Day 3, April 3rd.
Not much on the agenda for today, until later tonight. Suz went to the outlet mall in the morning, shopping to her heart's delight on my bountiful winnings. Got a couple of pairs of good shoes out of the deal. It's hard to find drydocks that fit my boats out in eastern Oklahoma. Comfortable fit, and no foglights or whistles, either. We had the rest of the day to ourselves. Being members of the boomer generation, we have a preference for downtown. Like everyone says, it reminds us of old Vegas. I have memories from the late fifties, early sixties, back in my glorious youth, of traveling downtown, gaping at the lights while on the way to Lake Mead. Of course, the oldsters had to stop in the casinos to "rest" for a few minutes while baby sis and I slept in the back of the car. To my continuing amazement, never a Child Welfare worker interrupted our siesta.
Took my first trip to Chicago Brewing Company. Truly enjoyed the beers and the food. I liked the place for it's unassuming hide-away quality. No hustle, no pressure, just sit and enjoy a meal and cold one. Had to sample the calamari, and wasn't disappointed. Found the VP machines (again), and for the third day in a row, was rewarded with a few 4oaks, including a set of deuces with a kicker included. (Recouped from the drubbing I suffered at the outlet mall. Back in Black, baby.) Never had a trip to Vegas when I hit on VP as much as this trip.)
Had to wander around under the canopy of course. Man, have the sights changed. Still got the mainstay places, you know, but that new D just kind of didn't replace the leprechaun at Fitz's. Well, I rubbed the door jamb for good luck, anyway. That wasn't much help, or at least, it didn't influence the VP machines. The major change downtown was in the street performers. I was vastly entertained! Several really old dudes (40's plus) wandering around in g-strings and suspenders, top hats, doing calesthenics, pushups, stretching moves (I think that entertained Suz way more than me). All the family folks with strollers were having a heyday taking pictures for a dollar or two a shot. The best entertainment was the two young (very early 20's, if that) portly girls in pasties and g-strings. Reminded me of the Pillsbury Doughboy's sisters. (Not trying to be mean, just telling you what they reminded me of.) The guy with no arms was drumming on his plastic 5 gallon bucket, making some pretty awesome rhythms, and the two girls were--dancing?--to the beat. By this, I mean that they were bouncing up and down. I suspect they were professional dancers/jigglers because nothing, ABSOLUTELY nothing, above the bottom ribs moved. Not even their hair budged. The amazing thing about the act was that everything below the bottom rib was flopping up and down and to and fro like jello in an earthquake. I've never seen anything like it. I had to tip them a couple of bucks just because the vision is definitely etched in my memory. (That's not entirely accurate...permanently altered neurological reprogramming is closer to the truth)
We had tix to Diana Ross at the Venetian for Friday night. We met up with our family and saw the show. Ms. Ross was delightful, and took us on a musical history tour of Motown and early R&B music. Ms Ross seemed like she was having great fun entertaining us, and that made the show even better. Finished the night at the Venetian casino. My sister is a cancer survivor, over 10 years, now. I hope she keeps on going for another 30. Unfortunately, she still has a few lingering after effects on he GI system. She had to cash it in early. My cousin and her husband were leaving, headed back to SoCal, early in the morning, so we dropped baby sis off at the Mirage, and the rest of us cruised up LV Blvd and back down the strip to NY, NY. It was fun just moseying, looking at the lights and rehashing old times. We made it back to our digs about 2 in the morning.
Day 4, Apr 4th
Saturday ended up being an unplanned day. Little sis still didn't feel very good, and didn't trust herself to be too far away from mother nature's room. Suz and I went back down to Fremont about mid-day, and spent the rest of the day/night there. She is a Mermaid's afficianado. For reasons that are hard to understand (at least for me), she simply adores the place. Of course, we got the requisite hot dogs, twinkies/oreos, and several tons of beads. We were so close to winning the drawing. Her number was only several billion off the winning number. My number still hasn't been deciphered, but I'm waiting for Stephen Hawking to let me know if I was close. She had a negative critique of the place. She says that they really cleaned it up, made some room, expanded the bar/diner, and that it almost looks classy. She was sorely disappointed at the change.
Onward to MSS. Another good meal and good brews at Triple 7 Pub. I could stay there, content, for a long time, or at least as long as the beer was served cold. A couple more VP 4oaks. Nothing major, just enough to keep me going and optimistic. Tried the German bier garten at the Plaza just about dark. More good brew, but too full to try the menu. Suz was adamant about NOT riding Slotzilla, so I don't know when I'll do that.
At least the lightshow on the canopy is consistent year after year. Looked for the two amazing (dancing?) girls, but nowhere in sight. The suspendered gstring boys were still around. I worried for a minute about whether the 2 Minnie Mouses would hook it up, but apparently, neither one has much of an aggressive streak. Dinner at Dupar's for nostalgia's sake, and we were back to our room by midnight. Tomorrow would be a busy day, moving onward from Tahiti Village to TI.
Day 5, Apr 5th
By noon on Sunday, we were settled in to Treasure Island. Hadn't been there since the end of 2013, but they must have wanted us back. We had comps for 2 nights with 65 bucks freeplay and option to waive resort fees. Tough call, that. Would have been checked in by 11, but it took me forever to decide about the fees.
Lunched/dinnered at Hofbrauhaus over by Hard Rock on Harmon/Paradise. Little sis's best friend, the little girl that grew up across the street from us when we were kids, was having her 60th birthday, and came to Vegas with her husband. She didn't want to be there becuase it was Easter Sunday and she wasn't gonna be with the grands. Little did she know that we had planned a surprise birthday party, the whole fam damily included, and this was her birthday party. Needless to say, she was caught completely off guard. Her hubby and my sis did a great job of keeping that secret.
We completely enjoyed Hofbrauhaus. I've been by this place dozens of times, but never noticed it before. This place is one of those well kept secrets in Vegas. It probably won't work for a couple but for a big party, this is the place. Live entertainment all afternoon and a new act early in the evening. Beers are good and HUGE. Johann (?) was a great entertainer. Bavarian by birth, he performed pub songs and drinking songs and audience participation gags for several hours that afternoon. We stood on the benches and sang, sloshing our beer on the floor. Arm wrenching contest to see who could hold a full stein stiff-armed in front of you the longest (not me, but Michael could do it.) 'Stairway to Heaven' on a Ricola alpine horn. We had a great time. The food was good. Our waitress was wonderfully indulgent, and took very good care of us. None of us lacked for a thing. Made some friends with some bona fide Bavarians visiting Vegas for their vacation. We had a genuine good time.
Suz and I took in Love at the Mirage for the late show Sunday night. We'd seen it before, several years ago, but it was worth seeing again. As a musician, I really appreciate the way the music was remixed, and how one song from one Beatles period was blended seamlessly with a different song from a different period. It takes a special kind of genius to be able to do that, and the Beatles and George Martin had that talent. We said farewell to my sis and her husband after the show. It will be another year before I see her, and that will be the next trip to Vegas. I love her dearly, the old bag, and the best part about it is that she knows it. We finished the night at the casino at TI. I hit some more small pots on VP, again just enough to keep me and Suz going through the night. We stayed up faily late on Sunday, knowing that we'd be pretty much on our own on Monday, with no family obligations and nothing at all planned.
Day 6, end of trip.
We relaxed on Monday, spent a few bucks on the strip, and I hit a few more 'break even' scores on VP at Casino Royale, Harrah's and TI. Enjoyed the happy hour at Caesar's, oysters at Harrah's (I think it was Harrah's), and generally had fun enjoying each other's company. I have the best wife in the world, even if she does give my winnings back to the casino. One of these days, she'll hit big, and I'll tap her for "shopping money".
We were out of TI and to the rental return, and back to McCarran in no time. Checked in outside, and was in the terminal in 15 minutes. Flight uneventful, and back in to Oklahoma on time. Home before dark, and with enough time for a good night's sleep and to be fresh for work in the morning. This was one of the best and funnest trips we've made to Vegas. We didn't lock ourselves into a schedule, had a great time with family and friends, did pretty much what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it, and ended up coming home about even. Who can really ask for more?
Not much on the agenda for today, until later tonight. Suz went to the outlet mall in the morning, shopping to her heart's delight on my bountiful winnings. Got a couple of pairs of good shoes out of the deal. It's hard to find drydocks that fit my boats out in eastern Oklahoma. Comfortable fit, and no foglights or whistles, either. We had the rest of the day to ourselves. Being members of the boomer generation, we have a preference for downtown. Like everyone says, it reminds us of old Vegas. I have memories from the late fifties, early sixties, back in my glorious youth, of traveling downtown, gaping at the lights while on the way to Lake Mead. Of course, the oldsters had to stop in the casinos to "rest" for a few minutes while baby sis and I slept in the back of the car. To my continuing amazement, never a Child Welfare worker interrupted our siesta.
Took my first trip to Chicago Brewing Company. Truly enjoyed the beers and the food. I liked the place for it's unassuming hide-away quality. No hustle, no pressure, just sit and enjoy a meal and cold one. Had to sample the calamari, and wasn't disappointed. Found the VP machines (again), and for the third day in a row, was rewarded with a few 4oaks, including a set of deuces with a kicker included. (Recouped from the drubbing I suffered at the outlet mall. Back in Black, baby.) Never had a trip to Vegas when I hit on VP as much as this trip.)
Had to wander around under the canopy of course. Man, have the sights changed. Still got the mainstay places, you know, but that new D just kind of didn't replace the leprechaun at Fitz's. Well, I rubbed the door jamb for good luck, anyway. That wasn't much help, or at least, it didn't influence the VP machines. The major change downtown was in the street performers. I was vastly entertained! Several really old dudes (40's plus) wandering around in g-strings and suspenders, top hats, doing calesthenics, pushups, stretching moves (I think that entertained Suz way more than me). All the family folks with strollers were having a heyday taking pictures for a dollar or two a shot. The best entertainment was the two young (very early 20's, if that) portly girls in pasties and g-strings. Reminded me of the Pillsbury Doughboy's sisters. (Not trying to be mean, just telling you what they reminded me of.) The guy with no arms was drumming on his plastic 5 gallon bucket, making some pretty awesome rhythms, and the two girls were--dancing?--to the beat. By this, I mean that they were bouncing up and down. I suspect they were professional dancers/jigglers because nothing, ABSOLUTELY nothing, above the bottom ribs moved. Not even their hair budged. The amazing thing about the act was that everything below the bottom rib was flopping up and down and to and fro like jello in an earthquake. I've never seen anything like it. I had to tip them a couple of bucks just because the vision is definitely etched in my memory. (That's not entirely accurate...permanently altered neurological reprogramming is closer to the truth)
We had tix to Diana Ross at the Venetian for Friday night. We met up with our family and saw the show. Ms. Ross was delightful, and took us on a musical history tour of Motown and early R&B music. Ms Ross seemed like she was having great fun entertaining us, and that made the show even better. Finished the night at the Venetian casino. My sister is a cancer survivor, over 10 years, now. I hope she keeps on going for another 30. Unfortunately, she still has a few lingering after effects on he GI system. She had to cash it in early. My cousin and her husband were leaving, headed back to SoCal, early in the morning, so we dropped baby sis off at the Mirage, and the rest of us cruised up LV Blvd and back down the strip to NY, NY. It was fun just moseying, looking at the lights and rehashing old times. We made it back to our digs about 2 in the morning.
Day 4, Apr 4th
Saturday ended up being an unplanned day. Little sis still didn't feel very good, and didn't trust herself to be too far away from mother nature's room. Suz and I went back down to Fremont about mid-day, and spent the rest of the day/night there. She is a Mermaid's afficianado. For reasons that are hard to understand (at least for me), she simply adores the place. Of course, we got the requisite hot dogs, twinkies/oreos, and several tons of beads. We were so close to winning the drawing. Her number was only several billion off the winning number. My number still hasn't been deciphered, but I'm waiting for Stephen Hawking to let me know if I was close. She had a negative critique of the place. She says that they really cleaned it up, made some room, expanded the bar/diner, and that it almost looks classy. She was sorely disappointed at the change.
Onward to MSS. Another good meal and good brews at Triple 7 Pub. I could stay there, content, for a long time, or at least as long as the beer was served cold. A couple more VP 4oaks. Nothing major, just enough to keep me going and optimistic. Tried the German bier garten at the Plaza just about dark. More good brew, but too full to try the menu. Suz was adamant about NOT riding Slotzilla, so I don't know when I'll do that.
At least the lightshow on the canopy is consistent year after year. Looked for the two amazing (dancing?) girls, but nowhere in sight. The suspendered gstring boys were still around. I worried for a minute about whether the 2 Minnie Mouses would hook it up, but apparently, neither one has much of an aggressive streak. Dinner at Dupar's for nostalgia's sake, and we were back to our room by midnight. Tomorrow would be a busy day, moving onward from Tahiti Village to TI.
Day 5, Apr 5th
By noon on Sunday, we were settled in to Treasure Island. Hadn't been there since the end of 2013, but they must have wanted us back. We had comps for 2 nights with 65 bucks freeplay and option to waive resort fees. Tough call, that. Would have been checked in by 11, but it took me forever to decide about the fees.
Lunched/dinnered at Hofbrauhaus over by Hard Rock on Harmon/Paradise. Little sis's best friend, the little girl that grew up across the street from us when we were kids, was having her 60th birthday, and came to Vegas with her husband. She didn't want to be there becuase it was Easter Sunday and she wasn't gonna be with the grands. Little did she know that we had planned a surprise birthday party, the whole fam damily included, and this was her birthday party. Needless to say, she was caught completely off guard. Her hubby and my sis did a great job of keeping that secret.
We completely enjoyed Hofbrauhaus. I've been by this place dozens of times, but never noticed it before. This place is one of those well kept secrets in Vegas. It probably won't work for a couple but for a big party, this is the place. Live entertainment all afternoon and a new act early in the evening. Beers are good and HUGE. Johann (?) was a great entertainer. Bavarian by birth, he performed pub songs and drinking songs and audience participation gags for several hours that afternoon. We stood on the benches and sang, sloshing our beer on the floor. Arm wrenching contest to see who could hold a full stein stiff-armed in front of you the longest (not me, but Michael could do it.) 'Stairway to Heaven' on a Ricola alpine horn. We had a great time. The food was good. Our waitress was wonderfully indulgent, and took very good care of us. None of us lacked for a thing. Made some friends with some bona fide Bavarians visiting Vegas for their vacation. We had a genuine good time.
Suz and I took in Love at the Mirage for the late show Sunday night. We'd seen it before, several years ago, but it was worth seeing again. As a musician, I really appreciate the way the music was remixed, and how one song from one Beatles period was blended seamlessly with a different song from a different period. It takes a special kind of genius to be able to do that, and the Beatles and George Martin had that talent. We said farewell to my sis and her husband after the show. It will be another year before I see her, and that will be the next trip to Vegas. I love her dearly, the old bag, and the best part about it is that she knows it. We finished the night at the casino at TI. I hit some more small pots on VP, again just enough to keep me and Suz going through the night. We stayed up faily late on Sunday, knowing that we'd be pretty much on our own on Monday, with no family obligations and nothing at all planned.
Day 6, end of trip.
We relaxed on Monday, spent a few bucks on the strip, and I hit a few more 'break even' scores on VP at Casino Royale, Harrah's and TI. Enjoyed the happy hour at Caesar's, oysters at Harrah's (I think it was Harrah's), and generally had fun enjoying each other's company. I have the best wife in the world, even if she does give my winnings back to the casino. One of these days, she'll hit big, and I'll tap her for "shopping money".
We were out of TI and to the rental return, and back to McCarran in no time. Checked in outside, and was in the terminal in 15 minutes. Flight uneventful, and back in to Oklahoma on time. Home before dark, and with enough time for a good night's sleep and to be fresh for work in the morning. This was one of the best and funnest trips we've made to Vegas. We didn't lock ourselves into a schedule, had a great time with family and friends, did pretty much what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it, and ended up coming home about even. Who can really ask for more?
