April Vegas trip....An offer I just couldn't refuse. Part I & II NOW WITH PHOTOS

PROLOGUE:
My St Patrick's Day trip with Madman and Fingers should have cured my Vegas "itch" for several months...or so I thought. The cobwebs had not totally cleared in my head, when I received and e-mail from Spirit Airlines, touting some last minute airfare deals in April and May. I have already booked my airfare and rooms for my early June trip, so I wasn't really interested in returning to "Mecca" so soon. I had some time on my hands so I plugged in some April dates that coincided with my normal free dates from my primary work...lo and behold, Spirit was offering a non-stop flight from MSP to LAS for a total of $59.80..total...that included all taxes and fees. I rubbed my eyes and tried again and up popped the same rates...interesting. I talked to one of the pharmacists where I work part-time about switching some days to accommodate a possible Vegas trip, and she was more than willing to help me out. Now this is getting really interesting. I had planned on using this week to start getting my yard in shape after the long and brutal Minnesota winter....but Old Man Winter hasn't yet loosened his grip; so doing any yard work was going to be a futile effort. I called the Golden Gate, and they would give me a comp stay for the dates I wanted. What the hell, booked the trip. I decided to pack light and just take a few things that would fit into my backpack so I would not have to pay the baggage fees. I also declined paying for the privilege of picking my seat beforehand. Doing this trip on the cheap.

MONDAY APRIL 22
I worked my last 10 hour overnight shift at the hospital and was giddy as a schoolboy. Madman Mike was jealous about my last minute Vegas trip deal....of course I had to rub it in a little. I did some last minute errands and then tried to get a couple of hours of sleep. When I awoke at 4 PM it was raining and looking like a totally miserable day. I threw what I needed into my backpack and headed for MSP at 7 PM for my 10 PM flight....plenty of time...right. It was raining pretty heavily when I left. About 30 minutes later I looked over and saw a white sedan sitting in a field about 75 feet from the roadway..odd...I looked up and saw two cars in the median and then saw the flashing lights ahead of me. The rain had instantly turned to freezing rain and slush. Things got real dicey for the rest of the drive...crawling at speeds up to 30 MPH. Fortunately, the traffic was very light and I made it to the park and fly lot not too far behind schedule. By this time the snow was coming down like gangbusters. I had preprinted my boarding pass, so I went directly to the security checkpoint...no lines...stripped down to practically my underwear and passed the watchful eye of the TSA (sarcasm). Walked over to my gate only to learn that the flight had been delayed(big surprise). I had a couple of double gin and tonics at the airport bar(at airport prices..ouch) to sooth my nerves after the harrowing drive, which helped past the time.

Finally, at midnight we boarded the plane, taxied, and then had to have the plane de-iced..groan. Spirit had selected my seat,,row 22, window..no complaints. There was a young child..around ten years old sitting in the row directly behind me....he could have been the poster child for the CDC. He coughed and hacked all flight long...expectorating his potentially lethal germs in my direction. Once we got above the storm in Minneapolis the flight was rather uneventful. We landed in Vegas around 01:30 and I made a beeline for the airport shuttles. There was only one shuttle bus, and it looked like they were not going anywhere soon...screw it..take a cab. I told the cabbie to take me to the Golden Gate; I also told him to not even to think about taking the tunnel or the interstate. "Swenson to Paradise..and you know the rest of the way, dude." He turns and says, "So, you've been to Vegas before?" Damn straight.

Check-in at the Gate took about 2 minutes and I deposited my meager belongings in the room and hit the casino. The desk clerk gave me room 334 which is toward the front and facing the alley. I expressed my concerns about getting a 4:30 AM dumpster wake up call.....they empty the trash dumpsters at that time and make one hell of a racket. She assured me that I didn't have to worry about the noise. Well, she didn't flat out lie to me...they empty the dumpsters at 6:30 AM now.

I played BJ until 04:30 with a father and son (Eric and Andrew) from Toronto. We had a good time with the dealers and I had to quit and get some food. Eric gave me a bunch of good-natured crap about bailing out on them; but I was starving. Where to get some satisfying grub at this time of day...no brainer...ox-tail soup at the California cafe. They serve the soup with some cilantro and fresh ground ginger on the side; along with a small bowl of rice. Sprinkle on the cilantro and add some ginger to the soup..very tasty. Scoop up some of the rice and soak it in the broth..tasty. I sat at the counter and chatted with a couple of the waitresses and told them about my ox-tail recipe....made for the more northernly(colder) climates. Feeling much better, I headed back to the Gate with the intention of playing some more blackjack.

When I walked into the Gate, my two Cannuck friends were at the craps table. Eric said that they wanted to play craps, but had no idea what they were doing. Well, in the spirit of international relations I had to buy in and help them out. The dealers were really nice guys and were very patient with the two newbies. We played until 06:30 when I finally had to throw in the towel as I could not keep my eyes open any longer. Eric gave me some more goodnatured crap about being a "quitter". Ended my early morning session at the Gate, up $275.

TUESDAY APRIL 23
I woke up at 10:30 and got ready for the day. Breakfast was at the counter at Dupars...had the french toast, juice and coffee. The waitress was pleasant and my delicious food was ready very quickly. I took the SDX down to the Strip and got off at the Ex-Cal stop. I walked over to the MGM to conquer the Lions Share slot...not to be. I plugged $200 into the machine and played for a long time...many small wins, but nothing big. Damn....next time. I checked out the Sigma Derby...it's been moved. It's now over by the area close to the entrance to the buffet. Listen to the sound of galloping hoofs...can't miss it. I hopped on the Deuce and got off by Bally's and played some VP at Sully's bar..no luck. I then walked over to the Flamingo to play my Cash Time slot. $40 in and not even a bonus spin..sucks. Heading north, I ducked into the new Quad casino...pretty generic...but, it doesn't have the same smell(which is a good thing).



I had planned at playing some VP at the bar at Harrah's and quench my thirst with a couple of Heineken, but the seats were all taken, so I took the Deuce back to downtown and went on a mini coupon run. My free play at the El Cortez netted me $20. I talked to a bartender in their lounge and confirmed the rumor that they no longer have the Happy hour prices (2 for $8) on their premium martinis..bummer. My free play at the 4 Q's and Binions got me zip. I sat at the counter at Benny's Bullpen and had a burger and fries. The burger was so, so..I suspect they add a significant amount of filler to the meat in their burger. The fries were excellent as was the counter person who waited on me..very nice guy. Made an average meal much more pleasant. Played some VP at the long bar at the "D" and then took a brief nap in my room at the Gate.

I started out my evening blackjack session going one on one with my favorite dealer, Tina at a $10 table. I spent the next hour pretty much trending water until she went on break and I switched tables. Things went bad after that and lost $300. I took a short break and sat at another table and bumped into a couple of people from another Las Vegas forum. I was at least able to stop losing, and quit at 01:30, losing around a total $600 for the day. I got my Dumpster call at 06:30 and could not fall back to sleep.

I've been without sleep for around 32 hours now, so I guess I'll catch a few ZZZZ's and finish this later. More to come.

I'm thinking when reading nope dumpster at 6:30 and lo and behold you concurred. Sounds likes a fun trip. I didn't realize that DT best route was not the freeway I usually rent a car and would never take Swenson to Paradise for DT . This time I will be cabbing it so something to keep in mind.

I find it interesting that like most gamblers (including me) we fret over that 35 luggage fee but pfft that in a slot or VP LOL.

Hoping for more.

Very nice, Biglar! Thanks for the relatively live report from mostly Downtown LV.

What about maybe playing VP with better pay schedules -- such as at Palms or Four Queens? That might help at least (if nothing else) slow down the losing.

RecVPPlayer

Swist----Because it was so early in the morning, I decided that the surface street route would be best...no traffic to slow you down, only red lights. When Paradise gets up by the Strat you hook up onto Main St which gives you a straight shot to the Golden Gate valet area. This route may not be the best way in the middle of the day when traffic is heavy on Paradise Rd.

RecVPPlayer--Since I didn't have a car, off strip places like the Palms was not convenient. I only feel qualified to play Deuces and JOB; are those paytables better at the 4 Q's? I did play 9/6 JOB at the Boar's Head bar at MSS on Thursday morning. Even with the paytables at the long bar at the D, I enjoy the atmosphere and talking with the friendly bartenders. I did hit my first Royal there in February...could lighting strike twice? My VP sessions are usually short, around an hour. I'll have a car in June so I'll try and hit the 9/6 JOB at the bar at the Gold Coast and the Palms during the midday. I don't like playing at the Palms at night..damn hookers keep pestering me...hard to concentrate on the game.

" I don't like playing at the Palms at night..damn hookers keep pestering me...hard to concentrate on the game" - Poor baby!

Good TR so far. Unbelievably great flight price! Wow. I got DEN to LAS for $60 bucks each way and thought that was a score. I would be pissing and moaning and switching hotels (free or not) if I heard the roll off driver dumping out my window at 6:30 am!

Well, I usually get about 4 hrs of sleep per Vegas night, so the dumpster call is not a deal breaker with me. They originally gave me 3 free nights and a $15 food comp. I stayed for 4 nights and charged at least double that amount in food charges...when I checked out, everything was comped. Some of the pit bosses know me by name, several of the dealers do also. The cocktail waitress that works evenings knows what drinks I like, and I never go without a libation. I get treated like I'm someone there, which is a hell of a lot more than I get treated like on the strip. I'll just request a room towards the rear of the hotel, facing Main Street...problem solved. I think the Gate has given me a "Square Deal" for the level of my play.

Glasses can affect your vision; especially when they have been emptied several times......

Spring Break 2000 !!!

Biglar -- another route to Downtown with streets (if you want to avoid Paradise) is to take (if you can get over to it) either Maryland Parkway (at least to Charleston) or get over to Industrial/Dean Martin which you can also get to through going West on Flamingo Rd (where you can take Hotel Rio Rd. down to Industrial) and then take that North to Wyoming, then turn Right onto Wyoming and then turn Left onto Main St.

As for getting to Palms, how about taking the Bus on the Strip to Flamingo and then the Flamingo bus to Palms. Or, there also is (if I'm remembering correctly and things haven't changed) a shuttle to and from Palms coming from Fashion Show Mall.

Four Queens has 9/6 Jacks from as low as $0.05 (in MG MD machines by Keno) to as high as I think $1 and they also have some good 10/7 Double Bonus Poker if you play any of that. DW I don't know about because I don't play that game.

And Four Queens has a good Slot Club returning 0.31% in Cashback plus about 1% in additional comps.

RecVPPlayer

Bummer about the cheap martinis at El Cortex going away . . .
The Bullett I had there last September was SOOOO tasty!!

And yes, it is time to find a room away from Dumpsterville - IF they have such a room like that at the Golden Gate! (YOU TRIED!) That has got to be SO irritating to be woken up like that and then unable to go back to sleep!

Also, glad you made it safely to the MPLS airport on that treacherous drive. . . . . . . . . . .

WEDNESDAY 4/24

The clank and clatter from my dumpster call left me lying awake and restless...another day in Vegas was about to begin. Showered ...still can't get the knack of getting the water temperature just right..and dressed. I took advantage of the breakfast special at Magnolias at the 4 Queens this morning. Their bone in ham steak and eggs special for $6.95 with player's card. The ham looked dry, but actually was pretty good..not too salty, tender, and moist..folks, we have a winner. The sourdough toast was cut thick and toasted just right. The SDX for downtown pulled up just as I exited the 4 Q's; so I hustled over and boarded the bus for the Strip. I exited at the Cosmo stop and walked into the Bellagio to see the display in their Conservatory. I first had to gaze at the huge light screen that the MGM people had erected in front of the Aria...talk about "One-up-man-ship". This year the Bellagio has expanded the size of their butterfly house...much better than last year. My daughter worked for the Seattle Museum while she was going to college. One year they had a butterfly room where you entered through two series of doors and were in a large glass room with various small trees and plants and numerous species of butterflies...great experience..wish the Bellagio people could pull something like that off; but with the volume of people that visit the conservatory each day would make it difficult to impossible. I chatted with two women who were working on replacing flowers on a couple of good sized lady bugs.


t.com/albums/pp211/WHITEJACKET73/vegasapril2013027.jpg[/IMG]

I spent at least 30 minutes viewing displays and taking lots of photos then walked over to the Flamingo and wrestled my Cash Time slot to a draw. I played JOB at the bar at Harrahs and had a couple of Heineken to slake my thirst....played for quite a while actually before losing my original $20 buy-in. I remembered that the Venetian had some sort of display going on, but I quite could not remember what it was...all I knew was that I should check it out. It turns out that they offered the "50 most memorable photographs of National Geographic' on display in the room where the Venetian had the former Guggenheim Art Museum. I guzzled the remains of my Heineken and bought in for $16 plus a $2 service charge...service charge?? WFH???? I spent the next two hours in awe viewing some great pictures....works of art really. Photos from Antarctica to Siberia... the Arizona desert to the Amazon. Most of the photos were not all that complex, but put forth a powerful image. The picture that really grabbed me was a photo of 8 young Russian children, aged 4-7 (2 boys and 6 girls) all standing in a row,,,wearing just their underpants. I gazed at this photo for a full 10 seconds, looking at the innocence and hope of youth before I realized that one of the girls in the middle of the photograph was missing her left arm from the elbow on down. I took a couple of steps back and was shocked that ALL of the children were missing their left arms from the elbow on down. They all had some type of congenital defect. They were all born in the same town somewhere in Russia. If the children had been wearing clothing, the absence of their appendage would have been instantly obvious, but because they were nearly naked; you did not notice their defect right away; and that's what the photographer wanted. It was a truly moving photo that I will never forget.

I took the SDX at the Wynn back downtown and had a light lunch at the American Coney Island at the "D" using my BOGO coupon from LVA(thanks Anthony). I was burping up onions for hours afterwards...good stuff. I played VP at the long bar and then lost another $100 playing BJ at the Gate. Time for a short nap.

I had dinner at Dupars,,,prime rib dinner. The prime rib was adequate, a solid piece of beef, what was really the surprise of the meal was the steamed veggies...broccoli, carrots and zucchini...steamed to perfection. Al dente, cooked but still firm and slightly crunchy with lots of flavor. Usually, the veggies are cooked into submission..tasteless and mushy. I charged the meal to my room and headed for the blackjack tables. I played for a long time, up and down; but just could not get a streak going...down another $100. I was getting pretty upset about my constant and steady losing at the tables, I decided to try my luck at another game...headed for the craps table....oh baby, what a good decision.

I bought in for $200 at a start of an epic run...the kind that every craps player has heard of and hopes to be able to experience from time to time. A tall shapely blonde in a stunning green dress had the dice. She hit number after number, several hardways and yo's. Pressed my place bets, increased my odd bets..wished I would have pressed my hard ten bet. After she had made the second point the table erupted with loud cheers after each roll of the dice. The guy next to me had $100 on the line with max odds and was cleaning up. He was tossing the blond a green chip about every 3rd roll. When the dust settled and she finally rolled at "7" I was up over $400...saved my Ass!!!! It's been a long time since I was fortunate enough to hit a hot table like this....I dream of the next one....keep hope alive.

Flush with cash, it would have been a great time to quit for the evening....not me, I'm on a roll...back to the blackjack tables. I was up and down, then had a nice run....I'm hot!!. Then I was dealt two 9's...split, dealt another 9, split, dealt another 9, split...double down on two of the splits...dealer has a five card 21 and I lose every hand..shit. They changed dealers....a new girl with ....well she had a very well developed upper respiratory system. She had to be the slowest dealer that I have every had....and she could not count...tried to pay me even money on my blackjack...wanted to pay me when I had 26....I put a couple of dollars down for her on one of my bets, I (we) won the hand and she was going to put her winnings back into the rack,,,had to stop her and tell her to put the chips in the tip box. I had to stay alert, but the table had a good time while she dealt..she was really trying hard. Hey, you have to start somewhere. I ended the last BJ session with a profit of $50 and Ivy brought me some great gin and tonics...bless her. Staggered up to the room at 0200.

THURSDAY 4/25
I'm up after my dumpster call..I'm getting use to it. After 3 days, I've finally mastered the water temperature for the shower...victory!! I tried the cafe at the El Cortez for breakfast....eggs and hashbrowns...but wait...they have grits...I get a big bowlful....I'm happier than a Jackass eating cactus. As I am enjoying my grits I look around the dining room and realize that I am probably the youngest one in the room...and I was born during the Truman administration....you do the math. I used a ACG free slot play coupon which resulted in zero. I lost my free play at the Vegas club, along with my match play. Lost my free play and match play at the Plaza...going to be another long day.

I walked over to the MSS and played for the next two hours at the Boar's head bar. playing 9/6 JOB and enjoying a couple of their black chip porters. I ended up cashing out with my original $20 plus a $2 scratch card which covered the tip for the two brews....solid. Back to the Gate and sat at the bar, ordered a Side Car.....don't know what they mixed up, but it was strong and the most interesting side car I have ever experienced...cough. A couple of young guys were playing next to me and we exchanged some small talk and bantered with the friendly bartender....great time. This guy walks up at the end of the bar and starts talking to the bartender...then starts screaming at no one in particular about how he hates this place....he's never been in here before, he definitely is not coming back. A fact that the three security guards confirm as they grab his ass and escort him out the door...it's Noon....only in Vegas.

I went back up to the room and put my stuff in my backpack and called the Redwood room at the California to make a dinner reservation for 6pm. Played some more BJ in the afternoon, took a quick nap and then walked over to the California for dinner.. I should have mentioned this before.....after playing VP at MSS earlier in the day, I walked through the California and walked over to where they have their craps tables. At 11:30 in the morning they had four tables packed with crazy players. Three tables had $10 minimum and one at $5. These tables were packed with loud enthusiastic gamblers...those damn Hawaiians know how to have a good time....I couldn't squeeze into a table to play...bastards.

Redwood Room... nice quiet atmosphere...cloth napkins and old school waiters. I had the porterhouse special for $24. Nice salad, 16 oz porterhouse steak, steamed green beans, baked potato and apple dumpling for dessert. I had a very nice Kunde Estates California Zinfandel to complement my meal. Their wine list is not great, but they offer some solid wines at a decent price...good value. I have to admit that the steak was okay, but definitely not the highlight of the meal....not a lot of flavor. Brian, who was my waiter was great, however. Old school, anticipated my every need...true professional. The atmosphere at the Redwood Room is quiet and intimate; next time I'll try something else to see what they have to offer. I really do miss their piano player in the adjacent lounge...he really put the dining experience a notch above the other nice downtown restaurants.

Boy, I am running on fumes...have to lay down in the room for an hour. Hit the blackjack tables with renewed vigor. I'm playing at a $5 table, playing two hands at a time...one other player at the table. Up walks a dork and he whips out a $5 bill and buys into the game. Dealer has a 5, he has a 13...he hits and busts..moron. He pulls out his wallet and extracts another $5. He loses his bet and walks away. Fucks up the rest of the shoe. I'm down $140 and decide it's a wrap....color me up...I'm done. John, one of the pit boss's comes over and thanks me for my play...he's a real gentleman. Toss the dealer a hefty tip and tip the dancer behind her...Jesus does that woman have some moves!!

I checked out at 9:15 pm....clerk tells me my 4th night and all my food charges are comped...sweet. I hitched a ride on the WAX by Binion's to the airport for $2. I had printed out my boarding pass at the Gate, so I headed directly for security check-in. One of the TSA agents walks over and holds up two bottles of wine and announces loudly, that this kind of "shit" (not his words) is not going to pass muster. Fortunately, one was a bottle of Barefoot and the other was a bottle of "Two Buck Chuck". Probably better that the owner did not have to drink such swill....yeah call me a wine snob if you want...but you have no idea how they make Charles Shaw( Two buck Chuck).

The red-eye back to MSP was on time and uneventful...had another window seat. I dozed a little bit, but did not get any meaningful sleep. I pulled up into my driveway at 07:30. My cat, Nick, chewed me out,,but quickly forgave my temporary abandonment when I served him an extra portion of his favorite....canned beef and gravy. I wrote the 1st installment of this report and then crashed...nothing like sleeping in your own bed...zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

CASUAL OBSERVATIONS:
Spirit Airlines is not all that bad:
When I made my reservation, I didn't pay for a carry-on or checked bag. Spirit sent me two e-mails reminding me about possible extra charges if I waited until I actually checked in. Fair enough...I don't understand how someone would be shocked when they are hit for a $100 baggage fee
at the boarding gate when they have not paid beforehand......the airline gave you adequate warning, you dipshit.

I really like staying at the Golden Gate. Sure their rooms are not plush, but they are adequate for my simple requirements. For the level of play that I give them, they treat me well. Several of the pit bosses know me, as does several of the dealers. Ivy, the cocktail waitress that works evenings is great. When I sat down on early Tuesday morning, she walked over and asked me if I wanted a Heineken or a gin and tonic....my usual drinks. I tip the dealers on a regular basis...win or lose...and they really appreciate that I do.

The weather was great...sunshine and in the high 70's to low 80's...perfect..almost forgot what it was like to wear sunglasses.

If you get the chance, check out the National Geographic photos at the Venetian

I would like to play at the El Cortez, if I could see just one of the dealers crack a smile...just once...faces made of stone.

Lion's Share Slot at the MGM....I know that I will hit the progressive some day.....well maybe

El Cortez.....how could you take away those lovely 2 for 1 happy hour premium martinis ...they were one of the best values in Vegas....Bastards.

EPILOGUE
This was an unexpected, last minute Vegas trip; but I was glad that I had the opportunity to take advantage of it. Sure beats the hell out of working. The final tally puts my gambling loses at around $500 for the trip....$200 of that was pissing away trying to hit the Lion's Share progressive.....bastards. I can't complain.....I enjoyed my time, did some much needed unwinding, met some interesting people.....hope to meet up with Eric and Andrew, my new Canadian friends sometime in the future....and no, betting the Big 6 in craps is a bad idea, Eric...trust me. My June trip is pretty much set. Booked a full sized car from Enterprise for $108, two free nights at a Bally's North Tower room. Received my summer offers from the Golden Gate...will book two free nights with them...no problem..will be sure to get a room facing Main st, towards the rear of the hotel. Spend a couple of afternoons lounging at the Bally's pool, see a show..."Million Dollar Quartet" looks to be my 1st choice. Take my shot at the Lions Share...again. I definitely will try and spend some quality time at the Rio Wine Cellar. I'll make up the rest as I go along....I'll figure it out...I always do. Thanks for reading.