Our trips are a combination of visiting family, eating at as many new and/or exciting restaurants as possible, winning some money at VP and sightseeing (natural and man made). We ar a couple in our early 60's, semi retired (I work full time in tax seasoon as a CPA). In prior reports I've been criticized for being too brief and for being to wordy, so I apologize to both of those groups in advance!
Our trip was supposed to begin on 4/16 but because of American Airlines reservation system meltdown, we spent the night of the 16th in the Comfort Inn in St. Louis. At least they paid for the Hotel (and a $24 food voucher). Flights on the 17th were on time and uneventful. We arrived at the Palms (two days comped) at around 1:30 pm, and found our way to Simon for lunch. I had the sushi platter and my wife had the chicken salad sandwich. We were both happy with the food; the restaurant was nearly empty. We played some VP at the Palms for the rest of the afternoon, and also went across the street to Gold Coast, where we played a few slots and ate supper at Ping Pang Pong. PPP has gotten good reviews in several publications, including the 50 essential LV Restaurant book. Most of those highlight the dim sum at lunch. We were definitely not impressed with the supper menu. I had some kind of beef and my wife had shrimp, both of which came with rice, had very little flavor, and had no vegetables mixed in at all. A restaurant to cross of my go to list, but never to go to again. The next day (Thurs) we had a donut from the cafe and proceeded to Main St. Station, for some heavy 10-7 DB play. (Net result a small loss.) We ate a late lunch at Bread and Butter way down south in Anthem on Eastern Avenue. I had a brisket sandwich, my wife had something else and we were both delighted with the food. They have approximately 75 different bottled root beers. (I liked the one I tried - I have no idea what it was. On the way back to the Palms, we stopped and played awhile at South Point- again no meaningful gains or losses. Played some at Palms, and made dinner reservations at Nove. They neglected to tell us that there was a DJ there until 8pm, so the first half hour of supper was spent shouting at each other. The food was good - I had a whole grilled fish, and almost worth the cost after using the MRB 50% coupon. Friday morning we checked out and will spend the next three nights with family in Henderson (kids & very young grandchildren). We ate a late breakfast/early lunch at the Palace Station buffet, a steal at $4.99 for the two of us with the coupon. Played some FP VP there, with no luck at all. Back in the car we headed to Rampart, with a stop at AZ Charlies on Decatur. Drove through Tivoli Village - Still looks like a ghost town during the day. After a full day of mostly doing nothing we drove cross town to meet the family, with a stop for Chocolate and a walk through the cactus garden at Ethel M. When the kids got home from work we all went to Lindo Michoacan for supper, our first time there, and frankly not worth a return trip. Saturday morning we had breakfast at home and had lunch with the family at th 777 Brew Pub, since we were headed to the new children's discovery museum. The museum is just south of the new Smith Center, and has lots of stuff for the 5 yr old and also for the 1 1/2 year old to do. The big downer here is that it costs $12 each to get in, even for the two kids!! A prime example of charging what the market will bear. We watched/babysat the grandkids on Sat night so the kids could go out and have an adult experience of their own. Sunday we all went to the new (relatively) Clark County Wetlands Park. In contrast to the museum, this place if FREE. The new exhibit building has just opened and there are also lots of trails to explore - too hot this time to do that. Late lunch for all at in n out burger, and home for naps. Supper at home (cashew chicken).
Monday morning the kids left for work and we headed to Main Street Station for 4 nights. Before we went downtown, we went out to check out Boulder dam once again, with a stop in Boulder city for breakfast at the Coffee Cup Cafe (diners, drive ins & dives). Walked across the bridge, back to Boulder city to explore a few antique stores, and stopped at Sam's town for the buffet lunch (MRB coupon). Watched the 2pm show in the atrium. Fairly lame, but we somehow manage to see it at least every year or two. The night versions are better than the afternoon one. Checked in at Main Street and I won some money playing BJ while my wife took a nap. We walked to East Fremont and ate supper at Le Thai. Great Thai food with humongous portions. Don't bother with an appetizer unless you are sharing the entree. Also, as with most Thai places, mild is medium, medium is pretty hot, and hot must be off the charts. We walked back to MSS with stops for some VP at 4 Queens, (someone had just won the progressive on the 10-7 DB machines) and Binions. We walked through the Vegas Club - the gift shop is now in the fron corner, and it looks like they are doing some construction. The place is a total dump, and I'm sorry to say it looks like it's one step from the grave.
Tuesday morning we played at MSS, and drove to Caesars for lunch at the Payard Patisserie. Their 3 course lunch mentioned favorably in the 50 essential restaurant book) was discontinued permanently the day before we arrived - it was still listed on the menu in the window! We still ate their and had a nice meal - I had caeser salad with shrimp. After lunch we drove out to Red Rock casino and played a little VP and then went to see the movie 42 (Jackie Robinson bio.). We really enjoyed the movie and recommend it to all. We ate supper at the Red Rock buffet (MRB coupon).
Wednesday, the 24th we had a quick bite of fast food and headed to our usual 1 day strip sightseeing. Parked at Bellagio, and checked out the conservatory, really nice butterfly house in the front area. Played the dog race machine at Bellagio (high tech version of the D's horserace game). Walked over to Cosmo for lunch at Milos, and once again found out the lunch price was raised $2. (still a good deal). Walked through Crystals (another ghost town) and across the street through the mall behind Planet Hollywood, walked up to Paris and then through Bally's and back to Bellagio. Supper at Triple 7 (pizza) and then off to the Riviera Comedy club (MRB coupon). Two comedians - one was Jimmy (JJ) Walker from the old Good Times TV show. Funny and worth the price. Wife's pedometer said that we went approximately 14,500 steps today.
Thursday 25 we started with a brisk walk/jog and ended up at EAT. We found this place our last trip and decided we should hit it at least once each trip. I had some type of Spanish egg dish, and my wife had her usual, shrimp bacon and cheese grits. This place has good food but faces an uphill battle if the downtown redevelopment doesn't get going soon. After we walked back to the hotel, we headed North to Alliante, where we once again had an insignificant gambling result playing VP, and ate their buffet for lunch. Good food, but not extraordinary. Stopped at Cannery on way back downtown, and tried the new Pawn Stars slots - no bonuses. Supper was the highlight foodwise of the trip at Marche Bacchus in Summerlin. Great french food in a beautiful lakeside location. Helping out was the perfect weather for outside dining on the lake.
Friday we ate bkfst at MSS (MRB coupon) before checking out and heading to Green Valley Ranch for our final 4 nights. We stopped at the Charleston Antique Mall enroute (It's now at 560 S Decatur!). Checked in at 1:30 at GVR, and went to the Grand Cafe for lunch - we each had the 9.99 t-bone special (easily worth it). Played lots of VP and other stuff, all losses today! Ate supper and had a couple of drinks at Presidio in the District.
Saturday the kids and grandkids met us and we spent a couple of good hours at the GVR pool. Weather and water were nice and the grandkids loved it. After changing, we all ate a very late lunch at the Buffet (points and MRB coupon). Late supper (just the 2 of us) at Tides oyster bar at GVR. Oyster pan roast for me - great! - shrimp linguini for my wife.
Sunday morning we went to church - it's fun to compare churches in different locales. Met the family again and had lunch on S. Eastern Ave, at Carraba's. Once again a good meal and even the grandkids liked it. My wife had a massage in the afternoon, and I played a little while she was otherwise occupied. After picking her up we hit Fiesta Henderson and Sunset Station - still not much luck on the machines. Had a quick supper at Fatburger at Sunset.
Monday the 29th we played a little at GVR and then headed to M where we played and ate at the lunch buffet. Still a great meal, even though many think the quality has slipped. Stopped next at Silverton to see the fish and play a little, and then on to the Pinball hall of fame for a cheap couple of hours of entertainment. Stopped next at Venetian/Palazzo where we purchased tickets for Human Nature. Walked through Palazzo, had a couple of appetizers and drinks at happy hour at Table 10. No celebrities sighted but the food was great. We then walked through Wynn and Encore and walked back to the showroom. Human Nature is a very unusual show, with 4 Australian white guys singing motown classics. I was pleasantly surprised, and my wife loved it.
Tuesday morning, had time to play for an hour before departing and actually we both had winning sessions ( love those 4OAK's!! Trip home to Illinois uneventful. We took two days to recover at home, and are now counting the days till we get back - probably November.
roycpa
Our trip was supposed to begin on 4/16 but because of American Airlines reservation system meltdown, we spent the night of the 16th in the Comfort Inn in St. Louis. At least they paid for the Hotel (and a $24 food voucher). Flights on the 17th were on time and uneventful. We arrived at the Palms (two days comped) at around 1:30 pm, and found our way to Simon for lunch. I had the sushi platter and my wife had the chicken salad sandwich. We were both happy with the food; the restaurant was nearly empty. We played some VP at the Palms for the rest of the afternoon, and also went across the street to Gold Coast, where we played a few slots and ate supper at Ping Pang Pong. PPP has gotten good reviews in several publications, including the 50 essential LV Restaurant book. Most of those highlight the dim sum at lunch. We were definitely not impressed with the supper menu. I had some kind of beef and my wife had shrimp, both of which came with rice, had very little flavor, and had no vegetables mixed in at all. A restaurant to cross of my go to list, but never to go to again. The next day (Thurs) we had a donut from the cafe and proceeded to Main St. Station, for some heavy 10-7 DB play. (Net result a small loss.) We ate a late lunch at Bread and Butter way down south in Anthem on Eastern Avenue. I had a brisket sandwich, my wife had something else and we were both delighted with the food. They have approximately 75 different bottled root beers. (I liked the one I tried - I have no idea what it was. On the way back to the Palms, we stopped and played awhile at South Point- again no meaningful gains or losses. Played some at Palms, and made dinner reservations at Nove. They neglected to tell us that there was a DJ there until 8pm, so the first half hour of supper was spent shouting at each other. The food was good - I had a whole grilled fish, and almost worth the cost after using the MRB 50% coupon. Friday morning we checked out and will spend the next three nights with family in Henderson (kids & very young grandchildren). We ate a late breakfast/early lunch at the Palace Station buffet, a steal at $4.99 for the two of us with the coupon. Played some FP VP there, with no luck at all. Back in the car we headed to Rampart, with a stop at AZ Charlies on Decatur. Drove through Tivoli Village - Still looks like a ghost town during the day. After a full day of mostly doing nothing we drove cross town to meet the family, with a stop for Chocolate and a walk through the cactus garden at Ethel M. When the kids got home from work we all went to Lindo Michoacan for supper, our first time there, and frankly not worth a return trip. Saturday morning we had breakfast at home and had lunch with the family at th 777 Brew Pub, since we were headed to the new children's discovery museum. The museum is just south of the new Smith Center, and has lots of stuff for the 5 yr old and also for the 1 1/2 year old to do. The big downer here is that it costs $12 each to get in, even for the two kids!! A prime example of charging what the market will bear. We watched/babysat the grandkids on Sat night so the kids could go out and have an adult experience of their own. Sunday we all went to the new (relatively) Clark County Wetlands Park. In contrast to the museum, this place if FREE. The new exhibit building has just opened and there are also lots of trails to explore - too hot this time to do that. Late lunch for all at in n out burger, and home for naps. Supper at home (cashew chicken).
Monday morning the kids left for work and we headed to Main Street Station for 4 nights. Before we went downtown, we went out to check out Boulder dam once again, with a stop in Boulder city for breakfast at the Coffee Cup Cafe (diners, drive ins & dives). Walked across the bridge, back to Boulder city to explore a few antique stores, and stopped at Sam's town for the buffet lunch (MRB coupon). Watched the 2pm show in the atrium. Fairly lame, but we somehow manage to see it at least every year or two. The night versions are better than the afternoon one. Checked in at Main Street and I won some money playing BJ while my wife took a nap. We walked to East Fremont and ate supper at Le Thai. Great Thai food with humongous portions. Don't bother with an appetizer unless you are sharing the entree. Also, as with most Thai places, mild is medium, medium is pretty hot, and hot must be off the charts. We walked back to MSS with stops for some VP at 4 Queens, (someone had just won the progressive on the 10-7 DB machines) and Binions. We walked through the Vegas Club - the gift shop is now in the fron corner, and it looks like they are doing some construction. The place is a total dump, and I'm sorry to say it looks like it's one step from the grave.
Tuesday morning we played at MSS, and drove to Caesars for lunch at the Payard Patisserie. Their 3 course lunch mentioned favorably in the 50 essential restaurant book) was discontinued permanently the day before we arrived - it was still listed on the menu in the window! We still ate their and had a nice meal - I had caeser salad with shrimp. After lunch we drove out to Red Rock casino and played a little VP and then went to see the movie 42 (Jackie Robinson bio.). We really enjoyed the movie and recommend it to all. We ate supper at the Red Rock buffet (MRB coupon).
Wednesday, the 24th we had a quick bite of fast food and headed to our usual 1 day strip sightseeing. Parked at Bellagio, and checked out the conservatory, really nice butterfly house in the front area. Played the dog race machine at Bellagio (high tech version of the D's horserace game). Walked over to Cosmo for lunch at Milos, and once again found out the lunch price was raised $2. (still a good deal). Walked through Crystals (another ghost town) and across the street through the mall behind Planet Hollywood, walked up to Paris and then through Bally's and back to Bellagio. Supper at Triple 7 (pizza) and then off to the Riviera Comedy club (MRB coupon). Two comedians - one was Jimmy (JJ) Walker from the old Good Times TV show. Funny and worth the price. Wife's pedometer said that we went approximately 14,500 steps today.
Thursday 25 we started with a brisk walk/jog and ended up at EAT. We found this place our last trip and decided we should hit it at least once each trip. I had some type of Spanish egg dish, and my wife had her usual, shrimp bacon and cheese grits. This place has good food but faces an uphill battle if the downtown redevelopment doesn't get going soon. After we walked back to the hotel, we headed North to Alliante, where we once again had an insignificant gambling result playing VP, and ate their buffet for lunch. Good food, but not extraordinary. Stopped at Cannery on way back downtown, and tried the new Pawn Stars slots - no bonuses. Supper was the highlight foodwise of the trip at Marche Bacchus in Summerlin. Great french food in a beautiful lakeside location. Helping out was the perfect weather for outside dining on the lake.
Friday we ate bkfst at MSS (MRB coupon) before checking out and heading to Green Valley Ranch for our final 4 nights. We stopped at the Charleston Antique Mall enroute (It's now at 560 S Decatur!). Checked in at 1:30 at GVR, and went to the Grand Cafe for lunch - we each had the 9.99 t-bone special (easily worth it). Played lots of VP and other stuff, all losses today! Ate supper and had a couple of drinks at Presidio in the District.
Saturday the kids and grandkids met us and we spent a couple of good hours at the GVR pool. Weather and water were nice and the grandkids loved it. After changing, we all ate a very late lunch at the Buffet (points and MRB coupon). Late supper (just the 2 of us) at Tides oyster bar at GVR. Oyster pan roast for me - great! - shrimp linguini for my wife.
Sunday morning we went to church - it's fun to compare churches in different locales. Met the family again and had lunch on S. Eastern Ave, at Carraba's. Once again a good meal and even the grandkids liked it. My wife had a massage in the afternoon, and I played a little while she was otherwise occupied. After picking her up we hit Fiesta Henderson and Sunset Station - still not much luck on the machines. Had a quick supper at Fatburger at Sunset.
Monday the 29th we played a little at GVR and then headed to M where we played and ate at the lunch buffet. Still a great meal, even though many think the quality has slipped. Stopped next at Silverton to see the fish and play a little, and then on to the Pinball hall of fame for a cheap couple of hours of entertainment. Stopped next at Venetian/Palazzo where we purchased tickets for Human Nature. Walked through Palazzo, had a couple of appetizers and drinks at happy hour at Table 10. No celebrities sighted but the food was great. We then walked through Wynn and Encore and walked back to the showroom. Human Nature is a very unusual show, with 4 Australian white guys singing motown classics. I was pleasantly surprised, and my wife loved it.
Tuesday morning, had time to play for an hour before departing and actually we both had winning sessions ( love those 4OAK's!! Trip home to Illinois uneventful. We took two days to recover at home, and are now counting the days till we get back - probably November.
roycpa
