Know Your Surroundings: Monte Carlo

The fourth installment of our "Know Your Surroundings" series is on Monte Carlo. The casino at Monte Carlo is by no means extravagant, but it has long been a favorite of ours because it plays its part. By that, I mean that it doesn't try and be something it is not. It is defined as a more casual casino and therefore typically attracts a less sophisticated crowd.


Monte Carlo's casino is unique in that it's one of the few of the larger casinos that it is nearly impossible to get lost in. (or at least confused as to where you are) It's one giant room centered with gaming tables which are surrounded by many slot machines. It has little to no sports book though, but they do make a mean bloody mary at the bar.

There is a centrally located restroom in the heart of the casino near the cafe. While we cruised back to the Bellagio in the wee hours of the night in March, twice we dined at the MC cafe. It is by no means special, but as a late night snack it's a nice pit stop. I enjoyed a burger one night and an omelet the next.

There are two other restaurants of note at MC. First, the Dragon Noodle, Co. is a pretty tasty Chinese restaurant. I highly recommend it for a lunch, but only if you plan to not wander the city much. The food is almost certain to please you, while at the same time slowing you down drastically. Don't expect to have room for copious amounts of tasty fluids in the hours following your dining experience. Secondly, the Monte Carlo Brew Pub & Brewery is a decent pub and by far MC's best establishment.

This map is a shade dated as the Hypermarket Convenience store is no longer there.
I'll always miss stopping there for a Labattes Blue when departing on the south side. Beers there weren't severely overpriced as is common at nearly all Las Vegas bars.

See the archives here:

Know Your Surroundings: Paris

Know Your Surroundings: Caesars

Know Your Surroundings: Bellagio

Know Your Surroundings: Paris

The third installment of our "Know Your Surroundings" series is on Paris. From here on out I'm going to make comments about any other notables in addition to the ever-important restroom locations.



The casino at Paris is set up a little differently than the previous two I've documented so far. There's really only one central gambling zone. (excluding the poker room which was recently moved inside the already itty bitty sports book) As a result, less is needed to recall here. Just remember, a convenient restroom is located below Risque, which is a decent nightclub with balconies overlooking the strip.

Also, one of our favorite places to eat is at Paris. The French steakhouse Mon Ami Gabi is a great choice for a many reasons as was detailed in our review.

Lastly, if your inevitable Vegas thirst has you near Gustav's bar in the center of the Paris casino, make sure to "ok" your drink prior to wandering off. We had to make an embarrassing walk back to the bartender in March after my Rum & Diet was almost all rum. All in all, it's better than the alternative, but do be careful as we are always reminding ourselves that Las Vegas is not a race.

See the archives here:

Know Your Surroundings: Caesars

Know Your Surroundings: Bellagio

Know Your Surroundings: Caesars Palace

If you recall, I recently posted about knowing where the ideal gambling stations are at the Bellagio in relation to nearby restrooms. Today, I'm presenting the second installment of this endless series on Caesars Palace. Caesars has long been a difficult place for me to gamble for 2 reasons: 1) I can't win there (so until I found this map, I had no clue where the cage was) and 2) The restrooms were so hidden or noneexistent. This isn't necessarily true any longer and as you'll see below, Caesars has made the restrooms much more accessible.



One other little tidbit is the top restroom on the map is very close to the casino entrance from the Forum shops. If you've made the long walk through the shopping area then you no doubt must visit this restroom. It's easily overlooked though because you have to take an escalator down to it. Enjoy.

Know Your Surroundings: Bellagio

Vegas Survival Tip #3: Know Your Surroundings

As everyone knows Vegas is very dry and usually extremely warm. As a result, dehydration is rampant. To combat this I have a drink with me at all times. It's usually a refreshing Ten & Tonic or one of the many other drinks we here at VegasRy love. These beverages have been documented in great detail in several past posts and in many yet to come. By combatting dehydration, you'll have little concern about bottle lip which is very common in Vegas. (Bottle lip can also be prevented by drinking only non-bottled drinks.) Anyways, back to the real reason for this post. A lot of good things come from staying hydrated. To name a few: you're healthier, less of the aforementioned bottle lip, clearer complexion, enhanced libido etc. One downside does exist though and that is you will inevitably need to dispose of all that liquid at some point. And once you do, you'll need to more and more frequently throughout the day. As a result, you must keep this in mind when choosing where to gamble. I make sure to only shoot craps at a table that is near a public restroom. In the rare event that this table is rediculously hot and I have an uncontrollable urge, I can make a swift run to relieve my humanly needs and return in as little time as possible. Time is precious because you never know when the tide will turn and house edge will kill the momentum. It's best to scope out the casino for the best-accessed restrooms from the floor and then choose a gaming table or machine of your fancy nearby. Cheers!

Here is a map of Bellagio's Casino floor with the optimal location for gaming in relation to the nearest restroom.