Falling for Old Vegas magic

Can you believe that in all the times I’ve been to Vegas I had never been to old Vegas? That is…until now! And I was totally missing out.

For those of you who haven’t been to Vegas or are strip-mongers like me, old Vegas is a different world. Yeah, there are still lights and music everywhere, but the decadence has a different feel to it. It's like being thrown back to the time when Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin lived the casino life.

I admit when I drove up to the Golden Nugget I was worried about what I was going to get for my $89 a night room, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was nice. Really nice. I mean I’ve stayed at the Hooter’s Hotel on the strip for the same amount of money and that hotel did have the $89 feel to it. Of course, when you’re on a budget, you’ll stay anywhere and Hooter’s is directly across the street from the MGM so you can’t go wrong with that.

The Golden Nugget is also in the heart of things, but not the things I’m used to seeing in Vegas. You’re not going to see the dancing fountains of the Bellagio , nor will you see the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel. Instead you’ve got a whole new set of attractions.

There’s the waving cowboy – known as Vegas Vic, Binion’s horseshoe and the famous lights of the Plaza Hotel. And when you are there, you have to take in the Fremont Street experience. It’s crowded, crazy and completely wonderful in a way that is only cool in Vegas.

Don’t worry if you are not sure where this is. If you’re in old Vegas, you ARE part of the attraction. That’s because it’s right outside your hotel. Fremont is a covered street that becomes a canopy of lights after the sun goes down, and they literally rock out to Kiss’s "Rock n' Roll All Night Long."

Nope, you’re not going to hear Celine Dion in Old Vegas. It’s sex, drugs and…maybe a little bit of whiskey on the rocks – just the way the Rat Pack liked it.

Then there’s the Nugget. Built in 1946, it’s one of the oldest casinos in the area. But don’t be fooled by its age. It has a four diamond rating and is still classy. When you walk around the lobby, it's not hard to imagine Sean Connery there during the shooting of “Diamonds are Forever.”

Attractions in the hotel include the world’s largest gold nugget (naturally) and a shark tank, but honestly, I was just impressed with the service and lushness of the hotel. It had the Wynn feel without paying the Wynn price.

I must say, staying in Old Vegas was a gamble that paid off.