Downtown TR 8/7 - 8/12

I had another great time downtown. My flight was late, arrived around midnight Sunday night. The nice part was not having to wait in the cab line! On the other hand, I was busy texting and didn't realize the nice lady driver was long-hauling me until it was too late. $35+ from the airport to the Fitz. Welcome to Las Vegas!

Fitgeralds gave me a corner room on the 31st floor (3124). The room showed some wear, but was well worth the $29 rate I paid. Nice view to the north and west. Most importantly, everything worked! And the shower head is nice and high, which is appreciated by those of us 6'3. Dropped my bags in the room and went downstairs for drinks and a walk.

I walked a whole 20 steps to the 4Q and was approached by two ladies. They must have been mesmorized by me, because they wanted to go back to my room (for a small fee). Not my cup of tea. I offered to buy them a drink and chat but they declined. Time is money I suppose. I hope they found someone else as charming as I apparently am!

Over the course of the next 5 days, I walked many miles, ate at several different places, and had more than my share of drinks. Oh, I gambled too. Here are some of my hits/misses.

Magnolia's (4Q) has excellent breakfast and reasonable prices. Pancakes...mmmmm!
Island Buffet (Fremont) lunch wasn't as good as I remember but the Cafe was excellent.
Courtyard Grill (Fitz) has cheap and good lunch specials.
Main Street Bar (Cal) nice, quiet place to drink a few too many beers and play VP. Great bartenders!
99 cent hot dogs at Mermaids...perfect for soaking up the many beers you drank at the Cal.
The microbrews at MSS are excellent. Try the High Roller and thank me later.
Vodka sours are decent all over downtown, but the Nugget's are top dog!
Ride the zip line, check out the free stage entertainment, and ogle the dancing bartenders outside GG!
Binion Burger...not what it used to be. Come to think of it, the whole place isn't what it used to be.
Walgreen's has just what you need after a few nights of booze and greasy food.
Girls of Glitter Gulch - I didn't go this trip but will stop in next time (just so I can review the place of course)
Beggars/panhandlers - more than ever. I don't look down on others, but enough is enough!
Video poker - not very many great games, but some playable games if you look for them.
El Cortez - great mix of people. In the time it took me to lose $40 on VP, the lady next to me lost $900.
Slots - I don't normally play them, but wom $125 on Megabucks. Purely skill of course.


I got a wild hair on Tuesday and decided to spend a night at the Gold Spike. Walked in and got a room for $25+resort fee. Resort fee included 2 bottles of water, pool access, and wireless internet. Big deal!! My tower room (621) was honestly the cleanest room I've ever had in Vegas (or probably anywhere else). But the casino itself has very little to offer. 1 bar, 4 BJ tables, and a small number of machines. It would be OK staying there as a group, but didn't keep me entertained all by myself. Do I regret staying there? Nope. I hope the Western opens their hotel by my next trip so I can try it!

Overall I had a great time. Met some neat people, experienced some new things, and actually won money. The strip is fun to visit once in awhile, but Downtown will always be my home in Vegas!

Thanks. At least now when I click on a trip report, I know it is from a trip down town regardless if it is noted or not on the subject line. Do you think your good looks attracted those two ladies or maybe you looked lonely and appeared to have money?

My ego tells me they were attracted to my ruggedly handsome looks and charming personality....but my brain tells me otherwise!

Had the opposite experience with a "working girl" years ago. She sat next to me while I was playing VP (Elaine had gone to bed). When I rejected her offer she just sat there and talked. I told her I was enjoying the conversation but I would not be changing my mind. She told me she had made enough for the night and was in no hurry. We talked for close to a hour and it was a very interesting conversation. She got her start down the road with a stepfather who helped himself. She did the legal places in Pahrump on occasion but hated the fact that if you worked there you had to stay there for 3 weeks then you could leave and come back in a week or when ever you wanted to come for a 3 week minimum. Too confining. Anyway I had a very interesting free conversation.

Good post. Downtown is great.

Entrapment still happens downtown, as well as the strip or boulder. I dont know the likelihood of two cops doing the job it only takes one cop to do. I had a brief chat this year where the cop was plainly annoyed I made her for a cop the minute she walked up. Good luck, or be careful.

I was not aware that the police do reverse stings in Vegas. Every time I'm approached, I decline so I have nothing to worry about. But because Vegas depends on tourism, it really surprises me that they would do reverse stings.

Nice TR! Thanks! I guess you got the real Vegas experience!

I don't partake either, but have enjoyed some interesting conversations with working girls over the years. I enjoy chatting them up, and it is surprising how many of them enjoy a drink and conversation even after they realize I am not looking for paid company lol.

BTW I can't say that reverse stings don't happen in casinos because I don't work for Metro. But I can say that I have never heard of one. Even in my previous life working surveillance on the strip, no such thing happened.

Now thats my kind of Trip Report!! Well done..

And the Walgreens line was spot on. Thats always at the top of my to do list. Stock up on water, gatorade, 5-hour energy shots (or the cheap knock-off) and drunk snacks.

Funny women of the night story.. about 3 years ago, I was staying at Terribles, it was around 2 am, and I was just about done with my night (meaning: drunk and broke). I was feeding the .25-cent slots my last few singles and a lady sat down next to me and started chatting, flirting, laughing etc. Sadly, it took about 10 mins before I realized it wasnt my good looks that won her over, it was my bloodshot eyes. Regardless of, I declined her offer and she went on her way.

I had to laugh because she was trolling the quarter slots.. how did she think I had any money when my credits totaled a whopping $4?

great TR!!
marko..