The weather was perfect, sunny and 81 degrees every day. We did have unusually high winds a couple of days, one walk to the pool it felt like a wind tunnel they were so strong. But it helps when sitting at the pool in the sun, the wind makes you forget it's so hot.
Car rental: Payless which had the best rates. In fact, it was the only rental company that had a line of people to check in, all others were dead!!! We got a Ford Fiesta, which had a nice smooth ride, much like a toyota camry. Easy to drive, a bit sluggish getting on the highway as it's a 4 cylinder, but it was fine. Had 5,000 miles on it and pretty blue which made it really easy to fine among the masses of sliver cars.
Ballys: 3 nights here, one room ready right away, 2nd room still being cleaned. At 8 PM it was still not ready!!!! Free upgrade to a suite, and we decided to pay the additional 25.00 per night to just remain there. Nice jacuzzi tub area in the suite, up a couple of stairs to double vanitys, bathroom, bidet room, and the jacuzzi. It was different.
Palace Station: 4 nights here, rooms ready right away, down the hall from each other. Very nice, as usual, and comfy beds and pillows.
Wins: Day one at Ballys, didn't do much of anything, small hundred dollar hits here and there, kept us playing. Day 2 - got up to hit $400 on my first 20. Whoo hooo. Went up and down the strip with my friend, who had never been to vegas - and the only reason we booked Ballys so she could see it. Day 3 - more of the strip and went to the Bellagio at night to see "O" which was fabulous. No hits on day 3 She took many pictures of the fountains at Bellagio, and her room overlooked them anyway, so she was happy.
Friday moved to Palace Station after visiting Red Rock Canyon, and heading to Red Rock Casino, which my friend just loved. She fell in love with the goldfish game, kept taking ticket after ticket out of that. John and I had minor wins, nothing to write home about. At night, we headed downtown to meet Jeannine and Sam (jpires) at the California for dinner. 8.99 prime rib special was yummy. My friend loved the light show and all the characters hanging out in the street. She is a painter and got tons of pictures to use for future paintings.
Saturday - had breakfast and then jumped into the car for the treck to the grand canyon. We decided on west rim, the indian section, which means a shorter drive, but 18 miles of it on dirt road, totally covering the blue car with dust and trying to avoid the cows who are meandering on the road! At the end of the road is the reservation, and they charge you 40.00 each to jump in their busses for the ride to the rim, taking you to 3 different sites. It was worth the money to avoid another 1.5 hours in the car! We did stop at a roadside cafe on the way in Arizona. Right out of a movie!!!! Banjo player in the back of the saloon, no 2 chairs in the place were of the same type or even probably made in the same year!!! Very strange, and a trailer park in the back..........no trailer built after 1970 would be my guess.
Easter Sunday - went to the buffet at Palace Station and had the best prime rib in the world!!! Melted in your mouth. They also had ham and sweet potatoe and regular baked potatoe. Could not use coupon from MRB as it was considered a holiday, but it was well worth the 12.99 we paid. Later that day ate at Pasta Palace, and I had a wonderful pasta dish with lobster, crab, and shrimp. No hits on the machines, but kept trying anyway. Decided it would be a day of rest, out by the pool for us for some color, and back to machines at night. We did play some tables: Baccarat lost 60.00, 3 card poker, lost 50.00 and then let it ride: lost 90.00 for a total of 200 bucks dumped on those tables.
Also: received a call from home, my male cat, Smokey, got mauled by some sort of animal, so off to the emergency animal hospital for him, and $800 later, he had multiple cuts sutured up, a drain in his chest, and he just looks pathetic!!! My son is getting up at 4 AM to give him the pain medication they wanted him to take!
Monday: off to Mandalay Bay, as my friend wanted to visit the Shark Reef, which she did, while John and I played the slots. Had fun, but no wins. Once she came out of the shark reef, I mentioned driving to Primm. She declined, stating she was tired, and really just wanted some more pool time. Back to the Palace Station so she and I could lay in the sun. John sat in the keno parlor, playing some keno, but had no luck. This was an unusual trip for him, no hits at all!!!! Usually he has a couple of days where he hits a few. Monday night, I hit $200 on a keno machine, then changed it to VP and hit 2 quads for $100 each, cashing out another $400 from that machine. I did not hit a royal this trip, but I was able to get quads here and there, twice hitting Aces!!
Bottom line: went to Vegas with 7 envelopes of money, and came home with 5 unused!!
Of course some of that will go to the vet. We are home now, with a pathetic looking cat who is mad as hell that he is wearing one of those Elizabethan Collar things!!
Next trip: I hope to get back to Vegas in October!!!
Car rental: Payless which had the best rates. In fact, it was the only rental company that had a line of people to check in, all others were dead!!! We got a Ford Fiesta, which had a nice smooth ride, much like a toyota camry. Easy to drive, a bit sluggish getting on the highway as it's a 4 cylinder, but it was fine. Had 5,000 miles on it and pretty blue which made it really easy to fine among the masses of sliver cars.
Ballys: 3 nights here, one room ready right away, 2nd room still being cleaned. At 8 PM it was still not ready!!!! Free upgrade to a suite, and we decided to pay the additional 25.00 per night to just remain there. Nice jacuzzi tub area in the suite, up a couple of stairs to double vanitys, bathroom, bidet room, and the jacuzzi. It was different.
Palace Station: 4 nights here, rooms ready right away, down the hall from each other. Very nice, as usual, and comfy beds and pillows.
Wins: Day one at Ballys, didn't do much of anything, small hundred dollar hits here and there, kept us playing. Day 2 - got up to hit $400 on my first 20. Whoo hooo. Went up and down the strip with my friend, who had never been to vegas - and the only reason we booked Ballys so she could see it. Day 3 - more of the strip and went to the Bellagio at night to see "O" which was fabulous. No hits on day 3 She took many pictures of the fountains at Bellagio, and her room overlooked them anyway, so she was happy.
Friday moved to Palace Station after visiting Red Rock Canyon, and heading to Red Rock Casino, which my friend just loved. She fell in love with the goldfish game, kept taking ticket after ticket out of that. John and I had minor wins, nothing to write home about. At night, we headed downtown to meet Jeannine and Sam (jpires) at the California for dinner. 8.99 prime rib special was yummy. My friend loved the light show and all the characters hanging out in the street. She is a painter and got tons of pictures to use for future paintings.
Saturday - had breakfast and then jumped into the car for the treck to the grand canyon. We decided on west rim, the indian section, which means a shorter drive, but 18 miles of it on dirt road, totally covering the blue car with dust and trying to avoid the cows who are meandering on the road! At the end of the road is the reservation, and they charge you 40.00 each to jump in their busses for the ride to the rim, taking you to 3 different sites. It was worth the money to avoid another 1.5 hours in the car! We did stop at a roadside cafe on the way in Arizona. Right out of a movie!!!! Banjo player in the back of the saloon, no 2 chairs in the place were of the same type or even probably made in the same year!!! Very strange, and a trailer park in the back..........no trailer built after 1970 would be my guess.
Easter Sunday - went to the buffet at Palace Station and had the best prime rib in the world!!! Melted in your mouth. They also had ham and sweet potatoe and regular baked potatoe. Could not use coupon from MRB as it was considered a holiday, but it was well worth the 12.99 we paid. Later that day ate at Pasta Palace, and I had a wonderful pasta dish with lobster, crab, and shrimp. No hits on the machines, but kept trying anyway. Decided it would be a day of rest, out by the pool for us for some color, and back to machines at night. We did play some tables: Baccarat lost 60.00, 3 card poker, lost 50.00 and then let it ride: lost 90.00 for a total of 200 bucks dumped on those tables.
Also: received a call from home, my male cat, Smokey, got mauled by some sort of animal, so off to the emergency animal hospital for him, and $800 later, he had multiple cuts sutured up, a drain in his chest, and he just looks pathetic!!! My son is getting up at 4 AM to give him the pain medication they wanted him to take!
Monday: off to Mandalay Bay, as my friend wanted to visit the Shark Reef, which she did, while John and I played the slots. Had fun, but no wins. Once she came out of the shark reef, I mentioned driving to Primm. She declined, stating she was tired, and really just wanted some more pool time. Back to the Palace Station so she and I could lay in the sun. John sat in the keno parlor, playing some keno, but had no luck. This was an unusual trip for him, no hits at all!!!! Usually he has a couple of days where he hits a few. Monday night, I hit $200 on a keno machine, then changed it to VP and hit 2 quads for $100 each, cashing out another $400 from that machine. I did not hit a royal this trip, but I was able to get quads here and there, twice hitting Aces!!
Bottom line: went to Vegas with 7 envelopes of money, and came home with 5 unused!!
Of course some of that will go to the vet. We are home now, with a pathetic looking cat who is mad as hell that he is wearing one of those Elizabethan Collar things!!
Next trip: I hope to get back to Vegas in October!!!
