Summer of Cal/Nev – Day 18
I woke up this morning actually cold. The thermostat in my room really doesn’t work properly. Either it’s on or it’s off. But as things that can go wrong in a room, this is just a minor irritant. The local news was all about the heat wave and the KA performer who died during the finale on Saturday night. I had breakfast in their excellent café and was out and on my way by 8:30 AM. I made a fast stop in front of the hotel as I didn’t get a pic yesterday of the hotel itself.
The Suncoast Hotel and Casino
When I know I’m coming to Vegas trips, whenever I see or read something of interest I make a “to do” list. Today, I thought I’d check a couple things off that list. One item was something I read in the paper a couple of weeks ago about a club/bar called the 702. I read there was some TV show that the main spokesman goes into bars that are failing and gets them profitable. This bar was owned by a local lawyer who wanted to get into the gambling business and this was his way in, but he didn’t know anything about it and made a mistake in his accounting (or something) and the gambling commission stripped him of his license. He made amends and they re-issued it. Anyway, I thought I’d check this place out and see what all the fuss was about. Imagine my surprise when I get there and find it’s a hole in the wall on a side street in Chinatown. It wasn’t open…what a letdown.
The very disappointing 702 Club
A lot of people don’t realize that there is a Chinatown in Las Vegas. It’s off Spring Mountain Rd. and Decatur. If you go west a few blocks, there is Vietnamese Town, and a few more blocks, at the corner of Spring Mountain Rd and Rainbow, is Korean Town. There are large rock and marble landmarks on the corners, but traffic was bad and it was TOO hot to stop to take pics—I’ll try again in a couple of weeks.
I’ll start off with some questions and comments from your replies:
Cjen3349 posts "Whereas, slot machines holds are only known by the casino manager". My question is, if someone working in the casino knows where the loosest slots are placed, would that encourage nefarious activities on the part of that person? Insider trading, so to speak.” That would be true except that the casino manager achieves that position with many years of honest and dedicated service to the casino company. That’s not to say that in house cheating hasn’t, in fact, happened. The Travel Channel used to run specials on Las Vegas and one of them was dedicated to cheaters. The rewards from cheating are never worth the job you’d be losing to say nothing of the jail time when caught.
It was mentioned to me that by Martin that I had missed the Sobota Casino, which is in Riverside. That is true. Not only was it far out of my way, but it’s so small that I didn’t find it worth the two hours it would have added to my drive that day.
One reader was surprised that I did my laundry the other day because in many trips in the past, I just throw away the old and buy new. When my trips are only in casinos, who don’t have laundry facilities (and no, I’d never use their overpriced laundry service, though I do steal their plastic bags all the time), I take my oldest underclothes on these trips and then buy new ones along the way, which will be good until the next year. However, this year I’m staying at some non-casino properties such as the Holiday Inn Express and they do offer them, so I admit I will do a load when I can, especially my workout clothes, which truly need it.
A few talked about golfing in Palm Springs, which reminded me that it was something I meant to touch on. I don’t golf (to expensive and my competitive nature would put me in a sport I neither have time for nor the money) but driving around Palm Springs, you can’t help but notice the many, many golf courses everywhere. Also, most of the housing are in gated communities and many of those have their own small courses. I can only imagine the water that Palm Springs needs every year.
With the rest of the day, I thought I’d play tourist and get some pics of the latest displays at the Palazzo and Venetian. When the Wynn for opened, Martin and I both received free room offers (all we did was sign up for the slot club). When we stayed there, they were just beginning the construction of the Palazzo. When I looked out my window, all there was so far was a huge, deep—very deep, hole in the ground. Little did I know that I would one day be parked in that monstrous hole. It turns out that this is a great place to park. It’s easy to get in and out and there is plenty of parking.
Taken from the pedestrian bridge...the Palazzo
The display are at the Palazzo Registration Desk
You are greeted with this as you begin to walk between the Palazzo and Venetian
A few more feet and this is set up. Three grand pianos set up to entertain later this afternoon
I pretty much hung around here most of the day. I checked the video poker and as usual, the pay schedules are bad except there’s a bank of 5/10/25-cent Quick Quads close to the entrance between the two hotels. At the 10-cent level, there’s 7/5 Bonus poker. At quick quads, this is playable for me and I did. I played for a good 45 minutes and end up breaking even.
I walked across the pedestrian bridge to the Wynn and Encore. Again, I haven’t been here in quite a while and wanted to see if anything has changed. The restaurant/deli close to the entrance where I used to buy French onion soup had change hands and no longer have that, which was too bad.
The Wynn and Encore taken on the pedestrian bridge
The entrance to the Wynn.
The atrium at the Wynn
Aside from that everything was exactly the same. I played a penny game and lost a little and then walked over to the Encore. On the way is the box office for Le Reve, their Cirque du Soleil show. On the wall advertising it, the poster said, “Voted Best Show in Vegas Three Years in a Row.” There was no one in line buying tickets, so I walked up to the person behind the desk and asked her where the poll was taken that voted for it. She gave me a wry look and said that they don’t give out that information. Right.
The Encore casino is actually very small. I played the Godfather penny machine (same as the Lord of Rings) and broke even. Then I played the China Mystery game that I told you about a few days ago in Laughlin when I watched a man who had 296 free games. Well, I did get 68 free games, but that only turned in $12.84. So, you can get 500 plus spins, but if they don’t win you anything—what’s the point?
The small casino in the Encore...there were hardly anyone playing at all
The Encore pool area--I've seen backyard pools more creatively done than this.
In the corner of the Encore is the Sinatra Restaurant. They weren’t open, but they had his Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy on display and though the restaurant wasn’t open, I leaned over to take a picture as best I could.
Frank Sinatra's Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy on display at the entrance of the restaurant Sinatra in the Encore
I headed back to the Wynn; the casino is much larger than the Encore and noticed that there was a huge line for the buffet there. At $25.99 per person, I just don’t get it. But I suppose if you can afford to stay and gamble at the Wynn, you don’t care about their food prices. Back at the Palazzo, I always make a point of going into the Bauman Book Store, which specialized in first editions and signed copies. It’s fascinating.
The Bauman Book store in the Palazzo shopping area
The slightly opened book on top is a signed copy of CATCHER IN THE RYE. Price: $85,000
Had to grab a pic of the restaurant in the Venetian where my son and his wife had their wedding dinner.
After a walk through the Venetian I finally headed back to the car. It was already after 4 PM—I end up spending the entire afternoon here. The temperature outside was 113 as I drove back to the Suncoast. I stopped pick up some take out from Peking Palace and went back to the room. I played a little bit, but again—just nothing happening gambling wise.
Tomorrow I check into the Orleans where I’ll be spend three nights.
More tomorrow.
I woke up this morning actually cold. The thermostat in my room really doesn’t work properly. Either it’s on or it’s off. But as things that can go wrong in a room, this is just a minor irritant. The local news was all about the heat wave and the KA performer who died during the finale on Saturday night. I had breakfast in their excellent café and was out and on my way by 8:30 AM. I made a fast stop in front of the hotel as I didn’t get a pic yesterday of the hotel itself.
The Suncoast Hotel and Casino
When I know I’m coming to Vegas trips, whenever I see or read something of interest I make a “to do” list. Today, I thought I’d check a couple things off that list. One item was something I read in the paper a couple of weeks ago about a club/bar called the 702. I read there was some TV show that the main spokesman goes into bars that are failing and gets them profitable. This bar was owned by a local lawyer who wanted to get into the gambling business and this was his way in, but he didn’t know anything about it and made a mistake in his accounting (or something) and the gambling commission stripped him of his license. He made amends and they re-issued it. Anyway, I thought I’d check this place out and see what all the fuss was about. Imagine my surprise when I get there and find it’s a hole in the wall on a side street in Chinatown. It wasn’t open…what a letdown.
The very disappointing 702 Club
A lot of people don’t realize that there is a Chinatown in Las Vegas. It’s off Spring Mountain Rd. and Decatur. If you go west a few blocks, there is Vietnamese Town, and a few more blocks, at the corner of Spring Mountain Rd and Rainbow, is Korean Town. There are large rock and marble landmarks on the corners, but traffic was bad and it was TOO hot to stop to take pics—I’ll try again in a couple of weeks.
I’ll start off with some questions and comments from your replies:
Cjen3349 posts "Whereas, slot machines holds are only known by the casino manager". My question is, if someone working in the casino knows where the loosest slots are placed, would that encourage nefarious activities on the part of that person? Insider trading, so to speak.” That would be true except that the casino manager achieves that position with many years of honest and dedicated service to the casino company. That’s not to say that in house cheating hasn’t, in fact, happened. The Travel Channel used to run specials on Las Vegas and one of them was dedicated to cheaters. The rewards from cheating are never worth the job you’d be losing to say nothing of the jail time when caught.
It was mentioned to me that by Martin that I had missed the Sobota Casino, which is in Riverside. That is true. Not only was it far out of my way, but it’s so small that I didn’t find it worth the two hours it would have added to my drive that day.
One reader was surprised that I did my laundry the other day because in many trips in the past, I just throw away the old and buy new. When my trips are only in casinos, who don’t have laundry facilities (and no, I’d never use their overpriced laundry service, though I do steal their plastic bags all the time), I take my oldest underclothes on these trips and then buy new ones along the way, which will be good until the next year. However, this year I’m staying at some non-casino properties such as the Holiday Inn Express and they do offer them, so I admit I will do a load when I can, especially my workout clothes, which truly need it.
A few talked about golfing in Palm Springs, which reminded me that it was something I meant to touch on. I don’t golf (to expensive and my competitive nature would put me in a sport I neither have time for nor the money) but driving around Palm Springs, you can’t help but notice the many, many golf courses everywhere. Also, most of the housing are in gated communities and many of those have their own small courses. I can only imagine the water that Palm Springs needs every year.
With the rest of the day, I thought I’d play tourist and get some pics of the latest displays at the Palazzo and Venetian. When the Wynn for opened, Martin and I both received free room offers (all we did was sign up for the slot club). When we stayed there, they were just beginning the construction of the Palazzo. When I looked out my window, all there was so far was a huge, deep—very deep, hole in the ground. Little did I know that I would one day be parked in that monstrous hole. It turns out that this is a great place to park. It’s easy to get in and out and there is plenty of parking.
Taken from the pedestrian bridge...the Palazzo
The display are at the Palazzo Registration Desk
You are greeted with this as you begin to walk between the Palazzo and Venetian
A few more feet and this is set up. Three grand pianos set up to entertain later this afternoon
I pretty much hung around here most of the day. I checked the video poker and as usual, the pay schedules are bad except there’s a bank of 5/10/25-cent Quick Quads close to the entrance between the two hotels. At the 10-cent level, there’s 7/5 Bonus poker. At quick quads, this is playable for me and I did. I played for a good 45 minutes and end up breaking even.
I walked across the pedestrian bridge to the Wynn and Encore. Again, I haven’t been here in quite a while and wanted to see if anything has changed. The restaurant/deli close to the entrance where I used to buy French onion soup had change hands and no longer have that, which was too bad.
The Wynn and Encore taken on the pedestrian bridge
The entrance to the Wynn.
The atrium at the Wynn
Aside from that everything was exactly the same. I played a penny game and lost a little and then walked over to the Encore. On the way is the box office for Le Reve, their Cirque du Soleil show. On the wall advertising it, the poster said, “Voted Best Show in Vegas Three Years in a Row.” There was no one in line buying tickets, so I walked up to the person behind the desk and asked her where the poll was taken that voted for it. She gave me a wry look and said that they don’t give out that information. Right.
The Encore casino is actually very small. I played the Godfather penny machine (same as the Lord of Rings) and broke even. Then I played the China Mystery game that I told you about a few days ago in Laughlin when I watched a man who had 296 free games. Well, I did get 68 free games, but that only turned in $12.84. So, you can get 500 plus spins, but if they don’t win you anything—what’s the point?
The small casino in the Encore...there were hardly anyone playing at all
The Encore pool area--I've seen backyard pools more creatively done than this.
In the corner of the Encore is the Sinatra Restaurant. They weren’t open, but they had his Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy on display and though the restaurant wasn’t open, I leaned over to take a picture as best I could.
Frank Sinatra's Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy on display at the entrance of the restaurant Sinatra in the Encore
I headed back to the Wynn; the casino is much larger than the Encore and noticed that there was a huge line for the buffet there. At $25.99 per person, I just don’t get it. But I suppose if you can afford to stay and gamble at the Wynn, you don’t care about their food prices. Back at the Palazzo, I always make a point of going into the Bauman Book Store, which specialized in first editions and signed copies. It’s fascinating.
The Bauman Book store in the Palazzo shopping area
The slightly opened book on top is a signed copy of CATCHER IN THE RYE. Price: $85,000
Had to grab a pic of the restaurant in the Venetian where my son and his wife had their wedding dinner.
After a walk through the Venetian I finally headed back to the car. It was already after 4 PM—I end up spending the entire afternoon here. The temperature outside was 113 as I drove back to the Suncoast. I stopped pick up some take out from Peking Palace and went back to the room. I played a little bit, but again—just nothing happening gambling wise.
Tomorrow I check into the Orleans where I’ll be spend three nights.
More tomorrow.
