Kids and Grandkids arrived 10 JULY- 14 JULY. Just a few things to note, we took them to the Silverton Buffet for dinner. We used points to pay and a 2 for 1 coupon from ACG. This was not a special food night, so 13.99 seemed a little stiff for what we got. I think that now you can pay 5 dollars on weekdays for the buffet- now that is worth it.
My son and I went to the Lion King performance on Monday night the 11th. Hubby bought discount tickets at the Nellis Airforce base and told them I was on R and R. They put us in the FRONT row without extra cost! I felt like a celebrity, coasting down the aisle to row 1. My son and I were awe struck by this performance. This was SO good. I avoided going, thinking it was going to be lame and instead I LOVED it. The cast and the costumes were astounding. I would highly recommend seeing this show before it is gone forever 31 Dec 2011.
Now after the Kids and grandkids left town it was time for hubby and I to start our romantic part of the vacation. We had stayed at the Southpoint (about a mile and ½ from the house). Southpoint never disappoints for hotel room, but only stay here if you have wheels because they do have a shuttle but it costs 8 dollars a day to get to the strip and back.
For lunch we picked up son to go to El Pollo Loco. Last time we happened on this fast food Mexican place to grab something fast and ended up loving it. Son had never been and he loved it. Dropped kid off and headed to Southpoint for afternoon show in one of the lounges. Southpoint has a fun book if you stay there that has coupons in it, to include a free buffet (which is really good- but not fancy) and one free cocktail. Hubby and I got our cocktails and sat in with mother in-law to watch Wes Winters do a free show. He is a piano player and pretty entertaining. Crowd consisted of late 40s- 70s. There is a small dance floor and he plays in a Liberace style some easy listening things as well as singing some standards. I thought he was kind of different for a change and he was free. At 5 PM our limousine picked us up for Casa di Amore restaurant. They drove all the way to the Southpoint to get us. We had a great driver named Ray who took us to the restaurant. We tipped him 20 dollars and in we went in. You have to have a reservation to get into this very quaint Italian restaurant. Hubby chose this day, because live music was on the docket. They asked us if we wanted to sit together or across and we said together. They put us right up by the stage- it was a marvelous seat. We ordered a bottle of wine (Sav blanc) and ordered some soup appetizers. I had the clam chowder (special recipe) YUM! And Hubby ordered the chicken soup- also good. I ordered the Osso Bucco for dinner and he ordered the Chicken Marsala. The Marsala was by FAR the winner, best I have ever had. The Osso was OK, but I had the one at Sinatra on my last trip and to be perfectly honest, it did not come close, but it was still OK. The music started and my GOD is this guy good. He mimicked several of the greats, Sinatra, Bennett, Martin….and you could request about anything and he knew it. I asked for “My Funny Valentine” and he hit it out of the park. You want to hear some great old music with some great Italian- this is the place. They often run specials, so please check them out. The Limo is free is you reserve it, just make sure you tip the driver for it is quite a distance from the strip. After a lovely evening, we were back to the Southpoint via Limo. We thanked our driver Ray and in we went to play. There is some new machine that you can sit at with 2 people called Twice the Money. There are two different screens and a lot of fun for little money. We got cocktails and played for about an hour before bed.
Friday July 15, time to check out of the Southpoint. We ate breakfast at the café every morning and had the coffee and sourdough. Every time it was a hit. We played the usual suspects; Life of Luxury, Enchanted and some Poker. Went to the house to pick up clothes and look for shows on Fill a Seat.com. This is local website for free seats to shows, (for a small annual fee) so we checked it often on the trip. Hubby had bought a Travel zoo voucher for the Hard Rock Spa. 99 dollars allows you to get a 50 minute massage, a 25 minute facial and a glass of champagne (Moet). Both Hubby and I enjoyed this. The facility is new and fantastic. Both services were just great and we came out refreshed. It was about 12:30PM and we were hungry, so we hit the Pink Taco at Hard Rock for lunch. I had a Margarita on the rocks and Hubby had a Tecate. We split an appetizer platter which was more than enough food for 2. The Corn Tamales were just that….corn inside of tamales. Do not get them thinking there is meat. The rest was really good.
It was time for us to check into our suite at the Green Valley Ranch. We got there and the suite was not ready yet. They told us to come back at 3 PM. At 3PM they said it was still not ready and that 3PM- 5PM was check in. Hubby asked what happens if at 5 PM it is not ready? They sat on the other line and had no answer. Hubby got a little case of the a$$, explaining how much money he was paying to get in there and that he wanted to spend time with his wife who was on R and R. Things expedited quickly after that. The room was really spectacular. Once again, this was a travel zoo deal including a 25 dollar resort credit for each night. The room was on a big sale and with a 75 dollar upgrade you could get this nice suite. This is the nicest room we have stayed in Vegas. We have been to Venetian, Ceasars Augustis Tower, upgraded at RIO- this one is the best. It had full living area with multiple flat screens and with giant windows facing the strip. There was a full Bar set up, huge bathroom and giant dining table. Really – REALLY NICE. Hubby and I got ready and went downstairs to the restaurant Terra Verde for they have this thing called “Wined up Fridays” where you pay 20 dollars per person and you get—GET THIS…all the wine you can drink and all the appetizers you can eat. So let’s check it out.
The wines were all nice bottles, not cheap bottles, NICE bottles. They started off with a cheese and cracker presentation with slices of pesto pizza and olives served directly to your table. The cheeses were the nice goat and some cow milk cheeses, not cheddar or American, but the really good stuff you pay 15 dollars to eat when you pick 3 at many restaurants. They then came by with sliders. They had meatball, Italian sausage and veal sliders, all of them were excellent. They served the food to you, so it was not some buffet disaster that I absolutely hate. Very well done. Hubby and I had 5 glasses of wine each—oh Yes we did! At the end there was a raffle and they gave away bottles of wine. Hubby starts telling me as the last bottles are getting ready to go, “You know, we really don’t need like any more wine bottles at the house…” and then his number gets called. He jumps up all excited and gets the bottle. I laughed so hard and reminded him of what he just had said. We still bring it up- it was so silly. We go to the floor to gamble and hubby hits an immediate 4 of a kind on poker. I go to the Monopoly money train and hit some big hit on it. We start looking around and see these machines that are spinner machines but also look like the Life of Luxury with a progressive. Hubby announces out loud (with many glasses of wine in him) “They took my 2 favorite games of ALL time and combined them!!!” He was so happy. We tried it out and he hit a progressive on it. He was so happy. I then tried it out and I hit a progressive…not the diamond or anything, but emerald, which is pretty nice.
We decided it was time to go to the room after a lot of drinks and we got turn down service. Loved it.
We woke up the next day Saturday 16th with mild wine hangover, but ready to go. We went downstairs and got some coffee on the floor for the buffet did not open until 8 AM and we could not wait to get some coffee. We sat at some 5 cent poker machines. Hubby plays deuces wild and gets dealt 4 deuces. Yay… 50 Dollars!!! By then, it is buffet time. $5.99 is the price for breakfast buffet at Green Valley. You want to talk about getting your money worth…well this is it. They had some beautiful fruits and the usual breakfast suspects. I was shocked you could get such quality for such a little price.
Gramma and son were meeting us for the pool today. We got there and enjoyed the lovely pool. The water temperature was perfect. I got in with son and swam laps and then we all got in the hot tub. It was glorious! After the pool, we went and grabbed a lunch at the food court. Hubby and I were still full from breakfast, so we had a little amount from the Chinese fast food. Son had a ½ pound Fatburger and ate the whole thing with no issues. Oh, to have that metabolism again. We took the food upstairs and ate at the big dining room table in the room. Gramma and son decided to leave and Hubby and I went to see the movie “Hangover 2”. I specifically wanted to see this movie with Hubby so we both saved it and it was still playing at a theatre in Sam’s Town so we went over there. The movie was OK, at best, some funny stuff, but almost a repeat of the same jokes as the first. Too much talent on that cast to have gone that direction, but still it was entertaining enough.
At a loss with what to do and no show, Hubby and I did not know what to do after the movie. Green Valley had a country band and we are not big fans, so we decided to hit the M. There was another oldie type dance show going on in the Revello lounge so we checked it out. I guess the guy used to be on Star Search a long time ago and now he is singing gigs in Vegas. M resort right now has an all drinks are 5 dollars special, no matter what you order. There was a 2 drink minimum, so I ordered the peanut butter cup martini and Hubby got a Miller lite for 3 dollars. The martini tasted like a Reeses and the glass was garnished with a full size peanut butter cup! Really good. My second choice was an Almond Joy martini. This was OK- but the first one is the clear winner. Hubby and I got on the dance floor and cut a rug. It was a ball!
We went back to Green Valley and enjoyed some gambling for the evening and returned to our turned down fabulous room for our final night before we move to the strip.
My son and I went to the Lion King performance on Monday night the 11th. Hubby bought discount tickets at the Nellis Airforce base and told them I was on R and R. They put us in the FRONT row without extra cost! I felt like a celebrity, coasting down the aisle to row 1. My son and I were awe struck by this performance. This was SO good. I avoided going, thinking it was going to be lame and instead I LOVED it. The cast and the costumes were astounding. I would highly recommend seeing this show before it is gone forever 31 Dec 2011.
Now after the Kids and grandkids left town it was time for hubby and I to start our romantic part of the vacation. We had stayed at the Southpoint (about a mile and ½ from the house). Southpoint never disappoints for hotel room, but only stay here if you have wheels because they do have a shuttle but it costs 8 dollars a day to get to the strip and back.
For lunch we picked up son to go to El Pollo Loco. Last time we happened on this fast food Mexican place to grab something fast and ended up loving it. Son had never been and he loved it. Dropped kid off and headed to Southpoint for afternoon show in one of the lounges. Southpoint has a fun book if you stay there that has coupons in it, to include a free buffet (which is really good- but not fancy) and one free cocktail. Hubby and I got our cocktails and sat in with mother in-law to watch Wes Winters do a free show. He is a piano player and pretty entertaining. Crowd consisted of late 40s- 70s. There is a small dance floor and he plays in a Liberace style some easy listening things as well as singing some standards. I thought he was kind of different for a change and he was free. At 5 PM our limousine picked us up for Casa di Amore restaurant. They drove all the way to the Southpoint to get us. We had a great driver named Ray who took us to the restaurant. We tipped him 20 dollars and in we went in. You have to have a reservation to get into this very quaint Italian restaurant. Hubby chose this day, because live music was on the docket. They asked us if we wanted to sit together or across and we said together. They put us right up by the stage- it was a marvelous seat. We ordered a bottle of wine (Sav blanc) and ordered some soup appetizers. I had the clam chowder (special recipe) YUM! And Hubby ordered the chicken soup- also good. I ordered the Osso Bucco for dinner and he ordered the Chicken Marsala. The Marsala was by FAR the winner, best I have ever had. The Osso was OK, but I had the one at Sinatra on my last trip and to be perfectly honest, it did not come close, but it was still OK. The music started and my GOD is this guy good. He mimicked several of the greats, Sinatra, Bennett, Martin….and you could request about anything and he knew it. I asked for “My Funny Valentine” and he hit it out of the park. You want to hear some great old music with some great Italian- this is the place. They often run specials, so please check them out. The Limo is free is you reserve it, just make sure you tip the driver for it is quite a distance from the strip. After a lovely evening, we were back to the Southpoint via Limo. We thanked our driver Ray and in we went to play. There is some new machine that you can sit at with 2 people called Twice the Money. There are two different screens and a lot of fun for little money. We got cocktails and played for about an hour before bed.
Friday July 15, time to check out of the Southpoint. We ate breakfast at the café every morning and had the coffee and sourdough. Every time it was a hit. We played the usual suspects; Life of Luxury, Enchanted and some Poker. Went to the house to pick up clothes and look for shows on Fill a Seat.com. This is local website for free seats to shows, (for a small annual fee) so we checked it often on the trip. Hubby had bought a Travel zoo voucher for the Hard Rock Spa. 99 dollars allows you to get a 50 minute massage, a 25 minute facial and a glass of champagne (Moet). Both Hubby and I enjoyed this. The facility is new and fantastic. Both services were just great and we came out refreshed. It was about 12:30PM and we were hungry, so we hit the Pink Taco at Hard Rock for lunch. I had a Margarita on the rocks and Hubby had a Tecate. We split an appetizer platter which was more than enough food for 2. The Corn Tamales were just that….corn inside of tamales. Do not get them thinking there is meat. The rest was really good.
It was time for us to check into our suite at the Green Valley Ranch. We got there and the suite was not ready yet. They told us to come back at 3 PM. At 3PM they said it was still not ready and that 3PM- 5PM was check in. Hubby asked what happens if at 5 PM it is not ready? They sat on the other line and had no answer. Hubby got a little case of the a$$, explaining how much money he was paying to get in there and that he wanted to spend time with his wife who was on R and R. Things expedited quickly after that. The room was really spectacular. Once again, this was a travel zoo deal including a 25 dollar resort credit for each night. The room was on a big sale and with a 75 dollar upgrade you could get this nice suite. This is the nicest room we have stayed in Vegas. We have been to Venetian, Ceasars Augustis Tower, upgraded at RIO- this one is the best. It had full living area with multiple flat screens and with giant windows facing the strip. There was a full Bar set up, huge bathroom and giant dining table. Really – REALLY NICE. Hubby and I got ready and went downstairs to the restaurant Terra Verde for they have this thing called “Wined up Fridays” where you pay 20 dollars per person and you get—GET THIS…all the wine you can drink and all the appetizers you can eat. So let’s check it out.
The wines were all nice bottles, not cheap bottles, NICE bottles. They started off with a cheese and cracker presentation with slices of pesto pizza and olives served directly to your table. The cheeses were the nice goat and some cow milk cheeses, not cheddar or American, but the really good stuff you pay 15 dollars to eat when you pick 3 at many restaurants. They then came by with sliders. They had meatball, Italian sausage and veal sliders, all of them were excellent. They served the food to you, so it was not some buffet disaster that I absolutely hate. Very well done. Hubby and I had 5 glasses of wine each—oh Yes we did! At the end there was a raffle and they gave away bottles of wine. Hubby starts telling me as the last bottles are getting ready to go, “You know, we really don’t need like any more wine bottles at the house…” and then his number gets called. He jumps up all excited and gets the bottle. I laughed so hard and reminded him of what he just had said. We still bring it up- it was so silly. We go to the floor to gamble and hubby hits an immediate 4 of a kind on poker. I go to the Monopoly money train and hit some big hit on it. We start looking around and see these machines that are spinner machines but also look like the Life of Luxury with a progressive. Hubby announces out loud (with many glasses of wine in him) “They took my 2 favorite games of ALL time and combined them!!!” He was so happy. We tried it out and he hit a progressive on it. He was so happy. I then tried it out and I hit a progressive…not the diamond or anything, but emerald, which is pretty nice.
We decided it was time to go to the room after a lot of drinks and we got turn down service. Loved it.
We woke up the next day Saturday 16th with mild wine hangover, but ready to go. We went downstairs and got some coffee on the floor for the buffet did not open until 8 AM and we could not wait to get some coffee. We sat at some 5 cent poker machines. Hubby plays deuces wild and gets dealt 4 deuces. Yay… 50 Dollars!!! By then, it is buffet time. $5.99 is the price for breakfast buffet at Green Valley. You want to talk about getting your money worth…well this is it. They had some beautiful fruits and the usual breakfast suspects. I was shocked you could get such quality for such a little price.
Gramma and son were meeting us for the pool today. We got there and enjoyed the lovely pool. The water temperature was perfect. I got in with son and swam laps and then we all got in the hot tub. It was glorious! After the pool, we went and grabbed a lunch at the food court. Hubby and I were still full from breakfast, so we had a little amount from the Chinese fast food. Son had a ½ pound Fatburger and ate the whole thing with no issues. Oh, to have that metabolism again. We took the food upstairs and ate at the big dining room table in the room. Gramma and son decided to leave and Hubby and I went to see the movie “Hangover 2”. I specifically wanted to see this movie with Hubby so we both saved it and it was still playing at a theatre in Sam’s Town so we went over there. The movie was OK, at best, some funny stuff, but almost a repeat of the same jokes as the first. Too much talent on that cast to have gone that direction, but still it was entertaining enough.
At a loss with what to do and no show, Hubby and I did not know what to do after the movie. Green Valley had a country band and we are not big fans, so we decided to hit the M. There was another oldie type dance show going on in the Revello lounge so we checked it out. I guess the guy used to be on Star Search a long time ago and now he is singing gigs in Vegas. M resort right now has an all drinks are 5 dollars special, no matter what you order. There was a 2 drink minimum, so I ordered the peanut butter cup martini and Hubby got a Miller lite for 3 dollars. The martini tasted like a Reeses and the glass was garnished with a full size peanut butter cup! Really good. My second choice was an Almond Joy martini. This was OK- but the first one is the clear winner. Hubby and I got on the dance floor and cut a rug. It was a ball!
We went back to Green Valley and enjoyed some gambling for the evening and returned to our turned down fabulous room for our final night before we move to the strip.
