SUNDAY
My wife and I are middle-class, middle-aged, middle-Americans. We went to Vegas from 17-Apr to 22-Apr. We’re active and enjoy doing something physical in the AM and then enjoying our vices with less guilt the rest of the day.
Flew Allegiant out of Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon arriving in Vegas about 6 PM on the 17th. Used phone based boarding passes for the first time and it worked well. We were TSA-pre check for some reason. I noticed with the electronic boarding pass (BP) the TSA employee does not have to compare the BP to your ID. That step must be automated. The flight crew was oddly unprofessional – co-pilot ‘Mike’ was wearing a dirty polo shirt. Yikes!
Took an Uber to the Main Street Station (2 of 3 nights comped). We ate at the 777 brewpub. Food and service were adequate. We wandered up to the Plaza to listen to music at the Omaha lounge and gamble. Band was OK, both wife and I won money sitting at the bar playing VP. There’s a strange, under construction vibe near the entrance to the Plaza.
We were in bed by 10 PM (1 AM our time).
MONDAY
At about 6 AM local I get a couple of cups of coffee at Mc’Ds. We wake slowly and clean-up. We had breakfast at the Golden Nugget buffet. Big crowd from NAB and there are some notable tools. We rent a car at the D. We drove to the Lake Mead recreational area. This is about 30 minutes from downtown. We took the hike along the old rail line that supplied the builders for the Hoover dam. It’s about 4 miles one way. The path goes through 5 tunnels and ends at the dam. On the hike we saw a large group of big horn sheep. This was a lot of fun and a good experience. It’s relatively flat and as long as it’s not too hot this is very accessible for people of all fitness levels. In addition it has historical content that’s interesting from a time when our government seemed to be able to do remarkable things.
If your choice was doing this or just driving to the dam, I’d do this every time. You still get to see the dam and other tourist trap stuff.
We stopped at the Sunset Station for lunch on the way back. An unremarkable buffet that was funny to us. The restricted “Chairmen section”, right next to the buffet for high rollers. Most of whom needed a wheelchair. Back downtown we used every $10 free play we could find in the LVA coupon book and other resources. We favor simple slot machines where you have reels and can see what happens clearly. The hundred lines by 10 cents a line non-sense always leaves us wondering what the hell is happening. We drank and gambled away the afternoon and had a lot of silly fun that somehow netted us some cash. At about 10 PM we found ourselves at Magnolia’s having a late dinner. Back to the MSS for a night cap and off to bed.
TUESDAY
Couldn’t sleep so at 3 AM I went down to the boar’s head bar and drank coffee and gambled. We were supposed to do a horseback ride in the AM but the person scheduling it was being very weird. This was a groupon deal that smacked of a scam. All I can say is I wouldn’t do business with Las Vegas Trail Riding if I were you. Happily groupon was cool and gave me my money back. At 6 AM, I got coffee for the wife. We took a walk up the strip to Caesars’ and back. We had the MSS Buffet when we got back. Sadly still declining in quality, but I paid with points so it stings a little less. We bought tickets for Jersey Boys wondered around mid-strip and saw the new Cromwell. We hadn’t seen it since the big remodel. The wife and I agreed it would be perfect for one of our daughters and her husband. We also checked out the Park (kind of cool scene) and kept winning wherever we played.
To change it up, we went over to Ellis Island – just so the wife could see it. Still a dump. Every machine had some problem, sticky buttons, bill acceptor or card acceptor failing etc. The wife unequivocally hated this place. Head back downtown to take a nap and clean-up.
We ate dinner at Mon Ami Gabby and saw the Jersey Boys in the evening. I’d seen the show before the wife had not. She enjoyed it a lot.
Back downtown, we wandered up to the Plaza to listen to music at the Omaha lounge and gamble. Band was worse than before, both wife and I won money sitting at the bar playing VP again. We headed back to the MSS and gambled and called it a night fairly late.
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast at the Fremont buffet. The food’s OK, but the scene is something I love. I don’t know why. We took a day off from any big physical activity, but as per the wife’s fit bit we still managed to walk 13 thousand steps. I have no idea how much that is.
Today we move from MSS to the downtown grand. On the way out of the MSS we stopped up to see the antiques stored on the second floor. I had to ask a security guard to take us. Not a lot to see but worth the walk. He mentioned seeing the Pullman was worthwhile.
DTG check-in was painless and we are in our room in less than 15 minutes after checking out of MSS. The wife goes to the pool. She likes it a lot. I go to the minimalist exercise room and then gamble.
We head to Caesars’ at about 1 to get our tickets to Absinth. The process of parking in the self-park garage, walking to the front of the casino, getting our tickets and then getting back to our car and the strip was such a pain in the back side, we decide to valet elsewhere at show time. We ran over to the Tuscany for a late snack to tide us over to dinner. The Mexican restaurant. Food is not memorable.
The wife made reservations for dinner at the charcoal room in the Palace Station. I don’t know why. The food was just OK for a steak house but the atmosphere was awful. Two ill-behaved children disrupted the room making dinner a bad experience. I wouldn’t go back.
Valet parked at the Cromwell and walked over to Absinth. A very funny show that’s very raunchy. I wouldn’t go again but I really liked it. So did the wife. For what it’s worth, if you’re a big person, the seating will be a challenge for you.
We went and watched a couple of fountain shows. When we got back downtown, we gambled at the furnace bar and controlled the drinking as we had a strenuous morning in front of us.
THURSDAY
Coffee at 6, breakfast at SO café at 7. Picked up by the folks from bike blast at 7:30. We did a bike ride at Red Rock. This could not have been a better experience. We were picked up at our hotel, given very good equipment that was adjusted for us and guided on our ride. Our guide was a very nice guy named Adam. The ride starts with a few miles to warm up, then a 5 mile climb. I was gassed after miles 2 and 3 and 4. The wife (a spinning instructor) and the guide rode circles around me – literally. Then we had a really fun multi-mile downhill where you really got up some speed. Finally, we did a slow roll into Blue Diamond. All told, 23 miles. So much fun and a great productive way to spend 5 hours. I’d do it again in a second – just less climbing. They do tours to other locations. The other duo that went with us did mountain biking and they also really enjoyed their experience and raved about coming back.
After cleaning up the wife napped and I gambled. Lunch is a lost memory. We went out to Sam’s town to change the scenery and see a live band. Buffet, gambling then live music by a band named ‘The walk off hits’. Nice little cover band. This is the first place we lose no matter what we touch. So we stop touching. We get as loose as you can when you have to drive and are in bed by 11AM.
FRIDAY
Coffee at 6. Walk the strip till 9, and then clean-up. We’re in an Uber to the airport by 10 AM. It took about 20 minutes from downtown. Again TSA pre-check paired with electronic boarding passes has us at our gate by 10:40. We ate at some sandwich shop where the staff treated us with various shades of hostility and indifference. Uneventful flight home and the flight crew appeared to be sober.
My wife and I are middle-class, middle-aged, middle-Americans. We went to Vegas from 17-Apr to 22-Apr. We’re active and enjoy doing something physical in the AM and then enjoying our vices with less guilt the rest of the day.
Flew Allegiant out of Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon arriving in Vegas about 6 PM on the 17th. Used phone based boarding passes for the first time and it worked well. We were TSA-pre check for some reason. I noticed with the electronic boarding pass (BP) the TSA employee does not have to compare the BP to your ID. That step must be automated. The flight crew was oddly unprofessional – co-pilot ‘Mike’ was wearing a dirty polo shirt. Yikes!
Took an Uber to the Main Street Station (2 of 3 nights comped). We ate at the 777 brewpub. Food and service were adequate. We wandered up to the Plaza to listen to music at the Omaha lounge and gamble. Band was OK, both wife and I won money sitting at the bar playing VP. There’s a strange, under construction vibe near the entrance to the Plaza.
We were in bed by 10 PM (1 AM our time).
MONDAY
At about 6 AM local I get a couple of cups of coffee at Mc’Ds. We wake slowly and clean-up. We had breakfast at the Golden Nugget buffet. Big crowd from NAB and there are some notable tools. We rent a car at the D. We drove to the Lake Mead recreational area. This is about 30 minutes from downtown. We took the hike along the old rail line that supplied the builders for the Hoover dam. It’s about 4 miles one way. The path goes through 5 tunnels and ends at the dam. On the hike we saw a large group of big horn sheep. This was a lot of fun and a good experience. It’s relatively flat and as long as it’s not too hot this is very accessible for people of all fitness levels. In addition it has historical content that’s interesting from a time when our government seemed to be able to do remarkable things.
If your choice was doing this or just driving to the dam, I’d do this every time. You still get to see the dam and other tourist trap stuff.
We stopped at the Sunset Station for lunch on the way back. An unremarkable buffet that was funny to us. The restricted “Chairmen section”, right next to the buffet for high rollers. Most of whom needed a wheelchair. Back downtown we used every $10 free play we could find in the LVA coupon book and other resources. We favor simple slot machines where you have reels and can see what happens clearly. The hundred lines by 10 cents a line non-sense always leaves us wondering what the hell is happening. We drank and gambled away the afternoon and had a lot of silly fun that somehow netted us some cash. At about 10 PM we found ourselves at Magnolia’s having a late dinner. Back to the MSS for a night cap and off to bed.
TUESDAY
Couldn’t sleep so at 3 AM I went down to the boar’s head bar and drank coffee and gambled. We were supposed to do a horseback ride in the AM but the person scheduling it was being very weird. This was a groupon deal that smacked of a scam. All I can say is I wouldn’t do business with Las Vegas Trail Riding if I were you. Happily groupon was cool and gave me my money back. At 6 AM, I got coffee for the wife. We took a walk up the strip to Caesars’ and back. We had the MSS Buffet when we got back. Sadly still declining in quality, but I paid with points so it stings a little less. We bought tickets for Jersey Boys wondered around mid-strip and saw the new Cromwell. We hadn’t seen it since the big remodel. The wife and I agreed it would be perfect for one of our daughters and her husband. We also checked out the Park (kind of cool scene) and kept winning wherever we played.
To change it up, we went over to Ellis Island – just so the wife could see it. Still a dump. Every machine had some problem, sticky buttons, bill acceptor or card acceptor failing etc. The wife unequivocally hated this place. Head back downtown to take a nap and clean-up.
We ate dinner at Mon Ami Gabby and saw the Jersey Boys in the evening. I’d seen the show before the wife had not. She enjoyed it a lot.
Back downtown, we wandered up to the Plaza to listen to music at the Omaha lounge and gamble. Band was worse than before, both wife and I won money sitting at the bar playing VP again. We headed back to the MSS and gambled and called it a night fairly late.
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast at the Fremont buffet. The food’s OK, but the scene is something I love. I don’t know why. We took a day off from any big physical activity, but as per the wife’s fit bit we still managed to walk 13 thousand steps. I have no idea how much that is.
Today we move from MSS to the downtown grand. On the way out of the MSS we stopped up to see the antiques stored on the second floor. I had to ask a security guard to take us. Not a lot to see but worth the walk. He mentioned seeing the Pullman was worthwhile.
DTG check-in was painless and we are in our room in less than 15 minutes after checking out of MSS. The wife goes to the pool. She likes it a lot. I go to the minimalist exercise room and then gamble.
We head to Caesars’ at about 1 to get our tickets to Absinth. The process of parking in the self-park garage, walking to the front of the casino, getting our tickets and then getting back to our car and the strip was such a pain in the back side, we decide to valet elsewhere at show time. We ran over to the Tuscany for a late snack to tide us over to dinner. The Mexican restaurant. Food is not memorable.
The wife made reservations for dinner at the charcoal room in the Palace Station. I don’t know why. The food was just OK for a steak house but the atmosphere was awful. Two ill-behaved children disrupted the room making dinner a bad experience. I wouldn’t go back.
Valet parked at the Cromwell and walked over to Absinth. A very funny show that’s very raunchy. I wouldn’t go again but I really liked it. So did the wife. For what it’s worth, if you’re a big person, the seating will be a challenge for you.
We went and watched a couple of fountain shows. When we got back downtown, we gambled at the furnace bar and controlled the drinking as we had a strenuous morning in front of us.
THURSDAY
Coffee at 6, breakfast at SO café at 7. Picked up by the folks from bike blast at 7:30. We did a bike ride at Red Rock. This could not have been a better experience. We were picked up at our hotel, given very good equipment that was adjusted for us and guided on our ride. Our guide was a very nice guy named Adam. The ride starts with a few miles to warm up, then a 5 mile climb. I was gassed after miles 2 and 3 and 4. The wife (a spinning instructor) and the guide rode circles around me – literally. Then we had a really fun multi-mile downhill where you really got up some speed. Finally, we did a slow roll into Blue Diamond. All told, 23 miles. So much fun and a great productive way to spend 5 hours. I’d do it again in a second – just less climbing. They do tours to other locations. The other duo that went with us did mountain biking and they also really enjoyed their experience and raved about coming back.
After cleaning up the wife napped and I gambled. Lunch is a lost memory. We went out to Sam’s town to change the scenery and see a live band. Buffet, gambling then live music by a band named ‘The walk off hits’. Nice little cover band. This is the first place we lose no matter what we touch. So we stop touching. We get as loose as you can when you have to drive and are in bed by 11AM.
FRIDAY
Coffee at 6. Walk the strip till 9, and then clean-up. We’re in an Uber to the airport by 10 AM. It took about 20 minutes from downtown. Again TSA pre-check paired with electronic boarding passes has us at our gate by 10:40. We ate at some sandwich shop where the staff treated us with various shades of hostility and indifference. Uneventful flight home and the flight crew appeared to be sober.
