Trip Report Live Feb 4th - 11th

I started recording my live TR on another forum and thought I would also post on here, no now I need to catch you up. I truly appreciate when others post so hopefully there will be a bit of information others will find useful.

We are a couple in our mid 40s to early 50s and we travel to Vegas a few times a year.

Feb 4th - Day 1

So we are off once again for SB weekend in Vegas. No Seahawks to bet on so chances are we are going for the underdogs, being well aware of our odds. I just can't check that Patriots box for the win.

Flight out of Vancouver at 10 am. Truly debated flying out Friday night but WJ was charging stupid rates that had me pull the plug and book Saturday morning. Of course we wake up to a snow storm, so we opted for a cab instead of having our daughter drop us off. Already down $100 and we haven't even left BC yet.

During the cab ride, I broke the news to DH that there was no way we would stick with our traditional first meal this trip, America would have to serve us up our midnight steak special another night this week. He did his little pouting face but agreed it would make for a long day without any food.

Arrive early and through security with no issues. We head to the gate and I download both Uber and Lyft apps, we will give it a go. There are a lot of children in the area and they are very hyper this morning. I tell DH I need to move to another area to sit, just can only take so much noise this morning, probably because we got less than 3 hours sleep, so I may be a bit " punchy" for lack of a better word. DH reminds me that one day we will have grandkids that will be noisy as well (I see the slight smile forming on his face) I stand up and say "we'll that someday is not today, let's go". So we move!

Preboarding starts on time and we have exit row seats, so we head on. Our flight departure time comes and goes and people keep boarding, we find out we are waiting for other flights that have arrived late due to the bad weather. An hour later they announce that we will be lining up for deicing and would be off in another 20 or 30 minutes. We finally take off and a few people clap.

There are quite a few groups onboard who are coming for bachelor parties, so much fist pumping going on. The flight is loud, I mean really loud and the drinking and story telling is in full swing. My full appreciation to many of you that travel so far and have such long flights. By the time we landed I couldn't wait to get off the plane and this was with us having 3 exit row seats for the 2 of us and only flying from BC Canada.

Off the plane and our luggage is already there...score both arrived! I use the airport internet and order a Lyft with the app. I screwed up the first time and ordered a car to Terminal 1, rookie mistake. Quickly cancelled and requested one to Terminal 3, approximate cost would be between $5-7. Took a left after leaving the baggage carousel and the elevayor to level 1 to Valet. Just follow the ride share signs to the left and keep going to the parallel parking slots.

We saw the car approaching and I walk over and say "Hi Ramone, how are you?" He starts laughing and says he is doing well but he is not Ramone. I start backing up and away from his car so he doesn't think I'm a total nut. He was driving the exact silver car model that Ramone was going to pick us up in and they could have been brothers. After we explained that we were looking for our Lyft driver he pointed a bit further down the parking lot to where we would find over driver. Sure enough I see the real Ramone waving and shouting my name...lol.

Super nice driver and extremely clean vehicle. We chatted about the odds for the Superbowl, DH seems to be making it his mission to ask everybody we come in contact with their opinions. I tell him we are not betting for New England, he is not convinced. We arrive at the Wyndham and our cost was $6.30 after the $5 discount. He did make one wrong turn that added a bit more time and distance but he corrected it quickly and apologized.

As many have also mentioned, he drives for both Lyft and Uber and prefers Lyft because the drivers get a higher commission.

Check-in went smoothly. Joe was new and super friendly, grandmother would have refered to him as "a new penny" all bright, shiny and new. In case anyone is keeping track or curious, he has wagered on the Patriots as has Ramone....like I said DH is asking everyone. Another guy here at the resort said his father-in-law is a professional gambler and he put $10,000 on the Falcons.

To the room for a quick unpack and headed to the strip. It's gorgeous out today so we decide to walk. A short 10 minute walk puts us on the strip near Bubba Gumps, DH looks longingly at the sign, I promise we will go later this week. I wanted to get out bets in tonight, because the lines are usually quite long on SB sundays. We head to NYNY, grab our Parlay sheets and head to the Starbucks to contemplate our strategy! We decided to go with a few small bets, it just adds a bit more fun to watching the game and I also talked DH into betting for the Falcons, we shall see.

All bets placed, we decide to play some slots. Various machines like Signs of the Zodiac and the two seater for Walking Dead. Drink service was very slow, we didn't see a CW for quite some time. Finally a bit of service and we had a few pina coladas, they were quite good.

I said to DH that we should soon grab some food, the drinks were being felt much harder than they should. He smiled and said it was almost eleven....well I knew where this was going. He said "the tradition can live on", good grief. We puttered around a bit longer than headed to America for their midnight steak special. Our server was Pamela, she was very pleasant and a good server. We both had the steak special with loaded baked potato and veg, total came to $35 plus tip.

It's almost 2 and we are both ready to call it a night. Quick stop at Walgreens for a few breakfast items and back to the resort.

Feb 5th - Day 2

Up way too early. The people on the floor above us have some of the noisiest kids I have ever heard. The yelling, screaming and foot stomping started at 7 am. I went to the other bedroom to see if it was any better and I could hear the couple next door in a heated argument. Don't these people know I need sleep, I mean it's 7am people!

Called the front desk to see if we could get a room change. They said we would have to pay a $110 cleaning fee, I said that it wouldn't be a problem if we could have a top floor. She said she couldn't guarantee that so we passed, hoping the family may have checked out today. Then of course I forgot to unplug the phone and we get a call from the Timeshare people, I may have been a bit abrupt but they got the message that we were not interested in our "free gifts". To be fair we told them at check in that we were not interested in a presentation, later that day we got another call and I asked them not to call again. So by the third time I was over it.

We grab a Lyft to South Point casino, another great driver who has only been driving for 2 weeks. Again he drives for both companies, after the $5 discount our ride was $11. Our intention was to watch the game at their sports bar but we soon realized arriving a couple hours early was still not early enough. There were lots of free tables but people did the equivalent of a dog marking his territory but instead of peeing they left drinks and food, one large table just had a pizza box "holding" its spot. Reminds me of all the posts where people report towels on loungers by the pools.

We do like this casino, it's busy but seems much less smoky. We walk around a bit but soon realize we were out of luck for getting a seat to watch the game. One lady was at a table holding about 20 empty chairs, we saw the waitresses approach her, assuming to see if she wanted anything, she'd shake her head no. Holding 20 seats for a couple of hours without ordering food or beverage seems a bit wrong to me, but alas some people would disagree.

The plan was to eat and drink at the bar so now we went looking for something else. As we wander I see a sign advertising Happy Hour at Zenshin, the menu looks appetizing so we walk over. We order appys to share, we went with the vegetable spring rolls, California roll, chicken lettuce wraps, teriyaki chicken sliders and chicken karage, everything was so good. I think the chicken karage was my favorite but all dishes were excellent. Service was spot on and everyone was so friendly.

With full bellies we start to head out when DH sees a large line, it was for their hotdogs. DH was intrigued by such a line up for hotdogs, I told him it probably had something to do with the price, $1.25 for a loaded dog. We start to walk away and when I turn to speak to DH he's not there, I look back and he is waving to me from the line. I walk back and I ask him why is he in line, he said "to get a hotdog", I said "but we just ate, are you not full?" He said it's just a hot dog, there's always room for a hotdog. So we waited, the line moved fast and DH was happy with his purchase...a loaded dog with ketchup, mustard, relish, onions and sauerkraut.

South Point is a bit off the beaten path but with using Lyft it is definitely worth a visit. We will return another day when we can take the time to gamble. That is not today, we want to head out to watch the game. We knew it was getting late so we returned to the resort because they were having a smallish party here too. Grabbed another Lyft back to the resort, this time it was under $10. Another great driver that really knew his way around.

My disappointment for not being able to watch the game at the sports bar quickly went away. This was definitely a smaller group but the staff put on a nice event with raffles and more food. We met some great people and had a lot of fun....until OT, but what can you do.

We decided to stay at the resort and "lick our wounds" with some wine and hottub time with our new friends. Tomorrow we hit the strip.

Feb 6th - Day 3

Up and out for the day, it's time to get some strip time in!

It's a bit chillier today so I was planning on taking the shuttle, the Valet said it would be about another 10 minutes so we decided to walk. The resort is just a few blocks from the strip and puts you right next to PH and Miracle Mile.

We walk over to Cosmo, DH asked if we were gambling first thing...poor guy. I know he only gambles because I enjoy it so much so I try and break up my gambling with "side trips" for his benefit. If I could ever get away by myself I doubt I'd rarely leave the casino floor, alas DH loves the trips too.

I had read about Milos at Cosmo and decided to give it a go for lunch. We walked in around noon, it was busy but there were free tables and we didn't require a reservation. We waited about 10 minutes without receiving a menu or even water. I finally flagged someone down and they were apologetic. Our "team" was Adam and Milena, both were very good and I would even say Milena was exceptional. We wanted for nothing during the whole service.

We both went with the Pre Fixe lunch menu, they do have a few other options but the pre fixe was just too good of a deal, 3 courses for $29. DH and myself are sharers so we picked different dishes for each course in order to sample more items. They start the table off with a mini loaf of sourdough bread served with a Greek olive oil, it was good. We did see a couple buying 3 bottles to take home, we didn't think the olive oil was that great that we would purchase it, again to each their own. I started with the Greek spreads and DH the tomato salad, both dishes were excellent. Mine had 3 spreads, a taziki one, roasted pepper and the 3rd was an olive tapanade, served with pita bread and a few veg. DH's salad was fresh and delicious with tomatoes, peppers, feta etc, I wouldn't hesitate to order both again.

https://s26.postimg.org/pxsfgrkw9/Milos_1st_course.jpg

https://s26.postimg.org/xp95fbp1l/Milos_2nd_course.jpg

https://s26.postimg.org/q7vcmda4p/Milos_3rd_course.jpg

For the entree DH had the chicken skewer with mushrooms, fries, pita and hummus, this was very good. I had the salmon which was served with broccoli, it was ok but a bit fatty and I didn't find the skin crispy enough, broccoli was just broccoli zero flavour. For dessert I had the Greek yogurt and DH the fruit plate. Again both were good with the edge going to the yogurt, the fruit plate was a bit too basic and some items were a bit under ripe and tough to eat. Total for our meal was $63 plus tip and worth it, DH was pleased and thought it was a good experience as well. I noticed the couple right next to us, they both ordered the same courses that the other had.

Maybe DH and I are the odd ones who just like to share. One of my closest friends is like that, we were out for breakfast and I went to "sample" one her hashbrowns....I got stabbed with her fork....literally stabbed. She apologized and said it was a gut reaction but then offered me a bite, lesson learned. We've been best friends for over 40 years and always helped herself to my food!

DH has wanted to see Absinthe for years so we decided we would see it this trip. I know Tickets4tonite might have them for sale, but I wanted specific seats so we walked over to Caesars and purchased 2 tickets for Wednesday night. On our way back to Cosmo (it was time to do some gambling) the Bellagio water show began. They played the American anthem followed by another song, a goodbye song (can't quite recall the name). It was so different seeing the show without tons of people, gosh I love Vegas on Mondays.

As we were walking to Cosmo DH looked like he was fading, he blamed it on all the food, I knew it was due to lack of caffeine. Pit stop to Starbucks at PH. Ok he seems to have perked up, time to do some slot hopping back at Cosmo. Nobody can say I don't look after my guy...lol...I need him alert to gamble!

We start on the Willie Wonka machine, DH is down quick and I'm pretty much staying even, but I was getting about 3 Oompa Loopa bonuses to DH's one and he never hit the main bonus whereas I got it at least 3 times. The drink service is slow to start but picks up. We both order the Raspberry lemon drop martini, I was a bit disappointed, they were not nearly as good as past visits. They were watered down and the flavour was a bit off, even the sugar rim had a coarse brown sugar not the delicious white light sugar, not too off that we stopped ordering them but we did switch to strawberry daquiris.

We moved on to Ted 2, I did quite well and was up a few bucks this machine makes me laugh. I was pushing Ted's belly when he jumped up and cursed at me, just at this moment a lady grabs me by the shoulder and she is crazy laughing, she said she always plays this machine but hadn't know he did that. She scared the heck out of me...lol. Then on to the new Wonka World with the side screens and love seat for two. We really enjoyed this game, and got lots of Oompa Loopas, we were up over $100 and DH spots the Plants vs Zombies machine, he likes this game on his tablet but it was brutal to us. All the money WW gave, PvZ was taking it back in record time. I took DH over to the Elvira machine, he was smiling from ear to ear at some of the more obvious....attributes the machine had to offer. He lost here again so we moved on.

DH was really on a downward spiral for gambling so we decided to change it up. I suggested walking over to Tickets4tonite in front of PH to see if we could grab a last minute show. I was in the mood for a comedy and nothing really stood out so I decided to use a buy 1 get 1 free coupon at the V theatre from the LVA book, we went to see Las Vegas Live Comedy Club at 9. Even with the coupon the tickets were $69, this included the $7 entertainment fee on each ticket.

The show was average. The host made me smile a few times but the first 2 comedians fell flat. The main resident headliner, Edwin San Juan, was quite good but he needs a better warmup act before him. We saw quite a few people leave before he came on stage, to be honest I was tempted to leave too. The theatre is small so I would not spend the extra money on VIP tickets, general admission tickets come with assigned seating so it was nice to not have to line up early. We waited until about 10 minutes before the show and lined up and took our seats.

We wandered the strip just taking it all in. No matter how many times we visit it just amazes me at the vastness of it all. I've noticed very few girlie card slappers but tons of Lyft drivers pushing the cards, about every few feet. DH wanted to grab a slice of pizza but where he thought the pizza place was is now replaced by either Nacho Daddy or subway, somewhere in that area. He asked if I wanted to venture down to see the new casino but it was getting late and I was fading so we decided to just head back to he resort.

Feb 7th - Day 4

Our first stop is NYNY and still my favorite casino. We go to the MLife desk to redeem my MyVegas voucher for the 2 for 1 entree at NFI which is actually a $35 voucher off your bill. It's been mentioned many times that it's the better deal than the $25 voucher, less points and more value, but I notice the $25 reward always sells out faster. Anyway the lady was lovely and refered to me as darling, how can anyone not like that.

We both were in the mood for breakfast and NFI has a breakfast entree on their lunch menu, the Irish Breakfast, which comes with eggs, cornbeef hash, fried potatoes, sausage, ham and toast, all for $16. So 2 breakfasts with a coffee and tea came to $40, after the voucher our bill was $5 plus tip. We always get such great service here and today was no different. Our server Kelly was funny and on point.

Time to get our slot time in. CW service was pretty much nonexistent as was our luck. We played a few random machines but no great wins or bonuses. After a few hours and 2 pina colodas later we decided to take a break.

We walked over to MGM. This was my first time seeing what they filled the spot where the Rain Forest use to be. I actually wasn't a huge fan of their food but liked the thunder show and the animals popping in and out. In its place is Level Up. It's a cross between an arcade and pool hall. The place was pretty much empty when we walked by a few times tonight. We looked around and there is a bar in the centre and TVs, air hockey, pool tables and video games, etc. Not sure where this concept came from but it just looks weird to see it in a casino, especially since it's for adults only, I can just imagine how many kids will walk by and want to go in and the parents telling them they are not allowed.

We walk through the MGM and look at some of the new stores that opened and noted ones that have closed, lots of changes since our last visit. Since we were in this area of MGM , we decided to go and do a viewing for an upcoming TV show. This is something we both really enjoy doing and go almost every trip. This one was a half hour comedy sitcom and it was really funny. At the end you answer a short survey stating your likes and dislikes with what you just saw.

I had mentioned to DH that Hooters has $1 and $3 blackjack, he got quite excited. He likes to play table games but not at too high a limit, I need to take baby steps with him when it comes to gambling. Our first few trips he wouldn't put more than $10 in a machine, he has come a long way!

So we make our way over. I had forgotten to tell DH that the walkway was closed between MGM and Tropicana, so as we got to the bottom of the escalator there was a very drunk man letting everyone know it was closed but they were free to take pictures...lol. I thanked him, yes I'm that kind of Canadian, and he said "anything for you beautiful, come back if I can help you with anything else" and he finished with a wink...lol. DH was holding in his laughter and once we moved on asked me if I was going to take him up on his offer...he's a bugger.

So we took the long way. The new bridge between Excalibur and Tropicana is very nice. We walked into Hooters and circled the tables but every spot was taken. I had a free match coupon for slot play with the LVA so we decided to do that and come back to the tables. This was our first time in Hooters and it's a lot smaller than I thought it would be and it was really hot. CW service was great but we were there to play the tables so I played out my free play and ended up a few bucks.

We circled again and no luck. We were going to play roulette but there was one guy playing and he just seemed off. He was placing lots of crazy bets all over the table, at one point I think he had all numbers covered except for the one that came up. We watched a few spins and he was visibly getting more and more aggressive. After each spin he would stare down the dealer, seriously just stand up from his seat and watch as she cleared the board and held his gaze on her the whole time. We watched a few rounds and he lost every one. He was getting more irritated and we noticed 2 security guys come over and stand at each end of the table. We decided that was our cue to leave and headed back to MGM.

We decided to sit at Wonka World with the double seat and play together. CW service was spot on. We both started with the chocolate martinis and wow were they strong. I then switched it up to a few apple martinis and they were very good as well. I guess I bore easily because then I moved on to volka and cranberry, these were hitting the spot. DH stayed with his chocolate martinis. We were up and down and played for a good 4 hours, we hit quite a few good bonuses that kept us going.

When the CW came around again I was pretty much done but DH was going strong and kept saying he wasn't tasting any alcohol, I think he was on his 6th or 7th drink by now. Oh but there is alcohol in those drinks dear and I could visibly see that he was more tipsy than he realized. DH is usually a very quiet and reserved guy but alcohol brings out his inner child. Every time I would turn my head he would blow a "raspberry" on my neck or tickle me.....it was time to go!

We cashed in our ticket and we were up a few bucks. DH had a craving for Bubba Gumps so we set off down the strip. It was hard to rein him in. A guy goes by on his bike...DH yells "where's your helmet?" A lady waiting at the bus stop he says "how you doing tonight?" He sees porn slappers, runs over and yells "porn cards, I need them" then holds them in the air and cheers.....good grief.

I try to talk him in to just heading back to the hotel but he won't hear of it and starts chanting "Bubba...Bubba...Bubba". Ok, alright just ssshhhh until we get there. So what does he do...yes he makes the ssshhhh noise the whole time. I will say this is the most inebriated I've ever seen him, we are not big drinkers but Vegas does something to us.

We finally make it to Bubba's and there is no wait. We knew this was an appy night and wanted our usual. DH goes to the washroom and as I'm ordering I noticed his favorite is no longer on the menu..OMG. This isn't just his favorite item at Bubba Gumps but his favorite at any restaurant ever. He comes back to the table as I'm asking the server about it, she tells me it's been replaced. He asks what has been replaced and I just can't say it...the server says the Cajun shrimp appetizer. DH let's out a low moaning "nnnnooooo". Now if I was a bystander at the restaurant I would be killing myself laughing but since he belongs to me I'm the one that needs to fix it. The server, Amanda, comes to my rescue and says she is sure the cooks can make it..the night is saved! We also order the onion straws which comes with 2 side dips and Bubba's far out dip served with tortilla chips.

DH says he's going to email Bubba Gumps, of course he is, but that will wait until another time. Our food is out in record time and it was delicious, I can actually say this was one of the few times the shrimp were not overcooked. Amanda was a great server and really funny, I think we know her whole life story. Our Landry card had DHs $25 birthday reward on it so our meal that would have been $33 came to $8 plus tip. I got some great photos and video clips of DH, our girls are going to love them!

The food didn't seem to sober him up much and as we are walking back to the hotel he keeps stopping to look at the trees. I take him by the hand and we make it back. He is asleep on the couch in less than 2 minutes. Alas another Vegas night to remember.

Oh wow! This is great! Thanks for the live report and keep them coming.

By the way there still should be some good Single Deck $5 Minimum 3 To 2 Paying Blackjack at El Cortez if you make it downtown!

This game offers a lower casino advantage to face because of the rules that it offers -- especially since Blackjack here pays 3 To 2 (which is 1.5 To 1 -- so a $10 bet gets the player paid $15 for that bet). If you find it paying 6 To 5 (which is 1.2 To 1 -- where a $10 bet gets the player paid $12 for that bet [which unfortunately many tables offer nowadays]), it is best to run away from that! 6 To 5 paying Blackjack is always terrible for players to face!

It's very possible that with those $1 and $3 Minimum games that you mentioned on Day 4 of your trip were paying 6 To 5 for player Blackjacks. If so, that really is terrible for players. 3 To 2 is 6 To 4 pay, not 6 To 5!

Thanks RecVPPlayer I appreciate the nice comments.

Feb 8th - Day 5

We had a slow start this morning so breakfast at the resort. DH feels great so good for him, how is he in better shape than me...life!

Went down to the lobby and the shuttle was just arriving, perfect timing so we hoped on board. The free shuttle takes you to Harrah's, which I think is a great location to explore the centre strip. We gave our driver a few bucks but the other couples didn't, to each their own I guess.

Our first stop was Starbucks in the Grand Bazaar shops area. This location is huge, I'm sure it gets lots of business in the warmer months but it was really quiet today. On our way out of Harrahs I was handed a coupon for 2 for 1 show tickets for Bronx Wanderers. The tag line read "If you love Jersey Boys, you'll love this show". Well I did love Jersey Boys so I went online to check them out, they received some really great reviews so we headed back to Harrahs box office and purchased tickets for tomorrow nights show at 5:30. We picked general admission seats because the theatre is small, it's where they use to have the buffet, and the front row seats were available. The two tickets came to a total of $76.

DH was interested in trying Walhburger's so we decided we would share a meal because I was hoping to try Gordon Ramsay's fish and chips tonight after the show. We were seated right away and the restaurant was about half full. We ordered "The Our burger" with bacon done medium well and the mac 'n cheese with smoked bacon. The burger was delicious and cooked perfectly, we both thought the mac 'n cheese was just alright. The top was great with all the bacon and bread crumbs but about half way down it had little flavour. Service was great, a little slow to get our bill but it was quite busy by the time we left.

We checked out some of the shops in the area and DH bought some items from the Light My Fire shop for the guys at work. It is really a cool store with lots of different hot sauces and spices, they even rank the "hotness" to help you make your decision.

We have just over an hour before Absinthe so we walk over to Caesars. I don't know why I don't like this casino, there's no bad memories it's just not for me. I did put a few bucks in the "Orange is the New Black" machine and enjoyed singing along to the music. DH thinks I'm a good singer, god bless him...that's real love. Another lady sits beside me so I no longer sing, time to leave...lol. I'm even money so pretty uneventful. We walk around and visit a few shops and saw the amazing dragon near the Jimmy Choo store.

DH goes to use the washroom before we head to the show, so I offer to hold his jacket. I'm standing there watching roulette and notice a few people turning towards me and looking at the floor. One lady says "hey I think you dropped something", I look down and what do I see....all of DH's girlie cards from the night before scattered all over the floor...OMG! However I held his jacket, his inner pocket must have came open and when I say scattered I mean scattered! So here I am in the middle of the card tables, on my knees picking up the porn cards, I was dying. I actually almost walked away but saw that his room key and a few other items were among them. I sucked it up, picked them up and walked away from all the stares. DH found me around the corner and asked me why I moved, I relayed the story to him and he couldn't stop laughing.

Ok moving on. We head to the big tent. I order a cranberry and volka and DH the Absinthe drink, total for 2 drinks was $25, seemed fair. We were hoping for popcorn because of the circus theme but they only had some prepackaged cheese type of popcorn, we passed. I think we had the best seats in the house, not only were they comfortable but we found a lot of the acts faced us and the view was perfect no matter where the performance was taking place. One man passing by us said "now those seats look comfortable", DH assured him that he was correct.

We both thought his was an awesome show with a great variety. We enjoyed the humour and didn't think it was too over the top as some people have mentioned. Yes they drop the 4 letter word often, but no more than I would hear in the casino on any night. I won't ruin it for anyone but so many acts really stood out such as the brother and the nun...fantastic and the tap guys...wow so much talent. We also thought the host and hostess were really funny. Highly recommend.

After the show we headed over to Gordon Ramsay's fish and chips at the Linq area. Seating is limited but there were a few tables free. The guy who took our order, William, was great and answered all of our questions, there were no customers behind us so I thought it was a great chance to get some menu details. We ordered the 3 piece fish and chips and went with the basic sea salt fries. It comes with 2 free dips, extra dips are only $0.50 each so we doubled up. We went with GR tartar sauce, southwest ranch, European mayo and sriracha aioli, gosh they were good and so worth the extra buck. The tartar and sriracha aioli were my favorites and DH really liked the aioli and European mayo but all were delicious. The fries were hot and fresh and the fish batter was thin and crisp and quite a large portion, glad we shared although I'm sure DH could have finished it all on his own. We also ordered the peach ginger lemonade, a bit sweet but we added a bit of water and it was perfect. They were kind enough to let us sample the different varieties. Total for 3 piece fish and chips, extra sauces and lemonade was $18, we will return!

Headed back to Harrah's, starting playing some slots and I just wasn't feeling it. Decided to grab the shuttle back, just as we arrive the shuttle pulls up, our timing is spot on today. Early night by Vegas standards but there is always tomorrow.

Love your Report, for us it is very timely since we are flying to Las Vegas tomorrow night, Feb 10-15, real good info. Good Luck VIVA LAS VEGAS

Feb 9th - Day 6

Walk through the property to grab the shuttle, lots of people in the pools today. As soon as we walk out the door, the shuttle arrives so we hopped on and got our ride to Harrahs.

We head over to Aria to cash in two MyVegas rewards for crepes at JP Patisserie. DH goes with the Exotic crepe which is marinated mango, passion fruit and apple and served with coconut gelato and I had the Apple sensation with apple pieces, caramel and pecans served with whipped cream. We both thought they were ok not great, probably low on the scale of crepes we have eaten in the past. If we would have paid the $25 for the crepes we would have been disappointed, since they were free they were ok. The staff were not friendly, not rude but by no means pleasant or friendly. They had made mine and apparently the cashier didn't relay to the crepe maker that we ordered two. There was a bit of bickering back and forth about who's fault it was. We won't return.

We head over to Starbucks to get our caffine boost for the day. On our way we come across two scantily clad beautiful young showgirls with pink feathers. DH has always wanted to get his picture taken with a Las Vegas showgirl, but truthfully ones we have encountered in the past have been a little...rough around the edges. I know that look and tell him to go for it, I take the camera and pretty much toss DH in between them, he can be a bit shy. We take a few photos and pay for the photo OP, the pictures are fabulous. The girls did some great poses with him.

Then it was off to Miracle Mile to do a bit of shopping, I needed to pick up a few things for next week's trip. DH is not normally a shopper but there is something about being on vacation that changes that, the man loves Ross on the strip and always stops in every trip for a few shirts and other items.

Before we realize it, it is time to head back to Bally's for the Bronx Wanderers 5:30 show. I had read a few reviews online and they said that since it's a small theatre, to not bother with the table seats but to just purchase the general admission seats. I would disagree, the general seats do have a decent view but the seats are sandwiched together so it is uncomfortable seating.

We were fortunate to have an empty seat between us and another couple. The show starts and DH does not looked pleased, oh oh. The lady beside him is a loud clapper, I can't even put into words. She is clapping so loud at times we can't even hear the singers on stage. She is constantly clapping and off beat to boot. She is clapping fast to slow songs and starts to sing real loudly, she does not know the lyrics. She reminds me of one of those monkeys that bangs cymbals. She's quite a bit older and I'd say she's had a few too many today.

I offer to switch seats with DH but he declines. She seems to be getting louder, didn't think it was possible. I didn't want this lady to ruin the show for DH so I left and went to see the manager. I explained the circumstances and said I noticed there were some empty table seats and said I'd be more than happy to pay for the seat upgrade. He said that wasn't necessary and within minutes he had an usher show me to our new table seats, which were one row from the front. I get DH's attention and he follows....ah relief and enjoyment for the rest of the show......right?

After a few songs, there were a few empty seats up front and the main singer moved some people up to fill the seats....guess who was picked....in all her glory she cheered and hooted the whole time she was moving seats. Thank goodness she was closer to me than DH, I pushed through and tried to ignore her the best I could. After a few songs you could see an invisible division between her and pretty much everyone else in her area. She was throwing her arms in the area and flashng the peace sign during the whole show.

Now the performers were fantastic. It's more of a concert, whereas Jersey Boys was more of a musical with a plot line. Their voices and song choices were great. The main singer does share stories of his life and past, which was very entertaining. I will admit that I didn't know every song and I'd say the age demographic was probably about 10-20 years older than us. We both definitely enjoyed the show and it would have even been worth it, even at full price. I think they are really trying to promote the show, I hadn't even heard of it before. I could see this playing at a bigger venue in the future.

We head back over to Caesars with the intention of having dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Pub and Grill to have the special we saw posted last night, the beef wellington dinner with wine. As soon as we walk up we notice the sign is gone, not a good sign. I ask the hostess and she said it was only a daily special offered yesterday, bummer. Now where to eat.

I had nothing really in mind and we were dressed a bit too casual for some other restaurants I had on my list to try, so we decided to just head over to the Mirage buffet, Cravings. I had a buy 1 get 1 free coupon from the LVA book so we thought we would have a few glasses of wine and a bite to eat. We get there just before 8 and the line is long, almost had second thoughts. Then I see the Pearl plus buffet pass line, so I hop over there it was empty so we went right up to the cashier. Total for two buffets, which comes with unlimited wine and beer was $36 plus tip.

We both thought the buffet was just alright. It seemed much better a few years back but not a big deal for the price. We each had two glasses of wine, which were decent wines, bartender was super friendly so we gave him a few bucks on each trip. We did small samplings from each area, I think the chef's choice was the best. It was make your own pasta, you choose your ingredients, your sauce and type of pasta. We both asked for half sizes and it still filled over half our plate. They had snow crab legs, turkey, prime rib and corned beef for the carvery and many other categories such as sushi (DH said the rice was dried out and not very appetizing) we didn't sample the American section because it was items like onion rings, ribs and fried chicken, we just were not in the mood. The Asian section was fine, same for the Italian. Probably won't venture back here for awhile. They also say the buffet is open until 10, but at 9:20 they came around telling us it was last call, we thought they meant the bar but it was the whole buffet. By 9:30 everything was cleared down, fine by us but a few people were visibly annoyed. Especially the couple beside us who was just cut off by the bartender, he was visibly impaired and getting quite obnoxious. When we arrived he already had 12 empty beer bottles on the table and 4 full ones in front of him. He was a treat.

We decide to do some slots at Mirage. DH hits a nice bonus on the Golden egg Wonka and he is up over $100. Then to Gremlins they were giving us a nice few bonuses to keep us going. CW service was slow at the beginning but once we got our first drink the service was fantastic. We each had a few, very good, chocolate martinis. We looked around but couldn't find too many free slots that we felt like playing. I see a double seater Batman that looks new so we take a seat. I hit the spin button and the whole screen lights up on the first spin. We've never played this machine before so didn't know if this was usual or did we hit something...we hit something! Our small first spin gave us a bonus of $224! We sat for a few minutes stunned trying to decide to play a few more rounds or leave, DH said it was my call...I hit that collect button in record time!

It's such a gorgeous night and we decide to walk off some of that buffet. We head back towards our hotel and make a detour into Ellis Island. Karoke is in full swing but the casino floor is pretty much empty. There are 2 $5 blackjack tables that are empty. We sit at one and play for a bit, it was a bit boring and we stayed pretty much flush so we moved on. Back to the hotel, only one full day left.