Second Atlantic City visit

Personally I really like the Treasure Bay.  The views and food, from their top floor club blu & dining room CQ (The Den moved to 9th floor temparily) are outstanding.  Great locals, lots of fun, small place vive.  https://treasurebay.com/

Kevin Kewis said earlier that Vegas has absolutely nothing of interest within 100 miles. I beg to differ: 

Red Rock Canyon - hiking

Valley of Fire - hiking

Mount Charleston - hiking, snow skiing in winter, cool in the summer

Lake Mead - water skiing, boating, jet skis

Laughlin - jet ski, Colorado River

Mesquite - golf

Colorado River - boating, fishing

Don...I agree with you. There is a lot to do within your list in Vegas plus I do not mind driving to Utah to visit Zion National Park (I recommend an overnight stay by the park) or driving to some of the ghost towns in Cali. I suppose it is an individual thing. Part of the agreement I have with the wife is that we will not be stuck in casinos every day of our trip so we make day visits to places outside of Vegas.

The hiking destinations are only viable for maybe half the year. I know, I used to live there. Laughlin, Mesquite, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead, the Colorado--100 or more miles away. Mount Charleston is nice once or twice, but no water up there except in the spring.

There's a reason why Vegas was nothing more than a whistlestop until gambling and Hoover Dam arrived. And I guarantee that if you live in Vegas, you use up the few "attractions" that are available pretty damn fast. Then you wind up spending more and more time in the casinos, and when you get sick of that, you start asking yourself why you're even there at all.

Vegas is extremely isolated---the nearest major cities are at least five hours away. Basically, you live there--you're stuck there. I was a lot more amenable to living there when it was possible to make a living from advantage play and everything was so cheap. I could afford to jet out of town for a week when the slot machine bells started ringing in my head and wouldn't stop.

Well I said I would report back from trip to Beau Rivage.

1.  Slots were tight.  My BFF was really bummed because she isn't used to not winning.  Me, I just say how can one tell that slots are "tight" from one trip to the next?  I've had better luck there, but this one was not one of those for me either.  I think I had a couple sorta winning moments, 'cause I came back with 3/4 of what I took to gamble with.

2. VP was disappointing, but it has been for some time.  I played way back in the cubby hole, the four (though now only 2 you can play) dollar multigame machines.  Crazy but I did best on Joker Poker, managed to keep a C-note going for a good while, though finally cashed out with $20.  I think they removed 'my' good 3/5 play VP-ers right after re-opening, so I've not been inspired to play VP since then.

3. Tables.  Quite a few $10 and $15 tables, some returning 3-5 for a blackjack.  One single deck table, didn't look to see the minimum bet or blackjack pay.  I played one $10 BJ table, 3-5 for blackjacks, which took my money in about 15 minutes.  I played one $10 Three Card Poker table, had the middle spot.  (which ends up costing $20 to ante and bet the Pair Plus, then of course another $10 to raise if you have something (or more for a better hand).  You could play the bonus spot for $1 or more, which I played a lot but didn't get anything. The guys on either side of me each got 3 of a kind on the bonus which paid I think 50-1, but none for me.  Nice hits, but they didn't stay long afterward.  They must have known something or just plain wise.  They had many tables with the Buster Blackjack side bet which I love to play, but NONE were open ever.  Lots of tables not open.

4. A new (to me) table game was Criss Cross Poker.  The pit supervisor gave me a card explaining it, which turned me off to even considering it.  Players make two ante wagers, then play against 5 community cards dealt face down in the shape of a cross.  Folding or raising to play as the outside "across" cards are turned over, then as the two "down" cards are turned over, and finally the middle card turned over.  Player can also make a "bonus" wager at the start, as there is a separate 5 Card Bonus Paytable with higher payouts if the bonus wager was made.  Maybe it is fun, I don't know but I'm sure it is a money sucker.

5. One meal at Jia, the Asian restaurant.  Very good food (chicken lettuce wraps, egg rolls) but I sent back the lemon-drop martini which was terrible.  Returned it for a white zin, safe drink.  These fancy expensive drinks in their upscale restaurants have often been a disappointment.

6. Two meals at the new Sports Bar and Grill.  Regular food like hamburgers, etc.  Not a hugely fancy place but nice booths and tables to eat at whether or not you are interested in betting.  Nice big screens.  Not that many people in there.  All food was very good.  Got their fancy Margarita, OK but probably better to get a regular one on the floor for a dollar tip.  

7. Heard others telling that their meals in the Terrace Cafe were really good.

8. Gumbo from the Roasted Bean was very good, thick with meat.  Got my usual Bear Claw for morning, and their "Coffee Cake" was actually a really excellent huge piece of pound cake.

9. Did not see anyone not wearing a mask.  Social distancing was not being managed at all that I could see, though most people seem to have it down already and are very considerate without having to be told.

10. Ah, I can't think of anything else much.  Having machines turned off is a turn off, since you often can't play a machine you wanted to play.  They do have housekeeping for you room if you call for it.  I didn't, just set trash outside the room and they picked it up.  My TV was awful, jerky pixelated picture really often, which I complained about in the survey.  I did have the lovely ocean view.

11. I get my Covid-19 vaccine tomorrow!  Yay!

12. Free flight, hard to pass up.  Sun Country still blocking middle seats, nice plane.

Nice to hear of someone getting the vaccine on the boards!  I think I'll be April at the earliest before I can get it.

In my experience, The Beau's machines have been tight, tight, tight for the past couple of years.  Therefore, my wife and I have cut our play waaaay back from what we used to give them even though we stay there.  Additionally, although they nearly aren't as bad as Gold Strike (Tunica) in this regard, they have been removing dollar 3 reel slots, which is also a pisser.  I gripe about that on the surveys I receive from both Gold Strike and The Beau, with no change except more machines being removed.  I'm tempted to give another property our hotel stays in the future since my comments about dwindling dollar 3 reel machines are ignored. 

In spite of my Beau comments regarding machines, I still love Biloxi and the MS Gulf Coast.  They have a new brewery moving into the former Biloxi Brewing building, and I want to check it out; plus, see a Shuckers game if minor leaguge baseball is back this year. 

Tommy