In January 2009, I made a list of my New Year's Resolutions (as they applied to all things Vegas) to see how many I could accomplish during the year. I knew I had two trips planned, but I was hoping for a third one in October. Sadly, that third trip is not to be, so I'm reviewing my 2009 Vegas Resolutions now to see what I was able to accomplish.
Visit Encore - I got this done on the very first day of my March trip. We checked in and headed over to the extremely RED casino. It was very pretty, but I felt very claustrophobic in there for some reason. I prefer Wynn, but some people prefer Encore.
Attend the LV4E Mega Meet in July - I was the co-organizer of this first big event for the LasVegas4Ever website, and it was a great success and a lot of fun to boot. I made some new friends that I've "known" online, and we're hoping to plan an even more successful 'Mega Meet II' some time in 2010.
See LOVE again - This was such a great show the first time I saw it that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see it again this year. I got a 40% discount from The Mirage and opted for a higher seat this time (I was in the 5th row the first time I saw it), and I don't think there's a bad seat in the place. I'm looking forward to seeing it yet again next year!
Watch at least 20 Bellagio fountain shows - You'd think this would be hard to do, but I spent a lot of time in that area during my July trip and I was able to do it quite easily. I love watching the fountains day or night, from inside the Bellagio or from a perch right outside along the railing, or even across the street from the patio of Mon Ami Gabi. I saw it each way on this trip. It will continue to be on my list of things to do as long as it exists.
See Big Elvis perform again - Sadly, I didn't get to do this on either trip. In March I let my mom decide where to go each day (since it was her birthday trip and I'm nice that way), and I over-planned my July trip and was just too tired to get myself over to Bill's on my last day as I had planned.
Watch the revamped Mirage volcano eruption - I totally forgot about this while I was in the area. It was closed part of the time during my March trip for some minor repairs (which is weird, since it had just opened), and I didn't even think about it in July. The thing is, now it erupts on the hour instead of at 15- or 30-minute intervals, so I would've had to get the time just right. Oh, well. It didn't happen.
Visit the Bellagio Conservatory on each trip - Like the fountains, this will remain at the top of my list as long as it's there. I did it in March by myself (mom didn't want to walk over) and I took my time and visited again while I was staying at Bellagio in July. The sights and smells of the displays are always intoxicating and relaxing to me.
Go up the Eiffel Tower at night - I had the opportunity to do this in July, but I didn't do it because of the massive over planning I did on that trip. I've been up right before dusk, and I'd love to stay and take some photos after dark to add to my ever-growing collection. Next time...
Eat at Peppermill -This restaurant is at the top of many Vegas visitors' lists as a Vegas icon that has great food to accompany the seriously old school atmosphere. I was hoping to finally get there in July, but once again the over-planning made me lose my way on my list. They have huge portions, too, so I'd really be better off taking someone with me to share when I finally get to visit this Vegas institution.
Play Sigma Derby at MGM - I didn't get to do this, either, but it was not for a lack of trying on either trip. Since MGM has the only remaining Sigma Derby game on the Strip (and possibly in Vegas), it is usually very crowded and hard to find a seat. The four different times I passed the game found it full to the brim with lots of on-lookers waiting for a seat of their own.
Stay at one new hotel - I surpassed this one by staying at TWO new hotels. I stayed at both Paris and Bellagio during my July trip, and I loved both of them. I'm looking forward to staying at both of these beautiful hotels again in the future, but I'm also hoping to stay at some other "new" hotels (to me), as well.
Eat at Mon Ami Gabi once on each trip - We had my mom's birthday dinner there in March and shared some wonderful entrees and desserts (so we could try more things), and I had breakfast there in July with Mike and Doris. I can't wait to try breakfast again, but any meal at MAG is fine by me!
Try a new drink at each casino - I only tried two new drinks this year: Bailey's and hot chocolate at Harrah's, which is decadent and somewhat addicting if you like both ingredients (and you can get it anywhere, not just Harrah's), and the delicious pineapple mojitos at Wynn. I failed at accomplishing this goal for one big reason: I don't drink as much when I travel solo, so I didn't really stop and think about having something new when I was alone in July. In March I stuck with lots of Bailey's and hot chocolate because it was so GOOD! Maybe next time, right?
Try Penazzi at Harrah's - I was intending to try this with my mom and cousin in March, but we opted to have dinner elsewhere. My July trip was already packed full of meal options, so I didn't even consider it then.
Try the pistachio gelato at Harrah's Flavors Buffet - I was intending to have the Flavors Buffet during my July trip but got a chance to try Trevi at Caesars and went with that, instead. It's not like I won't eat at Harrah's Flavors Buffet again, though, as it's one of the best values in Vegas. Maybe going in for breakfast right before the changeover to lunch? You never know.
Now I'll have to work on my list of 2010 Vegas Resolutions to post in January. I'm planning one trip for sure in early June, and I have another one that is a very good possibility in April. I can't rule out a short birthday trip in October, either, since I really missed celebrating my birthday in Vegas like I've done for the past few years. One, two, or three trips...who's to know how many Vegas trips I'll end up with in 2010? Whatever happens
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Link to article: How to Get Cheap Flights
I got this link from Blonde4Ever at LV4E (it IS her site, after all!) with an overview of how to get cheap flights for any trip and links to the various airlines' websites. Check it out to see if you can find something useful for your next trip:
http://www.artoftravel.com/04cheapflights.htm
I had initially wondered how many people still use a travel agent these days, given the ease of using the Internet and the great deals on hotel rooms you can get from any number of online sites OR from your previous gambling play at Vegas hotels. There seem to be fewer and fewer to choose from.
I'm sure that I myself would use a travel agent if I were traveling overseas because I don't know the best deals for any country outside my own (and in my own country I can only find the best deals for Vegas and Disney World, but that's another story altogether). I know travel agents generally have access to the best touring options that could be added on to travel/hotel packages and save you tons of money, but I think finding your own deals in Vegas is very easy to do without having to go through a travel agent. There's so much competition and so many discount sites for shows and rooms that it's easy to find something that fits your budget.
Either way, it's worth a look at this site to find possible deals and good ideas before booking your next trip.
http://www.artoftravel.com/04cheapflights.htm
I had initially wondered how many people still use a travel agent these days, given the ease of using the Internet and the great deals on hotel rooms you can get from any number of online sites OR from your previous gambling play at Vegas hotels. There seem to be fewer and fewer to choose from.
I'm sure that I myself would use a travel agent if I were traveling overseas because I don't know the best deals for any country outside my own (and in my own country I can only find the best deals for Vegas and Disney World, but that's another story altogether). I know travel agents generally have access to the best touring options that could be added on to travel/hotel packages and save you tons of money, but I think finding your own deals in Vegas is very easy to do without having to go through a travel agent. There's so much competition and so many discount sites for shows and rooms that it's easy to find something that fits your budget.
Either way, it's worth a look at this site to find possible deals and good ideas before booking your next trip.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
For the love of slot machines: Gold Fish rules!
There's no need to torture me for the information, I confess: I love slot machines.
I love most types of slot machines, but I really go WILD for the ones that contain multiple bonus rounds and other special features. They are addicting to me, and I make it my personal goal to try and get every different type of bonus round on each new game I try. Sometimes I'm successful, and sometimes I'm not, but I have a lot of fun trying!
My absolute favorite slot machine at the moment is one called Gold Fish. It is one of the newer video reel slot machines, and nearly everything about the game is displayed using computer animation. There are no actual "reels" turning and locking into place; instead the game is played on computer-generated reels that are displayed on the machine's two screens. The main game is played on the screen directly in front of you, and all the bonuses are played out on both the main screen and a secondary screen above the machine depending on the type of bonus you get into. I think the secondary screen was probably developed so that people all over the casino can see what kind of bonus you're playing and entice them to come over and take a closer look. It works; I always find myself stopping my nearby game to watch other peoples' bonuses.
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I love this particular slot machine so much because an additional 10-cent "fish bet" tacked onto my wager gives me the opportunity to experience one of the six fish bonuses, and the machines are set so that these bonuses are triggered in a completely random manner. They are so random, in fact, that you don't have to have a winning combination (two matching symbols or more on most machines) in order to go into a bonus game. This is the biggest draw for me because so many of the slot machines out there allow you to get soooooo close to winning, but always seem to be one position off. Here I never know just when the next bonus will begin, so I can't get mad at the machine if I don't know how or when the bonus will be triggered (I know that's irrational, but I still do it).
The thing is, the bonuses can be fickle, and sometimes you can leave a bonus round with as little as 5 credits, which is certainly annoying when you can wait quite a while between bonus rounds on a "cold" machine. People who love and play Gold Fish regularly know the following to be true:
- No one wants to have to pick a bubble, because we always seem to pick the lowest amount.
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- When the pink fish shows up to spit out her numbers, it never fails that the "9", "3", and "0" will end up as "039" when they settle on the screen to award the credits if you've been doing badly before that bonus round.
.- When the pink fish shows up to spit out her numbers, it never fails that the "9", "3", and "0" will end up as "039" when they settle on the screen to award the credits if you've been doing badly before that bonus round.
- Getting Goldie to pay you a visit with her free spin selections is cause for celebration every single time.
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- Everyone loves the kissing fish because we know that Goldie might kiss our bonus number and double it more than once.
There is an in-game bonus called "Fish Food", and it also leads to wild emotional swings. On the one hand, I can match every combination of fish food and get a really high score in the bonus round, or I can immediately get three turtles on my first three selections and pick the lowest bonus award right away. Nevertheless, I look forward to every bonus round with great anticipation, and they are what keep me coming back again and again.
Mentioning "cold" machines before, all slot machines go through cycles with their Random Number Generators (RNG), and you have to be patient and weather the cold spells until the next "hot" cycle with lots of bonuses come along. Still, I won't put more than $20 into any machine - even my beloved Gold Fish - if I'm not hitting any winning combinations at all, and I will move on to something else...even if it's another Gold Fish machine nearby!
The best non-bonus win I've gotten out of these machines was at Caesars Palace on a solo trip almost two years ago, soon after these machines were introduced in Vegas. Sitting with a nice Scottish couple (she and I got bonus rounds left and right; her husband sat between us and couldn't get a winning combination to save his life), I was actually chatting with them when the winning combination of five Goldies popped up on my screen. I had to stop and snap a photo because the 10,765 credits won looked so neat - even for pennies! High fives all around. I was playing the minimum bet for the maximum number of lines (plus the fish bet, of course), and still hit over $100 on that single spin. It just goes to show you that even penny machines can deliver some very nice wins. In the instance above, I was playing a penny machine with 20 lines + a 10 cent fish bet for 30 cents total - not a bad return!
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Next time you're in Vegas, give Gold Fish a try. More than one person of my acquaintance has come back as a Gold Fish addict based on that recommendation. Just be sure to leave some money there for my next trip, too!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Trip Photos - March 2009
If you're interested in looking at some photos from other people's Las Vegas trips, here's a link to the photos from my March 2009 trip for my mom's 60th birthday.
http://s258.photobucket.com/albums/hh264/HayleysMom_photos/Vegas%20March%2009/
I like looking at all Las Vegas photos, no matter who took them or when. But that's just me.
http://s258.photobucket.com/albums/hh264/HayleysMom_photos/Vegas%20March%2009/
I like looking at all Las Vegas photos, no matter who took them or when. But that's just me.
21 Things to do in Vegas for under $21
My friend EdinOK (from LV4E) found this link to an LA Times article of the same name today and referred it to me, so I thought I'd re-post the list here for your perusing pleasure, although I'm not reproducing the article ad nauseum (link: http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-vegas21-2008sep21-pg,0,450572.photogallery?track=rss).
There are some really good ideas here that I haven't posted before in my free and cheap things to do in Vegas. I personally would stay away from the clubs in Vegas, but that's because they are not quite my thing. Thanks again, Ed!
#1: Sunbelt Classic and Antique Auto Collection - Not one I've heard of previously. From the article: "Jim Rogers, the owner of Sunbelt Communications, has more than 300 restored vehicles on display in his car barn. But he doesn't advertise the collection, and tourists can see it only by appointment. Call (702) 649-0110 to arrange a time or join a scheduled tour. The museum opens at 6 a.m. weekdays, except holidays, at 1420 Gragson St. Go to www.sunbeltcars.com for details. Free."
#2: Free stuff at Las Vegas malls - A printable coupon book offered up by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authority is available at www.visitlasvegas.com/vegas. Print and redeem the coupons at any of the seven participating Las Vegas malls listed inside.
#3: Wireless Internet - The lobbies and casino areas of Palazzo and The Venetian offer free WiFi (although I personally would be cautious about using a laptop in a casino area for fear that Security might think I'm trying to hack them or cheat somehow). I'll also personally note that the "Sugar and Ice" shop in the Wynn shops is a good place that many people use for their free WiFi while taking a break AND getting a nice snack. Also note that you can check various other places along the Strip for free Internet service, including the seating areas of just about every Starbucks.
#4-6: Dueling piano competitions - At each of these three locations, the winner is determined by audience applause: The Piano Bar at Harrah's (9 p.m., free), Kahunaville Restaurant at TI (9:30 p.m., free), or the Bar at Times Square in NY/NY (8 p.m., $10 cover).
#7: Tour Las Vegas history - Las Vegas City Hall offers a free, self-guided tour of all things Vegas within it's walls. Ask the city clerk for a brochure to check out some things such as a 1959 city map, the 1923 city budget, and various Mayor Oscar Goodman bobble heads (he's a very popular mayor) to include just a few items of interest from the tour. City Hall is open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays (except holidays) and is located at 400 Stewart Ave.
#8: Collectibles on the cheap - If you're renting a car, the Broadacres Swap Meet in North Las Vegas is a 20 acre, open-air market with about 1,150 vendors. Open 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Fridays with a 50-cent admission price; open 6 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays for $1 admission. (Kids under 12 free on all days.) The swap meet is located at 2930 N. Las Vegas Blvd.
#9: Listen to Bette Midler's band - If you can't afford to see her show at Caesars Palace, you can still check out six members of her band performing as "Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns" in the Lounge at the Palms every Monday night beginning at 10:30 p.m. for free.
#10: The Birdman of Las Vegas - (I have to say I'd never heard of him before this mention. Odd.) Joe Krathwohl, aka "The Birdman of Las Vegas", performs bird tricks with a flock that includes Hawaiian cockatoos, Amazon parrots, and even an endangered Andean Condor. Shows are at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., Friday - Sunday, inside the Hawaiian Marketplace located on the Strip at 3743 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Free admission.
#11: Ride around Mt. Charleston - Las Vegas Carriage offers 20-minute rides around the mountain area, which is located about 40 minutes northwest of Las Vegas. You can take a horse-drawn carriage in warmer months or a horse-drawn sleigh during the winter. The rides begin at the Mt. Charleston Lodge, 1200 Old Park Rd. Call (702) 596-6715 for reservations. Cost is $20 for adults, $10 per child under 12.
#12: Join the Masquerade Show in the Sky at Rio - Twenty-five members of the public are allowed to ride the floats in the hourly show above the Rio's casino floor. The shows run from 7 p.m. - midnight, Thursday - Sunday. Make reservations at www.harrahs-web.vegas.com/rio/masquerade.html. Cost is $13 per person.
#13: Weekly blues concerts at The House of Blues in Mandalay Bay - Concerts begin at 9 p.m. every Wednesday inside the Crossroads room. Bands change weekly, and there is no cover charge. For more information on the bands, go to www.myspace.com/nothingbuttheblues2007 or call (702) 632-7600.
#14: Q VIP discount card - Q Vegas, the city's leading gay and lesbian magazine, distributes the cards that provide discounts to the Atomic Testing Museum and the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art amongst other offerings. Send an e-mail to vip@qvegas.com with your name, e-mail address, mailing address, phone number and birth date for a free card to be mailed to you. (No, you don't have to be gay or lesbian to take advantage of the offer.)
#15: Pinball Hall of Fame - A 4,500-square foot "hidden treasure" of a museum display where you can choose to play any of the 200 or so vintage pinball machines. Take a couple of rolls of quarters and enjoy yourself! (I've heard people lose track of time here almost as easily as they lose track of it in the casinos.) The non-profit display is run by Tim Arnold, a former arcade chain owner with a collection that dates back to the 1940's. Open 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. daily at 3330 E. Tropicana Ave. Visit http://www.pinballmuseum.org/ for more information.
#16-17: Eat at Las Vegas cooking schools - The Culinary Institute of Las Vegas currently serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays at Opus Too, located at 2350 Corporate Circle in Henderson. Call (702) 369-9944 to make reservations. Cost is an affordable $9.95 per person. You can also try the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts' restaurant called Cafe' Bleu. It is open 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. for lunch and 5:45 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. for dinner on Tuesdays through Fridays. Cost is $19-$21. Located at 1451 Center Crossing Road, call (702) 851-5322 for reservations. At both places, the students cook the food and wait the tables.
#18: Laugh at Improv students - Aspiring comics who are training with the Second City comedy troupe perform at 9:30 p.m. on Mondays at the Onyx Theatre, located at 953 E. Sahara Ave. The theater is located behind The Rack clothing shop, so don't get lost. Check them out at http://www.onyxtheatre.com/. Admission is $7.
#19: Great sunset view of the Strip - Instead of paying $13.95 to see the Strip from the top of the Stratosphere (or $9-$11 to see it from the top of the Eiffel Tower), head the bar at Mix atop THEhotel at Mandalay Bay before 10 p.m. Admission is free, but you might feel like buying a drink or two while you enjoy the view.
#20: Lost City of Atlantis attraction - The 50,000-gallon, horseshoe-shaped aquarium tank at the north end of Caesars Palace's Forum Shops houses more than 500 colorful fish in its collection. During the educational tours, you can also handle live starfish if you'd like. The tours start at 1:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. weekdays near the Tower Records side of the aquarium. Admission is free.
#21: Get into two different Las Vegas nightclubs for free - Grab free passes to two of the Strip's "hottest" nightclubs, the Bank at Bellagio and Jet at The Mirage, at stores like Metro Park and Marciano in Fashion Show Mall, Ted Baker and BeBe at The Forum Shops in Caesars Palace, and Marciano and BeBe at the Miracle Miles Shops. The passes can be worth $20 or more.
There are some really good ideas here that I haven't posted before in my free and cheap things to do in Vegas. I personally would stay away from the clubs in Vegas, but that's because they are not quite my thing. Thanks again, Ed!
#1: Sunbelt Classic and Antique Auto Collection - Not one I've heard of previously. From the article: "Jim Rogers, the owner of Sunbelt Communications, has more than 300 restored vehicles on display in his car barn. But he doesn't advertise the collection, and tourists can see it only by appointment. Call (702) 649-0110 to arrange a time or join a scheduled tour. The museum opens at 6 a.m. weekdays, except holidays, at 1420 Gragson St. Go to www.sunbeltcars.com for details. Free."
#2: Free stuff at Las Vegas malls - A printable coupon book offered up by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authority is available at www.visitlasvegas.com/vegas. Print and redeem the coupons at any of the seven participating Las Vegas malls listed inside.
#3: Wireless Internet - The lobbies and casino areas of Palazzo and The Venetian offer free WiFi (although I personally would be cautious about using a laptop in a casino area for fear that Security might think I'm trying to hack them or cheat somehow). I'll also personally note that the "Sugar and Ice" shop in the Wynn shops is a good place that many people use for their free WiFi while taking a break AND getting a nice snack. Also note that you can check various other places along the Strip for free Internet service, including the seating areas of just about every Starbucks.
#4-6: Dueling piano competitions - At each of these three locations, the winner is determined by audience applause: The Piano Bar at Harrah's (9 p.m., free), Kahunaville Restaurant at TI (9:30 p.m., free), or the Bar at Times Square in NY/NY (8 p.m., $10 cover).
#7: Tour Las Vegas history - Las Vegas City Hall offers a free, self-guided tour of all things Vegas within it's walls. Ask the city clerk for a brochure to check out some things such as a 1959 city map, the 1923 city budget, and various Mayor Oscar Goodman bobble heads (he's a very popular mayor) to include just a few items of interest from the tour. City Hall is open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays (except holidays) and is located at 400 Stewart Ave.
#8: Collectibles on the cheap - If you're renting a car, the Broadacres Swap Meet in North Las Vegas is a 20 acre, open-air market with about 1,150 vendors. Open 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Fridays with a 50-cent admission price; open 6 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays for $1 admission. (Kids under 12 free on all days.) The swap meet is located at 2930 N. Las Vegas Blvd.
#9: Listen to Bette Midler's band - If you can't afford to see her show at Caesars Palace, you can still check out six members of her band performing as "Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns" in the Lounge at the Palms every Monday night beginning at 10:30 p.m. for free.
#10: The Birdman of Las Vegas - (I have to say I'd never heard of him before this mention. Odd.) Joe Krathwohl, aka "The Birdman of Las Vegas", performs bird tricks with a flock that includes Hawaiian cockatoos, Amazon parrots, and even an endangered Andean Condor. Shows are at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., Friday - Sunday, inside the Hawaiian Marketplace located on the Strip at 3743 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Free admission.
#11: Ride around Mt. Charleston - Las Vegas Carriage offers 20-minute rides around the mountain area, which is located about 40 minutes northwest of Las Vegas. You can take a horse-drawn carriage in warmer months or a horse-drawn sleigh during the winter. The rides begin at the Mt. Charleston Lodge, 1200 Old Park Rd. Call (702) 596-6715 for reservations. Cost is $20 for adults, $10 per child under 12.
#12: Join the Masquerade Show in the Sky at Rio - Twenty-five members of the public are allowed to ride the floats in the hourly show above the Rio's casino floor. The shows run from 7 p.m. - midnight, Thursday - Sunday. Make reservations at www.harrahs-web.vegas.com/rio/masquerade.html. Cost is $13 per person.
#13: Weekly blues concerts at The House of Blues in Mandalay Bay - Concerts begin at 9 p.m. every Wednesday inside the Crossroads room. Bands change weekly, and there is no cover charge. For more information on the bands, go to www.myspace.com/nothingbuttheblues2007 or call (702) 632-7600.
#14: Q VIP discount card - Q Vegas, the city's leading gay and lesbian magazine, distributes the cards that provide discounts to the Atomic Testing Museum and the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art amongst other offerings. Send an e-mail to vip@qvegas.com with your name, e-mail address, mailing address, phone number and birth date for a free card to be mailed to you. (No, you don't have to be gay or lesbian to take advantage of the offer.)
#15: Pinball Hall of Fame - A 4,500-square foot "hidden treasure" of a museum display where you can choose to play any of the 200 or so vintage pinball machines. Take a couple of rolls of quarters and enjoy yourself! (I've heard people lose track of time here almost as easily as they lose track of it in the casinos.) The non-profit display is run by Tim Arnold, a former arcade chain owner with a collection that dates back to the 1940's. Open 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. daily at 3330 E. Tropicana Ave. Visit http://www.pinballmuseum.org/ for more information.
#16-17: Eat at Las Vegas cooking schools - The Culinary Institute of Las Vegas currently serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays at Opus Too, located at 2350 Corporate Circle in Henderson. Call (702) 369-9944 to make reservations. Cost is an affordable $9.95 per person. You can also try the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts' restaurant called Cafe' Bleu. It is open 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. for lunch and 5:45 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. for dinner on Tuesdays through Fridays. Cost is $19-$21. Located at 1451 Center Crossing Road, call (702) 851-5322 for reservations. At both places, the students cook the food and wait the tables.
#18: Laugh at Improv students - Aspiring comics who are training with the Second City comedy troupe perform at 9:30 p.m. on Mondays at the Onyx Theatre, located at 953 E. Sahara Ave. The theater is located behind The Rack clothing shop, so don't get lost. Check them out at http://www.onyxtheatre.com/. Admission is $7.
#19: Great sunset view of the Strip - Instead of paying $13.95 to see the Strip from the top of the Stratosphere (or $9-$11 to see it from the top of the Eiffel Tower), head the bar at Mix atop THEhotel at Mandalay Bay before 10 p.m. Admission is free, but you might feel like buying a drink or two while you enjoy the view.
#20: Lost City of Atlantis attraction - The 50,000-gallon, horseshoe-shaped aquarium tank at the north end of Caesars Palace's Forum Shops houses more than 500 colorful fish in its collection. During the educational tours, you can also handle live starfish if you'd like. The tours start at 1:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. weekdays near the Tower Records side of the aquarium. Admission is free.
#21: Get into two different Las Vegas nightclubs for free - Grab free passes to two of the Strip's "hottest" nightclubs, the Bank at Bellagio and Jet at The Mirage, at stores like Metro Park and Marciano in Fashion Show Mall, Ted Baker and BeBe at The Forum Shops in Caesars Palace, and Marciano and BeBe at the Miracle Miles Shops. The passes can be worth $20 or more.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Trip Report from March 2009
I've decided to add another one of my "older" trip reports - this one from March 2009. On this trip I traveled with my cousin and my mom in order to celebrate mom's 60th birthday in her favorite place. This is a kind of long report, so dig in!
Vegas Trip Report – March 25-27, 2009
Well, another trip has come and gone. At least this time I felt like I had time to myself! October’s trip was so crazy I needed another vacation just to recover from that one. This trip was so much more relaxing I was able to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it! Looking forward to leaving on a very early 7:35 a.m. flight, I drove to my cousin’s apartment to meet my mom and cousin for the cab ride to the airport.
This was the first trip in quite awhile where the plane was not completely full or overbooked on the way out, and was only about half full on the way back. I’m used to SWA employees asking if anyone would like to go standby and be guaranteed for the next flight with some cash involved. No begging or pleading needed, and we didn’t have to avoid meeting anyone’s gaze while we waited.
On the approach into Vegas, I was glad to see that we were near Hoover Dam and I could actually get a photo, although my camera was *technically* stowed away, I swear. It’s as close as I’ll probably ever get to Hoover Dam.
Upon arrival, my cousin and I tried to delay my mom a little bit because we knew the limo driver would be there, but we wanted to make sure he was there and waiting. Well, even though we stopped, I pretended to get a pebble out of my shoe, we adjusted carryon bags and purse straps, and thought of all sorts of diversions, my mom was practically running to the baggage claim area! Finally I told her to slow down because I had something for her. She figured it out and thanked me but wanted to know WHY I did it. I told her “You only turn 60 once!” Our limo driver was waiting in baggage claim, and she would’ve missed him because she was headed straight to the taxi area. He was a nice guy, very talkative and funny, and he gave us an ‘old Vegas’ feel because he had a thick New York accent and gave us thoughts of the mob on our journey to Harrah’s.
We checked in but were unable to get into our rooms because it was only 9 a.m. Vegas time. We stored our bags and headed to The Café at Harrah’s for breakfast – we were all starving! We didn’t have breakfast before our early flight out of San Antonio, so we absolutely had to get a little bit of food before we headed out to Encore for a bit of sight-seeing, picture-taking, and gambling. Mom paid for our breakfast with her Total Rewards points since she has a LOT of points, and we let her ‘cause we’re nice that way.
Encore – what can I say? Everyone has been right – it is very, very RED! Beautiful artwork, chandeliers, tapestries…everything. We walked around the property for quite awhile, but I’m sure I missed some things. In fact, I KNOW I did because I remember there were some very specific things in a friend’s photos that I was looking for and never found. I did feel that the casino floor was very small because of all the curtains, but I didn’t get that feeling when I was sitting near the atrium or one of the large windows. With all its beauty, I think I still like Wynn better. I don’t know why, though. I can’t explain it.
I took some photos outside of the Sinatra restaurant, but the dining area was well roped off and I didn’t try to venture in and take any more photos than I already had (even though a roped off area doesn’t usually keep me from taking photos if I really want to). I also managed to have a couple of good spins on a penny Wolf Run machine, so I was happy with that. A little Asian lady next to me was not happy with my wilds, though, because she kept gesturing to my machine and telling her companions something that sounded very angry to me. I finally got annoyed with her leaning over my shoulder, so I gathered up my mom and my cousin, and we headed for Wynn.
At Wynn, I continued my long-standing tradition of losing, losing, losing in that casino. I love the place – love the buffet, love the atmosphere, love their variety of machines. But I can’t win a dime. Or a nickel. Or a penny. I don’t know what that casino has against me, but it doesn’t want me to take anything from it. As long as I get to visit my money every so often I guess it’s okay.
From there we walked to Palazzo. For some reason, this casino’s layout gets me turned around. I can’t find the same place twice. I did find a very nice Hot Hot Penny China Moon machine that let me play on the same $20 for almost 3 hours, so at least I wasn’t just feeding money into the machines all day long. As we were leaving Palazzo to walk to the Venetian, we managed to catch the performers in front of the Palazzo fountain by the escalators. Interesting to watch for a little while, but I wouldn’t stand around waiting for them. I liked their “fountain fingers” – whatever they had on their hands to make it appear that water was spouting out of their fingertips was interesting. (There's a photo of these ladies on my blog page.) Now I can say I saw it and check it off of my list of things to see in Vegas.
In Venetian, we checked the time and saw that it was already 4 p.m., so we decided to head over to Grand Luxe Caf̩ for a snack. We shared two appetizers Рa plate of fried calamari, rock shrimp, and vegetables in a tempura batter, and another appetizer called Cheese Steak Spring Rolls. Those spring rolls were awesome! They came with a spicy cheese sauce and a more traditional lumpia (spring roll) sauce. The other plate had some kind of lemon tartar sauce and a chipotle sauce for dipping. I think we dipped all the appetizers into all the different sauces just to try them out. No bad combinations there at all. Those two appetizers were big enough for regular meals, and the total for both of them and our three teas was $24. My cousin paid for that because she said she owed me for the limo. Fine by me!
Back at Harrah’s, my cousin ended up with one of the remodeled Premium rooms in the Mardi Gras tower (room 408) that have the flat screen TVs, but I opted for a non-smoking Deluxe room on a higher floor in the same tower (room 1848) so that I could have a Strip view – finally! I saw their room and felt the bathroom was too crowded with the TV mounted on the wall, so I’m glad I got my room with a view. I’ve been going to Vegas for 12 years, and this was the first time I’ve had any kind of Strip view at all. I had visions of sleeping with the curtains open so I could see the lights from The Mirage, Rio, and Caesars Palace. Oh, I was a happy girl, indeed.
After a few room photos, we met downstairs and decided to head over to Imperial Palace (IP) to play for a little while before we settled in for some serious gambling at Harrah’s. We walked around to see what new machines were available, and found IP to be very crowded for a Wednesday night. The craps tables were all full to brimming as usual, and the crowds were very noisy but seemed to be having lots of fun. I finally found a new Monopoly Up, Up and Away slot machine near the front and sat down to play – I just love Monopoly machines! On my second spin, I got a nice little line win for $100. Cool!
A very nice, older lady from Canada sat down next to me, and we chatted while we played. However, it seemed to annoy her that I wouldn’t cash out my ticket with more than $100 on it and just insert another bill to play on. I just don’t do that. A lot of people do, but I play down to even numbers ($100, $80, $60, etc.) and may cash out then if I’m staying there for awhile. Still, she was quite funny and we had a great time admiring each other’s bonus rounds – lots of fun bonus rounds on those machines!
At about 10 p.m. we headed back to Harrah’s. It was EXTREMELY crowded! I walked around for quite awhile trying to find an open seat at my favorite Gold Fish or Double Dolphin Super Jackpot Party machines, but there were none open anywhere. Not only that, there were usually people literally lined up behind the other players, waiting for them to get up and move so that they could get on those machines. I walked all over the casino trying to find some new slots with open seats, but there were none available. I finally gave up and went to find my mom. We played DDB VP side by side for a long time, and traded back and forth four of a kinds (4OAKs) that kept us afloat each time we dwindled down to less than 10 credits. A lot of points were added to our HET cards that night!
I almost forgot to mention my favorite new casino drink: Bailey’s and hot chocolate. I had about 6 of them that night, and they were yummy and strong…*hic!* They went down reeeeeeaaaaaalllllll smooth! All in all, I lost about half of my day one bankroll because of earlier losses at Wynn, Palazzo, and Venetian. It was nice to be able to go back to my room and look out my window lovingly at the beautiful Vegas Strip before I hit the hay. You can’t ask for much more than that, can you?
Day 2 was mom’s birthday. I called my mom in her room to wake her and my cousin up - as is my job in Vegas - and I wished her happy birthday from my Strip view room. I got her tacky birthday card ready and headed down to meet them for breakfast at the IP Teahouse (mom’s choice – it’s her birthday, after all) before we headed down the Strip for our second day. It was all her choice of stuff to do for today. My cousin paid for breakfast with her TR points. I’m still not complaining!
Believe it or not, we got "long-hauled" from IP to Luxor! How the hell does that happen? I suspected something was afoot when the cabbie turned LEFT onto the Strip instead of turning RIGHT to go behind IP onto Koval and make a quick trip to Luxor. He didn’t say a word when I asked him what he was doing by taking us this way. He headed down past TI and turned by the Fashion Show Mall – headed for I-15! I asked him why he didn’t take Koval behind IP. He shrugged and said, “This is faster.” Dirty looks and lots of grumbling from us followed while we were stuck in traffic on I-15. Forget stink eye – I was sending some serious ojo his way. The fare was $14.70, and he got $15. That should’ve been a $7-$8 fare out the back of IP, easy.
Since we hadn’t been to Luxor in quite a few years, I had some photos to take. In fact, the last time we were there I still used disposable cameras on my Vegas trips! I left my mom and cousin at the entrance and walked toward to tram for some photos before we finally headed inside to look around and gamble.
I’ve heard that the casino had changed to a more modern feel. I didn’t really feel that at all. Sure, there’s a bar right inside the main part of the casino that looks a little modern-ish, but the place still feels very old Egyptian to me – just like it always has. It didn’t stop me from taking new photos, though.
A photo shoot was underway at one of the craps tables when we got inside. My guess is that they’re getting ready to update their marketing materials soon. There were lots of 20-somethings all dolled up and crowded around, yelling “Go!” over and over again and throwing the dice. This led to lots of cameras flashing in my eyes where I was sitting. I was initially blinded by the flashes and had to find another area to gamble in because it was really annoying. Then I noticed some open Wizard of Oz (WOZ) machines – cool! I played for about 15 minutes before all my money was sucked away. Then I realized that I had been playing 5-cent instead of 1-cent WOZ. That was the only place I made that mistake. It gets expensive!
I did visit the atrium level because I wanted to see if anything had changed up there. I’m just glad King Tut’s Tomb is gone – it was so lame! I did find out that the Titanic Exhibit opened at 10 a.m. each day so I could plan my visit for July. Otherwise, not very exciting up there at all. There was a pretty cool looking bar up there, but I don’t remember the name of it.
My mom and cousin finally decided they’d lost enough money in Luxor and we walked to Excalibur. They headed for the VP machines near the sports book, but there were open Gold Fish machines nearby calling my name! I sat down at one on the end and stayed there for another couple of hours, finally cashing out $100 for my $20 investment. I was very happy because I had a few visits from Goldie the Goldfish herself – 10 spins, 15 spins, and even 20 spins. I was just glad to know she decided to pay me a visit on this trip, since she has been avoiding me for awhile.
After Excalibur, it was over to NY/NY. I wanted to show my mom the scary Hitchcock slots, since she was in another area when my aunt Mina and I were playing them in October. She got to experience the random surprise of Alfred popping up in the corner for herself – at least it’s not just me! I also found a Hot Hot Super Jackpot Chariots slot that lasted for awhile, but nothing was hitting bonus rounds for me. Disappointing.
I’m glad that they appear to finally be done with all the remodeling in the NY/NY casino. When were there last, the restaurant area in the back was still like the streets of New York with cobblestone walkways, and the casino was partially modern with a lot of temporary walls up everywhere. I still like the old look better personally, but it’s a vast improvement for them to be finished and have the casino looking like it’s all one place and not a hodge-podge of different looks.
Next on our list was a stop at MGM. For some reason, they’ve taken out a lot of their penny machines near the lions. We didn’t find anything that we wanted to play for any length of time, and my cousin was getting perturbed by the lack of VP hits above 3OAK. There was not a seat to be found at Sigma Derby – again – so it’s still on my list for the next trip. The decision was made to walk to Planet Hollywood from there.
I don’t know about the wisdom of this decision because of the WIND! Had it been just another beautiful, sunny spring day in Vegas, it would’ve been great. The sidewalks were very crowded with people, but throw in some swirling dirt and dust from all the construction in the area and it made for a rather unpleasant walk. I did finally get to walk past the Hawaiian Marketplace and other areas I’d previously only heard about, though, and I think I’ll be paying another visit to the area in July, as my companions didn’t want to stop in the wind and dirt. Not that I blame them.
Neither my mom nor my cousin had been in PH since it opened, so I took them on a little tour of the casino floor before they settled in to gamble. My cousin spotted the Big Six wheel and remembered that she still hadn’t made a bet for her sister. Her sister's luck continues on each trip with a $2 bet on 40, and it doesn't matter if she plays it herself or if someone plays it for her. She won for herself at Bellagio during our October trip, and my cousin hit the $2 on 40 bet for her AGAIN! She is one lucky chickie when it comes to the Big Six wheel and her $2 on 40 bet.
We headed over to the area near The Earl of Sandwich deli because my cousin saw some VP machines she wanted to play. I found a machine I hadn’t seen before: Lucky Meerkats, which is a version of Lucky Lemmings. What a hoot! In the bonus round, one of the meerkats does an MC Hammer “Can’t Touch This” dance to award points. I’m obviously easily entertained, because even though I eventually lost my $20, I was laughing my butt off at all the silliness.
Finally we decided we were getting a little hungry, so we headed over to Paris. Once there, we decided to wait just a little while longer to get the dinner menu at Mon Ami Gabi (MAG). I followed another LV4E friend’s advice and had a seat at the Gold Fish machines near the cabaret bandstand. Goldie decided to visit me again and again, and I was happy to see her. We had a nice little visit, and the cocktail waitress was quick and deadly with her delivery. I think I had about 5 (small) Kahlua and cream glasses before my mom decided she was starving, and we had only been there for less than an hour!
When we walked up to MAG, we saw they were now offering breakfast starting at 7 a.m. each day. Breakfast at MAG?!?!? I think I’m in heaven! Oh, it looks like July will be a wonderful time to stay at Paris!
The hostess offered to seat us on the patio, but we opted for a window seat just inside, as the winds were still blowing furiously and you could see the spray from the Bellagio fountains all over the place on the Paris side of the street. I was actually surprised that the fountains were not turned off, but they stayed on the entire time we were there.
For dinner, we decided we would get three different entrees and share them, and then share desserts. The reason for this was because we always wish we’d tried something else no matter what we get, and this way we’d all be able to try several things and still be happy. This turned out to be a good decision – we weren’t stuffed, but we enjoyed a really good meal. We ordered Steak Classique, Steak Bernaise, and Gabi’s Fish and Frites. We cut them into thirds and exchanged pieces. Mom and my cousin both ordered a glass of the house red wine, and I finally got to try the Frangria that my friend Tania had mentioned before. I will be trying it again – it was good but strong. I’m such a lightweight!
The desserts were delicious, too – mom’s favorite flourless chocolate cake was the first choice, and the sorbet of the day was actually two: banana and pineapple. They were both fan-freakin’-tastic! I’ve never met a sorbet at MAG that I didn’t like, and these were delicious. I discovered that if you mixed the banana sorbet with a bit of the flourless chocolate cake it tasted a lot like those frozen chocolate covered bananas that used to be so popular when I was a kid. Also, if you mixed the banana and pineapple sorbets together, it tasted like a pina colada. We were very happy with our choices and think we’ll do that again so we can sample more stuff and not be OVERstuffed. My cousin paid for dinner, as well, as this was her birthday present for my mom. The total for all three of us was $112. Not bad at all.
From there we decided to head into Bally’s, which was extremely crowded – the slots, the tables, the sports book were all very busy – and mom decided we should just catch the monorail back to Harrah’s. She’d already worn out her hip on the walk from MGM to PH earlier, so I didn’t push it and we took the easy way back.
Back at Harrah’s, it was already time for me to print the boarding passes for the next day. Got A24, A29, and A31 – the lowest numbers we’ve had in a LONG time. We headed up to the rooms to put them away and freshen up for the evening.
Downstairs again, I finally found an open Village People Party machine that I had been eyeing the day before. Again I was hitting enough bonuses to keep me from going down to $0. After I had been at the machine for about an hour, a girl sat down at the machine next to me and was extremely excited each time she hit a bonus round on whatever it was. She kept yelling “Fireballs! Fireballs!” every time she’d get the bonus rounds, and I couldn’t help but laugh. I found her to be very entertaining – as did others in the area - and she finally cashed out and left. I cashed out a little while later and went to find my mom. We played side by side VP for awhile again, drinking Bailey’s and hot chocolate - mom loves them, too! - and the 4OAKs kept me alive yet again tonight. The next time I looked at my watch it was 1:30 a.m., and I was just dead on my feet. I said good night and headed for bed, down a little less than half of my daily bankroll.
For our final day we had breakfast at Harrah’s café yet again. We had originally planned to eat at the Mirage buffet for breakfast, but we had eaten dinner so early the day before that we just couldn’t wait to eat – what pigs we are! I tried their Southern Eggs Benedict: two biscuits with sausage and eggs on top, covered with good ol’ cream gravy. Heart attack on a plate! I couldn’t finish even half of it, but it was good and filling. My mom paid for breakfast with her TR points – again – and again I wasn’t put out by either of them spending a small portion of their vast amount of TR points on my food. We checked out of our rooms and took our bags to the bell desk since we wouldn’t be leaving until 7:40 that night and were planning on being gone for awhile.
We walked to Caesars on a beautiful, sunny Friday morning. If every day in Vegas were like that, it would truly be heavenly. I FINALLY got to play my Dancing Dolphins Super Jackpot Party machines! I saw less of them on this trip, and when I did they were usually taken. I picked the wrong dang shell almost every time I got the free spins, and I never got a chance at the Super Jackpot Party bonus. It was depressing.
I also went back to visit my favorite Gold Fish machine that paid my lovely five Goldie win last March, but it wasn’t showing me any love, either. Finally I gave up and went and found my mom and cousin to tell them I was heading to Bellagio to take some photos in the conservatory, as they were planning on skipping it this trip. We agreed to meet at Flamingo at 2 p.m.
As usual, the Bellagio conservatory smelled absolutely wonderful. The spring display includes the butterfly house, as well as different styles of gardens from around the world, including an Italian garden with a funky head statue, a traditional English garden, and a Japanese Zen garden. I could spend all day in there, truly.
I walked over to Flamingo and found my mom had just hit 75 free spins on one of the new Happy Days machines. She had put in $5 and was up to $160. I left her there and headed for the Quick Hits slots. Up and down, up and down – finally I remembered that I hadn’t gotten the Margaritaville T-shirt my DH requested. Mom and I headed over to get the shirt and pick up my cousin and head back toward Harrah’s.
We stopped by Ghiradelli’s for some chocolates at Hayley’s request (she’d rather have them from Vegas than from San Antonio), and listened to the band WonderBoogie in Carnaval Court for a couple of songs. They are so good! Then it was on to a couple of shops in Harrah’s to look for anything else that caught our fancy before we did our last gambling of the trip.
Once again I was able to find an open seat at a Gold Fish machine and hit quite a few bonus rounds. Goldie was really visiting me on this trip, but unfortunately her bonus rounds consisted of a lot of consolation credits. I still love her, though, and I’ll be back to visit her again in July.
We decided for a quick snack at the café again before we headed to the airport, and I just ordered a bowl of French onion soup. Not too bad. My cousin paid for that with her TR points, so I officially didn’t spend any money on food for the entire trip!
At 5:45 we grabbed our bags from the bell desk and caught a cab back to the airport. This time the fare made sense - $14 from Harrah’s to the airport is pretty low these days, actually. I gave the nice guy a good tip and headed up to the craziness that is the new C gates.
For the first time in Vegas history (for me, at least), the TSA agents were all very nice and friendly. Usually they are staring straight ahead, or they are very business-like, but they were actually funny and cutting up with some of us crazy customers and each other. It was a nice change.
Our plane was at the gate early, and we left on time. I couldn’t resist taking one last photo out the plane window before takeoff – once again, I swear my camera was *properly* stowed the whole time.
Anyone who’s going to Vegas soon – please say hello to my money. I left about half of it there for you all to take a crack at. Let me know if any of you give it a good home.
Vegas Trip Report – March 25-27, 2009
Well, another trip has come and gone. At least this time I felt like I had time to myself! October’s trip was so crazy I needed another vacation just to recover from that one. This trip was so much more relaxing I was able to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it! Looking forward to leaving on a very early 7:35 a.m. flight, I drove to my cousin’s apartment to meet my mom and cousin for the cab ride to the airport.
This was the first trip in quite awhile where the plane was not completely full or overbooked on the way out, and was only about half full on the way back. I’m used to SWA employees asking if anyone would like to go standby and be guaranteed for the next flight with some cash involved. No begging or pleading needed, and we didn’t have to avoid meeting anyone’s gaze while we waited.
On the approach into Vegas, I was glad to see that we were near Hoover Dam and I could actually get a photo, although my camera was *technically* stowed away, I swear. It’s as close as I’ll probably ever get to Hoover Dam.
Upon arrival, my cousin and I tried to delay my mom a little bit because we knew the limo driver would be there, but we wanted to make sure he was there and waiting. Well, even though we stopped, I pretended to get a pebble out of my shoe, we adjusted carryon bags and purse straps, and thought of all sorts of diversions, my mom was practically running to the baggage claim area! Finally I told her to slow down because I had something for her. She figured it out and thanked me but wanted to know WHY I did it. I told her “You only turn 60 once!” Our limo driver was waiting in baggage claim, and she would’ve missed him because she was headed straight to the taxi area. He was a nice guy, very talkative and funny, and he gave us an ‘old Vegas’ feel because he had a thick New York accent and gave us thoughts of the mob on our journey to Harrah’s.
We checked in but were unable to get into our rooms because it was only 9 a.m. Vegas time. We stored our bags and headed to The Café at Harrah’s for breakfast – we were all starving! We didn’t have breakfast before our early flight out of San Antonio, so we absolutely had to get a little bit of food before we headed out to Encore for a bit of sight-seeing, picture-taking, and gambling. Mom paid for our breakfast with her Total Rewards points since she has a LOT of points, and we let her ‘cause we’re nice that way.
Encore – what can I say? Everyone has been right – it is very, very RED! Beautiful artwork, chandeliers, tapestries…everything. We walked around the property for quite awhile, but I’m sure I missed some things. In fact, I KNOW I did because I remember there were some very specific things in a friend’s photos that I was looking for and never found. I did feel that the casino floor was very small because of all the curtains, but I didn’t get that feeling when I was sitting near the atrium or one of the large windows. With all its beauty, I think I still like Wynn better. I don’t know why, though. I can’t explain it.
I took some photos outside of the Sinatra restaurant, but the dining area was well roped off and I didn’t try to venture in and take any more photos than I already had (even though a roped off area doesn’t usually keep me from taking photos if I really want to). I also managed to have a couple of good spins on a penny Wolf Run machine, so I was happy with that. A little Asian lady next to me was not happy with my wilds, though, because she kept gesturing to my machine and telling her companions something that sounded very angry to me. I finally got annoyed with her leaning over my shoulder, so I gathered up my mom and my cousin, and we headed for Wynn.
At Wynn, I continued my long-standing tradition of losing, losing, losing in that casino. I love the place – love the buffet, love the atmosphere, love their variety of machines. But I can’t win a dime. Or a nickel. Or a penny. I don’t know what that casino has against me, but it doesn’t want me to take anything from it. As long as I get to visit my money every so often I guess it’s okay.
From there we walked to Palazzo. For some reason, this casino’s layout gets me turned around. I can’t find the same place twice. I did find a very nice Hot Hot Penny China Moon machine that let me play on the same $20 for almost 3 hours, so at least I wasn’t just feeding money into the machines all day long. As we were leaving Palazzo to walk to the Venetian, we managed to catch the performers in front of the Palazzo fountain by the escalators. Interesting to watch for a little while, but I wouldn’t stand around waiting for them. I liked their “fountain fingers” – whatever they had on their hands to make it appear that water was spouting out of their fingertips was interesting. (There's a photo of these ladies on my blog page.) Now I can say I saw it and check it off of my list of things to see in Vegas.
In Venetian, we checked the time and saw that it was already 4 p.m., so we decided to head over to Grand Luxe Caf̩ for a snack. We shared two appetizers Рa plate of fried calamari, rock shrimp, and vegetables in a tempura batter, and another appetizer called Cheese Steak Spring Rolls. Those spring rolls were awesome! They came with a spicy cheese sauce and a more traditional lumpia (spring roll) sauce. The other plate had some kind of lemon tartar sauce and a chipotle sauce for dipping. I think we dipped all the appetizers into all the different sauces just to try them out. No bad combinations there at all. Those two appetizers were big enough for regular meals, and the total for both of them and our three teas was $24. My cousin paid for that because she said she owed me for the limo. Fine by me!
Back at Harrah’s, my cousin ended up with one of the remodeled Premium rooms in the Mardi Gras tower (room 408) that have the flat screen TVs, but I opted for a non-smoking Deluxe room on a higher floor in the same tower (room 1848) so that I could have a Strip view – finally! I saw their room and felt the bathroom was too crowded with the TV mounted on the wall, so I’m glad I got my room with a view. I’ve been going to Vegas for 12 years, and this was the first time I’ve had any kind of Strip view at all. I had visions of sleeping with the curtains open so I could see the lights from The Mirage, Rio, and Caesars Palace. Oh, I was a happy girl, indeed.
After a few room photos, we met downstairs and decided to head over to Imperial Palace (IP) to play for a little while before we settled in for some serious gambling at Harrah’s. We walked around to see what new machines were available, and found IP to be very crowded for a Wednesday night. The craps tables were all full to brimming as usual, and the crowds were very noisy but seemed to be having lots of fun. I finally found a new Monopoly Up, Up and Away slot machine near the front and sat down to play – I just love Monopoly machines! On my second spin, I got a nice little line win for $100. Cool!
A very nice, older lady from Canada sat down next to me, and we chatted while we played. However, it seemed to annoy her that I wouldn’t cash out my ticket with more than $100 on it and just insert another bill to play on. I just don’t do that. A lot of people do, but I play down to even numbers ($100, $80, $60, etc.) and may cash out then if I’m staying there for awhile. Still, she was quite funny and we had a great time admiring each other’s bonus rounds – lots of fun bonus rounds on those machines!
At about 10 p.m. we headed back to Harrah’s. It was EXTREMELY crowded! I walked around for quite awhile trying to find an open seat at my favorite Gold Fish or Double Dolphin Super Jackpot Party machines, but there were none open anywhere. Not only that, there were usually people literally lined up behind the other players, waiting for them to get up and move so that they could get on those machines. I walked all over the casino trying to find some new slots with open seats, but there were none available. I finally gave up and went to find my mom. We played DDB VP side by side for a long time, and traded back and forth four of a kinds (4OAKs) that kept us afloat each time we dwindled down to less than 10 credits. A lot of points were added to our HET cards that night!
I almost forgot to mention my favorite new casino drink: Bailey’s and hot chocolate. I had about 6 of them that night, and they were yummy and strong…*hic!* They went down reeeeeeaaaaaalllllll smooth! All in all, I lost about half of my day one bankroll because of earlier losses at Wynn, Palazzo, and Venetian. It was nice to be able to go back to my room and look out my window lovingly at the beautiful Vegas Strip before I hit the hay. You can’t ask for much more than that, can you?
Day 2 was mom’s birthday. I called my mom in her room to wake her and my cousin up - as is my job in Vegas - and I wished her happy birthday from my Strip view room. I got her tacky birthday card ready and headed down to meet them for breakfast at the IP Teahouse (mom’s choice – it’s her birthday, after all) before we headed down the Strip for our second day. It was all her choice of stuff to do for today. My cousin paid for breakfast with her TR points. I’m still not complaining!
Believe it or not, we got "long-hauled" from IP to Luxor! How the hell does that happen? I suspected something was afoot when the cabbie turned LEFT onto the Strip instead of turning RIGHT to go behind IP onto Koval and make a quick trip to Luxor. He didn’t say a word when I asked him what he was doing by taking us this way. He headed down past TI and turned by the Fashion Show Mall – headed for I-15! I asked him why he didn’t take Koval behind IP. He shrugged and said, “This is faster.” Dirty looks and lots of grumbling from us followed while we were stuck in traffic on I-15. Forget stink eye – I was sending some serious ojo his way. The fare was $14.70, and he got $15. That should’ve been a $7-$8 fare out the back of IP, easy.
Since we hadn’t been to Luxor in quite a few years, I had some photos to take. In fact, the last time we were there I still used disposable cameras on my Vegas trips! I left my mom and cousin at the entrance and walked toward to tram for some photos before we finally headed inside to look around and gamble.
I’ve heard that the casino had changed to a more modern feel. I didn’t really feel that at all. Sure, there’s a bar right inside the main part of the casino that looks a little modern-ish, but the place still feels very old Egyptian to me – just like it always has. It didn’t stop me from taking new photos, though.
A photo shoot was underway at one of the craps tables when we got inside. My guess is that they’re getting ready to update their marketing materials soon. There were lots of 20-somethings all dolled up and crowded around, yelling “Go!” over and over again and throwing the dice. This led to lots of cameras flashing in my eyes where I was sitting. I was initially blinded by the flashes and had to find another area to gamble in because it was really annoying. Then I noticed some open Wizard of Oz (WOZ) machines – cool! I played for about 15 minutes before all my money was sucked away. Then I realized that I had been playing 5-cent instead of 1-cent WOZ. That was the only place I made that mistake. It gets expensive!
I did visit the atrium level because I wanted to see if anything had changed up there. I’m just glad King Tut’s Tomb is gone – it was so lame! I did find out that the Titanic Exhibit opened at 10 a.m. each day so I could plan my visit for July. Otherwise, not very exciting up there at all. There was a pretty cool looking bar up there, but I don’t remember the name of it.
My mom and cousin finally decided they’d lost enough money in Luxor and we walked to Excalibur. They headed for the VP machines near the sports book, but there were open Gold Fish machines nearby calling my name! I sat down at one on the end and stayed there for another couple of hours, finally cashing out $100 for my $20 investment. I was very happy because I had a few visits from Goldie the Goldfish herself – 10 spins, 15 spins, and even 20 spins. I was just glad to know she decided to pay me a visit on this trip, since she has been avoiding me for awhile.
After Excalibur, it was over to NY/NY. I wanted to show my mom the scary Hitchcock slots, since she was in another area when my aunt Mina and I were playing them in October. She got to experience the random surprise of Alfred popping up in the corner for herself – at least it’s not just me! I also found a Hot Hot Super Jackpot Chariots slot that lasted for awhile, but nothing was hitting bonus rounds for me. Disappointing.
I’m glad that they appear to finally be done with all the remodeling in the NY/NY casino. When were there last, the restaurant area in the back was still like the streets of New York with cobblestone walkways, and the casino was partially modern with a lot of temporary walls up everywhere. I still like the old look better personally, but it’s a vast improvement for them to be finished and have the casino looking like it’s all one place and not a hodge-podge of different looks.
Next on our list was a stop at MGM. For some reason, they’ve taken out a lot of their penny machines near the lions. We didn’t find anything that we wanted to play for any length of time, and my cousin was getting perturbed by the lack of VP hits above 3OAK. There was not a seat to be found at Sigma Derby – again – so it’s still on my list for the next trip. The decision was made to walk to Planet Hollywood from there.
I don’t know about the wisdom of this decision because of the WIND! Had it been just another beautiful, sunny spring day in Vegas, it would’ve been great. The sidewalks were very crowded with people, but throw in some swirling dirt and dust from all the construction in the area and it made for a rather unpleasant walk. I did finally get to walk past the Hawaiian Marketplace and other areas I’d previously only heard about, though, and I think I’ll be paying another visit to the area in July, as my companions didn’t want to stop in the wind and dirt. Not that I blame them.
Neither my mom nor my cousin had been in PH since it opened, so I took them on a little tour of the casino floor before they settled in to gamble. My cousin spotted the Big Six wheel and remembered that she still hadn’t made a bet for her sister. Her sister's luck continues on each trip with a $2 bet on 40, and it doesn't matter if she plays it herself or if someone plays it for her. She won for herself at Bellagio during our October trip, and my cousin hit the $2 on 40 bet for her AGAIN! She is one lucky chickie when it comes to the Big Six wheel and her $2 on 40 bet.
We headed over to the area near The Earl of Sandwich deli because my cousin saw some VP machines she wanted to play. I found a machine I hadn’t seen before: Lucky Meerkats, which is a version of Lucky Lemmings. What a hoot! In the bonus round, one of the meerkats does an MC Hammer “Can’t Touch This” dance to award points. I’m obviously easily entertained, because even though I eventually lost my $20, I was laughing my butt off at all the silliness.
Finally we decided we were getting a little hungry, so we headed over to Paris. Once there, we decided to wait just a little while longer to get the dinner menu at Mon Ami Gabi (MAG). I followed another LV4E friend’s advice and had a seat at the Gold Fish machines near the cabaret bandstand. Goldie decided to visit me again and again, and I was happy to see her. We had a nice little visit, and the cocktail waitress was quick and deadly with her delivery. I think I had about 5 (small) Kahlua and cream glasses before my mom decided she was starving, and we had only been there for less than an hour!
When we walked up to MAG, we saw they were now offering breakfast starting at 7 a.m. each day. Breakfast at MAG?!?!? I think I’m in heaven! Oh, it looks like July will be a wonderful time to stay at Paris!
The hostess offered to seat us on the patio, but we opted for a window seat just inside, as the winds were still blowing furiously and you could see the spray from the Bellagio fountains all over the place on the Paris side of the street. I was actually surprised that the fountains were not turned off, but they stayed on the entire time we were there.
For dinner, we decided we would get three different entrees and share them, and then share desserts. The reason for this was because we always wish we’d tried something else no matter what we get, and this way we’d all be able to try several things and still be happy. This turned out to be a good decision – we weren’t stuffed, but we enjoyed a really good meal. We ordered Steak Classique, Steak Bernaise, and Gabi’s Fish and Frites. We cut them into thirds and exchanged pieces. Mom and my cousin both ordered a glass of the house red wine, and I finally got to try the Frangria that my friend Tania had mentioned before. I will be trying it again – it was good but strong. I’m such a lightweight!
The desserts were delicious, too – mom’s favorite flourless chocolate cake was the first choice, and the sorbet of the day was actually two: banana and pineapple. They were both fan-freakin’-tastic! I’ve never met a sorbet at MAG that I didn’t like, and these were delicious. I discovered that if you mixed the banana sorbet with a bit of the flourless chocolate cake it tasted a lot like those frozen chocolate covered bananas that used to be so popular when I was a kid. Also, if you mixed the banana and pineapple sorbets together, it tasted like a pina colada. We were very happy with our choices and think we’ll do that again so we can sample more stuff and not be OVERstuffed. My cousin paid for dinner, as well, as this was her birthday present for my mom. The total for all three of us was $112. Not bad at all.
From there we decided to head into Bally’s, which was extremely crowded – the slots, the tables, the sports book were all very busy – and mom decided we should just catch the monorail back to Harrah’s. She’d already worn out her hip on the walk from MGM to PH earlier, so I didn’t push it and we took the easy way back.
Back at Harrah’s, it was already time for me to print the boarding passes for the next day. Got A24, A29, and A31 – the lowest numbers we’ve had in a LONG time. We headed up to the rooms to put them away and freshen up for the evening.
Downstairs again, I finally found an open Village People Party machine that I had been eyeing the day before. Again I was hitting enough bonuses to keep me from going down to $0. After I had been at the machine for about an hour, a girl sat down at the machine next to me and was extremely excited each time she hit a bonus round on whatever it was. She kept yelling “Fireballs! Fireballs!” every time she’d get the bonus rounds, and I couldn’t help but laugh. I found her to be very entertaining – as did others in the area - and she finally cashed out and left. I cashed out a little while later and went to find my mom. We played side by side VP for awhile again, drinking Bailey’s and hot chocolate - mom loves them, too! - and the 4OAKs kept me alive yet again tonight. The next time I looked at my watch it was 1:30 a.m., and I was just dead on my feet. I said good night and headed for bed, down a little less than half of my daily bankroll.
For our final day we had breakfast at Harrah’s café yet again. We had originally planned to eat at the Mirage buffet for breakfast, but we had eaten dinner so early the day before that we just couldn’t wait to eat – what pigs we are! I tried their Southern Eggs Benedict: two biscuits with sausage and eggs on top, covered with good ol’ cream gravy. Heart attack on a plate! I couldn’t finish even half of it, but it was good and filling. My mom paid for breakfast with her TR points – again – and again I wasn’t put out by either of them spending a small portion of their vast amount of TR points on my food. We checked out of our rooms and took our bags to the bell desk since we wouldn’t be leaving until 7:40 that night and were planning on being gone for awhile.
We walked to Caesars on a beautiful, sunny Friday morning. If every day in Vegas were like that, it would truly be heavenly. I FINALLY got to play my Dancing Dolphins Super Jackpot Party machines! I saw less of them on this trip, and when I did they were usually taken. I picked the wrong dang shell almost every time I got the free spins, and I never got a chance at the Super Jackpot Party bonus. It was depressing.
I also went back to visit my favorite Gold Fish machine that paid my lovely five Goldie win last March, but it wasn’t showing me any love, either. Finally I gave up and went and found my mom and cousin to tell them I was heading to Bellagio to take some photos in the conservatory, as they were planning on skipping it this trip. We agreed to meet at Flamingo at 2 p.m.
As usual, the Bellagio conservatory smelled absolutely wonderful. The spring display includes the butterfly house, as well as different styles of gardens from around the world, including an Italian garden with a funky head statue, a traditional English garden, and a Japanese Zen garden. I could spend all day in there, truly.
I walked over to Flamingo and found my mom had just hit 75 free spins on one of the new Happy Days machines. She had put in $5 and was up to $160. I left her there and headed for the Quick Hits slots. Up and down, up and down – finally I remembered that I hadn’t gotten the Margaritaville T-shirt my DH requested. Mom and I headed over to get the shirt and pick up my cousin and head back toward Harrah’s.
We stopped by Ghiradelli’s for some chocolates at Hayley’s request (she’d rather have them from Vegas than from San Antonio), and listened to the band WonderBoogie in Carnaval Court for a couple of songs. They are so good! Then it was on to a couple of shops in Harrah’s to look for anything else that caught our fancy before we did our last gambling of the trip.
Once again I was able to find an open seat at a Gold Fish machine and hit quite a few bonus rounds. Goldie was really visiting me on this trip, but unfortunately her bonus rounds consisted of a lot of consolation credits. I still love her, though, and I’ll be back to visit her again in July.
We decided for a quick snack at the café again before we headed to the airport, and I just ordered a bowl of French onion soup. Not too bad. My cousin paid for that with her TR points, so I officially didn’t spend any money on food for the entire trip!
At 5:45 we grabbed our bags from the bell desk and caught a cab back to the airport. This time the fare made sense - $14 from Harrah’s to the airport is pretty low these days, actually. I gave the nice guy a good tip and headed up to the craziness that is the new C gates.
For the first time in Vegas history (for me, at least), the TSA agents were all very nice and friendly. Usually they are staring straight ahead, or they are very business-like, but they were actually funny and cutting up with some of us crazy customers and each other. It was a nice change.
Our plane was at the gate early, and we left on time. I couldn’t resist taking one last photo out the plane window before takeoff – once again, I swear my camera was *properly* stowed the whole time.
Anyone who’s going to Vegas soon – please say hello to my money. I left about half of it there for you all to take a crack at. Let me know if any of you give it a good home.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Traveling with a first time Vegas visitor
Those of us who travel to Vegas quite frequently may call them "Vegas virgins", but regardless of how anyone may refer to a first-time Vegas visitor, they are likely to be overwhelmed when they finally see Sin City in the flesh.
If you have occasion to take a first-timer to Vegas with you on a future trip, I have a few pieces of advice to share with you so that they are not completely taken aback and left standing slack-jawed in awe while you try to drag them from place to place - and so you're not left wondering how to arrange everything with a newbie in tow.
Ask about their likes, dislikes, and gambling expectations before you begin planning. Just because you love sushi doesn't mean they do. Maybe they have no desire to see another magic show in this decade. They may decide to only play the nickel slot machines while you might prefer to play blackjack all night. You might know a lot of things about them, but not everything you may need to know to make it a successful trip. Find out before you start planning and booking everything so that you know what they're expecting out of the trip.
Tell them your goals or plans for the trip before you leave. If there's something that you do on every trip, or something specific you're really looking forward to doing on this one, let your guest know. That way, they can either decide to join you or opt out and do something on their own.
Discuss preferred travel times, lodging, and transportation before you book. Some people prefer to fly only during the morning hours and only on direct flights. You may have a guest who prefers not to stay in a hotel room that allows smoking. Maybe they have an irrational fear of taxicabs. Find out before you book so that everyone is happy with the arrangements.
Take it slow - there's no need to rush around. Like me, you may want to share all of your favorite sights and shows or indulge in your very favorite meals with your guest, but it can get very overwhelming very quickly. Leave time to get from place to place and allow them to walk and look at their own pace. Remember, it's all new to them, and they may want to take lots of photos...or at least take in the sight of everything.
Don't over plan or overbook the days and evenings for your guest. Don't plan too many shows or attractions, even if you know they will enjoy them. You wouldn't want to have to eat the cost of show tickets or risk a cancellation fee if you can't make it because of exhaustion. Allow some freedom to add in shows, attractions, or meals of their own choosing once they've seen what it's all about and have had time to experience some of what Vegas has to offer at their pace.
Leave some downtime on the calendar for rest and relaxation. You may not need to rest in Vegas (I know I don't!), but a first-time visitor may need to take a nap or go to bed early after they've seen so much so quickly. On the other hand, if they decide they're ready to go, go, GO once they've gotten there and experienced a bit of fun, then you can do that, too, and add more stuff to do if they're agreeable to it.
Discuss possible "time alone" if you're rooming together. Maybe you have a time or place you like to gamble by yourself, or maybe you prefer to go back to the hotel for a hot bath before you head out for the evening. Whatever it is, you should make your feelings known - and find out theirs - so that you don't step on each other's toes.
Let your guest make some decisions. Leave a block of time with no plans to let them decide what to do or where to go toward the end of the trip if they'd like to. This way they can make some entertainment or dining choices based on what they've seen and done so far, and they'll feel as though they are able to get involved in the planning and decision-making more completely. If they prefer not to, be willing to step in and make some suggestions yourself.
Share what you know. Give them some details and facts about different places and attractions if you know them. Yes, it's very tour guide-like, but it may spark interest in other sights and opportunities.
You may learn some new things about your friend or family member by taking a Vegas trip with them, and sharing their first trip is like seeing Vegas again for the first time; it's an experience not to be forgotten.
If you have occasion to take a first-timer to Vegas with you on a future trip, I have a few pieces of advice to share with you so that they are not completely taken aback and left standing slack-jawed in awe while you try to drag them from place to place - and so you're not left wondering how to arrange everything with a newbie in tow.
Ask about their likes, dislikes, and gambling expectations before you begin planning. Just because you love sushi doesn't mean they do. Maybe they have no desire to see another magic show in this decade. They may decide to only play the nickel slot machines while you might prefer to play blackjack all night. You might know a lot of things about them, but not everything you may need to know to make it a successful trip. Find out before you start planning and booking everything so that you know what they're expecting out of the trip.
Tell them your goals or plans for the trip before you leave. If there's something that you do on every trip, or something specific you're really looking forward to doing on this one, let your guest know. That way, they can either decide to join you or opt out and do something on their own.
Discuss preferred travel times, lodging, and transportation before you book. Some people prefer to fly only during the morning hours and only on direct flights. You may have a guest who prefers not to stay in a hotel room that allows smoking. Maybe they have an irrational fear of taxicabs. Find out before you book so that everyone is happy with the arrangements.
Take it slow - there's no need to rush around. Like me, you may want to share all of your favorite sights and shows or indulge in your very favorite meals with your guest, but it can get very overwhelming very quickly. Leave time to get from place to place and allow them to walk and look at their own pace. Remember, it's all new to them, and they may want to take lots of photos...or at least take in the sight of everything.
Don't over plan or overbook the days and evenings for your guest. Don't plan too many shows or attractions, even if you know they will enjoy them. You wouldn't want to have to eat the cost of show tickets or risk a cancellation fee if you can't make it because of exhaustion. Allow some freedom to add in shows, attractions, or meals of their own choosing once they've seen what it's all about and have had time to experience some of what Vegas has to offer at their pace.
Leave some downtime on the calendar for rest and relaxation. You may not need to rest in Vegas (I know I don't!), but a first-time visitor may need to take a nap or go to bed early after they've seen so much so quickly. On the other hand, if they decide they're ready to go, go, GO once they've gotten there and experienced a bit of fun, then you can do that, too, and add more stuff to do if they're agreeable to it.
Discuss possible "time alone" if you're rooming together. Maybe you have a time or place you like to gamble by yourself, or maybe you prefer to go back to the hotel for a hot bath before you head out for the evening. Whatever it is, you should make your feelings known - and find out theirs - so that you don't step on each other's toes.
Let your guest make some decisions. Leave a block of time with no plans to let them decide what to do or where to go toward the end of the trip if they'd like to. This way they can make some entertainment or dining choices based on what they've seen and done so far, and they'll feel as though they are able to get involved in the planning and decision-making more completely. If they prefer not to, be willing to step in and make some suggestions yourself.
Share what you know. Give them some details and facts about different places and attractions if you know them. Yes, it's very tour guide-like, but it may spark interest in other sights and opportunities.
You may learn some new things about your friend or family member by taking a Vegas trip with them, and sharing their first trip is like seeing Vegas again for the first time; it's an experience not to be forgotten.
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