Great map of Vegas strip and casinos

Looking for a great map of the Vegas strip - check out these two:

http://wizardofvegas.com/maps/black_map.jpg

(the one below even shows  where Walgreens/CVS are located)

http://www.lasvegasstripmap.info/lasvegasstripmap.htm

Video of Aria publicity pictures

Here's what it takes to take those glorious publicity pictures we see of Vegas hotels and casinos - and for that matter, the pics we see of cruise ships, hotels, spas and other exciting destinations. Watch carefully - it's quick time-lapse photos of the set up and then a look at the final photograph for each set up.

Vegas Baby! from TNC NYC on Vimeo.

Thanks to one of my fave blogs, Vegas Tripping, for finding this gem.

2009 Trippies - best and worst of Vegas - are in

Vegas Tripping has posted this year's Trippies, which for those who don't know, is the Oscar of all things Las Vegas.

Every year hoards of Vegas residents, fans, fanatics etc vote on the best and worst in several categories - downtown hotel, strip hotel, casino, slots, buffet, etc etc. In addition to the reader votes, the site has an editor-recommended vote for best/worst in each category.

If you pride yourself on keeping up with what's working well in Vegas, and which once-hot-place is now so-yesterday, this is it.

Trippies

Gaming Guide - an overview of craps, poker, let it ride and more

Thanks to Vegas Tripping I came across the gaming guide on the CityCenter (Aria) web site. This is a handy reference including pictures of the table layouts for many games.

It's not completely intuitive - but when you get to the front page of the guide there is a pull down menu on the bottom left. Just select the game you want to find, and when it comes up on the screen, double click to enlarge the image. Poker, BlackJack, Craps, Let it Ride etc are all explained, and it's enough information to get you acquainted.

By way of critique, I can't image why they printed the copy in a hard-to-read light blue, but I've long-since learned that web designers without serious UI experience are prone to sell clients on silly design errors, and no one says,"You're an idiot."

Vegas casinos in general don't pay serious attention to the usability of their web sites, and frequently stint on information or include design tactics that no respectable dot com would ever do. For that matter, most casinos suffer from design problems in all their materials. Caesars Palace once sent out a magazine that was so unreadable throughout that I wrote the general manager (and to his credit, it did improve in future editions.

Well, all that is another story, for another time. For now, bookmark the Aria gaming guide and the next time someone says, "I'd like to play craps but it looks so intimidating..." you know where to go.

Batali launches farmers market at Palazzo

Whodda thought that the Daily Fiasco, the hot spot for the inside word on everything about the club scene throughout Vegas, would be the online source making a splash with news that Chef Mario Batali kicked off Bet on the Farm at Palazzo.

The idea is to promote sustainable food and wine, showcasing produce from regional growers, bread from local bakers and eco-friendly wine. Batali and Joe Bastianich’s restaurants Carnevino at Palazzo and B&B Ristorante and Enoteca San Marco at The Venetian are the first two Certified Green Restaurants on the Strip, as per the Green Restaurant Association.

(Photo by Erik Kabik | Retna)

No porta-potty this - Venetian up for best bathroom

Thank you, thank you, to the Las Vegas Sun, without which I would have missed this news (and I'm not being sarcastic - I consider myself quite the bathroom critic).

I highly recommend you click over to the Sun to see which other bathrooms are nominated, and discover how you can help out the Vegas economy by voting Venetian.

Venetian restaurant up for top honors — for bathroom
By Amanda Finnegan · June 1, 2009 · 5:10 PM

The Venetian has won a slew of accolades over the years, including top awards like the AAA Five Diamond Award and Mobil Four Star Award. But soon the luxury property may be adding one of the most bizarre to its lengthy list.

The Venetian’s upscale Italian restaurant, Zeffirino Ristorante, is up for the award. It’s not for the food or the service or the ambiance, but the bathroom. The restaurant’s restroom is one of 10 finalists in the America’s Best Public Restroom contest, presented by Cincinnati-based Cintas Corporation...