I tried really hard to make a Reno trip happen. But the planets did not align. Had frequent flyer miles to use and got a $53 a night (and NO resort fee) at the 4 Queens. Have never stayed downtown before. The trip was not off to a good start when the airport shuttle took 2 and a half hours to creep through the horrible Strip traffic to get downtown. Should have taken about an hour, hour and a half MAX. Check in went smoothly at 4Q. They gave me a coupon book that had some useful coupons. Several buy one get one free meals. Since I am a widow lady traveling alone, they honored the coupon as a half price single meal.The Magnolia resturant seemed to always have a line of people backed up out the door, but the line always moved quickly. Good value for the money, generous portions, friendly staff. I was disappointed in the casino and the rooms though. Property was very worn and in need of a thorough cleaning. I had a coupon for a $10 match play for Roulette. A number of people, players and hanger's on, crowded the one and only roulette wheel in service. I was told by a pit boss, that they were short staffed...but I observed quite a few staffed black jack tables with few or no players. I think I may give Golden Nugget a try the next trip I make it to Vegas. The Fremont casino was difficult to navigate. Lots of construction on the floor and places like Lanai Express were closed for work to be done, apparently for an extended time. The bus stops to head to the Strip were relocated but poorly marked, causing a lot of confusion and wasted time. Not just me but for other tourists too. Once I got to the Strip, things perked up. Had a great meal at the Pampas Grill in the Planet Hollywood Miracle Mile. Got my meal for half price, with a coupon. I also had a good meal at RiRa, in Mandalay Bay. They serve an all day Irish Breakfast fry up for $17.45. Two eggs, bangers, rashers, white and black "puddings", tomatos, mushrooms and toast. They even had Irish Brown sauce available. It tasted like very mild BBQ sauce with a pleasant molassas taste. Very filling meal. I went over 8 hours before I was interested in eating again. A newer thing on the Strip is Vegas Flyover, near the Park MGM. It is a little pricey, but is a simulated hang glider type ride. My experience was flying over the mountians. When you go through clouds, you feel mist on your face. I was in a group with 4 men in thier 30's. They screamed like little girls during some of the dives. I heard them yelling "OMG, Oh sh**, I'm going to die!!" I thought it was beautiful. Kind of like I imagine dying and having the freedom to soar high and fly fast over beautiful vistas after leaving my earthly body behind. Most shows were very expensive, but I did get to the free "Big Elvis" daytime show at the Piano bar in Harrah's. He always does an enjoyable show. Very good voice and a great way to take a break during the day. Did a walkthrough of The Horseshoe, now that they have completed thier transition. I was disappointed. The casino did not not have a good vibe to it and the hidden speakeasy was unimpressive. They have also discontinued the display of the million dollars in cash, that had been a draw at Binions downtown as a great photo op. Gambling was pretty iffy downtown and on the Strip. When all was said and done, most of my gambling bank roll came home with me after bouncing up and down for my whole trip. I call that a win, after being there for 4 days. My opinion is Vegas is going to really have to work hard to win back the many people who are no longer seeing the benefit of choosing Vegas as a trip destination. Most people I talked with cited the cost of meals, rooms, and shows as a reason they will look elsewhere.
