Granny Gone Wild
Let me start off by giving some information on this. My 82 yr old grandmother recently won a good chunk of money from a lotto scratch off and I decide to bring her back to Vegas one last time. Her health, finances (until now), etc. have all been on the decline for many years so we don’t expect her to be able to go back any more after this. She is a widow and doesn’t drink, smoke, travel etc. Her only vice is gambling so I wanted to give her this opportunity. The last time she came to Vegas was in the early 90s.
Being from ATL we would normally take Delta to LAS on a direct flight but the cost was through the roof and we decided to take Southwest for half the cost. After a quick layover in Phoenix we landed in LAS around 12:30 Monday morning. She requires a wheelchair through the airport as she can’t walk long distances. TSA was very accommodating with this and I would recommend it to anyone who is elderly or disabled. You bypass all lines and the associate wheeled her from the ticket counter all the way the gate.
We were coming out here on a very generous offer from MGM but I got in touch with a host from Bellagio that we knew from a friend and he was able to switch the offer to Bellagio. I encouraged the host to provide a limo for us to help add to the experience for Granny. After a quick 10 minute ride to Bellagio we were checked in and headed up to the 14th floor with a deluxe fountain view. My wife and I have stayed at Bellagio before so I knew the quality of the staff and rooms would be excellent. Upon arrival, Granny was completely blown away and how nice and classy the Bellagio was. She really saw the difference when we visited other properties. We spent the rest of the day meandering around the Bellagio and we decide to hit Bally’s and Paris for a change of scenery.
Paris and Ballys we both bad for Granny’s bankroll but I did well on a Pink Diamond slot in the Champagne Slots at Paris. She loved the experience of Paris with the feeling of being outside when you are really inside.
Tuesday we decide to walk through Caesars on our way to Harrahs and the Mac King show. Granny couldn’t believe how big Caesars was and how much shopping the Forums Shops has. After many rest breaks we made it over to Harrahs around lunchtime. She really wanted to see Mac King so me, being the good grandson I am, decide it was a must do this trip. Let me tell you something, this show was EXCELLENT. Mac knows how to work the crowd, which is made up of all ages. He has material for the kids, adults, sexual innuendos that the adults would get but the kids had no idea. The 80 minute show was a great way to slow down the gambling and I would bring my wife or anyone else to the show without any hesitation. We are both in our early 30s and I know she would find it funny as well. After Mac Kind we found a 100play .01 video poker machine by the craps pit and we both played on $100 for roughly an hour. Great times playing machine next to each other and not losing money. We walked over to the Mirage so she could see the inside of it and we decide to eat lunch there as well. Nothing to exciting to report here except we made it all the way to the back by the pool and Dolphin exhibit to find out it was closed. Long walk for Granny but she wasn’t too upset. Made it back to Bellagio and decide to play there the rest of the night.
The plan for Wednesday was to make it downtown and then see a show at night. When my wife and I come to Vegas we always hit DT the last day and normally make back a good chunk of our $$$ that we gave to the strip. We started with breakfast at Golden Gate, which is tradition. Always get the pancakes!!!! We stopped at a bunch of places DT and Granny really liked it because the slots we hitting more frequently than those on the strip. She found a machine at Fremont Casino that she liked so she played there for a while. I really wanted to hit the D for their VP and good BJ rules. We stayed at the D for probably 2 hours and I had a great time playing BJ there made back some $$. Granny made some money back on slots as well. She wanted to go back to Fremont to play her favorite machine again before we left, so we did and she hit it again for profit. Quick cab back and we needed to get ready for our show.
Originally we were offered 2 tickets to LOVE at the mirage as a part of our offer. Our host had a problem with the tickets so he gave us 2 tickets to O instead. Fair trade if you ask me. I have seen O before but I would see it again and again. The show was fantastic as usual and Granny really liked the water features of this show. After the show we just decided to play at Bellagio since it was our last night. Up and down for the remainder of night but she had fun during the process.
Thursday we checked out and everything was comped off our room bill. The host total us to put everything on the room and we did, nice perk!! 4hr flight from LAS to ATL and we were back to reality and work.
Bellagio: allows a good stay with a very nice room (fountain view is truly amazing). We ate at the buffet for breakfast and the café for dinner. Good food and a decent price.
Shows: Mac King is a great show for the price point and the time of day it is offered. I will take my wife when we return for NYE. O @ Bellagio is one of the best shows on the strip and I highly recommend it.
Gambling: Granny plays slots exclusively and played a lot at the .25, $1, $5, and $10 level. She never really hit any big licks but she had a good time doing it. I like to play table games but I never felt comfortable leaving her in the slots area by herself. I would try to play slots and VP near her to keep an eye on her. Up and down for me as expected but I learned a lot about VP and I am excited about playing more of it in the future. I did learn that a lot of strip properties are using BJ6/5 more and more these days. They want people to play $25 or higher to get 3/2 payouts.
Funny Moment: I still get up on east coast time and get my coffee and play slot while I wake up. One morning at the Bellagio I was approached by a companion friend…… in the Bellagio. I couldn’t help but chuckle about this that I am a very happily married man and I brought my 82 grandmother and I still get approached by a hooker in a high end property…. For the record, I declined.
All in all I didn’t do well on the gambling side, but I am realistic and think of this as entertainment expensive anyway. I am extremely happy that I got to spend 4 days with my grandmother and I know it is a memory that we will both cherish for the remainder of her life and mine as well. Til next time…
Let me start off by giving some information on this. My 82 yr old grandmother recently won a good chunk of money from a lotto scratch off and I decide to bring her back to Vegas one last time. Her health, finances (until now), etc. have all been on the decline for many years so we don’t expect her to be able to go back any more after this. She is a widow and doesn’t drink, smoke, travel etc. Her only vice is gambling so I wanted to give her this opportunity. The last time she came to Vegas was in the early 90s.
Being from ATL we would normally take Delta to LAS on a direct flight but the cost was through the roof and we decided to take Southwest for half the cost. After a quick layover in Phoenix we landed in LAS around 12:30 Monday morning. She requires a wheelchair through the airport as she can’t walk long distances. TSA was very accommodating with this and I would recommend it to anyone who is elderly or disabled. You bypass all lines and the associate wheeled her from the ticket counter all the way the gate.
We were coming out here on a very generous offer from MGM but I got in touch with a host from Bellagio that we knew from a friend and he was able to switch the offer to Bellagio. I encouraged the host to provide a limo for us to help add to the experience for Granny. After a quick 10 minute ride to Bellagio we were checked in and headed up to the 14th floor with a deluxe fountain view. My wife and I have stayed at Bellagio before so I knew the quality of the staff and rooms would be excellent. Upon arrival, Granny was completely blown away and how nice and classy the Bellagio was. She really saw the difference when we visited other properties. We spent the rest of the day meandering around the Bellagio and we decide to hit Bally’s and Paris for a change of scenery.
Paris and Ballys we both bad for Granny’s bankroll but I did well on a Pink Diamond slot in the Champagne Slots at Paris. She loved the experience of Paris with the feeling of being outside when you are really inside.
Tuesday we decide to walk through Caesars on our way to Harrahs and the Mac King show. Granny couldn’t believe how big Caesars was and how much shopping the Forums Shops has. After many rest breaks we made it over to Harrahs around lunchtime. She really wanted to see Mac King so me, being the good grandson I am, decide it was a must do this trip. Let me tell you something, this show was EXCELLENT. Mac knows how to work the crowd, which is made up of all ages. He has material for the kids, adults, sexual innuendos that the adults would get but the kids had no idea. The 80 minute show was a great way to slow down the gambling and I would bring my wife or anyone else to the show without any hesitation. We are both in our early 30s and I know she would find it funny as well. After Mac Kind we found a 100play .01 video poker machine by the craps pit and we both played on $100 for roughly an hour. Great times playing machine next to each other and not losing money. We walked over to the Mirage so she could see the inside of it and we decide to eat lunch there as well. Nothing to exciting to report here except we made it all the way to the back by the pool and Dolphin exhibit to find out it was closed. Long walk for Granny but she wasn’t too upset. Made it back to Bellagio and decide to play there the rest of the night.
The plan for Wednesday was to make it downtown and then see a show at night. When my wife and I come to Vegas we always hit DT the last day and normally make back a good chunk of our $$$ that we gave to the strip. We started with breakfast at Golden Gate, which is tradition. Always get the pancakes!!!! We stopped at a bunch of places DT and Granny really liked it because the slots we hitting more frequently than those on the strip. She found a machine at Fremont Casino that she liked so she played there for a while. I really wanted to hit the D for their VP and good BJ rules. We stayed at the D for probably 2 hours and I had a great time playing BJ there made back some $$. Granny made some money back on slots as well. She wanted to go back to Fremont to play her favorite machine again before we left, so we did and she hit it again for profit. Quick cab back and we needed to get ready for our show.
Originally we were offered 2 tickets to LOVE at the mirage as a part of our offer. Our host had a problem with the tickets so he gave us 2 tickets to O instead. Fair trade if you ask me. I have seen O before but I would see it again and again. The show was fantastic as usual and Granny really liked the water features of this show. After the show we just decided to play at Bellagio since it was our last night. Up and down for the remainder of night but she had fun during the process.
Thursday we checked out and everything was comped off our room bill. The host total us to put everything on the room and we did, nice perk!! 4hr flight from LAS to ATL and we were back to reality and work.
Bellagio: allows a good stay with a very nice room (fountain view is truly amazing). We ate at the buffet for breakfast and the café for dinner. Good food and a decent price.
Shows: Mac King is a great show for the price point and the time of day it is offered. I will take my wife when we return for NYE. O @ Bellagio is one of the best shows on the strip and I highly recommend it.
Gambling: Granny plays slots exclusively and played a lot at the .25, $1, $5, and $10 level. She never really hit any big licks but she had a good time doing it. I like to play table games but I never felt comfortable leaving her in the slots area by herself. I would try to play slots and VP near her to keep an eye on her. Up and down for me as expected but I learned a lot about VP and I am excited about playing more of it in the future. I did learn that a lot of strip properties are using BJ6/5 more and more these days. They want people to play $25 or higher to get 3/2 payouts.
Funny Moment: I still get up on east coast time and get my coffee and play slot while I wake up. One morning at the Bellagio I was approached by a companion friend…… in the Bellagio. I couldn’t help but chuckle about this that I am a very happily married man and I brought my 82 grandmother and I still get approached by a hooker in a high end property…. For the record, I declined.
All in all I didn’t do well on the gambling side, but I am realistic and think of this as entertainment expensive anyway. I am extremely happy that I got to spend 4 days with my grandmother and I know it is a memory that we will both cherish for the remainder of her life and mine as well. Til next time…
