Trevor & Lesley's Travel Tips: Las Vegas Road Trip

So Lesley and I headed out to Las Vegas a couple weekends ago for the BYU/UNLV game. We had a blast and learned a few things in the process. In light of our newfound knowledge and wisdom, we feel it necessary to share those insights we have gained. As such, we are starting a new addition to our blog: Trevor & Lesley's Travel Tips. It will show up from time to time after vacations to help you out in your own travels. You may want to add a new bookmark to your browser :)

Tip #1: Go to a BYU game. First and foremost.....if you can see a BYU game while you're in Las Vegas, be sure to do it. After all, they're pretty much the home team.

Tip #2: Avoid the strip. If you have been to Las Vegas before and have already done the strip....avoid it. There's more to Las Vegas than flashing lights and little Hispanic guys with strip club flyers. If you've never done the strip before, then go. But if you've been there, done that, stay away. The traffic, people congestion, and prices are much less off the strip. And you won't get suckered into walking 4 miles because it's "just 2 more hotels down." Sidenote: There's a Cheesecake Factory in Henderson that's twice as close to Sam Boyd Stadium, has half the line, and is just as good.

Tip #3: Try to find someone to mooch off.....just kidding Allison! But really, everyone knows someone from Vegas. If you're at BYU, or went to BYU, I guarantee you know someone who has family that lives in Vegas. Sure it may be a little awkward to stay with your Relief Society President's parents that you've never met, but you don't have to pay, they know their way around things, and if they're as hospitable as the Martins (doubtful), you'll feel right at home. It's like being on the road while staying at home. Special shout-out and thank you to the Martins for everything. And in our case, this travel tip to mooch was made even better by the scenery on the walls which included: a bear, moose, warthog, hyena(we slept under it), zebra skin, leopard, and even a wild cat.

Tip #4: Playoffs Sports Bar. About an hour outside of Las Vegas is the booming town of Mesquite. You might be thinking about catching a breakfast buffet at the casino there. Don't. It's gross. Instead, drive past the casino along the main road until you find Playoff's Sports Bar. They have a great 2-for-1 breakfast deal that is some of the best in the business. It seemed almost too good to be true, but when I asked the waitress how the whole 2-for-1 breakfast thing worked she said, "It's real easy. You get two meals.....you pay for one." Same great Vegas taste, unforgettable Mesquite price. It was quite the find.

Tip #5: Take a detour. On our way back we went hiking in Zion National Park with Jeris and Suzanna Hobbs. It broke up the monotony of the drive and allowed us to visit a place that we probably would not have made a whole trip out of. When hiking in Zion National Park, you have to climb Angel's Landing and you absolutely have to go all the way to the top. If you stop before the summit you've missed the best part of the hike and the best scenery. If you can take the Hobbses with you, do it. They're great entertainment.

Well that does for this first edition of Trevor & Lesley's Travel Tips. Stay tuned for more helpful insights and humorous witticisms. Coming soon................................. San Francisco