The Jeff Does Vegas Podcast

Welcome to another world famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This is an episode that's been almost 2 years in the making, chronicling my & my wife's most recent trip to Las Vegas, from December 11th-18th, 2021.  This was also my first trip to Vegas since January 2020, which was right before COVID-19 shut down the world. Being that this was our first trip in a very long time, we covere...

Admittedly, this episode is a bit of a "cheater", in that it's not a really a new episode per se; it's a slightly repackaged version of one of my favorite episodes from my spin-off podcast,  Sin City Stories , where I take deep dives into Las Vegas history. So why am I doing this?  Well, I'll tell you... December 26, 2021 marks the 75th Anniversary of the opening of one of the...

Sin City has served as the setting for dozens of movies over the last 75 years.  Drama, comedy, horror, action...films of every genre have used Las Vegas as a backdrop.  And if you've ever wanted to visit the spots where some of your favorite Vegas movie scenes were filmed and get the backstory on those scenes, my guest for this episode of the podcast has you covered. Chris Ramirez is the CEO...

I love having other Vegas content creators on the podcast.  It's always a blast having conversations with people are as equally - or even more - passionate about Las Vegas as I am. My guests for this episode are Jordan & Ashden, the creators of Show Me Vegas on YouTube. Hailing from Missouri, the couple makes frequent trips to Las Vegas, sharing their adventures with their 3500+ subscriber...

My guest for this episode of the podcast is "Best of Vegas" award-winning trumpeter, composer, producer and conductor, David Perrico. If you've ever spent any time at the legendary Cleopatra's Barge in Caesars Palace , there's a very good chance you've seen David performing with his Pop Strings Orchestra, in which he takes some of the best musicians in Las Vegas and fuses t...

"VEGAS BABY!!!" That's the battle-cry heard in pretty much every airport around the world, as groups of guys get set to board their flights for what they hope will be the ULTIMATE guys' trip to Las Vegas.  But will it be a trip to remember for all the WRONG reasons?  My guest for this episode is here to help make sure that's NOT the case. David Demontmollin is a 20-plus-year ca...

Below the glitz & glamour of the Vegas Strip lies a massive network of underground tunnels .  In addition to serving the practical purpose of directing flash flood water away from the big casinos & resorts, the tunnels have become a living space for hundreds, if not thousands, of homeless people in the city of Las Vegas. My guest for this episode of the podcast is intimately familiar with...

"The only constant in life is change" - Heraclitus There's nowhere else in the world where that statement is more accurate than Las Vegas. It's constantly evolving, always trying to find new ways to bring new people - and revenue - to the city.  And from the late 1980's through to the early 2000's, Las Vegas made the conscious decision to cater to a group of travellers whom...

I've covered a lot of Las Vegas history on this podcast, but something I've never really taken a deep dive into are some of the fascinating true crime stories from the city's past.  There's a lot of info out there about some of the more "notorious" cases, but my guests for this episode like to focus on some of the lesser-known crime stories. Anthony & Meagan Smith are t...

After operating for almost 25 years, the former Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - just off the Vegas strip at the corner of Harmon Avenue & Paradise Road - shut its doors on February 3, 2020 in preparation for a massive re-brand and renovation to become the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas , which officially opened in March 2021. In addition to being Sir Richard Branson's first entry into the Vegas ma...

"Probably Biased.  Definitely Honest." Sam Novak has been been using that tag line over the last few years for his blog, Vegas Unfiltered. Sam has become known around Las Vegas as the guy who isn't scared to share his opinion.  Whether it's a show, restaurant, hotel or any other Vegas attraction, if it's a complete and total train-wreck, he'll tell you exactly that.  Howeve...

When it first opened on July 1, 1971, at the corner of First and Main in Downtown Las Vegas, The Plaza Hotel & Casino was billed as "the largest hotel & casino in the world" with more than 500 rooms on the property. Over the last half-century, in addition to cementing itself in Las Vegas pop culture, the property itself has seen a variety of changes.  It's been through renovati...

Wow.  Honestly, I can't believe I've reached this milestone: 100,000 total downloads. Again...WOW.  To the listeners, to the guests, and to everyone who helped me get to this point...an absolutely MASSIVE "Thank You". Let's celebrate together! And, get ready for LOTS of new episodes coming soon! __________________________________________________________________________ Don'...

Las Vegas is built on dreams. Whether it's the people who travel to the city every year dreaming of scoring a big jackpot or the investors, developers, designers and architects who dream of having their next big project come to life on the world-famous Vegas Strip. Unfortunately, not every dream comes true. From a resort based on a disastrous maiden voyage, to a hotel & casino built around...

Warning: This episode of Sin City Stories contains descriptions of an event that some listeners may find disturbing or triggering. Listener discretion is advised. October 1, 2017. It's a date burned into the memories of both Las Vegas residents and visitors. On that day, the Vegas Strip - a spot normally associated with fun and frivolity - became a site of terror for thousands attending a near...

The 1995 movie, "Casino" directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone is, in my opinion, an absolute classic and a must-watch for anyone at all interested in Las Vegas. The film - which just celebrated its 25th anniversary - tells the story of Sam "Ace" Rothstein, an expert sports-handicapper who's sent to Las Vegas by the Chicago Outfit t...

I do A LOT of solo traveling, particularly to Las Vegas - but I've also done solo trips to other cities including Seattle, Toronto and Los Angeles. People often ask me what the appeal is of traveling solo.  Don't I get bored?  Do I worry about my safety?  What does my wife think about me traveling solo?  (The answers to those questions are, in order: no, no and she's fine with it since...

One of my favourite things about being a frequent Vegas visitor and having friends who live there has been them taking me away from the tourist areas to check out some of the locals' spots around the city. And I've been noticing more and more lately that people have been asking about these locals' spots; they want to know some of the cool places around Las Vegas where the residents go...

I think we've all had that experience where a bunch of time passes and we have no idea where it's gone.  Whether it's while driving down the highway, surfing social media or - sitting at a slot machine in a casino in Las Vegas. But what causes that effect?  Why do our brains drift away like that and take us out of reality? My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to help us und...

I always love having other "Vegas fanatics" on the podcast, and my guest for this episode definitely falls into that category! Joining me from "across the pond" is Steve White, better known on Twitter as @LasVegasUK .  If you've ever listened to the ZorkCast presented by TravelZork , you'll recognize Steve as the British half of the show.  Steve is also extremely well-verse...

My guest for this episode is a Vegas Showgirl - and I'm not talking about the "showgirls" you see strolling the strip, posing for pictures with tourists.  I mean, a LEGIT Las Vegas Showgirl. Dani Elizabeth began dancing as a small child - and she just never really stopped. Growing up in upstate New York, Dani studied marketing & advertising in University and continued to dance thro...

Only twice in recent history, has Las Vegas seen a so-called "shutdown" of the famed Vegas Strip. In November 1963, casinos closed their doors for a National Day of Mourning following the assassination of then-US President John F. Kennedy.  That closure lasted about 17 hours and even then, only a few casinos took part with several just shutting down their gaming areas for the duration of t...

Las Vegas is officially the magic capital of the world, currently playing host to multiple magic shows - not to mention some of the legendary performers who've graced the Vegas Strip throughout its history. My guest for this episode of the podcast is Jen Kramer, who's currently headlining "The Magic of Jen Kramer" at the famed Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino , which she open...

Back in September 2019, I released an episode titled "Vegas FAQ" , which was essentially a round up of the Vegas-related questions that I was seeing posted over and over again on Twitter & Facebook as well as the questions that I personally was being asked most often. I covered a ton of material in that episode; everything from money & budgets to booze, week & prostitution laws...

There's no doubt that Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world.  Anywhere you go in the city - whether on The Strip or off - you're going to find some of the most insanely talented people on the planet working as headliners in showrooms, busting their rear-ends in various casino lounges and everywhere in between. I've been lucky enough to have several of them appear as guest...