Sahara offers deals for locals

Las Vegas, once known for $20 hotel rooms and $2.99 buffets, has lost a lot of its value appeal, so it's good to see the Sahara hotel offering special deals for Nevada residents.

The 57-year-old hotel on the north Strip is kicking off the opening of its Speed the Ride roller coaster with $5 tickets for locals, half the usual $10 cost, during the month of March..

It's the best roller coaster on the Strip, using electromagnetic force to shoot from a dead stop into a loop and through the Sahara's 192-foot marquee, reaching speeds of 70 mph. It climbs up a steep incline to 224 feet, stops and reverses its path..

Here's the kicker: Buy the "Bomb" burrito at NASCAR Cafe and get two free passes to Speed if you can finish the six-pound, two-foot-long burrito. Of course, it's probably not a good idea to use the passes right away..

While you're there, check out the Las Vegas Cyber Speedway, the NASCAR simulator driving experience, for $10 (no discount)..