Famous people who were born or raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Many world-famous people were born or raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 

You may have heard that Paula Abdul and Justin Bieber spent time in Winnipeg as kids, but they did not go to school here or live here for extended periods. 

You also probably heard of several of the amazing people listed below depending on your hobbies and interests.

They should inspire Winnipeggers to reach for the stars because anything is possible. 

Here are just a few of the most famous and important people with a connection to Winnipeg that make us proud:

• cancer fund-raising marathoner and Canadian hero Terry Fox,
• Metis political leader and hero Louis Riel,
• politician and father of Canadian Medicare Tommy Douglas,
• business mogul and driving force behind the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Izzy Asper,
• the bear that was the inspiration for Disney’s beloved Winnie the Pooh,
• the man who named and designed Bugs Bunny, Charles Thorson,
• actors Adam Beach, Len Cariou, Mimi Kuzyk, Anna Paquin and Nia Vardalos,
• real life spy and James Bond inspiration Sir William Stephenson,
• 2019 Nobel Prize winning physicist P. J. E. (James) Peebles,
• musicians Neil Young, Tom Jackson, William Prince, Fresh IE, Faouzia, and Chantal Kreviazuk,
• Irvine Robbins, founder of Baskin-Robbins,
• Paul Faraci, creator of the Pizza Pop,
• founders of the Harlequin Romance publishing empire, Richard and Mary Bonnycastle,
• Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman of the Guess Who,
• Brad Roberts of the Crash Test Dummies,
• newscasters Ashleigh Banfield and Dawna Friesen,
• children’s entertainers Fred Penner and Al Simmons,
• writers David Bergen, Miriam Toews, Gabrielle Roy, Margaret Laurence, and Carol Shields,
• award-winning filmmakers Richard Condie, Danishka Esterhazy, and Guy Maddin,
• animator & Genie award winner Cordell Barker,
• “Let’s Make a Deal” game show host Monty Hall,
• TV producer (Till Debt Do U$ Part & Baroness Von Sketch) Jamie Brown,
• escape artist Dean Gunnarson,
• magicians Doug Henning and Darcy Oake,
• comedian David Steinberg,
• Olympians Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes,
• wrestlers Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, and Rowdy Roddy Piper, 
• Canadian Football League superstar Andrew Harris, and
• current professional NHL hockey players Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp, Ryan Reaves, Travis Zajac, Mark Stone, Max Domi, and Alexander Steen.

    * This list is subjective and is not meant to be complete. There are thousands of other outstanding Winnipeggers that have made their mark on the world and are not on this list. There are many other important and famous people that were born or raised elsewhere in Manitoba that were intentionally left off this list. 

    

    ** Please comment below with any other people you feel should have been on the list. 

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:

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Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for travel videos)

5 best breakfast restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada (Vegas Hacks)

Top 5 Breakfast Restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada

Usually, we eat fast, light, and cheap for breakfast when we travel. Often, we resort to coffee shops and fast food restaurants if our hotel does not have breakfast included.  Thus, we don't really have our own favourite places to eat breakfast when we are in Las Vegas. 

We remember having good experiences with good food, large portions and low prices at a few places, but when I looked online it appears that they have permanently closed.

After doing a lot of research and hearing from Vegas fanatics online, it seems that many people prefer to have a large brunch (late breakfast) in Las Vegas. After that, I imagine they skip lunch or just have a little snack in the early afternoon and then have a large dinner. 

We are members of many Facebook groups for Las Vegas travel tips and we noticed that this question gets asked a lot, so we thought we'd do a post about the best places for breakfast in Las Vegas. Members of those groups seem to know way more than we do about breakfast and brunch specials and the best places to have breakfast in Las Vegas. Some are pretty passionate about it.

Here are the top 5 breakfast spots on the Las Vegas Strip that people seem to recommend the most (in alphabetical order):

1. Ellis Island (just off the Strip behind Bally's) - great value
2. Hash House A Go Go (at LINQ near Flamingo) - great food
3. Mon Ami Gabi (at Paris) - good food and eat outside on a patio
4. Ocean One (at Miracle Mile Shops in Planet Hollywood) - great value
5. Peppermill (just north of Wynn) - great food and ambiance

Honourable mentions included Eggslut (in Bellagio or Cosmopolitan), HEXX (in Paris), & Pantry (in Mirage).

Another very popular breakfast restaurant is called Blueberry Hill Family Restaurant, which has 5 locations that are not on the Strip. 

Many restaurants offer unlimited Mimosas or Bloody Marys with brunch for under $15 if you want to start your drinking early. 

If you want to get suggestions for the best buffet restaurants in Las Vegas, all of which serve breakfast too, please click here. 

Where did you have a great breakfast or brunch on a previous trip to Las Vegas? 

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:

Kevin's Instagram
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Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for related travel videos)

How Cruising Could Change After Covid-19

How cruising will change Post-Covid-19 (Cruise Hacks):

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I think cruising will change a bit. Some changes will be temporary, and others will be long-term.

In general, cruise lines will have to abide by new regulations in the city and country of the departure terminal as well as possibly different regulations in each port of call. 

Cruise lines will want to reduce their risk exposure from a future pandemic.  They will also want to make changes that give the perception to customers that it is safe to cruise again.

I have read several online articles, blog posts, and social media posts (including some directly from cruise lines).  Here is my best guess about what changes may occur as a result of this Covid-19 pandemic:

1.      There will be few or no self-serve buffet restaurant options and drink stations for a long time.

2.       Hand sanitizers will be everywhere (which they already sort-of were) and more frequent cleaning and sanitation of the ship's high touch areas.  Staff will likely be at the entrance to restaurants and lounges to ensure that every passenger uses hand sanitizer before entering.

3.       Due to ongoing physical distancing efforts, cruise ship might have to put the seating in the restaurants, theatres, tender boats, and tour buses further apart, which will reduce the capacity.  Some cruise lines have announced that they plan to cut the maximum capacity of entertainment and attraction venues in half for the foreseeable future. 

4.       You will probably have to get there early to board the ship because it will take longer with the physical distancing and other precautions.

5.       I am not sure how pools and hot tubs will be impacted, but perhaps they will only be allowed for people who can prove that they have received the immunization shot once it is available. They might even get rid of the small shared hot tubs because people sit so close together. 

6.       This leads to my next speculation, that cruise lines may actually screen passengers before selling a ticket to each passenger and once again before boarding. They may decide not to sell tickets to passengers over a certain age unless they have a letter stating they are healthy and fit to cruise.  They may also refuse to sell tickets to passengers with specific pre-existing medical conditions or chronic illness, so as not to potentially overload their medical capabilities. Before allowing you to board, they will likely ask you some risk-assessment questions, look for symptoms of an illness such as a cough, and take every passenger's temperature to see if they have a fever. Once they are available, you may be required to take a rapid-Covid-10 testing kit to prove you are not infected with this most recent virus. 

7.      The shipboard medical services will improve.  This means more doctors and nurses will be on board each ship and more medical equipment such as ventilators will be onboard. Ship medical facilities will get larger, meaning that bigger ship infirmaries will have more capacity for sick passengers or even to help quarantine sick passengers.

8.       Cancellation and re-booking policies will be permanently relaxed.  Some cruise lines have already provided no-risk cancellation policies that allow you to cancel your booking, up to a few days before the cruise departure for credit towards future cruises, on cruises until the end of 2020. 

9.       For all the reasons above, cruise lines will probably put less passengers on the cruises.

10.     There may be less cruise ships and cruise itineraries to choose from. I imagine that, until the cruise demand increases to normal levels, some ships will stay docked. Some older ships may be retired. Also, cruise lines may avoid some of the areas that were highly impacted by Covid-19 such as China and Italy or they may have to temporarily avoid some ports of call that are slower to lift the travel restrictions.  

All of these might not have a negative impact on your future cruising, but it will probably cause prices to go up overall after an initial drop in prices to clear out imminent inventory once the travel restrictions are lifted.

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:
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Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for related travel videos)

Retirestyle Cruise Tips (Cruise Hacks)

Retirestyle Cruise Tips (Cruise Hacks):

We love the cruising experience. Hopefully, these tips will help you get the most out of a cruise, avoid inconveniences, and save money.

1. Promotions. Once you have a few itineraries or even a preferred departure port identified, start watching the prices online. Subscribe to some cruising newsletters to be notified of new promotions and sales. Recently, we have noticed that the cruise lines offer similar promotions at the same time to be competitive. However, sometimes a promotion will be so good that you change your mind about the cruise ship or itinerary.  
2. Last-minute deals. If you can, book a last-minute cruise (usually departing in less than 2 weeks), where you can save 50% or more from the regular price and get extra promotions like free upgrades and onboard credit. 
3. Cruise lines. Every cruise line has its competitive advantages. We have cruised on Norwegian twice because our first cruise to Alaska was so fantastic, but otherwise we have cruised on different cruise lines every time and always had a great experience. For example, Carnival was more of a party ship with a younger crowd. We have also cruised on Royal Caribbean, Imperial, Costa, and Princess. Thus, our advice would be to mix it up and try new cruise lines when you can. You don’t know what you are missing.
4. Cruise line loyalty programs. The only caveat to point 3 above is that the cruise lines reward you for being a repeat customer. They will give you early boarding and late disembarking (or "debarking" as they call it).  They often give you free room category upgrades and sometimes provide additional perks like one free meal at the a la carte restaurants that usually cost extra. They also might give you a free bottle of wine or some flowers or chocolates in your room when you arrive. For me, the experience of trying a new cruise line as well as the possible cost savings by choosing the cheapest cruise ship out of my desired departure port more than offsets these small perks offered by the loyalty programs. 
5. Boarding. Try to board the ship as early as possible, which means arriving prior to the earliest boarding time available. It does not necessarily give you access to your luggage early, but you can start exploring the ship, enjoying the cruise departure festivities, and even have a meal at the restaurant or by the pool before the majority of the other people board the cruise. Because you don't have access to your suitcases until several hours after you board, be sure to bring a carry-on bag for the cruise embarkation. It can contain pretty much the same as the one from your flight. At a minimum, it should have your phones, chargers, camera, trip itinerary, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and lots of other things if you have small kids. Of course also be sure you have your cruise confirmation or ticket, credit card, ID, and passports in your purse or wallet. 

Other tips (especially for first-time cruisers):

1. If you have kids, you should bring walkie-talkies because cellular signal for your cell phone is either not available or extremely expensive and it is the best way to reach your significant other or older teenage kids when you get separated. 
2. Power bars are a necessity with all of the modern electronics and limited outlets. These may be prohibited on some cruise ships, so research in advance. A multi-port USB adapter may be a decent work-around. 
3. Don’t buy duty-free alcohol on the ship. Bring a few bottles with you when you board and then buy more in the ports of call.  These can be consumed on the ship and bring a duty-free bottle back each as a souvenir.  
4. Don’t try to do it all on your first cruise. Don’t exhaust yourself. Don’t book a long excursion in every port – instead pick one or two ports to wander around and go back to the ship for lunch or an early dinner. 
5. Don’t over-eat, over-drink, or party until the early hours every night as it will decrease your enjoyment and memories of the trip. 
6. In general, we do not think that the unlimited beverage packages are worth the money unless you drink a lot. You can pay to get unlimited pop or unlimited beer, wine and cocktails. We might have one alcoholic drink per day and we get free water and juice with our meals on most cruise ships. 
7. Most ships have ample free dining options, both buffet and a la carte. I don't think it is a good use of money to pay for the special dining options, but if you want to try it, you should make your reservations as far in advance as possible as they have limited seating. 
8. At sail-away time, you should try to have a seat near the pool if possible. There is usually a big party while the ship pulls away from the port and you can usually take a few opportunities to go over to the window and sun-tanning deck to get a good view of the port while the ship sails away. 
9. When you look at the cruise website or brochure, you will see lots of activities and amenities. Keep in mind that not all of them are free. For instance, the Costa Serena had a race car simulator and movie theatre, but both cost extra, which was a bit of a let down. We bit the bullet and let our kids try the car simulator, but didn't splurge on a movie. Spa services are also very expensive. 
10. Take more excursions, even though they are expensive, because it is the best way to experience the most of the unique culture and attractions of these countries that you travelled so far to get to.  Doing it yourself might save money, but could waste time and might make you miss one thing you will wish you saw or did. However, you should research and choose your excursions carefully because over the length of the cruise, they can easily cost more than the cruise itself.
11. Add on several fun days near the port after you get off the ship but before you fly back home. This helps you transition back to normal "non-cruise" life and helps reduce the sad feeling that some people have at the end of a fantastic cruise. 

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:
Kevin's Instagram
Kevin's LinkedIn
Kevin's Facebook
Kevin's Pinterest
Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for related travel videos)

If you are still reading, then perhaps you want to watch the video from our YouTube channel about our recent Caribbean Cruise on the Norwegian Epic from Miami that had ports of call in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, George Town, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel, Mexico...

Images In Orbs In Pictures: Is it Paranormal or Pareidolia?

Images Inside Orbs in Photographs: Is it Paranormal or Pareidolia?  What do you see in this picture?

I am not a huge believer in paranormal and supernatural things.

I am not one of those people that travels to a city to go on haunted tours or to see its famous haunted locations.

But, I have had my share of weird, unexplainable experiences.

I think I have seen an unidentified flying object (UFO) on 3 occasions: 
1. from my bedroom window (probably a light reflection in the window), 
2. driving home with my kids from soccer (probably a satellite), and 
3. out of an airplane window while approaching the Denver airport (probably just an unusually shaped airplane). 

I have no explanation for the strangest, creepiest thing that ever happened to me. I was working on my computer in the basement around 10 years ago. I was the only one home. Suddenly, something dropped into my lap from high above. I jumped a bit and my hair stood on end. I looked down and saw an AOL software disk which I have never seen before and which probably had been sent as a junk mail advertisement at least 10 years before that. 

This post has very little to do with travel other than the fact that this picture was taken at night just before the fireworks in Niagara Falls, Ontario.  

We pointed the camera towards the coloured spotlights used to illuminate the Horseshoe falls at night, which a spectacular sight to see.

Of course, there was mist everywhere from the waterfalls, which naturally would create orbs.

However, we have had orbs in many other pictures where there should not have been dust or mist in the air.

Has anyone reading this also noticed strange orbs in their pictures? 

Do you think it is paranormal?  Or just a technical glitch of some sort?

I am posting this photograph and sharing it with you because it has always freaked me out.

Look closely at the small orb with the arrow pointing at it (blown up in the lower image) and tell me what you see.

I see the nativity scene with Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus in a manger.

I know that our brains naturally look at objects to fill in the gaps to make shapes and patterns (called “Pareidolia” or "Apophenia"), but what do you think?

I welcome all of your comments.

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:
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Kevin's Pinterest
Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for related travel videos)

How To Get More Free Drinks In Las Vegas Casinos (Vegas Hacks)

How to get more free drinks in Las Vegas Casinos (Vegas hacks for drinkers and money-saving tips):

It is getting harder to get free drinks in Las Vegas (free alcoholic drinks) while you gamble. It is like night and day compared to my first trip to Vegas almost 10 years ago.

The information in this article was accurate prior to the shut-down caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.  I hope things will go back to normal in the near future. 

Most casinos have a limited selection for free alcoholic beverages, so don’t count on getting a pina colada or premium whiskey (although getting a blended cocktail is possible in some casinos). Thus, you might want to find a good happy hour to get what you want for a reasonable price (see my blog post about the best happy hours in Las Vegas here https://retirestyletravel.blogspot.com/2020/03/top-12-best-happy-hours-drink-specials.html).

You will get your free drinks fastest and cheapest if you gamble at a $0.05 slot machine right at the bar (if you can find one) because you can play the minimum bet and the bartender is right there. These are more common on Fremont Street. These video lottery machines are often built right into the bar counter top.

I have been told by several people that the waitresses come more frequently and serve you faster if you tip them $5 the first time they serve you and then tip them $1 or $2 each time they come. However, that means that the drinks aren’t really free. I tested this out a few times and it worked, but as soon as I didn't tip for one drink, the waitress stopped coming.

It seems as if the casinos instruct the waitresses to come more frequently to the high-stakes table games, probably because these are their best customers and they want them to enjoy themselves, but also because a few extra drinks may cause them to make a few bad decisions. Thus, you'll probably get more free drinks at the table games in most casinos. 

I don't play poker against other players, but a few of my online friends told me that they get free drinks every few minutes if they want while playing poker both on the Strip and on Fremont. 

If you can’t sit right at the bar and gamble, then try to see where the waitresses go to get their drinks and sit at a machine as close to there as possible and flag the waitress down as often as you can.

Otherwise, you may wait 30 minutes at a slot machine before you order your drink and another 30 minutes to get it served, during which time you will probably lose $40 gambling.  That is a pretty expensive drink and waste of your precious time that could be used exploring the many sights and attractions of Las Vegas.

I also found that there are nightclub promoters wandering the Las Vegas Strip handing out VIP admission cards that often give you free admission and one or two free drinks.  However, once you are there every additional drink will cost close to $20, so you might want to leave soon after your free drink (assuming you are reading this article because you want "free drinks in Las Vegas"). 

If you have any other tips, please share them in the comments. 

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:
Kevin's Instagram
Kevin's LinkedIn
Kevin's Facebook
Kevin's Pinterest
Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for related travel videos)

Top 6 best all-you-can-drink open bar specials in Las Vegas (Vegas Hacks)

Top 6 best all-you-can-drink open bar specials in Las Vegas (Vegas Hacks for drinkers & money-saving tips):

After this self-isolation and social distancing ends, many of us are going to need a drink or two. 

Here are 6 places on the Strip in Las Vegas that will quench your thirst and then some for a relatively cheap, flat fee.

      1.       High Roller at the LINQ – for an extra $15, drink while you spend 30 minutes in the sky-wheel seeing Vegas from above, but don’t drink too much because there are no bathrooms on the pods.

2.       Senior Frogs at Treasure Island – 1 hour of unlimited drinks for $30. Some nights, they offer a 3-hour open bar from 9 PM to Midnight.

3.       Blondies at Miracle Mile Shops - $20 All-you-can-drink beer and well drinks from 3 to 6 PM or 10 PM to 1 AM.

4.       La Salsa at Miracle Mile Shops – 2 hours anytime unlimited well drinks for $30, beer & wine for $24 or call (beer, wine & margaritas) for $45.

5.       Carlos ’n Charlie’s at Flamingo – I found a Groupon for $46 for a 4-hour all-you-can-drink package with one entrée. They also have happy hour from 2-6 PM and 9 PM-Midnight with half-off all drinks. The GO Las Vegas pass also includes a 1-hour open bar with an entry in the price.

6.       Hard Rock Café (near MGM Grand) - unlimited mimosas, bellinis & bloody marys for $15 with breakfast.

BONUS TIP #1 - Almost every restaurant with a brunch menu will offer unlimited mimosas or Bloody Marys with brunch for around $15.  I saw a post recently that South Point Hotel has breakfast including unlimited Bloody Marys for $10. 

BONUS TIP #2 - Almost every buffet restaurant will offer unlimited beer and wine for an additional charge of between $10 and $15.

BONUS TIP #3 - Sometimes the open bar deals are sold on Groupon for half-price.

     BONUS TIP #4 - Get totally free drinks while gambling at the Las Vegas Casinos and read my post on how to get more free drinks in Las Vegas here: 
     https://retirestyletravel.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-to-get-more-free-drinks-in-las.html

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:
Kevin's Instagram
Kevin's LinkedIn
Kevin's Facebook
Kevin's Pinterest
Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for related travel videos)

Top 12 best happy hours & drink specials in Las Vegas (Vegas Hacks)

Top 12 best happy hours and cheapest drink specials in Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip (Vegas hacks for drinkers & money-saving tips);

It is sad and shocking that all of the bars, hotels and casinos and most of the restaurants in Las Vegas have closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Eventually, things will get better and we can resume travelling to Sin City. As of my last update to this post on June 2, 2020, most restaurants and lounges as well as many Las Vegas casinos are set to open on June 4, 2020 with physical distancing and other safety measures in place. No announcement has been made with respect to when night clubs and dayclubs can re-open. 

Given the reduced capacity due to physical distancing and the fact that these establishments need to make back some money that was lost during the shut-down, some of these drink specials and happy hour specials may not resume at first or possibly ever. However, the Vegas restaurants, bars and lounges will also need to have some promotions to bring the customers (which may not return in large numbers at first) back. The information below is based on research done before the shut-down as well as personal experience from trips I took before the pandemic. 

I have found that the best places for inexpensive drinks in the Las Vegas Strip are in Miracle Mile Shops, near the Link Promenade, near Flamingo Resort, or on Fremont Street. Otherwise, the further you get from the Strip, the cheaper the drinks generally are.

Most of you probably want to stay on the main Strip, so here is a list of some places where you can save 50% or more off of the prices elsewhere on the Strip.

      1.       Most bars & lounges offer discounted appetizers during happy hour from 3 to 6 PM. 

2.       Bird Cage Bar at Flamingo - $0.50 beer from 5-6 PM. Get there early or you won’t get a table. $4 draft beer & $5 cocktails from 10 PM to 2 AM.

3.       Jimmy Buffet’s at Flamingo – Mon-Fri from 3 to 6 PM. $4 drafts, $5 well drinks & $6 margaritas.

4.       Stage Door Casino (near Flamingo) has $1 & $2 beers & $2 ¼ pound hotdogs all day.

5.       Tequila Taqueria Bar at Bally’s – Happy hour from 3-5 PM and 10 PM to 2 AM plus all-day drink specials at the bar ($3 tequila shots, $4 draft beer, $ 5 margarita & sangria).

6.       O’Shea’s at the LINQ - From 11 AM to 2 PM, O’Shea’s has $3 Miller Lite and Coors Light drafts and $4 Guinness drafts, $6 shot specials that includes Jameson, Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire, and $3 Jell-O shots.

7.       Hash House a Go-Go at the LINQ - 3 PM to 6 PM at the bar. $5 appetizers and $3 beer, well cocktails & house wine.

8.       Coyote Ugly at New York, New York - 6 to 9 PM. $4 Jell-O shots & $6 beer and cocktails.

9.       PBR Rock Bar at Miracle Mile Shops – 2-6 PM. Half-price draft beer & cocktails.  They also sometimes do an all-day open bar.

10.   Cabo Wabo Cantina at Miracle Mile Shops – Mon-Fri from 3-5 p.m. Half-off regular margaritas, red or white sangria, draft beers and select appetizers. $21 for 50-oz margarita or sangria.

11.   Ocean One Bar & Grill at Miracle Mile Shops - sells most drinks 3-for-1 for $10 all day and has $5 lunches.

12.   Peppermill Fireside Lounge on the Strip between Wynne & Riviera. 3pm - 6pm. Special pricing on well drinks, select beers, and house wines. This is an old-school Vegas lounge that gets rave reviews and is popular with employees & entertainers who work on the street and locals.

BONUS TIP #1: The cheapest way to drink on the Strip is to bring a backpack cooler and load it up with $1 beers from one of the many stores on the Strip (drug stores are usually cheaper than liquor stores) or just buy a beer whenever you pass a drug store. It is okay to have open liquor and drink it on the Strip as long as you don’t have a glass container. See my other blog post about the Top 10 things you probably didn’t know about Las Vegas.

BONUS TIP #2: Some smaller casinos off-Strip, including Slots-a-Fun at Circus Circus, Casino Royale ($3 beers and hotdogs), Cromwell ($5 for 3 chili dogs and a soda), and some casinos and restaurants on Fremont Street have cheap prices on food and drinks all day. Try the $2 hot dogs and $0.99 famous shrimp cocktails at Lanai Deli at the Fremont Hotel.

BONUS TIP #3: This is expensive ($20), but the Chandelier multi-level lobby bar at the Cosmopolitan (surrounded by a $30 million chandelier, which is the largest in the world) has a secret, off-menu unique drink that makes your mouth numb & tingly called Verbena or the szechuan flower drink.

BONUS TIP #4: See https://seeingvegas.com/happy-hours-las-vegas-2018 and https://vegas.eater.com/maps/best-happy-hours-las-vegas-bars-restaurants for many more.

BONUS TIP #5: See my article about the best open bar (all-you-can-drink) specials in Las Vegas here https://retirestyletravel.blogspot.com/2020/03/top-6-best-all-you-can-drink-open-bar.html.

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:
Kevin's Instagram
Kevin's LinkedIn
Kevin's Facebook
Kevin's Pinterest
Kevin's YouTube (You should check out my YouTube Channel for related travel videos)

Top 6 Best Celebrity Chef restaurants in Las Vegas (Vegas Hacks)

Top 6 Best Famous Celebrity Chefs with restaurants in Las Vegas:

      1.       Wolfgang Puck has 6 restaurants in Vegas, including Spago at Bellagio and CUT at Palazzo. The first chef to turn his celebrity into a brand, his life motto is "live love eat". He has been in over 100 TV shows and home videos. 

2.       Gordon Ramsay has 5 restaurants in Vegas. Depending on your tastes, you can try Hell’s Kitchen at Caesar’s Palace (his premier location), Pub & Grill at Caesar’s Palace, Fish & Chips at LINQ Promenade, Steak at the Paris, or Burger at Planet Hollywood. He has acted in or produced 30 TV shows, but is most famous for "Hell's Kitchen".

3.       Emeril Lagasse’s New Orlean’s Fish House at the MGM Grand, Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian, or Table 10 at Palazzo. He has acted in or produced over 10 TV shows and is most famous for his signature phrases "Let's kick it up a notch" & "Bam!"

4.       Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill at Caesar’s Palace or Burger Palace at Aria. He has produced or been on screen in over 10 TV shows, but is most famous for "Beat Bobby Flay". 

5.       Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen and Bar at the LINQ Promenade or El Burro Borracho at Rio. He has produced or hosted over 10 TV shows, but is most famous for "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives".

6.       Buddy Valastro's Buddy V’s Ristorante & Cake Shop at the Venetian. He has produced and starred in 7 TV shows, but is most famous for "Cake Boss".

7.       BONUS: Todd English will soon open a new food court at Area51 and a restaurant at the new Virgin Resort to complement his Olives concept at Bellagio.

These are mostly easily recognizable TV personalities, who have been on several television shows. 

I did not intentionally leave female celebrity chefs off my list. The best known woman celebrity chef with restaurants in Las Vegas is probably Giada De Lorentiis. I enjoy watching her show with my wife, but I don't think she is as famous as the 6 chefs I listed above. 

There are also several "celebrity chefs" with restaurants in Las Vegas that are celebrities by virtue of their award-winning restaurants. Maybe those are for another list another time.

I have to admit that I haven't been to most of these restaurants for 2 reasons:
i.  They are very expensive
ii.  Many of these restaurants have a waiting list with a wait of over 1 month for available dates. 

I asked some friends and online friends for their opinions and the general opinion was that the best (if you can get a reservation for the dates you will be in town) are Spago and Hell's Kitchen. It wasn't unanimous. A few online acquaintances said that Hell's Kitchen was over-rated and not worth the money because the food was ordinary and not flavourful and they had to wait too long. 

For a great steak and dining experience, try Wolfgang Puck's CUT. If you like seafood, Emeril Lagasse's New Orleans Fish House is the place to go. 

Happy Travels,

Kev

P.S. Here are links to my other social media accounts, in case you want to connect that way:
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