Very nice report. I've only done a few solo trips, and they were to Tunica (bus or once I drove), but I liked it a lot.
With others, there are always the "when" and "where" questions, though I can't say I've had a bad experience. Well, maybe one.
Before my husband started going to Vegas with me, my best girlfriend and I would go. She pretty much said when it was time to leave a casino and move on.
I was not always ready to leave, but mostly went along.
Once she said "time to go" when I was on a HOT machine. I think at IP, probably 1982 or so.
A real nice guy was playing next to me, so I offered he could take my machine, which he gladly did.
Outside, I realized I had dropped my sunglasses.
Went back inside the IP, searching the floor, looking like a hound dog, for my sunglasses, generally heading for the area we'd been playing.
Sure enough, got to that area, and the guy had hit a nice jackpot on MY machine!
That was a lesson...when you leave a machine, don't go back for a while! LOL
Anyway, glad you had a good time. Thanks for reporting.