Question of the Day - 13 January 2007

• "My best of 2006 was getting offered a job at McCarran Airport. I’m now loading the rental moving truck so I can be on the job by the middle of January. Second best was hitting my first royal flush during the trip for my interview.

[LVA: Congratulations on both!]

• "Best of ‘06: I made my very first visit to Vegas in May. It was our second night in town and as we walked down the Strip outside MGM Grand, I stopped dead in my tracks. I put away my camera, stepped back from the rushing crowd, and thought, "I made it!" You can see it on TV or read about it, but you can't beat the experience. It’s a night I will remember the rest of my life."
• "Christmas dinner at the Top of the World at the Stratosphere was our best experience in Las Vegas. My wife and I decided to go to Vegas for Christmas as our present to each other. The view was exceptional, the food and service were incredible, and it was the best Christmas present we have ever had.
• "I was in Vegas in October for vacation. Celebrated my birthday and my oldest son got married. We went to Emeril's fish house at the MGM Grand for dinner and it was great: The service was excellent and the food was out of this world. Exceeded all of our expectations!"
• "The best of Las Vegas 2006 was my mother dropping her wallet at Imperial Palace and having it returned, totally intact, before she even knew it was missing."
• "I play craps and never play machines. On a visit to the Rio, I had a particularly bad session and cut it short. I left the table kind of in a daze, when loud music started and the "bevertainers" started doing their thing. Well, one young thing jumped onto a platform directly in front of me and I couldn't help but look up and stare. Not to look like a dirty old man, I sat down at a machine (some type of video poker) and reached into my pocket, but only had hundreds. I put one in anyway, knowing I could cash out whenever. I saw 100 credits, so I played one credit -- each time, of course, looking up.

  "Well, nothing happened, so I looked at the machine to hit 'deal' and then looked up again. By mistake, I hit the button next to 'deal,' which was 'play maximum' and again looked up. As luck would have it, it was a 5-play video poker machine, so my dollar bet became $50. I hit something -- I don't remember what -- but lights started flashing and I won $7,505. This 'perfect storm' came about because I lost at craps and wandered away and got stopped by the dancer. I would never play a dollar machine since I don't play machines at all; I put in a hundred as I only had hundreds in my pocket; I had the credits to make the mistake of playing the maximum button and the bet took; and, of course, it was a 5-play machine, to maximize my win."

• "I would have to say the best thing that happened in 2006 was receiving an invitation to stay at the Red Rock Resort and Spa. What an awesome place to stay! Talk about being spoiled. I've added another hotel to my list to stay at when I go to Las Vegas."

• "Top three 'best of's': 1. The new Las Vegas Marathon -- finishing my first half-marathon, December 10 ... six minutes behind the guys in Elvis costumes! I was smiling until mile 11, where I started to get pretty sore and tired! 2. South Point Casino -- learning to play craps and blackjack with my expert Dad. Very friendly and patient dealers, box, and stickmen! Plus, $1.25 big breakfasts there weekdays before 9 a.m. 3. Red Rock Canyon scenic drive -- quiet and beautiful!"
• "My wife and I enjoying salmon rillettes at Bouchon, while our girls were being watched at home."
• "My good story is arriving in Vegas and hitting five slot machines for a total of $8,000 in the first two hours I was there."

Many thanks to the reader who wrote in with the following late addition to today's answer: "I feel like a shmuck for not submitting my Vegas "best" for '06. You don't have to add it, but I just had to share. "I signed up for the LVA on a trial (back when they weren't free) because I needed some quick info to help with my engagement proposal planning. I ended up getting so much help from the LVAers that my engagement to my awesome fiancee went off without a hitch. In the process, we got a free upgrade to a suite at Mandalay Bay (my fiancee says she can never go back to a "normal" room again), we had our first Vegas limo ride, we had the most awesome meals ever, and we discovered so much more about Vegas than we ever knew possible ... all thanks to the LVAers ... because of that, I signed up for a "real" membership and am a committed member. Thanks for all your help!"