If you are going to be in the Las Vegas area around Thanksgiving and would like to hang up your apron and have someone else do the cooking for you, be forewarned you are not alone! Lines will be long and you will have to wait, but for the most part it may be worth it. Here is a list of popular casinos on and off the strip in Las Vegas. Remember that you won’t just be battling tourists but it’s a popular thing for locals to do as well, ditch the all day cooking and head to casino buffet.

The buffets at the Coast Casinos feature traditional Thanksgiving favorites like roasted turkey with all the trimmings and baked ham, plus all the seafood specialties, soups, salads, fruits and vegetables from the usual buffet offerings.

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I’ve had many readers lately email me with questions referring to travel insurance, what it is and when it is necessary or smart to purchase it. In this day in age there are many important reasons to have insurance. It seems as though you can take out a policy for just about anything. There are so many unknowns especially when you are planning or booking a trip that you just can’t foresee or plan for. This is where it would help to have travel insurance direct.

There are many different types of travel insurance out there. You can pretty much get a policy for anything. Here are some of the most popular types:

Travel medical insurance: Your domestic health insurance probably doesn’t cover you outside of the country of residence. So if you are planning on traveling abroad and are concerned about the possibility of needing medical attention, you should check your policy.

Medical Evacuation insurance: Most often provides medical coverage, air evacuation services, including medical transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility and then home if warranted. This is a good one to consider since the transportation can often be thousands of dollars alone.

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Besides the nightclubs that all have their own Halloween parties, Las Vegas is a great place for families to come and celebrate the spooky holiday. Many of the hotels and hot spots on the strip offer their own attractions that you can feel comfortable bringing your family to no matter the age (some attractions are not suitable for children under the age of 12 so keep that in mind when planning your trip!). There really is something for everyone.

Here is a list of some of the fun events and attractions going on in Las Vegas this Halloween:

Haunted Reef at Mandalay Bay

For a fun, friendly, and exciting aquatic adventure, consider looking into the “Haunted Reef” at the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. Instead of soothing ocean sounds you will find rattling chains, creaky doors and scary music. This event will be going on all day of Saturday October 29. Ticket prices for adults are $18 and $12 for children. This event during Halloween in Vegas will include a spooky tour of the shark reef, as well as other exciting events still to be announced.

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I love answering reader questions when I get them via email and I usually do them in a more personal manner directly back via email. However, this week I got a record of four- yes FOUR emails asking what is the best way to get good deals on airfare. My guess is that a lot of you are planning your holiday travel. And if that is true double kudos to you. Booking early during peak travel times is the ONLY way to get good prices. There are rarely sales around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For the most part I am going to refer you to my blog post I wrote all about finding the best deals. You can go here to read it. Otherwise another great tip is to watch when one airline does a big sale i.e. Southwest it forces the competition to go down in price. For example we were in the process of booking Reid a ticket to Minneapolis (where he is now) a couple of months back and although we were looking into booking early it was still $400 roundtrip from SLC on both Southwest and Delta. So we decided to wait, since we felt it was a bit steep. Low and behold a week later Southwest announces a sale on fares and it drives the whole market down and we were able to secure the same ticket on Delta for $200 roundtrip.

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A couple of year’s ago I wrote an article about travel agents and what they do. Many people, including myself have the misconception that a travel agent is an out of date profession since we can all book travel easily and freely through a plethora of different options available to us via the Internet.

However, as I was just in the process of booking a cruise that is set to sail more than a year away, I was determined to get the best price and decided to do my research. I looked on many different cruise boards on where and when to book to get the best deal and many of them were saying contact your local travel agent. What?!? I thought for sure it was a desperate ploy from disguised agents trying to get business but as I looked into it more I realized it’s true! Travel agents really can offer you the best deals on cruises.

At first it is tempting to book directly through the cruise line’s website as they often have flashy deals such as cabin upgrades and on-board credit. But this would be like paying sticker price for a car! You need the middleman in this situation to bargain for you and get the best deals possible. Travel agents can get you all those flashy extras and more times than not a better rate on top of it.  Sometimes they can throw in free travel insurance and can make sure you get a decent cabin. A lot of time’s a balcony can come with an obstructed view, something you may not know of and blindly book on the cruise line’s website only to be disappointed at departure.

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