The Jeff Does Vegas Podcast

the end.

Fun fact: The average lifespan of a podcast is roughly 174 days - or just shy of 6 months.  Most podcasters quit before they reach their eighth episode, and it's believed that of all the podcasts currently available, roughly half of those podcasts have 3 or fewer episodes.

By contrast, this podcast has lasted over 5 years and 180 official episodes, not including bonus & special episodes (if you count those, it's over 220 episodes).

I've been giving it a lot of thought lately and I've reached the conclusion that it's time for me to put a lid on Jeff Does Vegas.

But before I go, I felt I owed all of you - the listeners who've kept this thing running for the last 5+ years - an explanation on why now is the time to wrap it all up.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

From The Vault: Goin' Solo

5 years into my Vegas podcasting journey, I've completed over 200 episodes - including bonus & special episodes.  Way back in the early days of the podcast, I had some pretty cool conversations & covered some great topics that are now buried deep in the archives where anyone new to the show is unlikely to find them.

So, to save people the effort of going on the hunt for them, I'm doing the digging for you with a feature I'm calling, "From The Vault", where I re-share some of the best episodes from the early days of the podcast.

This time around, we're hitting the road...solo.

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 I'm usually doing stuff she doesn't like)

A lot of folks won't take the jump and book a solo vacation, but I'm hoping my guest for this episode of the podcast might help change a few minds.

Janice Waugh is the founder of Solo Traveler World, a website & online community devoted to people who love to travel solo.

Janice & I talked about the inspiration behind her creating Solo Traveler, the best ways to plan a solo trip, the mistakes to avoid while traveling solo and how to stay safe & out of trouble when you're on your own in a strange city.

If you'd like to connect with Janice & the Solo Traveler community, visit their website at SoloTravelerWorld.com, follow them on Twitter & Instagram, or join the Solo Travel Society on Facebook.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

From The Vault: Superstitious Feeling

I'm now 5+ years into this podcast journey now with over 200 episodes available - including bonus & special episodes.  There's a ton of great topics I've covered on the show over the years and a lot of those episodes are now buried deep in the archives.

So, I thought that to save you searching all over the place for those episodes, I'd go ahead and do the digging for you with a feature I like to call, "From The Vault", where I re-share some of the best conversations from the run of the podcast.

This time around, I'd like to share one of my all-time favorite quotes:

"I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious." - Michael Scott, The Office

Whether we like to admit it or not, i think everyone is a little bit superstitious to some degree.  And i don’t think there’s anywhere in the world where that superstitious nature is on display more than in Las Vegas.

Whether it’s a lucky shirt that you always wear when playing blackjack, tapping the buttons in a certain order when playing video poker, or not using $50 bills in slot machines.

And these are just a few examples of things i’ve seen on my many trips to Vegas.

But is there any science behind superstition? To answer that question, i decided to bring in a professional.

Stuart Vyse is a behavioral scientist, a teacher and a writer.  He’s also an expert on superstition & irrational behaviour. 

I wanted to get his take on the world of superstitions.

We discussed some of the most common superstitions & their origins, we chatted about whether or not certain cultures are more superstitious than others and we talked about some famous superstitions in the world of sports, music and theater.

If you'd like to learn more about Stuart and the world of superstitions & irrational behaviour, be sure to visit his website.

Stuart's books, "Believing In Magic: The Science of Superstition" and "Superstition: A Very Short Introduction" are both available via his website or from your favourite book seller. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

 

From The Vault: The Science Of Scent

I’m now a little over 5 years into my vegas podcasting adventure, and in that time, i’ve completed well over 200 episodes – including bonus & special episodes.  Back in the early days of the show, i covered some pretty interesting topics and had conversations with some pretty incredible guests.  Unfortunately, a lot of those episodes are now buried deep in the podcast archives and the chances of new listeners discovering them are pretty low.

So, in order to save you from having to go digging for them, i’ve put together a feature i’m calling “From The Vault”, where I re-share what I consider to be some of the best content from the early days of the podcast.

And this time around, we’re going to talk about the science of smell…

If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas, you’re well aware of the unique scents of the various casinos & hotels up and down the strip.  In fact, if you ask people what one of their favorite parts of going to Vegas is, they’ll often tell you, “it’s the smell inside the casinos” – and it seems everyone has their preferred casino scent.  So much so that there are literally thousands of posts online from people asking how to either purchase or replicate their favorite casino scent.

But what’s the big deal about smell?  Why is the “scent” of a casino so important that the companies that own them spend - literally - millions of dollars on the development and distribution of these so-called “signature scents”.

To get the answer, i turned to an expert…

Dr. Rachel Herz is a cognitive neuroscientist, a Ted-X speaker, published author, and a world-renowned expert on the psychological science of smell.

In addition, Dr. Herz has worked as a consultant for multiple international corporations on the development of fragrances & flavors – including the company first responsible for installing scent vaporizer systems in The Mirage back in 1991.

Dr. Herz and I discussed how the sense of smell works, the connection between scents and emotions & memory, how businesses use scent to affect customer behavior, and much more.

To learn more about the science and psychology of scent, visit Dr. Herz's website or follow her on Twitter.  You can also pick up one of her books:

• "The Scent Of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense Of Smell"
• "Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship With Food"
• That's Disgusting: Unraveling The Mysteries Of Repulsion"

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

From The Vault: Here's The (Timeshare) Pitch

5 years into my Vegas podcasting journey, I've completed over 200 episodes - including bonus & special episodes.  Way back in the early days of the podcast, I had some pretty cool conversations & covered some great topics that are now buried deep in the archives where anyone new to the show is unlikely to find them.

So, to save people the effort of going on the hunt for them, I'm doing the digging for you with a feature I'm calling, "From The Vault", where I re-share some of the best episodes from the early days of the podcast.

This time, I've got inside info that could keep you from making a HUGE mistake on your next Las Vegas trip...

Imagine this situation: You're walking down the strip with your significant other, minding your business, when all of the sudden someone jumps out in front of you and says, "What a lovely couple...how would you like some free tickets to a show?"

First-timers & newbies are thinking, "Sure...where do I sign up?"  Meanwhile, the Vegas veterans are saying, "RUN!  RUN AS FAST YOU CAN...AND RUN FAR AWAY!!!"

As anyone can tell you, nothing in Las Vegas is "free"...and the price of those "free tickets" is having to sit through a Timeshare Presentation.

For this edition of "From The Vault", we're going back to my conversation with Lisa Ann Schreier - aka "The Timeshare Crusader".  Lisa spent over 20 years working in the Timeshare industry and has since moved on to become a consumer advocate, author, and blogger helping to keep people informed of some of the shady practices going on in the business.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The Hangover Hits 15!

Many consider it to be the ultimate Las Vegas movie…a film that not only re-defined comedy but helped to put Vegas back on the map as the ultimate playground for adventure and mis-adventure:

It's “The Hangover” – and 2024 marks a major milestone as the film celebrates its 15th Anniversary!

It was all the way back on June 5, 2009 when the world was introduced to "The Wolfpack” and we were all brought along for the ride as they tried to retrace their steps and solve several mysteries from the previous nights’ shenanigans.

Joining me for this episode of the show is David Rosen, the host of “Piecing It Together”, a movie podcast with a twist. 

David and I went in-depth on “The Hangover” as we discussed our first viewing; how it helped to launch the careers of several of the film's stars, the impact it’s had on Vegas tourism, and much more!

Be sure to check out my chat with David Rosen on Piecing It Together as we talked about films related to & inspired by The Hangover, and take a listen to David's conversation with Dayvid Rosen on CityCast Las Vegas and their discussion about the relevance of The Hangover in today's Las Vegas. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The Hangover - Watch-Along Podcast

The Hangover - which could be described as the ULTIMATE Vegas movie - is marking it's 15th Anniversary this year.

As part of my own personal celebrations for this milestone, I decided to gather some of my Vegas podcaster friends/past guests for a Hangover watch-along episode!

Joining me is David Rosen, the host of Piecing It Together, a movie podcast with a twist and Dayvid Figler, the host of CityCast Las Vegas, a daily podcast that keeps you updated on the goings-on in Las Vegas.

So here's how this works:

For copyright reasons, I can't play the audio of the movie on the podcast BUT what I can do is invite you to cue up your own copy of The Hangover (whether it's on DVD/Blu-Ray or on your favorite streaming service) and when I give the signal, you press "play" and watch along with us.

Or, you can sit & listen to us laugh & talk our way through the entire film...it's totally up to you!

This is something completely different from anything I've ever tried on the podcast before, so hopefully you enjoy it!

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Wandering Minds: The Psychology of Travel

Something you may have noticed when traveling, specificially when you travel to Las Vegas, is that people behave in very different ways on vacation than they do when they’re at home.  That might mean drinking more and eating less healthy, taking risks they might not other wise take, or straight-up dropping all their inhibitions and becoming a totally different person…buy why?

Joining me to answer that question – and many more – is Dr. Michael Brein, aka “the Travel Psychologist”.  Michael is an author, lecturer, adventurer, and publisher of numerous travel books and guides.

We went in-depth on the reasoning behind peoples changes in behavior & attitude when they travel, the types of personalities people adopt when they’re on vacation, and whether or not it’s healthy for people to “blow off steam” when they’re away from home.

We also talked about bad tourists and the role social media plays in causing their poor behavior.

If you want to learn more about Travel Psychology and check out some of Michael's books & articles, be sure to visit his website.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

From The Vault: Classic Vegas Mistakes

Now that I'm 5+ years into doing this podcast, with over 200 episodes under my belt, I've realized that early on in podcast, I covered a lot of cool topics that people might not be aware of.  Most of those episodes are now buried deep in the archives and the chances of new listeners finding them are almost nil.

So, to save everyone having to search for them, I thought I'd go ahead and do the digging for you with a feature I'm calling "From The Vault", where I re-share some of the best content from the early days of the show.

This time around, it's sage advice for the Vegas rookies...

Las Vegas attracts tens of millions of people from all over the world every year, and a good number of those people are making their first ever trip to the city.  With so much to offer, Vegas is one of those places that can be extremely overwhelming for a first-timer - but don't worry...your friends will help you out with suggestions on hotels, restaurants, shows, and attractions.

What they likely WON'T tell you is all the things they did WRONG on their Vegas trips...mistakes than can literally make or break your Vegas vacation.

For this edition of "From The Vault", we're heading back to my conversation with David Demontmollin, a 20-year gaming industry veteran who's worked at both on and off-strip properties in Las Vegas.  David is also the author of the book, "Classic Vegas Mistakes", in which he runs down the biggest errors Vegas visitors make and how to avoid them.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

 

Neon Waves - An Inside Look At Las Vegas Pool Parties & Day Clubs

We're headed into another Las Vegas pool season!

As the weather heats up and resorts start opening their pools, I've been seeing a lot of questions online about the pool scene in Vegas, specifically about Day Clubs & Pool Parties.

People want to know about prices, dress codes, etiquette, and everything in between.  So, in an attempt to help you out, I've enlisted an expert to assist!

Christalle Dalstead is a Las Vegas Promoter and the creator/owner of Vegas Free Guest Lists.  For the last decade, Christalle has been working with Vegas visitors to make sure they have amazing experiences during their time in Sin City - and she was kind enough to come on the podcast to share her vast knowledge with us.

We discussed what to wear, how to act, and what to bring.  We also talked about Cabanas & Daybeds (are they worth it?) and Christalle gave us an idea of what you can expect to spend for a day at at a Pool Party/Day Club.

If you're headed to Las Vegas and want to book an unforgettable day or night out, reach out to Christalle via DM on Facebook or Instagram.  You can also send her a text message at 303-589-9407

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

From The Vault: Kill Resort Fees

I'm 5+ years into this podcast journey now with over 200 episodes available - including bonus & special episodes.  There's a ton of great topics I've covered on the show over the years and a lot of those episodes are now buried deep in the archives.

So, I thought that to save you searching all over the place for those episodes, I'd go ahead and do the digging for you with a feature I like to call, "From The Vault", where I re-share some of the best episodes from the early days of the podcast.

This time around, we're going all the way back to my conversation with Lauren Wolfe, the founder of the website, Kill Resort Fees.

Lauren is a Washington, DC-based lawyer who, like a lot of people who travel to Las Vegas (and elsewhere around the world) got tired being nickel-and-dimed with this so-called "mandatory fee" and decided to do something about it.

KillResortFees.com is a site devoted not only to eliminating resort fees, but educating travellers on how to avoid them, how to get them refunded, and how to force the government to take action against these and other "junk fees".

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Tropicana: So Long, Farewell...

We have officially reached the end of an era in Las Vegas.

After 67 years, one of the most legendary properties on the strip is shutting down, and as of April 2nd, 2024, the Tropicana will be no more.

When it first opened back in April of 1957, it was one of the most luxurious hotels & casinos in Las Vegas, calling itself "The Tiffany of the Strip".  It's seen growth & expansion over the decades and it's survived ownership changes, financial crisis, and a global pandemic...all to be permanently closed to make way for a new baseball stadium.

My guest for this episode of the podcast is UNLV Professor & Las Vegas Historian, David G. Schwartz.  David and I went in-depth on the history of the Tropicana including the very beginnings of the property, what set it apart from other resorts on the strip, some of the infamous figures associated with running the Tropicana, and much more!

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

BLACK LISTED - The History of the Nevada Black Book

If you're a fan of Vegas-related movies & pop culture, chances are that you've heard about "the Black Book".

This is a list of people who are banned from entering any gaming establishment in the state of Nevada for ANY reason - as was highlighted by Joe Pesci & Robert DeNiro in this scene from 1995 classic film, "Casino".

So exactly how does one end up in "the Black Book"?  And, more importantly, how does one get OUT of it?  My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to answer those questions and many more...

Back for another conversation is Geoff Schumacher, Vice President of Exhibits & Programs at the Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas.

We went in-depth on the history of the Black Book including when it came into existence and why, some of the famous (and infamous) names that have landed in the book, and much more.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

 

The February Trip Report

It's time for ANOTHER World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!

For this episode, we're recapping my most recent Las Vegas trip, from February 4-6, 2024 - trip #1 of the year and what might be my most SPONTANEOUS Vegas trip ever!

I've got another review of my stay at The Horseshoe, meals at Grand Luxe Cafe, Lou's Diner & Robert Irvine's Public House, and I share my thoughts & opinions on a few hotels/resorts that I took the time to walk through including one brand-new resort and one that's closing its doors at the start of April.

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Sin City Oracles: Las Vegas Prophecies and Predictions

Back in March of 2022, I was joined on the podcast by Adam Bauer - aka "Travel Fanboy", aka "Cheapskate Vegas" - for what I thought would be a one-off conversation about some of the changes Las Vegas was going through at the time.

We talked about things that had happened over the previous 12 months and made some predictions on what we thought would happen in the following 12 months. That "one-off conversation" has turned into an annual tradition and I'm pleased to welcome Adam back for the THIRD time as we share more of our Las Vegas prophecies & predictions!

We talk about last year's predictions - including what we got wrong & what we got right; We share our thoughts & opinions on how big events like Super Bowl & F1 went as well as what needs to happen to make these events better; And we make predictions on what 2024 will bring to Las Vegas!

Follow Adam on X (formerly Twitter) and be sure to check out his website, Cheapskate Vegas for all the latest updates on what's going in Las Vegas.

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Rise Of The Influencers: A Look At The World Of Vegas Content Creators

Influencers have always been "a thing" in Las Vegas - and in a city as visually stunning as Vegas, it only makes sense that content creators would want to cash in on things.

But in 2023, things got weird. There seemed to be a real "boom" in content creators; there are literally hundreds of people blogging, vlogging, tweeting, and podcasting about Las Vegas.

The culture has gone through a real shift over the last year or so with the attitude changing from "When one wins, we all win" to "F**k everyone else...I'm looking out for number one".

For this episode of the podcast, I was joined by Adam Bauer - aka "Travel Fanboy", aka "Cheapskate Vegas" - for a frank & honest conversation about what's been happening in the Vegas Content Creator community. We talked about what's wrong, what needs to change, and who's doing things right.

Follow Adam on X (formerly Twitter) and be sure to check out his website, Cheapskate Vegas for all the latest updates on what's going in Las Vegas.

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

 

The February Check-In

It's been a hot minute since I've released a new episode of the podcast, so I thought I'd take an opportunity to bring you all up to speed on what's been going on in JDV-Land!

There's lots going on behind the scenes with a few different projects on the go, planning out guests for upcoming episodes, and preparing for a Vegas trip at the end of February!

Enjoy!

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The December Trip Report

It's time for another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!

For this episode, we're re-capping & re-living my most recent trip to Vegas, from December 10-13, 2023 - trip #4 of the year!  This was my annual birthday trip (a trip I've been making every year for the last 8 years) and my wife was along for the ride this time around.

I've got reviews of our stay at Caesars Palace, our meal at Scotch 80 Prime at the Palms, our experience with Ka by Cirque du Soleil, and much more!  I've also got thoughts & opinions on what's happening on and around the Vegas strip as well as a few "pro-tips" for people who might be new to using rideshare services like Uber and Lyft.

As promised, here's a couple of links you need to visit:

• Check out Caesars Challenge, a gameshow that was recorded live in the Circus Maximus Theater at Caesars Palace from 1993-1994
• Take a listen to my appearance on The Parc Fermé Podcast as I share my thoughts & opinions on the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix 

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!