This TR is titled so that you Strip haters can just skip on by...LOL. What can I say? They are good to me, but I'm good to them too, a mutual admiration society of sorts. Can't help it. Started there...can't break the habit.
Husband ducked out last minute, so just BFF Connie and I. Southwest flight full both ways, no empty middle seats. Non-stop to Vegas only on Saturdays now. I like that they call you up in groups of 10. More relaxing, though "relaxing" isn't the word I'm searching for...but definitely no crowding at boarding time. Hope they keep that process even after the pandemic is over. Everybody masked, no complainers. Didn't see any bad guys.
We did our traditional each buying $50 worth of scratch-offs for in-flight entertainment. This time we actually won $140, an amazing result. Usually are lucky if we get $20 or $25. Connie insisted I keep it all for my birthday. I protested (we usually split any winnings no matter who bought which scratchers), but she insisted. Hey, she is always lucky in Vegas, more than I, so what the heck, I relented!
Oh, and both hotels very pandemic minded, everyone masked, no issues. Four to the elevators. Love that.
Four nights Bellagio, three nights Wynn. Connie did the opposite, she did the four nights at Wynn. Free play and "Resort Credit" (food comps in my language) offers were unbelieveable at both places. Blue light specials, I guess, which will no doubt decrease as visitation increases, which it already has. I got a little extra for my birthday month at both places.
Bellagio best meal was at Prime, their lobster. Delish, quiet dining. Lago was just OK, they do that "small plate" system, order to share. Loud music, rushed service. First time there, maybe the last. We hadn't made reservations earlier for dinner, so Lago was what was left when we inquired...which figures. But Bel has a lot of restaurants not re-opened yet, or just opened one or two days a week. Hope to see Harvest and Jasmine open back up soon. Even the Patisserie (the choc fountain place) is still closed. Had a decent Reuben sandwich from Snacks. Little freebies in the mornings from VIP since they have no breakfast options except Sadelles, which I swore off of a few trips ago. Raided the minibar last day to fulfill my food credit allowance.
Gambling at Bellagio--nothing to see at tables. Miles of tables closed. Sad. No table play for me there. I walked to Caesars X 2 to play their on High Card Flush table. Won a little first day, lost a little the second day. Super fun dealers both days. Somebody said they are grumpy there but that wasn't my experience.
Did well enough on slots to walk out of Bellagio with almost what I walked in with. In days past I would play exclusively VP at Bellagio. Now the VP is disappearing (not just bad schedules, fewer machines!).
Wynn, wonderful meal at Allegro. Nothing on the menu appealed to me, so I asked if they could just prepare me some scallops without all the unpronounceable squiggly stuff that would come with the one dish on the menu that included scallops. Chef Alex came to the table and seemed pleased that I asked, said he loves to make "my special" scallops...perfect...excellent. About 10 scallops, delicious sauce of some sort.
Breakfast at Tableau, excellent eggs bene. Cute place, lovely service.
The last night we hadn't made reservations early enough so most places had no openings. La Cave was available. Again, a "small plate" place with loud music. Food was good, but "loud" dang near ruins a meal for me. Service was more pleasant than at Lago, not so rushed.
OK: a sorta SAD story here. I knew I had plenty of "food credits" at Wynn to cover all. Morning of departure I saw $60+ balance on the TV. What? Called the front desk, very nice gentleman asked me "Did you get a welcome letter when you checked in?" DHO!!! (Or is it DOH!!!?) That letter stated three of their eateries at which food comps are not accepted...Urth Cafe, Ciprianni and, take a guess, La Cave. Those do not reimburse Wynn when food is comped, so no comp for us at La Cave. Dang! I had read it, but forgot. So $60 (I had two lemon drop martinis!) out of my pocket for a 'not so favorite' place. Not to be outdone, with an hour left before our limo would depart (Connie has a great Host there), I dashed down to the cafe, charged nine huge pastries to the room. Then raided the mini bar, calculated to the penny to use up my food credits, just in time to meet Connie for limo to airport. Love those little bottles of of liquor! Little gifts for the hubby...LOL.
Luckily I had good gambling luck at Wynn. After unpacking on arrival I called Connie, she was playing a Tarzan slot. I found her, sat down at another Tarzan at the same bank, was starting out good, soon hit Tarzan with several bonus rounds that gave me $3K+ jackpot. Yay, good start. Minutes later, thinking I probably should leave that machine, hit Tarzan again with bonus rounds for $2K+. First day luck. Second day couldn't hit a thing (including Tarzan whom I visited several times hoping to repeat...no such thing). Last day played hours of 3/5 play VP, DB mostly though I switched around, very good going and a $1600+ jackpot (two lines of 4 Aces, $800 each). I was lucky to find a machine that kept me going so long.
Table play at Wynn? Forget it. Formerly could find a $10 BJ early in the day, $15 later in the afternoon. This trip, nothing under $25, and we are talking mid week and mid day! I hovered over a closed High Card Flush table until they opened it, around 2 pm or so. It would be $25 ante and $25 each on the Flush and Straight Flush spots (for $75 if you play it all, which you should, if you are a Rockafeller). Too rich for my blood. But they let me play for $15 ante and $10 on the other two (why I don't know, other than I asked nicely...that seems to work for me at Wynn when a table is just opening and no other players around). Thirty minutes later I said goodbye, no good hands, my buy-in having gone bye bye. I was the only player the whole time I was there. Later I saw that the table had been closed. I guess nobody else liked those prices either. Usually a HCF table is busy.
Well that's enough. Thanks for reading, if you did. Next trip should be in July, Connie's birthday. Already have the good offers from Bellagio, waiting to see what Wynn comes up with. Or maybe Harrah's Laughlin, or Beau Rivage in Biloxi...
Best of luck to all.
Candy
