PROLOGUE:
I should have had plenty of "Vegas" to tide me over after the 12 day September trip with lots of time to rest up and plan my upcoming father/daughter trip in December....but wait, an e-mail from Spirit Airlines with a 24 hour sale! I can fly from MSP to LAS RT for $74.18...yeow. I was so busy with my kids on the last trip that I didn't nearly have enough time to scratch that gambling itch; so this airfare got my attention. The Golden Gate gave me my usual 3 comped nights, with a $40 rate for the 4th night. I would be taking a late night flight out of MSP and catching the last WAX bus to Downtown was going to be tight...too close to chance it and risk taking a cab and fighting with the driver in order to keep from getting ripped off. I checked out the shuttle bus situation..not a fan...past trips on the airport shuttles to my Strip hotel had ended up being marathon sessions of sitting on the bus and getting a grand tour of several off and on Strip hotels before being deposited at my destination. I wondered how long it would take me to get downtown? They have a "super" shuttle that for a few dollars more($11 one way), is supposed to provide quicker service. I was able to book on-line, giving them my flight and arrival info along with my e-mail address. I would pick up a 3 day bus pass for $20 for my transportation around town during the trip.
Booking a flight on Spirit can sometimes be like walking through a minefield if you don't do your homework...these guys charge extra for everything. Checked bag---pay'em, Carry-on bag---pay'em, have them print your boarding pass---pay'em, choose your seat----pay'em, want a drink of water on the plane---pay'em. I have a tote from American Tourister that has a retractable handle and wheels, but is small enough to qualify as a personal item on Spirit so there is no charge to bring it on the plane. It fits neatly under the seat, but I can pack enough clothes for a 3 or 4 day trip without any problems....2 pairs of slacks, 4 short sleeve shirts, a long sleeve shirt, pajamas, one T-shirt, pair of sneakers, socks, underwear, shaving kit, LVA coupon book, and other misc. items. Spirit is going to change the measurements next year of their "personal item" criteria; downsizing the measurements. Fortunately American Tourister does make a bag that will meet their new requirements; Amazon sells them for $46..it's on my Christmas shopping list.
THE FLIGHTS:
I worked a night shift the day before my trip, but being that my flight was at night I was able to pack and still get about 7 hours of sleep before the 90 minute drive to the airport. The EZ air park people dropped me off at Terminal 1 and since I was carrying on my bag and had my boarding pass printed; I headed straight to security check-in. The line was fairly short and after stripping down to practically my underwear and passing through the scanner I was good to go. I checked my flight on my way to the gate and was not too surprised to see that we were delayed by 30 minutes....time for a tall gin and tonic...or two. I was given an aisle seat, but I soon realized that our flight was only about half full. I was able to stake out a row all to myself after we were in the air...score. I ordered up a couple gins and a can of tonic water to keep my "buzz" going, listened to some tunes and drifted off to sleep until touchdown. The super shuttle people e-mailed me to give me directions on where to meet the shuttle bus and gave me the number of the bus to look for. Went down to the baggage claim area, out exit door #11 and hopped on the bus. Five minutes later we were underway; making two stops.. Hilton(Westgate), Circus Circus and then to the Gate...I was checking in 40 minutes after I got off the plane...sweet. I was really impressed with this setup and will use them again when I am not renting a car.
I took the WAX from downtown to the airport at the end of the trip; my 3 day bus pass was good for the ride. I flew out of Vegas on the red-eye, leaving at 30 minutes after midnight and landing in Minnesota at 05:00 hrs. Again the plane was only half full. I was assigned an aisle seat with no one sitting in the middle seat, so I stayed put and after 4 days of Vegas I had no problem sleeping for the length of the flight home. The EZ park shuttle picked me up and dropped me off at my car and I was home by 07:00, unpacked and took a nap.....these Vegas trips are exhausting as I never can get more than 4 hrs of sleep a night while I am there.
THE HOTEL
I have stayed at the Golden Gate several times on my solo trips. The rooms are small and the bathrooms even smaller...you have to step out in order to change your mind. I always request a room towards the rear of the hotel and noise has not been an issue...as long as you don't get a room that faces the alley on the east side of the building. They empty the trash dumpsters around 4 AM and you will get a dumpster "wake-up" call if you have one of those rooms. I had an interior room on the 3rd floor; the bed was comfortable, the air conditioning worked great...no complaints. The desk clerk was happy to print out my boarding pass the day before I left. I used my $15 food voucher the next morning at Dupars for breakfast.
SHOWS
I booked a seat to see "Frank-the Man, the Music" at the Palazzo for Wednesday night. I sat in the center section, second row...ticket cost me $97. If I had decided to sit one row in front of me, the ticket would have cost me $176....my seat suited me just fine, thank you. Bob Anderson does a great job impersonating Sinatra and his make up artist is a genius, because Bob really resembled Frank on stage. He sang all the old Sinatra favorites to the delight of myself and the rest of the audience...keeping in character when he chatted between songs. He is backed up by a very solid 32 piece orchestra; many members who played for the Nelson Riddle band back in Sinatra's heyday.....great sound. It was really nice to see a Vegas show that had live music and someone actually singing...you listening, Brittany? Before the show I talked to the couple sitting next to me. They were from Chicago and had retired to Vegas about 15 years ago and love being in Las Vegas. We had a nice chat and he was able to give me some useful information......I should retire sometime next year and am seriously thinking of living in Vegas....at least part time. I really enjoyed this show and highly recommend it to everyone who appreciated Sinatra's music. Unfortunately the show will be closing the end of November.
Tuesday I was making the rounds on the Strip and on a whim I decided to use my diamond status to pick up a free ticket to one of CET's shows. I had seen the Million Dollar Quartet shortly after they opened...that was a couple of years ago so I decided I would give them another look-see. The show was much better than my first time seeing it....very entertaining...another show I would suggest.
DINING
Because I was going solo, I kept the dining pretty low key. I had breakfast at the counter at Dupars twice and ate at the breakfast buffet at MSS another morning. I am guilty of skipping dinner while I am in Vegas and this trip was no exception. I ate a late night(early morning) meal at the California cafe....oxtail soup...delicious. I ate at the D's cafe my last night in town, using my $5 food voucher...prime rib special for $12...decent and had a great waiter. For the life of me, I can't remember if I had any other meals during the trip....I did supplement my diet with a steady consumption of adult beverages however.
NON GAMBLING ACTIVITIES
I checked out the Fall display at the Bellagio conservatory one afternoon; very well done as usual. I checked out the diamond lounge at Harrah's before my show. There was a long line waiting to get in when I arrived. They said that they had one seat available at the bar....there was about 5 seconds of silence from the crowd in front of me, so I piped up and said "I'll take it!" Walked up to the front of the line and soon was sucking down a gin and tonic that Orhan had prepared for me...life is good.
I spent a very nice couple of hours at the Rio Wine Cellar sampling four different wines that Jose had poured for me...wines that I have had on previous visits, but very enjoyable. Jose and I chatted for quite a while before I had to leave....can't wait to return with my daughter next month. It's a nice place to relax and drink some quality wines.
Another place I like to kickback and relax is Hogs and Heifers, a biker bar located across the street from the Downtown Grand. My favorite afternoon watering hole. The hot female bartenders keep things interesting and I always meet some memorable characters while sitting at the bar. Keep your drinks off the bartop when the bartenders jump up on the bar and dance to the music (useful tip).
GAMBLING
I had my ups and downs this trip, but every time that it seemed that I was going to "tank" I would make a decent run at the tables (blackjack and craps) or hit a quad playing VP to pull me out. I was in degenerate gambling mode for most of the trip and came home $20 to the good.. and had one hell of a good time in the process. I played quite a bit at the Vue bar at the D and spent a lot of time playing this one particular VP machine at the 4 Queens....I am almost considering this machine as my personal ATM. I had three losing sessions playing BJ; one was particularly brutal at the D. I bought in for $200, playing $10 a hand. I should have know better, because there were two guys sitting at the table when I walked up and they did not look too happy. The three of us lost the next five hands. I pushed on the 6th hand, the other guys lost...one bailed out from the table. The two of us lost the next 3 hands. On the next hand I busted, my tablemate split his hand and double downed on each only to lose when the dealer hit a 5 card 21. I won a couple of hands after that, but waved the white flag in surrender at the end of the shoe, leaving the table down $100...took about 15 minutes.
I did not make any big runs at the craps table, but I was fortunate enough to have some shooters that had some decent rolls. I dropped a $5 chip on the felt and yelled "Horn high Ace Deuce" just as the shooter let fly with the dice....up rolled a 3...the boxman just shook his head ...pay the man. Always seem to be a nice group of crap players at the Gate..makes for a fun time.
MISCELLANEOUS MUSINGS
I really wish that they will get the "performers" on the FSE under control....the last couple of trips I have seen some things down there that I wish I hadn't experienced..not what younger children should see...and this is in the afternoon. The weather was sunny in the 90's except for the last day..looked like rain, but held off until I left. Enjoyed talking to the bartenders at the Vue bar and the dealers at the D and the Gate...very friendly. I didn't spend a lot of time on the Strip...didn't seem too crowded. I will probably be flying more on Spirit once I retire and my schedule will be much more flexible and can take advantage of their rock bottom fares when they pop-up. I played tour guide several times while riding on the bus...really had to convince this one couple that they were on the right bus and rode down the Strip with them to make sure that they got off at the right place...nice elderly couple, but they seemed to be a little overwhelmed by Vegas.
Next trip is coming up fast; a 6 day trip in early December. My daughter is flying in from California...haven't seen her in almost a year. I have comped nights at the Rio, booked a premium grade car from Enteprise for $208 (included all fees/taxes). We have been discussing shows and restaurants...I still have my $100 diamond dining credit to use at one of CET's restaurants. I won't be missing any dinners on this trip...strictly gourmet dining at it's best. Will be great spending time with my daughter and catching up over a couple of glasses of pinot noir at the wine cellar. MadMan Mike is already talking about a March Madness trip next year...will have to start training for that trip. Thanks for reading......Vegas, baby!!
I should have had plenty of "Vegas" to tide me over after the 12 day September trip with lots of time to rest up and plan my upcoming father/daughter trip in December....but wait, an e-mail from Spirit Airlines with a 24 hour sale! I can fly from MSP to LAS RT for $74.18...yeow. I was so busy with my kids on the last trip that I didn't nearly have enough time to scratch that gambling itch; so this airfare got my attention. The Golden Gate gave me my usual 3 comped nights, with a $40 rate for the 4th night. I would be taking a late night flight out of MSP and catching the last WAX bus to Downtown was going to be tight...too close to chance it and risk taking a cab and fighting with the driver in order to keep from getting ripped off. I checked out the shuttle bus situation..not a fan...past trips on the airport shuttles to my Strip hotel had ended up being marathon sessions of sitting on the bus and getting a grand tour of several off and on Strip hotels before being deposited at my destination. I wondered how long it would take me to get downtown? They have a "super" shuttle that for a few dollars more($11 one way), is supposed to provide quicker service. I was able to book on-line, giving them my flight and arrival info along with my e-mail address. I would pick up a 3 day bus pass for $20 for my transportation around town during the trip.
Booking a flight on Spirit can sometimes be like walking through a minefield if you don't do your homework...these guys charge extra for everything. Checked bag---pay'em, Carry-on bag---pay'em, have them print your boarding pass---pay'em, choose your seat----pay'em, want a drink of water on the plane---pay'em. I have a tote from American Tourister that has a retractable handle and wheels, but is small enough to qualify as a personal item on Spirit so there is no charge to bring it on the plane. It fits neatly under the seat, but I can pack enough clothes for a 3 or 4 day trip without any problems....2 pairs of slacks, 4 short sleeve shirts, a long sleeve shirt, pajamas, one T-shirt, pair of sneakers, socks, underwear, shaving kit, LVA coupon book, and other misc. items. Spirit is going to change the measurements next year of their "personal item" criteria; downsizing the measurements. Fortunately American Tourister does make a bag that will meet their new requirements; Amazon sells them for $46..it's on my Christmas shopping list.
THE FLIGHTS:
I worked a night shift the day before my trip, but being that my flight was at night I was able to pack and still get about 7 hours of sleep before the 90 minute drive to the airport. The EZ air park people dropped me off at Terminal 1 and since I was carrying on my bag and had my boarding pass printed; I headed straight to security check-in. The line was fairly short and after stripping down to practically my underwear and passing through the scanner I was good to go. I checked my flight on my way to the gate and was not too surprised to see that we were delayed by 30 minutes....time for a tall gin and tonic...or two. I was given an aisle seat, but I soon realized that our flight was only about half full. I was able to stake out a row all to myself after we were in the air...score. I ordered up a couple gins and a can of tonic water to keep my "buzz" going, listened to some tunes and drifted off to sleep until touchdown. The super shuttle people e-mailed me to give me directions on where to meet the shuttle bus and gave me the number of the bus to look for. Went down to the baggage claim area, out exit door #11 and hopped on the bus. Five minutes later we were underway; making two stops.. Hilton(Westgate), Circus Circus and then to the Gate...I was checking in 40 minutes after I got off the plane...sweet. I was really impressed with this setup and will use them again when I am not renting a car.
I took the WAX from downtown to the airport at the end of the trip; my 3 day bus pass was good for the ride. I flew out of Vegas on the red-eye, leaving at 30 minutes after midnight and landing in Minnesota at 05:00 hrs. Again the plane was only half full. I was assigned an aisle seat with no one sitting in the middle seat, so I stayed put and after 4 days of Vegas I had no problem sleeping for the length of the flight home. The EZ park shuttle picked me up and dropped me off at my car and I was home by 07:00, unpacked and took a nap.....these Vegas trips are exhausting as I never can get more than 4 hrs of sleep a night while I am there.
THE HOTEL
I have stayed at the Golden Gate several times on my solo trips. The rooms are small and the bathrooms even smaller...you have to step out in order to change your mind. I always request a room towards the rear of the hotel and noise has not been an issue...as long as you don't get a room that faces the alley on the east side of the building. They empty the trash dumpsters around 4 AM and you will get a dumpster "wake-up" call if you have one of those rooms. I had an interior room on the 3rd floor; the bed was comfortable, the air conditioning worked great...no complaints. The desk clerk was happy to print out my boarding pass the day before I left. I used my $15 food voucher the next morning at Dupars for breakfast.
SHOWS
I booked a seat to see "Frank-the Man, the Music" at the Palazzo for Wednesday night. I sat in the center section, second row...ticket cost me $97. If I had decided to sit one row in front of me, the ticket would have cost me $176....my seat suited me just fine, thank you. Bob Anderson does a great job impersonating Sinatra and his make up artist is a genius, because Bob really resembled Frank on stage. He sang all the old Sinatra favorites to the delight of myself and the rest of the audience...keeping in character when he chatted between songs. He is backed up by a very solid 32 piece orchestra; many members who played for the Nelson Riddle band back in Sinatra's heyday.....great sound. It was really nice to see a Vegas show that had live music and someone actually singing...you listening, Brittany? Before the show I talked to the couple sitting next to me. They were from Chicago and had retired to Vegas about 15 years ago and love being in Las Vegas. We had a nice chat and he was able to give me some useful information......I should retire sometime next year and am seriously thinking of living in Vegas....at least part time. I really enjoyed this show and highly recommend it to everyone who appreciated Sinatra's music. Unfortunately the show will be closing the end of November.
Tuesday I was making the rounds on the Strip and on a whim I decided to use my diamond status to pick up a free ticket to one of CET's shows. I had seen the Million Dollar Quartet shortly after they opened...that was a couple of years ago so I decided I would give them another look-see. The show was much better than my first time seeing it....very entertaining...another show I would suggest.
DINING
Because I was going solo, I kept the dining pretty low key. I had breakfast at the counter at Dupars twice and ate at the breakfast buffet at MSS another morning. I am guilty of skipping dinner while I am in Vegas and this trip was no exception. I ate a late night(early morning) meal at the California cafe....oxtail soup...delicious. I ate at the D's cafe my last night in town, using my $5 food voucher...prime rib special for $12...decent and had a great waiter. For the life of me, I can't remember if I had any other meals during the trip....I did supplement my diet with a steady consumption of adult beverages however.
NON GAMBLING ACTIVITIES
I checked out the Fall display at the Bellagio conservatory one afternoon; very well done as usual. I checked out the diamond lounge at Harrah's before my show. There was a long line waiting to get in when I arrived. They said that they had one seat available at the bar....there was about 5 seconds of silence from the crowd in front of me, so I piped up and said "I'll take it!" Walked up to the front of the line and soon was sucking down a gin and tonic that Orhan had prepared for me...life is good.
I spent a very nice couple of hours at the Rio Wine Cellar sampling four different wines that Jose had poured for me...wines that I have had on previous visits, but very enjoyable. Jose and I chatted for quite a while before I had to leave....can't wait to return with my daughter next month. It's a nice place to relax and drink some quality wines.
Another place I like to kickback and relax is Hogs and Heifers, a biker bar located across the street from the Downtown Grand. My favorite afternoon watering hole. The hot female bartenders keep things interesting and I always meet some memorable characters while sitting at the bar. Keep your drinks off the bartop when the bartenders jump up on the bar and dance to the music (useful tip).
GAMBLING
I had my ups and downs this trip, but every time that it seemed that I was going to "tank" I would make a decent run at the tables (blackjack and craps) or hit a quad playing VP to pull me out. I was in degenerate gambling mode for most of the trip and came home $20 to the good.. and had one hell of a good time in the process. I played quite a bit at the Vue bar at the D and spent a lot of time playing this one particular VP machine at the 4 Queens....I am almost considering this machine as my personal ATM. I had three losing sessions playing BJ; one was particularly brutal at the D. I bought in for $200, playing $10 a hand. I should have know better, because there were two guys sitting at the table when I walked up and they did not look too happy. The three of us lost the next five hands. I pushed on the 6th hand, the other guys lost...one bailed out from the table. The two of us lost the next 3 hands. On the next hand I busted, my tablemate split his hand and double downed on each only to lose when the dealer hit a 5 card 21. I won a couple of hands after that, but waved the white flag in surrender at the end of the shoe, leaving the table down $100...took about 15 minutes.
I did not make any big runs at the craps table, but I was fortunate enough to have some shooters that had some decent rolls. I dropped a $5 chip on the felt and yelled "Horn high Ace Deuce" just as the shooter let fly with the dice....up rolled a 3...the boxman just shook his head ...pay the man. Always seem to be a nice group of crap players at the Gate..makes for a fun time.
MISCELLANEOUS MUSINGS
I really wish that they will get the "performers" on the FSE under control....the last couple of trips I have seen some things down there that I wish I hadn't experienced..not what younger children should see...and this is in the afternoon. The weather was sunny in the 90's except for the last day..looked like rain, but held off until I left. Enjoyed talking to the bartenders at the Vue bar and the dealers at the D and the Gate...very friendly. I didn't spend a lot of time on the Strip...didn't seem too crowded. I will probably be flying more on Spirit once I retire and my schedule will be much more flexible and can take advantage of their rock bottom fares when they pop-up. I played tour guide several times while riding on the bus...really had to convince this one couple that they were on the right bus and rode down the Strip with them to make sure that they got off at the right place...nice elderly couple, but they seemed to be a little overwhelmed by Vegas.
Next trip is coming up fast; a 6 day trip in early December. My daughter is flying in from California...haven't seen her in almost a year. I have comped nights at the Rio, booked a premium grade car from Enteprise for $208 (included all fees/taxes). We have been discussing shows and restaurants...I still have my $100 diamond dining credit to use at one of CET's restaurants. I won't be missing any dinners on this trip...strictly gourmet dining at it's best. Will be great spending time with my daughter and catching up over a couple of glasses of pinot noir at the wine cellar. MadMan Mike is already talking about a March Madness trip next year...will have to start training for that trip. Thanks for reading......Vegas, baby!!
