Agree - Fly to LV from either Sacremento or Oakland

The gas money would have cost you an arm and a leg to drive this long, plus the motel cost (probably $70+) Small town motels not necessarily cheap, especially if they are on route that travellers dont have much other choices.

Both Southwest and America West have very competitive airfare from Bay Area to LVS. Bay Area has 3 airports - SFO, OAK, SJC. Check all three. OAK is Southwest CA hub, sort of.