-15. One last piece of advice about finding hotel rooms so far in advance (i.e., your trip isn't until April 2009). You should search around for a good deal now and make reservations, but also remember to search for bargain hotel room again a few weeks in advance of your trip. If you find an even better deal then, you can often cancel your first hotel reservation. Just be sure check the fine print carefully when you reserve that first hotel room, because some of the best room deals in Las Vegas these days are non-refundable. _______________________ Hunlock Creek, Pa.: Which hotels have the best view of McClaren Airport? I'm looking for a hotel from which I can watch the jets landing and taking off. Thanks, Jack Sara Benson: Now, that's a question I've never heard before. While some high-rise casino hotels on the east side of Strip may have airport views, you can't guarantee that you'll get an upper-floor room facing exactly the right direction when you check in. However, if you love to watch jetliners take off and land, then I've got just the place for you. On the north side of Sunset Rd, east of the Strip between Paradise Rd and Eastern Ave., there's a plane spotters' parking lot that affords perfect views of McCarran's parallel runways. Enjoy! _______________________ New York City, N.Y.: How can I get the cheapest tickets for shows like Love and Bette Midler? I'll be in Las Vegas in early December. Thank you. Sara Benson: Whew! You've named two of the most popular shows playing in Las Vegas now. It's unlikely that there would be same-day discount tickets available at Tix 4 Tonight (see my answer to Portland, Maine, above) during your trip, and you'd be taking quite a chance by waiting that long—you might miss out on seeing these shows entirely. To be safe, you should probably buy your tickets now and pay full-price. But check online to see if the casino resorts where these shows are playing (Caesars Palace for Bette Midler, the Mirage for Love) are offering any stay-and-play package deals that include discounts on show tickets. That might save you money, although take time to compare these special package offers with the cheapest rates otherwise available for online bookings at those hotels. Sometimes (but not always) Las Vegas casino-hotel packages turn out to be more expensive than the sum of their parts, booked separately. _______________________ Silverthorne, Colo.: We will be visiting Las Vegas on October 8 and 9, 2008. We have never been to a show there and will only have time to attend one. What suggestions do you have? We are three adults and it is a first visit for our adult son. Thank you! Sara Benson: Personally speaking, I think that most shows in Las Vegas are overpriced, but you definitely get what you pay for. Skimp on tickets to a daytime variety show, and you'll probably walk away disappointed. If you're only going to see one show, go big—see a Cirque du Soleil production (Mystere at TI is usually the least expensive, and sometimes same-day discount tickets are available at Tix 4 Tonight—see my answer to Portland, Maine, above), a famous entertainer like Bette Midler or a Broadway-style production like Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular, which has its own custom-built theater at the Venetian with an on-stage lake and special effects like fireworks and an exploding chandelier. If all of these shows are already sold-out, you can sometimes still get tickets to other Broadway musicals like Jersey Boys or Mamma Mia!. If you're looking for a vintage Vegas experience and don't mind a little kitsch, go see The Rat Pack is Back! at the Plaza downtown on Fremont Street—the Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. impersonators are a hoot. _______________________ Silver Spring, Md.: Are there any shows for adults that are not R-rated, other than magic? I'd like to take my husband to see something musical that doesn't distract him from me! Sara Benson: Fear not: topless girlie shows are only a small fraction of what casino-hotel showrooms and theaters offer these days. If you like the music of the Beatles, go see Cirque du Soleil's Love at the Mirage. For traditional Broadway musicals, there's Jersey Boys at the Palazzo, Mamma Mia! at Mandalay Bay and Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular at the Venetian. You could also go see Bette Midler at Caesars Palace. For musical celebrity impersonators, Legends in Concert at the Imperial Palace is a less-expensive ticket. If you just want to hear music without all the trappings of a show, check out what's playing at the House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay; the Pearl at the Palms, west of the Strip; or the Joint at the Hard Rock, east of the Strip. _______________________ Highland, Mich.: Other than the Golden Nugget, are there any other good places to stay in downtown Las Vegas? It always seems kind of "gritty" down there, compared to the Strip. Sara Benson: I know what you mean, but I've always found Main Street Station to be a good deal, with well-kept rooms and a genial atmosphere. The two-block walk to Fremont Street can be a bit dicey at night, however. See also my answer to Union City, Calif., above. _______________________ Rockville, Md.: My husband and I are going to Vegas for our one-year anniversary. Is there any really good sushi on the Strip? Also, any romantic things you recommend? Sara Benson: You've hit on two of my favorites things, food and romance. I'm a sushi fanatic and I used to live in Japan, but until recently, I've found sushi bars in Las Vegas not to be on a par with places nearer the California coast, which makes sense. That said, I recently had one of the most fantastic meals of my life (and this is coming from a veteran travel writer, who always does restaurant reviews anonymously and pays her own way) at SushiSamba inside the new Palazzo casino hotel. They have both authentic Japanese sushi, sake and robatayaki grill dishes, along with South American fusion tastes, plus a vibrant atmosphere that's almost like a nightclub. I've also heard good things about Koi, an LA import at Planet Hollywood, but the place has been fairly empty both times I've stopped by to take a look, so I haven't personally tried it yet. Another under-the-radar sushi bar that attracts a lot of Asian tourists is Shibuya at the MGM Grand. If it's quantity that you're really after, try Todai seafood and sushi buffet at the Miracle Mile Shops, next to Planet Hollywood. For romance, the possibilities are endless. I always find that "ultra lounges," with their exotic cocktails and super-cool vibes, really heat things up. Mix lounge atop THEhotel at Mandalay Bay has sky-high views of the Strip with all its neon blazing at night. Another thing that could heighten the romantic factor for your trip is to book a sexy suite—I recently stayed at the new Palms Place, west of the Strip, and loved the modern decor, Strip views, in-suite kitchen and uncrowded swimming pool and spa. Other romantic suites that I prefer on the Strip include the Venetian and Palazzo, the MGM Grand (Signature Suites or Skylofts), Wynn Las Vegas and THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. Downtown, the Golden Nugget's Gold Club Rooms are also fantastic, though they're not as roomy as suites, of course. _______________________ Arlington, Va.: Any recommendations on good reasonable restaurants—we are going in October. Thanks! Sara Benson: See my answer to Conroe, Tex., above. _______________________ Garfield, Ariz.: We will be going to Las Vegas next month for a week. What hotels are the cheapest, but the cleanest? Age doesn't matter; I just need it clean. Thanks, Sharon Sara Benson: See my answers to Port Richey, Fla.; Union City, Calif.; and Lincoln, Nebr.; and Montoursville, Pa.; above. _______________________ Albany, N.Y.: My daughter and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas 11/13 - 11/16/08. She has a credit with Southwest that has to be used by January '09. We have never been to Las Vegas and were hoping to find a decent place to stay (with airport shuttle service) within our budget(flight and hotel around $1000.00). Your expertise would be very helpful. I really enjoy your magazine! Sara Benson: You've started planning at the right time. Three months before any trip to Las Vegas should be enough advance notice to score some really good hotel deals. Because you're staying over a weekend, expect to pay upwards of $200 per night for a casino hotel on the Strip. You can get a pretty good idea of the going rates by plugging in your travel dates at Travelworm.com and re-ordering the search results by price. Then, pick a few casino hotels that fit within your budget and go directly to their websites to look for the "Special Offers" or "Package Deals" tab. Sometimes, booking directly with Las Vegas casino hotels can save you money, whether you reserve their cheapest online rates or book an entire package deal. By that, I mean a room with extra perks (e.g., discounted show tickets, casino dining credits) and not a flight-and-room combo, as it sounds like you already have your flights sorted out. Some major casino resorts offer airport shuttle service, but if not, just take a taxi, which should only cost you $15 to $20, maybe a little more. _______________________ Sara Benson: Thanks to everyone for sending in their questions about Las Vegas today. This is Sara Benson, author of Lonely Planet's Las Vegas and Encounter Las Vegas guidebooks, signing off.